Switch n' Save

 

Prevention is always more effective, and usually cheaper than cure. Regular inspection can stop a lot of issues before they start, especially during winter, when conditions are harsher and daylight hours shorter.  the KMC chain is still going strong and foils the chain checker’s .75 marker, and we’re way past the 1500mile mark, which may also add credence to Bike Medicine’s Claims that the Purple Extreme | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) extends drivetrain life.   

Some minor mudguard chatter piped up, causing me to give Ursula more generic midweek onceover. Stays nipped snug, I discovered a small but deep gash in the rear Schwalbe Marathon Mondial Double Defense TEST & REVIEW: SCHWALBE MARATHON MONDIAL TYRES (sevendaycyclist.com). This prompted me to switch to the Schwalbe Marathon GT 365 TESTED: SCHWALBE MARATHON GT 365 TYRES WINTER UPDATE (sevendaycyclist.com).  

Hefty, as I’ve established on numerous occasions but ultra-dependable and offering decent traction when the mercury is stubbornly refusing to creep above freezing and that hard frost is audible. I acquired two more Schwalbe Land Cruisers. One for the Ryde/Alfine wheel (that Mick Madgett built with speed and enviable expertise this week) and a higher spec Land Cruiser Plus replacing the Marathon Mondial. I fancied a more substantial puncture repelling belt at the rear. Still 50g lighter than the Marathon 365, too.  

In terms of genre, the Land Cruiser remind me of Specialized Crossroads (26x1.9) which served me well between 1999 and 2001. Traditionally, the mention of mixed terrain, or dual-purpose tyres were synonymous with worst of both worlds. Sure, the Specialized and the Land Cruiser aren’t going to rival a 1.5 slick on the tarmac or a crossed country tyre through more demanding forest trails.

 

Nonetheless, some 600 miles down the line, they’re proving capable mixed terrain rubber that will swoosh along quite nicely on the tarmac, give a compliant ride along pockmarked lanes and still deliver along moderate trails. WTB All Terrainasaurus are another I have fond memories of. These are also available in 26x1.95 but I was running a narrower, 1.5 (have a feeling they came up smaller, nearer to 1.4). Dirt cheap, quick, and dependable for my commutes around South London... 

Since Ursula was in the stand, I got busy with the Motorex Grease Spray and The Torque Covert 7 Crank tool, whipping out bottle boss, carrier and mudguard screws. Being steel, these were all given a shot before I delivered a stream into Ursula’s inner sanctum and the Kona Project 2, while I was at it.  

Spray greases are super convenient and quite versatile, refreshing those parts thicker waxy preserves cannot reach so readily. In a pinch, 10w/40, or less sophisticated semi-synthetic motor oils are easily found/scrounged, can be delivered via a syringe and will do much the same job, in a steel frameset.  I've also delivered some into the less accessible regions of my KA, since the wings are welded, not bolted in situ. Removal, say if needing to repair a sill is a lot more involved. Getting some greasy stuff into the sills will at the very least, slow the advances of corrosion in areas where it can flourish unnoticed. 

Chainsaw oil is another cheap, readily available substitute, which doubles as a reasonable chain lube. Again, apply via syringe and be ultra-disciplined with the clean-up, or chains will become a matted, gritty transmission gobbling mess.

Bib shorts are a less obvious choice for the darker months, save of course, for slaving away on the indoor trainer. However, I often ride with bib shorts beneath lighter old school Lycra when temperatures are middling. Strangely enough, I’ve been comfortable with budget dhb bib shorts and 20-year-old GT tights (which I retain a strange, some would say irrational attachment to) when the mercury is struggling to climb into single figures.

I’ve been similarly impressed with the Gecko Ankle Length Waterproof Socks GECKO ANKLE LENGTH WATERPROOF SOCKS | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) which, being thinner than their Calf Length Classic All Action Waterproof Socks means they’re a better fit with closer fitting road and mountain bike shoes. No sign of this ice age, the red top tabloids have been screaming about for several months...Maybe it’s a cunning metaphor for something else...The cost-of-living crisis, which is forcing an increasing number to decide between heating their homes or feeding themselves and their children. Or perhaps the present diplomatic situation surrounding Ukraine...  

Last Train to London

Schwalbe UK likes what we do at Seven Day Cyclist www.Sevendaycyclist.com so I was delighted to discover their Marathon 365 awaiting me, having just returned from a quick reckkie of that disused railway line.

