2014 continues with determined pragmatism, seeing professional restructuring of my
various CVs, a much greater grasp of self- promotion and striving for new
commissions/ventures plugging the gap left by a publication’s virtual
implosion. Said approach has already reaped rewards but needs further,
intensive nurturing, especially since I’m keen to explore other creative
avenues, running them in parallel to cycling specific journalism.
Competence, integrity and
professionalism are three (of many) values dear to yours truly, hence disappointment when others cannot reciprocate. For example, I care whether
something works, how closely it achieves its objective/design brief and experience
suggests most manufacturers appreciate constructive, critical evaluation.
While not an “engineer” in
the classically accepted sense, hailing from a manufacturing past means I take a
keen interest in metallurgy/fabrication, pure and applied. Late night surfing
induced impulsive purchase of titanium tubing from a supplier in South East
Asia. However, said wonder metal will require minor machining. Lee Cooper and
Justin Burls were obvious, extremely helpful first ports of call, though unable to undertake such on this occasion.
Laughably, a few local
“machine shops” were either completely ignorant to customer service and/or
anything beyond mild steel! Heading out for a chat with Trevor Lodge at
Maldon Shot blasting & powder coating proved the most fruitful enquiry and
allowed me to document the resurrection of this tarnished 531 frameset. There’s
no denying decorative chromium plating’s aesthetic allure but in my book, acid
baths and similarly harsh processes have no place on thin walled bicycle tubing.
Thankfully blasting confirmed only superficial corrosion, hence it’s rebirth
this chrome-effect powder with acrylic lacquer topcoat.
Staying on an industrial
thread, much has been made of the likelihood of large scale
manufacturing returning to these shores. Arguably as standards of living/costs
increase in the Far East, outsourcing becomes less attractive. However, while
call-centres and similar service based sectors are easily repatriated, I am
less convinced this applies so readily to manufacturing’s sharp end. My own
research suggests there remains a wealth of highly skilled technical grade
craftspeople whose have transferred seamlessly between industries and with
minor retraining.
Others saw opportunities
within teaching or pursued their trades solo as self-employed entities. On the
flip side, I remain sceptical that semi/unskilled assembly line roles will return in significant
number. Senior managers at Ford’s now defunct Dagenham body plant remarked some
twenty years ago that (contrary to endearing misconception) the average local
school leaver would have “A cat’s chance in hell” of being considered for the most menial jobs. Similarly, Peugeot’s Ryton plant was the most productive
within Europe but transferring production to Slovakia in 2006 appears to have been
instigated by simple cost- of- labour economics...
Back in the saddle and with January fading into February,
flooded, silty roads have been licking chains bone dry in a matter of rides,
demanding reintroduction of more sophisticated, “little goes a long way,
anti-fling but not too syrupy” wet formulas – in this instance Muc-Off’s
imaginatively but appropriately christened “wet lube” which leaves the spout as
a washed out blue before assuming a clear, tacky consistency. Grit and similarly foreign bodies put in occasional appearances but there's no hint of it becoming a tenacious, transmission chewing mess. Older motor oils are another cost-conscious option, though modern semi/synthetics designed to regenerate while orbiting an engine's oil pump make poor transition to chain duties.
These biblical conditions also
explain why my tubby tourer is presently assuming primary test-rig service and
sporting Keo pattern Wellgo RO96B pedals (Another catchy name ;)).These wallet friendly
powder coated aluminium bodied units turn on CNC machined Cro-moly axles with B
denoting needle roller, as distinct from ball bearings and a £3 cost
implication over their RO96 siblings.
On paper my Ilpompino is a more obvious host, especially far from the madding crowd, though I still prefer the outright convenience of dual sided systems on fixed gear builds. Speaking of said steed, some oversized Midge flew under my radar; this time in very fetching anodised titanium but Murphy’s Law dictates the Sheffield marque’s all out of 17degree, 80mm stems. Ever resourceful, I’ve put word out while exploring comparable, budget conscious alternatives online.
On paper my Ilpompino is a more obvious host, especially far from the madding crowd, though I still prefer the outright convenience of dual sided systems on fixed gear builds. Speaking of said steed, some oversized Midge flew under my radar; this time in very fetching anodised titanium but Murphy’s Law dictates the Sheffield marque’s all out of 17degree, 80mm stems. Ever resourceful, I’ve put word out while exploring comparable, budget conscious alternatives online.
Once again, the Univega
sports Schwalbe Winter for improved traction, simultaneously prompting fitment
of Axiom’s Journey DLX disc compatible front pannier rack. Perhaps not a
completely novel concept, the latter is nicer to fit and shares the same hollow 10.2mm
T6 6061 aluminium rod as its rear counterpart. We’ve not come close to bluff
calling territory load-wise (reckoned to be thirty kilo- close to that boasted
by Bob Yak homages!) but things seem decidedly favourable thus far.
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