Loads, Logistics & Endless Pursuits

 

No sooner had the Topeak RX been switched around the fleet and the RX beam rack tethered to Denise’s USE post, Roswheel offered us their Tour and Tour Lite racks, tour panniers. 

The Tour Lite has a maximum cited payload of 20 kilos, is made from 6061 aluminium alloy and is designed to accommodate a wide range of framesets and 26, 27.5 and 700c tyres up to 50mm wide. It’s a little lighter than the Topeak Uni Super Tourist 2.0 Non-Disc Rack Topeak Uni SuperTourist 2.0 NonDisc Rack | cycling-not-racing  but 25g heavier than The M Part Summit M Part Summit Rear Rack | cycling-not-racing ( 879g and 715g respectively).  Welds are neat and uniform throughout and the textured grey finish continues this narrative. I like the 3- or 4-point fitting options as standard and the addition of a nicely engineered (rather than pressed steel “giveaway”) spanner was a very pleasant surprise. Three-point fits with the brief and lends itself to Audax and training bikes where you might want to carry a bit extra but not the proverbial kitchen sink. The top plate’s profile is decidedly narrow, so I wonder how well it will host trunk bags, such as my long serving Carradice.  

 Talking of luggage, Steve (Seven Day Cyclist Co-Editor) is due to embark on a very big tour with his wife in April, so if you’re a manufacturer, or distributor and you’d like him to long term test your products, let me know.

Giving Muffin a good sudsy bucket clean presented the ideal opportunity to fit the Dia Compe 138 lever, which gives my left hand the comfortable resting spot I was missing and two hundred miles hence, I didn’t opt for the broader Ridgeback. Defaulting to the Leatt Pro Clip Endurance 6.0 Shoes, these continue to impress, while confirming some suspicions. Namely that the sole is stiff, but when climbing hard on the fixed, there’s some minor flex.

It’s very subtle, but I wasn’t surprised to find their Endurance 6.0 pedals offered optimal support, but no issues with Shimano, or their legions of homages.  It’s worth noting they are a sporty, rather than race orientated cross country mountain bike/gravel shoes. The latter prioritise pedalling efficiency, but are quite harsh to walk in, which isn’t always desirable. Horses for courses.  

This minor flex is much less apparent on the 2x10 drivetrains, since my approach is different- I’m usually dropping down a gear or two, turning a higher cadence and winching up. Wet and wintry conditions also confirmed my suspicions that the large section of opaque mesh will allow water inside. The good news is the Pro Clip Endurance 6.0 have proven roomy enough for waterproof socks.

Otherwise, wearing merino blend socks, bargain on some slight sogginess given 50 minutes or so in persistent, showery rain.  Speaking of wintry conditions, they’ve been ideal for testing technical kit and I’ve grown fond of the Castelli Unlimited Rain Jacket Castelli Unlimited Rain Jacket | cycling-not-racing . Waterlogged roads and a sudden cold snap lead to ice and indeed, some light snow, so I was glad I’d left Ursula shod with the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro Tyres | cycling-not-racing.

There are two basic approaches to filthy conditions, although, as with life generally, there is nuance.  There are those that will give bikes a twenty-minute sudsy bucket clean to remove salt, grit and contaminant post ride, before it can take hold. There are those who just allow it to stick, rustling up the buckets when the mucky spell has passed. Not difficult to see the logic and it has sometimes been the basis behind winter bikes- recycling downgraded components.

However, while fixed, single speed, hub geared and say, 6,7 or 8spd derailleur transmissions are relatively tolerant of being basted in crap, in my experience, 9 speed upwards get consumed at a rapid rate. With this in mind, I’m inclined to give bikes a moderately thorough clean every third outing, or a deeper clean, weekly. I don’t employ waxes to beautify in this context, rather to protect, to provide a barrier against the elements, making grot harder to stick in the first instance.  

