Kitchen Sink Drama

Kitchens double as fantastic workshops-fresh running water, kettle food, TV/radio and similar creature comforts. Returning from the midlands with new laptop, I decided there was no better way to start the week than reassembling my beloved Mk2 Ilpompino.

Having carefully reintroduced headset cups, seat collar and bottom bracket shell, everything came together pretty effortlessly, although by midday focus was waning on account of telephone calls and encroaching hunger. By this point, only the front brake needed dialling in but I’d earmarked other, pressing deadlines for the afternoon. 

Tuesday was deeply frustrating, spent awaiting a courier and responses to urgent emails-neither of which arrived until late that afternoon, though thankfully I managed to keep a 4.45 appointment. By 1800 the disc was sorted and home brewed frame preserve sloshing inside the Ilpompino’s inner sanctum.

New seasons’ clothing and lighting needed putting through its paces and I don’t require enticing where kit testing’s concerned. I was also pleased to discover decathlon had sent me a G-Eye2 escape under warrantee. This seems a marked improvement over its likeable predecessor. Fittings/accessories are GO-PRO pattern, so thus far, everything, including the weatherproof casing plugs straight on.

A quick, cursory play later, I mounted it on the Ilpompino’s handlebar extension bracket, engaged lights and headed out. Just as Tuesday was concluding on fairly positive notes, while grinding along a greasy, dung strewn gradient, we sliced through a cowpat heavily impregnated with hedge clippings…

The Vittoria voyager hyper unleashed a loud petulant hiss, blowing raspberries with every revolution. Despite being narrow, large trucks often take this route to small industrial units, so a suitable clearing was imperative if I wasn’t to become another piece of roadkill.  

Finding a safe, sheltered spot, I rummaged through the wedge pack. No CO2 inflator!!!!...A wave of panic subsided upon finding the Specialized midi pump, spare tubes and my favourite BTwin tyre levers.

The eerie silence was broken by a woman’s voice. “Excuse me, have you got a puncture?” Despite the Sigma Evo Pro lamp’s considerable power, I couldn’t pinpoint her location but presumed it must’ve come from the cottage opposite.

“Yes, but its fine-thank you” I replied, an early 80’s Godley and Cream track “Under your thumb” suddenly filled the backdrop as my imagination went into overdrive. I wouldn't mind but there's still a few weeks until Halloween.

Even in standard mode, the Sigma Evo Pro’s has sufficient bite for spirited backroad scratching and I was particularly grateful for its prowess as I removed the front

wheel, extracted the wounded butyl and began scrutinising the Vittoria’s casing for embedded sharps.

Ten minutes later, wheel reinstated with a useable 60psi, I resumed my twenty mile loop. Petitioning the god of punctures with prayer seemed to help. Kenda thorn-resistant tubes are my first line of defence, rolling resistance is more apparent given their relative heft.

However, their valve stems are too short for deep section rims, so I may opt for something impregnated with green goo if this scenario becomes more prevalent into winter.  Time to replenish the otherwise superb faux leather Mpart bar wrap. Hmm, what will it be?...