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!
