Having switched saddles and
riding conditions milder and wetter, I switched to Muffin and some fixed gear serenity
before things flip flopped again. Reunited with the titanium railed Spa Aire, I
was delighted with the comfort but also noted some slight slip with these
Castelli Competizone Bib Tights Castelli
Competizione Men’s Bib Tights | cycling-not-racing- the case with the Ergon
it replaces.
With another snowy blast on the
horizon, I switched Ursla from the CST Patrol CST Patrol
Folding EPS Tyres | cycling-not-racing to Schwalbe’s Ice Spiker Pro Schwalbe
Ice Spiker Pro Tyres | cycling-not-racing. Wheels in situ, I then decided a
chain check was opportune- .75 when I introduced my more basic, nickel-plated
tool. Bin fodder either way.
I had two in stock, so no issues on
that front. Simply brake, prune the new and click into place with the magic
link. Now was also the opportunity to expel some gunge clinging to the jockey
wheels and lighter grime adorning the rings. Something also prompted me to
check Denise’s KMC- said nickel-plated gauge also slid straight to .75.
Again, an easy fix, and chance to
strip some residual gunk from the jockey wheels, cage and rings. Both chains had been fed the Muc Off C3 All
Weather Chain Lube Muc-Off
C3 All Weather Chain Lube | cycling-not-racing . This also serves to
illustrate how persistent exposure to waterlogged roads, mucky lanes, trails
and of course snow and salt rapidly consume drivetrains-even with disciplined
cleaning and light lubrication. Denise’s chain was only replaced in November. I
subscribe to the philosophy of buying less exotic chains, since they still
return a reasonable mileage and are relatively kind on the wallet when replacement’s
due. Same goes for cassettes.
Rings should be fine, so long as
you’re not lax when it comes to replacing chains. However, there’s an argument
for investing in stainless steel, rather than 6061 aluminium alloy rings. At
least on a tourer, or other bikes that do big mileages year-round. Mercifully,
the Deore FC M5100 fitted to Ursula and Denise are steel, which adds a few
grams but theoretically repays with improved durability.
Again, Deore is often regarded as
entry-level, but the specification and performance are still very impressive.
Back in the 1990s, I had high regard for Shimano’s STX & RC components,
good enough for racing, but affordable and economic to replace, should you bend
something beyond repair in a crash. They
key with all these things is to keep repairs, replacements and upgrades practical.
Unless a gift, or passed to you at an incredibly favourable rate, bolting high
end CNC machined rings on lower to mid-range cranks makes no sense.
All this also serves as solid
argument for running a fixed, or single speed steed as a primary winter bike.
One ideally with full length mudguards (fenders). That said, fixed and single
speed drivetrains are low maintenance, decent sprockets and chains are key,
since they’re under a fair bit of strain and that’s before you throw the
witches brew of wet, salt, grit and similar nasties into the mix.
Without doubt, the best sprocket
I’ve ever run was EAI Superstar- a beautifully machined, highly polished
stainless-steel affair commanding £45. EAI also offer a less exotic steel
stablemate for £25. One that arguably strikes the best balance of value and
performance on a working, or training bike.
I’m also suitably impressed by the
Andel Fixed Sprocket (1/8 17tooth) fitted to Muffin. I’m not a fan of
electroplating per se. I appreciate it looks pretty but I don’t like the
process and acids involved. Nonetheless, Muffin’s seems to be holding up very
well against the elements and offers a winter, knee friendly ratio of 67.5.
Great for a smooth, struggle-free
cadence, but without going into overdrive on the descents. As for chains, I’ve had surprisingly good
results from budget KMC, such as the Z510, their higher end stainless
counterparts, not to mention, the Gusset S Link and thus far, this Izumi. Once
upon a time, while riding conversions I ran 3/32 Sedis, but it’s been 1 1/8th
track fare all the way since I took advantage of fixed’s resurgence in 2005.
