Nordik by Design Leather Desk Mat | Image: Nordik by Design

Man of Many’s Staff Favourites – 1 February 2025

Nick Hall
By Nick Hall - News

Published:

Readtime: 4 min

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And just like that, the first month of 2025 has come to an end. It seems crazy to think, particularly as the entire Man of Many team is still trying to shake the cobwebs off the keyboard and grind back into gear, but February has officially arrived. With it comes a host of new adventures and we’ve been scouring the internet for products that will transform them into lifelong memories. Here is what we found this week, dished up in another Staff Favourites package.

Fluid Alpine Gravel Bike
Fluid Alpine Gravel Bike | Image: Anaconda

Fluid Alpine Gravel Bike

Nick Hall – Editor-in-Chief

I’ve never really been a bike guy—in fact, I’ve actively voiced my frustration at cyclists for years—but I’ve finally changed my ways. In an effort to get out more and further ingrain ourselves in the great outdoors, my wife and I purchased gravel bikes at the end of last year. The goal for us was to slowly build up our kit and eventually head out on a bike-packing trip. Last weekend, that finally happened.

We caught the train up to Morisset and started a monster ride through Watagans National Park en route to Wollombi. It started off stellar and we enjoyed the climb, but as we ventured further into the mountains, we realised we had completely missed our GPS instructions. What we thought was going to be an easy 20-25km ride wound up being a 60km journey laden with steep inclines and loose gravel. When we finally did make it to camp—a good eight hours after we started—the sinking realisation that we would have to make the same trek back the next day was almost too much to bear.

Somehow, we did it and while it absolutely destroyed our bodies, leaving us with cuts, bruises and a healthy dose of heat exhaustion, our bikes held up strong. The hydroformed alloy frame was a godsend as it was super light and durable enough to handle the rugged terrain, while the 2 x 7 gearing helped us actually make it up each and every hill. The journey itself was a pain but I can safely say, the bikes were not. 10/10 would ride again.

Favourite Article of the Week: Best Lunar New Year Sneakers of All Time

Nordik by Design Leather Desk Mat | Image: Nordik by Design
Nordik by Design Leather Desk Mat | Image: Nordik by Design

Nordik by Design Leather Desk Mat

Scott Purcell – Co-Founder

As you might have heard through the grapevine, Man of Many has moved into a brand new office! So as part of this, I’ve been deep into setting up my workspace to be as productive as possible. I’ve squirrelled myself away in the corner of the office, got my Japanese teapot at the ready and am keen to get stuck into some deep work in 2025. One way I’ve upgraded my space is this leather Desk Mat from Nordik by Design. It’s one of those things where it’s hard to describe the benefits, but having a nice clean and premium workspace to rest your hands and arms on while you type just feels right. It also comes with a handy cable organiser to keep your space nice and tidy.

Favourite Article of the Week: Sullivans Cove Unveils First ‘Old & Rare’ French Oak ex-Tawny in 4 Years

Cozy Friends book by Coco Wyo | Image: Amazon
Cozy Friends book by Coco Wyo | Image: Amazon

Cozy Friends Colouring Book & TOUCHFIVE Alcohol Markers

Over the holidays, I got to try out a new hobby thanks to a brilliant Chrissy present, an adult colouring book! Falling down a TikTok rabbit hole at the end of the year had me hooked into a world of colouring fanatics.

The Cozy Friends book by Coco Wyo isn’t the typical fine mandala stencils you see in most “Adult Colouring Books”. This book in particular (because there’s a few in the line-up) leaves you feeling super calm as you don’t need to focus too heavily on keeping within the bold and simple illustrations.

I’m not a total expert when it comes to what pens or what book to get, but this combo totally suits me. If you want a creative outlet or are just looking for something to do with your hands while watching TV, give this a go!

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Nick Hall

Editor-in-Chief

Nick Hall

Nick Hall is an award-winning journalist and the current Editor-in-Chief of Man of Many. With an extensive background in the media industry, he specialises in feature writing, lifestyle and entertainment content. Nick is a former Mumbrella Publish Awards ‘Editor of ...