Sliding into September

 

After some long, steady miles and pre soggy season prep, I began contemplating stem lengths and wheel switches. Switching Denise to the WTB drops was a good decision. However, I’ve concluded I needed a shorter extension, since my proportionally short torso means I’m feeling a little stretched.

Cue a quick wander round the web and this 25mm long CNC machined unit from the Far East (of all places!) True, it lacks the exotica or refinement of some, but I was keen to ensure I’d got the correct length and could upgrade later down the line, should need arise. May also upgrade the quill adaptor-had to deal with some reticence when slackening, which ultimately led to discovering the expander wedge shedding its threads. I’ve replaced with one from the spares box and acquired this higher-end replacement and will substitute in due course.  While price typically reflects quality, it’s important to ensure a couple of things.

Firstly, don’t default to the Aheadset method, leave a millimetre or two of the top proud. Secondly, once you’ve everything aligned, ensure you’ve got some grease on the wedge and bolt before torquing it down to around 16nm. The wedge should be well and truly lodged in place- no wibble when rocking the bars as you might when turning sharply, say on as fast descent.  

 There are folks who really dislike quill converters full stop and there are a few options. Have a skilled frame builder add a threadless steerer to the existing fork crown- as Lee Cooper did here Oldie But Goodie: Fork Repair & Revision | cycling-not-racing. Alternatively, Inn Cycle offer a threadless conversion headset. Never seen one in the flesh, so can’t comment but they do look well engineered. Custom quill stems are another option.    

Mick Madgett built the Halo TK hub into the Ryde Taurus rim, which led me to switching Muffin’s Mavic Fix-G. HALO FIX G TRACK HUB | Seven Day Cyclist Tourin Tests Commuting and giving it a good clean.  The sprocket had become quite scuzzy given a few weeks in very hot conditions, turning the Weldtite TF2 All Weather Lube runnier and stickier, so it attracted more dirt. 

It will be interesting to see how the newest PTFE- free version fares in this and other respects. Both variants penetrate the chain’s inner sanctum very effectively and I’ve found the original very effective on fixed gear and single speed chains. Switching Muffin’s rear wheel has me wondering if the chainline was very slightly off with the Fix-G hub and I might need to revise the spacer widths to correct this.

Weldtite has also sent me the latest incarnation of a drip wax they’ve been working on for two years. Claimed to return 300km (186miles) in all conditions, not just balmy summer days, I’ve fed some to Denise’s KMC and Muffin’s Izumi and will see how it fares in the coming, increasingly autumnal weeks.

Generally speaking, I default to middle and heavier weight oils, rather than waxes, or more exotic blends when it comes to fixed and single speed chains. However, fair weather conditions and curiosity are why I’ve gone the wax route. Weldtite suggest you can double up for higher miles per application, so I’ve taken this route, without being overly generous.  

Curing times are influenced by temperatures and other factors, including humidity.  

Deep cleaning recipient drivetrains is essential when it comes to waxes and indeed, lubes of different genres. Applied in temperatures around 20 degrees and given a 45 second shake to mix everything thoroughly, it emerges from the spout very predictably, as middleweight creamy emulsion. Not one I’d risk applying indoors, mind. Curing times are in hours- bargain on four in these temperatures, leave it overnight if you can.

 When cured, it assumes a clear glazed state.  Formative impressions suggest low friction and crisp shifts. The bigger question will be how it sheds contaminant-does it attract less grime, is it one of those that flakes away when contaminant gets trapped in the outer layer, flaking off at a certain point to leave a thinner lubricant layer behind… I’ve reached my conclusions regarding the Silca Nastro Piloti Bar Tape Silca Nastro Piloti Bar Tape | cycling-not-racing, which has (and continues to impress with its rugged, grippy natue-impressive in the wet and offering excellent connections with the bars.

Staying with wet stuff, I’d decided it was time to enjoy some forest and bridlepath fun aboard Ursula- I also wanted to see how the Continental Cross Kings and FLR MXT Vibram Trail Shoes coped with bogy mud. Spoiler alert, feet had more traction than tyres. Having ridden a few miles along some mixed, unmade roads and green lanes and generally enjoying ourselves, I couldn’t resist some very goopy bridlepath.

Whoosh…Big grin was quickly substituted by surprise as we hurled in slow motion towards a hedge. Mercifully, the resilient and relatively soft foliage caught our imminent slide, and I slowly came to soft earth, protecting Ursula into the bargain.  Knobblies had definitely become slicks, and as I suspected, the FLR’s Vibram soles will attract soft gloop. However, as I’d hoped, they do shed it surprisingly well- no issues with clipping in and out.  Having returned, I wasted no time in giving Ursla a justly deserved sudsy bucket wash, drivetrain purge, polish and switch to this Weldtite Wax. 

