Sweet Spots, Holy Grails & More Spuds

 

 Aside from reducing the chain tension very slightly before setting out, Muffin’s gearing is perfect for my needs.  Providing the desired additional torque on the climbs without my legs going into overdrive on the descents.

I also needed to tweak the headset bearings slightly, having detected some play when engaging the front brake. An easy, two-minute fix- slacken the pinch bolts, snug the pre-load a fraction, test by rocking back and forth with the front brake engaged, then snug the pinch bolts to 5nm.  Having been somewhat underwhelmed by the Gaciron Xiaoman 1000’s handlebar mount, I discovered that belonging to the Ravemen LR1600 Ravemen LR1600 Front Light | cycling-not-racing was compatible and popped that in situ for a few rides.

This proved a great union, but I subsequently replaced it with this auction site stem face special, meaning I could switch to the Xiaoman’s Go-Pro pattern under bar mount. Talking of lights, here’s my long-term test of the Zefal Supervision FL 1500 Front Light Zefal Supervision FL1500 front light | cycling-not-racing.  

 Modulation and feel from the Vevo V lever is smooth, progressive and basically I'd had everything dialled in to my taste. Well, it gave rise to some further tweaks. I’d added some off cuts of Cinelli Cork Wrap to the Genetic Neuron GENETIC NEURON ACCESSORY BAR | cycling-not-racing since I had some left and it was neater than the scraps of old butyl. This was employed to prevent slight, very gradual movement of the K-Lite Ultra Low Drag Dynamo Light K-LITE ULTRA LOW DRAG DYNAMO LIGHT | cycling-not-racing

Formative impressions of the Genetic Hi-Grip bar tape are similarly favourable, although the finishing strips have been creeping undone and will likely be substituted for decent quality electrical tape.  Having amassed some proper miles with Muffin's new bars and levers, I've concluded the switch was definitely inspired.

The shallower drop allows me to spend more time hunkered low, rather than cruising on the hoods (which is also a very comfortable stance). 44cm width continues this narrative, although tis came as a slightly greater surprise, given I default to 46cm. Being a tarmac-biased build, aerodynamics are subtly improved and I don't require the same degree of leverage beneficial on a gravel or drop bar mountain bike. 

Fairweather conditions put much less strain on components, so I switched Muffin to its other dynohub wheel, shod with the 42mm section Maxxis Roamer TESTED: MAXXIS ROAMER TYRES for some additional speed and compliance. There’s only 80g separating the Roamer and Vittoria Adventure Tech.

Both are cheap but crucially very cheerful. The Vittoria Adventure Tech are available in 700x 38, 35 and 32mm sections features a beefy 5mm puncture repelling belt, which inspires confidence during the darker months, and ride quality is better than 33tpi casings would suggest. Wear has been nominal too, continuing the stout narrative, meaning they’re a good choice for commuting and weekend touring.

The Roamer employs a Kevlar breaker strip along the centre. Consequently, puncture resistance is good, rather than great, which is why they’re my fair-weather choice. Again, there’s scope for exploring light, hardpack and lightweight, weekend touring but the Roamer’s 60tpi casings provide a more engaging, compliant ride.  

There are some components that I may not use very frequently but will never part with. Design classics and sentiment being the obvious attachments. These Shimano SPD from 1990 being prime examples. I’d stripped and serviced last year and found the internals in remarkably good shape.

Back then, I repacked them with Juice Lubes Bearing Juice, which is a synthetic blend with a putty-like consistency intended specifically for bearings.  I’ve used it to particularly good effect in hubs and headsets. Opening the mighty first-generation Spuds revealed a decent amount clinging to the bearings and axles. Simple Pedal Overhaul | cycling-not-racing

However, since I’d come this far, I decided I’d give them a deep clean using Motoverde Drivetrain Cleaner Motoverde Drivetrain Cleaner | cycling-not-racing before repacking them with Zefal Pro II Grease Zefal Pro II Grease | cycling-not-racing  . Pedals are nice things to work on, since you can sit at a bench and methodically clean, inspect, adjust and replace bearings etc as required.

There are a few schools of thought when it comes to clipless and fixed gear. I've used everything from the old "Lego-type" Look, through to Time ATAC, although have typically stuck with dual sided Shimano and Welgo, since they're inexpensive and very straightforward to service.

Single sided road designs, such as these Wellgo and indeed, Shimano Ultegra are quite pleasant and when packed with stiff grease, tend to align upright, ready for easy entry, say at the lights. Fine, if you're doing long, steady miles, or racing TTs, but lack a dual sided model's convenience-especially in stop-go traffic.