I've had a few rude awakenings lately in the context of my mental and physical well-being, nothing that can't be steered back on course, but rather symptomatic of wider issues and possibly, unhealthy coping mechanisms. Nothing that was obvious- riding, energy levels and general physicality were unaffected, but there were other tell-tale signs. Irritability, difficulty in sleeping and an unsettling rash. The latter I attributed to a change in shampoo, and it seemed to ease a little when I switched to an alternative. However, itching and redness along my upper forearms was bigger cause for concern.

Again, something I dismissed as a bite-navigating flooded roads and a seasonally unexpected gnat orbiting my bedroom being two "probable" causes. These weren't the culprits and it was yet another reminder that I'm not invincible and we all need to monitor, check and adjust things accordingly.

The present socio-political climate and the uncertainty it presents is undoubtedly a strong influence, a pull to unhealthy coping mechanisms/escape attempts, whether this be consumer spending, reliance upon substances/self-medication (legal and otherwise), gambling, shopping, or risky sexual practices/unhealthy relationships. 

Politicians, regardless of “colours” talk endlessly of growth and stimulating it, without actually doing anything, save for a vague notion of tweaking something. A novice with a spoke key, basically. 

Payloads & Playtimes

 

When it comes to racks, four point and 20 plus kilo carrying capacities are my defaults. I’d tried and indeed tested beam types in the past but found they had a tendency not to manage the loads promised very effectively. However, the last was over a decade ago and the river of technology moves at an incredibly rapid rate.  

Not everyone can or wants a rack “permanently” mounted and they add scope for longer day rides and trunk bags, provided you had sufficient exposed seat post. Carbon seat posts remain non-starters. Frankly, I wouldn’t tether anything heavier than a wedge pack and rear light to a carbon, or composite post. This Topeak RX Beam Rack coincided with my interest in Topeak’s RX Trunk Bag DXP, which is aimed at road, rather than trail audience.

Made from heat treated 6061 aluminium alloy, it tips the scales at a surprisingly stout 665g and in any colour you like, so long as its silver. Beefy welds have an industrial beauty, rather than refinement but are neatly executed and inspire confidence.  The collar is relatively shallow, requiring less exposed post and somewhat reminiscent of an Ahead stem, courtesy of the twin bolt closure. This promises more reliable tenure than the in my viewed, flawed quick release closures.

Complete with shim, this supposedly means a universal fit-at least on round models between 25.4 and 31.8mm. In practice, I’ve needed to brew my own using redundant butyl tube, but that’s the thing with the phrase universal, it’s always begging for contradiction.

You’ll not I’ve given the fasteners a liberal helping of grease-in this instance   Oxford Mint Assembly Grease Oxford Mint Assembly Grease | cycling-not-racing since its very stoical and I had it to hand. Torque to 8nm.  

The maximum payload is 15lbs, which is modest, but practical for day riding, and, with careful calculation, gives scope for a fairly stout lock. As for the RX Trunk Bag DXP, this is made from 600 Denier Polyester complete with a DuPont Teflon Coating claimed to offer improved weather resistance.

The main compartment features “aerodynamic” foam walls and coupled with the drop down-side panniers and expandable main compartments equates to 7.1 litres- very useful for day rides and those who want more carrying capacity than a wedge pack but without the bulk and indeed wind resistance of traditional panniers.  I’ve managed to slip a decent amount into the main compartment-three spare tubes, tool caddy, spare tyre levers, Pedro’s Trixie, separate multi tool, cable ties and a patch kit.  

I was curious as to whether the Trunk Bag would also prove compatible with the marques Uni Super Tourist DX top plate. Spoiler alert, I was pleasantly surprised to discover it was, so left it mounted to Ursula for a few wintry outings.  Interestingly, the MTX Dry Bag Trunk Bag doesn’t seem compatible with the RX Beam Rack.  Rounding off this impromptu mid-afternoon fettling session came bottle cage replacement, I liked the contrast of the composite cages, which worked better in practice than I’d expected. However, they were prone to collecting grime, so I went for some black Elite Cruissi homages.

