For those of you who can’t wait until the reviews come out in the magazine or go up online, here’s another in our new series of pre-emptive peeks into recent test product arrivals.

>>> Here’s last week’s Arrivals for those who missed it.

First up and fresh from the 2017 Blackburn Rangers Camp we have a little mix of bikepacking goodies. If you are looking for your next challenge/adventure, bikepacking is so much fun; just you, some friends, your beverage of choice and a night under the stars.

Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL1 tent

Price: $349.00
From: bigagnes.com

Weighing in at just 846g for a proper 3-season tent, the Fly Creek weighs little more than most bivibag/tarp set ups! Made in Colorado where they know a thing or two about outdoor living, it uses a single pole design for a rapid pitch. If you want to drop the weight further you can pair the fly and pole with the specific footprint to go faster and lighter.

Multitool for scale!

Here it is being modelled by the intrepid Pablo and his travelling companion Hippie. Check out their website here

Blackburn bikepacking bags

Price: Outpost seatpack (with dry bag) £74.99, Outpost frame bag £54.99
From: zyrofisher.co.uk

Blackburn has been producing bike luggage since 1975 and now have a complete line up of dedicated bikepacking storage solutions to take you as far and as long away as you could possibly want. The Outpost seatpack uses three strong straps to attach to the seatpost and saddle rails and two long straps to retain the 11 litre tapered dry bag. The Outpost frame bag comes in two sizes and is expandable and pocketed to provide clever storage. There’s even a hydration tube port.

The seatpack…

…and the expanded framebag

Giant Fluxx shoes

Price: £69.99
From: giant-bicycles.com

Giant do a great range of helmets, clothing and shoes and the Fluxx is a great value SPD compatible trail shoe. Three off-set velcro straps tighten them down a treat whilst the sole has ample stiffness to make pedalling a little less of a chore.

Vel Air Flow pump

Price: £34.99
From: cookecomponents.co.uk

The light and neat Vel Air Flow weighs just 95g and can fit happily into a pack or pocket until pressed into service. Vel use a removable hose design to eliminate broken valves – Put your hand up if you’ve snapped off a valve whilst vigorously pumping?!

 Backcountry Research Tül Bag

Price: £15.99
From: cyclorise.com

You might have seen the gear straps used by the likes of Richie Rude et al, well they are created by Backcountry Research. As well as the aforementioned straps they also produce this neat toolbag. Perfect for carrying all the essentials in a pocket, it has a grippy rubber coating to prevent it from being jettisoned on the trail.

IXS Vibe 7.1 Jersey

Price: £44.99
From: hotlines-uk.com

The soft and washed out look of the IXS Vibe jersey make it feel like you are riding in your favourite t-shirt. Three quarter sleeves for added trail protection and ventilated panels keep you cool during summer shreds top the list of features.

IXS Sever 6.1 Shorts

Price: £89.99
From: hotlines-uk.com

Heavyweight and robust shorts that should withstand the inevitable heavy crashes. The Sever 6.1 has a washed out/denim like style similar to the Vibe jersey that makes them almost acceptable to wear in non-biker company. Vented panels running along the in-seam should make them a bit more comfortable in the heat.

IXS Trail RS EVO helmet

Price: £84.99
From: hotlines-uk.com

IXS use In-mould technology to make the Trail RS EVO safer. This bonds the tough outer to the protective inner EPS materials, making the whole helmet able to withstand knocks better. IXS has given the RS EVO a very slim profile for a helmet aimed at big-mountain riding. The matt grey is just one of several colours it comes in.

661 Recon Scout helmet

£54.99
From: hotlines-uk.com

The Scout is the budget version of 661’s popular Recon helmet. Using the same mould but utilising slightly heavier materials gives it all the looks just with a little weight penalty. A sliding adjuster bar at the rear helps keep it on your head.

That’s all for this week folks!