I've also run nickel-plated Exustar pedals- Look (Keo) pattern one side, SPD the other. Designed primarily for spinning/similar duties, they meant I never let the house with the "wrong" shoes, so an obvious choice for a trainer, or daily driver. However, there's some trade-off weight-wise given the steel, rather than alloy bodies.

They resisted corrosion pretty well too-waxed periodically, coupled with shots of maintenance spray to the mechanisms, which also gave the bodies a light, protective coating. Wellgo MO94B WELLGO MO94B SPD PEDALS | cycling-not-racing have proven very solid alternative to Shimano M520 thanks to the rugged silver finish and buttery smooth cartridge bearings. 

The WPD 823 are cheaper still and a good budget alternative-£30 but I've seen the version with loose ball bearings for £15 including cleats-new. Access to the bearings is via a simple press fit cover, which is convenient. These were a little squeaky, the grease looking closer to recycled chip fat. Subsequently, I’ve packed them with Peaty’s Speed Grease PEATY'S SPEED GREASE | cycling-not-racing

Dynohub dilemmas

 

I’m a big fan of dynamos and hub dynamos specifically and there’s something incredibly satisfying about navigating by your own, high-quality lighting. I’ve run hub dynamos since 2001, when I went for a Shimano Nexus unit which, by contemporary standards produced huge amounts of resistance. Fine for commuting and using a “seen by” lamp-I’d run it with Ursula for a while but an Ultegra unit and 800lumen Exposure Revo were literally light years ahead.

I’m still very fond of the Shutter Precision hubs HALO EVURA & SHUTTER PRECISION SL9 DYNOHUB BUILD, which are light, well-executed and very smooth. My one gripe is the need for them to be sent back to the factory for bearing replacement. I’ve consistently returned 20,000miles from the sealed cartridge bearings- typically three years, so the hub and cost of wheel building is perfectly economic-repaid their investment. However, my preference is for something at least partially user-serviceable, especially consumables, such as bearings, which by definition are bound to wear out.

Shimano is the obvious option. I’d contemplated a Kaisai unit, which are user serviceable and make a lot of sense for arse end of nowhere touring (not that I’d want an expired hub dynamo, or any other component anywhere). Neds to be disc compatible-ideally centre lock. I’ve had the Halo/SL9 wheel trued and will run that as the spare for now. Temperatures have been consistently high here in the UK. I’m not remotely surprised since 2025 was projected to be the hottest on record and further evidence of climate change.

I’m favouring jerseys and other clothing with high factor SPF yarns, sometimes long sleeves, such as this Cycology Men’s Summit Long Sleeve Jersey Cycology Men’s Summit Lightweight Summer | cycling-not-racing or indeed, this Funkier Ixara Gents Elite Jersey Funkier Ixara Gents Elite Jersey | cycling-not-racing . A fully laden, frozen back bottle TESTED: BACK BOTTLE CYCLING WATER BOTTLE is another really useful cooling aid for hotter rides. Glasses with UVA & B protection and photochromic lenses are another default.  Well-ventilated footwear and decent socks shouldn’t be overlooked either. I’ll never forget the summer of 1992 and some badly burned soles, courtesy of black patent road shoes and long miles along molten roads.

Coupled with cheap polyester socks and a basic nylon sole proved a recipe for painfully blistered feet. While they had a decent amount of float, I don't miss hobbling/waddling around sans bike, not to mention gouging chunks out of expensive lino. Still, they were what might be termed an aspirational purchase, plucked from the sale bin at a frequent local haunt- all 18-year-old me could afford at the time and they served surprisingly well.  There was and to some extent is something very romantic about that era and indeed, getting a bargain but those years are also tinged with painful regrets in other areas of life, regrets that are etched deep, even now.  We cannot change the past, only our relationship to it, or indeed, them. 

Three decades plus, I’ve gone over to the stiffer soled FLR F70 Prop MTB M250 FLR F70 Pro MTB M250 Shoe | cycling-not-racing  which I my experience, give a little more efficiency aboard Muffin, which is palpable on the climbs-remember, honking might be vulgar on a tourer, or gravel build but perfectly acceptable on the fixed. Saddleback, the UK’s Sidi distributor thoughtfully sent me these Sidi Aertis MTB shoes, which promise a blend of efficiency, with sufficient give in the sole for navigating the trail sans bike or just plodding about mid-ride.

