Snow & Ice= Spikes

Plummeting temperatures finally heralded the arrival of snow and ice. Conditions the tabloid press were wetting themselves over for weeks, presumably a great distraction from other, politically engineered chaos crippling the UK. Warm banks because an increasing number cannot afford to heat their homes, food and fuel poverty on a wider level... Not scenarios associated with an advanced economy. 

Rant over. I’ve gone for the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro up front and the 1.75 Schwalbe Winter Plus at the rear, since there was insufficient room at Ursula’s rear triangle for the bigger tyre. Now, (this is the case for all spiked tyres) spikes need to be bedded in on dry tarmac for around 25miles before letting rip on icy, or snowy roads. Last Tuesday was switch day and bedding in was done on Wednesday morning at 430am.  

Spikes tend to add a bit of weight and resistance to things, so expect to drop a gear or two lower than you ordinarily might. This is accompanied by a gravelly patter, which quickly becomes comforting, especially when it's slippery.  

I’ve always been impressed by the Winter Plus, and their lowlier 120 spike Winter TESTED: SCHWALBE WINTER SPIKED TYRES (sevendaycyclist.com) but the Ice Spiker Pro are a few notches higher, thanks to the extensive proliferation of tungsten carbide spikes (362 in this instance). The advantages are immediately obvious when cornering or accelerating. No momentary losses of traction whatsoever, just lots of big grins.  

For the time being, the spikes will stay-they're by far the best option for slippery wintry roads. Madison Madison.co.uk – The UK’s largest cycle parts & accessories distributor has sent me some Maxxis Overdrive Excel. Marketed as a “trekking” tyre, they’re a dual compound model reckoned to cope in all weather and handle mixed terrain riding. Looking at the tread pattern, there are some passing, superficial similarities between them and the CST Expedium fitted to my fixed gear winter/trainer.  

However, the Expedium are only available in 26x1.75, while the Overdrive Excel are 26x2.0. This may be a moot point, or a deal-breaker, depending on your frame clearances and tastes. These days, I prefer a 1.95/2.0 section for Ursula but obviously, 1.75 and spikes is the way forward in wintry contexts, where clearance can become trickier on an older XC frameset running full-length mudguards (fenders).  

Other differences include theoretically superior puncture protection, given the Overdrive Excel’s “Silk Shield” runs bead to bead. Reflective sidewalls are another good bet during the darker months and indeed, daily drivers generally. 740g apiece is relatively light, for this genre and size of tyre too, so it’ll be interesting to see how they compare with Kenda Kwick Journey KS Plus KENDA KWICK JOURNEY TYRES | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) (Also comes in a 26x1.75, along with several 700C options.) The basic Schwalbe Land Cruiser (26x2.0) are 887g. Mick Madgett finished a quick tune up of Ursula’s Ryde Andra/SP SD8 wheel SHUTTER PRECISION SD8 HUB DYNAMO | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

 

Elsewhere, I was somewhat stunned to find this little Topeak Taillux 30 USB Rear Light had popped in two. Specifically, the lens had separated from the base, while I was gently picking it up from the charging table. It was a clean “break” suggesting the adhesive had just lost its bond.  

This enabled me to ogle the internals with a child-like curiosity, although obviously, I left well alone and rejoined case and lens with some Gorilla glue. I’m very fond of the three-mode, 30-lumen light and for that matter, its bigger, 100lumen sibling TOPEAK TAILLUX 100 REAR LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) so hoping this repair holds long-term.  I’ve left it curing at room temperature for the full 24 hours... 

Staying with lights, I had some unexpected mount woes with the See Sense BEAM+ but See Sense since sent me a replacement. The original was susceptible to annoying vibration when navigating anything other than virgin tarmac and that’s been conspicuous by its absence.  

Weldtite has very graciously supplied me with a replacement drive pin for my Cyclo Chain Breaker and are sending me their Ceramic coating kit, which is designed to protect the frame and components, making it easier to keep clean. Right now, conditions are perfect for assessing its worth and besides, anything that extends cleaning intervals is very welcome!  Now, I’m always drawn to products that claim to be all-weather.  Now in some respects, this can mean absolutely anything.  

