Puncture Plagues, Torrential Rains & Perpetual Cleaning

I awoke at 4am to a chill 1 degree. On with the Belgian cap, bib tights, Pearson jersey and waterproof technical jacket and out to the garage. A quick, cursory check of Ursula’s Maxxis Overdrive Excel tyre Maxxis Overdrive Excel Tyre | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) revealed the front was pancake flat.  

I switched to the fixed-an ideal opportunity to test the Sanmarie GT saddle to see whether it was the saddle or machine that were incompatible with me... Seems the latter-having ridden with various bib tights and pad styles. This switch also presented the opportunity to touch up Ursula’s Ritchey dropout with some matching Humbrol enamel paint and giving it sufficient time to cure between coats.  

Back to the Maxxis, I returned and fixed the flat. This was caused by a small stone that had slowly burrowed into the casing, beyond the puncture-repelling belt and nicking the wafer-thin butyl tube.  

Said tube already sported one patch, so I scrapped it- two patches is my general limit on mid-higher-end butyl. I might patch a budget offering once but it’s not worth the false sense of security as a spare- the risk of failure’s too great. I inflated the tyre and filled the casing with a drop of superglue. I tossed another spare in the Axiom Monsoon Ocean Wave City+ Sea Bag AXIOM OCEANWAVE CITY+ SEAT BAG | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  and thought I’d be fine.  

Fast forward three days and, yes...the dreaded hiss. Rear this time and another that had the good grace to hold off until I was stripping the scuzz from another week’s riding through monsoon conditions. Two spares (wafer-thin) proved faulty and were similarly dispatched to the bin. I couldn’t find any foreign objects or minor holes within the rear Maxxis on this occasion. Time to order another batch of new, better-quality butyl-added to cart very promptly, especially at the price offered.  Oh, and here’s my review of the Topeak Shuttle 1.2 Tyre Levers Topeak Shuttle 1.2 Tyre Levers | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

The STX front mech has now settled down to the point I can confidently slide the Microshift bar-end shifter without fear it might travel too far in either direction. Particularly welcome on sharp, dark climbs.  

I’m pleased with these upgrades and plan to just ride, clean and enjoy the old girl for a while. I haven’t decided which machine will sport the TRP HYRD calliper. Assuming Ursula isn’t the beneficiary, I’ll replace the Disco Brakes semi-metallic pads Disco Disc Brake Pads and Wavey Rotors | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) with another set, come the close of May. Wear has been pedestrian so far, but it has been very wet as with chains, cables and other consumables, managed replacement rather than waiting until they’re wossnamed.  

Another 280 wet miles licked the Muc Off Wet Lube clean- not a reflection of the lube’s quality, or performance but an indicator of just how wet and filthy the roads and lanes have been recently. Perfect conditions for testing lubes, greases and protectant formulas though. Oh, clothing too, obviously. Here’s my review of the Showers Pass Elite Cycling Cap SHOWERS PASS ELITE CYCLING CAP | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  

Concentrates are my preferred choice when it comes to bike washes and degreasers. Primarily, since they can be brewed to suit different applications- watered down 10:1 for a standard, like for like bike wash, 15-20:1 for a potent blitzer- in contexts where organic and petrochemical stuff (spent chain lube, diesel and other oils thrown up from the road) has become caked on.  

Neat for degreasing drivetrains, hubs, headsets etc. When it comes to deep cleaning, I brush degreaser into the chain, rings, derailleur(s) etc and sometimes along the down tube, bottom bracket and chainstays. Then I apply bike wash liberally over the bike, starting at the bars and working along.  

Remember, gravity is your friend. Leave that nibbling away at the ingrained grime and give the drivetrain a tickling with a medium stiff brush-firmer pressure to the chain, cassette and rings-being mindful not to catch the arms and other surfaces.  

Agitate those subtle bubbles clinging to the frameset with a soft brush and once you’ve got the grime stripped, rinse with a bucket of Lukewarm water. Rinse again with cold, if needed.  

