Seasonal Wanderings

 The corridor between Christmas and New Year has always been one of reflection and preparation. You know the sort. If we had the space, the money and could justify, etc. I’ve always been drawn to daily drivers, those that rack up massive mileages and become a highly regarded member of the family. Steve’s 30-year-old Dawes Galaxy frameset had succumbed to terminal fatigue. I learned of this while we were discussing a missing parcel. 

 

The courier documented it as delivered but clearly not to the intended recipients. I’d done some multi-drop courier work while desperate some eighteen years back and was only too aware of some casuals who’d dump consignments.  We discovered it had been “delivered” in a doorway in an adjacent industrial estate. Thankfully, it was retrieved, and the story ended well. I’d also like to make clear, multi droppers are some of the hardest-working and most diligent people I’ve ever met. The nature of my business means I’ve met (and been extremely grateful to) plenty over the years. My own experiences of multi-drop means I try and make life as simple as I can for them. 

 

Back to Steve’s Galaxy... I suggested salvaging what he could from the Galaxy and porting it over to a Thorn Sherpa...Thorn Sherpa MK3 Frame (sjscycles.co.uk)  

Thorn’s Sherpa is another of those framesets that fired my imagination and the flame never quite extinguished. It's been around for over 20 years and is essentially a do-all 26-inch wheel tourer built from the marque’s 969 Cro-moly with incredibly smooth welds, cast ends, every kind of braze-on, and a powder-coated finish. Cantilever, or V brakes only, which could be a deal breaker for some folks these days. The same might apply to 26-inch wheels.  

Remarkably similar in principle to Ursula, although with touring, rather than mtb DNA. Complete builds using Deore components are offered and are arguably an excellent fit for the workhorse narrative. Rugged, pleasant to use but not too showy. If anything were to happen to Ursula (God forbid), I’d switch whatever was compatible, to the Dawes Edge frameset. GRAVEL BIKE ON A BUDGET: PART ONE (sevendaycyclist.com) 

Both have a generous range of braze ons, high-quality tubing, accommodate winter spiked tyres, and will do everything I need of them. Yes, that’s me closing down any Sherpa yearnings. Window shopping can be fun, and a source of inspiration.     

There’s been no relent of wet, greasy, and generally stormy conditions. The sort that induces punctures and strips chain lubes with ruthless finesse. Mercifully, the Pirelli Angel DT and CST Expedium haven’t succumbed and haven’t given any cause of concern over raised ironworks. However, wet and grit have made a tangible impression on the   Zefal Extra Wet Nano Ceramic ZEFAL EXTRA WET NANO CERAMIC CHAIN LUBE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 225 miles down the line.

A check during daylight confirmed a decent amount clung to the rollers and inner sanctum, but it sounded gritty, so I gave the gunge a cat lick. I checked the chain tension and wear since I was there.  One thing led to another, and I found myself replacing Z1 ESP and switching over to the Mavic Open Pro/ Halo Fix G hub HALO FIX G TRACK HUB | Seven Day Cyclist Tourin Tests Commuting build, since that sported the other Pirelli Angel DT and I’d run the CST Xpedium CST Xpedium Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) as a control for 200 miles. I also switched Ursula back to the Ryde/Halo Spin Dr and Ryde/Alfine combo since these sported the Maxxis Ikon Maxxis Ikon Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and conditions had turned too mild for basic spikes, let alone the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

I’ve also discovered some limits to the Shimano MW501 booties’ weatherproofing.  

They are highly weather resistant but will turn soggy after three hours of persistent rain, so waterproof socks come into their own. They also take a while to dry thoroughly when truly saturated. Pack with old newspaper and leave at room temperature, but away from sources of direct heat- general practice for technical kit.  

Hands have remained temperate and dry, courtesy of these Altura All Roads Waterproof Gloves, which have a more civilian style than traditional winter models, but with no loss of performance. Grippy silicone detailing on the palms and digits offers excellent tenure to bar wraps.  

The ENVE and silicone bar wraps are perhaps unsurprisingly, their best pairing but I’ve also had reassuringly good experiences with traditional leather handlebar wraps. Less padding hasn’t been an issue to date, either-that did come as a surprise. The knitted exterior has also proved excellent for taming runny, snotty noses-a real boon while I’m exorcising the remnants of this midwinter lurgi.   

