Fresh Goods Sunday - Restrap Canister Handlebar Bag (Black)

 

If you have followed by blog over the years you may have noticed that I use this Restrap bar bag on a couple of my bikes. The first one was the original design from Restrap bought in 2020. The second one I bought 2025 was the revised design and has been in use on my Creo2 for a good few years now. When I bought the S-Works Creo2  I swapped over the original bag from my first Creo1 bike and is still going strong. I noticed they were in the sale at Merlin Cycles so decided to treat the new bike to a new bag. So this is my third bag now and the same as the second one  with the cord to wrap around the headtube / cables to stop it from swinging upwards. They still come in three colours - black, orange and green. The rrp has crept up a little from £44.99 to £49.99 to £52.99. The bag does not take long to fit to the handlebars and once its on I never take it off. It is a perfect size and does everything I need it to. Same size main compartment and a mesh pocket at each end of the bag. Same tab on the front for a small led light which I use in the darker months of year. I have had one issue with original bag where the plastic buckle broke. I sent it back and  they replaced the buckle, I have never had any problems since. 

RRP £52.99 exc p&p and I paid £39.22 inc 48hr p&p from Merlin Cycles. Discount 26%. 

Manufacturers blurb - 

This spacious yet compact bag is the ideal accompaniment for day rides. Elasticated side pockets and the unique canister shape mean you’ll easily have room for tools, tubes and extra clothes.

The Canister Bag features a rear shock cord retention strap along with a Hypalon loop to attach a front light, which is perfect for early starts or late finishes.

Handmade in our Yorkshire workshop from 100% waterproof textured nylon outer and finished with the classic vegan-friendly PU leather Restrap label.
Weight - 120g
Capacity - 1.5L

TEXTURED NYLON OUTER FABRICS
YKK AQUAGUARD™ ZIP
EXTERNAL MESH POCKETS
HYPALON LIGHT MOUNT
HEAD TUBE BUNGEE RETENTION

Restrap products carry a lifetime guarantee to be free of defects in materials and workmanship. We stand by our products and will cover the cost to repair or replace any defective product.

Fresh Goodies - Stans Tubeless Sealant 1000ml & Catch up with me & S-Works Creo2

 

First fresh goodies in a long time but I had a £20 Confused.com voucher to use up at Halfords. My last bottle of Stan's is getting low so thought it would be a good idea to use the voucher to get the biggest 1000ml bottle cheap. The rrp is £36 and Halfords had it in the sale for £26.33 less the voucher I paid £6.33 delivered to my local store. I ordered it on the 9th Aug and got a call to say it was in stock at 4.45pm on the 15th Aug (6 days). This has now gone into my spare stock to be used when my other bottle is empty. 

You may have noticed I have not posted any riding blogs over the last three weeks or so as I have been for my operation. I am back out of the hospital and recovering from home. Recovery is slow but making small steps and most of the really bad pains have gone. Still on medication etc for another week and get all my results from my surgeon next week. Hoping to start slinging my leg over the saddle soon! 

Here is my two Creo 2's. The S-Works is running 700x40c tyres and the other is running 29"x2.2" tyres. The rear wheel was running slightly out of true on the new S-Works so I booked it in for its first free service at Infinity Cycles. My son dropped it off  on the 1st Aug and after a few phones calls to the shop asking for updates I found out there was an issue with the rear rim. Specialized have sent out a replacement rim, spokes and nipples for the rear wheel to be rebuilt on the existing hub. 18 days later I have not heard anything further! 

Fresh Goods Sunday - Assos MILLE GT Bib Shorts - Caleum Blue

 

If you have followed my blog for a while you will know that I have mainly buy Assos cycling kit. I have had these for a few years in storage and dug them out when we started to get some heat here in County Durham. These are the base model of shorts from Assos there the cheapest in their range. The rrp is now £135 a pair compared to when I bought these at £115. To me as long as shorts are comfortable in the saddle I don't really require them to do anything else. After a good few rides and washes I can confirm that my rear end gets along with these and they wash well. My last pair of Assos bib shorts lasted for years and are still good as my spare pair. As the old saying goes sometimes you pay for what you get. There are no features of these shorts that stand out, they are basic an work. The best part of all I got them in the sale a few months before NGR closed down in their new shop. 

RRP £115 and I paid £55 form NGR Cycles, Thornaby. Discount 52% 

Manufacturers Blurb - 

The Assos Mille GT Bib Short is perfect no matter your ride, be that training, racing or a long weekend club run. Type.429 Titanio material is lightly compressive and the elasticity ensures that you retain full freedom in your pedalling. The regularFit focuses more on comfort than an aerodynamic race fit, so the short can be worn day in, day out.

A MILLE EVO SUMMER insert has 8mm of protective memory foam, perforations in the front, a 3D waffle construction for breathability and goldenGate technology so it will move with your body. The upper uses Assos' Y7 Frame Carrier design and Stabilizator V3 mesh to the back for stability and the straps at the front are wide and flexible. The short is held in place at the leg by minimal superFlat grippers.

KEY FEATURES

• Type.429 Titanio: A comfortable, lightly compressive textile, using a four-way stretch to maximise elasticity
• MILLE EVO SUMMER insert: Proven 8mm of memory foam, this insert is nestled between comfort and performance
• kraterCooler: System of small holes in the front of the insert to increase airflow
• 3D waffle: A patented, three-layer perforated foam, that increases breathability and eliminates excess weight
• goldenGate: A patented technology that interrupts the stitching along the insert's side panels, allowing a more three-dimensional freedom of movement
• Y7 Frame Carrier Bib Tech: Wide flexible bib straps converge at the upper back in a Y-shape design, resulting in a flat, stable structure that disappears between the shoulder blades
• Stabilizator V3: Dorsal stabiliser in a solid mesh with limited vertical stretch
• superFlat grippers: Ultra minimal grippers with optimal stretch return to secure the short in place without excess pressure
• zeroWaist: A raw-cut, tape reinforced edge for the smoothest possible transition between the body and the fabric panel
• Reflective accents: Small strips on the back of the legs
• regularFit: Optimised for total comfort in the riding position, with a more relaxed cut than Assos' second-skin racingFit

Sunny and dusty gravel ride around County Durham's old railway lines

 

Another sunny morning so dragged my lazy arse out for a local loop taking in two of Co Durham's old railway lines and two interlinking road sections. Again still no rain so everything is bone dry, rock hard and dusty. This will change from today as it is forecast rain for next five days. Nothing to report reslly, lines were mainly quiet and the line from Bishop to Spenny is massively overgrown on both sides and needs a good cut back and scrape the tarmac track, come on Durham County Council. The roads are lovely and quiet with the schools being off and people taking holidays. The bike is going well apart from one set of squeaking disc pads I put in which need sorting. Below are a few snaps from the loop, all in 24 miles in 1hr 51mins with nearly 900ft of climbing, enjoy and hopefully more soon-