Cue a quick wander round the web
and this 25mm long CNC machined unit from the Far East (of all places!) True,
it lacks the exotica or refinement of some, but I was keen to ensure I’d got
the correct length and could upgrade later down the line, should need arise. May
also upgrade the quill adaptor-had to deal with some reticence when slackening,
which ultimately led to discovering the expander wedge shedding its threads.
I’ve replaced with one from the spares box and acquired this higher-end replacement
and will substitute in due course. While
price typically reflects quality, it’s important to ensure a couple of things.
Firstly, don’t default to the
Aheadset method, leave a millimetre or two of the top proud. Secondly, once
you’ve everything aligned, ensure you’ve got some grease on the wedge and bolt
before torquing it down to around 16nm. The wedge should be well and truly
lodged in place- no wibble when rocking the bars as you might when turning
sharply, say on as fast descent.
There are folks who really dislike quill
converters full stop and there are a few options. Have a skilled frame builder
add a threadless steerer to the existing fork crown- as Lee Cooper did here Oldie
But Goodie: Fork Repair & Revision | cycling-not-racing. Alternatively,
Inn Cycle offer a threadless conversion headset. Never seen one in the flesh,
so can’t comment but they do look well engineered. Custom quill stems are
another option.
Mick Madgett built the Halo TK
hub into the Ryde Taurus rim, which led me to switching Muffin’s Mavic Fix-G. HALO FIX G TRACK HUB | Seven
Day Cyclist Tourin Tests Commuting and giving it a good clean. The sprocket had become quite scuzzy given a
few weeks in very hot conditions, turning the Weldtite TF2 All Weather Lube
runnier and stickier, so it attracted more dirt.
It will be interesting to see how
the newest PTFE- free version fares in this and other respects. Both variants
penetrate the chain’s inner sanctum very effectively and I’ve found the
original very effective on fixed gear and single speed chains. Switching
Muffin’s rear wheel has me wondering if the chainline was very slightly off
with the Fix-G hub and I might need to revise the spacer widths to correct
this.
Weldtite has also sent me the
latest incarnation of a drip wax they’ve been working on for two years. Claimed
to return 300km (186miles) in all conditions, not just balmy summer days, I’ve
fed some to Denise’s KMC and Muffin’s Izumi and will see how it fares in the
coming, increasingly autumnal weeks.
Generally speaking, I default to
middle and heavier weight oils, rather than waxes, or more exotic blends when
it comes to fixed and single speed chains. However, fair weather conditions and
curiosity are why I’ve gone the wax route. Weldtite suggest you can double up
for higher miles per application, so I’ve taken this route, without being overly
generous.
Curing times are influenced by
temperatures and other factors, including humidity.
Deep cleaning recipient
drivetrains is essential when it comes to waxes and indeed, lubes of different
genres. Applied in temperatures around 20 degrees and given a 45 second shake
to mix everything thoroughly, it emerges from the spout very predictably, as
middleweight creamy emulsion. Not one I’d risk applying indoors, mind. Curing
times are in hours- bargain on four in these temperatures, leave it overnight
if you can.
When cured, it assumes a clear glazed state. Formative impressions suggest low friction and
crisp shifts. The bigger question will be how it sheds contaminant-does it attract
less grime, is it one of those that flakes away when contaminant gets trapped
in the outer layer, flaking off at a certain point to leave a thinner lubricant
layer behind… I’ve reached my conclusions regarding the Silca Nastro Piloti Bar
Tape Silca
Nastro Piloti Bar Tape | cycling-not-racing, which has (and continues to
impress with its rugged, grippy natue-impressive in the wet and offering excellent
connections with the bars.
Staying with wet stuff, I’d decided
it was time to enjoy some forest and bridlepath fun aboard Ursula- I also
wanted to see how the Continental Cross Kings and FLR MXT Vibram Trail Shoes
coped with bogy mud. Spoiler alert, feet had more traction than tyres. Having ridden
a few miles along some mixed, unmade roads and green lanes and generally
enjoying ourselves, I couldn’t resist some very goopy bridlepath.
Whoosh…Big grin was quickly
substituted by surprise as we hurled in slow motion towards a hedge. Mercifully,
the resilient and relatively soft foliage caught our imminent slide, and I
slowly came to soft earth, protecting Ursula into the bargain. Knobblies had definitely become slicks, and as
I suspected, the FLR’s Vibram soles will attract soft gloop. However, as I’d hoped,
they do shed it surprisingly well- no issues with clipping in and out. Having returned, I wasted no time in giving
Ursla a justly deserved sudsy bucket wash, drivetrain purge, polish and switch
to this Weldtite Wax.
