Rides of Rediscovery

  

After several weeks, I woke the Univega from its slumber, swapped the Schwalbe Marathon GT 365 https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/schwalbe-marathon-gt365-tyre for some lighter Michelin Country Rock, the HT Leopard 878 for these Shimano A530 touring pedals and made good my escape along the unlit lanes.

I liked the Country Rock’s sprightly persona over dry, dusty trails but have found the casings vulnerable to sharps. Not just razor sharp thorns but flints too, hence their substitution.

Some riders are more prone to punctures than others. That said; there. Assuming hidden assassins, such as expiring rim tapes, protruding spokes or tyre beads aren’t the root cause, weekly inspection can greatly reduce their frequency.

Some riders swear by goo-filled tubes and I’ve had reasonable results, although find the sealant eventually goes-off. This can gum up the valves, preventing inflation and a nasty cut can see you battling a big old mess by the road, or trailside.  

Brushing the casings after you’ve been through shards of glass prevents them working inside the tyre casings as you ride. Weekly once-overs are the ideal time to give the machine a quick, sudsy bucket wash.

Tickle the casings, using a medium firm brush to dislodge any foreign objects, check the pressures with a reliable gauge and top up as required.

I initially leaned toward some 1.4 inch, wire bead, WTB Allterainasaurus. I’d bought the batch on offer-£14 for two pairs back in 2002 and ran one set on my mtb based Frankenbike cum daily driver.

Not the fastest rubber on asphalt but surprisingly reliable in the wet and I never succumbed to a flat-on, or off road. Narrower profiles also offer surprising bite along wet forest trails-provided you’re not pushing them beyond 18mph.

Quick enough for most, impromptu getaways from the madding crowd.  For the time being, I’ve gone for Schwalbe’s mighty Marathon 365 up front and Kenda’s sprightly small block 8 at the rear.

I like Oxford Products tyre scrub, which lacks the Green Oil eco brush’s versatility https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/oxford-products-tyre-scrub  but is inexpensive and delightful to use. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/green-oil-bicycle-brush  These also make spotting nicks and minor cuts in the casing that bit easier. Fill any with a drop of superglue and like patched tubes, ideally leave this to cure overnight.   

An unplanned reconfiguration of the garage also unearthed my much loved Cool Tool. Arguably a game changer- the first modern bike specific multi-tool, it featured an adjustable wrench cum cone spanner, 4,5 and 6mm Allen keys, Phillips driver, chain splitter and 13mm socket for cranks. This one belonged to my late father.

A decade since his sudden death, I was relieved to reclaim it from the mischievous garage gremlin. Quaint and of little relevance to contemporary road and mountain bikes. Nonetheless, coupled with a smaller, eight function folding tool, it remains genuinely useful for my fixed gear builds.

Back to the chemical romance. Having tweaked the tubby tourer’s brake pads and arrival of these lubes and greases imminent, I decided then was the ideal opportunity to purge the waning, yet still unexpectedly tenacious existing lubricant. This had formed a lightly congealed glaze across the 9 speed cassette. The sort of fatty residue commonly found on grotty old cookers in bedsit land.

I’m not anti-petrochemicals, rather careful in their deployment, for several good reasons. Being as the “Soviet Block” was hosting a wealth of terracotta pots, I opted for the lawn, which dictates something turf, pet and plant friendly.

Concentrate FS1 seemingly in hiding, a healthy blast of “Mr Whippy” (Fenwick’s foaming chain degreaser) was an obvious alternative. Give the aerosol a vigorous shake and deliver like a roadside ice cream vendor.

Left a minute or so then tickled with a stiff bristled brush and rinsed with clean water, the impacted grime slithered away, revealing gleaming, unsullied electroplate beneath.

Since I’m long-term testing Muc-Off Team Sky Hydrodynamic lube on my ‘cross inspired fixed and Teenage Dream, I’ve dressed the Univega’s in some TF2 ultra dry wax. Be interesting to see how it performs in the real world and against other low friction, clean running wax blends.