Knowing The Drill

 After the frenzied pre-Christmas preparations, the corridor linking Christmas and New Year can be perfect for catching up with friends and small jobs. Aside from ignition tumbler woes striking my KA, my fixed gear winter/trainer's seat post binder bolt needed replacing. 

Since it was secure and I didn't need to adjust the post height, I left it a couple of months. All the same, I wanted to avoid the expensive, titanium post/Cro-moly frame galvanic union.  One last try, with Torx bits confirmed drilling-out was the only option. 

Cordless drill charged, and bits found... 

I also harvested a compatible replacement bolt and collar, in case the 14 year old On-One also decided to give up the ghost. Knew they'd come in handy... Bike in the workstand, It took a few minutes cautious drilling before the once 5mm Allen head disintegrated. Thankfully the threaded section also required little coaxing. 

Much as I suspected, the On-One collar had succumbed to fatigue, so that was substituted for an Atomic22. Though not unexpected, it was still a relief to discover the post was also very mobile. I eased that free, removed the remaining greasy film and introduced a liberal helping of ceramic prep. 

While harvesting bolts, I also discovered two packet fresh 26x1.75 inner tubes. Timely, since my Univega's supplies were dwindling and I'd patched a few to their limit recently. I took this opportunity to carve another section from a dead 26x2.0 and make a seat collar boot for my fixed. 

Post reinstated, fasteners greased and snugged tight, I slid the boot so it obscured the frame's collar slot. 

In some respects I could've cut it longer, overlapping the post for optimal protection. 

However, this would've been as pain, should I need to re-tighten the collar bolt mid-ride. I also replaced the VDO computer head unit's battery.Mercifully, it has a memory function, which saves time and minor hassle. 

Those Raw flaps have made a huge difference to the amount of spray thrown over the bike, shoes and other riders. I've swapped the Topeak Shuttle for the Zefal Pulse Z2 to see how it performs on a small, compact geometry frameset. Oh, another opportunity to re-grease some small, easily overlooked fasteners too. 

Little jobs off the list, I've dedicated time to reflection, testing, day riding and a few projects I want finished, before 2020.  The holidays should always involve doing something different. Otherwise, life can feel like the stripped thread. Turning monotonously, without achievement. 

Gave myself a New Year deadline, for finishing a short story (at least in draft form) and have some other irons in the fire. Sleep-walking into a new year (let alone decade) invariably leads to disappointment, and is likely to accentuate any hint of the mid-winter blues.

Condor Man

No, not the 1981 Disney flop, starring Michael Crawford, although  we do live in very strange times... After a morning's admin and housework, I was suddenly gripped by a flash of inspiration. The sort so bright, it risks a nasty case of arc eye.  

I decided to ditch the Univega's long serving moustache bars in favour of the Soma Condor. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/soma According to my thought processes (I hadn't reached calculations, or anything so rational), the riser sections would provide sufficient height for me to spend the majority of my time on the drops... 

With this in mind, the Soma Condor 2  https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/soma-condor-2-shallow-drop-bars  might've seemed a more obvious choice. However, though I'd run both, briefly on my tubby tourer, to assess Soma's claims (which were realised in the real world) the moustache bars had become something of an institution...I'd also convinced myself they had an edge, when on trailer tugging duties.  

I'd also earmarked the MK1 for a gravel-specific project and the MK2 for my fixed gear winter trainer. Then came the Genetic D-Riser 16   https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/genetic-d-riser-bars  and another round of musical handlebars. Besides, the Univega has a predominantly black/dun colour scheme. Contrary chap that I am, I may switch to the Condor 2, later on, should the urge strike. For now, the Condor's black finish clinched it. 

Spare inner and outer cables-check, spare bar tape-check, electrical tape-check. This was also an ideal opportunity to give this Soma Woodie 20 Multi-tool a formative test. Strictly speaking, multi-tools are designed for road/trailside teaks/tuning and repair, not workshop use. However, they are super-convenient, so good ones tend to become go-tos. 

Within half an hour, I'd everything rounded up, bike in the stand and components stripped. I'd removed a shim or two, when switching back to the Univega's OEM triple butted fork, but close scrutiny suggested height and drop depth were textbook. 

I pruned some outer cable housing, fed a new inner wire to the front Genetic CX cantilever  https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/genetic-cx-cantilever-brakes and dialled it in a bit. Ample bite to raise the rear wheel, lever grabbed in anger-perfect.  

I was able to recycle this Lizard Skins DSP 2.5mm https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/lizard-skins-dsp which was of sufficient length to provide ample, cushioned coverage. The adhesive backing was conspicuous by its absence, although adhered well, to the bars' shot peened finish. 

Decent quality electrical tape anchored it to the tops.  Having dialled in the rear mech again and pruned its cable, it was time for one last once-over and a 20mile fault finding blast. 

No faults to find-positioning absolutely bang on and as I'd always envisaged back in 1987, when I first clapped eves on a Muddy Fox trailblazer. The Trail Blazer was essentially a drop bar mountain bike with  bar end shifters and 1.75 section tyres.  

