by Ben Haworth 7 months ago 17
Ben said: Can someone with a functioning mind write an intro pls? So you’ve got Hannah’s ramblings… April Parker, I wonder where she is now, and if she’s distressed today? At school, she really liked Meatloaf. It was inexplicable to me, though I appreciated that she remained dedicated to Meatloaf even as others lusted over Take That. I also thought that her dangly wooden parrot earrings were incredibly cool, and basically got my ears pierced just so that I could have some like it.
Speaking of ears, is Meatloaf’s success based on the fact that his songs are the wormiest of ear worms, second only to Boney-M, and record sales were boosted by those desperate to listen to an entire track in the hope of finally getting past that bit that had got stuck in your synapses? Any-thing-for-love…
And now my mind is definitely not functioning, it’s been invaded by piano riffs and an-eee-thiiing for lurve. I’m off to wash out my ear drums. Enjoy your Fresh Goods Friday…
Kicking off this week’s Eff Gee Eff is this stunning steel mullet from Starling. Destined to go into a future Mullet Bike test-off for the mag.
Front triangle hand-built in Bristol, UK, using Reynolds 853 heat-treated tubing. Rear triangle hand-built by ORA, Taiwan, using heat-treated Chromoly. 140mm rear travel. 150mm front travel. 27.5″/29″ wheels. Starling headtube gusset. Bottle mount in frame on medium & above.
And how about that paint job eh? Initial concerns that it was going to be a bit too UKIP were relieved upon opening of the bike box and getting the bike into daylight, whereupon it turned into a Cadbury Twirl. Most excellent.
Charlie says… I think I first met Chipps when he organised SSWC2k+1 (that is the Single Speed World Champs year 2000 + one more year. The “k” was a millennium bug thing. Looking back now, that is one of my favourite bugs). Back then he also co-edited a photocopied one speed zine call The Outcast. It proudly proclaimed to be full of “shonky one speed bollocks”… and it really was. He also ordered far too many Outcast bottle openers for the race, and far too much beer was consumed. My kind of racing. Nothing much has changed in 20+ years, wheels got bigger, but Chipps still has too many keyrings.
The best air freshener in the world. A massive sack of coffee beans has instantly made downstairs despatch zone the best smelling place in the UK. We also, marvellously and coincidentally, took delivery of a restock of AeroPress stuff too. Sorry, no picture.
We’ve always enjoyed our time on various Izzos. This one is the Core version. Carbonium. 130mm travel. Dubbed ‘short travel’ but 130mm of travel isn’t exactly a white-knuckle ride. Will be interesting to put this bike up against Cotic FlareMAX and Giant Trance for the Don’t Say Downcountry bike test.
We might have said ‘must try harder’ since none of the threads really stood out this week for entertainment value, but actually there was a twin thread and story that caught our attention this week in a worthy sort of way. The Pin Dale/Cave Dale trail ‘repairs’ were brought to our attention by a combination of @Mowgli starting a thread, and @Pook messaging us directly (late at night, on a mission to raise as much awareness as possible). All the fuss worked out well, and Derbyshire County Council have had to commit to removing all the ‘recycled’ material used in the ‘repair’, and hopefully they’ll be being a bit more careful about what they do in future. So, goodies to Pook and Mowgli this week for services to trail rescue.
Remember, if you’ve got a similar story that might benefit from a bit of media fuss, you can email newsdesk@singletrackworld.com and we’ll try take a look.
High impact nylon body (114mm X 110mm). Nylon body (114mm X 110mm). Chromoly axles. Sealed bearings. 20 replaceable pins per pedal. 412g. 5 colours. The look pretty sorted. Will see how they get on and let y’all know in a flat pedal group test later this year.
Due to everyone WFH these days, it’s tricky to have tools and equipment where and when you need it. These extra AXS bits and bobs will make sure we have fewer logistical headaches when testing all of our million-pound mega-bikes that keep cluttering up the place.