Dry and lightly relubricate chains, give cables a quick shot of maintenance spray (GT85 GT85 ALL PURPOSE LUBRICANT (sevendaycyclist.com) Motorex Joker 440 Motorex Joker 440 | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  and of course, WD40. Staying with lubes a moment, I’ve reached for Zefal Extra wet Nano Ceramic ZEFAL EXTRA WET NANO CERAMIC CHAIN LUBE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), just to see how well the Muc Off Wet Lube compares with some old favourites in comparable conditions.   

Fluke & Fortune

I was doing a light swap, since the little Topeak Taillux 30 was begging for a charge, come the close of our ride. I switched to its 100lumen sibling TOPEAK TAILLUX 100 REAR LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). While I was rooting around for the bigger Topeak, I noticed a Garmin type front mount belonging to a Magicshine light and suddenly had the notion that it might be a good cure for the rattly See Sense Beam+ mount.   

I was pleased to discover this sorted the issue (although See Sense and I were of the belief this was just a rogue mount). Silent and rattle-free. Sometimes it’s the little things that bring the biggest grins. However, rubber straps tend to require judicious force to get them rock steady on the bars.  

They may seem immobile at first but creep given a few miles, especially subjected to low level vibration. Washboard tarmac, rumble strips (the sort designed to reduce speed and therefore, calm traffic speed) being prime examples. I’m hoping this shim might be the way forward... 

This discovery coincided with the arrival of these Ergon BT Ortho Cell Pad Set. These are strips of 2.5mm thick foam padding designed to reduce discomfort from low-level vibration.

Unlike some “military grade” products, there’s no trade-off in terms of aesthetic.  

This is a definite plus, especially if you’re dressing the bars of a mile-munching classic with pencil thin steel tubing.

Ursula is arguably at the opposite end of this spectrum. The foam itself seems unaffected by cold, at least when fitted. Though fitting was hardly taxing, getting the strips to mould and sit nicely required gentle warming from a hairdryer.  

I suspect this was attributable to the air temperature (struggling to minus 2 and I suspect a non-issue when temperatures hit the low teens).  Thus far, the foam pads seem to offer some additional damping but it’s also worth noting that I’ve been wearing liner gloves beneath the Altura.  

 

 Seeing Sense Again.  

Mount aside, I’m endeared to the Beam+, its intelligent features and impressive run times. 400 icy, wintry miles down the line and I’m warming to the Muc Off All Weather Lube, which is staying put better than I’d expected, given the suggestion it might need reapplication in wet conditions. Contexts, which will find a chink, or fault in a product, sometimes with unwelcome ease. 

January marked the 24th year of me spotting Ursula in Bob’s window- frame and fork £125. Much has changed, much has been worn out and upgraded but the old girl remains true to my original vision.   

I’ve stuck with the 11-25 setup (Two Shimano Tiagra Cassettes), since these were heavily discounted and will switch to the similarly inexpensive 11-28, when the freshly fitted KMC chain wears out.

   

I’ve been so thankful for the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro’s 360 spikes, which really inspire confidence across thick ice. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/schwalbe-ice-spiker-pro-tyres  The Schwalbe Winter Plus’ 240 are very dependable but the Ice Spiker Pro bite in contexts where I’ve felt a momentary pause from the 240. Not enough to cause problems, or anxiety. More a gentle nudge, which keeps my senses primed and speed in check- typically into the bends.  

Despite biblical warnings from some “newspapers” the bitterly cold snap passed, and I was able to switch back to the SP SD8 and XT wheels shod with the Maxxis Overdrive Excel. I needed to see how the freshly repacked hubs compared and to get some more miles in, with the Maxxis.  

Hubs are buttery smooth and silent.  The Overdrive Excel are brisk and engaging tyres with a bit more zing, though no loss of puncture resistance compared with some iconic favourites. Whether this puncture resistance will prove consistent, up until the point they’re worn out, remains to be seen.  

50-55psi seems optimal when it comes to speed, compliance and grip and phrases like trekking, or hybrid are a little open to interpretation. Personally, I’d say they’re more versatile than the semi-slicks many of us shod our tarmac bound mtbs with during the late 90s and early 2000s, but hardpack and unmade roads are the limits of their off-road capabilities. The maximum payloads are 90 kilos for the 26x2.0, which for someone of my 70-kilo build, gives scope for lightweight/weekend touring.  I'll hold off any firm conclusions for another 200 miles but I'm growing very attached to their quick, yet dependable personas