Resisting a New Old Stock square taper Shimano LX crank spotted for the paltry sum of £29 required phenomenal resolve but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the Univega’s existing Alivio unit. Steel rings might well be regarded as low rent though have some considerable advantages on a bike turning big mileages in all weathers-longevity being the most obvious. Lowlier groupsets aren’t nearly so seductive to light fingered types either, especially those with shopping lists who might pop back with reinforcements/appropriate tooling another time. Monies are better deployed on new/upgraded photographic equipment-reflectors, ring flashes, backdrops and contemporary editions of Photoshop right now.
Progression continues on the book front too, with contact from a well-known US publisher showing promise but this is no time for self-congratulatory back slapping, or complacency for that matter. Have also been reaching out further into the US market features wise with mixed results-some only to keen to explore possibilities, others a pronounced indifference and in some cases downright hostility.
This latter emotion is something all too prevalent within twitter land, where distinct, troll-esque cyclist hatred has developed. Most of the commentary is vile, inarticulate stuff from those bright young things who, despite supposedly unprecedented academic results fail to recognise that bragging about assault and driving while under the influence of alcohol/ other, prohibited substances on social media has severe consequences. I have also noticed an insidious and equally disturbing misogynistic undercurrent flowing with phenomenal force. Once considered the preserve of bitter middle aged men, young women seem to have bought into this wholesale, sickening nastiness making its progression all the more clandestine.
Steering back from the brink, there’s been some lovely kit arriving on my test bench these past few weeks.Recent “heatwaves” have underlined the importance of hydration. Axiom’s ripple cages come in both stainless and titanium forms and show some obvious nods in the direction of Nitto’s phenomenally delicate-looking R series shown here adorning the Teenage Dream’s seat tube. However, 4.2 and 4mm diameter tubing respectively make better hosts to full 750ml bidons. Oh and while I’m on the subject, look elsewhere and to something carbon/composite if you’ve leanings toward aluminium SIGG or thermos types such as Elite’s Deboyo. The latter not only keeps tipples, soups etc at their desired temperature but is designed for cage and er, civilian duties -perfect for crisp December cyclo cross meets and long hauls in the car too.
Sometimes I’m passed things with considerably more to them than meets the eye. Take this Strider. Cursory inspection suggests there’s a fag paper separating it from a host of similar hobby horses. However, Ryan McFarland (founder and current CEO) hails from a highly competitive, not to mention mechanically minded family.
Once a moto crosser, McFarland came over to mountain biking and gave us the mighty “thud buster” suspension seatpost before developing the Strider with help from his two young protégé’s. The Mk4 seen here now features powder coated livery, sealed cartridge bearings and improved EVA tyre tread for reduced rolling resistance. An undeniably brilliant teaching aid capable of spurring the quickest learners to bicycles proper in a matter of days, the inability to retrofit transmission is something of a missed opportunity. Depending on individual children, this may mean something like Frog’s aluminium framed 43 or Isla bikes CNOC represent better investments, especially for those nearing school age.
Now to the issue of friction-we all know to drizzle magic potions on our chains but the numbers of folk who needlessly succumb to blistering/saddle sores never ceases to amaze me. Ok, so we’ve come a long way since the like of Coppi, Anquitel and Simson shoved raw steaks between their more intimate regions and not so supple genuine chamois. Most of us use synthetic pads with Coolmax wicking fibres and silver that not only keep us cool and relatively odour free but can be tossed in the machine wash at forty degrees without further ado. However, long hauls, especially breaking in traditional leather saddles can introduce a fair bit of discomfort. I’m not alone in thinking that natural ingredients are the way forward, especially on products applied next or directly to my skin, let alone genitalia. Home Scents, a small company based in the North East of England thought I might fancy putting their sensitive skin formula through its paces.
Credit where due, they don’t fudge matters when it comes to full and frank disclosure of ingredients and some fairly long outings atop a virgin Brooks B17 suggest it’s a pretty good bet, on par with some household names I’ve done some serious time with. Aside from the wedge pack friendly 100g tube, ours also came in thimble pots for quick top-ups-perfect for those weekenders. That said, post ride scrub offs in the shower are imperative to prevent blocked pores leading to potential infection. Right then, time to diiiismount and arrange another helmet for Joshua since he's just advised me his beloved Giro lid is about to collect its pension!
