Lights & Spikes

Winter is fun, provided you prepare properly. No such thing as the wrong weather, provided you’ve the right kit. Dependable tyres, durable lubes, and decent lighting being three obvious bike specific requirements. 

Thanks to high quality li-on and li-polymer cells, run to charging ratios are very favourable these days.

However, complacency almost got the better of me. Over the past few weeks, I’ve really warmed to this Lightrider PHASE rear light, reckoned to pump out 50 lumens and go 36 hours between charges.

It did, or within a few minutes first time round. However, 20 odd hours through the second charge, the charge light began flashing and it promptly powered down…Eight miles from home.

Thankfully, I always run two bike mounted lights, with this Revolution COB rear LED on my helmet, ready for contingencies. Now, I’d been a little remiss with charging my Univega’s Moon Nebula, which I had been running in super frugal, slow flash.

This also began flashing its low charge indicator, but this and The Revolution’s 15 lumen flash, were enough to cruise the remaining eight miles home on. All were suckling from my mains chargers, before I’d popped the tubby tourer back in the workshop.

This is another reminder that AA/A fuelled units remain extremely relevant. While spare cells should always be carried, worse case scenario, they’re easily bought from supermarkets, convenience shops and petrol stations.

Staying with lights, this Oxford Products Ultratotrch 2K front light. Tipping the scales at 338g It’s a gram heavier than their Ugoe 2000 lumen headlight, which feeds from a 7.4volt, 6000mAh li-polymer, external battery https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/ugoe-2000  the 2K also retails at £99.99 and seems very well made. Inside the hard-anodized aluminium alloy casing we have three Cree XM-L2 LEDs, a 9000mAh lithium ion battery (which takes a full eight hours to charge).

I am pleased by the six modes, which staircasing power options, which start at a retina tickling 2000lumens, then downwards to 1500,1000, 500, 250 and 125lumens respectively. Some (me included) will be slightly disappointed to discover there’s no SOS, or flash mode, should reserves take a tumble, miles from home.

At the higher end, Oxford cites 2 hrs, 3 hours and 4 hours respectively, which bodes well for sustained speedwork through the sticks. However, whether optics rival firepower, in the useful, navigational sense, remains to be seen.

The machined aluminium handlebar mount makes a nice change, from the otherwise serviceable composites. It comes complete with an aluminium unit for 25.4 diameters.

Remove this, and theoretically it’ll bolt straight aboard oversized (31.8) bars. Rubber shims will be required for traditional road bars. I’ve had to raid the salvage box for something suitable, so it would accommodate these Soma Condor https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/soma

So, if you’re without pick a couple up from your friendly local bike shop and (assuming you haven’t bought from them, at least have the decency to buy them some biscuits, or contribute to their tea and cake fund.

Elsewhere, I’ve exhausted the helping of chainsaw oil, used to lubricate the Passport elements chain. So returned to Weldtite TF2 Extreme wet https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/weldtite-tf2-extreme-wet-chain-lubr , which has a very similar consistency.

The temperature has finally dropped, though not plunged, as sensationally predicted by the red top tabloid press. Clear skies have meant greasy, slightly slippery roads but nothing taxing the Schwalbe Marathon Mondial, yet. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/schwalbe-marathon-mondial-tyres

However, I can sense ice and more challenging weather coming in the coming weeks. Enter these Schwalbe Marathon Winter Plus. The winter, which I’ve used for several, icy and snowbound seasons are good but only have 120 spikes. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/schwalbe-winter-spiked-tyre

Fine for tackling icy backroads and moderate snowfall, at 17mph. However, last year’s so called “Beast from the East”; threatened to get the better of them. https://www.facebook.com/Sevendaycyclistmagazine/videos/1846747668689489/ We’re talking minor slides, with a bit of warning, nothing more serious/expensive, or indeed, undignified.  

The Schwalbe Marathon Winter plus have 200, which should elevate grip and control to a new level. Staying with temperature, conditions have called for liner gloves. While the Oxford Bright gloves (and several similar designs are fine to 3 degrees), when the mercury slides into minus figures, finger tips can get painfully chill.

