Fresh Goods Sunday - Mavic Yksion Elite Allroad tyre

I first seen these tyres when Mavic launched their new Allroad disc wheelset a couple of year ago and liked the look of them. After rebuilding the Cannondale Super X back up I was looking for some all round tyres that were wider than my Gravel Kings as the frame / forks have plenty of clearance. Westys were selling of what stock of Mavic tyres they had left so bought the last one for £25. After a couple months of use I decided to buy another one and got it from Wiggles inc p&p for just over £24, not bad price for a Mavic tyre. They fitted on Mavic and Reynolds wheels with no probs and were not too tight or too loose. They aired up and seated on the rims with no probs. The directional arrows are the opposite which I would normally mount the tread pattern so trying them out what Mavic recommend.  The weight is bang on manufacturers claimed weight. They roll well on road and on gravel / old railway lines. Plenty of grip but not tired them in anything too wet or muddy yet. They come up narrower than the 30c but all Mavic road tyres tend to do compared to Michys etc. They fell super tacky so not sure how long they will last. The rrp is an eye watering £49 each, there is no way on earth they are worth that.

Manufacturers blurb -

Mavic Yksion Elite Allroad Tyre

Allroad and adventure bikes now have a tyre that is ready to facilitate your new exploits in the form of the Mavic Yksion Elite Allroad Tyre.
You get the slick centre to give you easy and fast rolling when you are on the roads or smoother surfaces, then as the surface deteriorates the progressive side grooves provide excellent traction and grip to ensure you can stay upright and enjoying yourself.
Mavic have also helped you keep rolling with their cut and puncture protection. Additionally, the bead to bead nylon casing reinforcement protects rolling tread and sides for further safety. Should you need even more protection, these tyres are tubeless ready if you are wanting to avoid pinch flats. Added to this, they are fully compatible with Mavic Tyre Sealant with just 40 grams of sealant required to prevent punctures.



Features

Slick centre for fast rolling on tarmac sections

Progressive side grooves to improve traction and grip in the dirt/gravel sections

Comfortable and low weight

Tubeless ready construction removes the need for a tube

Bead-to-bead nylon casing reinforcement protects rolling tread and sides

Full compatibility with Mavic Tyre Sealant

Specification

Size: 700x30c

Weight: 330g

Max Pressure: 6.5BAR/95PSI

Breaker: Nylon (bead-to-bead)

Casing: 120TPI

Compound: Single

Technology used: Guard; UST Tubeless Ready

 

 

Weekly Catch Up & Cannondale Slate Apex out of action again

What a week of proper depressing weather yet again. The only nice day with some winter sun was Wednesday and I was in Upper Weardale for most of it including one of my furthest away sites - Killhope Lead Mining Museum. The views were fantastic and really enjoyed the drive out. Thursday& Friday the maximum temperature with out the wind chill factor was 0 degrees. So no biking but swam 74 lengths on Monday, 5k run Tuesday, washed and sorted two bikes on Wednesday. The Slate Apex has died yet again. The rear mech will not shift down off the 42t cog. Westys have ordered a Rival 1 long cage rear mech this time and hopefully get it back on the road next week. This will be mech no3! Thursday was a walk for nearly 2 hours and Friday I was shattered by the time I got back in. Saturday we had a walk around Durham in the pouring rain, freezing cold and dark, Durham was dead. I then washed the car & van in the freezing cold then went out another walk later on. Today I did a 6.4mile run then went to look for a newer car. God I just hate these modern big dealerships, 1hr 20mins to get two prices, one with no trade in and one with a trade in, even then she could not write down the figures. Bring back the good old days when they gave you a price in less than 5 mins. Now here's a thing a never knew, you cannot buy a car from Evans Halshaw unless you have an email address and give it to them! Absolute loony tunes.
I also had a couple of deliveries recently of some rather good quality Sidi shoes. Not got the cleats on themn yet but keeping them for when I warms up and less crap out on the trails / roads.

Fresh Goods Sunday - Ass Saver, Westbrook Cycles

 

This was a freebie from Westbrook Cycles when I bought the Cannondale Slate Apex. It is the original size ass saver. To be honest I have never really had much luck with them, I find them hard to fit to some saddles / rails and offer very little protection to your ass / back. We have put this one on to the Cannondale Super X cx bike. Any speed and the mud flies up your back but does keep some of your lower butt area. They come in a few different colours and quite a few other manufacturers have copied the idea.

The rrp is £7.69 but shop around as they are normally1/2 price or less.

 

Manufacturers blurb -

Key features:
-Keeps your butt dry on wet roads
-Easy to mount, no tools required 
-Fits every standard rail saddle
-Super lightweight, only 15 grams-Folds to hide under the saddle
-Patent pending, made in Sweden 
The Ass Saver Original is our third generation foldable saddle mudguard. Proven and tested in the field, it's a simple solution to the annoying brown stripe down the back of your pants.
The ASO-3 is compatible with all standard rail saddles thanks to our patent pending attachment system. The ASO-3 is a breeze to mount and once in place, it stays in place. When not in use, it can be folded up and stored underneath your seat. The unique attachment system also ensures a more durable product that is less sensitive to wear and tear.
So whether you're urban shredding, winter training or just prefer to keep your behind unsoiled, the Ass Saver Original is your new best friend!
Material: 100% recyclable polypropylene
Weight: 15 grams
Measures: 340 x 100 mm
Made in Sweden



 

 

 

 

Sunday morning walk around Tunstall Reservoir and Weardale Moors

Less frost this morning but still icy. We drove over to Wolsingham then up the country lane to the dam wall end of the reservoir and parked up. Walking boots, coats, hats, gloves on and we were away for a 6 mile hike. We headed over the dam and up the lane past the farm and on to the moor heading for the house that took 30+ years to build on the A68. From there we turned along the wall and out onto another country lane for approx 20yards before going through the new gate on the left and dropping back down over the moor coming out at the far end of the reservoir. We took the single track path down the left side back to the dam end, crossed back over and back to the car. It was minus one degree driving over and with the wind chill factor on the exposed moor top it was a lot colder. We had snow, cloud, overcast and wind to contend with. Conditions under foot were wet, muddy and boggy to say the least. First time we have done the route walking, I have rode most of it and only slightly diverted off the track once in thick heather on one of the moor sections. It was very quiet and only seen a few other walkers out near the dam end. Once we dropped back down to Wolsingham the snow stopped but it was still zero degrees.