Theoretically extending their horizons to bike packing, touring, cyclo cross and indeed, winter training.  The latter duties are amplified further by the toe studs. The soles are made from Nylon and employ specialist polyurethane inserts for comfort. Some would argue in favour of carbon at this price point. However, carbon tends to limit walking or running prowess and can be a little too stiff on longer rides, so arguably an engineered choice, rather than a cost cutting exercise. 

 I’d forgotten how good the Maxxis Roamer TESTED : MAXXIS ROAMER TYRES are, especially along poorly surfaced lanes, while still being fairly swift. Be interesting to see how they compare longer term, with the Continental Pure Contact, which remains (and will stay) at the rear, since they are proving very dependable, compliant and again, relatively swift for big volume rubber.   Elsewhere, a bearing strip and re-grease of the Shimano XT pedals led me to resurrecting these original SPD from 1990. Still buttery smooth and so glad I’ve held on to them.  I also switched Denise’s Ergon  All Road Core Comp Ergon SR All Road Core Comp Saddle Men | cycling-not-racing back to the Pro Turnix Gel, since I’d been experiencing some chafing  along my inner right thigh.   

 

Rambling & Roaming

 

Having tamed cranks, rim tapes and similar sources of potential mischief, it was time for longer, laden escapes from the maddening crowd.   

The Madison Summit rack has been doing its thing very competently, without fuss, or fanfare. Its TIG welded in Taiwan and to the standards I’ve come to expect from products coming out of the Far East. The 10mm rod offers a very stable platform for panniers, especially those such as this Oxford Aqua V20 with Rixen Kaul type attachments Oxford Aqua V20 Single Pannier | cycling-not-racing, which is particularly welcome along rougher roads and trails. I’m still really impressed, astounded in some respects, by the Lomo Zephyr Lomo Zephyr Waterproof Panniers | cycling-not-racing

The narrower (100mm) top section is a little slender for bigger rack bags and though this Carradice will sit reliably, allowing me to concentrate on a decent tempo, it can make fitting and removing panniers from the lower tier trickier, technically defeating the object of a two-tier design. For the record, the Carradice is 116mm wide, so a consideration if you’re planning on a bigger rack bag, especially if you’re pairing with a pannier-single or otherwise.      

 I’ve been contemplating tyres for a while and was talking in terms of something old school and beefier. I may still do this, during the winter months but I’m sticking with something swifter. I’m still impressed by the Maxxis Ravager Maxxis Ravager TR Tyres | cycling-not-racing. My experience suggests that 60tpi casings are more reliable, especially off road. I’ve had one flat with the Ravager, three with Pirelli’s perky Cinturato. Admittedly one was a rim tape issue, so not down to the tyre and they still have bags of charm but I’m craving dependability at the moment, in case that wasn’t obvious.

I got curious about Maxxis Rambler, which Maxxis say are their most popular gravel offering, reckoned to perform uniformly well along asphalt, dirt roads and gravel. The Rambler has been around for a decade now, which suggests a fundamentally very competent design. Tightly packed centre knobblies promise efficiency, while more widely spaced cornering/side knobblies promise to keep bite deep when cornering on looser surfaces.

As would be expected, it’s a dual compound, tubeless ready model. There are two variants, our 60tpi and 120tpi, they’re also available in a wealth of sizes, from 38 to 50mm. I’ve gone for the 700x40, since that’s optimal, dare I say maximum for Denise’s clearances.

The Silk shield puncture repelling technology runs from bead to bead, thus offering the sidewalls some defence against flats and cut damage. They also tip the scales at a similarly respectable 524g apiece. I’ve run ours up front, the Ravager behind, as a control for the first hundred miles. Now, the Ravager are no slouches, even on metalled roads. However, the 60tpi Rambler feel palpably faster. Having reached for the rambler front and rear, I’ve am averaging 16.7mph against 15.9mph along comparable sections and thus far, they’re proving equally engaging off road, along dry hardpack trails, unmade roads and forest trails.

Grip and cornering prowess are proving similarly dependable, although I anticipate needing something with a deeper, more mtb influenced tread when the wetter, wintry months bring boggy bridlepath.  50psi seems the sweet spot for mixed terrain shenanigans but obviously, I’ll experiment further, as time and miles advance.   While giving Muffin a well-earned wash and light fettle, one thing led to another and I was curious as to whether they’d fit comfortably up front, being 42mm (against the Continental Pure Contact, which are 40mm wide and run a hair’s breadth from the MudHugger Gravel Hugger Mudguards. Much to my surprise, the short answer is yes, and this also presented an opportunity to tweak the Spyre calliper’s alignment fractionally.

