Rubber Up. The Man Who Fell to Earth

 

No sooner had the snow fallen, temperatures rocketed, inducing a rapid thaw. Howling winds and torrential rain followed. Perfect conditions for switching from Ursula to Denise for some more, foul weather testing of the Wolf Tooth Supple Bar Tape and Lomo 13 litre Bikepacking Seat pack. Or so I thought. However, this is a cautionary tale regarding thermometers and internet weather forecasts. According to my devices, it hadn’t hit zero overnight. A few miles into the ride, I entered a bend and hit a stretch of sheet ice, taking us “rubber up”.  

Mercifully, nothing more serious than damaged Lycra and a trashed right hand RL520 lever. Having returned from the 15-mile loop, I wasted no time ordering a replacement pair, since I only had a couple of left-handed Tektro in the spares box. £20 all told but I could’ve done without it, especially given the time of year.  I’d also toyed with going the retro, non-aero route.  

On the one hand, this would make for easier cable replacement but would also mean unnecessary outlay. I’m not paying retro prices either (although suspect I may have a set of Campagnolo Athena that are reversible-new hoods are all I’d need). I’d also seen some Dia Compe 204 with integral quick release for £28.   

These good ideas cum rabbit holes can prove time consuming and ultimately, uneconomic.  Besides, effective repair was simply a question of undoing the inner wire, peeling back the bar tape and removing the broken lever, salvaging hoods and other parts as spares.    

I’d been on plenty of soggy outings with the Lomo and found it highly weather resistant but while the 5mm Wolf Tooth Supple Bar Tape has proven incredibly effective at isolating against road and trail buzz, I hadn’t been able to assess its wet weather prowess.  

I wasn’t surprised to discover, like most silicones grip and tenure are superb. Leach-like, but without the “gripping flypaper” sensation. Obviously, gloves with silicone imprinted palms are the ideal marriage, but traditional palms-synthetic, or leather come a close second.  

I’m also forming the conclusion that while offering excellent damping properties, without unduly muting connection, being 5mm thick, it could prove too bulky for smaller hands. As the photo illustrates, it also survived our tumble with terra firma completely unscathed.   

The wet, wintry conditions had finally licked Denise’s chain clean, so I went the full blown, bars to tyres deep clean route, stripping the residual WTB, degreasing and drying before reaching for the Peaty’s Link Lube Premium All Weather PEATY'S LINK LUBE PREMIUM ALL WEATHER | cycling-not-racing   

Staying with contact points, I read a comment recently regarding quill to Ahead converters and specifically, why people still use them. Sure, they can seize if not greased properly and the guest stem needs to be snugged very tight but they’re also a very inexpensive way of running a modern stem on an older bike.   

Denise Gravel on A Dustbowl Budget PT V Lesson | cycling-not-racing sports one and thus far, its proving dependable. Admittedly, I have used a suitably stiff grease- Oxford Mint Assembly Grease Oxford Mint Assembly Grease | cycling-not-racing and check it periodically to ensure nothing’s turning arthritic. Judging by the pedal threads and fasteners, it’s both highly water and wash-off resistant.   

Having the steerer tube cut and replaced a ’la the Holdsworth Oldie But Goodie: Fork Repair & Revision | cycling-not-racing is arguably a more reliable method but will require a compatible Aheadset, which are getting trickier to find. Unlike replacing the fork steerer, there’s no risk of cracking the fork crown and paint stands a sporting chance of remaining intact too. Other folks will cite period authenticity, and I can also empathise with this school. However, in the latter context, it's easily reversed.  

Talking of bulk, while I’m fond of the Lomo, for everyday duties, I’m drawn to something smaller. A quick rummage in the rafters unearthed this Zefal Adventure R11 Waterproof Saddlebag ZEFAL ADVENTURE R11 WATERPROOF SADDLEBAG | cycling-not-racing, which is surprisingly rigid and sway-free, despite employing a single Velcro post strap. No issues with fouling the seat post since the USE SX’s bouncy bits are neatly tucked away inside.  

The Passport Bike Packing Seat Pack PASSPORT CYCLES BIKEPACKING SEAT PACK | cycling-not-racing is likely to make a return, and it should also play nicely with the USE SX seat post, but Topeak’s UK importer has sent me the brand’s  Backloader Wishbone.  

It has a maximum payload of 2kilos, so not quite a panacea, but looks much better engineered than the auction site special (although arguably it should be, being three times the homage’s ticket price). Will be interesting to see how much well it tames sway with the 6litre back loader Topeak Back Loader Seat Pack | cycling-not-racing and indeed, some bigger models.  

Filth=Fixed FGG

 

 

Winter sees me alternate between Ursula and my beloved fixed gear winter/trainer. Both have been with me for 26 and 19 years, respectively. Ursula wears the spikes when it's plunging below zero, or when I’m fancying exploring some trails beyond the beaten path. The fixed is frisky, fun and the simple transmission fares much better in winter’s slurry. The cyclo cross geometry means its nimble and fun but not skittish.  

