Rubber, Bearings n' Bounce

Wasn’t expecting to be so impressed by the CST Czar 700x28 but many early morning miles hence and they’ve won me over with their blend of speed and swift, though predictable handling-even along greasier road surfaces. Wild rabbits love to test my handling skills and help with this assessment process. Little to choose between them and the Vittoria Roubino Pro Control Vittoria Rubino Pro Control Graphene 2.0 | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) in terms of handling and compliance. Both are 60tpi, but the Roubino Pro run between 70-100psi.  

No minimum pressure is inscribed on the Czar’s sidewall, just a maximum-120psi. I’ve defaulted to 100 and this seems my sweet spot. I was pleasantly surprised to discover sufficient clearance at the Holdsworth’s fork, so parked a Czar up front and a Roubino Pro at the rear, given. Taking this route saved at least 300g from the build and probably deliver some more zip to proceedings. I am a major fan of the Freedom Thick Slicks, but an opportunity presented itself.  

Puncture resistance is dependable thus far. However, I have a quiet thought as to its long-term durability in this respect. A reflection of the price point, rather than the Czar specifically. I say this, since, in my experience, most budget-belted models seem dependable to around the 2,500mile (about 4023.36 km) mark before losing their edge a little.  

Back in 1989, I had a set of Nutrack 27x1 ¼ on my Holdsworthy built Claud Butler Super Dalesman. These became vulnerable to flats during a Norfolk tour, so were replaced with Michelin’s bargain mile munching World Tour (eventually superseded by some Vredestein due to clearance hassles). In the early 80s, there was a trend for relatively tight clearances, even “fully fledged” touring lorries were designed with 32mm tyres in mind. There’s a lot to love about this breed. They handled beautifully laden, or otherwise, had strong brakes and sufficient gearing to ride up, down, and along the Great Wall of China.  

Keeping a 3x drivetrain well-mannered could be a chore sometimes, though-especially through a grotty winter.  That said; while I like the relative simplicity of 1X setups, they tend to be relatively expensive, particularly when it comes to cassettes, given the wide spread of ratios involved. They also require mechs with very long arms, reminiscent of mid-80s mountain bikes, although I have subverted this by running a road typical 11-25 block and road mech. Works for me, for the most part, although there is some trade-off when it comes to winching and bombing prowess.  

There is a quiet movement for repurposing older mountain bikes as drop bar tourers/monster cross and gravel bikes. One I happen to subscribe to. However, if you’re going the drop bar route, there are a few things to consider. One is cable routing (if you are heading towards a front derailleur) the other is stem length/height.

Older cross-country mountain bikes tend to have very long top tubes. This partially explains why I run a stumpy 35mm stem, even on a 17.5-inch frameset. I am proportionately short in the torso but by contrast, on a semi/traditional road build, I run an 80, or 90mm stem.    

Staying with the front end, I decided it was time to retire Ursula’s long-serving (8 years) Stronglight O’Light. This time, I’ve gone for another, the Stronglight O’Light ST. ST denotes steel, whereas the O’Light was aluminium alloy. I had planned on just switching the bearings from the bitsa ST I bought some months back.  

However, it became clear the O’Lite cups were also looking tired, forcing my hand. I took this opportunity to prune the steerer by 15mm, switched to a shorter Gusset Headlock Cro-moly bolt and lost the extra spacers. Cleaner aesthetic too... The stiffer Kinekt Suspension Stem KINEKT SUSPENSION STEM | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) spring also arrived this week, so I wasted no time in switching to it.  A very easy job, thanks to the design’s engineered simplicity.  

 

Meltdowns & Recoveries

A much-publicised heatwave hit on Monday 17th July (although arguably crept in over the weekend) meaning that my dawn outings were mandatory if I wanted any saddle time. 35-36 degrees is very typical for many Mediterranean countries, and I've experienced 37 plus in more tropical climes, but the UK isn’t geared up for extremes. For good reasons, dogs were either walked at 5ish or not at all, to protect their feet from blistering, not to mention heat exhaustion.

