Kit N' Caboodle

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February can be one of the more challenging months in the cyclist’s calendar. As a product tester, it’s also one of the most interesting because harsh, wintery conditions separate the exceptional from the very good and good from indifferent.

Chain lubes, tyres and tubes being the most obvious machine-centric examples and from a rider’s perspective; clothing. Hands and feet are the first extremities the brain shuts down to conserve energy.  

Gloves need to be warm and ideally waterproof but without feeling clammy or overly bulky-needing to remove them when locking bikes in the street, or tending roadside mechanicals is no joke when the mercury is slipping below zero.

The transition to University and a ramshackle suburban semi bearing an uncanny resemblance to that used in “The Young Ones” cured my sensitivity to cold (I was up at 530am and out on the winter bike most days, if for no other reason than keeping warm!)

We had ice and black mould forming within the bathroom and as for a boiler, well that would’ve been condemned by anyone valuing their Corgi registration…Fast forward 23 years and six months, I approach winter with base layer, thermal tights, thermal training jersey and two layer laminate jacket, gloves and if its wet, overshoes.

Overshoes not only protect the feet from chill but expensive shoes from being ravaged by the slimy cocktail of road salt, grit, diesel oil and similar toxic sludge. There’s a school of thought that advocates running hand-me-down but serviceable framesets with P-clips, cast off components and older training kit. Run everything into the ground, rebuild with the next relegated groupset.

Makes a lot of sense on many levels, especially if you are a trade/business for who time literally is money. I tend to be fastidious by nature, although, aside from close of season servicing, there's no reason why a thorough weekly bars to tyres clean of bikes n’ kit should consume more than 45minutes from start to finish.

Products must be evaluated against their design criteria i.e. its not far to expect a lightweight summer chain prep to withstand waterlogged winter roads but by the same token, if a waxy type formula arrives at this time of year, that is exactly when it will be tested. Some super clean lubes have been a pleasant surprise.

Not as stoical as middleweight ISO/PTFE blends perhaps but this Rock n’ Roll absolute dry has churned along for 170miles between replenishment, collects nominal dirt (thus drivetrains can be run until the faint metal on metal tinkling intrudes) and without recourse to solvent baths or similar stripping. I’m not a traditionalist in any respect, especially when it comes to road bikes.

Framesets with a cyclo cross heritage/genealogy are my defaults-big clearances and more relaxed angles mean a sprightly ride with 32/35mm tyres and full length mudguards for comfort and control, whatever the weather front.

Single (or compact doubles) and widely spaced cassettes ensure there’s enough torque for pretty much everything (Surrey’s Leith and Box hills being prime examples) but without the additional weight and complication of the traditional triple.

Even with the little n’ often mantra, keeping my Univega’s  a’la carte Deore LX, STX, Microshift, Tiagra and KMC ensemble on song year round is a chore.

On the subject of rider attire, trade jerseys and or day-glow tends to dominate roadie wardrobes, although several brands including Foska has offered interesting alternatives. Some of which have been a little hit n’ miss (I’ve never fancied being a mobile hoarding for baked beans, although their long discontinued CCP hammer & sickle soviet print remains a firm favourite. Their "I pay road tax" tax disc print, designed to counter the old but enduring myth that roads are paid for by vehicle excise duty (VED). It is in fact paid by income and other forms of public taxation.

Possibly the most controversial were sported by the Columbian women’s team, which have been mistaken for full frontal shots back in 2014. We are since told the flesh type tones were down to poor lighting when the photographs were taken. Not satisfied with that, this  Xirayas de San Luis seems to be a mobile anatomy lesson. Debate rages as to whether its a fashion faux pas, PR genius or another example of casual, everyday sex/misogyny...   

At the other extreme(partly due to the reignited mainstream interest in messenger chic and cycle commuting being seen as “cool”; rather than cheapskate), a few brands both here and in the US have been introducing street styled garments with cycling cut and technical fabrics.

These ensure you’ll attract the right sort of attention when sashaying round the office, or meeting friends on a night out, yet still ride short to moderate distances with greater comfort and efficiency. Like anything else, performance depends on price, those at the lower end of the market will breathe less efficiently, whereas top end are good enough for day rides and touring.

Messenger knickers were pretty much my everyday default when riding fixer, crosser, mtbs and old school road bikes. Seven Day Cyclist will be casting a critical eye over Dani Foffa’s new urban clothing line www.foffabikes.com in the coming weeks, which promises to be very exciting. Watch this space...