This time around I’ve managed 285miles from the Juice Lubes Chain Juice Wax before it required replenishment. Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the compatibility of chain lubes. Good practice says strip your chain and transmission of pre-existing lubricant, before applying another brand ort type.
However, I’ve topped up my fixed gear winter/trainer’s chain with Zefal Pro Dry https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/zefal-pro-dry-lube and the Chain Juice Wax with Pure Bike Dry Lube. While of the same genre, the latter is not petrochemical-based and employs an ethanol carrier. Plant-based ethanol to be precise, which works to the same science and is every bit as flammable as petrochemical blends.
Like a lot of lubes, the Pure requires a liberal shake to blend solvent and lubricant components. Drizzled into the links it’s visibly stockier than the Chain Juice Wax and supposedly resists water and wash-off very effectively. It also requires 3-4 hours curing time, so I’d leave it overnight, wherever possible.
Apparently, it’s designed to be deployed elsewhere-cables, pivot points and other metal to metal interfaces. Aside from compatibility, I’m also looking to evaluate its cleanliness, tenacity, and temperature stability. Thus far, its behaving much like the Juice Lubes Ceramic Chain Wax in terms of friction. However, its closer to a wet, rather than a dry wax and I will be very surprised if it racks up 400 miles per application. By that point, the existing KMC chain will be spent anyhow.
The Cycles Berthoud Soulor Leather saddle https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/cycles-berthoud-soulor-leather-sadd goes from strength to strength, although I’ve been accelerating the personalisation process, applying a water-based hide food, 20 minutes prior to every other ride, which has certainly made the thick hide very supply, while my ischial tuberoses do their thing. Continuing this retro theme, I’ve come back to these Passport Crochet Back Cycling Mitts https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/pasport-crochet-back-cycling-mitts.
Despite being stored indoors-at room temperature, the leather palms had turned surprisingly stiff, so I applied a liberal helping of leather food, so hopefully, that’ll solve the problem.
Mirror shades and big lenses were another blast back to the past. I’ve been rather impressed by these Merida Race, which in the style stakes, literally transported me back to 1989. Costing less than £30, they offer excellent defence against strong sunlight, wind, and insects, thanks to the large surface area.
No problem with fogging either, thanks to the thin cutouts. However, there’s no polarising technology here (a feature that’s increasingly trickling down to the £40 price point) so they don’t react to changing light conditions. Not a lot of use at dusk, or when skies are threatening cobalt, thundery rage.
The Continental Contact Speed tyres are continuing to deliver a flat-free, magic carpet ride, although being a soft, grippy compound, they’re wearing around the centre-strip, Mohican fashion. Component life varies on some many things but I’m bargaining on 3,000 miles before they’re bin-fodder.
By this point, I’m hoping to switch to something like Panaracer Gravel King-26x2.1, please. Oh, and of course, a Cane Creek Thudbuster G3 https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/cane-creek-thudbuster-suspensuin-se, to complete my wish-list upgrades. The sort that will complete the bike’s go anywhere, four seasons persona as I’d envisaged the concept 33 years back.
Admittedly, compact geometry and suspension posts weren’t a “thing” then. I’ve also taken to charging lighting and other tech over the course of a ride, using the K-lIte AC/DC twin-port charger, which is one of those little, yet incredibly satisfying things. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/k-lite-bikepacker-ultra-dynamo-ligh