Specialized followed suit two years later, with the Rock Combo. These were similarly niche, and had a very short production run.  Feel free to get in touch, if you still own and ride one. I'm not looking to purchase, nor am I someone bitten by "classic" prices and groupsets have come a long way since. However, I loved the concept then, and still do.    

Anyhow, the Univega's positioning now means I default to the drops, affords better protection from the wind (Compared with the otherwise likeable moustache pattern) while retaining good control off road. Tops also provide superior parking space for lights, cameras and similar creature comforts.   

Talking of which, I've also switched saddles, this time to BBB Echelon, which is reputedly a road and trail friendly design, thus meets the criteria handsomely. Also proved the ideal opportunity to remove the seatpost, and treat it to some Park Tool Polylube 1000 Grease, before the darker months set in. 

A home-brewed butyl collar and full length chrome plastic guards/fenders (depending on where you're reading this) certainly help, but its one of those little, preventative measures that saves a lot of time and hassle, later on.     

Lucky Dip

Spring-like conditions continue the narrative of cool starts giving way temperatures in the mid-teens, bright sunshine and birdsong. 3/4lengths have been substituted for shorts, micro jackets for gilets and gloves for mitts.  

We’re waiting on some spring/summer clothing at Seven Day Cyclist but like most riders, let alone kit test junkie journos, we’ve usually built up a decent stockpile of goodies to draw upon.

I’ve resurrected these Ozzo, which are the classic knitted back and synthetic, faux leather palm. These have been serving on a shit-rota for the best part of a decade and rather like a well-loved teddy bear, the thin pile foam is starting to peek through the lining in places.

The embodiment of cheap but cheerful, they’ve proven more comfortable, even over longer mixed terrain rides than many, more sophisticated models. Gel pads designed to defend the vulnerable ulnar nerve region are not an exact science and can, in my experience, sometimes induce precisely the numbness, tingling and discomfort they were intended to alleviate.

Elsewhere, after two years’ riding shotgun on my MKII Ilpompino’s downtube, exposed to the harshest, wettest conditions, my Specialized mini pump breathed its last. Another quick rifle through the spares drawer unearthed several credible replacements.

Salvaging the Specialized’s ultra-dependable snap-shut bracket, I instated this The Lezyne Micro floor drive HVG mini floor hand pump with gauge (affectionately referred to by yours truly as the “detonator”) and compatible composite caddy.

It’s best thought of as a track pump that has been put through a matter-shrinking device. There’s a high pressure sibling that I’ve also used to good effect but this one will still deliver real world realistic pressures into medium section touring and narrower, street inspired mtb rubber.  

The Beast of Bodmin; my elderly farm cat clearly approves of this revision and the Vee Tire Rolldiac too, which have proven very competent all-rounders. These are 30mm, which seem optimal for this genre of machine but there are more traditional 23 and 25mm options. Personally, talking 25mm sections, I’d go for their rain runner, which for me at least, has the edge when it comes to speed, puncture resistance and outright grip in the wettest weather.  

Back to the pump; screw on valve connectors are another welcome touch, preventing the heart-sinking hiss as willowy valve stems are sheared clean off under vigorous effort. At 216, there’s a weight penalty over more minimalist designs and if that’s your criteria, a mini/micro pump and CO2/inflator are better choices, assuming you puncture infrequently.

Though adequate, the resin bracket could be more substantial, hence I’ve reinforced it with a stretchy Velcro backed offcut that was also doing something close to nothing. Judging by a formative thrash along local roads, this has cured any incremental creep, leading to the base chattering against the frame tubes like a demonic wood-pecker.

Remember to whip it off when parking in the street too, since the mirror polished anodized finish is extremely seductive. On a cold, wet night in the back of beyond, fresh tube and fully loaded CO2 inflator are my first resorts but a decent pump should always be on hand to save the day.

Continuing this salvage theme, having concluded the titanium post surgery a success; I happened upon this Crank Brothers Cobalt 3 rolling about in the same drawer-sans cradle. A quick email to extra bikes, their UK importer https://www.extrauk.co.uk/product/cats/crankbrothers/all/  was met with a very helpful response and ultimately, a new clamp.  The Cobalt 3 is a lightweight model, designed to some extent as a lightweight alternative to composites; hence the wall thickness is wafer thin around the minimum insert mark.

Yes, I was a little alarmed at just how thin but it becomes gradually wider then onward, so all things being equal, most riders shouldn’t have too many worries. Hell, I’m so confident, yes, you ca see where this is headed…I’m going to look into getting it reduced by .2mm, from 27.2 to 7.0 and have it serve the teenage dream.     

Talking of tooling, we’ve reached our conclusions re Blackburn’s switch and wayside models, which are very different but equally competent models. One for those who like to travel light while adding some bespoke bits n’ bobs to the mix, the other a one does most pocket workshop.      https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/blackburn-switch-multi-tool                   https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/blackburn-wayside-multi-tool