Waxing Lyrical

 

Conditions had turned wetter and relatively humid, although I was surprised to find the Peaty’s Link Lube Dry clinging on through some wet roads and boggy trails. Steve’s been generally impressed by the Blub Dry Wax Blub Dry Lube | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). The NZero Wax is also pleasing in terms of its cleanliness and rapid curing. 

I’d racked up over 600 miles aboard the Madison Flux Madison Flux Switch Saddle | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and while there are some considerations- it's a little long for quick dis/mounts, the sort commonly associated with cyclo cross racing and unisex is a term always begging for contradiction.  

Otherwise, I’ve been really impressed by the specification and performance, especially given the price point. Nice enough for the best bike but inexpensive (and practical enough) for a working/winter build. On a tighter budget or looking to upgrade an OEM perch? Its Cro-moly railed stablemate may represent even better value. I said this in my last post and stand by the statement. 

I’ve switched back to getting the miles in aboard Denise and the Ergon All Road Core Comp. I’ve been really surprised by how supportive and comfortable it’s proving despite being broader than I’m typically suited to. I’m still seeking a suitable set of chain rivet pliers – the pair I had in mind seem to be out of stock-I also want to buy some other, frame (alignment) tools since I’m there.  

Talking of tools, some cable stretch made itself known and at an unenviable moment- I was braking hard while negotiating a blind bend and an HGV approaching. The CX50 still did their thing but luckily, I was a mile from home. Having returned, I pulled the cable through and took up some minor slack using the barrel adjuster  

Giveaway spanners are truly disgusting from an engineering perspective but an absolute godsend in a jam. My 8mm open ended spanner had gone AWOL but thankfully, I had this rather weathered example tucked away in my pencil case type tool caddy. Think it was originally part of a Lezyne pannier- a nice feature, I like a lot of Lezyne’s designs, but not always their execution.  

 

Within a couple of minutes, I had lever travel exactly to my tastes and oodles of bite from the CX50 cantilevers- I remain impressed by the rear Suntour SE cantilevers- trickier to setup but plenty of feel and controllable bite. It's possible to lock a wheel but in my experience, provided you’ve not paired them with a V brake lever, such as the RL520, there’s ample warning before this happens. 

  

Unlike the Blub, the NZero can be used on cables i.e. where they enter the housings and of course-mechanisms- cleat, derailleur, and trailer hitches, which has some definite benefits, at least during the summer months, since in summer typical temperatures it’ll cure within 25minutes. Significantly faster than many waxes, which also makes it a realistic choice for longer group rides and indeed, touring, since you can just top up at a rest stop and scoot off once you’ve polished off a coffee, some cake and maybe had a yarn with some fellow riders.   

 

In keeping with waxes generally, it requires a surgically clean and dry drivetrain first time round.  The dry bit is less essential with hybrid blend containing an oil component. However, more traditional wax formulas, including paraffin-based types will lock any residual moisture in, resulting in trace, rusty freckling. It’ll disappear quite quickly during the first dry ride but ideally avoided.   

 

The brands’ Bike Degreaser formula is thus far, seemingly economical and effective- at least on chain lubes and indeed, heavily soiled regions of the bike, prior to a sudsy bucket wash. More on par with, rather than superior to some favourites, including the Fenwicks’ concentrate. Degreaser gels, such as Green Oil have an edge in this respect, since they cling to the host surfaces longer, having more time to brake lubricants down.  Steve was generally impressed by the Blub Bio Degreaser Blub Bio Degreaser | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  which is £1 dearer at £13.99 for a litre. 

       

Post Pondering

 Sometimes I contemplate replacing the Holdsworth’s Crank Brothers Cobalt3 inline seat post. I love the lightweight inline design on many levels but the clamp, despite employing a T25 clamp fastener is a weak spot. In fairness, the clamp seems to settle, requiring just a quick tightening tweak after a few outings following a saddle switch.  

I’ve gone that route and will leave sleeping saddle cradles lie for the time being.  Should this prove a more prevalent experience, I’ll switch but that’ll be a job for another time before it goes into seasonal hibernation. Meantime, I’m enjoying the Madison Flux. Madison says they’ve spent considerable time testing and refining the design, and this shows.  

I’m not sure the Unisex design favours women, primarily because of the length but otherwise, its performance and specification are extremely attractive. Nice enough for a best bike but inexpensive enough for a working bike-although its Cro-Moly railed stablemate might be the best fit, giving change from £30. 4130/Cro-moly rails strike a fabulous balance between weight, strength, durability and price (although they need a decent coat of paint). 

The Burls Ti seat post with 15mm layback sounds like an obvious choice and would complement the stem beautifully. However, I’m an inline fan, or at least I like to be positioned directly over the bottom bracket shell-have done since my mid-teens. Yes, even on a tourer.   

The other contender is this Genetic Syngenic TEST & REVIEW: GENETIC SYNGENIC SEATPOST (sevendaycyclist.com)  which is inline and relatively svelte at 249g. I'd also given the Holdsworth’s pedal tension a quick snug down, having found my left foot unintentionally releasing while pulling away at a set of temporary traffic lights.   

I’ve also been getting some proper miles in with the Ergon All Road Core Comp Saddle and it's proving surprisingly agreeable, despite being wider than my supposed (and generally preferred) ideal. Much of this I attribute to the shape and padding density. A good six hundred miles plus before I arrive at any tangible conclusions.   

Vanguard Cycles have sent me the NZero degreaser and dry wax lube, the latter is a little ironic, given my last entry discussing my preference for hybrid blends. Both are petrochemical free, and the former is reckoned to blitz tenacious petrochemical lubes and greases. Formative impressions suggest its quite potent and effective on chain lube, but greases in my experience, can prove very stubborn (which is obviously a good thing), so we’ll see how effectively the eco-friendly chemical brew breaks them down. 

I was heartened by the news that Mercian cycles has been rescued and will continue building frames in Derby. It was bought by four local businessmen, who are cyclists themselves and will keep the frame builders. That might sound obvious, their main selling point but it could easily have been a case of the brand being bought and essentially becoming a retailer. Frame building being limited to off the peg frames made in the Far East and given Mercian decals. In many respects, I doubt the latter would fly with the cycling community but could’ve easily happened.  

In automotive circles, MG cars and BSA motorcycles have reappeared but have no connection with the original, British brands. Despite this, I’ve heard patriotic breast beating regarding the latter’s “return”. The collapse of Britain’s motorcycle industry was different to other sectors and influenced by changing social expectations, standards of living and the mini. However, in common with the car industry, complacency and a reluctance to develop and innovate on the part of senior managers were major players.  

While deep cleaning the house, I accidentally knocked the believed dead Apeman A80 4K Action Camera APEMAN A80 ACTION CAMERA | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), only for it to mysteriously power up AND begin recording. Puzzled (but glad I didn’t consign it to landfill) I decided to park it on charge and see whether it will perform reliably going forward.  I had a spare battery in any case. The unit needs a weatherproof casing for anything other than dry conditions, hence my defaulting to the Compak, which has an integrated weatherproof casing.  

Talking of waterproof, here’s Steve’s review of the Showers Pass Crosspoint Ultralight Breathable Waterproof Socks ShowersPass UltraLight Waterproof Sockc | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)