The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed the low-rider mounts on my fixed’s replacement fork blades. I have no use for a low-rider, least of all on carbon blades, so will ponder what (if anything) other purposes they might serve. Feel free to comment.
For the time being, while I await a few things and battle Sabre Tooth Man-Flu, I’m sticking with the Kinesis DC7 and see no sense in creating more work for its own sake. I’m still putting the CST Pika and Xpedium pairing through their paces and am generally impressed by their blend of dependability, relatively low rolling resistance and surprisingly compliant ride. Particularly when I’ve introduced a TPU tube, such as this Pirelli PIRELLI CENTURATO REINFORCED SMART TUBE (sevendaycyclist.com) .
Admittedly, most of us would stick to bog standard butyl, especially with the Xpedium but it’s worth noting that a TPU tube brought a livelier persona-most obviously when accelerating and climbing. These can be patched but it's not something you’d want to chance by the roadside, so bring a couple of butyl spares along, just in case.
Staying with tyres for now, having tracked the weather forecast for an extended period, I am satisfied now thundersnow, or similarly extreme weather is coming for the foreseeable. Therefore, I’ve switched Ursula to the Maxxis Overdrive Excel, which has a tread pattern reminiscent, but different to the CST Xpedium.
They're a similar weight too- the 26x2.0 tip my scales at 720g apiece, while the 700x35c CST Xpedium are 715g. However, Overdrive Excel boasts a dual compound for reliability and grip, the Xpedium a single, supposedly for longevity.
Both seem rugged and dependable and will entertain “gravel” type excursions quite convincingly. The last thing I want along a pitch-black road where it’s raining dogs and blowing a gale is a puncture, or similar mechanical.
Riders something slightly quicker for their winter road bike, might be interested in these Pirelli Cinturato Velo TLR Reflective tyre Pirelli Cinturato Velo TLR Reflective Ty | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) Steve’s been suitably impressed but it’s worth noting they’re a good deal dearer than the CST.
Even seemingly belt n’ braces models such as Schwalbe’s mighty Marathon GT 365TESTED: SCHWALBE MARATHON GT 365 TYRES WINTER UPDATE (sevendaycyclist.com) can succumb to a nasty sharp. Ursula’s rear had a flint cut through to the puncture-repelling India rubber- their last line of defence. Thankfully, this didn’t result in a flat and I was able to plug the hole with a decent quality superglue, for workable, lasting repair.
Back to the Maxxis...
Since I had the rear wheel out, it seemed the ideal opportunity to get the drivetrain surgically clean. I delivered some Green Oil Clean Chain Degreaser Jelly GREEN OIL CLEAN CHAIN DEGREASER JELLY (sevendaycyclist.com) to the KMC chain, ring and jockey wheels, then blasted the cassette with the Motoverde Drivetrain Cleaner Motoverde Drivetrain Cleaner | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) since this was almost spent. After agitating this lot with a stiff brush, I chased the residual, filmy layer away with a quick drop of Green Oil Agent Apple Extreme Immersion Degreaser TESTED: GREE OIL AGENT APPLE EXTREME IMMERSION DEGREASER (sevendaycyclist.com) and rinsed with fresh, tepid water.
Drivetrain dried and everything reinstated, I treated the rear triangle to some Motoverde Waterless Wash & Wax to seal the shine and keep the elements out. Muc Off All Weather Chain Lube arrived over Christmas, so was the obvious candidate. This is marketed as a race ready synthetic lubricant, designed to resist water and fling. The four-hour curing time is less convenient than some, but isn’t particularly outlandish, either. I left ours overnight, since circumstances allowed.
Curiously, for an all-weather blend supposedly capable of standing up “to even the toughest rides”, it's recommended you clean and reapply after riding in wet conditions. Only time and real-world mileage will give proper insight. Winter is sneaky and while components may remain in rude health, given proper care, fasteners can turn furry at the first hint of a puddle. Ursula’s six bolt disc rotor mount and calliper mount hardware was showing signs of orange taint. A drop of Green Oil Wet lube is great for preventing the taint’s progression and unlike a maintenance spray, won’t contaminate rotor, or pads. Finally, for this post, here's my review of the Shimano RX6 Gravel Shoes. Definitely one of my favourite shoes of all time Shimano SH RX600 Gravel Cycling Shoes | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)
