Nostalgia is very comforting
and there were some genuinely great products and concepts back in the late 80s. Many I recall from
the cycling press, read during my otherwise instantly forgettable, and
decidedly dubious school career. Some have stood the test of time and remain
very relevant, others consigned to history.
Anything dirt based with drop
bars obviously grabs my attention. Specialized’s Rock Combo (sadly short-lived)
and Muddy Fox’s Trailblazer being two prime examples. Seems I'm not the only fan, either! https://bikesboardsandphotos.wordpress.com/2018/01/21/specialized-rockcombo/
I’m not convinced U
brakes were an inherently bad idea. They certainly offered considerable stopping
prowess.
However, chain stay mounting
was more conducive to dry, dusty California. Not the damp, leafy climes more
commonly experienced in the UK and Canada. Little wonder why Kona mountain
bikes were such a hit in the UK. Compact geometry framesets with sensible
clearances. Designs that look current and still perform beautifully today.
Some saddles fall into the
classic narrative. Aside from traditional leather saddles, which has remained a
quiet institution among tourists, there’s the Selle Italia Turbo, the Rolls
etc. The catalyst for this sudden rush of retrospective was induced by the
arrival of Selle San Marco Concor Super Corsa saddle. Tipping the scales at
320g, it’s not the lightest but hardly outlandish, so now sits pride of place
on my fixed gear winter/trainer.
I had a Concor on my first
fixed-a conversion based around a 501 tubed Raleigh frameset.
When that
frameset died in July ’92, I bought a comparable frameset from a small scale,
midlands-based builder. Ported most of the stuff over and headed to London’s
East End. University and idealism followed. Come ’94, I’d worn it smooth, the
rails a little wobbly where they slotted in the base.
Flogged it to a cash strapped
land surveying student for as little as I paid for it (Having bought a luminous
yellow Turbo gel from a shop’s bargain bin). Not a bad buy and it matched the
frameset’s lurid enamel. Shortly afterward, I’d primarily switched to cross
country mountain bike racing and a flyte.
Had a couple of the
minimalist, ti railed wonders and got along with them surprisingly well. Back
then, saving every last gram, as economically as possible, was the primary focus.
Though I keep a keen eye on my machine’s girth, it’s not at comfort’s expense.
That said, I was pleasantly
surprised to discover this PRO Stream Off Road Saddle weighs a positively
feathery 207g. Surprising, since the rails are stainless steel (Inox) Yes,
there’s a bit of carbon involved, and on some levels, a less obvious choice for
my Univega. However, I’ve been running the BBB Echelon with good results.
Besides, being a mixed terrain, four seasons’ build its perfect for assessing
the design’s capabilities and potential limitations.
Classics aside much technology
has improved considerably. Clothing is one area, where materials have become
more sophisticated on the one hand but crucially budget and mid-point clothing
staples arguably represents better value than ever before. I’ve been quite
impressed by these middleweight Prendas Ciclismo Winter Cycling Socks https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/prendas-ciclismo-coolmax-winter-cyc
Lighting and other, electrical
tech are another, prime example. These days it’s difficult to find a poor
light, thanks to competition. I’ve been particularly impressed by this Moon
Meteor.
Not the most powerful designs
(400 lumens steady, 500day flash) but extremely compact and a great companion
to my high-power dynamo units.
A good choice for pared-to-the essentials
best/winter bikes. Intelligent and
tuneable designs are another clear trend. Knog Cobber Mid rear Light https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/knog-cobber-mid-rear-light being one example. At the time of writing,
these are at the upper end of the market. However, like most tech, it’s only a
matter of time before this technology trickles down.
Others, such as this See Sense
Icon2 https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/see-sense-icon-2-rear-light offer
these options but are also capable of monitoring road surfaces and a wealth of
other information. This can be shared, via their app and theoretically, has the
power to shape town planning and improve safety. However, you don’t have to use
all these features to appreciate its intelligent design.
At the other end of the
market, this Oxford Ultratorch R75 pumps out an impressive 75 lumens (tops) and
so far, decent run times, from a full charge.
There are four modes in total.
Three flashing (high, medium and low) modes and my default, flashing. COB (Chips on Board) technology intensifies output,
since you can pop more diodes within the same space. In this instance 24.
These are fuelled by a lithium
polymer cell and the unit meets IP65 for weatherproofing. To date, ours has
been swamped with dodgy standing water, silt, spray and similar unmentionables
with no issues. Talking of subverting wet stuff, I’ll close with my review of
the Raw Prismatic reflective Mud flaps https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/raw-prismatic
