Forty miles in and I’m
beginning to bond with those Schwalbe Marathon GT 365. Although a hefty
pairing, they complete the Univega’s all-terrain persona, which has also swept
me back to the early 80s spirit of UK mountain biking-go anywhere machines that
were light, fun and enabled the rider to leave everything behind.
Escapism is a positive thing
and not to be confused with sticking one’s head in the proverbial sand. It’s a
chance to reflect, figure things through and return with a cohesive, pragmatic
strategy. Does wonders for episodes of writer’s block, or those occasions when
paragraphs simply merge into a tangled, congealed mass on the screen.
Full-length mudguards
naturally limit the machine’s true off road potential. That said; in its
present guise and with those tyres; loose surfaces, unmade roads, forest trails
and yes, disused railway lines are easily passable at a decent tempo.
The line in question doesn’t
go any distance now, thanks to extensive housebuilding, it’s essentially been
reduced to a short strip of woodland. Undeterred, I tried the lane in parallel,
mindful of getting over-enthused, taking a wrong turn and hammering through
someone’s back garden!
I’d been that particular route
some years before while rejoicing in a stretch of super smooth forest on my’
cross bike around midnight. All of a sudden, my 1000 lumen headlight picked up
two large plastic receptacles and our presence triggered a security light.
Hmmm, wheelie bins… Prod right
brifter down two cogs, turn and sprint back was my MO then. Back to those
Schwalbe, well, run at 65psi, they held their own with plenty of feedback and
no hint of skittishness across the loose, gravelly surface.
Back on metalled road, more
effort was required to overcome the additional rolling resistance but unlike an
MTB knobbly, cornering is vastly superior. Two inches wide, they literally
smooth over bumpy, battle-scarred rods like a steamroller-the tarmac laying
type, not Surly’s iconic plain-gauge fixed frameset.
Staying with Seven Day Cyclist
and the tubby tourer a moment, this storm sure flexible repair adhesive has successfully
salvaged its wedge pack’s torn LED tab. https://stormsure.com/
Composite and plastic
materials can be tricky customers but when applied on a warm spring day and
left the full 12hours, the repair seems pretty dependable-at least I’ve been
happy enough to slip this Moon shield in situ.
Rediscovering my stash of
rubber solution permitted a butyl mending binge. These days we can pick up a
bunch of tubes for a fiver, almost disposable but where possible, I repair, or
recycle them.
Talking of storms, a few
showery rides saw enough grime adorning my winter/trainer’s tubes to warrant
testing some bike wash and giving the bike a quick once-over. Bike wash did its
job in a competent way and closer inspection revealed the rear crud guard’s 5mm
fastener needed nipping tight.
In the zone, I decided it was
the ideal opportunity to inspect/re-grease strip the seat post and repack the
headset bearings. Out came the fix it sticks https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/fix-it-sticks-t-way-wrench .
I was pleasantly surprised by
the thin but stoical layer of green oil eco-grease https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/green-oil-eco-grease still coating both components, although the
lower race was definitely due a liberal top-up.
Having wiped the races and
double checked for any signs of corrosion, I cleaned both with a rag dipped in
solvent before flooding top and bottom races. The yellow goo’s flow rate is broadly
comparable with petrochemicals, although it’s particularly good when
temperatures creep into the high teens.
Super smooth again, though
I’ll probably strip and replenish every 9, rather than 12months-6 if you’re a
rough stuff tourist or mountain biker who can’t resist river-riding.
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