Retro Reflective

 

Leading up to New Year, I defaulted to my rough stuff tourer and lots of mixed terrain riding. For the uninitiated “Gravel” is an endurance discipline, where riders tackle unmade roads on bikes that are, crudely cyclo cross machines with bigger clearances and disc brakes. It’s a genre of cycling that really appeals to me.


 

Some would say (aside from my fondness for cyclo cross machines) I’ve just been swept up by its burgeoning popularity. Can see that argument but I’ve concluded it’s a similar pull to mountain biking 30 odd years ago.
 

Machines that were lightweight, yet strong and exciting to ride-anywhere.  

In many respects “Ursula”; my Univega has morphed into the sort of machine that fired my imagination back then. The first drop bar mtb build I recall seeing on these shores was Muddy Fox‘s trailblazer, which I spotted in the March 1987 edition of “Bicycle” magazine. That was pretty much the last I saw of it too.

A few, long serving bike journalists shared a vague recollection, some suggesting Muddy Fox’s ability to bring concepts to production did not match their enviable marketing prowess.
 


Periodic bouts of curiosity revealed a few drop bar Trailblazers of 1989 vintage but I’ve got to admit, they’ve lacked the magical allure of the original build.

I’ve a soft spot for the 1990 courier comp but otherwise, I wouldn’t pay “Investment” prices, not even for a pretty one. Yes, I like retro, yes its cool-some of it any rate but frankly, for some of the asking prices, I’ll enrol on a frame building course and come away with something custom made from Reynolds or Columbus.

Drawing parallels with human relationships, vocations etc. I’m a whole heap older now. While exploration is fun and development, a must; by the time 40 strikes, you should have a pretty good handle on what makes you tick.

With all this in mind, Ursula’s chain was degreased and treated to some Siberian chain lube. Being a pour n’ go formula, we hopped out the door and left the world behind-albeit it with smartphone and long zoom compact camera en tow.

Along the backroads we went, Schwalbe Marathon 365 https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/schwalbe-marathon-gt365-tyre and Kenda small block 8 beating out a rhythmic patter on the asphalt. At least until I got curious, turning right and into a strange, seemingly parallel universe.

Abandoned houses, orthodox churches, spooky lanes and an equally unsettling feeling of being watched were interspersed with totally unmade roads. The odd satellite dish with very Soviet lines also fired my curiosity, not to mention suspicious glances.

I should point out, I was not trespassing. However, discretion is, apparently, the better part of valour. Therefore, I flashed a “California” smile, engaged a lower gear and sprinted off. 
 


Three hours later, Ursula needed to see a sudsy bucket and jumbo car sponge I, some more coffee. Nonetheless, we’d escaped and returned with a very different perspective.

Regrettably, it seems my hunch about postal theft was all too real. Thanks to Royal Mail’s seemingly protectionist policies, tracing intercepted goods/making formal complaint proved futile.

Thankfully, several suppliers, including Smoove lube’s uk distributor www.cyclorise.com  are graciously sending replacements. Steve has been very impressed with Pro-Vis Sportive Waterproof gloves https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/proviz-sportive-waterproof-gloves

We’ve also had a new batch of Seven Day Cyclist www.sevendaycyclist.com  https://www.facebook.com/Sevendaycyclistmagazine/  mugs arrive from the stationers.
 

Just in time too, since the kitchen’s long serving coffee receptacles needed pensioning off! Right, well I’ll leave it here, having succumbed to a nasty case of Sabre Tooth man flu-a very serious condition that needs exorcising before next Wednesday’s studio shoot.