This week we’ve got a brand new gravel bike in for test and the perfect route on which to take it. Shand have sent in their new Stooshie and a new book of the Great North Trail has also been dropped in from Cycling UK, time to plan a (Spring) adventure! There’s also new pedals from UK brand Calder Technology plus more tools from SKS and Specialized. Dig in…

Shand Stooshie

Shand’s new Stooshie offers all the versatility of their Stoater gravel bike, but in a lighter and more speed-focused package. The bike is fabricated in Scotland from a mix of high-end steel tubing and this derailleur-only frameset forgoes the switchable dropouts of the regular Stooshie which remains in the lineup for those who are after the ability to run a belt-drive, a single speed plus any other number of custom options (frame couplers so you can fold it up, anyone?). This new derailleur only model drops the asking price for the frame to £1,695, saving you £210 in the process. There is a full first look here if you are after more info.
 
Shand-Stooshie-first-look-review-100.jpg
Shand-Stooshie-first-look-review-100 (Image Credit: Jon Woodhouse)

SKS Injex Lite

One of our testers has been busying himself testing all manners of pumps, this time its the turn of SKS to play a role. We’ve got the Injex Lite pump to review, a compact pump that says it has good ergonomics and delivers high volume, Liam’s going to put it the test soon….

2019-12-12 cool things I9 661 Bluegrass-11.jpg
2019-12-12 cool things I9 661 Bluegrass-11 (Image Credit: Rachael Gurney)

 

 

Specialized EMT 12 tool

Multitools are a big hit in review terms so Liam has been beavering away testing numerous tools too. The latest in for test is this little number from Specialized, the EMT 12. It’s got 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8mm hex bits, aT25 Torx, Phillips head and flat blade screwdriver bits, plus there is a chain tool and a spoke key too. 

2019-12-12 cool things I9 661 Bluegrass-4.jpg
2019-12-12 cool things I9 661 Bluegrass-4 (Image Credit: Rachael Gurney)

Cycling UK Great North Trail map book

This book got us pretty damn excited for some spring bikepacking, hence we made it our header shot as well! it’s dedicated to explaining, describing and mapping the Great North Trail from the Peak District to Cape Wrath or John o’ Groats, all of which is off-road or a least on unsurfaced trails. It looks like a great companion if you either want to take on the challenge as a whole or just tackle parts of the route. Find out more here, take a look inside the book or download the whole route.

5 cool things
5 cool things (Image Credit: Jon Woodhouse)

 

5 cool things
5 cool things (Image Credit: Jon Woodhouse)

 

Carder Technology TwoTwelve pedals

These blue beauties come care of Carder Technology on the edge of Exmoor, Devon. CNC machined from 6082 T6 solid aluminium billet, the pedals have a concave platform, 24 removable pins and weight 425g a pair. There are six colours to choose from and at £95, we thought that the price seemed pretty reasonable for a UK designed and manufactured product.

5 cool things
5 cool things (Image Credit: Jon Woodhouse)

You might also like: