No sign of these sunlit uplands and the unicorns promised, are little more than donkeys with dildos strapped to their foreheads...
The weather here is more aligned with early April than late May, so for time being, the Teenage Dream remains safely tucked away, cosseted from the elements. While rooting around the garage a week or so back, I was delighted to resurrect these Gore Tex over mitts (yes, heavy, sporadic showers remain the narrative). I’ve switched from Zefal Extra Dry Premium Quality Chain Wax.ZEFAL EXTRA DRY CHAIN WAX | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) for SKS Lube Your Chain TESTED: SKS LUBE YOUR CHAIN (sevendaycyclist.com) (Another waxy type formula) since the weather errs on the wet.
When it comes to traditional waxes, the absence of an oily component (one that leaves a filmy protectant layer on the chain) means superficial taint following exposure to wetter rides/roads. This coincided with a generic deep clean, inspection and other light maintenance.
A welder’s grandson, I take a keen interest in welding, so after fifteen miles of headwind, decided to stop and scrutinise this gate. A little workmanlike by my grandfather’s standards but neat enough, ditto the “red lead” finish.
After some explorative/diagnostic efforts, I have been unable to coax the Apeman A80APEMAN A80 ACTION CAMERA | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) back to life.
The sudden and unexpected demise (I hadn’t exposed it to wet, wintry weather, or anything else that might induce catastrophic failure). I’ve concluded fault lies with the power switch since the battery and charge life indicator are communicating good health. A pity since I’ve found this model intuitive to use and image quality adequate for my needs.
I’ve missed being able to capture hares and deer leaping across my path these past few weeks. I am optimistic for this Campark unit, which promises a higher overall spec and a “waterproof” body.
Now, waterproof is a tricky term on many levels. Watches for example are not permitted to be described as waterproof, only water-resistant. This is because there is always the potential, given the right circumstances for water to infiltrate. The Apeman and Geonaute cameras had never been exposed to damp, let alone wet weather, without wearing their protective housings.
Budget action cameras offer a lot of bang for very modest buck these days but the mounts/accessories tend to be a weak spot. More cheap than cheerful. The Geonaute’s weather-proof housing needed sanding around the lugs to fit a Go-Pro mount, whereas the Apeman’s case was compatible but fractured at the lugs. The Campark uses similar housing and accessories, although time will tell how durable they are. Housings are good ideas in any case since they protect the lens, screen, and other components from nasty, abrasive grit.
Now to the dynamo lamps. Kery Staite has sent me a replacement for the Bikepacker Pro V2 that unexpectedly developed a gremlin. He’s also sent me the K-Lite Ultra Road LD (Low drag). The latter is “only” 750 lumens, which is a little over half that of the Bike Packer Pro V2K LITE BIKEPACKER PRO V2 FRONT LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and the Bike Packer UltraK LITE BIKEPACKER ULTRA DYNAMO LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), so has me eager to assess performance along the unlit lanes and backroads, given I’ve been spoilt by the 1300lumen siblings.
I’m also curious as to how it ranks against the Exposure Revo Dynamo, which pumped out 800lumens and adorned Ursula’s bars for several years and many thousand winter miles. Initial impressions are favourable and the drag is palpably lower than its more powerful Bike Packer cousins. In some respects, Ursula isn’t the most obvious host but as my daily driver, I’m going to notice any subtle tweaks/changes.
These also arrived with nice new composite mounts, moving the lamps proud of the bars. I’ve mounted the Bike Packer Pro beneath the fixed’s Soma Condor 2 Shallow Drop barsSOMA CONDOR 2 SHALLOW DROP BARS | (sevendaycyclist.com) for a neater aesthetic, and to avoid potentially dazzling anyone. Not that this has been an issue to date, although I have needed to tilt the Ultra siblings very slightly. Right, I’m off to brew some more wax-based corrosion inhibitor-seems we’ve run out.
