A few weeks and 400 miles down the line, I’ve been delighted by the performance benefits offered by the Swiss Stop rotors. Oodles of stopping prowess, no squeal, or other intrusive noise. No loss of power on longer descents either and lateral stiffness means they haven’t felt whippy, when braking hard-say to avoid a mange et tois with red deer, who like to leave crossing to the last minute. They’re staying!
Now the climate is becoming more spring-like, and the days longer, my thoughts are also turning towards getting some early morning miles in, on the Teenage Dream. When dropping the Halo White Line rim and Shutter Precision PD8 hub off with Mick Madgett, I was somewhat mesmerised by a late 70’s Mercian.
Beautiful, with period proper components. Ok, so I’m anything but purist, though can appreciate this narrative and I was momentarily whisked back several decades. Non aero cables, down tube shifters, white bar tape.
Contrast that with the Teenage Dream’s 531c frame, carbon fork, dual pivot calipers, Aheadset, Time ATAC pedals, Cinelli Sub 8 mini tri bars. I’ve switched the Freedom Thick slick tyre for this Schwalbe Lugano TESTED: SHWALBE LUGANO ROAD CYCLING TYRES (sevendaycyclist.com) since I noticed some formative sidewall damage. I had planned to switch the Selle SMP Strike for a BBB Echelon but I discovered (to my astonishment) that the Echelon’s rails were incompatible with the Thompson post’s cradle.
Would’ve shaved a few grams from the build. Not that the Teenage Dream could ever be described as weighty (although the original grey Look pedals I bought in February 1992, as an introduction to clipless were decidedly “solid”). Nonetheless, I still have the ARC and some similarly solid Shimano SPD from that era-which by contrast, make an appearance from time to time.
Easter brought with it some unseasonably warm, dry weather, so rude not to whip TD off its hook, pop some wind in the tyres, a shot of Jokker 440 on the cables. It's still dark at 5 am, when I head out, so on went this Magicshine Ray 2600 Smart Remote Bike Light, which as the name suggests, delivers 2600lumens, top whack but thankfully, there's a fair bit of tunability and I find the 1300 lumen setting provides more than enough bite for the backroads.
A wired remote, similar to that employed by Raveman (PR 2400 USB Rechargeable Front Light with Remote RAVEMEN PR2400 FRONT LIGHT (sevendaycyclist.com) and the PR 1200 RAVEMEN PR 1200 DUAL LENS FRONT LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). Concluding the lighting theme, here’s my review of the Lelumia The Beast Rear Light LELUMIA THE BEAST REAR LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) Oh, and a reminder to check older models for battery leakage. Luckily I was able to salvage the Teenage Dreams before any damage was done-a quick shot of Jokker 440 on the contacts and fresh AAA cells saved the day.
It may look like it’s straddling two decades but the bike’s specification works for me, on a very practical level. It’s still a blast to ride-on dry, sunny days, naturally. Besides, there are so many memories tied up in that frameset- it's been with me throughout my adult life and through its twists n’ turns. It was built during a recession, which I was largely sheltered from, having the good fortune of two parents with solid, well-paid careers.
I wasn’t alone in that respect, but I had it easier than many counterparts. Over thirty years later, I’ve seen living standards and expectations for many people-even those with solid academic/vocational backgrounds fall. I’m relieved to have been able to invest in myself, parents and friends who encouraged me. Though all things are possible, and there has always been rich and poor, I never envisioned a time when there would be large numbers of people facing food insecurity.
Not to mention the soaring costs, of this and other essentials-energy, fuel (petrol and diesel, rather than home energy per se). Some commentators have suggested the UK is on the verge of civil unrest but in practice, this is unlikely. Aside from the reversion of people’s rights to peacefully protest, the UK public tends to grumble behind closed doors, rather than take to the streets.
