I am very fortunate to have such a ready supply of interesting goodies to play-er, I mean work with. Take this pump-spray lube from Green oil. In place of harmful isobutane propellants, the contents are pressurised by pumping the top-cap ten times- the same motion as inflating tyres with a mini-pump. Being of comparable dimensions, it slips effortlessly inside panniers and seat packs while being permitted for air travel. Filling it with petrochemical products goes against the ethos somewhat but has proved a a boon for quick, impromptu lubing of chains, cables, pivot points etc. Talking of which, the White Lightning Clean Ride lube not only keeps transmissions clean but works a treat on my barber's clipper set too. Having performed the annual Waxoyling of the Ka chassis, consuming the remnants of my last home-brewed batch I had to pop out and purchase some commercial product to treat the door cavities, wings and boot. The remainder was blown inside the fleet as a quick "While I'm at it" top-up with the Univega receiving the lion's share-frame forks and racks were all given a generous helping of the amber nectar to keep Joe and Joanna rot purely academic.
P clips might lack glamour but they're an extremely effective way of attaching racks and fenders to bikes without eyelets. Time was when I was literally drowning under an avalanche of the rubber coated gizmo's but they've reached a state of inexplicable scarcity now that a high end low-rider rack comes into my possession. Mercifully, a wander round the web has unearthed a supply so hopefully the Univega's front end will soon sport said TIG welded lovelies....Obviously I won't be hauling their 15 kilo maximum payload but they will offer more carrying capacity without my venerable trailer becoming the default option.
Taking a more exciting deviation, I'm delighted to see manufacturers continually recognising and moreover, embracing the mantra that Lycra, while lovely on the chain-gang isn't quite so endearing round town. This waterproof, breathable budget jacket from Madison and Lezyne's Town Caddy satchel being prime examples. Finished in a very fetching blue, the jacket combines cycling cut with civilian practicality- pockets that fall conveniently to hand when mooching round the shops or taking a trail side breather immediately curried favour. That said, I've only been a few miles in it so conclusions are somewhat premature.
Lezyne's Town caddy is a stylish bag marrying messenger kudos with office practicality-space for laptops and "storage by numbers" compartments for tools and other everyday nick-nacks-there's even a bottle opener integrated into the cam buckle. Beautifully chic but I'll have to rack up some miles before we are bewitched by its designer charisma. Long, steady mixed terrain meanders suggest the DSP dual colour wrap is every bit as good as it looks. The tactile rubberised texture not only offers insulation from rider fatiguing road and trail buzz but unparalleled grip in heavy rain. Objectively, it requires greater care when applying and ingrained dirt mustn't be removed using the time-honoured soapy water and brush routine (this will strip the technical coating). Playing devil's advocate £28 is a lot to shell out on bar wrap and two-tone effects are easily created using two packs of traditional bike ribbon. Nonetheless, it seems very hard wearing in either 2.5 or 1.8mm guises so should last a few seasons-even on the everyday bike.
Shrouded in romanticism, being freelance has a much darker side-one synonymous with the "creative professions" generally. My reasons for pursuing this route are complex but on a strictly personal, day to day basis, my love for the written word, cycling, photography coupled with un/related passions brings its own reward. Most of the time, the sense of being driven is positively intoxicating-especially when copy flows like the proverbial waterfall. Equally, hunched over a keyboard editing copy and images into the wee small hours, the continuous need to produce bigger and better features/explore new audiences can quickly distort a sense perspective. Not everyone has the temperament to cope with the relative lack of social intercourse/camaraderie taken for granted within staffed studio and office environments. Then there's getting paid-I've been relatively fortunate but am still owed a sizable amount by one publisher who seemed surprised when I politely advised I would be delighted to contribute but only upon receipt of three month's outstanding money. Loving my work is one thing, being a busy fool is quite another.
