Chains & Steerers

 Having replaced the fixed gear winter/trainer’s KMC Z1 ESP and confirmed I’d worn its predecessor out in 2,000 miles, I decided now was the time to invest in a Gusset S Link chain. It's a model intended for heavy duty BMX duties, but they’ve proven very rugged, durable choices for road going fixed gear builds.  

True, there’s a weight penalty but the ½ link design means a very precise length and in the context of conversions, does away with things like chain tensioners. In terms of strength, the S-Link is cited as being 1300Kgf (Kilogram Force) while a standard chain is closer to 850Kgf. This will hopefully extend chain life, since I don’t run a rear brake on my fixed gear builds and though arguably the simplest transmissions going, fixed builds subject chains and sprockets to considerable forces.  

There are coloured options, employing PTFE infused paint but I’ve gone the electroplated route.  While I was there, I also invested in another couple of 10spd KMC chains for Ursula, since prices were favourable and given the filthy conditions, the existing unit was hurtling closer to .7 faster than I’d bargained for. Whether the Silca Secret Formula will slow this remains to be seen.  

Chains are inexpensive staples, worn drivetrains are not. I was also surprised to discover the adhesive had failed on this LED. Thankfully, it was simply a case of adding a little superglue and sealing the light back together (having inspected the internals, like a curious ten-year-old might). 

The Pirelli Angel DT continue to impress. Having run the CST Xpedium CST Xpedium Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) as a control for 200miles, switching to the Pirelli revealed just how swift they are. Not that the CST are remotely stodgy, rather the Pirelli are noticeably easier to keep on the boil and ride quality is tangibly more compliant than the ultra-dependable Kenda Kwick Journey KS Plus. KENDA KWICK JOURNEY TYRES | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  

I was curious as to whether the Pirelli were in fact 32mm. A common trick by some brands in the 80’s was to claim sections were in fact wider, to claim a weight advantage over competitor brands.  

Double checking with a vernier confirmed they were in fact, 32mm-reassuring and makes direct comparisons with models such as Kenda Kwick Journey KS Plus and to a lesser extent, the CST Xpedium and Maxxis Refuse more relevant.  Iconic is a word that’s been used to the point of muted relevance these days and while battling a 40mph headwind, my mind shot back to the late 80’s and Michelin World Tour.  

I’d bought a pair in Norfolk, mid tour back in 1989. They were to replace a set of 27x1/4 Nutrack that were fitted to a Holdsworthy Claud Butler Super Dalesman, which I’d bought used, from a dealer that March. Road biased touring bikes during this period (1980s) tended to have surprisingly close clearances- less problematic with cantilevers but centre pull callipers were still around. Bottom line 700x32 (27x1/4) were pretty much tops with full length mudguards.

The World Tour’s tread pattern was sufficiently raised that it could tickle the mudguards (fenders) at their tightest point. I ultimately sold them on to a friend, replacing them with some semi slick Vredestine . Seems all these years later, that the World Tour are still a current model- limited to 700x35 and 650. Technology has come a long way since and while a lot of older kit (framesets being prime examples) are still very relevant to me, others are not.  

Drawing parallels with video games, I can see the appeal of Atari systems and some of the simplest games were also the most fun/compelling, but I wouldn’t pay nostalgic prices for them. Similarly, there’s a reason why, save for very rare circumstances, why you never return to a former partner-business, or romantic. 

Back to the Pirelli... Their characteristics were particularly welcome while battling some very stormy conditions and 45mph headwinds. Contexts which are invigorating, life-affirming and very revealing when it comes to product capability/limitations. I had donned a softshell jacket on that particular outing, which was the right call on balance.  

DWR coatings vary in their effectiveness, but softshell jackets follow a jacket cum jersey narrative, catering for a broad range of contexts and temperatures. They’ll hold back light to moderate rain without recourse to a waterproof, shell type jacket but in my experience, heavy to persistent rain will begin making itself known given an hour or so without a break in the cloud.  

Curiously, I managed to over stretch myself and strain a calf muscle while negotiating a junction- the pain was excruciating but faded as I gently eased myself along for a couple of minutes, re-engaging my right foot and progressively upping the tempo for the remaining few miles.       

Another idea that germinated over the festive period was having the steerer replaced on the Holdsworth’s original forks. Not period faithful perhaps but I was thinking in terms of having the exceptionally low threaded steerer substituted with a one-inch threadless tube, meaning I could port the Woodman Aheadset and Torus Ti stem straight over. I would mean a change to longer calliper but hardly an inconvenience. Price-wise, I’d be looking at £95, excluding paint but I wanted a more accurate quote preferably from a frame builder I knew well.   

Lee Cooper replied with a few suggestions, the least invasive to fork and livery was to prune and extend the steerer tube. Replacing the entire steerer ran the risk cracking the crown and would, without question ruin the existing livery. He proposed the most cost-effective permanent solution was to extend the steerer. The quote was similarly favourable, so they’ll be up to the midlands at the next, mutually convenient opportunity. 

