Switches & Ursula's Return

 

I’d returned from the puncture marked ride and decided it was time to give Denise another deep clean, make some gentle tweaks and switch to the fixed gear winter trainer for a little while. This proved an ideal opportunity to put the Green Oil Massive Brush to good use. The added length and softer bristle plot mean it’s effective for all areas of the bike and kind to all surfaces, including paintwork.  I’ve always been fond of the original, standard model but the stiffer bristle plot means it’s better suited to wheels, tyres, bar tape and drivetrain components.    

As for the fixed, well I need to get some serious miles on the WTB Exposure, especially to assess their wet weather prowess and puncture resistance. Getting the balance between ride quality, reliability and durability is a difficult one. A tyre that delivers a spirited, engaging, and compliant ride but without flatting at the first hint of a flint is no mean feat. I’m generally fond of Schwalbe One 365 but have some quiet reservations about the puncture repelling belt, which only covers the centre strip.  

A moot point during a dry summer but wet roads serve as a lubricant. Sure, rolling resistance will drop but the water gives sharps easier passage inside the tyre casing. Anecdotally, others have praised the WTB Exposure’s compliance, speed and puncture resistance, so we’ll see. I’m hoping so. Formative impressions are of a very swift, compliant ride with excellent feedback when cornering on wet roads. A few hundred miles will reveal more. Wetter, characteristically autumnal weather has also presented an opportunity to get miles in with the Madison Flux Waterproof Trail Gloves.  

Flat palms are something of a bum steer. Padding density though uniform, is generous, giving excellent defence against low lever vibration without compromising connection with the bars and controls. Silicone detailing is less extensive than some but effective nonetheless and the detailing on thumb and fore finger make for excellent connectivity between touch screen devices. However, rummaging in pockets and operating trusty compact camera is proving trickier- especially on the fly. Thus far, the waterproof backs are doing their thing with similar aplomb and the extensive terry panel is great for taming runny noses etc.  Here’s my review of the Cycology Life Behind Bars MTB Gloves Cycology Life Behind Bars MTB Gloves | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  

As or the Shimano MW7, well I’m equally smitten. I remain a major fan of the MW5 but the MW7’s boa closure ensures a precise, almost custom fit. The sole is palpably stiffer, much closer to the RX7, which is particularly apparent when accelerating hard or keeping a high, smooth cadence, especially on the fixed.  

I’ve decided to raise the fixed’s saddle height by a centimetre or two and, having removed the post’s binder bolt was amused by how well the Weldtite Carbon Gripper held everything inline! Thankfully, it moved with minimal effort. I added some Mint Assembly Grease to the binder bolt while I was at it. 

As for Ursula. Well, Winston and Mario had sorted the repairs, modifications and refinishing. I received a message from Winston asking me to arrange collection before the weekend. Within twenty minutes, I’d organised and paid a courier, passing on the relevant info. Given it was Tuesday, Thursday was the earliest pick up.   

I was keen to get the old girl back, for a wealth of obvious reasons. (a) We’ve been through so much and covered so many miles together (b) I was eager to see the repair, refurb and modernisation in the flesh. (c) I wanted to complete the rebuild before winter. Winston had sent camera shot images of the work at various stages. Useful as progress snapshots and welcome but not an accurate representation of the frame finish etc, especially under tungsten light.   

Emerging from the box, I was relieved to find she’d survived the parcel destroyers unscathed and was the shade of grey I’d hoped for. The first thing I wanted to do was fill her inner sanctum with corrosion inhibitor.  I’d run out of my home brewed “hillbilly Waxoyl” so decided to go for a commercial formula instead.  

J Weigel’s Framesaver is another popular, frame specific staple. One I’ve used to good effect in the past. Ditto Pro Gold Steel Frame Protector. However, on this occasion. I spotted some more generic automotive prep designed for door sections and sills, lending itself nicely to KA and Micra duties, too. It’s essentially a wax type formula, so should go the distance, especially since I’ve applied during a dry and relatively mild period.   

The other option was to drop some 10W40 motor oil inside the seat tube and using GT85, or similar, to chase it around the frame. I’ve left Ursula sat on old newspaper overnight to absorb any residual and will then get busy with the Zefal Skin Armor ZEFAL SKIN ARMOR ROLL | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  to protect against cable rub and related damage before commencing the big build. 

Gravel Rash

No, I’m not referring to a fast and painful encounter with terra firma (although back in the late 90s, I sported acres of asphalt and slag burns). I am of course referring to the genre of off roading aboard rigid bikes with cyclo cross DNA, bigger clearances and more bottle bosses.

 

This sense of escape is the same as that first imagined as a callow youth, reading mountain bike magazines during geography classes. Back then, I had no money. These days, projects need to pay for themselves and any new one, MUST coincide with schematic and continuous clear outs.

Enter this frameset. It’s a 19inch 631 Dawes from the early 1990s, complete with 1- inch threaded fork. It belonged to Paul Vincent and run by him as a cyclo cross bike, hence, the cantilever mounts were moved to accommodate 700c wheels.

