Candid Cameras & Premature Celebrations

After three months testing Cycliq fly 6 camera and rear light, we’ve reached our conclusions. http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/cycliq-fly-6-camera-and-rear-light  “I’ve got your back” is the tag-line and while there’s something disappointing about living in a world where we have to record our rides for defensive, litigious reasons, its two genuinely excellent products in one.

There are better choices for adrenalin junkies looking to capture breathtaking footage with short pieces of commentary. The fly 6 is closer to a car dash cam, recording in ten minute segments and will ultimately wipe the footage once the card is full.

8gb micro SD comes as standard, though it will accept 32gb versions if you must. Speaking of size, generally unobtrusive, it still requires a decent helping of seatpost, a moot point with most semi/compact geometry framesets but something to consider if jockeying for space with saddle bags or monster wedgies. 

Image and sound quality aren’t quite on par with Go Pro and similar 1080Hd fare, its susceptible to wind and road. Nonetheless, footage is more than adequate enough to provide irrefutable evidence in the event of an incident, or on a happier note, reviewing rides from an alternative perspective. Talking of which, I’ve just taken delivery of the Revolution Cross 2.

Formative impressions suggest it lacks the pizzazz of a purebred cross bike with carbon fork- closer in persona to a tourer over metalled roads. However, as our facebook footage illustrates, I was pleasantly surprised by how surprisingly nimble its’ proving sans asphalt... https://www.facebook.com/Sevendaycyclistmagazine/publishing_tools/?section=VIDEOS&refSource=video_upload_notif&notif_t=video_processed&notif_id=1469654473701212

Suggestion that I’d exorcised the Holdsworth’s puncture curse was, well a bit premature... Having returned from a 15mile blast, I popped it back on its hook in the workshop, reintroduced F**k off lock, following the immovable object rule and bid it good night.

Eagerly anticipating another fast paced escape the following evening...Front tyre pancake flat. Thankfully I had the Ilpompino prepped and ready to go. Change of shoes and we away-pretty much had the lanes to myself and a steady 23-25mph tempo, quick enough to banish mental cobwebs and low mood for another day.

Back at the house, I discovered the Holdsworth’s puncture was attributable to duff rim tape. Think I might retire said fixer’s carbon composite post next. Composites seem structurally fine; alas the alloy cradle’s threads seem to be receding.

I’ve tightened the 6mm Allen bolt to manufacturer recommended torque settings and will monitor for the time being. Could be a rogue model, maybe after six years, it’s reached the end of its intended design life. However, at 70 odd kilos, I’m fairly compassionate to components.      

Fixed isn’t everyone’s thing and while I’ve met a few frame builders who enjoy touring on their Audax inspired, single brake builds, in this context, I’d sooner go for variable gears, whether hub or derailleur.

Fixed came under my radar in my early teens; many club riders had one within their fleet-sometimes these followed the continental narrative of old race framesets reincarnated as winter/workhorses, others pared to the essentials TT missiles.

It wasn’t particularly mainstream but widely accepted as having merits “Good thing; teaches you to pedal properly”; as one rider in his early forties put it. Then of course, there was a sub editor’s 1948 Freddy Grubb…

A small minority of chain-gangers seem to enjoy carving in a hairs breadth from my bars, then lingering, seemingly trying to make a point. If my 18mph on an incline is too pedestrian, why aren’t you powering ahead.

Oh, sorry, you wanted to deliver the hipster jibe…The same riders mysteriously find a voice; or some form of visual acknowledgement when I’m dressed in similar road biased kit but astride a more tribe acceptable road build. Difficult to measure scientifically but anecdotally, I find this myopic “One way to ride” tribalism very disappointing.

Talking trends, silicone is growing in popularity as a handlebar covering. Having graced the Univega’s moustache bars for a good fourteen months, the otherwise dependable Genetic (flare) is starting to look a little dog-eared in places.

Grimy patinas cultivated during puncture purging and other roadside mechanicals are easily dismissed using some bike wash concentrate, lathered up with a medium stiff brush. However, fatigue is apparent wit successive re/winding to facilitate cable replacements-especially where it enters the ends. Timely then, that I’m due to receive some Guee in ultra serviceable black.