Lubes & Links

 I’ve noticed an interesting dual persona to the Blub Ceramic Lube now that temperatures have crept a little higher and roads a little drier. 4 degrees or so and it requires eight hours or so to cure and assumes a state closer to a lighter middleweight wet lube. Muckier to touch but has stayed put for 280 generally wet, gooey miles before topping up was needed. Interestingly, Blub says it will also need topping up on bikes left standing (i.e. not ridden) longer than 48 hours. It took a week before this became plain during March, and with the temperatures wavering between 3 and 16 degrees.  

Same story with the fixed gear winter/trainer. 10-25 degrees is apparently where the lube’s qualities are best. Having replenished Ursula’s thirsty links, I only needed to wait five minutes before it turned from creamy to glazed. Much cleaner too.  Not necessarily ideal for weekend/ sunny days’ bikes but not necessarily a bad choice either-so long as you don’t mind reapplying a light coat each week. Talking of lubes, I’ve played with the Silca Secret Formula Chain Lube long enoughto form firm conclusion Silca Super Secret Chain Coating | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

Steve's also been impressed by the Blub Chain Lube BLUB Chain Lube | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)Though unplanned, the Continental Cross King has proven a positive move. In common with the Maxxis, it’s relatively quick on tarmac and hardpack surfaces and sufficiently nimble along gravel roads, green lanes, and forest trails. I’m pondering going the Continental route up front too-again, with the puncture-repelling belt.       

As for the camera mount, well, that’s going to need some revision. The preset positioning is obscuring the Giant computer and I’ve also noted the camera platform, coupled with the use of resins isn’t adequately supporting the camera’s weight, resulting in shake and therefore blurred footage. I’m pondering whether I can revise this mount, or maybe salvage the Minoura. Perhaps a “permanent” bar bag, rear mudguard upgrade...Aside from consumables and testing, I’m not looking to change Ursula’s spec. The old girl is staying in Monster Cross guise.  

The recent blowout allowing, all the tubes have been easily patchable and have returned to the Axiom Ocean City Wave City+Seat Bag AXIOM OCEANWAVE CITY+ SEAT BAG | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), a packet fresh WTB tube has also been parked in the bottle cage caddy. It’s been a bit of a journey, these past 25 years in life and indeed, component changes reflect this. Ursula: The Never-Ending Story | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

Tag along tug, four seasons hell n’ high water, Ursula has been a friend, a confident and a reliable companion through some extremely turbulent times. While the days are quite chill suggesting winter hasn’t relinquished its grip just yet, there’s a brighter, sometimes drier narrative. It’s light by 630, enticing me to head out earlier and enjoy the peace.  

I’ve reached the conclusion that the most important components on a working bike are well sealed, hubs, headsets, bottom brackets, and sturdy paint.  

Opinions vary when it comes to colours. Skid mark brown certainly has a wealth of benefits, especially on the theft -repelling front. However, I’m drawn to more neutral livery- dove grey, cream, blues etc. I’ve occasionally toyed with the idea of a bold, vibrant purple next time round but “light” (Ral 7035) grey with a tough clear lacquer coat seems the most likely candidate, come the time the timeless cream starts looking, er, tired… (tyre photo Michael’s garage).     

Not to be left out, the fixed now features this rather lovely Ritchey WCS Carbrillo Saddle. Aimed at road and gravel audiences and measuring 260x146mm, it’s slightly shorter and broader than my “bike-fit” ideal but this wider, flatter shape has some other interesting features.  First up, there’s the patented “Vector Wing” technology, which I’m told features across all Ritchey saddles.  

This means the rails (stainless steel, in this instance) are isolated to help prevent hot spots by dissipating pressure more evenly, away from the sit bones for “all day” comfort. The cover is also noteworthy since it's seamless and attaches to the base without glue, staples, or stitches.  As for the padding, it's a light polyurethane foam.  As the name and 227g might suggest, there’s also some carbon involved. It features in the shell, which is a nylon/carbon fibre mix.  

Shorter nose saddles are designed for riders who want to assume a lower more aggressive stance, although at 260mm, the WSC is much closer to a traditional road saddle (and none the worse for it). Stubbier designs have been compatible with me in the short terms but in practice, I favour something slightly longer.  These things aren’t an exact science and as I’m always saying, contact points are the most personal, some might say, divisive points. 

Plan is to do three hundred miles on the fixed and then switch to Ursula, to test not only its comfort and performance on and off road, but to see if a more upright positioning, placing greater weight on the saddle has any impact. Then of course, there’s the flat profile. Does this have any impact when re/mounting along more technical, or potentially boggy sections of trail for example. 300 miles on each should give sufficient insight into its longer-term comfort, considerations, and potential limitations.  

