Bearings & Bright Lights...

 No sooner had I tweaked Ursula’s Hollowtech II bottom bracket bearings, the rear XT hub came out in sympathy. I’d been bombing along the backroads and trails, getting some decent miles on the Maxxis Ikon...Came home, rested the bike down and felt some slop. Gripping the rear wheel between thumb and forefinger confirmed this.  

Time was at a premium, so (before I started catastrophising and tearing everything down, replacing freehub bodies etc), the obvious thing to do was switch over to the Ryde Halo Spin Doctor combo, and then inspect the XT at a more convenient moment.  

Wheel swap and cursory inspections complete, now was the time to tweak the fixed gear winter/trainer’s chain tension-the “oh well, might as well, since I’m here” mindset.  Later inspection with a relatively calm mind confirmed it was just a matter of whipping out the 15mm cone and 17mm spanners and dialling everything snug.  

Oodles of grease clinging to the balls and races, locking the elements out. In my experience, Juice Lubes Bearing Juice is particularly good for hubs as they’re always turning. I’ve found it temperature sensitive, so in common with Green Oil Eco Grease can congeal a little when the temperature’s tanking, meaning headset bearings can feel like they’ve too much preload. At the other extreme, it assumes a lower viscosity and buttery smooth when temperatures hit the mid-twenties. An observation, rather than a criticism.  

Anyhow, the slop was easily corrected by loosening the locknut and snugging the cone tighter. Bearings were only replaced in April, races were good, and I double-checked the freehub, since I was about it. No obvious signs of wear there, either. I revisited things the next morning, tightened the cone fractionally, holding it in place while winding the locknut tight. Back went the cassette and lockring.  

A final neurotic turn and tug of the bearings, job done.  Anyhow, since I’d switched to the Halo Spin Dr, which is a lovely hub, I’ll leave the Ryde/Spin Doctor wheel in situ. Schwalbe are sending me their Smart Sam tyres for testing. It’ll be interesting to see how they compare with the Maxxis Ikon.  

The Smart Sam are another cross-country tyre that’s been around a while and reckoned a competent all-rounder with decent rolling resistance on tarmac too, courtesy of the centre strip. Once upon a time, dual-purpose tyres were the worst of both worlds, ponderous on the road and toothless I the dirt. There’s obviously an element of compromise to be expected but they, like the Ikon, sound close to my particular mixed terrain niche.  

Talking temperatures and seasons, the nights are just beginning to draw, dare I say, sneak in a bit now and my attention is turning to new season lighting. I’m very impressed by Ravemen and their TR200 Rear Light. It’s a six-mode, sensored model producing a maximum of 200lumens. Braking functions have been a thing for a good few years now and predictably, have come a long way. Now, “braking” is a debated term.  

Accelerometer is probably closer to the mark as the internal sensor triggers the light when it identifies a drop in pace, or vibration. Earlier designs (c. 2017) were too sensitive and so triggered readily, which had a palpably negative effect upon battery life. This was particularly clear on sharp ascents, or when grinding along with a laden trailer en tow. I’ve noted tangible improvements in the past two years.  

I’ve a soft spot for Ravemen CLO6 Sensored Rear Light RAVEMEN CL06 SENSORED REAR LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) , BBB Signal Brake Rear Light, Magicshine See Mee 2000 Version2. Then of course,  Ravemen TR500 USB Rechargeable Rear Light (500lumens) Ravemen TR500 Rear Light | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) which is in my view, particularly useful for trailers/tagalongs, tandems and other specialist builds.  

Back to the TR200, it has three steady and three flashing modes.  40, 20 and 5 lumens and a 200-day flash, flanked by 100-lumen rapid and slow flashing modes. Interestingly, the “braking” function is 100, not the 200lumens and is triggered for two seconds when it senses a loss of tempo.  

Run times on paper, seem favourable and there’s an auto kick down to the 5lumen steady, which is a welcome touch. The 260-degree lens with central convex and 4 LEDs bode well for presence and IPX6 should keep the elements at bay. Time and miles will tell... 