As for Ursula, my hunch that the trailer quick release would provide greater rigidity at the frame ends, eradicating any disc tickling under load proved correct.  Sometimes it’s those little victories that give the biggest lifts.

 I’m also pleased with Muffin’s Selcof Sterrato V2 bar switch, although they’re slightly narrower than the Genetic D Riser 4 they replace, but there’s still ample control and no skittishness. From an aesthetic perspective, it makes mounting lights and other little gizmos, such as this ORP Smart Horn that bit easier. I also suspected I would miss a left dummy lever for parking my hand when cruising. Some Dia Compe 138 with colour-coordinating black hoods turned up. I’m planning to pop the Cane Creek on the Holdsworth (since that runs a Tektro and the mutually compatible hood shape means everything will align nicely with the spirit level). Ha!      

Leatt have sent me their Pro Clip 6.0 Endurance shoes, which they say are “designed for riders who want dependable performance and all-day comfort without the race-focused stiffness”. Formative outings suggest they’re onto something here.

There’s a roomy toe-box, which is supportive and roomy enough for waterproof socks-a good move, since there’s acres of cooling mesh-essential for the warmer months given the synthetic uppers. The MOZ/Leatt lacing system will be intuitive to anyone familiar with the Boa types and allows for great, hassle-free tunability.

A Nylon shank is designed to offer the right blend of stiffness and support while allowing easy, comfortable walking or running sans bike. The ride grip outsole is suitably aggressive and grippy. They’re not as stiff as the Shimano RX6 Shimano SH RX600 Gravel Cycling Shoes | cycling-not-racing (and a little heavier too at 790g for the 45) , which remain a firm favourite of mine, but stiffer than Shimano’s MT701 GTX   Shimano MT701 GTX SPD Shoes | cycling-not-racing . Goldilocks but without the bears? Time, roads and boggy wet trails will tell.   Meantime, I’ll leave you with my review of the Castelli Unlimited Rain Jacket Castelli Unlimited Rain Jacket | cycling-not-racing and perhaps more fittingly,. Steve’s review of the SKS Infinity Urban Trunkbag XL SKS Infinity Urban Trunkbag XL | cycling-not-racing

  

 

  

Rambling & Roaming

 

Having tamed cranks, rim tapes and similar sources of potential mischief, it was time for longer, laden escapes from the maddening crowd.   

The Madison Summit rack has been doing its thing very competently, without fuss, or fanfare. Its TIG welded in Taiwan and to the standards I’ve come to expect from products coming out of the Far East. The 10mm rod offers a very stable platform for panniers, especially those such as this Oxford Aqua V20 with Rixen Kaul type attachments Oxford Aqua V20 Single Pannier | cycling-not-racing, which is particularly welcome along rougher roads and trails. I’m still really impressed, astounded in some respects, by the Lomo Zephyr Lomo Zephyr Waterproof Panniers | cycling-not-racing

The narrower (100mm) top section is a little slender for bigger rack bags and though this Carradice will sit reliably, allowing me to concentrate on a decent tempo, it can make fitting and removing panniers from the lower tier trickier, technically defeating the object of a two-tier design. For the record, the Carradice is 116mm wide, so a consideration if you’re planning on a bigger rack bag, especially if you’re pairing with a pannier-single or otherwise.      

 I’ve been contemplating tyres for a while and was talking in terms of something old school and beefier. I may still do this, during the winter months but I’m sticking with something swifter. I’m still impressed by the Maxxis Ravager Maxxis Ravager TR Tyres | cycling-not-racing. My experience suggests that 60tpi casings are more reliable, especially off road. I’ve had one flat with the Ravager, three with Pirelli’s perky Cinturato. Admittedly one was a rim tape issue, so not down to the tyre and they still have bags of charm but I’m craving dependability at the moment, in case that wasn’t obvious.