Forest Frolics & Rainy Reveals

 

The rains came, which was welcome on so many levels and perfect for assessing the performance of tyres and shoes in wet, slippery contexts. I was particularly keen to see how the latest generation of Continental Cross Kings would bite when things tuned slippery, dare we say boggy. They bit and subsequently cornered better than I was expecting but time and  more intense gloop may say different.

They are quite sprightly over hardpack, loose surfaces and indeed, metalled road, although as defaults, I remain impressed by CST Patrol. CST Patrol Folding EPS Tyres | cycling-not-racing I’ve been forming the opinion that the FLR MTX are best suited to broader pedal platforms. Ursula’s Shimano M757 seemed more supportive than more modern dual sided designs and I’ not sure why.

These first generation tend to clog with mud noticeably quicker. I noted some Juice Lubes Bearing Juice creeping from the bodies. Maybe I’d been a little too generous, a little too liberal but we’re talking creep, not oozing. I was also impressed by how well the NOS SR Suntour mech scooped the chain between rings- snappy and reliable, even under load. Sure, it seemed fine on the stand, and designed for a triple, there’s plenty of throw. However, stuff can play impeccably on the stand and misbehave on the road, or trail.   

Upon returning and giving both of us a good clean, using up the last of the Nzero degreaser NZero Bike Degreaser | cycling-not-racing and indeed, the Peaty’s Link Lube All Weather. Then was also the time to switch pedals- I went for the A530 since they should bring out the FLR MXT’s best qualities.

Horses for courses, essentially. While I default to gravel and cross-country mountain bike shoes for general riding, road included, since the soles are stiff but still compliant and grippy enough for walking but are a little too sporty for more adventurous outings, touring particularly.  

These Sidi Aertis are another design that bridge the gap between mountain biking and gravel, although, riding with merino blend socks, I wasn’t surprised to find myself with wet feet given twenty minutes in a heavy downpour. Mercifully, the shoe’s profile means thinner waterproof socks are also realistic (and would be a must for me, during the winter months, although I’d probably switch to the Shimano MW7 Shimano MW7 (MW702) Gore Tex MTB Shoes | cycling-not-racing) by the time things turn wintry wild).

A touring shoe of the FLR’s genre also has scope for waterproof socks. Much as I anticipated, the FLR kept persistent rain at bay for an hour before it became palpable. Fine for commuting and similar duties without recourse to toe covers, overshoes etc. 

Flex was more palpable when on the fixed and charging up the climbs, but I didn't want to go for a single sided, hybrid design. Even though the bottom bracket gives a sporting chance when cornering, there's greater clearance with the Shimano 540 and being dual sided, it's easier to clip in and power away-say at the traffic lights.   

Talking of lights, the new seasons models are beginning to become available. I've been sent this Cat Eye Tight Kinetic, which is impressive for the price. A "braking" function for £23 would've been unheard of, just a few seasons back. I've also received this Lezyne Flow Cage SL Enhanced.

I regret passing my last pair of Lezyne flow on, so was rather pleased to be sent another for testing. Left- and right-hand specific models are nothing new, but some are definitely more ergonomic and though debatable, arguably one of the last words in customisation. On a strictly personal note, Lezyne’s are the best I've used to date.    

Side entry cages are what's called for on smaller compact geometry framesets, since you can both fit and access bottles without catching knuckles on the top tube, or indeed, frame fit pump-should you run one. They’re also a good fit for gravel and bike packing contexts where you’re running a bag within the main triangle.

 I'm a convert to the mini compressor type inflators, at least for roadside rescue, although Muffin, Ursula and Denise still carry a Topeak Road Master Blaster. Muc-Off Airmach and Lezyne as reliable, efficient backups.

The rains and wet roads were really useful from a testing perspective, although I wasn't surprised to discover things performing as I'd expected. However, standing water meant bikes were suitably filthy given a few outings. I'd seen some bike wash going silly cheap and was keen to see how it compared with some premium blends, not least since I was down to the Stan's No tubes.

 I tend to give bikes a good wash n' wax, since they cut through the grime, while leaving a protective wax barrier behind. Nonetheless, I don't always want to take this route and bike washes still have their place. 

I was pleasantly surprised by how effective the budget potions were on heavily encrusted organic grot, although as I'd hope it's not potent enough to strip oily, or greasy stuff. I reached for this Dynamic drivetrain detox to strip the residual Peaty's Like Lube and modest contaminant from the rings, chain and cassette.

Having exhausted this, I've switched to TF2, which is a competent and inexpensive all-weather formula that holds out well in moderately wet conditions, although attracts more contaminant than more sophisticated blends and also contains PTFE, which isn't particularly kind to us, or the wider environment. Formative outings on Muffin suggests the thru axle to quick release conversion is very dependable and seems slightly stiffer than traditional quick release configuration. I've also gone for the slightly narrower (38mm section) Vittoria adventure tyres, which run at a similar pressure to the Continentals and gives a little more clearance around the Gravel Hugger front guard.  Talking of tyres, here’s my review of the Maxxis Rambler Maxxis Rambler Tubeless Ready Tyres | cycling-not-racing