 

As their name suggests, Schwalbe designed these to cope competently in all conditions and year round. 2 inches wide and a portly 1048g apiece, the 365 are to my surprise, heavier than their spiked winter siblings. We’re slipping into summer at this point but it’ll be interesting to see whether they can genuinely deliver when conditions threaten a face-plant at every corner.

Though the UK doesn’t get snow in the Scandinavian sense, the spiked versions will tackle snowy back road in full confidence and at respectable speeds. Frankly, I’d rather be relaxed at 17mph and enjoying the ride when roads are under several centimetres of snowy stuff than risking a face plant at every bend.   

Staying with their similarities, both tyres are wire beads and generally speaking, incredibly easy to re/mount- I experienced some minor creep while fitting the 365, so squeeze the sidewalls while reinstating the remaining sections to counteract their initial tendency to roll off shallower rims.

Even though I’m a dynohub devotee, I was delighted by the sidewall’s dynamo track and retro-reflective detailing. The dual guard puncture preventative system bodes well for dependability. As the name implies, dual guard employs India rubber and nylon belt. Should a sharp pierce the casing; these flex, pushing it out before it nicks the tube, causing a flat. 

Operating pressures for the 365 are between 35 and 65psi, lower than their winter specific siblings and more typical of two-inch trail rubber. Formative impressions suggest there’s less rider-sapping drag, or squirm over metalled roads compared with common or garden knobblies. 

Nonetheless, rolling resistance was something of a culture shock coming from the excellent marathon GT I was testing earlier this year https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/schwalbe-marathon-gt-tyres  A few hundred mixed terrain, all weather miles will give much better insight as to their persona, strengths and weaknesses.  

Elsewhere, we’ve a review of the back bottle https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/the-back-bottle-water-bottle , route guide https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/cycling-the-loire-cycle-route  and some shots of Mick Ives on his solo giro d’italia mission https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/m16-podium-stage-system-complete .




 I was in the capital on business this week and was pleased to see fixed remains popular. Plenty of Specialized, Genesis and less prosaic one-cog hacks shackled to street furniture. Well, I got excited!

So, that railway line...It’s a long forgotten service that was derelict and overgrown forty years back. We lived locally then and my father would often hoist me atop his shoulders to get a closer look at the track that nature had largely reclaimed.

Having awoken to discover the Ilpompino’s front Vee Rubber had a slow flat, I prepped the Univega and fifteen miles into a loop, took a left turn along a narrow, unmade road. The street specific 1.75 Panaracer coped surprisingly well along the loose gravel-even at 75psi and sure enough, the banking was still fully accessible. Hoisting the tubby tourer over my shoulder, I ran to the bottom.

Track long gone; it was more like a green lane. A bit much for the street-centric Panaracer, so bike back on my shoulder, I ran diagonally up the banking, nettles and other foliage ravaging my exposed legs and remounted cyclo-cross fashion.

A narrow, little used lane, just wide enough for a small car presented, so we followed that a mile or so before rejoining the main road and the final seven miles home. The ability to escape and explore on a lightweight but durable machine was mountain biking’s biggest draw for me back in the 1980s.

Arguably my cream and black friend is the closest to that era’s ideal. Amateur psychologists (of which, there seem plenty) would suggest I’m yearning to revert to those times. However, I felt acutely alienated during my teenage years and have no desire to revisit them.

This also proved an ideal opportunity to test the claims of a repair product. Look closely and you’ll see I’ve glued the LED tab on its wedge pack. Left curing for the 12hours cited, time will tell just how effective and indeed, permanent the repair really is.

Back in the midlands, I had a tip-off about some long abandoned, derelict buildings, so headed off early morning with CSC and lenses. Following my nose and commanded by bladder, I found a stretch of wasteland. The external barrier had been flattened, allowing easy access.

Timely too, since Police with dogs had passed seconds before! Walking through the undergrowth, I was soon greeted by obvious signs of recent substance misuse, so continued carefully, ears attune to any little sound, or movement.

Charred chairs and mattresses aside, no-one was home and the neighbours didn’t seem particularly perturbed by my presence. Guess they presumed I was working on behalf of a developer.

The building was very well sealed-squatters or metal thieves weren’t going to be another force to contend with, so I had a relaxed half hour’s mooch. Bottom line, if asked to leave, I smile a lot and walk away pretty swiftly. Right, lots coming up and lots to get done, so back to the keyboard!