The Tour Lite has a maximum cited
payload of 20 kilos, is made from 6061 aluminium alloy and is designed to
accommodate a wide range of framesets and 26, 27.5 and 700c tyres up to 50mm
wide. It’s a little lighter than the Topeak Uni Super Tourist 2.0 Non-Disc Rack
Topeak
Uni SuperTourist 2.0 NonDisc Rack | cycling-not-racing but 25g heavier than The M Part Summit M Part Summit
Rear Rack | cycling-not-racing ( 879g and 715g respectively). Welds are neat and uniform throughout and the textured
grey finish continues this narrative. I like the 3- or 4-point fitting options
as standard and the addition of a nicely engineered (rather than pressed steel “giveaway”)
spanner was a very pleasant surprise. Three-point fits with the brief and lends
itself to Audax and training bikes where you might want to carry a bit extra
but not the proverbial kitchen sink. The top plate’s profile is decidedly
narrow, so I wonder how well it will host trunk bags, such as my long serving
Carradice.
Talking of luggage, Steve (Seven Day Cyclist
Co-Editor) is due to embark on a very big tour with his wife in April, so if
you’re a manufacturer, or distributor and you’d like him to long term test your
products, let me know.
Giving Muffin a good sudsy bucket
clean presented the ideal opportunity to fit the Dia Compe 138 lever, which gives
my left hand the comfortable resting spot I was missing and two hundred miles
hence, I didn’t opt for the broader Ridgeback. Defaulting to the Leatt Pro Clip
Endurance 6.0 Shoes, these continue to impress, while confirming some
suspicions. Namely that the sole is stiff, but when climbing hard on the fixed,
there’s some minor flex.
It’s very subtle, but I wasn’t
surprised to find their Endurance 6.0 pedals offered optimal support, but no
issues with Shimano, or their legions of homages. It’s worth noting they are a sporty, rather
than race orientated cross country mountain bike/gravel shoes. The latter
prioritise pedalling efficiency, but are quite harsh to walk in, which isn’t always
desirable. Horses for courses.
This minor flex is much less
apparent on the 2x10 drivetrains, since my approach is different- I’m usually
dropping down a gear or two, turning a higher cadence and winching up. Wet and
wintry conditions also confirmed my suspicions that the large section of opaque
mesh will allow water inside. The good news is the Pro Clip Endurance 6.0 have
proven roomy enough for waterproof socks.
Otherwise, wearing merino blend
socks, bargain on some slight sogginess given 50 minutes or so in persistent,
showery rain. Speaking of wintry
conditions, they’ve been ideal for testing technical kit and I’ve grown fond of
the Castelli Unlimited Rain Jacket Castelli
Unlimited Rain Jacket | cycling-not-racing . Waterlogged roads and a sudden
cold snap lead to ice and indeed, some light snow, so I was glad I’d left
Ursula shod with the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro Schwalbe
Ice Spiker Pro Tyres | cycling-not-racing.
There are two basic approaches to
filthy conditions, although, as with life generally, there is nuance. There are those that will give bikes a twenty-minute
sudsy bucket clean to remove salt, grit and contaminant post ride, before it
can take hold. There are those who just allow it to stick, rustling up the
buckets when the mucky spell has passed. Not difficult to see the logic and it
has sometimes been the basis behind winter bikes- recycling downgraded
components.
However, while fixed, single
speed, hub geared and say, 6,7 or 8spd derailleur transmissions are relatively
tolerant of being basted in crap, in my experience, 9 speed upwards get
consumed at a rapid rate. With this in mind, I’m inclined to give bikes a moderately
thorough clean every third outing, or a deeper clean, weekly. I don’t employ
waxes to beautify in this context, rather to protect, to provide a barrier
against the elements, making grot harder to stick in the first instance.
I've had a few rude awakenings
lately in the context of my mental and physical well-being, nothing that can't
be steered back on course, but rather symptomatic of wider issues and possibly,
unhealthy coping mechanisms. Nothing that was obvious- riding, energy levels
and general physicality were unaffected, but there were other tell-tale signs.
Irritability, difficulty in sleeping and an unsettling rash. The latter I
attributed to a change in shampoo, and it seemed to ease a little when I
switched to an alternative. However, itching and redness along my upper
forearms was bigger cause for concern.
Again, something I dismissed as a
bite-navigating flooded roads and a seasonally unexpected gnat orbiting my
bedroom being two "probable" causes. These weren't the culprits and
it was yet another reminder that I'm not invincible and we all need to monitor,
check and adjust things accordingly.
The present socio-political
climate and the uncertainty it presents is undoubtedly a strong influence, a
pull to unhealthy coping mechanisms/escape attempts, whether this be consumer
spending, reliance upon substances/self-medication (legal and otherwise),
gambling, shopping, or risky sexual practices/unhealthy relationships.
Politicians, regardless of “colours” talk endlessly of growth and stimulating it, without actually doing anything, save for a vague notion of tweaking something. A novice with a spoke key, basically.