I got curious about Maxxis Rambler, which Maxxis say are their most popular gravel offering, reckoned to perform uniformly well along asphalt, dirt roads and gravel. The Rambler has been around for a decade now, which suggests a fundamentally very competent design. Tightly packed centre knobblies promise efficiency, while more widely spaced cornering/side knobblies promise to keep bite deep when cornering on looser surfaces.

As would be expected, it’s a dual compound, tubeless ready model. There are two variants, our 60tpi and 120tpi, they’re also available in a wealth of sizes, from 38 to 50mm. I’ve gone for the 700x40, since that’s optimal, dare I say maximum for Denise’s clearances.

The Silk shield puncture repelling technology runs from bead to bead, thus offering the sidewalls some defence against flats and cut damage. They also tip the scales at a similarly respectable 524g apiece. I’ve run ours up front, the Ravager behind, as a control for the first hundred miles. Now, the Ravager are no slouches, even on metalled roads. However, the 60tpi Rambler feel palpably faster. Having reached for the rambler front and rear, I’ve am averaging 16.7mph against 15.9mph along comparable sections and thus far, they’re proving equally engaging off road, along dry hardpack trails, unmade roads and forest trails.

Grip and cornering prowess are proving similarly dependable, although I anticipate needing something with a deeper, more mtb influenced tread when the wetter, wintry months bring boggy bridlepath.  50psi seems the sweet spot for mixed terrain shenanigans but obviously, I’ll experiment further, as time and miles advance.   While giving Muffin a well-earned wash and light fettle, one thing led to another and I was curious as to whether they’d fit comfortably up front, being 42mm (against the Continental Pure Contact, which are 40mm wide and run a hair’s breadth from the MudHugger Gravel Hugger Mudguards. Much to my surprise, the short answer is yes, and this also presented an opportunity to tweak the Spyre calliper’s alignment fractionally.

The Leatt 6.0 are still performing impeccably and having regularly alternating between Muffin (and the Shimano M540) and Denise suggests the Leatt are a little stiffer, translating in slightly improved power transfer, Finish quality is also proving very high, resisting regular dis/engagements with nominal signs of wear.  Interestingly, the Leatt cleats seem fully compatible with Shimano SPD pedals, but Shimano cleats weren’t quite so compatible and its required more effort to engage and release.

Staying with pedals, I’ve always leaned towards dirt biased SPD shoes since the power transfer is generally very good, and you can walk or run efficiently and comfortably. Race shoes, mtb or otherwise can be fine- I’m quite happy whizzing along on the fixed for several hours with these stiff soled FLR F70 Pro MTB M250 Shoe FLR F70 Pro MTB M250 Shoe | cycling-not-racing  but found them a touch too rigid, say shouldering bikes cyclo cross fashion across more technical sections, or indeed mooching around, but then our old friend “horses for courses” springs to mind. 

Gravel a Gimmick? I beg to differ

 Some commentators suggest that Gravel is a gimmick. Sure, I don’t subscribe to all its nuances, but lightweight drop bar builds with the ability to traverse unmade roads have been cemented in my psyche, since 1986. I suddenly found myself contemplating another bar switch, this time to some On-One Midge. A flared design that I was initially sceptical about but stealthily grew on me, back in 2005 However, I quickly recalled that these Soma Fabrications Condor 2 SOMA CONDOR 2 SHALLOW DROP BARS | (sevendaycyclist.com) shape was great for the fixed and optimal for Ursula. 

Gravel clothing also lends itself very nicely to other genres- touring and indeed everyday riding thanks to its rugged materials. I’ve switched from my defaults, the Shimano RX600 Shimano SH RX600 Gravel Cycling Shoes | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) back to their more compliant, less racy MT701 GTX Shimano MT701 GTX SPD Shoes | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)

Primarily since I’ve stubbed my toe and the GTX are a little roomier at the toe box. Soles are more compliant, so lack the RX600’s razor-sharp power transfer but still offer excellent support and are a little more comfortable sans bike.  