It had been refinished in a rather fetching, although slightly battle-scarred grey. The project brief is to build a fat tyre, pared to the essentials 700c gravel flyer for virtually nothing.

Reclaiming space and cash is imperative. Otherwise, thee comes a point where friends’ garages and loft spaces have also been colonised…Next thing you know, they need these spaces back and, you’re presented with an almighty storage crisis. Things turn decidedly awkward for all concerned.

This sense of panic also means, you cannot separate what is valuable (whether that’s measured in sentimental, or monetary terms).   

I’m a creature of sentiment but there comes a point where three, maybe four saddles, is fine, ditto six sets of (different) condition specific tyres. Ten saddles, 15 sets of tyres and it’s time to rationalise.

Context established, little surprise that I dropped by Maldon Shot Blasting & Powder Coating http://www.ctc-powder-coating.co.uk/  for a chat. Graham seemed quite excited by the project. He gently steered me away from a classic red and toward a candy teal.

Candy finishes though beautiful, are tricky to apply and, even applied by the most experienced sprayers, there can be some very slight variances in the overall effect. I was told by Paul, that the frame had been powder-coated. Hence, I was expecting it to need a dunk in the methyl-chloride tank. This softens the paint, before it can pass to the iron oxide cabinet.

Closer inspection and a knowing sniff; revealed it was our old friend, wet-spray 2K. Hence, having masked the threaded areas, Graham whipped it into the iron oxide blaster. It took twenty minutes to remove every. last trace. However, good, sympathetic preparation and a correctly keyed surface is essential. No dings, dents, or similar imperfections, which was pretty much my expectation.  More next week…

 

Like big tyres? Well, I reckon Vee Tire Co Zilent https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/r  give Schwalbe’s long running and justly revered, Marathon Plus https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/schwalbe-marathon-plus-tyres  a good run for our hard earned. For me at least, working bikes need to be practical but also fun to ride.

Arguably, if a bike isn’t fun, then its not actually that practical. I’ve had a quick switcheroo of my Ilpompino’s front tyre, exchanging the Continental Contact plus https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/continental-contact for the lighter, faster rolling 42mm Maxxis Roamer https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/maxxis-roamer-tyres

I’m a sociable loner and an introvert by nature. Characteristics, which are frowned upon in a society, that favours extroversion. However, many, introverts, myself included, are very capable of holding our own in a professional context. I can interview people and network with suppliers all day long.

Cycle and motorcycle touring teach a myriad of skills. Self-sufficiency and resourcefulness being the most obvious. Forging constructive relationships quickly is another. Crashes can be painful.

The best maintained machines can fail unexpectedly. The skills to repair that broken rack are academic, if you can’t persuade a local mechanic, or blacksmith to lend you their welder. Then of course (As my late father was fond of pointing out) you might want to eat!

No, I didn’t learn to read people’s minds, or perform some Vulcan-esque mind moulding technique. (More’s the pity!). Nonetheless, I can identify whether someone’s intentions are good, or otherwise.

Working with models demands the ability to quickly put people at, and moreover, maintain that ease. My shoots are renown for being very chatty. Unlike extrovert personalities, outside of these contexts, I require a lot of time to myself, contemplating ideas and mentally recharging.

Most recently, I’ve worked with Tom Collins, seen here modelling our Seven Day Cyclist T shirt and the lovely, ultra-professional Amy JR Jones. Amy and I hard originally planned a duo-shoot, with an aspiring male model but he backed out, without notice.   

Cream

Paint freshly cured and blemish free, my Univega's frameset grew accustomed to its new identity at centrally heated room temperature. I headed north on other missions and awaited the arrival of those chain-ring bolts for the 1x9 conversion. Several days hence, those bolts had arrived...

Long drives can leave me feeling wired, so I promised myself, I’d “Just do an hour”; treat the frame internally, get the headset, bars, stem, bottom bracket etc in…

Three hours later, I was a lot further along but reaching that dangerous tipping point-the one where thought processes become addled and mistakes made. At 1.30 am, I flopped into bed and resumed building after eight hours rest.

Everything breezed together with liberal helpings of fresh grease and minimal faff. On the subject of grease, I’ve been suitably impressed by the longevity of Green Oil eco grease that remained pretty conspicuous on fasteners and bottom bracket threads alike some months in. http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/green-oil-eco-grease  

Full-length mudguards certainly help but, I was also pleasantly surprised to discover a decent layer of Muc-Off grease still adorning the Stronglight Aheadset bearings. These had been pretty much untouched for two years.    

Rebuilding is an ideal opportunity to give components and accessories a really thorough scrub. Mudguards were purged of wintry sludge; corroded “stainless” fasteners were replaced, re-greased and snugged tight. Many miles in, its KMC X9-ept chain http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/kmc-x9-ept-chain was now well past the first flushes of youth and signalled another enforced break, while waited for its SRAM PC971 replacement to arrive.

