Spring=Tweaks & Trails

 

Sometimes it's not the nice new shiny kit that brings the most joy, nor a personal best, or an epic ride. Sometimes, it's getting a wayward, recalcitrant component to behave. Ideally from the comfort of home-an outpouring of relief usually follows the latter scenario.  

 

Recent little victories include getting Ursula's Microshift bar end shifters to play properly with the old girl's STX and Tiagra mechs, upgrading Denise's Hollowtech II preload to an aluminium alloy 10mm Allen key, meaning I can largely forget about the little plastic tool bit that invariably gets lost behind the workbench, or similarly inaccessible area of your workspace.  

 

Last but not least, there's the wired Remote for the Magicshine Ray2600, which means I can whip the power up and down more readily on the fly-great for exploring the lanes in the dead of night. 

 

After an unexpected cold snap prompting me to default to Ursula and the spikes, things thawed a little and I revisited the idea of Denise and gravel tyres. I’d stuck with the Continental Pure Contact, which have proven themselves incredibly dependable in all contexts, meaning I could just hoss along, confident I’d return from a ride without flatting-particularly welcome when pressed for time. Extra UK have sent me some Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M (700x40c).  

 

These are a tubeless ready mixed terrain gravel tyre designed for mixed conditions, wet, or dry-hence their appeal. The Cinturato Gravel M employ the Speed GRIP compound, which promises mechanical resistance, chemical grip, and similarly important, impressive puncture resistance. This is a nylon belt that runs bead to bead, rather than just the centre strip, so I’m hoping they deliver, not least since hedge cutting season has returned with a vengeance.  

 

They were surprisingly easy to sweep aboard the Ryde rims-read thumbs, no tyre levers, pressure ranges closely mirror those of the WTB Nano WTB Nano TCS Tyre | cycling-not-racing, as does the tread pattern. They’re 14g heavier at 513g, but still a very respectable, dare I say reassuring.   

 

Given a marked shift to milder conditions, I also took it as my cue to switch Ursula back from the Schwalbe Ice Spiker to the Continental Cross Kings. Doing so also revealed a little slop in the Hollowtech II bearings, which may have also contributed to temperamental shifting- out came the Oxford Torque R10, which tackles most jobs nicely, including those with higher torque fasteners-no issues removing the crank pinch bolts. A judicious turn of the M20 preload and these were nipped snug, then fully home with a torque wrench...Time to hit the lanes and trails   

 

Wouldn’t you know it, the front mech was misbehaving again. I released a smidge of tension from the STX’s pinch bolt Ursula’s front mech, then released the Microshift bar end lever’s tension fractionally- bingo up and down without missing a beat. Nothing serious, but these units seem more highly strung than their Centos 4700 counterparts. I also raised the saddle by a few millimetres, which seemed optimal.  Talking of tools here’s Steve’s review of the Oxford Torque Slimline 12 https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/oxford-torque-slimline-12-co2-multitool 

  

The milder conditions have allowed ¾ lengths It’s not been sufficiently mild for short sleeve jerseys and arm warmers, but layering is the key to enjoying early season and autumn.  

 

The ability to whip a layer on, or off to counter a sudden change in weather is good at any point- micro jackets will protect against unexpected showers and sudden, chill winds. Lighting is also very necessary since while nights and mornings are getting longer and arriving earlier, it's easy to get caught out. Six months or so hence, I’m suitably impressed by Shimano’s most recent incarnation of their Nexus Dynohub.  Shimano Nexus DH-UR700-3D Dynamo Hub | cycling-not-racing 

  

Though less mucky than midwinter, the early season still calls for regular bike cleaning. Oxford Products have sent me this huge cleaning buckets, which makes cleaning a big fleet (and indeed, other vehicles) a more time-efficient task.  

 

The bucket has a grit grate to stop gritty, muck stuff being redistributed around the bike (or another vehicle), there’s also a wash mitt and microfibre cloth. I’ve already given the KA and Micra a good wash n’ waxing to purge the witches brew of slurry and road salt and the 20-litre bucket makes the job much quicker-no need to run indoors to fill mid-way through.  

 

Smiling Through The Slush

 

Winter had returned with a white blizzard. The air temperature had been around 2-3 degrees but windchill meant it felt closer to minus 2 and visibility was also dropping. Something that sprung to mind while I was out on Denise. I'd donned the Castelli Espresso JerseyCastelli Espresso Air Jacket | cycling-not-racing and Bib TightsCastelli Espresso Bib Tights | cycling-not-racing, Waterproof jacket, waterproof socks, Shimano MW7Shimano MW7 (MW702) Gore Tex MTB Shoes | cycling-not-racing, traditional polyester/cotton cap and the Lomo waterproof gloves. Toasty enough to focus on the conditions. Thankfully, it hadn't frozen overnight, so the roads and lanes were just soft and slushy under tyre.  

