Minority Report (Pain in the Arse)

 

I have always been something of a minority and that doesn’t overly bother me, in any respect. Despite the very welcome resurgence in popularity, cycling remains a minority or less mainstream activity here in the UK.  

The same goes for several interests and passions I hold dear. I’ve touched on this and my introversion before. In commercial (and indeed other social contexts) I am perfectly capable. Borderline loquacious, given the right variables. However, I deftly swerve introspection and beyond the quality of my work, feel no need to seek attention.  

Provided I’ve done nothing to elicit a negative experience, I care little about whether people like me or not. Something I find very empowering and I’m very selective about those I allow beyond my veneer. Those who genuinely know me, describe me as a unique person, an acquired taste. I’d much sooner this, than a two-dimensional cardboard cut-out.  

January can be a long, austere month. Long forgotten are December’s festivities and cosy glow, often replaced by dull skies, unexpected expenditure and longing. Distractions can also take hold. These are fine, so long as they don't detract from physical, mental or emotional energies that would be better employed elsewhere. This typically strikes me in the workshop. Left unchecked, experimentation with gearing and other component changes can develop lives of their own. I’ll just...Is an extremely dangerous thought. One that can see ideas rapidly assuming lives of their own.  

Yes, winter can be a pain in the arse... 

Having ruled out saddle misalignments and similar issues, I am doing some trial-and-error miles with fresh longs and pads. My hypothesis is that some favourite bib tights and ¾ lengths are coming to the end of their service life, resulting in discomfort. 

  

While I felt able and had the grease out, I decided it was time to give my fixed gear winter/trainer a seriously good wash and perform the fork switch. I’ve stuck with the TRP Spyre SLC calliper for now since it was just a question of switching it over and the existing cable was fine. Annoyingly, unlike the basic Spyre, the SLC’s clamp seems more prone to fraying inner wires. Especially since I’ve always used a correctly calibrated torque wrench to snug everything down.  

Mercifully, the fork switch was plain sailing. I decided not to prune the steerer any shorter and simply added another 5mm spacer. I also gave the Stronglight headset bearings a clean and liberal helping of Juice Lubes Bearing Juice. This is closer to a putty than a traditional grease.  

Buttery smooth, friction is higher compared with preps like Park Tool Poly lube 1000 TESTED: PARK TOOL POLYLUBE 1000 LUBRICANT FOR BICYCLES (sevendaycyclist.com), not to mention, Peaty’s Speed Grease PEATY'S SPEED GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). However, during the depths of winter, I’m more concerned with a grease’s ability to protect against water, ingress and corrosion.  

Closer inspection revealed some structural deterioration of the Kinesis fork. I whipped out the hacksaw and cut it up before I forgot about this and inadvertently passed it to a friend.  

Credit where it’s due, this took more effort than I was expecting. I’ve kept the crown and steerer, so it will live on as a drift for headset cups etc, since (a) waste not, want not (b) I believe my scrap piece of downtube met the skip during 2020’s pre-move, garage rationalisation.   

Since I was there, I switched to the Halo White Line/PD8 HALO CLASSIC RIM & SHUTTER PRECISION DYNOHUB DISC WHEEL BUILD (sevendaycyclist.com) wheel, with the CST Pika tyre, for aesthetic uniformity and improved clearance. I was surprised to discover the rim shod with a narrow, 559 (mtb) rim tape, not the 622 I’d expected to see. Testament to Schwalbe that it’s stretched so far without snapping or losing shape.  

The new fork is closer to a traditional cyclocross design, with slightly tighter clearances than the DC7 it replaces. 35mm tyres. If you’re prepared to ditch a front guard, 38 tops.  

Fixed gear winter/trainer freshly washed and waxed, it was time to pop it away and go for a formative shakedown ride the following morning. Unforgiving headwind aside, the fixed flew and everything felt exactly as it should, especially at the front end. Fate intervened in a positive sense, again. Talking of which, here’s my review of the Vecnum FreeQuence Suspension Stem https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/vecnum-freeqence-suspension-stem 

Roads and clear, starry skies to myself (save for the odd rabbit) I just sat back and cruised as fast as my legs could carry me- ejecting meaty chunks of phlegm as need presented. I am strong but vulnerable to chest infections, which linger painfully- long after the other markers of cold, or flu have passed. 

 

I am also very aware that old practices such as “running a cold out on the road” are potentially extremely dangerous. Certainly not something I’d advocate, but I do find that having recovered from a lurgi, riding is a great expectorant. Stubborn, residual nastiness that otherwise lingers and settles on my chest, shifts and is more readily expelled.  

