So, after some deliberation, I
plumped for this very fetching honey coloured Bobbin bar wrap to replace the
venerable Mpart. Arguably, black would’ve been more obvious given the
Ilpompino’s new colour scheme but I’m rather taken with the warm, tan contrast.
Cursory inspection of the end
plugs suggested it was a rebranded shop variant and one that had served me
well. However, the hide seems superior-much thicker, though still very supple,
so sharp effects are achievable with minimal effort and the absence of lever
strips posed no problems.
Despite the strong adhesive, correction is similarly
effortless, which was welcomed when doubling up at personalised points. While
the end plugs looked pretty, tenure proved poor and prompted swift substitution
for a set of plastic Cinelli-sorted.
Initial thoughts are of a
luxurious, grippy and fatigue reducing covering that should weather reasonably
well; nourished with Nikwax or similarly good quality leather proofing on a
quarterly basis. On our second outing, I was convinced the tube gremlin had
struck again.
A very low but persistent hiss
tore through my serenity, a mere 700 metres from home. Psyching myself up for
another tube swap, I was elated on discovering it was merely the sound of
carbonated drink escaping my bottle valve. However, I wasted no time in plugging a
small but significant nick in the Vittoria’s casing with superglue.
There’s no such thing as too
many when it comes to spare tubes, patch kits or Co2 cartridges and Murphy’s
Law guarantees they’re never to hand when you need them.
More than two patches and
butyl gets recycled as seat collar/headset boots, shims for lighting
brackets/similar accessories. 175-2.1 inch MTB sizes are much easier to slide
into place but bigger 30-38mm road sections also work reasonably well.
Confounded by the mysterious
disappearance of those bought during my last decathlon dash, fastidious
foraging unearthed a fully loaded repair kit, so the wounded tube has been
sorted and relegated to the serviceable spares stash. I also rediscovered this
handy folding stand. Lacking the outright stability of the PRO types, it’s much
neater than improvising with a Perspex jug when photographing bikes.
Knog’s biggest Blinder Arc-the
640, continues to impress, with its combination of versatility and output that
frankly outshines many budget models claiming much bigger numbers.
This goes to substantiate the
point, that reflector, diode and lens are pivotal when talking useable light.
Weather resistant to IPX6, (everything bar full blown submersion in layman’s
terms), ours haven’t missed a beat when subjected to my five minute hose-pipe
torture test.
This isn’t an act of
vandalism, I’m not seeking to destroy these, or any other lighting system.
Rather, when manufacturers claim something is waterproof, then I pursue
accordingly but within reason, obviously.
Elsewhere, wedding season here
in the UK supposedly fizzled out with September’s swansong but I’m delighted to
be covering some Indian ceremonies in Bedfordshire before October’s through.
This month will be the last real opportunity to get some serious miles in on
the “teenage dream” too; so I’ll be taking full advantage.
My mother’s car port
commission has also generated a steady stream of interest.
Prices start at £250 for my
stock, rural scenes blown up on 5x3ft weatherproof canvasses. Bespoke works and
other sizes are also welcomed-just contact me by email with your requirements
and we’ll take things from there.
Continuing the photographic
theme, I’m still hunting a suitable replacement Sony Alpha (Minolta pattern)
body and at Seven Day Cyclist magazine, we’re recruiting interns to assist with
production and marketing.
