Aside from the wet, slimy roads,
harvest and diminishing daylight, temperatures have bucked those typical of
autumn, with 15-17 degrees not uncommon through October and early November.
Back in the 90s, I was reaching for longs- thin pile, fleece-lined tights,
jerseys and gloves by the third week in October. Sure, fabrics and general
technology have come a long way since, even at the budget end of the market,
meaning a more temperate experience in changeable conditions.
Less chance of uncomfortably clamminess around
the pits, chest, lower back and hands.
I’ve been defaulting to a Gore Tex jacket and long sleeve Merino blend,
or Castelli Do Di Ci jerseys. Gloves, it’s been a choice between the now
discontinued Altura All Road and Q36.5 Amphib Waterproof Winter Rain Gloves.
Both are relatively thin pile knitted designs with waterproof, breathable
membranes, similar to those employed in waterproof socks.
Talking of which, I’m sticking
with middleweight Merino blends, with the exceptions of very wet rides where
there’s plenty of standing water and maybe I’m not feeling winter booties. The
Sidi Algor, despite being a cold weather design, have proved surprisingly comfortable
when temperatures have remained around 15 degrees.
The TPU upper’s glossy finish
also seems very low maintenance- a quick shot of bike wash and soft brush
dipped in warm water is enough to shift grotty stuff. We’ll see whether the
cocktail of slush, slurry and possibly salty wintry roads have any impact on
this, especially if it’s been allowed to cake on for a week, or so. I look
after my kit, but there’s a reality that during winter, available light is more
limited.
During salty spells, I will rinse
the bike down with cold water after every ride, but weekly, when it comes to
shoes, luggage etc. Good quality kit should withstand this. Some folks are more
pedantic, others can virtually run stuff into the ground without batting an
eyelid, ignorance, more money than sense, who knows.
Circus, monkeys spring to mind. Who
am I to judge or pass comment. Staying
with surfaces, roads and lanes resembling Paris-Roubaix have given plenty of
smiles and though more subtle than the beefy silicones, I’ve been impressed by
the subtle, yet very effective Ergon Orthocell Handlebar tape.
Wet weather grip and tactility doesn’t rival the former, but closer than I was expecting and 3mm thickness provides reassuringly good damping without aesthetic bulk. Thus far, it’s also proving surprisingly straightforward to keep clean and generally care for. The more nuanced qualities and possible weaknesses will take a good few hundred miles to assess convincingly. As for longs, those with a DWR (durable water repelling) coating at selected points- fronts leg panels being the most obvious, buys additional time and comfort, so a good feature.
More significant for me than a deeper pile fleece lining, since
this can become soggy and take considerable time to dry convincingly. Saddleback has sent me these Castelli Competizone,
which employs three different fabrics, although forgoes the DWR component I was
referring to. These are apparently designed for “cool days to below freezing”,
which could mean they cater for most conditions and a genuine go-to, or “Jack of
all trades, master of none”. Too early to tell. As for those three different fabrics, the
front from waist to knee employs Castelli’s Core Due, which is a tightly knit
heavier polyester/nylon mix designed to block wind.
The polyester sitting against the
skin is for wicking, hollow core yarns supposedly resulting in improved
insulation. Round the back- thighs and butt specifically, they employ a high
stretch fleece for improved fit. A single seam inside of the leg promised to
eliminate rubbing around the knee.
A flat, raw cut ankle opening and
flat knit bib straps. Pads are another crucial component. The Kis Air 2 also
featured in the brands’ Entrata Thermal Bib Knickers I tested back in winter
’23 Castelli
Entrata Thermal Bib Knickers | cycling-not-racing reckoned good for five
hours riding. Enough for most winter
training duties. I got along with it
just fine, but as I’m always saying, contact points are very personal
things-we’re all unique. I tend to form strong bonds, not only with two wheeled
vehicles, but also four primarily since I run them long term.
After almost 180,000 miles, my
MK1 Ford KA failed its MOT- corrosion around the suspension mounts had resulted
in pronounced structural weakness, despite my religious applications of Waxoyl-
it had also hit the sills. I’ve made peace with its passing and having owned three
over the past twenty years, would be wary of having another, even a last of the
line 2009 model with low mileage that had been babied and garage stored.
On the plus side, they are
inexpensive to run and will do big mileages with regular servicing and twice
yearly Waxoyling. However, they weren’t galvanised, Ford went straight to
paint, so corrosion strikes hard. Some early MK1 were scrap within three years
and things improved on the later models, but corrosion remained a major,
unresolved problem. The MK2 are 80% Fiat Panda and have major issues with
suspension failure and I’ve heard plenty of qualified horror stories from
experienced independent mechanics regarding cam chain failures and to a lesser
extent, corrosion.
There is a wider corrosion, not one of frame tubes, or chassis, or suspension mounts but democracy. The first assault upon democracy is lies, not violence. Hegemony is linked to this and the present attack upon the UK’s BBC by Donald Trump and others is a fairly, dare I say frighteningly obvious example of this, a foreign power interfering with the news media. One that is flawed, yet still accountable.
Then of course, there are those trying to dissolve the freedoms of
ordinary people. The right to a free and fair trial, the subtle efforts to
reintroduce the death penalty via the back door. The death penalty does nothing
to deter crime, nor does it bring “closure” to families say in the event of
murder, or similar atrocities. This is not about facts, or effective policy,
its about show, spectacle and control. By eliminating critical thought and
evidence and replacing it with simplistic, sweeping statements, spectacle and spoon
feeding democracy and agency disappears. I’ll
end on a happier note with my review of the Zefal Pro II grease Zefal Pro II Grease
| cycling-not-racing
