Changeable Season Selections

 

Mild, wet, and filthy conditions continued, and lanes continue the ‘cross meet narrative, meaning I was treating Denise to Sudsy bucket washes every four rides or, so, since we were filthy following every outing. Temperatures wandered between 8 and 11 degrees, the Lomo Winter Cycling Gloves Lomo Winter Cycling Gloves | cycling-not-racing continuing to impress with their comfort, dexterity, and moisture management. Not forgetting their wallet-friendly price.  

 

The Peaty’s Link Lube All Weather was doing its best to keep the chain lubed and silent without attracting too much grot but has still called for reapplication every 100 miles or so. I’d also noted some tainted links on Ursula’s new chain, which I’d treated to Peaty’s Link Lube Dry PEATYS LINK LUBE DRY CHAIN LUBE | cycling-not-racing  

 

Then along came this Motorex Chain Wax. I'm told this is a blend of biodegradable oils trafficked by water. Pretty typical of wax formulas per se, as is the need for a surgically clean drivetrain first time round. Literally anything damp, or oily will prevent it adhering to the chain's rollers and inner sanctum-hence why its introduction coincided with Denise's deep clean.  

 

I'm curious to see whether it's a middle of the road fair weather blend, or whether it will stay put during less clement conditions. Thus far, it has poured nicely from the spout-I've given the bottle an enthused 60 second shake to mix everything and in temperatures around 6 degrees, the viscosity has been very controllable, notably less watery than several I've tested long term over the years. Not so much as a splash on the concrete. Controllable enough that I'd be tempted to use it on cables and metal on metal parts to keep them slick, though clean.  

 

For some folks, lube choice is less nuanced. Dry and waxy formulas are for dry and potentially dusty contexts, wet lubes are for wet, wintry conditions. I can see the logic to this but I'm not the only rider who prefers something a little less stodgy, dare we say gooey. Immersion waxes that work in a similar fashion to old school motorcycle blends are increasingly finding favour, given their cleanliness and in some instances, performance gains. Of the dropper bottle waxes, I've found Momum MIC the fastest curing and surprisingly durable.  

 

Waxes also work on the science of capturing grit and other contaminant within the top layer, scabbing away as you ride, leaving a light lubricant layer protecting the chain. Providing you're not introducing waxes of different chemical compositions; this can be topped up- no need to scrub clean beforehand. However, apart from the Momum MIC and a couple of others, most need several hours (ideally overnight) curing, which isn't necessarily a deal breaker, so long as you replenish before it's completely exhausted.  

 

This might not be the most convenient on an unexpectedly wet commute, or mid tour. That aside, formative impressions were quite positive. Having stripped the chain, cassette, jockey wheels and ring of any residual lube/gunk using the tag team of neat Fenwicks degreaser and Silca Gear Wipes. I wasn't in a rush, but I had 25 minutes all told to deep clean and lightly lube before popping the bike away and tackling other stuff.  I was also tempted to switch Ursula from the spikes, but the weather forecast predicted some freezing conditions and given the standing water and general gloop, going rubber up was the last thing I needed.  

 

¾ length bib knickers are a bit Marmite but I'm firmly in the love camp, which was brought home to me when I discovered I only had a pair of Funkier and the Castelli Entrata Castelli Entrata Thermal Bib Knickers | cycling-not-racing left, having worn through a set of Van Rysel, my favourite Primal Dawn TEST & REVIEW: PRIMAL DAWN MEN'S BIB KNICKERS and some bargain basement Ozzo. The latter having served me well for many years.  For me, they provide fabulous overlap between the seasons, most obviously Autumn to Winter and the early season to spring.  Conditions where tights are too toasty and shorts uncomfortably chill. My knees certainly appreciate the coverage and insulation. 

 

Waterproof luggage is a definite plus in all contexts but especially touring or commuting. The Lomo Waterproof panniers are certainly impressing me with their belt and braces weatherproofing. Mounting hardware is also very versatile, meaning they adjust to a wealth of different rack tubing diameters.  

 

The factory fitted internal sleeves have proven compatible with the Topeak Uni Super Tourist 2.0 Non-Disc Rack Topeak Uni SuperTourist 2.0 NonDisc Rack | cycling-not-racing   and its disc ready cousin mounted to my fixed gear winter/trainer. This opens and locks onto the rack by pulling the webbed nylon handle- convenient for quick getaways, although took me a few goes before it became intuitive. 