 

Signs had cropped up, warning of loose chippings along the lanes but I reasoned, given the heat, folks weren’t going to be laying these, or indeed tarmac. There’s no statutory maximum legal temperature before people can cease, or decline to work, in the UK. Given the present trajectory, the current administration would simply revoke it- on their much publicised “bonfire” of legislation.  

I found some new bridlepath to explore, which also cemented my feelings regarding Ursula’s saddle change.  

The Super Corsa was an inspired move and as these outings confirmed, surprisingly agreeable sans asphalt, too. I was pleasantly surprised to discover tarmac hadn’t turned to treacle (although some farm vehicles had left their calling card). Even at these times, the temperature was rising fast-from 11 to 19 degrees within an hour, 19 and 26 degrees, on subsequent mornings. Tarmac’s top layer begins to assume a softer state at 51 degrees but allowing for other factors, possible when the air temperature hits 25 degrees.   

Acceleration brought surprisingly cool, moist breeze, which was welcome and encouraged a faster than usual tempo. The Kask Protone Icon helmet also came into its own, rushing cooling air through my scalp. However, an oppressive heat was certainly promising. A muntjac deer pulled alongside, barking in a crude challenge, so we hustled along, rivaling each other for half a mile, before it exited right, into the undergrowth. 

Depending on mood and conditions, I generally alternate between Ursula and fixed gear winter/trainer.  I tweaked the latter’s chain tension while checking the tyre pressures and this ultimately resulted in a switch to the Halo White Line Classic & Shutter Precision PD8 HALO CLASSIC RIM & SHUTTER PRECISION DYNOHUB DISC WHEEL BUILD (sevendaycyclist.com). This also coincided with the security skewer’s implosion. I was torquing it to 10nms, when it sheared. Thankfully, I had a lightweight Halo skewer, so just switched.   

I’d recently switched the fixed’s stem, returning to the Kinekt which employs a very progressive spring/elastomer configuration. However, as I recall from testing, even with the stiffest spring, there’s too much travel for my tastes, resulting in a disconcerting knocking on the rebound.

A quick email to Evan at Cirrus cycles KINEKT Active Suspension Seatpost and Stem – KINEKT Store (cirruscycles.com) advised they’d produced a stiffer, aftermarket option and were happy to send me one. I didn’t need a second invitation. I also wanted to avoid delays, given the potential customs nightmare, which is looming in October.  

What are you spaffing about, Stenning? Well, on the present trajectory, the old CHIEF system is due to be decommissioned at September’s close, replaced by a CDS system, which appears to have been rushed and full of bugs. At present, pretty much everything is being waved through (hence goods are arriving quicker) and ample potential for smuggling.  

August onwards is the most active point of trading, whereas it bottoms out, come January. The other question is whether traders believe the new system will be rolled out and will migrate accordingly. This also affects imports I.e., goods coming into the UK. Shortages of produce and materials, including foodstuffs, will mean higher prices and grave consequences for many.    

Ending on a happier note, Carbon Cycles has graciously agreed to send me a carbon fork (aluminium alloy steerer) for testing. It’s designed for 26-inch MTB, which is in theory, an excellent candidate for older mountain bikes reinvented as gravel builds and/or those looking to trim the fat. At 918g (uncut) it’s a good bit lighter than the otherwise loveable 4130 “school chair” Cro-Moly pair, resurrected with the disc brake upgrade and will serve as default spares.  

Carbon Cycles set a suggested rider weight limit of 97.5 kilos (215lbs), so no problems there. I will be putting some Helicopter tape around the legs (Zefal Skin Armor Roll ZEFAL SKIN ARMOR ROLL | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  is a firm favourite of mine) to protect against cable tie bite and cable rub. Otherwise, no modifications, and I will continue to employ the Gusset Unilock, since it offers more security than the humble Star Fangled Nut.  Right, I'll leave you with my review of the Momum MIC Dry Momum Mic Dry Oil Lube | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)