Monday was one of those
stereotypically manic ones characterised by a liberal helping of faff n’
frustration; so I wasted no time performing pedal swaps, adding a few psi to
the Holdsworth’s tyres and giving its Aheadset bearings a quick tweak.
Twenty miles of rural roads,
carpeted in slimy bovine dung saw man and machine sporting a distinctly grimy
patina but mentally rejuvenated by that sense of escape. Rolling to a halt
outside the house, said head space was rudely interrupted by a gentle hiss...
Closer inspection revealed a
sharp flint, burrowed deep within the Specialized’s casing but I was thankful
it struck home then, not ten miles back along a dark, greasy lane.
More pressing duties called
that evening, so Tuesday afternoon was set aside for some serious fettling,
presenting an ideal opportunity to test those degreasers and polishes. Having
whipped out the rear wheel and removed the injured Specialized, I filled the
split with superglue and hung it in the workshop to cure thoroughly.
Next, a taller ratio,
courtesy of this 15tooth Halo, followed by the 145psi Vee Rubber Rain Runner
and a goo-filled tube for some additional security, if only psychological.
So then, these Issi 2
pedals...
Available in no less than
eight colours, the fetching blue was an obvious compliment to the Holdsworth
and indeed, my one-cog ‘cross inspired winter/trainer. There are two versions;
this one boasts aluminium alloy bodies, cro-moly axles and buttery smooth cartridge
bearings.
Now, those axles and the
raised, SPD compatible cleat mechanisms are in fact, black chrome, a decorative process designed to offer better protection to surfaces
than traditional electroplating. Glossy variants such as these easily pass for
anodising.
Though apparently aimed at the
burgeoning gravel audience, double sided pedals are particularly suited to road
biased fixed builds-no correct side, simply step in and power away. Issi have listened to criticism and improved
the cleat mechanism, both in terms of release angle and compatibility with
SPD/patterns.
Formative impressions suggest the
broader bodies provide greater support than said machine’s usual, venerable
Wellgo SPDR units, theoretically improving comfort over longer distances. Miles
will confirm whether this is simply “new contact point syndrome” or genuinely
so.
Disappointingly, the bodies are
already showing signs of cosmetic wear, not something I would expect in several
hundred miles from bog standard sub £20 fare. Mine may be a rogue sample, this
could be as tatty as they get. Several weeks’ in different conditions will
tell.
Hadn’t seen John Moss in a
while, seems he’s been doing some very involved revisions of his mango Velomobile.
This now sports the couple’s tandem trikes’ tow bar for the weekly shop and
running other domestic errands. While perfectly acceptable around town;
existing gearing isn’t tall enough for that legendary recumbent rush on longer
rides.
Its existing sun star crankset
also seems rather fond of throwing the chain and being a double; even with a 70
tooth ring, 25-30mph is pretty much tops. However, he says the Rohloff hub is a
more limiting factor, so is developing his own system reminiscent of
overdrive,
manual transmissions common in cars before 5th gear became the norm.
This involves driving an 11
speed Shimano Alfine from the Rohloff and mounting a flip-flop hub beside the
alfine. Being from an engineering background, he’s planning to fabricate a
glass fibre cover to house the system and calculates with the correct ratios
40-50mph should be realistic cruising speed.
That’s it for now, off to
check out my illustrator’s latest work, pop those magnesium BBB on the Teenage
dream for a shoes test and have a play with this Topeak mini usb combo.
