Wrong Turns & Bum Steers

 No, I’m not referring to more headset dramas. Thankfully, the fleet’s Woodman, FSA and Stronglight are all buttery smooth and without play... 

Looking back on things it had been one of those days and serves as a reminder of how tiredness can impair judgment and lead us down some very blind alleys. Cycling and motorcycling are powerful metaphors for wider life, whether its touring, racing, or just well, riding. 

 

Diagnostics rather than repair are often the involved process and if you’ve started from the wrong point, then everything else will be “off”. Rather like being lost, following that same road will often lead to frustration and wasted time, sometimes (and where possible) its best to pack up and resume another time.  

Ursula’s chain had been jumping when climbing in the small ring. Chain and cassette were in nigh on perfect health, so I assumed it might be the Tiagra mech gumming up, maybe a cable issue...Fast forward to that Saturday afternoon. I’d been treating some minor corrosion on the KA and Micra’s sills and some minor grot on the latter’s door skin.  

As the photo illustrates, the Micra’s was deeper than first believed, requiring two hours welding. Anyhow, I’d given the first coats of marine primer a few hours curing and was waiting to apply a final thin coat.  

I decided now was the time to investigate Ursula’s drivetrain glitch...Spoiler alert, the KMC chain was too long, causing it to kick up. Pruning it from 110 to 104 links the following afternoon cured the problem. However, this wasn’t obvious to me the previous evening. I started by cleaning the Tiagra mech and assessing springs, alignment etc.  

Next thing I knew, I’d replaced the inner cable and even switched mech... No joy (obviously) but I’d an idea that perhaps the Microshift bar con was in fact an mtb version i.e., the pull ratios being different and thus ultimately incompatible with the Tiagra. Nope, not the root issue.  

Weary and dejected, I put Ursula away and downed tools for the day. Following morning, while on another mission, the penny dropped- chain too long! Returned that afternoon, switched the mech and cable, then pruned the chain.... Huzzah, up and down snappily and in both directions. I dare say there’ll be the odd quick tweak in the formative rides to come, but relieved and crucially, quit while ahead.    

I’ve been putting this System EX Grease Gun through its paces- hubs, headset bearings, seat posts etc. I’m still fond of the Finish Line Grease Gun, which has served me very well for a decade or thereabouts, but the System EX is all metal and has an extension for really detailed, mess-free delivery.  

Perfect for fasteners and similar small parts. Made me wonder what had happened to my old-school Dualco Mini Grease Gun. I’m confident it's safely packed away and wasn’t liberated post-move. Park GG1 looks very similar, save for the finish. These have some definite charm, assuming you’re not wanting, dare I say needing to switch between different types.

For these reasons, I’d probably go for a fully synthetic blend of grease, such as the White Lightning Crystal High-Performance Clear Grease TESTED : WHITE LIGHTNING CRYSTAL GREASE (sevendaycyclist.com) which can be applied to pretty much any component without fear of it doing something nasty to seals and delicate rubberised components.  

Generally, reliable, I’ve found the Dualco can “ingest” air, interrupting flow rate, so you’ll need to purge by slackening the top and inserting a screwdriver into the base and forcing upward until all the air is expelled. Not a big job but can take a few attempts, which can be frustrating if you’re mid-job.  

As for the System EX and Finish Line designs, these also need to be packed tightly. Fill the gun by hand and then, with chosen grease threaded tight, pump the tube until grease flows easily while depressing the trigger.    

From there, it's pretty much squeeze and go.  However, if you’re having issues, unscrew the gun, squeeze some grease into the chamber and then pump the tube, like a piping bag, or toothpaste until the grease rises to the top of the tube. Repeat as necessary until the tube’s spent. 

Elsewhere, The Hutchinson Challenger have arrived. Ours are the tubed, tan wall 28mmm versions reckoned good for 5,000kms and allegedly a more supple compound than typically found on other “endurance” models. It will be interesting to see how they compare with the Maxxis Re Fuse TR MAXXIS REFUSE TR FOLDING TYRE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), which are still serving faithfully on the fixed gear winter/trainer. Ending on a tyre-related note, here’s my review of the Topeak Smart Gauge DX2 Topeak Smart Guage D2X | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

      

Plans & Prep

 

Having done some extensive overhauling and replacement of Ursula’s cockpit and drivetrain, September’s subtle changes encouraged me to scrutinise my fixed gear winter/trainer’s drivetrain components. All seemed basically sound, although the KMC Z510 HX chain was showing signs of fatigue and due its pension, so I switched it for this blue KMC S1. 