The Leatt 6.0 are still performing impeccably and having regularly alternating between Muffin (and the Shimano M540) and Denise suggests the Leatt are a little stiffer, translating in slightly improved power transfer, Finish quality is also proving very high, resisting regular dis/engagements with nominal signs of wear.  Interestingly, the Leatt cleats seem fully compatible with Shimano SPD pedals, but Shimano cleats weren’t quite so compatible and its required more effort to engage and release.

Staying with pedals, I’ve always leaned towards dirt biased SPD shoes since the power transfer is generally very good, and you can walk or run efficiently and comfortably. Race shoes, mtb or otherwise can be fine- I’m quite happy whizzing along on the fixed for several hours with these stiff soled FLR F70 Pro MTB M250 Shoe FLR F70 Pro MTB M250 Shoe | cycling-not-racing  but found them a touch too rigid, say shouldering bikes cyclo cross fashion across more technical sections, or indeed mooching around, but then our old friend “horses for courses” springs to mind. 

Roads Paved With Dung

Shod with the Schwalbe Marathon GT, Cross flavoured fixer and I have been belting along the back roads. The GT feel a lot faster than their 808g suggest and continue to inspire confidence by the bucket load-in every sense. Talking of tyres, Seven Day Cyclist has an eight month test of another beefy section tyre, Maxxis Roamer http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/maxxis-roamer-tyres  

Fun is obviously high on any rider’s agenda but for me at least, reliability is level-pegging on a daily driver or winter/trainer. I want to concentrate on the ride, or let my mind wander in reflective/creative directions. While punctures and mid-ride mechanicals per se, are all part of riding, being sat by the roadside tackling a flat; or broken chain are events I prefer to keep infrequent.

Last Thursday, the thermometer had barely crept above minus 2, so I headed out late afternoon. Run at 85psi, their contact with the surface, coupled with the ability to regulate speed by holding off against the cranks, made 1in 4 descents and similar efforts that bit more comfortable.

Ascending one climb, dancing on the pedals and shoulders shuffling to similar tempo, my heart momentarily sank at a fut-fut sound, synonymous with a flaccid tyre. Glancing over my right shoulder, I was relieved (and somewhat amused) to discover this was a wheezy, asthmatic contemporary Fiat 500. Said super mini eventually regained composure and passed, observing a welcome 1.5 metre gap a few hundred metres later.  

Three miles from hot coffee, I swept around a bend to discover a young man tending to his motorcycle. I called out, checking he was OK; he affirmed this and explained his motorcycle’s final drive chain has snapped. This was literally 50 metres from where I was performing link surgery the previous Tuesday evening.

I offered to call someone but he politely declined, much as I did at his age and continue to. In parallel with the sheer fun and freedom, Cycling and motorcycling tends to engender a fierce sense of self-reliance.

We wished each other safe journey and I spun my way home, fingers and toe boxes nipped with chill. Next morning, I took the same route and saw his machine parked on the verge. I’m hoping he got home safely, acquired a new chain and is back to enjoying his machine again.      

These Super B professional cable cutter and inner cable puller arrived this week. We’d hoped to get them in ready for the Univega’s rebirth but no matter, these things can’t be helped and it’s timely enough given the stage I’m at with Graham’s GT. 

In common with other workshop kit, such as work stands, cable pullers aren’t essential but make maintenance and repair jobs that bit easier and quicker. Cable pullers; sometimes referred to as fourth hand tools tension the inner wire, leaving yours free to nip everything tight. Care is needed to avoid over-tensioning when feeding the inner wire into the slot but that’s as difficult as things get.

A decent set of snips, by contrast are the staple of any basic toolkit and will repay their investment countless times over. To some degree, there’s no limit to what you can spend. £30 odd is my benchmark and these Jagwire Pro my all-time favourites to date, anyway. http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/jagwire-pro-cutters  At £29.69 the imaginatively monikered Super B TB-WC30 are quite a bit cheaper, which fuelled my intrigue. Will be interesting to see how they fare in the longer term too.       

Elsewhere, John Moss has been plagued by a slipping Alfine set up. He attributes this to the manual system, so is talking in terms of upgrading the mango to Di2-price dependant. Mercifully the tandem’s Nu Vinci hub seems to be behaving itself impeccably since its rebuild.  

