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?...
