Change Your Weather, Change Your Luck…

 

September has brought with it refreshing rains, which flooding aside, is very welcome for water levels, life and er, product testing. A long, dry spell is great for making the most of our best bikes. Extreme heatwaves aren’t particularly comfortable, even with SPF50 jerseys, shorts and sunscreen, our bodies take a toll.

I’ve been glad to reach for the ultralight, packable race jacket (not to be confused with the old school condom type, which kept the rain off but didn’t breathe. A rabid, sweaty mess isn’t the best look), cap and arm warmers-just in case. It’s also been my cue to tackle some preventative maintenance.

Aside from overhaling long-serving, faithful dyno hubs, I’ve taken the opportunity to re-grease quick release skewers, thru-axle converters, since they’re easily overlooked. Prevention is always better than penetrant spray and persuasion. I also needed to adjust the front brake, which had become a little impotent. Just a question of pulling the inner wire through, snugging the lever’s cable holder and calliper pinch bolts down.  

The Juice Lubes Slick Juice seemed an ideal candidate, not least since I’m exploring its qualities and limitations.  Same goes for bike washes and similar potions, although dry, dusty spells mean bikes tend to get coated in a stubborn filmy layer. Especially around the rear triangle, bottom bracket and downtube.

Tyres are another consideration as we transition to hedge clipping season and of course, wetter, colder conditions. Both are conducive to cuts, punctures and similar stuff I’d sooner not be tackling by the roadside with numb digits.  I switched Muffin’s 38mm Vittoria Adventure Tech for a 35mm Vee Tire Co Zilent MK2 TESTED: VEE TIRE CO ZILENT MARK 2 TYRES that I’d resurrected while on a different treasure hunt. In common with the Adventure Tech, it’s a portly but dependable wire bead model with a 5mm thick puncture repelling centre strip and an aramid strip running bead to bead.

 There are similarities with Schwalbe Marathon too. The centre strip works with a capillary action to push thorns, glass and similar out from the tyre. Muffin’s other dyno hub wheel is shod with a bigger (42mm) Maxxis Roamer TESTED : MAXXIS ROAMER TYRES which I may well switch to during drier, fair-weather spells. The front Mud Hugger Gravel Hugger Mudguard MUD HUGGER GRAVEL HUGGER MUDGURADS | cycling-not-racing  will manage 40mm. I experimented with a model identical to that sported by Ursula. However, it wouldn’t sit high enough around the fork crown, so back to the drawing board. The guard was only £1.50, so no great loss.

 Now was also prudent to do a tube inventory and retire or patch any suspect looking examples.  

Leather saddles are very durable but require a quick lick of hide food every so often. I’d suggest every six to eight weeks as a rough n’ ready. This will keep the hide nourished and protected from the elements. The Spa Nidd pictured has served me well, year-round, for thirteen years.

The wetter weather has also presented an opportunity to get a proper feel for how well the Nutrak Vee Swift Gravel Mud Frenzy cope in softer conditions. We’ve not got to the gloop proper as yet, but they’ve cut through softer sections reassuringly well. Something I attribute to a mix of profile and tread pattern. Pressure also plays a part. I’ve been running them between 50 and 55psi, the upper end of their range, given I’ve been doing a mix of tarmac, trail and green lane.

Despite this, their relatively supple casings ensure sprightly,, yet compliant passage over washboard surfaces, tree roots, stones and ruts. I’m expecting them to cope better than 2.1-, or 2.3-inch cross country mountain bike rubber due to these characteristics and greater clearance. Theoretically, less chance of clogging around fork crown and rear triangle.  Time will tell.

The M Par Ridge Pannier rack also continues to grow on me. There are some limitations common to single tier designs per se, but lateral stiffness is excellent-even with heavy loads. I’ve also been impressed by oodles of heel clearance with big (20 litre) panniers, including the mighty Lomo Zephyr and this Halfords Advanced Waterproof Pannier Bag.

Aside from the top sections, which employ nuts with nylon inserts, I’ve applied some medium strength thread lock to the fasteners- precautionary but good practice, especially when hauling the proverbial kitchen sink, or escaping the maddening crowd.    