The same goes for the Univega, aside from another chain breakage-easily sorted with a few spare links and this Pedros multi-ttol. The 1x9 set up has enough range for long hills and fast descents. 

Full length guards offering ample protection from winter’s slimy slurry and of course, rural backwaters.The highways agency appears to be encouraging farmers to resurface with generous helpings of dung- even its Time ATAC aluminium pedals were showing signs of being engulfed. 

I also resurrected the Geonaute G-Eye2 to capture some footage. Lazily described by some as a poor man’s Go-Pro, it’s less intuitive than the Tom Tom but still offers decent image quality for a budget model.  

Right, I’ll leave you with the Visijax Gilet review http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/visijax-led-gilet  

Whoppers

Puncture season has well and truly struck and Tuesday’s night’s wet n’ windy lane-side pit-stop saw my endless gratitude for this helmet mounted BBB Scout light. 200 lumens doesn’t sound much these days but the really pure crisp arc of light made locating spare tube(s), tyre levers and Cool tool (not to mention the job itself) that bit easier.

It also ensured I didn’t lose anything, or litter the verge when bunging everything back in. Talking of lights, while there are some minor compromises, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the Xeccon Zeta 1300r Wireless Front light http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/xeccon-1300-wireless-front-light

This was the second flat in two successive evenings, so has me questioning whether unbranded tube bundles are little more than false-economy. Fine for getting back on the road and other contingencies, but not as everyday staples; neither puncture seemed the result of a sharp piercing the Clement USH casings. Both rim tapes are pristine too.

Graciously the supplier is sending me a replacement bundle, in case these are a rogue batch.I’m likely to revert to a thicker gauge butyl, possibly a Kenda thorn resistant on the rear, store branded goo-filled model up front.

Having reviewed the contents of my wedge pack, I retrieved a CO2 inflator and spare cartridge to further minimise roadside indignity on a wet and blustery night. That said; I never ride anywhere without a decent pump riding shot gun on the bottle mounts, or in a jersey pocket.

Research suggests the brain is in fact, phenomenally active when we are consciously resting. Talking of customisation, I awoke on Wednesday morning with the idea of a tyre swap. A 35mm Vittoria Voyager hyper at the rear and a 42mm Maxxis Roamer 2ply up front…Hmm, well best laid plans…

Despite the MkII Ilpomopino’s rear triangle supposedly swallowing 35mm sections (sans guards), the voyager hyper was tickling the chainstays at their narrowest point, so I reinstated the 35mm Continental.

I suspect, given their portly profiles, the Voyager’s 32mm counterparts would still be in fag paper territory clearance-wise. Shame, since they’re a really, nice compliant tyre with magic-carpet ride quality. We reviewed them in issue 7 when Seven Day Cyclist was a monthly, downloadable PDF publication. http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/pdf-reader  

https://issuu.com/vortexcreative/docs/sdc_7?e=0/14991072SDC8

 

The 42mm Maxxis and Kinesis fork proved a much happier marriage.

Grotty roads, oily finger prints and similar caked-on spatter also presented opportune moments for further testing of The Pro Green MX triple pack. Having sprayed the drivetrain degreaser on the ring and sprocket, before working it into their inner side and then into the links using an old brush.

Most bike cleaners are marketed as kind; or at least safe on plastic, composites and rubberised components. Experience leads me to conclude, some are kinder than others so I took this opportunity to give the tyres a really good scrub too. 

Though a big fan Green Oil’s bicycle brush this Oxford tyre scrub continues to grow on me.  The rubberised contoured handle sits naturally in the palm and allows really efficient cleaning. Sculpted nylon bristle plot is angled perfectly for lifting impacted gloop and sharps from the casings, restoring the aesthetic and greatly reducing the likelihood of punctures and other damage. 

Generally designed for mud and other organic contaminant, the relatively gentle cleaner continues to impress, shifting oily finger marks and even some internal frame preserve that oozed out from the bottom bracket shell.

The drivetrain degreaser has also shifted more sophisticated petrochemical chain lubes and caked on residual stuff clinging to the cranks inner spider. Having dried and re-lubricated the chain, it was time to give everything (bar contact points, disc and rotor components a misty blow-over with their all-over shine formula.

I could easily lose 30minutes to polishing-often it’s a therapeutic, reflective exercise. However, applied in a gentle mist, this formula cures to a really jewelled like effect within thirty minutes. A gentle breeze certainly helps but isn’t essential. So far, judging by my Univega, it isn’t attracting a dirty patina in the usual places-fork crowns, bottom bracket shell and rear triangle.