Forest Frolics & Rainy Reveals

 

The rains came, which was welcome on so many levels and perfect for assessing the performance of tyres and shoes in wet, slippery contexts. I was particularly keen to see how the latest generation of Continental Cross Kings would bite when things tuned slippery, dare we say boggy. They bit and subsequently cornered better than I was expecting but time and  more intense gloop may say different.

They are quite sprightly over hardpack, loose surfaces and indeed, metalled road, although as defaults, I remain impressed by CST Patrol. CST Patrol Folding EPS Tyres | cycling-not-racing I’ve been forming the opinion that the FLR MTX are best suited to broader pedal platforms. Ursula’s Shimano M757 seemed more supportive than more modern dual sided designs and I’ not sure why.

These first generation tend to clog with mud noticeably quicker. I noted some Juice Lubes Bearing Juice creeping from the bodies. Maybe I’d been a little too generous, a little too liberal but we’re talking creep, not oozing. I was also impressed by how well the NOS SR Suntour mech scooped the chain between rings- snappy and reliable, even under load. Sure, it seemed fine on the stand, and designed for a triple, there’s plenty of throw. However, stuff can play impeccably on the stand and misbehave on the road, or trail.   

Upon returning and giving both of us a good clean, using up the last of the Nzero degreaser NZero Bike Degreaser | cycling-not-racing and indeed, the Peaty’s Link Lube All Weather. Then was also the time to switch pedals- I went for the A530 since they should bring out the FLR MXT’s best qualities.

Horses for courses, essentially. While I default to gravel and cross-country mountain bike shoes for general riding, road included, since the soles are stiff but still compliant and grippy enough for walking but are a little too sporty for more adventurous outings, touring particularly.  

These Sidi Aertis are another design that bridge the gap between mountain biking and gravel, although, riding with merino blend socks, I wasn’t surprised to find myself with wet feet given twenty minutes in a heavy downpour. Mercifully, the shoe’s profile means thinner waterproof socks are also realistic (and would be a must for me, during the winter months, although I’d probably switch to the Shimano MW7 Shimano MW7 (MW702) Gore Tex MTB Shoes | cycling-not-racing) by the time things turn wintry wild).

A touring shoe of the FLR’s genre also has scope for waterproof socks. Much as I anticipated, the FLR kept persistent rain at bay for an hour before it became palpable. Fine for commuting and similar duties without recourse to toe covers, overshoes etc. 

Flex was more palpable when on the fixed and charging up the climbs, but I didn't want to go for a single sided, hybrid design. Even though the bottom bracket gives a sporting chance when cornering, there's greater clearance with the Shimano 540 and being dual sided, it's easier to clip in and power away-say at the traffic lights.   

Talking of lights, the new seasons models are beginning to become available. I've been sent this Cat Eye Tight Kinetic, which is impressive for the price. A "braking" function for £23 would've been unheard of, just a few seasons back. I've also received this Lezyne Flow Cage SL Enhanced.

I regret passing my last pair of Lezyne flow on, so was rather pleased to be sent another for testing. Left- and right-hand specific models are nothing new, but some are definitely more ergonomic and though debatable, arguably one of the last words in customisation. On a strictly personal note, Lezyne’s are the best I've used to date.    

Side entry cages are what's called for on smaller compact geometry framesets, since you can both fit and access bottles without catching knuckles on the top tube, or indeed, frame fit pump-should you run one. They’re also a good fit for gravel and bike packing contexts where you’re running a bag within the main triangle.

 I'm a convert to the mini compressor type inflators, at least for roadside rescue, although Muffin, Ursula and Denise still carry a Topeak Road Master Blaster. Muc-Off Airmach and Lezyne as reliable, efficient backups.

The rains and wet roads were really useful from a testing perspective, although I wasn't surprised to discover things performing as I'd expected. However, standing water meant bikes were suitably filthy given a few outings. I'd seen some bike wash going silly cheap and was keen to see how it compared with some premium blends, not least since I was down to the Stan's No tubes.

 I tend to give bikes a good wash n' wax, since they cut through the grime, while leaving a protective wax barrier behind. Nonetheless, I don't always want to take this route and bike washes still have their place. 

I was pleasantly surprised by how effective the budget potions were on heavily encrusted organic grot, although as I'd hope it's not potent enough to strip oily, or greasy stuff. I reached for this Dynamic drivetrain detox to strip the residual Peaty's Like Lube and modest contaminant from the rings, chain and cassette.

