Tyres have been at the forefront
of my mind these past couple of weeks, what with the Schwalbe Kojak suffering
some rather gruesome lesions courtesy of broken glass and my Ford Ka’s front
pair suddenly splitting where it wasn’t obvious, leading to some very curious
motorway handling as I cruised home from another day’s temping. Then we’ve
these Schwalbe Marathon plus, which are the best road-orientated
commu-winter/touring rubber I’ve used to date. Rolling resistance is
refreshingly low too given their relative girth, deep tread and maximum 85psi
operating pressure.
Seemingly invulnerable to the
usual suspects, Kevlar is superseded by a soft, maulable sub section, which
forces potential invaders out, as opposed to in with every rotation, which
holds obvious appeal for dead of night riding, four seasons’ commuting and of
course, laden touring. However, while our 35mm sections shared more than
passing affinity with reality, shipping them aboard standard section ‘cross
hoops saw rapid development of embarrassing hand muscles.
I knew I was pushing my luck
somewhat given the Ilpompino’s wishbone rear triangle is reckoned to manage
35mm tops-sans guards. No surprise then to discover their residual rubber
whiskers tickling the undersides but given a hundred miles or so, these wore
smooth, although clearance is strictly fag paper territory!
Said experience saw expedient
purchase of this Cyclo workshop tyre fitter. Essentially a Godzilla lever, it
works on the simple principle of leverage-slip the hoped end aboard the axle
and rotate clockwise to persuade stubborn beads on/off in seconds. Hardly a
novel concept perhaps but aluminium construction with high quality composites
bodes well for longevity, even in commercial settings and better still, Cyclo
are a UK brand.
Despite cataclysmic industrial
decline these past four decades; the UK remains a hotbed of invention. Take
these Santo Velo arm warmers.
Brainchild of midlands based Guy Stanton, one time moto-crosser turned
sportive specialist who has devised protective models following a nasty spill
that left him nervous about riding with extensive gravel rash. Unable to find a
commercial product, he experimented with various materials before ultimately
settling upon antibacterial EVPA- a rubberised elastomer more commonly employed
in flat roofing contexts.
Initial
impressions are very favourable, rugged fleece lined Lycra is extremely tactile
and does an excellent job of retaining warmth, while the padded fillets offer
excellent damping from road shock and general fatigue when hunkered low on the
tri bars for longer periods. Fordist black with retro reflective detailing is
quite nifty on nocturnal runs and compliments this Primal Wear Tattooed print
jersey handsomely. Primal have been spicing up race jerseys/accessories since
1992 and this sports a medley of classic and contemporary designs ranging from
Chinese tigers/90’s tribal stuff to Celtic crosses and themes from an era when
ink was strictly the preserve of service folk and “undesirables”.
Cut is extremely flattering, though while Primal make much of their “Pro sensor Advanced Moisture Transfer”; essentially it’s just a plaited two layer polyester weave. Fibres against the skin absorb wetness, while the second uses existing body heat to spirit it away, thus banishing odour and chill.
Cut is extremely flattering, though while Primal make much of their “Pro sensor Advanced Moisture Transfer”; essentially it’s just a plaited two layer polyester weave. Fibres against the skin absorb wetness, while the second uses existing body heat to spirit it away, thus banishing odour and chill.
Unfortunately
it doesn’t seem so effective at warding off little darlings who believe
twelve-year-old bangers with big cans and thumping base are suitable
substitutes for driver competency…Staying retro, this SKS triangle bag is the 80’s shoulder
holder repackaged for a new audience. Made in cooperation with deuter, there’s
a more tour friendly persona-hence less pronounced padding but Bontrager has
also reintroduced the classic holster design with a distinctly pure, Mountain
bike flavour.
Nonetheless, It swept me back to 1989 and geography classes spent ogling triple butted, rigid cross country Cro-moly fare with bio-pace cranksets, Tioga farmer John tyres, Girvin flex stems, Power grips and a host of similarly iconic stuff that proliferated the era’s cycling press. Not a good example for subsequent generations perhaps but infinitely more appealing than listening to a hirsute middle aged man prattling on about his gap year adventures across the Sahara desert aboard a melon truck with his old Etonian friend!
Correctly tensioned Velcro
and slimline profiles eliminate annoying, thigh-brushing sway while the
rip-stop nylon fabric seems pretty waterproof, aided in no small part by its
sheltered location between seat and top tubes. Hmm, Ridgeback S, Muddy Fox
Courier, Fisher Hoo-Koo-Ecoo, Saracen Kili Flyer anybody?
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