Gearing Up (& Fresh Grease) for a New Season

 

Ursula’s drivetrain purged with the NZero Bike DegreaserNZero Bike Degreaser | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), new chain and other parts set aside, I’m awaiting a 100g (about 3.53 oz) tub of Oxford Mint Assembly grease ahead of the rebuild. Oxford describe it as “a high-performance red grease with pressure additives to provide excellent lubrication and dirt repellent properties”. The base is solvent refined mineral oil with a lithium complex thickener.   

In this instance, Oxford recommends it for low-speed applications, such as bicycle bearings and pivot points, which need low friction, while being highly resistant to the elements.  Synthetic blends are best for modern bikes where carbon and other composites are typical. Traditional lithium pastes are very stoical on old school cup and cone hubs, unsealed headsets etc.  

However, they will do very nasty things to rubberised components, including seals and encourage galvanic corrosion (where ferrous and non-ferrous components, such as aluminium alloy seat posts in steel frames get chemically welded to their hosts). If you’re only going to have one blend on the shelf, I’d go synthetic. Purpose specific blends are the way forward if you’re looking for the last word in performance.  

Assembly greases for contact points, bearing grease for hubs, headsets and pivot points. Ultra-low friction blends, such as Peaty’s Speed Grease PEATY'S SPEED GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) are particularly good for competition riding, or summer bikes. Contexts where you really want to blast along and get every last benefit from that top drawer groupset.  

The speed Grease has also proven surprisingly stoical, clinging on through winter, although I’d still be inclined to strip and replenish every six months or so. Ok, so the darker months aren’t here just yet, but preparing for them makings riding more fun and breakdowns infrequent. Thus far, the Shutter Precision SL9 hub still sems in good health but I’m contemplating taking another direction before it does.  

Experience suggests it’s the sealed bearings that get the grumbles given 20,000miles or so and I’m edging towards that. The most obvious, dare I say cost effective solution is to have the SL9HALO EVURA & SHUTTER PRECISION SL9 DYNOHUB BUILD (sevendaycyclist.com) overhauled via Ison Distribution (their UK Importer) and have the silver anodised Shimano unit presently in hibernation, built into the existing Halo rim and have that as a dedicated front wheel for Denise...Waste not, want not, use what you got and er, rationalise the spares bin.    

Talking of which, I was eager to find a longer shim for Ursula’s Kinekt 2.1 seat postKINEKT 2.1 SUSPENSION SEAT POST | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), since a longer unit should offer greater support to the post and ultimately, prove kinder to the frame. A cursory rummage through my small parts bin confirmed I had a Cane Creek unit, so another thing off my mental list and though always a worthy investment, I didn’t want to spend money unnecessarily, since insignificant amounts can quickly add up.   

Days are slipping towards autumn, which as I’ve said many times, remains a favourite season but also a reminder of how precious time is.  

Once the preserve of aspiration and optimism (embarking on a university degree and moving to London’s East End, meeting a woman who would ultimately come with me through thick n’ thin, hell and high water-seemingly unlimited horizons) The last fifteen years, autumn has been a reminder of how much I need to achieve. Never put off tomorrow what can be done today.  

This in mind, I’ve switched to racking up the miles wearing the Madison Flux mitts. They’re a little on the snug side, so I’d recommend paying particular, not cursory attention to their sizing chart. That aside, they’re proving competent, comfortable options-on and indeed, off road.        

I’ve also been contemplating cables ahead of Ursula’s rebuild and decided that, given we’re creeping toward the darker, wetter months I’d go for a sealed system, at least for the brakes. Extra UK has sent me Jagwire’s Road Elite. In common with other “sealed” systems, it employs a continuous, factory lubricated liner.  

This runs from the lever to calliper offers much greater protection from grit, grime and other performance robbing contaminant. The inner wires are also polymer coated for. However, these 2.4mm liners may not be universally compatible with frames and/or components. We shall see...  I’ll leave you with my review of Ergon SR All Road Core Comp Saddle Ergon SR All Road Core Comp Saddle Men | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

 

Good Moves

So, as predicted, I switched chain lubes, from the Zefal Pro Dry Chain Lube https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/zefal-pro-dry-lube  to the Weldite TF2 Ultra Dry Chain Wax https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/weldtite-tf2-ultra-dry-chain-wax which also led to closer interrogation of chain length. 

I decided to prune the KMC by another few links, which made for crisper shifts but without putting the rear mech under undue load. Ironically, the Weldtite TF2 Ultra Dry Chain Wax also coordinated with the celeste Jagwire Pro Road Brake Kit https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/jagwire-pro-road-brake-kit cables and See Sense Bar Bag’s cargo net. 

April has been markedly drier and quite sunny, compared with previous months, so the cleaner running dry wax seemed an obvious choice, entering May. It’s one of the cleanest, temperature stable wax formulas I’ve used. Meanwhile, Steve has been putting Rock n’ Roll Holy Cow Chain lube through its paces https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/rock-n-roll-holy-cow-chain-lube     

During a moment of (lockdown?) madness, I contemplated adding another (22-24 tooth) 94 BCD ring to the old school LX crank and wiring up a front mech (probably the Microshift centos).  

Yes, I would’ve had an even greater range. Gearing with enough grunt for riding up down and along the Great Wall of China, with low slung trailer en tow. However, the faff of trying to get a road front mech to play nicely on a frameset intended for top pull front mechs (Yes, I know Problem Solvers make a fetching adaptor), the added weight and complication means it's staying on the drawing board.     

A subsequent 20mile loop affirmed trimming chain length paid dividends.  It also confirmed switching to those Continental’s nigh on slick tread have improved my tubby tourer’s responsiveness, while providing a supple, magic-carpet ride, ironing out washboard and more overtly pock-marked tarmac.  

Just how much speed and ride quality preside over puncture resistance remains to be seen.  I’ve also been playing musical rubber on my fixed gear winter/trainer. This time, we have these 60tpi Kenda Kwick Journey KS+ in 32mm sections. Slightly narrower than my 35mm default but frees up some space at the rear triangle.  

In common with some old favourites, these employ a 5mm thick puncture resistant belt. That said, it only covers the centre strip, rather than running edge to edge, which might leave them more susceptible to sharps.  Thus far, they’re reasonably swift and corner better than I’d expect. Mucky, gritty stuff and stones get impacted within the tread, leading to that annoying tick-until it’s ejected, or extracted. Those folks who are particularly puncture prone might like to bolster otherwise sound tyres with the Tannus Insert Armor https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/tannus-armour   

Having resurrected those Scott Sport shoes, I was surprised to find the sole’s lip coming adrift. Thankfully I had some suitable glue, you know, the one for the toughest jobs on the planet...However, I couldn’t find a way of binding it to the upper... Enter, this old nylon toe strap. So, hang on to them if you’ve gone clipless, they’re surprisingly useful. The glue had seemingly set two hours later but much like the lube, I left it curing overnight-just to be sure.150 miles in and it’s holding up just fine.