Washed, Waxed & Revisited

 

250 very wet miles later and I wasn’t surprised by the subtle metal-on-metal tinkling of Ursula’s KMC chain. Closer inspection revealed some obvious orange patina along the inner side plates. Good for a wax lube in these contexts but confirmed my suspicions that while relatively stoical, the oil part wasn’t going to hinder corrosion in the way a similarly sophisticated petrochemical chain lube will.  

Given constant exposure to waterlogged, wet, greasy roads, Ursula was beginning to look a little sullied. Not sufficient for a sudsy bucket wash but needing more than a furniture polish blow-over. Hmm, let’s see how this Motoverde Waterless Wash & Wax bridges the gap I mused. This blend has carnauba wax, which is a popular choice in automotive formulas, thanks to its stoical, glossy results and it’s safe on all finishes.  

Given the relatively small surface areas, I’ve applied ours via a micro-fibre cloth, rather than trigger spray, to avoid wastage. Simply give the bottle a good shake, pour, apply sparingly to the frameset and components, leave a minute or two, then buff to a sheen with a fresh (ideally micro-fibre) cloth.  

Their main advantage over silicone-infused products (which add a great sheen and will lightly nourish elastomers, seals and other rubberised/ plastics) is that waxes of this type won’t attract dirt. Silicones leave a very slight film behind, which is helpful but rather like PTFE sprays encourage filmy stuff to become embedded in the surface. Again, welcome as a protective masking agent on working bikes/winter trainers with electroplated and polished aluminium alloys, since grime will stick and mothball them. 

Waterless cleaners are minimal mess, minimal faff and some, including Motoverde’s will keep UV, salts and similar corrosive elements at bay into the bargain. Obviously, waterless cleaners are for light to moderate grime. Cyclo cross style grot, like that adorning my fixed gear winter/trainer will require bike washes/warm buckets of wash n’ wax, sponges and brush (es).

250 miles in and I'm also pleasantly surprised by the Smanie GT saddle. 

 

137mm wouldn’t be a compatibility surprise on the Holdsworth and yes, a few millimetres shy of a designated ideal might make negligible difference but there is a fine line between something not fitting, not functioning correctly and indeed, failing. (Those seat collars being prime examples- 4nms, not a fraction more).  

Point of this preamble? Well, I wasn’t expecting it to work so well on Ursula-on and indeed off-road. One of the main attributes of the GT is that it’s designed to hold the rider at the most efficient point-for folks that like to get and stay in the zone, so not a shuffler's saddle.  

I’ve also noticed a slightly quicker cadence, though no loss of support to the ischial tuberoses (sit bones), let alone soreness/chafing. That said; Ursula and I also got along very well with The Selle Italia Sport Gel Flow FEC-Alloy saddle, which is relatively short (270mm) and narrow (140mm).  

FEC (lower rent hollow steel) rails put the weight up a bit too-330g, which is light, compared with a traditional leather saddle. even those with titanium rails, such as the Spa cycles Aire. This, loosely speaking, is a Brooks Swift homage which my derriere has spent many thousands of miles on.  

Another product that I’ve spent many miles with is Kinekt suspension Stem Kinekt Suspension Stem 90mm | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). It’s heavier than some and may be a little too reactive for some tastes, but the parallelogram design is well engineered, doesn’t change reach, or geometry and though minimal maintenance, is easy to work on/adjust when needed.  

Chains are something I keep a close eye on. Not to the point of becoming a bore, neurotic, or borderline obsessional, I’m talking a quick weekly inspection using the humble nickel-plated chain checker, which can be picked up for a few quid.  

Inspection and prompt replacement prevent more costly wear-rings, derailleurs and cassettes being the obvious casualties. These also need periodic inspection. As a rough n’ ready rule, I replace cassettes every third chain-at least on bikes in four seasons’ service.  

Chain whips are the most common means of wrestling the cassette into submission while freeing the lockring. Functional enough, Pedros Vise Grip changed my cassette-swapping life- an end to slippage, grazed knuckles and agricultural outpourings. One of those tools (along with my headset press) that I never loan.  

Then along came Feedback sports offering me their Cassette Pliers. These work to the same principle as the Pedros, so it’ll be interesting to see if they’re any different, dare I say, more refined. Pedros set the bar very high.  Feedback also has a rather nice three-in-one bottom bracket and lockring tool, which has the ends welded in situ, so the splined cassette/centre lock bit can’t get lost or come adrift.  

I don’t change cassettes too often (or disc rotors, for that matter), so the little cyclo does the job well enough. However, it can struggle a bit on stubborn, weathered examples... Ending on a different note, if you want to keep your carbon happy, Peaty’s Max Grip Carbon Assembly Paste Peaty’s Max Grip Carbon Assembly Paste | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) has proved an excellent default.   

Reflecting in the Rain..

