Courting Controversy

 

My bars, although particularly Ursula’s Soma Condor II Shallow Drop Bars SOMA CONDOR 2 SHALLOW DROP BARS | (sevendaycyclist.com) court quite a lot of online attention. I had someone get unexpectedly excited about my choice of brake levers, convinced that I am running a dual cable “tandem” model.  

Amusing, since they’re cheap but decidedly cheerful Tektro RL340. There are several benefits to a two-in-one system, such as Dia Compe BRS 400. Tandems, trikes and other specialist builds aside, they can greatly improve the comfort and control for people with reduced hand strength/degenerative conditions.  

Others have failed to grasp that I am running a bar end, not Brifter, and critical about cable emerging from the bar tape. I have taken the more traditional, direct route, so the cable appears from the drops, rather than tops. A more efficient cable run rewards with snappier shifting. Now, I can appreciate the draw of a clean aesthetic, hence I run “aero”, rather than traditional brake levers (where cables exit the tops in a wide arc).  

Makes rummaging in handlebar bags much easier. However, the non-aero type produces a more efficient cable run and make roadside replacements that bit easier. Some models, including Campagnolo Athena (c.1990/91) were reversible, depending upon taste, you could run them aero, or traditional. Indeed, these were the Teenage Dream’s original stoppers-commanding Athena single pivot side pulls., in case curiosity got the better of you.  

Ursula and I spotted some interesting clearings and designated bridleways too. It would’ve been rude not to explore, before returning home to strip the Momum MIC Dry Chain Lube and start testing the Green Oil Dry Chain Wax.  

I’ll end with this fabulous video documenting someone’s home brewed single wheel bike trailer. (599) DIY Bike Bicycle Trailer Build - Part 1 Video Tutorial | Welding and Fabrication - YouTube 

Building bike trailers (I couldn’t afford a Bob Yak/similar back in the late 90s) was the catalyst for me learning to weld. Looking back on it, I would’ve gone the scrap frame route- an old Peugeot Carbolite 103, since these are relatively light, yet very tolerant of being MIG welded. I opted for very thin Columbus, which was much trickier to work with. Sometimes it's not the mistakes we make, but rather what we learn from them.    

 

Bolts & More Boing

 For some reason, Ursula’s Cycles Berthoud Soulor Leather Saddle CYCLES BERTHOUD SOULOR LEATHER SADDLE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) is disagreeing with me- shouldn't given the miles we’ve been doing over the past two years. However, I've never got along with Brooks iconic B17 either. Might be a short/pad incompatibility. Either way, I decided I’d switch in favour of this old-school Sell San Marco Concor Super Corsa Saddle. The Super Corsa was originally introduced in 1978 and arguably a more obvious choice for a retro road build. I’ve contemplated fitting it to the Teenage Dream 1991 ROAD BIKE REVAMP | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) on a few occasions but I’m strongly wedded to its Selle SMP Strike Plus.  

The Concor is surprisingly narrow too. 265 long and140mm (about 5.51 in) at the widest point, so we’ll see how we fare in the next few hundred miles. The hide’s colour is also a good fit with the Souma Leather bar tape. This also presented an ideal opportunity to re-grease the Kinekt 2.1KINEKT 2.1 SUSPENSION SEAT POST | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) cradle hardware.  Since we're talking contact points, here's my review of the Funkier Apiza Gents Elite Bib Shorts Funkier Apiza Gents Elite Bib Shorts | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

Given the heatwave, it was time to get some more miles in on the Holdsworth. The stem bolts I’d turned to as contingencies (having switched to the Star Fangled Nut and re-greased the Saturn Aheadset a few weeks back) were also extracted and replaced. The heads were completely chewed-I'd only snugged them to 5nm with a torque wrench and decent quality tool bit, which says something about their quality.  

Replacements seem fine, but then, they’re the same as fitted to the fixed gear winter/trainer’s Redshift Sports Suspension Stem.  Several pre-dawn rides confirm everything is bang on and I’m making the most of the dry spell, it’ll be autumn and then winter, soon enough.  

 

Maybe the heat was addling my thought processes, but I’d even toyed with the idea of switching the Holdsworth’s Torus Titanium Stem TORUS TITANIUM STEM (sevendaycyclist.com), for the Kinekt Suspension stem KINEKT SUSPENSION STEM | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), but it's out of kilter with the bike’s build and purpose It also adds 150g or so to the build. Not massive and easily countered by switching to lighter inner tubes, possibly a lighter seat post. Arguably, other than experimenting, or possibly proving a point, there’s little to be gained and its time better spent elsewhere.  

After some deliberation, I switched the Kinekt to my fixed gear winter/trainer. Now, I have a soft spot for the Kinekt, having run it through December 2020. It’s very plush and refined, although I would still prefer a stiffer elastomer than those supplied. A moot point when in the cruising stance but aggressive, out of the saddle efforts-say when ascending (which is more common on the fixed), and I found it was a little too active.  

I’ll freely admit to being a fan of the old Girvin Flex stem. I had one of my (long gone) 1990 Kona Lava Dome (“Lotti” in case you wondered). Critics suggested the elastomer system was too whippy, but it curried favour with me. By the same token, suspension stems are considerably lighter and less mechanically complex than suspension forks.  

I’ve run hardtail XC mountain bikes for many years and was similarly fond of the Rock Shox Indy SL with air cartridges. These were a relatively expensive and unintended upgrade, having foolishly followed the “guidance” of someone claiming Castrol Red Rubber Grease was superior to Judy Butter and similar elastomer-specific products.  

Sure, it was cheaper but ruined the elastomers. I was racing at the time, so suspension forks were well worth the investment and added weight (especially since I was also riding plain gauge 7005 aluminium alloy frames between autumn 96 and autumn 99). Ok, so I’ve gone a little further along the suspension trajectory and memory lane than initially intended...    

 

Back on track, there are rumoured to be stems employing air shock technology, reckoned to be around the 300g mark but I haven’t seen any production models, at least on these shores. Anyhow, if anyone has an innovative design, they’d like reviewed, feel free to contact me directly. No sooner had I typed this last paragraph, a postal worker arrived, brandishing some lubes and degreasers from Green Oil. A welcome and unexpected surprise.