Right, we’ve been through the shortest day of the year, Winter Soulstice if you prefer but here’s a quick overview of seen-by lighting IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE: SAFETY LIGHTING FOR CYCLISTS (sevendaycyclist.com) 

Darker, Cooler, Wetter

Continuing my theme of winter prep, I’ve received a set of these Mudhugger Gravel Hugger mudguards for testing. My fixed gear winter/trainer is the obvious candidate. Now, it sported traditional, full-length guards for several years. However, in common with Ursula, it runs the Gusset Headlock system rather than the star-fangled nut. This means the front guard needs to be drilled (so the threaded bolt can pass through), setting bearing tension and aligning the guard, first time round is something of a juggling act.  

Fine when set up, but on my fixed gear winter/trainer, the rear guard also needs to be drilled to mount to the wishbone, and tackling a rear puncture often requires loosening the stays. Sure, this is a relatively rare event, especially with tyres such as the Kenda  Kwick Journey KS Plus KENDA KWICK JOURNEY TYRES | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) but it’s not something I relish on cold, wet, gritty nights. Hence, clip-on designs are the way forward.  

Made from (material) the Gravel Hugger are incredibly convenient to install, although (and this goes for all this genre), a bit of “Helicopter Tape” (Thoughtfully Mudhugger have included some) or, in a pinch, good quality electrical tape prevents any potential abrasion of seat stay paintwork.  

The sort often caused by that infamous wet, gritty stuff I was talking about earlier. Crucially, there is a generous length at the rear to protect rider and machine from muck and spray. Back to full-length mudguards (fenders), it’s worth giving fasteners a quick lick of medium strength thread lock. Strong enough to prevent them shaking loose, and getting lost but permit straightforward, intentional disassembly. I’d also be inclined to give carrier, cantilever, and V brake bolts a very quick lick but swerve disc hardware.  

Now, many folks will point out that 26-inch wheels are old-fashioned, rather than “old school”. However, those of you are running an older mtb (s) as an asphalt commuter, or hardy winter bike may find 700c mudguards fit very well and offer superior protection, especially with big flaps, such as these   RAW Prismatic Reflective Yellow Mudflaps  RAW PRISMATIC REFLECTIVE MUDFLAPS | cycling, but not usually racing (sevendaycyclist.com)   

Elsewhere, while it's still been temperate enough for short sleeve summer weight jerseys, base layers and bib shorts-even at 5am, this isn’t likely to continue too much longer. Therefore, I stuff a micro jacket, or gilet into the bike-mounted luggage, rather than risk a lingering chest infection. The sort that leaves me coughing like a life-long chain-smoking welder. Some mornings have called for the Prendas Ciclismo Paris Bordeaux Long Sleeve Jersey PRENDAS CICLISMO LONG SLEEVE JERSEY | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

The Sigma Infinity continues to grow on me with its blend of prowess, simplicity, and frugality. Though lacking the outright punch of some big lumen flashers, it's surprisingly potent, especially in some seriously misty conditions. Ok, not quite “pea-soupers” or synonymous with the moors scenes in American Werewolf in London (which by the way, is one of my all-time favourite horror films.) 

Elsewhere, I was rather delighted to discover another roll of the fabulous Velo Orange Rubbery Baer Tape landing on my door. Conor reckoned his initial consignment had gone missing within the states, so very graciously sent another. I wasted no time in dressing the fixed’s bars. I regularly talk about chain lubes but until recently, have stuck with the factory stuff on Ursula’s latest KMC. Partly as I wanted to confirm that the cassette swap solved the mid-range remote shifting woes.  

For the record, the factory prep is very good and, in some instances, I’ve passed the 500-mile mark, during winter. Anyhow, 225 miles down the line, having returned from a 5 am “pea souper”, I decided the chain looked deceptively thirsty, so I found myself getting busy with the solvent bath. The oily residue clued me in, but there we are. Time being I’ve gone back to the Peaty’s LInk Lube Dry PEATYS LINK LUBE DRY CHAIN LUBE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) since conditions allow and for me at least, it’s a decent fair-weather default.