Pleasing combination of webbed and waffle. Single clamp. 130mm long. 30mm wide. Built in bar end covers. In the same colour options as the Loam pedals. Because this is important.
Fits inside hollow cranks greater than 21mm diameter, including Shimano and SRAM. Neodymium magnet for retention. 7075 aluminium for the chain tool head. 6061 aluminium tool for the body. Tools: 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm Allen keys, cross head screwdriver, T25 Torx key, chain tool and chain link holder.
This little guy claims it has more than 150 functions. We think that it literally does everything you can think of. Including ironing your tea towels. Amazing.
Another Fresh Goods Friday, another load of bike care stuff. Powerful, biodegradable, streak-free cleaning stuff. “Easy-to-apply, high performing” lubes and sprays. Most importantly though: they all come with a minty fresh odour.
Congrats to Will Rowlands! Slide into our DMs to sort out your prize.
Even though it wasn’t taken last week, we’re ignoring that this time (‘cos it was the first week). Kudos for getting such a sharp pan-shot on (presumably) a phone.
A post shared by Will Rowlands (@will_rowlands85)
Every week we’re now running a competition over on Instagram to win a free subscription to Singletrackworld (or some other item of merchandise if you’re already a subscriber/member).
Simply tag your Instagram riding pics with #STWFGF and… that’s it.
NB: riding pics. No riding in the pic, no win.
We sift through the tagged candidates at the end of each week and pick a winner. The winning Insta pic gets proudly displayed in Fresh Goods Friday.
Sign up as a Singletrack Member and you can leave comments on stories, use the classified ads, and post in our forums, do quizzes and more.
Join us, join in, it’s free, and fun.
You going to do a full review on that Sigma bike computer? Nice to see alternatives to Garmin/Wahoo/Lezyne popping up.
edit – and that’s a great back story to the Outcast keyring! 🤣
I have the same colour paint on my Starling and it chips like a bugger so be prepared for that. It’s why Joe doesn’t offer it as a standard colour option.
We took our children, then aged 9 and 7, to see Meat Loaf in Manchester. If you wish to tell Social Services it is a bit late, they are now 36 and 34, and while other loves have come and gone we are all heartbroken at the news of his passing. The thought of Chipps with a houseful of keyrings has cheered me up no end.
That Starling is nice, so clean. Mmmmm. The brace looks like a headless version of the old Rocky Mountain brace.
Starling, purple and yellow, yes. Middleburn also a yes.
That BB tool was £15 when I bought it. It’s £25 now for what looks identical to that £40 in a box version
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bike-Bicycle-Invisible-Multi-Tool-Aluminum-All-In-One-Repair-Tool-Set-/353214390400?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l6249&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0
It bent when I put a bit too much force through it.
Yeah – I was going to say the BB tool doesn’t have an 8mm bit for a reason – the main shaft is jujst not that beefy. I’ve found the one I have fine for a ~£14 ebay special on smaller bolt heads, though. Enough for a three hour get-you-home tool.
Presumably it’s not essential to be riding with a Singletrackworld staff member when using the #STWFGF tag? 😉
NB: riding pics. No riding in the pic, no win.
Bollocks. didn’t notice this condition before*. I’m likely out then as most of my riding is done solo.
* and, judging by most of the photos tagged, neither did most folk.
Still got my outcast bottle opener I came 23rd in the world
Yah, pedals clearly either the same as One Up or a very close copy.
To be fair, all of those Oxford products are straight up rip offs. One Up Pedals, Deathgrips, and the All In multitool.
That Starling is bloody gorgeous.
Original multi tool can be found here https://www.allinmultitool.com/
I know this is just FGF, but fielding blatant copies is pretty poor
That Starling made me think of Easy Rider. And not in a good way.
That Starling made me think of Easy Rider. And not in a good way.
Can there be a not-good way to think of Easy Rider? Asking for a friend.
They remind us of some other pedal that we annoyingly can’t remember at the mo! (One Up’s maybe?)
They’re very similar to Wellgo B54 or B143
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