Along Came Alfine

 No sooner had the Alfine idea started becoming the ONLY idea, Madison Cycles graciously sent me a unit for testing, 32 hole and better still, black, which will go handsomely with another Ryde Andra 40 hoop, laced to black spokes. Tipping the scales at 612g (including skewer), Ursula will be the beneficiary and my fixed gear winter trainer will receive the overhauled Shutter Precision PD8 HALO CLASSIC RIM & SHUTTER PRECISION DYNOHUB DISC WHEEL BUILD (sevendaycyclist.com) as before.

I’ve also harvested a silver left hand Tektro RL340 to colour coordinate with the RL520 lever, which will of course, command the TRP SPYRE SLC, once I’ve got some quiet time to strip and bolt everything together. Will be the perfect opportunity to overhaul the Stronglight Aheadset too, lashings of Peaty’s Bicycle Assembly Grease PEATY'S BICYCLE ASSEMBLY GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) this time around, methinks.  

Peaty’s Speed Grease PEATY'S SPEED GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)has really won me over for applications demanding minimal friction and despite some initial suspicion, it’s proved remarkably stoical despite high mileage and often dodgy weather. It’s also best suited to bearings with seals, hence my old school cup n’ cone Campagnolo Athena hubs were fed the last of the Park PPL1. White Lightning Crystal High Performance Grease TESTED : WHITE LIGHTNING CRYSTAL GREASE (sevendaycyclist.com) is another good bet, especially for components employing rubber/composite parts- sealed hubs, suspension components to name but two examples. Then, of course, there’s Green Oil Eco Grease  TWELVE MONTH TEST: GREEN OIL ECO GREASE (sevendaycyclist.com) is another, planet and person-friendly option- I went that route when installing the ti bottom bracket into Ursula’s shell. Then of course there’s lard.

 

No, I’m being facetious. However, 30 years back, I encountered the odd, mechanically inept engineering student sold on this animal-derived product for their bike. On the subject of lubes, here’s my review of the Bike Medicine Purple Extreme Synthetic Chain Lubricant| cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) Ursula’s KMC chain is still hanging on in there, still has a couple of weeks, maybe more before the BBB checker registers .75 and said faithful electroplated chain becomes bin fodder.   

The Lelumia The Beast rear Light continues to impress me with its blend of power and relative frugality. Belting out 150 lumens in the highest setting, 65 lumens is as low as it goes. Not ideal for built-up areas, but bang-on for the backroads, and of course, deterring wheel sucking.   

Talking of deterrent, I’ve received some Motorex Grease Spray. This isn’t a bicycle-specific blend and appears to be an old school lithium blend. Now., this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Lithium greases are very tenacious and long-lasting. Good bets for headsets and cup n’ cone hub bearings, metal to metal contact points e.g., sealed bearing cartridge bearings (provided the metals are of the same family I.e., aluminium alloy to aluminium alloy, titanium to titanium etc).  

Lye soap and oils are a mixture that bonds very well to metals. However, they can result in galvanic corrosion-a chemical reaction between metals of different parentage, when exposed to the elements, or long sessions on the indoor trainer, seizure can strike. In common with PTFE based blends, they aren’t kind to seals, or other composites either.  Being a sprayable formula also means it also makes a handy internal frame preserve. Good for protecting frame ends, lubing quick-release skewers and of course, those oft-forgotten cleats.  

It’s no secret that I have a “thing” for practical fixed gear builds- sensible clearances, mudguard mounts etc. Machines that follow the short-lived “Road path” narrative, not forgetting what are essentially traditional cyclo cross bikes with mudguard mounts, cantilever bosses etc.

No surprise to discover my excitement at discovering The Brothers Cycle AlldayThe Allday | Brother Cycles while having a wander round the web.  Even closer to the traditional cyclo crosser with track ends narrative in my book. I really like the gold and black spatter fade too. Not my usual colour scheme perhaps and evocative of the champagne and brown effect a friend had on his Raleigh Maverick, back in 1986.