A rummage through my gloves’ drawer, unearthed these BBB liners. Liner gloves are designed to slip inside and provide additional warmth, and, in some cases, they can also be worn on their own, during spring.

Lighting, Lubes & Log Cabins

So, I’ve reached our conclusions regarding the Ugoe 2000 headlight https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/ugoe-2000   and The Oxford Bright Stop rear LED light https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/oxford-bright-stop-rear-led-light I’ve turned my focus to mile munching with the Schwalbe Marathon Mondial https://www.facebook.com/Sevendaycyclistmagazine/videos/1367504860051913/  which are performing convincingly, both on and off road. https://www.facebook.com/Sevendaycyclistmagazine/videos/324364064784396/c

No, they’re not a trail tyre, in the cross country mtb sense. Rather they’re go-anywhere, all-terrain rubber. Sure, they’re not going to carve through the gloop like an aggressive knobbly, or glide over asphalt with the same speed as a slick.

However, rolling resistance is considerably lower than their weight and 26x2.0inch profiles would suggest. Off road, they’ll take unmade tracks, bridle path and less intense forest trails, in their stride. The stuff that really turned me on, to mountain biking as a teenager. Also explains Gravel’s appeal (much the same principle, just tackled on bikes with more cyclo cross in their DNA).

Lightweight, rugged machines that could go anywhere and perform with similar finesse. Slower across asphalt than a road or touring rig but the ability to vanish at speed along a dirt road. Feeling the ear to ear grin grow and leaving the world behind.

Powerfully enticing now, much less a bored teen, stifled by school’s rigid conformity. I wasn’t disinterested in education, just the context and curriculum. Thankfully, there were a few suitably disruptive students, for teachers to actively “zoo-keep”.

This left me to read the latest Specialized or Cannondale test, sans introspection, let alone chastisement.  My sincerest thanks go to Jane Wright (as she was, then) who rose from her seat and burst into the Communards’ “Don’t leave me this way”. Surreal, in the Dennis Potter sense. Perfectly timed, mid-afternoon, during double French, with Miss Diaper...

Back to 2018…

As things turn wetter, thoughts turn to waterproof kit and we’ve also been putting some wallet friendly panniers, https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/oxford  mudguards https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/oxford-full-length-mudguard-kit  and tyres https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/vee-tire-co-easy-street-tyre  through their paces. Aimed at commuters, all three seem to offer a decent amount of bang, for modest buck.

  

The motor oil challenge continues and much as I expected. The 5w/40 remains very stoical but is collecting moderate amounts of gunk, which are being purged on a weekly basis before it becomes a drivetrain gobbling, grinding paste.  Stoicism aside, shifts are very slick and silent, I latterly dribbled a tiny drop into every link.

There’s no one formula, for every occasion, in my experience, hence I like to alternate between lubricants, depending on the season. Self-cleaning wax types are particularly appealing. Low friction, lower maintenance (save for more frequent reapplication).

Home brewed variants are also extremely cheap to make (once you’ve got the consistency right). However, some commentators forget that the time and materials invested in this, have a cost (not to mention, mess) implication, which pushes their real “start-up” cost considerably higher (although I fully appreciate this can be recouped quite quickly over time).

Similarly, if you are unsure of correct brewing procedure, buying stock products is much cheaper than an explosion. The sort, resulting in an open plan terrace, and strained neighbourly relations.   

One of the major advantages shared by motor oil, chainsaw oil and more traditional wet lubes, is the ability to drizzle on, wipe and scoot off. Perfect during late autumn and winter, where daylight is at a premium.

Speaking of forest fun, Sharon booked us a Forest Holidays break, in Nottingham last week. https://www.forestholidays.co.uk/?channel=ppc&gclid=Cj0KCQiAoo7gBRDuARIsANeJKUZ7A2ySyU__cEKkSfGO4ECVjym1pua6fPB-flh5RolooJh1ngRO6IYaAt14EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Despite some poor light, and inclement conditions, I managed a fair bit of mooching and captured a bit of trail action, for good measure.