A good bet for touring, commuting and general riding. If you’re on a relatively tight budget, FLR Rexton Touring/Trail shoe FLR REXSTON ACTIVE TOURING/TRAIL SHOE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) are another rugged, versatile choice. Laces and Velcro lack the refinement and convenience of the boa systems and the emphasis is more on the lighter side of trail/gravel duties. However, they’ve stood up to wintry roads and other, not-so-balmy weather very well.     

Arguably, Polaris Bikewear’s discontinued Challenge range stole a march on this mixed terrain clothing narrative. POLARIS CHALLENGE NEXUS SHORTS TEST AND REVIEW (sevendaycyclist.com)  POLARIS TRAVERSE MEN'S JERSEY REVIEW (sevendaycyclist.com) not forgetting the Pioneer jacket, POLARIS CHALLENGE PIONEER WINDPROOF JACKET REVIEW (sevendaycyclist.com) I still wear these during spring and summer months.  

Pearson Cycles Adventure range and specifically, their red adventure long sleeve Cycling Jacket is my new favourite. It’s a bridge garment, in the jersey cum jacket vein. Reckoned to withstand a fast-paced encounter with a Hawthorne hedge, there’s a great blend of retro and modern.  

The main fabric is 65% recycled polyester, 25% recycled Coolmax and 10% Lycra.  The chest panel is overlain with Millerain. There are two deep breast pockets and a further two at the rear. One big poacher type for generic capture-all, the other for a mini pump. 

Gravel helmets also bridge the gap between genres very nicely. Bell Muni Urban Sport Helmet was another, now-dropped design ahead of the trend. Peak, 21 vents and LED lights at the rear ensured it performed well on and off road, touring and commuting. It also blended nicely with road and mtb threads and didn’t look out of place on a road-biased touring lorry, either.  

Looking at the current catalogue, the Bell Trace LED helmet looks the closest comparator. Madison Cycles Madison.co.uk – The UK’s largest cycle parts & accessories distributor sent me this Lazer Chameleon, which is another design intended to cross between gravel, touring, commuting and light trail duties.  Ours is the medium, which tips the scales at a respectable 283g and is the “lowlier” non-MIPS version (£20 cheaper).  

It features a crash replacement program, meaning a replacement can be bought at a discount, which hopefully you’ll never need. The Advanced Rollsys adjustment system is designed for a precise fit- crucial if a helmet is to do its job effectively. Rather than the big thumbwheel, there’s a smaller, splined dial at the top, and the cradle system avoids pressure points, while ensuring a clear, unhindered exit for ponytails.  

A peak, 13 large vents continue the versatile narrative. Ours is the two-tone matt blue, but there are other matt colours- black, white and red. Matt colours require a little more care and dedicated “polishes” but nothing outlandish, in my experience. Finish and specification are pretty much what I’ve come to expect from this end of the market.  

The polycarbonate shell doesn’t extend around the rim, leaving it slightly more vulnerable to the usual everyday carelessness but no more so than similar designs. In common with the Bell models, it is designed to accept a dedicated (aftermarket) light, but I’ve also found several others, including the Magicshine Seemee (100, 180 and 200-lumen models) a perfectly good fit, ditto the slightly heavier and now discontinued Xeccon Mars 60 TESTED: XECCON MARS 60 COB REAR LIGHT (sevendaycyclist.com)   

Thirteen vents might not sound particularly airy but thus far, they’ve been gulping in a decent and continuous flow of cooling air, without the painful “ice cream” headaches that can strike on long, fast, chill descents. Wind noise is also reassuringly absent and I’m forming a fondness for it-as if you couldn’t tell.  Same goes for Ursula’s new 2x10 Deore setup... Ending on a related note, here's my review of the Feedback Sports Cassette PliersFeeback Sports Cassette Pliers | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com).