 

Panniers & Other Practicalities

 

Decent panniers are not simply for touring, they're great for commuting and general lugging duties. I've been particularly impressed by the Lomo Zephyr, which seem rugged, and well organised, without being overly prescriptive. The roll top closure, welded seams and fully waterproof construction are ultra-practical and impressive for the price. Waterproof is a term begging for contradiction, and nothing is truly totally impermeable. For these reasons, I often line panniers with a bin liner to keep clothes, or anything potentially perishable from getting damp in a torrential storm, or should a visually shallow crossing prove otherwise.

 

In the more mundane sense, the last thing you want is to arrive at work with soggy clothes and food, reinforcing the unkempt cyclist narrative. Halfords have sent their Advanced Waterproof Pannier. Another budget model at £30, it boasts a twenty-litre capacity, roll top closure welded seams, reflective detailing and a carry strap. The single compartment might seem a little low rent on the one hand and won't suit those looking to segregate laptops, folders and other stuff but also means you can just bung stuff in and scoot off.

 

There's the usual Rixen-Kaul pattern mounting hardware and it feels reassuringly solid.  Let's see what the lanes and trails say... For loads exceeding 10 kilos, I err towards the trailer. However, it's worth noting that panniers can be more practical for extended touring, as Teagan Philips outlined in an interview some ten years back MY BIKE : TEGAN PHILLIPS' SURLY DISC TRUCKER.  Similarly, some folks prefer frame mounted for improved aerodynamics. I can appreciate that, especially in a more competitive gravel, or bike packing context. When it comes to trailers, single wheel designs are the most practical for singletrack and generally speaking, track better behind the bike, thus have less impact upon handling.

 

However, be mindful of not going into autopilot, forgetting the trailer. Especially when tackling roundabouts, more densely trafficked areas, or tighter sections of trail. I've had my Yak homage trundling behind the fixed from time to time, the lack of a steadying rear brake gave food for thought when negotiating descents. Oh, and momentum's a must on the climbs! Reminds me, I've been contemplating an 18tooth sprocket for Muffin, which would smooth out the climb without inducing spin-out on the descents. Halo produces a very affordable example. 

 

Staying with brakes and solos, discs are great (hydraulic the best) but so are well-honed cantilever, or V brakes. Gearing is also a consideration of derailleur setups. Largely a moot point on contemporary touring lorries and gravel grinders but ensure you've a bail-out option, should you find yourself needing to winch along a one in four with twenty kilos trundling behind.

 

While I've found both genuine Yak and homage's wheels to be rather low-rent, they're functional enough- although I'd upgrade the tyre at the earliest available opportunity and be inclined toward getting a better wheel built ahead of a big tour My homage's mudguard was trickier to get along with, hence I dispensed with it early on.  The dry sack is another one of those useful-gets-you-going offerings that will pay for itself. However, while the fabric is waterproof, stitched construction means it will allow water to penetrate. Again, I'd upgrade to something like this Lomo but as an interim measure, taping, or indeed gluing the seams might serve. 

 

I've found this, coupled with the bin liner method reasonably effective. Though by no means essential, radar-type technology comes in very handy with trailers-at least along open roads, giving audible and visual proximity of an approaching vehicle. The Coospo TR70 Radar Tail Light Coospo TR70 Radar Taillight | cycling-not-racing  will communicate with a head unit, whether a computer, such as their CS600, or a handlebar mounted smartphone up to a distance of 10 metres (30 feet) practical for tandem and trailer duties, too.

As an aside, the Coospo TR70 appears to have an edge over the BBB Signal Radar, when it comes to accuracy, although both are genuinely useful. No substitute for regular glances over the shoulder, but particularly welcome when battling rain and wind.   Another product that has impressed me long term is the Orp Smart horn TESTED: ORP SMART HORN. Mine are still very functional almost nine years down the line, although the "whale tail" buzzer is wearing, thus only capable of producing the louder 94 decibel option-although when deployed at a sensible distance, ideal for alerting dog walkers and others of my approach. Again, particularly in blustery conditions.  

 

Elsewhere, I've been running the Continental Terra at the upper end of their pressure range-65psi (34-72psi) and have been impressed by their swift acceleration and seemingly low rolling resistance. Cornering prowess and dry weather grip are also reassuringly good, but I wonder how they'll perform when the rains come-especially since they're primarily intended for dry hardpack. Puncture resistance is another area I'm yet to explore. We're at that formative "getting to know you" dare I say, honeymoon phase, so their true persona and limitations are yet to be revealed. I’ll leave you with my thoughts on Ursula’s makeover eighteen months along…Ursula Makeover & Mod Pt IV | cycling-not-racing