Cranksets & Calculations

The Deore Crankset arrived and with a 32tooth front ring and 12-28 cassette, gives a range between 29.4 and 69.44 inches. A little low at the upper end for tarmac terrorism and catching riders, but plenty of torque for trailer towing and gravel stuff.  

Ideally, I’d be looking towards something in the high 70s. Will stick with it for now, unless a suitable, closer spaced option presents. 11-25 would give 33.0-74.9, which is arguably a better option. I took this opportunity to replace the chain and deep clean the drivetrain, since the existing KMC had done 1,000 plus. Besides there’s no sense in prematurely wearing cassette and new ring. I also noted that, despite the nickel finish and being fed wet lubes, it had become quite stiff and showed the ominous orange taint.   

Wintry conditions largely gone and while waiting for the new crankset, I whipped the Univega’s wheels out, given the frameset a more thorough waxing of its intimate areas and switched to the Schwalbe Billy Bonkers.

  

This also presented the ideal opportunity to give banish the congealed gloop, clinging to the cassette and Sun Race derailleur’s jockey wheels, using this Squirt Bike Cleaner Concentrate. Thankfully, the oily residue had done a good job of preserving the finish, so no call for the M16 Ride & shine M16 RIDE & SHINE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

I’ve been getting the miles in on the fixed. Switching the Schwalbe Marathon Plus for the 42mm Continental Contact was a sensible move and I ordered replacement ceramic pads for its TRP Spyre stopper, so they’re in stock, when replacement’s next due.  

The Zefal Z11 bag is proving a very useful addition. Minimal sway (which is unusual for the bigger models, especially those tethering to the post via a single strap). The larger breed also doubles as a decent mudguard, protecting saddles and buttocks from cold, wet, slimy stuff.  

On the theme of transmissions, I’d returned from a ride, intending to simply tweak the chain tension, when I discovered some issues with the Fix-G HALO FIX G TRACK HUB | Seven Day Cyclist Tourin Tests Commuting side of the hub. Horsef*ckers! No matter, I switched back to the Aerorage wheel, until I’ve time to assess things properly.  

Oh well, might as well, give the transmission a good blitz, then feed it Squirt Low-Temperature Wax Chain Lube. Talking of the concentrate, this can be applied neat, as a degreaser, or diluted to make a bike wash.  

I’ve decanted neat into a chain cleaner receptacle, a 30/70 concentrate/water mix as a winter weight/early season bike wash. Like many concentrates, it can be applied to (a) the drivetrain via brush/chain bath, left for a few minutes, then agitated and rinsed. Or (b) poured over parts and left marinating for a few hours/overnight. This version pours easily in cold weather-noticeably so, compared with its otherwise impressive standard counterpart. SQUIRT LONG LASTING DRY CHAIN LUBE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  

Wax formulas aren’t the obvious choice for cold, wintry conditions. Indeed, I would reserve most for spring/summer. However, this low-temperature blend stoked my curiosity. Similarly, while wet lubes are the obvious default for wet/wintry conditions, they can also attract a fair bit of gunk.  

Purging this regularly (as you should) can be a tedious chore. Ignore it and there’s a very real risk of it grinding through expensive rings, cassettes, derailleur jockey wheels (and even cages). Waxy types require longer curing times but will simply scab off when leaden with contaminants. 

No need to scrub, or clean, just apply another layer and leave to cure.   

As the photos illustrate, I’ve gone this route with Ursula’s new chain, since I was there.  Also switched back to the Ravemen CLO6 Sensored Rear Light.RAVEMEN CL06 SENSORED REAR LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) Fancied a formative “shakedown” blast to see how the new drivetrain components behaved and its CLO5 counterpart needed a charge.  

 

New Cassette Then...

  

Look through any forum on the internet, raise the topic with any group of riders and you will get a bewildering array of opinion when it comes to drivetrain life. Much will depend upon how meticulous your maintenance is, riding context and to some extent, rider weight/riding style. Mountain biking/gravel, rough stuff touring and winter are going to chew through chains and cassettes at a much faster rate than those belonging to best bikes brought out on sunny days.  

Rule of thumb and with generally good maintenance (Clean chains, lightly lubed and replaced at.75 wear) I get through three chains to every cassette.  

Shifting had suddenly gone off-phantom stuff, so hustling along the backroads at 5am, I reasoned cable stretch the most obvious culprit, so I tweaked the barrel adjuster. Seemed better for a while but still phantom shifting under load. Chain was well within acceptable tolerances, but closer inspection of the cassette suggested this was the culprit. In fairness, it’s been chugging along since May 2019, so didn’t owe me anything.  

A rummage through the transmission box revealed two new chains but only a part worn 9spd cassette, which was of no use, so consigned to the bin, along with its 10speed counterpart. It makes good sense to buy chains, cassettes and other consumables in multiples-two of each, so there’s no dramas when the bike shop’s shut.  

Particularly when they’re cheap...While the global supply shortage seems to have eased slightly, getting hold of things, especially at the right price is still proving trickier than before. I went for another Tiagra since these seem to strike the best balance between performance and economy. I’ve never liked Shimano chains, so KMC, SRAM etc are my defaults. 12-28 is pretty much ideal, given the build’s brief.   

On the plus side, the replacement arrived within 24hours, which was totally unexpected. These Muc-Off mechanics gloves had arrived just an hour before. On went the cassette! I also discovered the Univega’s front Continental Contact Speed reflex was pancake flat, courtesy of an easily spotted flint embedded in the shoulder.  

Not a nasty cut, but one that needed filling with superglue, nonetheless. At present they are wearing at the expected rate and across the centre strip Tube switched; job done. An ideal opportunity to polish the frameset, check and clean the brake pads, clean the rim side walls with a medium stiff brush etc.    

The chain was still in very good health, so I’ve stuck with it for time being. Judging by the analogue gauge, at present rate, I should get another five hundred miles, (3 weeks or so) from it, then I’ll consign it to the bin and so the cycle will continue.  

I’d got past the 500miles on a single application of the Muc-Off –50 chain lube, which does transfer quite easily to hands but less readily than many wet lubes I’ve used in the past. No worse than Weldtite TF2 Performance All Weather Lube https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/weldtite-tf2-performance-all-weathe , which is a comparator in terms of viscosity and operating range (also reckoned very good in freezing temperatures). I’ve also grown fond of the Ravemen TR50 Rechargeable Rear Light https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/ravemen-tr50-rear-light      

The ongoing pandemic and localised lockdowns has made travel and touring a more considered affair. Cicerone’s guide to riding Hadrian's cycleway could provide useful inspiration https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/cycling-hadrian-s-cycleway