Showing posts with label 80's road saddles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 80's road saddles. Show all posts

Wednesday 29 January 2020

Tests of Time









Nostalgia is very comforting and there were some genuinely great products and concepts back in the late 80s. Many I recall from the cycling press, read during my otherwise instantly forgettable, and decidedly dubious school career. Some have stood the test of time and remain very relevant, others consigned to history.



Anything dirt based with drop bars obviously grabs my attention. Specialized’s Rock Combo (sadly short-lived) and Muddy Fox’s Trailblazer being two prime examples. Seems I'm not the only fan, either! https://bikesboardsandphotos.wordpress.com/2018/01/21/specialized-rockcombo/ 



I’m not convinced U brakes were an inherently bad idea. They certainly offered considerable stopping prowess.



However, chain stay mounting was more conducive to dry, dusty California. Not the damp, leafy climes more commonly experienced in the UK and Canada. Little wonder why Kona mountain bikes were such a hit in the UK. Compact geometry framesets with sensible clearances. Designs that look current and still perform beautifully today.   



Some saddles fall into the classic narrative. Aside from traditional leather saddles, which has remained a quiet institution among tourists, there’s the Selle Italia Turbo, the Rolls etc. The catalyst for this sudden rush of retrospective was induced by the arrival of Selle San Marco Concor Super Corsa saddle. Tipping the scales at 320g, it’s not the lightest but hardly outlandish, so now sits pride of place on my fixed gear winter/trainer.



I had a Concor on my first fixed-a conversion based around a 501 tubed Raleigh frameset. 
When that frameset died in July ’92, I bought a comparable frameset from a small scale, midlands-based builder. Ported most of the stuff over and headed to London’s East End. University and idealism followed. Come ’94, I’d worn it smooth, the rails a little wobbly where they slotted in the base.



Flogged it to a cash strapped land surveying student for as little as I paid for it (Having bought a luminous yellow Turbo gel from a shop’s bargain bin). Not a bad buy and it matched the frameset’s lurid enamel. Shortly afterward, I’d primarily switched to cross country mountain bike racing and a flyte.



Had a couple of the minimalist, ti railed wonders and got along with them surprisingly well. Back then, saving every last gram, as economically as possible, was the primary focus. Though I keep a keen eye on my machine’s girth, it’s not at comfort’s expense.



That said, I was pleasantly surprised to discover this PRO Stream Off Road Saddle weighs a positively feathery 207g. Surprising, since the rails are stainless steel (Inox) Yes, there’s a bit of carbon involved, and on some levels, a less obvious choice for my Univega. However, I’ve been running the BBB Echelon with good results. Besides, being a mixed terrain, four seasons’ build its perfect for assessing the design’s capabilities and potential limitations. 


Classics aside much technology has improved considerably. Clothing is one area, where materials have become more sophisticated on the one hand but crucially budget and mid-point clothing staples arguably represents better value than ever before. I’ve been quite impressed by these middleweight Prendas Ciclismo Winter Cycling Socks https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/prendas-ciclismo-coolmax-winter-cyc   

Lighting and other, electrical tech are another, prime example. These days it’s difficult to find a poor light, thanks to competition. I’ve been particularly impressed by this Moon Meteor.
Not the most powerful designs (400 lumens steady, 500day flash) but extremely compact and a great companion to my high-power dynamo units. 



A good choice for pared-to-the essentials best/winter bikes.  Intelligent and tuneable designs are another clear trend. Knog Cobber Mid rear Light https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/knog-cobber-mid-rear-light  being one example. At the time of writing, these are at the upper end of the market. However, like most tech, it’s only a matter of time before this technology trickles down. 



Others, such as this See Sense Icon2 https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/see-sense-icon-2-rear-light offer these options but are also capable of monitoring road surfaces and a wealth of other information. This can be shared, via their app and theoretically, has the power to shape town planning and improve safety. However, you don’t have to use all these features to appreciate its intelligent design.  



At the other end of the market, this Oxford Ultratorch R75 pumps out an impressive 75 lumens (tops) and so far, decent run times, from a full charge.
There are four modes in total. Three flashing (high, medium and low) modes and my default, flashing.  COB (Chips on Board) technology intensifies output, since you can pop more diodes within the same space. In this instance 24. 



These are fuelled by a lithium polymer cell and the unit meets IP65 for weatherproofing. To date, ours has been swamped with dodgy standing water, silt, spray and similar unmentionables with no issues. Talking of subverting wet stuff, I’ll close with my review of the Raw Prismatic reflective Mud flaps https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/raw-prismatic