Derelict delights & Other Developments

Had an extremely creative location shoot with Krystal over in Tendering, using derelict farm building, church and petrol station as our backdrop. Aside from some rubber-necking and quizzical glances from passers-by, we were largely (and thankfully), left to our own devices.

For me, it is imperative that models feel completely comfortable with the briefing and location. Krystal and I share a mutual love of derelict buildings and reminisce about those, lost to widespread gentrification and development, in Hackney and elsewhere in London’s East End.

Continued, summery conditions have meant plenty of miles, at full pelt aboard the Holdsworth. There’s something very satisfying about its simplicity. Blinkies and bar mounted computer and Stem captain clock aside everything about the build is strictly functional. Enough parts to make it stop, go and handle in great proportion but otherwise, completely pared to the essentials.

Then of course, there is my feline who seems to take great exception to and seemingly assassinates anything that isn’t Schwalbe. Those likeable 42mm Maxxis Roamer https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/maxxis-roamer-tyres being the latest casualty, so I’ve reverted to Schwalbe Marathon GT https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/schwalbe-marathon-gt-tyres  up front. 

Hopefully, said feline will approve. Perhaps it was the lack of absolute uniformity that fuelled his latest bout of contempt.  

Passed by John Moss’s house, while out running an errand, only to be distracted by his friend’s Newton trike.

This one was made from Reynolds 525, featured hope hydraulic brakes and a Shimano LX drivetrain. Another thing that caught my eye was the wheel choice- 700x28 at the rear, 26x1.5 up front. The rear Vittoria was showing obvious signs of perishing around the sidewalls, prompting a quick dash to a well-known and in my experience, justly popular French superstore.   

After some experimentation, John has commissioned a machine shop to make a crank spider, compatible with his Mango’s Sun Star system and of course, the additional ring. This leaves him free, to engineer a suitable chain tensioner system. This is to prevent derailment/jamming at a crucial point.

Staying with chains, we’ve just received these from Crankalicious. The Gumchained remedy, is basically a high performance solvent degreaser, used in their K wipe chain cleaner sachets https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/crankalicious-kwipe-chain-cleaner .

This breed of gunk gobbler pretty much evaporates-a quick clean rag once-over is all that’s required, before fresh lube can be introduced. No rinsing with fresh water/similar faff.

There are several ways of administering it. Chain baths are the most obvious, mess free option but I’ve gone the old school team mechanic’s route. Having poured a little into a plastic tube, I brush it into the links, holding the tub beneath to catch any overspill. Though chains, cassettes and derailleurs are the obvious candidates, I will also be testing its prowess, as a degreaser.  

The fleet has been fed dry and wax based lubes given summer’s here and these months are, afterall, the fairest measure of their performance (That said; it’s still relevant to see how well they endure cold and wetter conditions).  The Joe’s dry lube is behaving in very much the same fashion as other PTFE infused blends, including the Finish Line dry. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/finish-line-dry-bike-lube

Unlike Squirt and other “flake away” types, which “ingest” grime before falling away from the chain, these just run a bit cleaner and remain slightly tackier to touch. No transmission branding on the calves, as yet, which bodes well for commuters who scoot to work in smart, pale trousers.

One quirk, seems to be the residual waxy film that builds up around the inner ring. Even after I’ve given the side-plates and ring(s) a quick, clean rag cat-lick, the milky fluid seems to collect and ultimately congeal. Experimentation suggests it’s possible to reclaim and redistribute the residue to cables, lock and cleat mechanisms. Waste not, want not and all that.

In common with the Finish Line dry, curing times are around the 15minute mark, which is also a boon, given some otherwise excellent competition can require several hours. Hardly convenient when you’re running late on Monday morning, or a mate’s dropped by, inviting you out for a spin. I’m expecting around three hundred miles per application, through a predominantly dry, though occasionally moist June/July.

We also received this Crankalicious Mayo Jaune frame polish, which they describe as a “Deep cleaning polish and glaze, for removing scratches and marks in all frame types”. We’ll see. Now, remember the blasting and prepping last week...Sparked your curiosity? Well, click this link https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/gravel-bike-on-a-budget , and wonder no more!