Puncture season in full swing, I switched my attention to salvaging tubes. Having discovered my ‘cross inspired fixer’s front tyre pancake flat, I changed the tube, rounded up some other casualties and patched them for spares duty.

Two patches is my limit. Those sporting more; or larger lesions are decommissioned and reincarnated as top tube/chainstay protectors, headset or seat collar boots.

During the Univega’s makeover, Graham asked if I would drop by and strip his scabby old tart- a much loved, though world weary mid-90s GT Timberline.

It would’ve been ungrateful to decline, so, needing a break from the screen I popped in midweek. Two hours, one tin of penetrant spray and some nervous moments later, everything (including a seized UN30 cartridge bottom bracket!) relented.

Frameset bare and ready for the stripping tank, I turned my attentions to the Timberline’s grungy Alivio groupset. A liberal helping of Fenwicks’ FS1, some warm water and furious scrubbing later restored it to a socially acceptable and basically serviceable state.

While kinder to user and environment than my old friend, methyl chloride, the wispy vapour emanating from the other tank, always reminds me of the transporter scene in David Cronenberg’s visceral reworking of “The Fly”. Several minutes later and it had done a decent job of softening and partially stripping the existing finish.

Dredged from the chloride tank, things are basically dry. This one leaves a slightly slimy layer behind, which demands a few minutes longer in the blast cabinet.

After a few false starts, every last trace of residual paint and stickers were gone, leaving only a faintly dimpled, primer friendly surface behind. Graham’s going the blue route and has plenty of choice at his disposal.        

Elsewhere, there’s been a sudden swing to wintry weather. I’ve been thankful for my ‘cross inspired fixer’s quick, though dependable handling while chasing along lanes carpeted in thick slush.

Fixed offers that extra bit of feedback between tyres and surface. The ability to ease off gently against the transmission to slow, rather than pulling the front brake and being spat off is a definite plus! 

Kitchen Sink Drama

Kitchens double as fantastic workshops-fresh running water, kettle food, TV/radio and similar creature comforts. Returning from the midlands with new laptop, I decided there was no better way to start the week than reassembling my beloved Mk2 Ilpompino.

Having carefully reintroduced headset cups, seat collar and bottom bracket shell, everything came together pretty effortlessly, although by midday focus was waning on account of telephone calls and encroaching hunger. By this point, only the front brake needed dialling in but I’d earmarked other, pressing deadlines for the afternoon. 

Tuesday was deeply frustrating, spent awaiting a courier and responses to urgent emails-neither of which arrived until late that afternoon, though thankfully I managed to keep a 4.45 appointment. By 1800 the disc was sorted and home brewed frame preserve sloshing inside the Ilpompino’s inner sanctum.

New seasons’ clothing and lighting needed putting through its paces and I don’t require enticing where kit testing’s concerned. I was also pleased to discover decathlon had sent me a G-Eye2 escape under warrantee. This seems a marked improvement over its likeable predecessor. Fittings/accessories are GO-PRO pattern, so thus far, everything, including the weatherproof casing plugs straight on.

A quick, cursory play later, I mounted it on the Ilpompino’s handlebar extension bracket, engaged lights and headed out. Just as Tuesday was concluding on fairly positive notes, while grinding along a greasy, dung strewn gradient, we sliced through a cowpat heavily impregnated with hedge clippings…

The Vittoria voyager hyper unleashed a loud petulant hiss, blowing raspberries with every revolution. Despite being narrow, large trucks often take this route to small industrial units, so a suitable clearing was imperative if I wasn’t to become another piece of roadkill.  

Finding a safe, sheltered spot, I rummaged through the wedge pack. No CO2 inflator!!!!...A wave of panic subsided upon finding the Specialized midi pump, spare tubes and my favourite BTwin tyre levers.

The eerie silence was broken by a woman’s voice. “Excuse me, have you got a puncture?” Despite the Sigma Evo Pro lamp’s considerable power, I couldn’t pinpoint her location but presumed it must’ve come from the cottage opposite.

“Yes, but its fine-thank you” I replied, an early 80’s Godley and Cream track “Under your thumb” suddenly filled the backdrop as my imagination went into overdrive. I wouldn't mind but there's still a few weeks until Halloween.

Even in standard mode, the Sigma Evo Pro’s has sufficient bite for spirited backroad scratching and I was particularly grateful for its prowess as I removed the front

wheel, extracted the wounded butyl and began scrutinising the Vittoria’s casing for embedded sharps.

Ten minutes later, wheel reinstated with a useable 60psi, I resumed my twenty mile loop. Petitioning the god of punctures with prayer seemed to help. Kenda thorn-resistant tubes are my first line of defence, rolling resistance is more apparent given their relative heft.

However, their valve stems are too short for deep section rims, so I may opt for something impregnated with green goo if this scenario becomes more prevalent into winter.  Time to replenish the otherwise superb faux leather Mpart bar wrap. Hmm, what will it be?...