Critical Thinking & The Sentimental Season

 

Why aren't you at work??? Well, I am at work thank you very much. I work 70hours per week, just a very different schedule to some. Cycling journalism and product testing are not my only professions, but ones I am particularly passionate about. I wrote my first magazine feature for a national cycling title, aged 14, back in 1988- a test of a Muddy Fox Courier Mountain bike.  

I am highly experienced in several riding genres, but don’t profess to be expert, let alone an oracle. Those that genuinely are, carry themselves with a matter-of-fact humility. There is always something new to learn, concepts to understand, even if not necessarily embraced. I am similarly passionate about photography-models, street and industrial, specifically. Models & Portraiture - Stenning Photographic Model & Portraiture Photography Continuous development and lifelong learning are imperative, otherwise stagnation and regression set in. 

Back to 1989 and I bought my first track pump to counter frequent punctures, tyre wear and loss of wheel truth courtesy of under inflated tyres. Workshop pumps are one of those investments that will repay their investment countless times, even the budget models. The track pump in question was an orange Silca, capable of delivering 200psi- not that I’d ever needed that-120psi was pretty much my ceiling and it was best suited to road biased rubber.  

Sure, I’d raise a pancake flat 26x1.95 to 50psi and faster than mini/hand pumps of that era. However, best for high pressure, rather than high volume. Mine came with me to London and was eventually gifted to my favourite bike dealer when I bought an upgraded replacement in the autumn of 1998.  

I wanted to give it a loving home, albeit as a second/workshop spare. Having learned of my fondness, some might say nostalgia, their UK importer sent me this beautiful, contemporary Silca Terra- £139 at full rrp and a thing of beauty, from the hand lathed ash (wood) handle with hose-guide, and 76mm (3 inch) gauge.  

Unlike my original Silca, the barrel and handle are made from aluminium. There’s a reversable Presta/Schrader valve chuck with a bleed button in case you’ve got a bit carried away. Once upon a time, track pump gauges were notorious for having passing affinity with reality, now (particularly with digital gauges) things are within 1psi or so. I’ll be cross referencing that with my standalone digital gauges. Silca claim the Terra’s analogue unit is precise to within.5 psi at the lower end of the 30-120psi range. This covers most bases with contemporary bikes and tyres. I’ve raised a 26x2.3 tyre from zero to 60psi in 64 strokes.

However, some folks needing higher pressure, will need to look elsewhere. Saddleback also sent me this Feedback Sports Reflex Fixed Torque Bit Driver. It’s designed to be brought along for mid ride rescue, not workshop duties, no bad thing-horses for courses- I wouldn’t want to be lugging a workshop torque wrench in my bike luggage. It is based around the standard ¼" driver, meaning bits are easily acquired, or brought along, meaning you’ve got a custom toolkit for the road.    

Stock, we’ve got 4,5, 6mm and Torx T25 bits, 1 steel 5Nm torque extension. The driver body is a hybrid nylon/steel and the whole kit comes with a limited lifetime warrantee. I’m told the torque is accurate to within +/- 4% for up to 3,000 cycles.  

I was surprised that it took this long for Ursula’s rear mech cable to stretch and shifting go decidedly “off”. Just a matter of slackening the cable, pulling through and snugging down, although I always ensure I’ve a few spares handy before tackling these jobs just in case the inner wire in question decided it was going to implode. This is particularly significant at Christmas, where it’s bound to happen when you’re out of spares and the bike shop’s shut...  

Oh, and that’s the reason you get everything prepped and adjusted before heading out on a tour, reliability ride, or similar endurance event. While checking the fixed’s rack hardware, I found the otherwise superb Genetic chain tugs were impeding the fasteners. Not wanting to stress the fasteners or damage the eyelets I switched to a very discrete set bought as curiosities on Ali Express a year or so back. Solved the issue and hopefully they’ll do a decent enough job of holding chain tension.  