Do those extra 3mm improve, or detract from comfort, does the sculpted design make any tangible difference? Racing and touring may seem worlds apart but the common link concerns equipment. Saddles being obvious examples, but it goes much wider and includes a change, or tweak to positioning. Never roll up to the start line, or into the wide blue yonder with equipment that’s fresh from the box- get at least a couple of hundred miles with it, while the stakes are low. New bike, groupset, wheels, panniers, shorts, shoes, shifters, the rule applies. I'll close here with my review of the Leatt Jacket MTB Endurance2.0 Leatt Jacket MTB Endurance 2.0 | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

 

Grease, Shims & Stoppers

The recent episodes of creaking led to methodical re-greasing of fasteners and other easily forgotten parts- across the fleet. Grease guns, though not essential, gets gooey stuff exactly where it’s needed and minimises wastage. 

 

I'm the first to admit I tend to set a glob of something suitably synthetic and waterproof into hub and headset races, giving a luxuriously sticky bed for the bearings. However, the top layer is always carefully piped in.  

Threaded stuff and contact points, such as bottom brackets, derailleur hangers, pedals and seat posts also get the piping treatment. When it comes to posts, Hollowtech cranks axles and skewers, I distribute evenly with gloved digit afterwards.

A Finish Line model has been my go-to for the best part of a decade now.  

It threads nicely on most brands’ tubes and delivery is very precise, although the flow rate can be a little slow. Enter this System EX Grease Gun. Made of metal (Stainless steel and powder-coated aluminium alloy) the nozzle is particularly giraffe-like-perfect for trafficking greasy goodness into freehubs and other recessed parts. Still summer, so I’m continuing to enjoy the Teenage Dream’s charms.   

The CST Cito have continued to impress, and we’ve had some sudden heavy downpours to test their road holding in the wet. Spoiler alert, they’ve gripped winding bends and greasy tarmac like the proverbial leech.   

Greens aren’t everyone’s choice of livery and admittedly, had I been having the frame restored now, I’d probably opt for a chrome effect base and rosso red topcoat- giving the look of a chrome rear triangle but without the nasty processes, compounded by the need for acid etch primers to make the paint stick. Oh, and the electroplate always wins, eventually. 

Now, you’d never (or at least, shouldn’t) electroplate thin wall tubing such as 531c given the filing and acids involved but some did and with the inevitable structural damage. I recall experienced frame builders recounting tales of them emerging from the methyl chloride tank disintegrating before the eyes. 

 

Some folks have suggested 531c was a good bet for smaller riders and lightweight touring. Not sure I subscribe to that. A compact bar bag and a post-mounted SQR Tour-type saddlebag are pretty much where I’d stop. I’m 70 kilos and there’s some small but tangible whip around the bottom bracket shell when powering away-especially climbing out of the saddle. Experienced frame builders have suggested additional “braze-ons” are not problematic, so long as silver, not brass is employed.  

Anyhow, I still love the RAL 6010 green, it’s a little different-not a colour I’d generally default to. I also had flashes of inspiration, ideas of going for a pursuit-type bar- I had a set of Carbon TT levers knocking around somewhere... 

However, this was also switching for its own sake. Unless of course, something suitable landed in my lap...Higher-end brake pads might be a better performance upgrade. Not that the existing aftermarket Fibrax Wet Weather and Jagwire pairings are lacking but pads and cables often reap surprising and very inexpensive performance benefits.  The Holdsworth’s Miche Primato and BBB Tech Stop pads offer superb braking, with excellent modulation and feel. No need to change here.  

I’d recently switched to the Ravemen LR 1600 Ravemen LR1600 Front Light | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) up front. It’s a light I’m very fond of, and despite using the LR500’s “watch strap” type mount, slippage hasn’t been a problem with 31.8 bars. However, this wasn’t so with the Salsa Bell Lap which are 26.0. Obviously, this would be a moot point with its lighter LR500 stablemate.RAVEMEN LR500S FRONT LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) Indeed, since I’m not doing dark roads proper, rather wanting something to be seen by, the LR500’s flashing setting would arguably be ideal.  

Anyhow, some experimentation with shims did not offer the vice-like tenure I was seeking, and though safely packed away, the OEM LR1600 mount wasn’t to hand so I opted in favour of Sigma’s 700-lumen Buster. This, along with its 2000lumen stablemate SIGMA SPORT BUSTER HL 2000 | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) employs a thumbscrew clamp, which sorted things.  

Oh, and the flashing mode is 700lumens, so no issues when it comes to being conspicuous on dawn blasts. Rear shifting had suddenly gone off mid-ride slipping-a cable tension issue by my reckoning. I returned and found the inner wire fraying, so replaced it. A particularly quick switch on old-school, friction shift downtube levers.  

Five minutes and that included snugging down the Campagnolo Victory mech’s cable bolt and pruning the inner wire. Yes, that is a bolt, not an Allen bolt. Thankfully, I had my trusty 34-year-old Y wrench handy, so easier still.