Despite the seasonal increase
in lost/stolen parcels, these Primal Dawn men’s bib knickers made it through. Formative
feelings are very positive.
Bridging the gap between
shorts and thermal bib tights, ¾ lengths are perfect for autumnal and early
spring rides. Milder winters too. (That said; Primal cite an optimal operating
temperature range, between -7 and +24 degrees) In fact, ¾ lengths my preference
over bib tights, unless wind chill/air temperature really bites. Our medium fit
my 1m81, 70 kilo-frame perfectly.
The bibs offer ample coverage
to the vital organs, the braces, unrestricted movement. Though less common,
these days (especially at this price point) the elastic in some designs can be
overly firm. To the point of feeling restrictive. Several in my collection,
leaving unsightly tell-tale branding, after a couple of hours riding.
Panelling and cut seem equally
precise. I managed 16miles in 45 minutes during our first outing and on the
fixed. Much of that fuelled by very controlled rage, induced by an inflammatory
communication, from my ex-wife. Nothing particularly new there. Another example
of resilience, which I touched upon in my last entry. The season of goodwill
generally slumps during December, on the roads, too.
I wasn’t surprised to find
myself on the receiving end of some crass overtaking. Now, simply put, if you
want to kill someone without experiencing punishment, incarceration, or indeed,
loss of licence-do so with a car, or larger vehicle.
The occupant of a Mercedes
Sprinter began overtaking (on a bend) but then decided he might collide with an
oncoming vehicle, so just swung back. I’ve had closer encounters but was fuming
at this display of elephantine ignorance.
The Sprinter remained
stationary, engine running for around thirty seconds, blocking my progress. A
baleful “Sorry mate, are you OK?” was offered on three occasions. I remained
silent and unresponsive, partly in the hope my contempt would register. Life is
very short, responding would only serve to ease his awkwardness. Hopefully this
experience gave him food for thought/improvement.
On the alternative lubes
front, after 480 miles that familiar, subtle metal-on-metal tinkling struck.
This coincided with a well-deserved sudsy scrub, for Ursula, who was sporting a
fair bit of accumulated grot around the fork legs, bottom bracket shell and
chainstays.
This was dismissed with some
Pro Green MX Cycle Wash https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/pro-green-mx-triple-pack
. Fenwick’s foaming chain cleaner and Green Oil bicycle brush https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/green-oil-bicycle-brush
had cassette and chain gleaming, ready
for chainsaw oil. Applied via dropper
bottle, this went on in a fashion, reminiscent of Weldtite TF2 extreme wet chain
lubricant https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/weldtite-tf2-extreme-wet-chain-lubr
and some others adorning my shelves.
However, I was surprised by
the initial clean up required. There was a fair bit of excess clinging to the
side plates and a spattery patina (reminiscent of that effect employed by Kona
on their late 1980s mtb frames) adorning the Univega’s chainstays. Less drizzle
n’ go than bike specific blends but not markedly worse than the motor oil, in
many respects.
On some levels, its to be
expected, but the fixed has been running much cleaner and the lube is really
clinging to the chain’s dimpled galvanised texture. Several wet rides in, the
chain has almost “bedded in” and the initial gravely patter, replaced by a
serene swoosh.
Talking of gravelly, (and
before the so called “beast from the east” sweeps in Steve has just reviewed
these GoodYear County https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/goodyear-county-premium-tyre
Ison Distribution have been
investigating my SP PD8 dynohub wheel https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/halo-rim-and-shutter-dynohub-disc-b
and confirm the hub is fine. However,
the rim appeared to be pulling itself apart (albeit, very slowly). Therefore,
they’re stripping the wheel and rebuilding with a new hoop. I’ve also decided to revisit the Univega’s
front stopper.
Though the IRD CAFAM 2
cantilevers https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/ird-cafam-2-cantilever-brakes
are beautifully engineered, their
mechanical advantage better suits traditional levers.
My Univega’s existing Microshift
are shallower reach. Great for smaller hands, but Avid Shorty 4 and M system designs
are better pairings. The humble cantilever is becoming harder to come by,
although still has a solid following in ‘cross circles. Some Shimano CR50 presented themselves, so
we’ll see how they fare.