I’d been sent this Beam Corkey Premium Review Mirror a few weeks back and had my curiosity spiked when I saw a homage on one of the auction sites, or rather, the site bots brought it to my attention (along with 1500 inflatable pleasure dolls). “The W’EST Biking” version is breathtakingly similar, albeit noticeably heavier, refuting suggestions of “badge engineering”. I’ll close here with Steve’s review of the Ravemen FR300https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/ravemen-fr300-daytime-running-light 

Wind, Rain, Ice, Variable Gears & Seasonal Lows

 I returned from a ride and noted the fixed gear winter trainer’s chain tension was on the slack side. The Z1’s nickel-plated EPT coating was also showing through- the Zefal  Extra Wet Nano Ceramic ZEFAL EXTRA WET NANO CERAMIC CHAIN LUBE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) had been licked clean in places. An easy fix on both counts.  

Given the wet, mulchy conditions, the bike needed another thorough sudsy bucket wash and rinse. Same went for the brushes Finish Line Easy Pro Five Brush Set | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). I poured some neat bike wash into the bristles, worked this into a lather and rinsed with warm and cool water.  

Grot purged, chain tensioned and re-lubed, I decided New Year was time to switch to Ursula for a while. Aside from fancying some dirt, I needed to conclude some testing-specifically the Raveman XR 6000 Wireless Switch Controlled front light Ravemen XR6000 Front Light | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), and the Silca Secret Formula Chain lube. For some reason, the XR 6000 refused to power up.  

The battery was showing a 50% charge and when prodded, the remote switch flashed blue but nothing from the lamp. Perplexing, although didn’t stop pre-dawn play, since I had the K-Lite Bike Packer Pro V2 Front Light K LITE BIKEPACKER PRO V2 FRONT LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) .  

I tried to coax the Ravemen XR 6000 into life at various points during the 20-mile loop, but no joy. I’d not exposed the battery, or connectors to anything IPX6 shouldn’t shrug at. Could I have somehow locked the system so it wouldn’t engage...Concluded I was best served by giving the battery a full charge and trying again. (Spoiler alert, this solved the issue, and I was able to capture some beam shots).  

Ride concluded and decided it was time to top up the Silca Secret Formula Chain Lube. I was slightly perturbed by the brown. Then I remembered it was a waxy formula, so grit, mud and similar contaminant becomes embedded within the top layer, falling away before it can engage with the chain. Some of the local lanes had literally become trails and wet enough that my neighbour's dachshund would need a snorkel.   

All this standing water, though great for testing the capabilities and resilience of technical kit, did not bode well, since temperatures were predicted to tumble. This prompted a switch to the SP SV and XT wheelset, which were shod with the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) but it held above freezing. At the other end of the rubber world, here’s my review of the Hutchinson Challenger Tyre https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/hutchinson-challenger-tyre 

Roads, including motorway exits, were flooded- the latter I discovered having left one and my little KA being hit by a wall of water. Further along this route, a stranded Mercedes sat slumped in the filthy water, its hazard lights pulsing eerily in the darkness. This was the theme for another ten miles, and I was relieved to pull up on the drive and let the engine run to drive out any floodwater, assisted of course by this Muc-Off Bike Protect. I also went this route post-ride the following morning with Ursula. Cables, cleat mechanisms, mechs etc all given a quick blast, before I reapplied the Silca Super Secret Formula Chain Lube.   

I also noted a paint chip on the seat tube cable guide, so treated that with a light helping of KRUST, adding a lick of high-build marine primer some four hours later. I’ll take the same route with the frame ends come spring. For now, I’m treating them to regular applications of Muc-Off HCB-1, which is designed for harsh environments and will theoretically seal the elements out and keep the grot at bay. Unlike more traditional formulas, it promises not to do anything nasty to electrical contacts, rubberised components etc.  

Cycology has been kind enough to send me their See Me Pink Handlebar bag and 8-day Handlebar tape. The latter is a compact model, which is a better fit for my bars, which have limited real estate when lights, switch gear and computers are taken into account. In common with the See Sense Handlebar Bag SEE SENSE HANDLEBAR BAG | cycling,-but-not-usually-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) I reviewed a while back, it’s possible to mount it, very securely just behind, rather than in front of the bars.  A plus if you’ve a lot going on upfront and/or are running a very stumpy stem.