Having exhausted this, I've switched to TF2, which is a competent and inexpensive all-weather formula that holds out well in moderately wet conditions, although attracts more contaminant than more sophisticated blends and also contains PTFE, which isn't particularly kind to us, or the wider environment. Formative outings on Muffin suggests the thru axle to quick release conversion is very dependable and seems slightly stiffer than traditional quick release configuration. I've also gone for the slightly narrower (38mm section) Vittoria adventure tyres, which run at a similar pressure to the Continentals and gives a little more clearance around the Gravel Hugger front guard.  Talking of tyres, here’s my review of the Maxxis Rambler Maxxis Rambler Tubeless Ready Tyres | cycling-not-racing

Filth Fighters & Other F Words

 

 

Cleaning and maintaining bikes is an integral part of riding. Some folks see it as a chore, but doing so greatly reduces the likelihood of problems developing mid-ride, possibly miles from home. It’s also the time to check things like chain and brake pad wear, tyres for shards of glass, cuts etc.

Did I mention cables, housings, loose mounting bolts, sloppy bearings…Winter aside (where I will typically rinse bikes with fresh cold water to dismiss road salt, grit and similarly corrosive, or abrasive nasties, I default to a good quality car wash n’ wax formula, since this will clean surfaces and leave a waxy, protective layer behind.

During the warmer months, there are waterless bike shampoos and washes that will remove light to moderate grime. Some, including this Moto Verde Waterless Wax Motoverde Waterless Wash & Wax | cycling-not-racing will leave a high quality wax barrier behind. However, while they’re suitable for gloss surfaces-including plated, polished, carbon and anodising, you’ll need to look elsewhere for matts.  

There’s still a place for bike washes, although, outside of a testing context, I err toward the concentrates since these can serve as degreasers when purging dirty drivetrains and diluted “to taste” depending on whether I want something faster acting on really heavily soiled gravel, cross, or mountain bikes. People seem to like visually foamy formulas, seemingly of the belief they are doing more, whereas those that cling to the surfaces are actually breaking down the grime.

Against this backdrop, I’ve received this Stans Bio Based Bike wash 1litre. It’s a stock blend and like many others, makes a point of saying its biodegradable.

Biodegradable is one of those terms that’s a little vague and can just mean “it will eventually break down”. By the same token, it’s also worth saying that because something is made from natural ingredients, doesn’t mean to say its necessarily kind to user and finishes alike. Citrus is very acidic and while an incredibly effective lube stripper, requires careful deployment.   

The Stans contains Lauryl Glucoside Citrate, an alcohol derived from coconut, or palm. It’s a surfactant, meaning it allows water to mix with oil and grime, breaking the latter down and ultimately, making the surface easier to clean. On the plus side, it’s very gentle on skin (hence its use in baby shampoos, body washes), breaks down very quickly in water and produces a very rich, stable foam that clings convincingly to the host surface, thus gobbling the grime more effectively. 

However, these can also have a high PH level, some people with particularly sensitive skins can develop contact dermatitis. Like most products, avoid getting any in your eyes. If you do, rinse your eyes in clean water for a while and seek medical attention.  In common with hair shampoos and indeed, some other bike washes, its designed to be delivered over a wet bike, worked into a lather and rinsed with fresh water.

I remain impressed by the NZero Bike Degreaser NZero Bike Degreaser | cycling-not-racing  . It’s not the fastest acting, or the most visually exciting, but very effective and so long as you’re not too gung-ho a little goes surprisingly far. It can be diluted and used as a bike wash, or even used neat on heavily soiled bikes-just have buckets, brushes, sponges and similar cleaning implements handy and don’t leave longer than 60 seconds before doing the scrubbing and rinsing thing. There are other homely remedies for stripping drivetrains, from the highly flammable and therefore potentially dangerous, to the passable in a pinch.

Some folks advocate dishwashers but that to me has little benefit aside from damaging seals and other precious components. I would generally avoid washing up liquids (dish detergents) since these contain salts, which are corrosive and can dull lacquers and other finishes. That said, it’s also very effective at stripping lubes and grime from cassettes, chains and indeed, rings.  

Talking of which, in my excitement at finding a bargain, I discovered I’d bought a boost version of the Deore crankset, designed for a 73mm bottom bracket shell, whereas Denise is a 68mm. This wasn’t obvious, in the way it was with Ursula and the Zee but crept in over time, when I noted some exposed axle on the non-drive side, two hundred mixed terrain miles hence. Sorted now but note to self… All that glitters is not necessarily the correct length.  I’ll leave it here with my review of the Park TW5 2.0 Ratcheting Click Type Torque wrench Park Tool TW5 2.0 Torque Wrench | cycling-not-racing