 I’ve entered my 49th year and it marks the 36th anniversary of receiving a Holdsworthy-built Claud Butler, and Richard Ballantine’s legendary “Bicycle Book”. Mine was the copy with him fettling a Dawes tourer, sporting 70’s beard and jumper. Cycling (and indeed motorcycling) is a metaphor for life. It's exhilarating, challenging has ups, downs, and builds resilience, character, and resourcefulness.  

There's no such thing as the wrong weather, just the wrong kit...Something I reminded myself of while battling a squally crosswind and a carpet of leaves and dung at 4.30am. Ursula’s big Soma Condor 2 Shallow drop bars SOMA CONDOR 2 SHALLOW DROP BARS | (sevendaycyclist.com) beefy Schwalbe Land Cruiser and Vittoria Evolution Vittoria Evolution Road Bike Tyre | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) held their line impeccably, allowing me to fight the gusts and keep momentum.  

Yes, I know the British are obsessed with the weather, but, leaving aside the political and economic climates, its surprisingly mild here in the UK presently. 10-12 degrees, meaning I ‘ve been donning short sleeve base layers, lightweight long sleeve jerseys and only donning a lightweight shell jacket, such as the Oxford Venture OXFORD VENTURE JACKET | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) or the 7Mesh Cypress Hybrid Jacket 7mesh Cypress Hybrid Cycling Jacket | Seven Day Cyclist 

Its occasionally dipped lower, meaning I’ve reached for the full-finger Seal Skinz, but these Passport Crochet Back Cycling Mitts TEST & REVIEW: PASSPORT CROCHET BACK CYCLING MITTS (sevendaycyclist.com) have often been sufficient which coincidentally, remind me of the first Caratti pair I bought just after receiving the Holdsworthy Butler.

  

Lights have come so far since those days and the infamous Wonder, or Ever Ready glimmer-type filament models. Take this Ravemen TR500Ravemen TR500 Rear Light | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) for example- 500-lumen day flash, braking function, intelligent sensors, and though relatively hefty by contemporary standards at 93.5g, unimaginably light back in the late 80s. I’m developing a fondness for the Ravemen LR1600- big brother to the LR1200 Ravemen LR1200 Front Light | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) tested by Steve, recently, same goes for these Infini Tron and Infini Metis.  

Then along came another saddle, this 137mm (about 5.39 in) Smanie GT, which is reckoned to be all things to all mile-munching riders, be they asphalt, or dirt devotees. It’s a little narrower than my 143mm “ideal”. Ursula might be an odd host but, a good starting point. Faux leather coverings and Cro-moly rails might not set anyone’s Lycra ablaze but strike a good balance between performance, weight, durability, and price, in my experience.  

I was also pleasantly surprised to discover it allowed me to raise the Axiom Ocean Wave City+ Seat Bag slightly, meaning the LED light tab was parallel (or as close to) 

Arguably the Holdsworth is the best host. However, said machine is a sunny day’s plaything and right now, the roads are decidedly waterlogged, which is where these Q36 5 Anfibio Winter Rain Cycling Gloves and Showers Pass Atlas Cycling cap come in.  I’m still fond of Prendas Ciclismo Lisboa Waterproof Cycling Cap PRENDAS CICLISMO LISBOA WATERPROOF CAP | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) although, hand wash only can be a drag sometimes.  I’ve returned to the Shimano MT701 GTX SPD shoes Shimano MT701 GTX SPD Shoes | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  360 Dry calve length socks and have alternated between these Primal Dawn Bib Knickers TEST & REVIEW: PRIMAL DAWN MEN'S BIB KNICKERS (sevendaycyclist.com) and some surprisingly capable, wallet-friendly Triban.  

These form a nice, weather-cheating union without recourse to full-length tights, overshoes, and similar jazz. I’m generally of the opinion that talk of snowfall and “whiteouts” in November are little more than distractions by tabloid newspapers. I’m also tempted to say, “heard it all before” and whipped out the spiked Schwalbe winter, only to discover the narrative was wet and soggy.  

However, there’s a palpable uncertainty at present. Blackouts, anyone? Not that I’m a fan of the salt monster, but with local authority budgets slashed to the bone, gritters may be conspicuous by their absence. A winter wonderland would be an ideal opportunity to evaluate the higher-end Schwalbe spikes but also reminds me that many of society’s most vulnerable will be plunged into circumstances we would’ve considered unimaginable a few years ago.

 

The sudden onslaught of wet, mulchy conditions are great testing grounds, particularly for chain lubes and I’m pleased by how well the Momum MIC Wax Lube Momum MIC Wax Lube | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) is holding up in these contexts- staying put without attracting loads of transmission killing grot. Unlike more traditional waxes, there’s a corrosion inhibiting part, so no orange taint come the first hint of a puddle.  

However, when I last reviewed it, sustained wet stuff still resulted in some tell-tale freckling so we’ll see how much impact November makes. 440 miles per application was returned during the spring, wonder what we’ll achieve this time round...