Winding Roads & Wintry Stuff

 

Aside from being a product tester/reviewer, I’m something of a perpetual fettler, so fitting and switching components comes with the territory but I stick to horses for courses, seasonally appropriate-tyres and lubes being prime examples. Substituting the fixed’s rear Maxxis Re-Fuse in favour of The CST Xpedium Level 6 700x35C Single Compound 60tpi Wire Bead CST Xpedium Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) proved a good move. The Xpedium are a surprisingly compliant, grippy tyre, the level 6 with a very comprehensive puncture-repelling belt. I’ve quickly warmed to the Enve Handlebar tape, too. 

Winter might be a time when the best bike(s) go into hibernation but for me at least, it's also a time of quiet, but purposeful review. I found myself toying with switching the fixed’s D-Riser back to the On One Midge- a big, wide, swoopy drop whose buxom charms I first fell in love with back in 2005.  

Those were 25.4mm diameter and a little whippy, compared with the 31.8 and like a lot of lasting loves, it was initially slow burning but ran very deep. I’d sold both sets of Midge during the pandemic on the basis I’d had a glut of bars and was best served recouping money and space. Undoubtedly the right move but I was genuinely tempted by another set of Midge-black of course.  

However, chances are their greater width would necessitate longer cables and similar faff. More so, had I taken Ursula that route. Ruled that out on the basis the Soma Condor 2 hit the all-rounder sweet spot by a country mile. Besides, I’d just replaced the brake lever and cable and for time being at least, l am leaving the Souma leather handlebar tape in situ.

  

I wouldn’t describe myself as someone on the peripheries, or on the margins of society but beyond a certain point, I’ve never felt a compulsion to “fit in”.  Sure, I’m diplomatic and emotionally intelligent in my dealings with people and commercially, am something of a chameleon. Outside of that, I am very particular about my circle of influence, or who consumes my time/energies.  I have learned to be kind, but for want of a more fitting expression, take no shit.  

We must navigate through these and other rabbit holes to recognise who we are, our motivations and values. Some people travel through life never knowing. Others are heard animals, simply going along with whatever is presented before them and without critically evaluating anything. Rebelling against something simply because lots of others are doing it, is equally myopic.  Being in a relationship where there is coercion, control, and generic abuse to feel “normal” is a classic example of this. I contemplate all manner of things while I ride but there are (and always have been) some definite constants.  

  

As mucky, dark, and superficially bleak as winter can feel, the darkness can be very liberating. Once upon a time, some hardened riders advocated “running a cold out on the road”. A practice widely rebuffed as dangerous now, but I have been known to cast my darker thoughts, more malevolent demons throughout a ride and along deserted roads. In my early teens, cycling was my escape, from school, from bullying and anything else I didn’t want to confront head-on. It was also a means of cultivating self-esteem, a sense of clarity, and a fascination with whatever technology would improve the experience.  

  

I’ve long concluded that bullies are cowards. Some who I allowed to bully me subsequently developed heroin addictions rather than confront their own demons. One developed a heroin habit and served a custodial sentence rather than tackle his own sexuality. An illustration of how going against who you fundamentally are serves no purpose. Hard though it is to admit, I chose to marry someone unsuitable and paid an extremely high price, emotionally and financially.  

However, these things also taught me a great deal about myself, honed and about trusting intuition. It’s what we take and employ from these experiences.  She too was a bully and ultimately, I received the spanking some would say I needed. Yes, I have some very tangible regrets, some that hit most mornings as I wake but similarly, I’m not bitter. It's not about seeing the worst, I just read people, their intentions, and situations very carefully.  

People can leave us, and we have only moderate control over this. Marriage's end-either in death, or divorce, we must cultivate the skills and healthy coping mechanisms to navigate these and other of life’s challenges.   I digress... 

  

450 miles along, it was time to check Ursula’s chain, especially since I’ve been running stodgy wet lubes. These tend to attract mud, grit, and indeed light amounts of aluminium oxide from the rings.  

Aluminium oxide is the stuff of grinding discs, so said cocktail’s a recipe for accelerated wear. The Birzman Chain Checker is registering just below 5, so I’m hoping I’ll get through January before I’m reaching for another 106 link KMC.   

I’ve also switched from the SKS Lube Your Chain TESTED: SKS LUBE YOUR CHAIN (sevendaycyclist.com) to some Silca Super-Secret Chain Lube that arrived with the tape and Wolf Tooth Precision Bike Grease. Timely for re-packing hubs and headsets, in particular. Most stiff greases tend to be long-lived these days, but I find six-monthly inspections useful-especially during a very wet winter and if you’ve been venturing off-road.  Time I was dipping my fingers in the pot...