Lights & Spikes

Winter is fun, provided you prepare properly. No such thing as the wrong weather, provided you’ve the right kit. Dependable tyres, durable lubes, and decent lighting being three obvious bike specific requirements. 

Thanks to high quality li-on and li-polymer cells, run to charging ratios are very favourable these days.

However, complacency almost got the better of me. Over the past few weeks, I’ve really warmed to this Lightrider PHASE rear light, reckoned to pump out 50 lumens and go 36 hours between charges.

It did, or within a few minutes first time round. However, 20 odd hours through the second charge, the charge light began flashing and it promptly powered down…Eight miles from home.

Thankfully, I always run two bike mounted lights, with this Revolution COB rear LED on my helmet, ready for contingencies. Now, I’d been a little remiss with charging my Univega’s Moon Nebula, which I had been running in super frugal, slow flash.

This also began flashing its low charge indicator, but this and The Revolution’s 15 lumen flash, were enough to cruise the remaining eight miles home on. All were suckling from my mains chargers, before I’d popped the tubby tourer back in the workshop.

This is another reminder that AA/A fuelled units remain extremely relevant. While spare cells should always be carried, worse case scenario, they’re easily bought from supermarkets, convenience shops and petrol stations.

Staying with lights, this Oxford Products Ultratotrch 2K front light. Tipping the scales at 338g It’s a gram heavier than their Ugoe 2000 lumen headlight, which feeds from a 7.4volt, 6000mAh li-polymer, external battery https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/ugoe-2000  the 2K also retails at £99.99 and seems very well made. Inside the hard-anodized aluminium alloy casing we have three Cree XM-L2 LEDs, a 9000mAh lithium ion battery (which takes a full eight hours to charge).

I am pleased by the six modes, which staircasing power options, which start at a retina tickling 2000lumens, then downwards to 1500,1000, 500, 250 and 125lumens respectively. Some (me included) will be slightly disappointed to discover there’s no SOS, or flash mode, should reserves take a tumble, miles from home.

At the higher end, Oxford cites 2 hrs, 3 hours and 4 hours respectively, which bodes well for sustained speedwork through the sticks. However, whether optics rival firepower, in the useful, navigational sense, remains to be seen.

The machined aluminium handlebar mount makes a nice change, from the otherwise serviceable composites. It comes complete with an aluminium unit for 25.4 diameters.

Remove this, and theoretically it’ll bolt straight aboard oversized (31.8) bars. Rubber shims will be required for traditional road bars. I’ve had to raid the salvage box for something suitable, so it would accommodate these Soma Condor https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/soma

So, if you’re without pick a couple up from your friendly local bike shop and (assuming you haven’t bought from them, at least have the decency to buy them some biscuits, or contribute to their tea and cake fund.

Elsewhere, I’ve exhausted the helping of chainsaw oil, used to lubricate the Passport elements chain. So returned to Weldtite TF2 Extreme wet https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/weldtite-tf2-extreme-wet-chain-lubr , which has a very similar consistency.

The temperature has finally dropped, though not plunged, as sensationally predicted by the red top tabloid press. Clear skies have meant greasy, slightly slippery roads but nothing taxing the Schwalbe Marathon Mondial, yet. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/schwalbe-marathon-mondial-tyres

However, I can sense ice and more challenging weather coming in the coming weeks. Enter these Schwalbe Marathon Winter Plus. The winter, which I’ve used for several, icy and snowbound seasons are good but only have 120 spikes. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/schwalbe-winter-spiked-tyre

Fine for tackling icy backroads and moderate snowfall, at 17mph. However, last year’s so called “Beast from the East”; threatened to get the better of them. https://www.facebook.com/Sevendaycyclistmagazine/videos/1846747668689489/ We’re talking minor slides, with a bit of warning, nothing more serious/expensive, or indeed, undignified.  

The Schwalbe Marathon Winter plus have 200, which should elevate grip and control to a new level. Staying with temperature, conditions have called for liner gloves. While the Oxford Bright gloves (and several similar designs are fine to 3 degrees), when the mercury slides into minus figures, finger tips can get painfully chill.

A rummage through my gloves’ drawer, unearthed these BBB liners. Liner gloves are designed to slip inside and provide additional warmth, and, in some cases, they can also be worn on their own, during spring.