Critical Thinking & The Sentimental Season

 

Why aren't you at work??? Well, I am at work thank you very much. I work 70hours per week, just a very different schedule to some. Cycling journalism and product testing are not my only professions, but ones I am particularly passionate about. I wrote my first magazine feature for a national cycling title, aged 14, back in 1988- a test of a Muddy Fox Courier Mountain bike.  

I am highly experienced in several riding genres, but don’t profess to be expert, let alone an oracle. Those that genuinely are, carry themselves with a matter-of-fact humility. There is always something new to learn, concepts to understand, even if not necessarily embraced. I am similarly passionate about photography-models, street and industrial, specifically. Models & Portraiture - Stenning Photographic Model & Portraiture Photography Continuous development and lifelong learning are imperative, otherwise stagnation and regression set in. 

Back to 1989 and I bought my first track pump to counter frequent punctures, tyre wear and loss of wheel truth courtesy of under inflated tyres. Workshop pumps are one of those investments that will repay their investment countless times, even the budget models. The track pump in question was an orange Silca, capable of delivering 200psi- not that I’d ever needed that-120psi was pretty much my ceiling and it was best suited to road biased rubber.  

Sure, I’d raise a pancake flat 26x1.95 to 50psi and faster than mini/hand pumps of that era. However, best for high pressure, rather than high volume. Mine came with me to London and was eventually gifted to my favourite bike dealer when I bought an upgraded replacement in the autumn of 1998.  

I wanted to give it a loving home, albeit as a second/workshop spare. Having learned of my fondness, some might say nostalgia, their UK importer sent me this beautiful, contemporary Silca Terra- £139 at full rrp and a thing of beauty, from the hand lathed ash (wood) handle with hose-guide, and 76mm (3 inch) gauge.  

Unlike my original Silca, the barrel and handle are made from aluminium. There’s a reversable Presta/Schrader valve chuck with a bleed button in case you’ve got a bit carried away. Once upon a time, track pump gauges were notorious for having passing affinity with reality, now (particularly with digital gauges) things are within 1psi or so. I’ll be cross referencing that with my standalone digital gauges. Silca claim the Terra’s analogue unit is precise to within.5 psi at the lower end of the 30-120psi range. This covers most bases with contemporary bikes and tyres. I’ve raised a 26x2.3 tyre from zero to 60psi in 64 strokes.

However, some folks needing higher pressure, will need to look elsewhere. Saddleback also sent me this Feedback Sports Reflex Fixed Torque Bit Driver. It’s designed to be brought along for mid ride rescue, not workshop duties, no bad thing-horses for courses- I wouldn’t want to be lugging a workshop torque wrench in my bike luggage. It is based around the standard ¼" driver, meaning bits are easily acquired, or brought along, meaning you’ve got a custom toolkit for the road.    

Stock, we’ve got 4,5, 6mm and Torx T25 bits, 1 steel 5Nm torque extension. The driver body is a hybrid nylon/steel and the whole kit comes with a limited lifetime warrantee. I’m told the torque is accurate to within +/- 4% for up to 3,000 cycles.  

I was surprised that it took this long for Ursula’s rear mech cable to stretch and shifting go decidedly “off”. Just a matter of slackening the cable, pulling through and snugging down, although I always ensure I’ve a few spares handy before tackling these jobs just in case the inner wire in question decided it was going to implode. This is particularly significant at Christmas, where it’s bound to happen when you’re out of spares and the bike shop’s shut...  

Oh, and that’s the reason you get everything prepped and adjusted before heading out on a tour, reliability ride, or similar endurance event. While checking the fixed’s rack hardware, I found the otherwise superb Genetic chain tugs were impeding the fasteners. Not wanting to stress the fasteners or damage the eyelets I switched to a very discrete set bought as curiosities on Ali Express a year or so back. Solved the issue and hopefully they’ll do a decent enough job of holding chain tension.  

I’d been sent this Beam Corkey Premium Review Mirror a few weeks back and had my curiosity spiked when I saw a homage on one of the auction sites, or rather, the site bots brought it to my attention (along with 1500 inflatable pleasure dolls). “The W’EST Biking” version is breathtakingly similar, albeit noticeably heavier, refuting suggestions of “badge engineering”. I’ll close here with Steve’s review of the Ravemen FR300https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/ravemen-fr300-daytime-running-light 

Tyres & Tweaks

 

I’d been contemplating tyres for the fixed gear winter/trainer, ahead of the darker months. Something Schwalbe but not too stodgy was my first thought, especially since 32mm is pretty much tops with guards-I could shoehorn 35mm at the rear with the Mudhugger Gravel Hugger guards MUD HUGGER GRAVEL HUGGER MUDGURADS | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com).  