 

The Joy of Robust Rubber & Other Reflections

To my delight, Madison sent me a set of Maxxis Re fuse TR 700x32c. TR denotes Tubeless Ready, but I’ve gone the tube route since it’s the best fit for me. However, it's nice to know that I can convert, later down the line, if fancy takes me. Talking of fits, they were surprisingly easy to slip aboard the rims- just a little help from the Topeak Shuttle 2.1 News about Seven Day Cyclist levers getting the last quarter home.  

Maximum pressure is a modest 75psi and out of curiosity (rather than reaching for the track pump), I grabbed the Topeak Road Master Blaster frame fit to see how efficiently it could perform roadside rescues. 200 strokes and 3 minutes had it to the maximum- a steady rhythm but minimal effort.  

Reassuring- our large is also the perfect fit for the top tube. The Maxxis Re Fuse have already inspired confidence-speed and rolling resistance are also good-although what I’ve come to expect from 60 tpi casings- a less supple ride than models like the CST CzarCST Czar Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) but I’m hoping the bead-to-bead puncture repelling belt prove ultra reliable, more so than the otherwise likeable Silk Shield employed in the Maxxis Overdrive Excel.  

I returned from a longer ride on Sunday morning and decided the fixed’s aheadset bearings needed tweaking slightly. This struck toward the end and upon returning home I concluded a spacer revision was needed. I removed a black 10mm and replaced it with 3x5mm blue, which sorted minor, but impactful tension issues.    

Potholes have been breeding faster than corrupt politicians, sending the senses screaming with alarm and testing my bike handling skills. In common with tubes, certain sections of road really need resurfacing, rather than sporadic patching. However, cash-strapped local authorities just can’t afford to entertain this. Not something the public understands but then, to be expected.  

Tendering sounds the way forward when it comes to getting best value but in practice, it’s a race to the bottom and a lot of work and on a wider level, services are inadequate. Want decent quality services and infrastructure then there’s a cost but managed properly, this will repay the investment many times over.  

I digress...Morning rides have still been unexpectedly chill, so I’ve been alternating between these Madison Bib Tights Madison Freewheel Thermal Bib Tights | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and ¾ lengths. When it's milder, these Funkier Ride Flo Men’s ¾ Bib Tights FUNKIER RIDE FLO MEN'S 3/4 BIB TIGHTS | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) when it's cooler, these  Triban Men's Road Cycling Bib Tights RC500.  

Great pads, extremely comfortable and generally rugged, given their price points.

¾ lengths have long been my go-tos for general road-biased riding. In the height of summer, bib shorts all the way, depths of winter, thermal tights but ¾ lengths cover all the other bases-nicely.  

Long sleeve jerseys and vest-type base layers, regular caps- the Showers Pass Elite Cycling Cap SHOWERS PASS ELITE CYCLING CAP | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and its Atlas stablemate being my favourites.

Gloves-wise, I’ve alternated between some Specialized full finger liner types and these long-serving Passport Crochet back Cycling Mitts TEST & REVIEW: PASSPORT CROCHET BACK CYCLING MITTS (sevendaycyclist.com). I’ve needed to feed the palms more regularly to keep them supple but again, they’re comfortable, and very rugged-with lots of retro charm. Obviously, being leather they also mould to the wearer’s contours.  

200 miles hence and the FLR F70 are beginning to mould to my feet and relax a little at key points. Not in the sense of becoming saggy, or anything similarly unwelcome, rather it means they’re easier to slip on and I’ve switched to some aftermarket insoles. More because I could, rather than a reflection on the FLR footbeds.  

Will be interesting (read I hope) they’ll relax sufficiently to allow comfortable pairing with waterproof socks... Yes, I know we’re heading toward summer, and it doesn’t rain that frequently (or heavily) in the UK but. Things can get boggy under tyre, especially along the trails, dab a foot down and yes, wet, gooey stuff can make itself known through the cleats first-assuming full immersion doesn’t catch you first.  

That said; the British justify their preoccupation with weather on the defence it is so changeable. I’m not a subscriber to this. I’ve found Belgium and the Netherlands more changeable, especially during spring. Maybe it’s another example of that infamous British Exceptionalism...In my book, there’s no such thing as the wrong weather, just the wrong kit for it.