However, in terms of chain lubes, it tends to imply a blend that is primarily brewed to resist the worst weather. Weldtite Ceramic WELDTITE CERAMIC LUBE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) has held on very well, despite the freezing conditions. Motoverde PTFE Chain Lube Motoverde PTFE Chain Lube | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) is another very tenacious blend looking at the fixed’s chain is showing no signs of waning. Much like this disco brakes dual colour silver wavey disc rotor Disco Disc Brake Pads and Wavey Rotors | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)

Yikes! On Go The Spikes

Tanking temperatures forced the issue late on Wednesday night (30th) Time to fit the Schwalbe Winter to Ursula and my fixed gear winter trainer, especially since I would be resuming night rides come the first week in January. Thursday morning came and by 9am, it was struggling to reach minus 3 degrees, so my initiative paid off.  

Now, it's worth noting that my fixed gear winter trainer only has enough room for a 35mm slick in the rear triangle, hence, I stick with the standard 32/35mm road rubber, especially since of the two, it’ better to have spikes up front (assuming you can’t fit a pair, obviously). The Winter plus differ from their winter siblings in terms of spikes-number and location.  

I can usually bowl along quite nicely, to around 17mph on icy stretches, running the budget winter, but the winter plus have palpably more bite when things turn mean and snowy. Since we’re on the subject, look closely at Ursula (my Univega) and you’ll note I’m running a Marathon Winter Plus up front and the base Winter TESTED: SCHWALBE WINTER SPIKED TYRES (sevendaycyclist.com) behind.  

This boiled down to being unable to locate both Winter Plus, so the next best thing. Here in the UK, it’s rare that we get long spells of snowy/icy conditions, so the Winter’s slightly worn Tungsten Carbide studs shouldn’t present any problems. 1.75 width also frees up a bit of clearance, so mudguards are also less likely to get fouled, or clogged with snow, should that materialise here. Main thing is, I can relax, enjoy the ride and stand a sporting chance of remaining rubber up. Reliability trumps speed.  

Well-prepped winter bikes greatly reduce mechanicals-the last thing you want when it's bitterly cold and you’re miles from home.After The Gritters Went Home | Seven Day Cyclist Especially if you’re introducing children or a significant other, to the joys of winter on two wheels.  

Pack hubs, headsets, and fit bottom brackets /seat posts etc with stiff stay put greases. Keep the bike clean and periodically apply a good quality paste wax to make this process easier, while also repelling UV light, road salt, and other caustic nasties.  

I’d been toying with the idea of fitting some SKS Speed Rocker to the fixed since these would subvert clearance issues with 35mm tyres, and of course, the Gusset Headlock system.  

However, if you are going the clip-on route, apply some helicopter tape around the fork blades and stays, where the guards attach (even the high-end models), to prevent gritty stuff from getting behind and potentially marking the bike’s finish. Prevention is always easier and usually cheaper than cure-especially on a carbon composite frameset.  

Thankfully, the cold snap dried things up a little but I was surprised by the effect freezing temperatures have had upon the Apeman A80APEMAN A80 ACTION CAMERA | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), which has been powering down after 40 seconds of footage, whereas the now seemingly obsolete Geonaute G-Eye-2 Escape will keep rolling, even when it’s -3.   

The Kinekt 2.1 Suspension Seat postKINEKT 2.1 SUSPENSION SEAT POST | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) finally succumbed to the same squeak as their stem. Once again, I applied a little Green Oil SlipGREEN OIL SLIP ECO LUBRICANT (sevendaycyclist.com) to the moving parts, and it became progressively silent over the course of 15miles. It remains pleasingly so. A silicone-based spray, such as Muc-Off Silicon Shine MUC OFF SILICON SHINE POLISH | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) might’ve been the fastest cure, but I have a suspicion these might not be so durable, at least during a very cold, wet spell.