 

The MW07 had also become as filthy as they were before I'd deep cleaned them only the day before. Much the same story with Denise, mucky spatter clinging to the down, seat tube and rear triangle. I’d decided to give her a good sudsy bucket wash every four rides, mitigating the risk that winter might take a bite from anodising and pretty paintwork, although decent quality waxes and an absence of gritting lorries along the lanes and B roads certainly helped.  

 

During this phase, I was beginning to question my enthusiasm for lighter weight lubes, but decided I'd stay with them, for the time being. Better more regular application, than a grinding paste. There was plenty of waxy gunk falling away from the jockey wheels during the latest deep clean.  

 

While combing through the cassette, the tool literally disintegrated. Not totally unexpected-I’d had it years and, in my experience, the witches brew of old lube and solvents usually dissolve them. Bin fodder, but I’d enjoyed the satisfying process of coaxing lumps of congealed, waxy stuff from the jockey wheels and derailleur cage. According to the chain gauge, there was plenty of life left in the KMC chain, which was another welcome find, so I stripped the side-plates of residual lube and scuzzy stuff, then reapplied some of the Peaty’s Link Lube All Weather.   

 

We're quite fond of Blub's range of lubricants, although they seem a little quirky. For example, the ceramic Blub Ceramic Chain Lube | cycling-not-racing and dry Blub Wax Lube | cycling-not-racing blends will need reapplying if bike(s) are left standing longer than 48 hours between rides, which might be a moot point on a commuter, or daily driver, but not ideal for sunny day's playthings. Talking of which, Steve's been long-term testing their P Wet lube Blub Wet Lube | cycling-not-racing 

 

 

I’ve decided I’ll switch the Deore crankset’s plastic bearing pre-load cap for a CNC machined aluminium alloy unit, designed to be adjusted using a 10mm Allen key. These are heaps more convenient-especially if I need to snug the bearing preload mid ride. This induced some foraging in the spares boxes- I knew I had one somewhere...Sure, I could buy another for £6 or so on the auction sites but knowing I already had one doing nothing irked me.  

 

Thankfully, I’d located one within twenty minutes, inducing a loud cheer. There are models designed for 8mm Allen keys, which would be easier still, given they’re a common feature on contemporary multi tools. However, with the Oxford Torque R10 Mini Ratchet runs a ¼ inch adaptor, thus widely compatible with other bits, so you can build a custom kit for the road. In many respects, this suits me down to the ground.  

 

However, there’s a lot to be said in favour of the pocket workshop types with chain tools-they can be popped in your chosen luggage and will cater for most situations. Indeed, I’d probably steer those starting out to one of the pocket workshops. Lifeline LIFELINE 18IN1 MULTITOOL | cycling-not-racing   or Passport CDW PASSPORT CDW MULTITOOL | cycling-not-racing  have impressed us. Muc Off 17 in 1 Multi Tool Muc-Off 17 in 1 Multi Tool | cycling-not-racing  is another solid option, if you were seeking a very compact model. 

 

I’d been a little conscious that Denise’s carrier and mudguard eyelet threads were exposed.  

I’d put a drop of winter weight chain lube on them as a preventative measure, but recent wet and muddy outings convinced me it was time to blank them off. A rummage in my fasteners draw unearthed four suitable candidates. Dipping the threaded ends in some Oxford Mint Assembly Grease Oxford Mint Assembly Grease | cycling-not-racing, I sped them home with a 4mm Allen key. 2nm is reckoned the best torque setting for these, and similar fasteners, but I literally just wound them to the bare minimum. A small, but strangely satisfying tweak while I was waiting for the tumble drier to do its thing.  

 

Alternatively, you could go for some Zits. No, not the sort you punished the mirror with during your teens, I’m referring to these Portland design Works (PDW) Zit Bitz PDW Zit Bitz | cycling-not-racing which are designed to blank off unused threaded bosses on your frame, or fork. They’re not intended to take any loading i.e. hold a rack, mudguards (fenders). Aside from adding some colour, dare I say “bling” to your bike(s) they prevent rain and other ingress sneaking inside and creating mischief- rust-stained bottle bosses, no thanks!   

         

 

Temperatures continued to tank over the coming nights, prompting a switch to Ursula and the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro. However, in practice, the roads remained thawed, and slushy come sun rise, so I stuck with Denise.  I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well the Continental Pure Contact Tyres have coped, cutting through and shedding churned gloop much better than I was expecting. That being said, knobblies can rapidly become slicks in these conditions. 35mm cyclo cross designs are an obvious alternative to gravel specific rubber. Hmm, watch this space..