 

Spring- Sunrise & Strip-downs

  

Yes, inspiration doesn't just strike in the saddle-the small house is another chamber of innovation, and Eureka moments. I discarded the hard-working but progressively deteriorating SKS Blumels Shiny Mudguards SKS BLUEMELS SHINY MUDGUARDS | cycling, but not ususally racing (sevendaycyclist.com), and gave the frameset a deep clean. A good polish and rear wheel switch followed, and I also took delivery of this Mud hugger guard.  

I’d tested their gravel hugger cousins MUD HUGGER GRAVEL HUGGER MUDGURADS | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and remain impressed with their build quality and coverage. Obviously, protection doesn’t rival that of full length, traditional chrome plastics but it does broaden Ursula’s off-road potential and indeed, tyre choice. I could, for example, run the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro albe Ice Spiker Pro Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) comfortably at the rear.   

Now, look closely and I’ve had to trim the mounts since it was fouling the fork’s cantilever mounts. I initially mounted them with two cable ties each side- a 4.8mm and two slightly thinner OEM. I ultimately switched these for two 7.6mm example for improved, vise-like grip.  

 

The Mud hugger would also allow bigger section, trail-orientated rubber and exploit the machine’s true off-road potential. No rear guard? Mud Hugger are designed as disc-specific, so incompatible with Ursula’s rear triangle.  Traditionally I’ve not taken to clip-on MTB guards, save for the legendary Crud models.  Others have either had an unappealing aesthetic and/or tended to rotate and ultimately, warp and fail.  I have something planned on the tyre front but will leave you guessing for now.  

I was still testing the Weldtite Bike Cleaner Concentrate and was getting a funny feeling about the XT hub’s freehub, so this presented an obvious opportunity to remove and the cassette, strip and inspect the freehub and upgrade the bearings.  

Everything released nicely-not surprising, given I’d not long stripped and re-greased the bearings with Juice Lubes Bearing Grease. The freehub seemed fine-I just wiped with a clean rag and drizzled some Peaty’s Speed Grease PEATY'S SPEED GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) into the freehub bearings and threaded fastener.  

For the bearings, I went for something a little thicker, but lighter than the Juice Lubes Bearing Juice. Muc-Off Bio Grease TESTED : MUC-OFF BIO GREASE (sevendaycyclist.com) was to hand and in my experience, is reassuringly durable.  

Little and often maintenance is the best way of staying on the road or trails and breakdowns/component failure and costs to a minimum. However, things are a little more nuanced than this. I (and many other riders) run two sets of wheels on their daily drivers/working bikes, meaning I can switch while I service and to a greater extent take more time, should components require replacement, or similar service staller strike.  

Similarly, there is a point where the convenience, economy and satisfaction of working on our machines (be they bicycles, motorcycles, cars, boats etc) can tip over into an all-consuming orgy of continuous improvement. Time, other duties all evaporate in the quest to metaphorically (and sometimes literally) “tune beyond perfection”. That’s fun and resonates very deeply with me. However, when it comes to everyday maintenance and overhaul, tasks are best confined to certain, disciplined timescales.   

Plan ahead, be organised, have the correct tools to hand and quit while you’re genuinely ahead. Maintenance courses can be a sensible investment if you’re a beginner, or just looking to improve. There’s always something to learn and skilled instructors to guide and inspire confidence.   

Conditions have felt a little more spring-like, not that I’ve brought out the ¾ lengths and lightweight, long-sleeve jerseys just yet. I have regrettably had to pension off the Altura Night Vision Waterproof Gloves, which had done around 35,000miles (about 56327.04 km) over the last 5 years.  

Again, with heavy heart, I also consigned a pair of the brands’ bib tights to the bin. The pad was past its prime and the Lycra was also showing signs of abrasion damage, so thanked and read their last rites. Talking of reading, here’s a guide to the river Rhone Cycle Route THE RIVER RHONE CYCLE ROUTE GUIDE REVIEW (sevendaycyclist.com)