 

A chance discussion with Saddleback, WTB’s UK distributor got in touch, inviting me to test WTB’s Exposure. They initially suggested the touriste cum all road typical 36mm but, given the clearances, we went for the 30mm. They’re also marketed as being for gravel bikes serving as tarmac tools, which on paper seems another good audience. 120tpi, dual compound casings bode well for supple ride quality and a decent turn of speed.  

 

Their SG2 puncture repelling tech runs bead to bead, designed to protect against nicks and more serious cuts which also bodes very well for general winter riding. Will be interesting to see how they compare to the 32mm Maxxis Refuse MAXXIS REFUSE TR FOLDING TYRE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), after all, they’re also close comparators weight-wise.  

 

Even though the Halo White Line HALO CLASSIC RIM & SHUTTER PRECISION DYNOHUB DISC WHEEL BUILD (sevendaycyclist.com) aren’t duly deep, or wide, I’d been warned the Exposure would put up a fight and I went for a 700x23-28c tube to minimise the likelihood of pinch flats. To my astonishment, I was able to mount them speedily and using only my thumbs, although had the mighty Crank Brothers Speedier Lever ready, in anticipation. 

 

 Will be interesting to see how the Evolution stand up to winter, compared with the 60tpi, 700ish g genre I lean toward from November to March (or thereabouts). Kenda Kwick Journey KS Plus KENDA KWICK JOURNEY TYRES | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) have been the most durable of this genre, relatively swift too.  

 

Vittoria Adventure Tech are another surprise. 820g for a 700x38 is hefty (although still lighter than Schwalbe’s iconic Marathon Plus) and the 3mm puncture repelling belt only covers the centre strip. Nonetheless, they can be run at 85psi and feel surprisingly swift despite coarse 33tpi (Threads per inch) casings. CST Xpedium CST Xpedium Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) remain a firm favourite of mine if you’ve bigger clearances and to a lesser extent, a tighter budget.    

 

Staying with the themes of fixed and stubborn stuff, I’ve concluded the only option for splitting beefy track chains is this Cyclus Chain Rivet Pliers. Cobra had dropped theirs. The Cyclus are a fair bit dearer than the Cobra and though a worthwhile investment, it’s always prudent to watch the pennies. Besides, I’m replacing chains every two thousand miles, not daily.  

 

No sooner had these words been uttered, Saddleback invited me to test this Feedback Sports Chain Tool 3.0, which they say is the last shop grade chain tool I’ll ever need. Delighted to put these claims to the test. It does look and feel extremely well-engineered. Designed to chomp chains from 1 to 13 speeds. Bodies and pins eventually fail, in my experience, so I was pleased to see Feedback Sports offer inexpensive replacements.  

 

While dry and bright weather is a stable feature, I’ve been getting out on the Holdsworth, resulting in some minor tweaking of the saddle height and alignment of the down tube bottle cage, which was offending my sensibilities.  

 

Boiled down to a few millimetres in both cases and easily sorted with a 5 and 4mm Allen key. If only everything in life were that easily rectified... Well, good thing it’s not, otherwise we wouldn’t develop the resilience, coping mechanisms, creativity and general ability to overcome challenges and obstacles. 

 

I’d finally managed to organise the boxing and posting of Ursula. I’d a large box but needed to cut it down and essentially, engineer a new one, using copious amounts of duct tape. I was relieved to discover the box would just fit inside Meg, the mighty K11 Micra, rear seat down. Sent it 48 hours, insured to the hilt and the post office clerk was genuine and incredibly helpful.   

 

Closer inspection revealed more peeling paint around the bottom bracket shell and chainstay bridge. Now, my love and religious application of Waxoyl is widely known and there was plenty sloshing around the old girl’s inner sanctum. However, watching Paul Brodie’s channel Romax Rescue // Paul Brodie's Shop (youtube.com) 

 

I began wondering whether water had snuck in through the chainstay bridge, resulting in some undetected corrosion. Then again, as a club elder said to me as a thirteen-year-old we can convince ourselves of anything. I’ll leave that to Winston Vaz to assess. Main thing, the old girl’s makeover is underway.