“Your mother who neglected you owes a million dollars tax
and your father’s still perfecting ways of making ceiling wax”; I crooned while
stirring a cauldron of highly flammable, magnolia broth. Aside from an
impromptu deep clean of one’s domicile, last weeks’ somewhat comical bath tub
capers prompted me to revisit my corrosion busting elixir first perfected some
two decades back during the penultimate year of my degree.
Monty python-esque detonation of my improvised distillery (induced
by a passer-by carelessly discarding their cigarette end) and subsequent mirth
were to be avoided at all costs, so raw materials were decanted safely away
from unidentifiable flying embers/similar sources of ignition. Ninety minutes
hence, my 5 litre tub was sealed shut and left resting in a cool, dry, secure
location.
This latest, sprayable formula is characterised by higher
solvent content, hastening circulation, coverage and therefore, protection of
thin walled tubing. Doubting Thomas’s will scoff, asserting they’ve ridden
their ferrous friends across the seven seas without faintest freckling but just
as smoking tobacco doesn’t induce terminal cancer by default, prevention is
much better, nay cheaper than cure-especially in coastal regions.
Talking of coastal, Harwich based frame builder, Justin
Burls has been in touch, enticing me to come and play with his new mini velo.
Until recently these have been something of a Japanese phenomenon but are
slowly finding favour in densely populated cities on account of their size and
subsequent manoeuvrability in slow moving, sardine-esque traffic.
Small (20 inch) wheels continue the compact, whippet-fast
theme, enabling swift getaways, while theoretically ensuring said steeds store
unobtrusively in the most bijous abodes. However, these are fixed, as distinct
from folding framesets with otherwise classic road geometry.
Justin has opted for Reynolds’ venerable 525, a justly
popular tubeset loosely on par with 531 but capable of withstanding modern TIG
welded construction methods. Conversely, it boasts a lugged n’ brazed seat tube,
slightly reminiscent of Raleigh’s bonded Dynatec series. Elsewhere, we’ve a
very contemporary 11/8th head tube, full carbon fork and Sram Rival
groupset keeping things competitive. Proof of the concept’s virtue lies in
credible mileage, hence I’ll reserve judgement while remaining suitably
intrigued until such opportunity presents.
Disc brakes, both hydraulic and mechanical have been
standard issue in mountain bike circles for fifteen years, though mass
produced, compatible racks have often seemed comparatively poor relations
payload-wise. However, their increased prevalence within utility and expedition/touring
markets is forcing manufacturers to respond ingeniously.
Axiom continues to
impress me with innovative, user friendly design and their Journey MK3, with
colossal 50kilo payload is probably the easiest I’ve installed to date. Much of
this stems from nicely engineered, interchangeable adjustable feet that accommodate
most frame configurations, including those with sportier chainstays and/or sans
eyelets, which often translates into heel clearance hassles with larger,
expedition type panniers.
Most tour ready models employ two-tier design,
improving centre of gravity while calming neighbourly disputes with rack bags.
Ours was the T6 6061 aluminium version dressed in tasteful satin black epoxy
powder coat but there’s a Cro-moly sibling boasting identical, elephant ferrying capacity. Figures of this magnitude are based upon belt n’ braces four (as
distinct from three) point mounting, so I’d be inclined toward a low slung
mono-wheel trailer in this latter context, should one’s burden exceed
twenty-five.
Given the right variables, fatigue will eventually claim
any rack, although aluminium alloys succumb faster than steel. Therefore,
minimise, or better still; avoid laying bikes down on their luggage and while
warrantees are cold comfort should breakage strike, overloading, abuse or
indeed modification risks voiding them…Having said this, something of a
perpetual fettler, I have no qualms about adapting products once their
warrantee period elapses, so long as such is safe and delivers genuine
improvement.
Another endearing misconception is that of the developing
world artisan- roadside sorcerers capable of seemingly effortless frame/carrier
reunification.While theoretically easier to fix distressed Cro-moly, the
sort of temperatures involved in automotive/agricultural contexts is ruinous to
wafer thin walled 4130, inducing spontaneous collapse of brazed/silver soldered
examples. Thus, sweeping statements about steel being repairable virtually anywhere
teeter on urban myth.
Thorough product evaluation shouldn’t be confused with
wanton vandalism; rather I (and many others) am concerned with how something
performs according to design brief, intended purpose and of course, price.
Occasionally products do fail but just as twenty minutes turbo trainer slavery
cannot determine bib short/insert quality, taking a belt sander to the crotch
in attempt to assess abrasion resistance in the event of a nasty spill is
equally spurious.