Not something I’d want to subject others to, but fine on solo outings. Given the typically wet, mucky conditions, I was rather pleased Weldtite sent me this fabulous bundle of bike cleaning and protectant goodies, for testing. Oh, and here’s my review of the CST Pika Gravel Tyres CST Pika Gravel Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

 

Great Ideas & Getaways

 Snow and ice relented, I switched to the fixed gear winter trainer to get some proper miles on the CST pairing and kept Ursula’s spikes handy, since the reprieve was thought to be short-lived.  The CST tyres are proving compliant and engaging along the wintry lanes- much as I’d hoped and expected to be honest.  

I’ve deliberately gone the mix n’ match route to ensure I can evaluate performance in precisely the same conditions. Both hold their line very reliably around slimy corners and at 70 odd psi, there’s little hum from the Pika’s knobblies. Thus far at least, their respective tread patterns aren’t attracting much muck- the sort that thorns and other sharps get lodged in.   

I wasn’t expecting trouble with the K-lite Bike packer Ultra K LITE BIKEPACKER ULTRA DYNAMO LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) dynamo headlamp, but it began flickering and delivering little more than a glimmer.  

Thankfully, I had the Ravemen LR 1600 Ravemen LR1600 Front Light | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) as backup, so switched to that during the ride and replaced the K-Lite Bike Packer Ultra for the K-Lite Ultra LD (Low Drag) counterpart. K-LITE ULTRA LOW DRAG DYNAMO LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) This delivers 750lumens, which is lower than the1300 generated by its sibling but in my experience, the lower drag factor means you can ride faster and get full output, most of the time.  

Then, of course, the diodes are designed for road riding and there’s less impact upon navigational clout. I’m certainly not struggling to navigate pitch-black lanes at a decent lick. This also serves to illustrate why secondary and/or backup lighting is important, especially on longer rides.   

I had been tempted by On-One's Mulo frame On-One Mulo Frame | Planet X but aside from clearance for 40mm tyres at the rear triangle, there’s too little separating it from my fixed gear winter trainer, so no indulgences. I had heard a rumour that there was a titanium prototype of the Ilpompino frameset. I’d never heard of, let alone seen one.   

Lightweight, phenomenally corrosion resistant (wouldn’t need paint)- arguably my ideal basis for a winter/trainer. When it comes to framesets with a definite road heritage, Kona Paddy Wagon is another firm favourite of mine. Clearance for 700x28c with full-length mudguards (eyelets), two sets of bottle bosses.  

I reviewed it back in 2006 Kona Paddy Wagon 06 - BikeRadar but had too much going on financially to justify indulging. Obviously, I would’ve gone the hub dynamo and high-power lamp, SQR Tour route- all stuff of the classic British training bike. Would’ve doubtless upgraded the fork for something carbon with eyelets and by now, the OEM paintwork would’ve gone, replaced with a chrome effect powder-coated base and Rosso red topcoat leaving the rear triangle “half-chromed”.    

The Carbon Tech carbon fork was cut and prepped ready for transplanting, literally the afternoon it arrived but I stopped short of installing, given I was weary and didn’t want to get “committed” at that stage.  

I also (surprise, surprise) found a TRP HYRD caliper for the right price and thought it best to install the pair together and relubricate the lower race with some Juice Lubes Bearing Juice which all told, wasn’t conducive to rushing.  

I pruned the steerer tube, added Zefal Skin Armor to the blades, protecting them from cable rub and similar damage ZEFAL SKIN ARMOR ROLL | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), instated the Star Fangled Nut and quit while ahead.  

There’s often a fine line between the euphoria of accomplishment, which hides the inner fatigue and is superseded by a lingering frustration of being behind.  In terms of weight, these tip the scales at 742g, its almost 100g heavier than the Kinesis KINESIS DC37 DISC FORK | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) but I’d rather a bit of overbuild at this end of the market. 

The fixed’s VDO computer’s head mount battery was nagging me about its impending demise, so I switched that and checked some small fasteners while I was there.   

Talking of building stuff, I loaded up the KA and headed to the Welsh borders with Sharon for a festive break. We’d been wanting to see the British Ironwork Centre & Sculpture Park in Oswestry for several years and managed to catch it, before Christmas closing. We arrived with a couple of hours grace and while light was still favourable. I took these with 30mm 1.8 prime and 16mm f2.4 prime lenses bolted to Samsung NX1000 and 3000 bodies.