I wouldn’t ride a track bike, even if drilled for a front brake as a winter mount due to inappropriate geometry, lack of clearance for mudguards and more importantly wider section rubber. This is the V2, with 120mm track spacing, the MK1 was markedly similar, save for 135mm spacing. 120mm means any track type hub slots straight in without any considerations, or mods.  

The 135mm version allowed hub gears, or indeed, single speed mountain bike hubs. There’s a lot to be said in favour of both (indeed, On One returned with an evolution called the Pompetamine designed to be run with discs and hub gearing). I toyed with one before getting Denise, although would’ve gone for a lighter (carbon) fork.   

I had been browsing the Condor website and was looking at framesets. The heyday of fixed's popularity was 15 years ago, which means frames have become less ubiquitous, but this also has a knock-on effect pricewise. Spa Cycles Audax Mono is probably the most practical, contemporary off the peg framesets for general road duties.  

It features Reynolds 725 tubes, rear facing ends, carbon forks, mudguard and four-point carrier mounts and drillings for dual pivot brake callipers. Kona's Paddy Wagon, albeit the earlier models 2006/7 being my preference Kona Paddy Wagon 06 review | BikeRadar Deda Cro-moly frameset, two sets of bottle mounts, guard and carrier mounts, clearance for 700x28c-32mm if you were prepared to forgo mudguards.   

Pearson Touche. Ridgeback Solo World and Dawes Mono were all good off the peg, complete build options from a few years back. Reynolds 520 might not set pulses ablaze, but it's a decent Cro-moly that's well suited to workhorse duties without having a lumbering tank-like ride quality.    

I’m presently running 28mm Schwalbe one365 at the rear, a 30mm WTB Exposure up front WTB Exposure Road Tubeless Tyre | cycling-not-racing  both are engaging yet still handle very well in wet, slippery conditions and the ability to slow by holding back gently against the cranks, rather than applying the brake ups the control in situations where engaging a brake might result in going rubber up.  

Saddle Back also sent me this Feedback Sports Compact Fixed Torque Driver, which is a tiny, pocket-sized torque wrench fixed to 5nm comprising of 4,5, 6 and T25 bits, which fit beautifully into the composite driver handle. Being ¼ inch design, it's also compatible with a wealth of other sizes, so can be built up to suit your needs, which is another definite plus. There's an extension pole, for those contexts where you might need a little more leverage. Bits are fashioned from S2 steel, the torque driver is reckoned fully accurate to +/4 for up to 3,000 cycles and the limited lifetime warrantee inspires further confidence.  Suffice to say it's unobtrusive enough and accompanying me on pretty much every ride   

 

I've primarily stuck to riding the fixed, since winter's slush and slurry is all consuming and the simple drivetrain keeps things simple and economic. There's also the more direct sense of connection. This has been said to the point where it's become cliche' and arguably meaningless. However, there's a sense in which you must predict changes in gradient, bends and other factors more readily than a geared configuration, which is more forgiving of misjudgement. In this regard, the ride and that union between rider and machine becomes closer, more direct. Not that I'd want to go everywhere on a fixed, rather it's a configuration I'm very fond of. 

The only thing to keep in check is the chain tension- too tight equals noisy and inefficient coupled with more rapid drivetrain wear. Too slack and it’ll run the risk of jumping off and jamming-usually at the least convenient moment. Chain tugs are a definite help here. I’ve had to switch from the Genetic to a discrete but seemingly effective pair (bought on Ali Express a year, or two back) since they were impeding the Topeak Uni rack’s hardware.  I didn’t want to stress the screws, or worse still, the frame’s eyelet threads.   

This also proved an ideal opportunity (read no excuse) to give the bike a well-deserved wash n’ wax clean-purging grit and gloop, while leaving a protective wax layer behind. During winter, at least when the gritting lorries have been out in force, it's best to give bikes a cold-water rinse first. Hot will simply accelerate the caustic process.  

Just organic muck in this instance, hence a quick blast of higher strength, custom mixed bike wash to dissolve the ingrained grot, while I’m filling those buckets.   Since we’re here, a lot of people think high foam (though visually convincing) is the most effective. However, formulas that cling to the host surfaces are more effective and get my vote every time. I've switched to Peaty's Link Lube Premium, since I was running low on the Wolf ToothWolf Tooth WT-1 All Conditions Chain Lub | cycling-not-racing

I’d also had this PDW (Portland Design Works) Radbot rear light expire- seems to be a corroded switch-I've tried flushing it through with water displacer but to no avail. I also had the back expire on another long-term favourite-Topeak Redlite Mega. I’ve got busy with the superglue and left that curing overnight, so hoping that sorts it, even for the short term, while I hunt down a replacement.    

I find there's a temptation to sleepwalk into the New Year, so prefer to keep structure and busy, albeit at a more moderate pace, enjoying the sense of peace and calm, but drawing parallels with riding fixed, maintaining momentum.