Continuous Improvement

So, a TRP Spyre calliper kit was wafted under my nose at the right price. Resistance was futile and deal done. Mine is the black/silver contrast, which to my eye, is even better looking than the stealthy, sexy black unit adorning the Revolution Cross 2.

Autumn is trade show time; Seven Day Cyclist www.sevendaycyclist.com is not at Eurobike this year but will be attending the NEC Cycle show later in September.

Talking of stealth, I was surprised by dusk’s advance towards the latter part of August. Blinkies have now been flanked by commuter plus torch-type lamps of the 300-400 lumen calibre on my cyclo cross and road biased builds. 

Generally speaking the preserve of suburban-semi rural commuters, these lights are fine for tackling the latter end of dusk and bright enough to be seen by but 600lumens plus is nearer the mark when darkness really bites. 

Several Moon models of varying capacities and the See Sense Icon + rear have arrived on our test bench this past week.

At the upper end, we have the XL 760 torch-type unit, which is surprisingly compact for a model offering 760 lumens and seemingly powerful enough for tackling pitch-black lanes at a decent pace. Quoted run times of 2hrs 20 in top also seem pretty reasonable, although the    removable 3200mAh battery is another nice touch, meaning you can carry a spare and swap over for extended playtimes. 

Seven settings optimise performance and economy, so you can toggle down for town and up for backyard scratching, although 360lumens is arguably overkill for sub/urban duties.

At the other extreme, their Aerolite is designed for contingencies and surprisingly powerful relative to its size-the sort that comes in handy for early morning TT’s, pre-standlight dynamo companion, reading maps/road signs, or those “Oh #$*@t! My main lamp’s just died ten miles from civilisation and I can hear the chorus of banjos” moments. Thankfully, the latter are rare these days but not completely relegated to the vaults of history.

For many years, I rode primarily in the dark and for a variety of reasons, the most obvious being seasonal- testing lights. Darkness also brings a new lease of objectivity when testing components, or complete bikes.

If you can’t see groupset and simply settle into the ride, things become much less subjective. I have been pleasantly surprised by just how well some budget drivetrains performed; say when shifting under load, or at the last minute.

While not a people person in overused sense of the word; I am also intrigued by people’s choice of winter bike(s) and riding attire. Much of this stems from beginning my serious riding career during the month of falling leaves, inspired by Au Pairs and predictably, the classically French off season attire.

Retro kit, so long as it’s still practical and relevant also gets me very excited. Enter this Minolta X300 35mm film SLR…Retro cool for pseudo artists? An “expensive” paperweight by some people’s reckoning but in my case, it’s a prop for a project or two…

An editor once remarked that being a journalist; though especially freelance also demands the ability to take good photographs. With this in mind, I am predominantly self-taught with some school-of-the streets input. Seeking to experiment in a very different genre to product/technical work-I’m occasionally approached by people asking if I would consider doing their wedding etc but by my own admission; I am a shower of sparks (rather than confetti) chap.

Nonetheless, I’m looking to stretch myself creatively-in parallel. Think I’ve found a suitable studio and instructor to safely explore the genre of artistic nude/erotic (not glamour) photography.

In a wider context, being freelance demands resourcefulness and the ability to problem-solve and think laterally-this extends to cars and other equipment. Purchases are seldom accidental (although things have been known to fall into my lap).

Given my family’s backgrounds in heavy industry/print, growing up, I was steered toward acquiring a sound academic education and a broad, transferable skillset.

Those who experience least economic and consequential turbulence have skills that can be ported over to another industry with similar remuneration. Traditionally, people were also invested in, retrained to bring some facets up to scratch as required-assuming they basically fitted the criteria, although this has also changed.

With this in mind, I have been eager to enrol on a qualifications based massage course, which has to date, eluded me. A lot of further/higher education colleges run this as part of beauty therapy but not a separate entity. I have also been deterred (not so subtly by some tutors) on the basis of gender and to a lesser extent, age. Now, I’ve just received a call asking me to cover a wedding-at an afternoon’s notice...             

Wild Horses

Several weeks and a few hundred mixed terrain miles later, I’ve reached some definite conclusions about the Revolution Cross 2 http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/revolution-cross-2.