En route up, I dropped my Shutter Precision PD8 dynohub wheel, with John Moss. Unfortunately, John says the hub is poorly, rendering spoke tensioning academic. Thankfully, Ison distribution www.ison-distribution.com have come to my rescue and will sort, under warrantee…

Donkeys & Destructive felines

I dropped my son home, to discover his favourite toy-a talking Donkey (from the Shrek franchise) who he was inseparable for many years. Clearly still revered and sitting pride of place, in a swivel chair. For several years, I searched high and low for a replacement donkey, just in case…The worst happened…

As you can probably tell, he wasn’t the only one smitten with the 14inch cuddly character. At the time of purchase (back in 2004) several colleagues and I wanted one, for ourselves!

A quick browse of ebay…Next thing I knew, I’d indulged. We’ll blame it on sentiment and the relief that, following an X ray, my dental abscess required no further and moreover, painful treatment.      

Back in the saddle…

Thanks to sunny skies, the Holdsworth has been seeing a good couple of hundred miles over the past week, or so. I was surprised to discover its rear Vee Tire Co rain runner, had succumbed to a hedge clipping. The sort that burrows into the aramid casing, just deep enough to graze the tube, resulting in slow but steady, loss of pressure.  

Nothing a patch couldn’t cure. Though the rain runner (now known as Rolldiac) are a lightweight, grippy and generally dependable tyre, I’ve plucked this 25mm Freedom thick slick from my tyre rack.

These are made by WTB and according to their blurb “Designed to withstand the harshest urban elements”.

Urban labels aside, they’ve been perfect for winter training and in a bigger section, they’d also handle some lightweight/weekend touring (I’d used these 25mm on the “Teenage dream” and ‘cross biased fixed, for a good few months, with excellent results).

True, the casings feel relatively harsh, compared with the Rolldiac/Rainrunner, or indeed the Panaracer Pasela. Wire beads will turn a few people off Nonetheless, these are tempered by leach-like cornering prowess (wet, or dry) and outright reliability.

Even after a few years, dry storage, there’s no hint of deterioration, especially around the sidewalls. A crushed Kevlar belt and dura layer armoured sidewalls also appear to deliver, long term in the real world.

Even my malevolent farm cat hasn’t taken exception to, or at least been able to gnaw through them. Observation (and a large number of tube casualties) leads me to conclude he genuinely likes Schwalbe and Continental, yet has visceral contempt for pretty much every other brand! 

Luckily, I’d just taken delivery of a new batch of spare tubes. Much studier than the usual bundles, they were on sale and for very similar money. I’ve swapped my ‘cross inspired fixed’s Vittoria voyager hyper fort the Schwalbe Marathon GT https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/schwalbe-marathon-gt-tyres  

Black walls, either plain, or with retro-reflective piping has largely reigned supreme but recently, tan sidewalls are creeping back into vogue. Perhaps, this is partly influenced by the popularity of retro. Whether this is an influence of the retro-revivalist trend. Or just another example of things being cyclical remains to be seen.

The Vel SE cage arrived on Monday, so the Holdsworth was an obvious host. I seized the opportunity and swapped the Elite for the Enigma, thus ending contact and knuckle grazing issues with bigger (read standard 750ml) trade bottles.

I’ve had to nip the Topeak adaptor mount a few turns, to counter the seemingly greater lateral forces generated with a side entry design and 800ml Zefal bottle. Not a big deal but one of those things, I hadn’t anticipated and might not have occurred, if you’re coming from braze-on bosses.

Compared with the bright green SL sibling, the SE’s plain black looks a touch ordinary, dare I say, less refined, or shapely than the Lezyne flow. That said; thus far, the design offers decent tenure and is easily reversed to suit dominant hands. Much to my surprise, the SE is in fact, alloy bodied, with composite ends. However, this explains why it copes so well, with heavier loads, such as tool bottles and old school  bottle batteries.

