With the leaves and rain beginning to fall,
creating their unique mulch, I decided to switch Denise from the Continental Terra
Competition Trail The
Continental Terra Competition Trail | cycling-not-racing to the Maxxis
Rambler Maxxis
Rambler Tubeless Ready Tyres | cycling-not-racing and Ravager Maxxis Ravager
TR Tyres | cycling-not-racing, simply because I could. The other thing
prompting this switch was a desire to run the Shutter Precision SL9 hoop,
giving me time to strip and replace the Ultegra's bearings. I'd previously
opened the hub and decided to re-pack with fresh grease as an interim measure
but felt a deeper dive was in order. Afterall, that's what spare wheels are
for...
Mercifully, it all went very
smoothly, with a little help from two 17mm spanners, a magnetic bit, some clean
rag, solvent and fresh ball bearings. Races seem fine-no pitting or similar
woes. Given time was pressing and light was fading, I went for the Zefal Pro ii
grease Zefal Pro
II Grease | cycling-not-racing . It was plugged into my finish line grease
gun, so quick and convenient to deliver. Besides, its seemingly very durable,
which is another crucial factor. For the time being, I’ll run the Evura/SL9 HALO
EVURA & SHUTTER PRECISION SL9 DYNOHUB BUILD and enjoy the welcome tag
team of lower weight and resistance.
I was initially convinced the
Dh-3n71 would be 9 bearings per side, but counted 10 and replaced ten, before
having the creeping suspicion there should be 11- not that I could see a means
of packing 11 3/16" into the races. Having checked the manual, I was
relieved to have ten confirmed. On the subject of bearings, while new budget
balls are better than worn high grade balls, I've genuine Shimano, rather than
risking something lower grade that will wear faster and besides, at £2.99 for
20, there's no financial incentive to do otherwise.
Someone waved an XT crankset
under my nose for less than £100 and the sensual sweet temptress from the
upgrade dimension was definitely whispering in my ear. However, the voice of
reason and fiscal prudence spoke louder. Undeniably tempting, the existing
Deore setups feature steel rings, which are-all things being equal, more
durable. Significant on bikes ridden year-round, in all weathers. Money that
could be better spent on chains, cassettes and other consumables.
30th October marked the 40th anniversary of me collecting my first Holdsworthy Claud Butler - a pivotal point in my life generally and cycling journey, specifically. Cycling has been one of the few constants throughout my life, which has had many changes and deviations from my anticipated scripts and trajectories. Testing and fun aside, I reflect a lot on life and process all manner of stuff in the saddle. Thoughts and matters that can be worked through, processed and left out on the road.
The present situation in France
where legitimate protest is being hijacked by those with no interest in
improving conditions in education, hell bent on destroying buildings and
infrastructure. Some I suspect funded by foreign money, some fuelled by
mindless violence and some seeing an opportunity to build a social media
presence. One that in turn leveraged to make money. This aside, how is
destruction of this kind, which will take years to rebuild and paid for through
taxation-assuming sufficient monies can be raised going to profit anyone…
Ravemen have sent us some nice
lights including this UR1700 front light and CL200 Rear. I was curious to see
how the UR1700 compared with Magicshine’s EVO 1700 Magicshine
Evo 1700 Underneath Light | cycling-not-racing and Gaciron Cetus Gaciron
Cetus 1700 Underneath Bike Light | cycling-not-racing. The UR 1700 produces
a maximum of 1700lumens and eight modes across high and low beam. Three steady-200,400
and 800lumens. Two flashing modes-a 400lumen pulse flash and 100lumen eco flash
and of course, the 1700lumen high beam. On paper at least, this caters for most
riding environments.
Given this setup and the hi/lo
beam configuration, the remote isn’t an optimal extra, rather like a car’s, it
will dazzle oncoming traffic, if you don’t dip. The flashing modes are also
located in the low mode. These are easily located with the remote but a faff,
using the light’s main switch.
The CL200 is the biggest in the range
with six modes, a stop-start sleep mode and a braking function. In terms of flashing,
we have a 200-lumen warning flash, 100lumen rapid flash, 3 lumen slow flash.
Steady translates as 20, 10 and 5 lumens. Ravemen claim a maximum run time of
160hours, fully charged. The lens
projects a 300-degree arc of light, which theoretically prevents any stealth
moments-say when negotiating roundabouts. IPX6 weather resistance is now the
norm and bodes well for longevity, ditto the 1 metre drop resistance.
This CL series also uses the same
quarter turn mount, which looks similar to that employed by Magicshine and
others but having experimented, I can confirm the pattern is different, so not
interchangeable. However, second/replacements start at £4.99. The saddle rail
mount isn't proving a universal fit. (Not that others are). That said; it is
very secure.
Staying with Magicshine a moment, while testing the Ray3000 Endurance Bike Light With ANT+ Magicshine Ray 3000 ANT+ | cycling-not-racing, I resurrected a Ray 2600 from 2001. I’d whipped it aboard Ursula’s bars and was running it as backing singer to the K-Lite Bike Packer Pro V2 K LITE BIKEPACKER PRO V2 FRONT LIGHT | cycling-not-racing/daytime running light. Unlike some, the Ray2600 employs a wired remote and curiosity saw me rummaging through the remotes drawer. I unearthed another USB-C remote, plugged it into the port. My hunch it would work proved correct, so an alternative, should the OEM unit prove a little short for wider drops. Either way, I tether these inboard on the hoods for convenience and protection from everyday knocks, not to mention a spill. I’ve also resurrected these Salice Glasses Salice 026 RW Glasses | cycling-not-racing since they offer an amber lens to boost vision, regulating light and mood in dull, overcast conditions. I'll close here with my review of the Magicshine Seemee400 ANT+The Magicshine Seemee 400 ANT+ | cycling-not-racing
