Off-Road Arrivals

We've had a load of new kit land in our office recently from bikes, to shoes, to bells so we thought it was high time we gave you a sneak peak of what is in store from us on the review front. Whilst this stuff might not be brand spanking new to the market, it is kit that has been purposefully selected to be put through its paces by our team here at off-road.cc. Check out some bits we have coming to a review page near you soon......
ODI Elite Grips
ODI have just released some brand new colourways in their Elite grip range, orange, green and blue. These grips come in three incarnations, Pro, Flow and Motion, each with a different diameter (30mm, 31mm and 32mm respectively) and with a slightly altered grip pattern.
All three use a unique design, placing padding around the grip in an offset manner where it is needed most. The Pro sports a raised ergonomic ribbed pad on one side and a half-waffle pattern on the other which ODI say provides extra control when you are off the back of the bike. The Flow grip (pictured) features an offset grid pattern on one side of an otherwise slim grip, whilst the Motion carries no extra raised sections making it the slimmest of the bunch. We particularly like the fact that ODI has used a 3mm bolt head to secure these grips - let's raise a glass to no more rounded off bolts!
For more info visit Ison.
Merida One-Twenty 7.800
This weekend we will be swinging our leg over a Merida One-Twenty 7.800. As the name describes, this has 120mm of travel at the rear which is paired with a 130mm fork. Coming in at £2,300 this model sits bang in the middle of a range of five bikes.
We'll be riding on a SRAM GX drivetrain, using Shimano Deore (M615) brakes with Fox providing the suspension in the form of Fox 34 Float Performance forks and a Fox Float DPS Performance shock with the lever to select open, medium and firm and Fox's Evol can. Our medium version has a 450mm seat tube, a 430mm reach and a head angle of 68°, we will be keen to see if this 'do it all' trail bike is as versatile and it is designed to be in this competitive market.
Backcountry Research Mutherload Strap
If you have been keeping up with MTB fashion you will be aware of the tendency for riders to go 'sans pack' lately. If you have the same desire to keep wind flowing over your back then you will be interested in this simple yet ingenious piece of webbing from Back Country Research.The Mutherload Strap easily storing a tube, tyre levers and CO2 canister, leaving more room in your, pockets or bum bag for other essentials. The eagle-eyed among you might have seen EWS pro rider Richie Rude with one strapped firmly to his downtube, do you need more of a recommendation?
For more information go to http://www.cyclorise.com/backcountryresearch.htmlCyclorise
661 Filter Shoes
This flat shoe from 661 looks like just the right balance of casual versus performance with looks that aren't out of place on the high street and claims of enough stiffness and protection to make them a great MTB shoe. We like the look of the raised inner ankle protection and the sound of a new softer rubber compound used on the soles.
Fabric Women's Scoop Gel Saddle
A first for Fabric, we hope this women's Scoop Gel is the beginning of a long line of saddles suitable for the ladies. At the moment this, one and only, version of the Scoop for women is 155mm in width, with cro-mo rails and weighs in at a claimed 280g (we concur). Fabric produce saddles in a range of profiles; Flat, Shallow and Radius which are incrementally more rounded over the centre and through the rear. The Women's Scoop is made in the Radius profile which is designed with maximum padding and meant for those riders cycling in a more upright position.
Timber Bolt-On Bell
There have been plenty of times on our rides recently where we could have done with one of these bells from Timber. Getting to and from the trails means undertaking a maze of back streets and cycle paths where it is necessary to let dawdlers and walkers know we are riding up behind them! The motion of the bike actives the ringer but the little bell is soon silenced with the flick of a lever to hold the internal clapper still. Designed to be passive sounding in a 'hey, I'm here' kind of way, rather than 'GET OUT OF MY WAY'. We like the sound of this friendly number!
For more info head along to Cyclorise.