More Locks, More Lubes

These Schwalbe Lugano, have seen me switch to the skinny tubed charms of the “teenage dream”; a machine that I am still deeply endeared to, 26 years later. I corrected its builder’s disappointing quality control back in 2009. Poor reaming, egg-shell enamel and runny brazing, the most obvious, visual weak spots.

Clearance with mudguards can still present the occasional challenge but otherwise, I can ride, polish and enjoy. Seven Day Cyclist recently did a short haul (225miles) summer test of Muc-Off hydrodynamic chain lube. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/muc-off-hydro-dynamic-chain-lube

Developed in conjunction with team Sky, we were expecting something special and weren’t disappointed. Ingredients are cold wear secret, although and despite the 4hour curing time, I was surprised to discover we’re not talking petrochemical stock.

Nonetheless, use and store away from animals and children and don gloves if you are prone to dermatitis. The distinctive blue colour and extended spout, means most folks won’t have any problems achieving a consistent, even application.

However, there’s a UV torch for the last word in precision. Given my working fixed and teenage dream’s existing preps were thinning, I’ve stripped both in favour of the hydrodynamic and will see just how many miles can be racked up per application.

Muc-Off cite 400, which doesn’t sound particularly impressive, when cheap as chips, bog standard mineral oil/PTFE blends will return 200 in less intense conditions. However, we are talking an approximate, overall, four season’s mileage.

Staying with lubes, the Green Oil Eco-Spray also lived up to its promises https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/green-oil-eco-spray-lube Comparison with a traditional, heavy duty PTFE based spray is fairest. In its present guise, there are better options for those seeking to flush cables, or waterlogged blinkies through. It’s also twice the price of some very capable, store branded maintenance sprays.

I’ve been impressed with its staying prowess, versatility and overall economy.

Not so long ago you had to choose between performance and planet friendly. The latter have closed the gap, especially when it comes to light-middleweight lubes, degreasers and bike washes.

One thing that hasn’t improved is bike theft. So long as there is a market for stolen bikes, it’s going to remain a serious problem. On one level, all good security does is buy time. The longer it takes for a thief to work, the more noise they make, the greater the likelihood of them being caught.  

Conversely, security is only as strong as its weakest link. A properly deployed mid-range lock is more effective than a high-rent model used badly.

Ideally, a lock will have done its job as a visual deterrent, a would-be thief considers it too much hassle, so walks on by, looking for easier pickings. Pros in particular are looking to be away in the proverbial 60- seconds. Reality is, that passing strangers are not about to challenge someone wielding a portable angle grinder!

Talking of portability, it’s worth taking two different approaches. One when locking in the street, another at home. General riding, say on a road biased mtb hybrid, I’ve erred toward several kilos of armoured chain and disc combination. Usually reinforced with another, short shackle U lock for the front wheel.

Other people will opt for a series of high quality locking bolts to secure front wheel and expensive components, and a medium shackle U lock, deployed to thwart tools. Whatever your preference, expect to spend 10% of the machine's retail value i.e. £900 should be secured with a £90 lock.

That's assuming you don't have a deep, emotional attachment to the machine and components. Rightful owners will be able to tell the story behind (pretty much) every nick, chip or minor scratch.

Pros with vans are a different entity, since they can haul an arsenal of tools-unimpeded but the average “street walker” usually comes tooled up for one system, or the other.

Using two types is likely to see them scurrying along without stopping. With this in mind, I’ve just been sent these competitively priced, gold rated sold secure locks from On Guard www.todayscyclist.co.uk .

The 8001 Brute STD U lock retails at £54.99, which is pretty competitive for the level of protection and overall specification. The 8019 Mastiff chain lock retails at £65.99 and features a titanium reinforced hexagonal link chain, which supposedly rules out sawing and other, mechanised cutting techniques.

The short shackle also makes life harder for the light fingered. We’ll see how they are to live with, before the final, destruction testing. Stay tuned.             

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!