Winter Drivers

 

Mild and wet has been the blanket flavour of things with some very isolated icy spells, basically aligning with climate change predictions made by experts and for many years. I could discuss the rise of hostility toward qualified opinion, experience and skill but side notes aside, this is about cycling. I’ve been wondering whether I experience a seasonal fatigue by time December comes around.

Not on creative fronts and I’m still out getting the miles in with the same vigour, but the lack of daylight tends to dent my desire to spring out of bed first thing. It’s also an incredibly expensive time of year, not simply Christmas, rather things seem to fail unexpectedly during the darker months and can be expenditure many haven’t budgeted for, leaving us blind sighted and financially embarrassed.

 Seasonal expiry included the Grant combi boiler- a leak was quickly obvious when I noted low pressure and attempted to open the pressure loop valves to re-pressurise the system. Seems something of an Achillies heel with the Grant Vortex Outdoor Combi systems.

Still, it was nice to have heating and hot water reinstated following a couple of chill nights. The first house I lived in, having moved to London when I was 18 had no heating (and was generally in a very dilapidated state) and I recall the winter of 1992 being bitterly cold, although it did almost result in me feeling impervious to that kind of cold. On many occasions, it was colder inside than out, which was a fine motivator for getting out of one's pit and out on training rides.

I've switched back to the Shimano MW702 booties, just to reference comparisons between them and the Algor. The MW702 are a slimmer, the uppers more malleable and the soles slightly stiffer,, soi quicker to don and give slightly better feedback and connection with the bike, making higher cadences easier to maintain. 

 

There have been goodies to boost the mood. Lomo have sent me their winter mountain bike gloves- at a penny shy of £15 a lovely wallet friendly staple, dare I say, stocking filler. These are wind and water resistant, boast textured leather palms for grip, gusseting between thumb and forefingers, minimising wear when riding on the hoods.

Yes, they’re also intended for gravel and there’s no reason why they won’t transition to winter training and commuting. Middleweight design, they seem relatively dexterous and elasticated cuffs continue this narrative, and ultra practical black is offset by some reflective detailing.  In common with several other winter models, they’re intended for 5 degrees or so. Liner gloves are viable should temperatures dip lower, but you’d be better served with a deep winter model, if you’re regularly out in sub-zero temperatures. However, for the most part, this kind of glove caters nicely for late autumn, through to march. Let’s see what the real-world riding reveals. On and off road.

SKS have also sent me this rack top bag- I’m fond of this genre, they’re not suited for everything- I’d never put sensitive electricals, such as cameras in them, even with a foam bed, given the ruinous, low-level vibration that travels up through the rack. That aside, I’ve found them perfect for day riding with scope for tubes, tools, packable jackets, such as this Madison Madison Road Race Jacket | cycling-not-racing, gloves, arm warmers, snacks etc.

These Topeak MTX Trunk Dry Bag Topeak MTX Trunk Dry Bag | cycling-not-racing and Carradice have been firm favourites. The latter’s cotton duck requires a little more care and periodic reproofing to lock the elements out. However, this one’s done thirteen years and save for some lived-in patina and light wear, going very strong.   

 There have of course, been some midwinter temptations, one that I mustn’t indulge in for a wealth of reasons, space being a major one. Specifically, Raleigh’s Dynatech Titanium framesets, the one with the UGLIi fork.

These are the pure titanium models, rather than the lower end, bonded versions described by the press as chemical titanium and notoriously tricky to repair and refinish, since the glue will melt when exposed to the kind of heat employed in curing ovens- hence they need to be finished in 2K, or similar paints that will air cure.

The original Turbo saddle is another draw for me, but there’s no way I’d consider paying retro prices for one. I had a couple, including a gel version- fluro that I bought c. 1993 for the princely sum of £10. Suited my wallet, winter bike’s fluro livery and my derriere beautifully.

However, this goes back to my point about the midwinter and the need for seasonal comfort/distraction. I’ve switched Ursula’s WTB Rocket WTB Rocket Saddle | cycling-not-racing saddle to the  Ergon All Road Core Comp Ergon SR All Road Core Comp Saddle Men | cycling-not-racing , which has proven something of an inspired choice, offering a bit more support than the generally very likeable WTB.

Atari relaunched its classic, some would say iconic games console, complete with cartridges a couple of years back. I was tempted at the time, put money by for one, but ultimately decided against it, on the basis of it being a five-minute wonder that would ultimately sit gathering dust in a corner. Distractions are nice, but we must tackle things at their root, or we’ll never advance.