A cheap, but hopefully cheerful and relatively quiet replacement. Time and miles will tell. A slightly cheaper chain replaced more frequently is always better than a neglected top draw model, which will chew through more expensive components, or fail, at a critical moment.  

I returned 3,000 miles from the Z510, though I will be suitably pleased to get 1200 from the S1. Not that I’m powerfully built but I don’t run a rear brake, moderating speed by holding off against the cranks. In any case, I have a beefy, half-link HL710 BMX model waiting in the wings, when the S1 starts losing its edge. Back in the late 80’s, when I was riding conversions, 3/32 Sedis and beveled sprockets were my defaults and performed reliably enough, compensating for any slight chain line imprecision. I much prefer beefier track types though.  

Tension is another important consideration. Too little and the chain’s sagging, possibly coming off, sending you down. Too much and aside from being brutally inefficient, accelerating wear also runs the risk of breakage.  

Since we’re on the subject, tough fixed drivetrains are simple, don’t forget to give the sprocket threads a helping of stiff grease periodically to prevent them seizing. They’re easily forgotten but get basted in a fair amount of caustic, slimy cack. 

A few rides in, I then discovered some slop in the Fixed G hub-checked the obvious stuff-track nuts were snug, ditto the sprocket and spacers. Play was definitely coming from the sealed hub bearings. These are Japanese EZO bearing (6000 size) so not something I had readily to hand.  

For the time being, I’ve switched to the Halo deep-section Aerorage wheel, until such time as their replacements arrive and I have time to perform the op. Cursory inspection suggests some specialist tooling, including circlip pliers, which will otherwise be used infrequently, so I may well outsource this to a good local wheel builder while I pursue other projects. 

 

Noticed some minor cuts in the long-serving 35mm section Schwalbe Marathon GT tyre casing. Easily sorted with a quick drop of superglue. Prevention is always more convenient than cure. On a roll, cleats were replaced. The existing fasteners had turned arthritic, though stopped short of seized. Two short blasts of penetrant/freeing oil and trusty 4mm Allen key secured their release. I added a lick of Peaty’s Bicycle Assembly Grease to the fasteners.PEATY'S BICYCLE ASSEMBLY GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)   

 

Otherwise, I'm making the very most of ambient conditions, enjoying the Teenage Dream’s spirited charms. 

 

The Ravemen CR600 is proving a good companion, albeit with short run times in the highest, 600-lumen setting. Comes with the territory, i.e. typical of compact, high-power lights. That said, output quality is better than I’ve come to expect from mid-power models. Holes and similar hazards are easily spotted from a decent distance and at a reasonable pace.  

However,800 lumens upwards.is a better option for regular/longer distance backroad fun. If you can handle the relative bulk, its 1200lumen cousin is well worth a look. RAVEMEN PR 1200 DUAL LENS FRONT LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  Sportive and Audax riders are much better served by dynamo systems, and I’ve been seriously impressed by the K-Lite Ultra Low Drag Dynamo Light K-LITE ULTRA LOW DRAG DYNAMO LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

 

Rural roads aren’t generally littered with glass and similar sharps, but thorns and hedge clippings can be quite prevalent at certain points of the year. A few miles from home on my dawn blast, I was feeling the stirrings of a very large bowel movement, which was also urging a quicker tempo. Then I felt that ominous up n’ down sinking feeling...Yup, the rear tyre had been slowly bleeding pressure and when I stopped to check, I was down from 130, to 20psi.

   

Inconvenient but spare tube, tyre levers and Lezyne pump meant I was back on the road and racing for the toilet, fearing my bowels might overtake me. Thankfully they didn’t, but it was an uncomfortably close thing. I would’ve got away quicker but was foiled by a faulty CO2 cartridge...