It’s been a very welcome guest and we’re inviting other brands to send us their ‘genre blurring models to see how they compare in similar contexts. Raleigh has said they will be putting their £650 Maverick forward. http://www.raleigh.co.uk/ProductType/ProductRange/Product/Default.aspx?pc=1&pt=14&pg=15774

Sharing the Claris drivetrain (albeit 2x8) and Tektro Spyre brakes, its’ based around a 6061 aluminium frame and carbon fork and reckoned to weigh 2 kilos less-looking forward to swinging my leg over the 56cm’s top tube. 

Back on my blue/grey ‘cross inspired fixer, it’s been reminding me of what I've been missing, especially on the climbs.

For now the Avid BB7 and Cane Creek lever combo are delivering decent modulation and feel, although I’m still very tempted by the Spyre...Elsewhere, I’ve swapped its Time pedals over to the Holdsworth in exchange for the blue Issi and replaced the Ilpompino’s KMC Z1X chain, like for like, which also succeeded in killing three long serving chain tools!

Over three years hell n’ high water service hence; my Shimano R82 sports touring/Audax shoes are beginning to look decidedly peaky in places, so I’ve resurrected these very impressive Quoc Pham. A contemporary take on the classic touring shoe, the upper is made from high quality cowhide with lace lock lace system and 3M reflective heel strip.

This takes a while to break in but aided by a periodic lick of hide food, moulds beautifully to the foot. The outer sole is moulded rubber and features a hardened mid section and an unusually aggressive, SPD sole for improved grip. Power transfer isn’t quite on par with super stiff race slippers perhaps but it’s still very good. Craftsmanship and more importantly, long distance riding comfort is superb.

       

I went clipless back in 1992 with some Look ARC and patent leather Diavolo shoes (£50 all in from a local bike shop) but testing aside, my preference lies with the recessed SPD/R types. Discovered during my mud biased mid 90s, their sheer convenience is hard to beat.

Fixed, I can click in without needing to coax the pedal body into position, wet slimy decking aside, there’s little chance of me going down like the proverbial sack of spuds when its a bit slippery, or gouging holes in expensive lino.    

With autumn just around the corner, we’re beginning our lighting group tests. There’s the odd master blaster involved but otherwise, rather like megapixels, its more about the quality of lens and diodes, rather than firepower per se.

Models with several settings ranging from 800 down to 100/flashing modes cater for pretty much everything you’d need for the darkest rural roads through to well-lit city centres.

In the past I’ve been curious and even indulged in the 1,000 plus models offered on auction sites but while bright, they’re just too aggressive and beam quality/useable light doesn’t match that of those boasting 600 or so. In top mode, they can simply dazzle other road users-potentially dangerous, not to mention, extremely aggravating.

That said; I’ve used some budget (sub £100 CE compliant) official imports to excellent effect and the lower, steady settings can return 3-4 hours before kicking into flashing/SOS to conserve juice. Battery packs have become increasingly compact, riding unobtrusively beneath the top tube, rather than consuming a bottle cage.    

For those who don’t want, or need this additional clutter, tuneable torch types can be ideal for middle distance commuting and training but consider run-times carefully, if you’re tackling long stretches of unlit road. Several offer 600-800 lumens but there’s usually a serious trade off where run times are concerned-expect an hour or so, tops. However, they can strike just the right balance for those who generally ride in sub/urban contexts but want to indulge in some back road scratching after work.

Those with 300-400 lumens and several settings are surprisingly useful too, my choice for late summer evenings, where time can slip away and dusk set in unexpectedly. Blinkies are arguably all that’s required for getting home with in these contexts but I still prefer a proper light up front, blinkies acting as backing singers-especially given the all too prevalent culture of victim blaming-litigious, or otherwise.   

There is an increasingly popular trend for combining products-Cycliq fly 6 LED with integral camera being an excellent example. Along with Moon’s surprisingly potent Gemini, Raleigh has sent us this Icon + unit, which tailors light automatically to suit conditions.

http://www.raleigh.co.uk/ProductType/ProductRange/Product/Default.aspx?pc=2&pt=117&pg=18570

It’s capable of producing 190 lumens and even features a movement sensor, triggering an alert to your smart phone, indicating that your bike is being moved and potentially vandalised/stolen. Useful additional security when supping coffee and sharing ideas at a cafe’ stop; on that note, I’m going to see if this stuff is a creative kick start or belongs behind the creosote...