September has brought with it refreshing rains, which flooding aside, is very welcome for water levels, life and er, product testing. A long, dry spell is great for making the most of our best bikes. Extreme heatwaves aren’t particularly comfortable, even with SPF50 jerseys, shorts and sunscreen, our bodies take a toll.
I’ve been glad to reach for the
ultralight, packable race jacket (not to be confused with the old school condom
type, which kept the rain off but didn’t breathe. A rabid, sweaty mess isn’t
the best look), cap and arm warmers-just in case. It’s also been my cue to
tackle some preventative maintenance.
Aside from overhaling
long-serving, faithful dyno hubs, I’ve taken the opportunity to re-grease quick
release skewers, thru-axle converters, since they’re easily overlooked.
Prevention is always better than penetrant spray and persuasion. I also needed
to adjust the front brake, which had become a little impotent. Just a question
of pulling the inner wire through, snugging the lever’s cable holder and calliper
pinch bolts down.
The Juice Lubes Slick Juice seemed
an ideal candidate, not least since I’m exploring its qualities and limitations.
Same goes for bike washes and similar potions,
although dry, dusty spells mean bikes tend to get coated in a stubborn filmy
layer. Especially around the rear triangle, bottom bracket and downtube.
Tyres are another consideration
as we transition to hedge clipping season and of course, wetter, colder
conditions. Both are conducive to cuts, punctures and similar stuff I’d sooner
not be tackling by the roadside with numb digits. I switched Muffin’s 38mm Vittoria Adventure Tech
for a 35mm Vee Tire Co Zilent MK2 TESTED:
VEE TIRE CO ZILENT MARK 2 TYRES that I’d resurrected while on a different treasure
hunt. In common with the Adventure Tech, it’s a portly but dependable wire bead
model with a 5mm thick puncture repelling centre strip and an aramid strip
running bead to bead.
There are similarities with Schwalbe Marathon
too. The centre strip works with a capillary action to push thorns, glass and
similar out from the tyre. Muffin’s other dyno hub wheel is shod with a bigger
(42mm) Maxxis Roamer TESTED : MAXXIS
ROAMER TYRES which I may well switch to during drier, fair-weather spells. The
front Mud Hugger Gravel Hugger Mudguard MUD
HUGGER GRAVEL HUGGER MUDGURADS | cycling-not-racing will manage 40mm. I experimented with a model
identical to that sported by Ursula. However, it wouldn’t sit high enough
around the fork crown, so back to the drawing board. The guard was only £1.50,
so no great loss.
Now was also prudent to do a tube inventory
and retire or patch any suspect looking examples.
Leather saddles are very durable
but require a quick lick of hide food every so often. I’d suggest every six to
eight weeks as a rough n’ ready. This will keep the hide nourished and
protected from the elements. The Spa Nidd pictured has served me well, year-round,
for thirteen years.
The wetter weather has also
presented an opportunity to get a proper feel for how well the Nutrak Vee Swift
Gravel Mud Frenzy cope in softer conditions. We’ve not got to the gloop proper
as yet, but they’ve cut through softer sections reassuringly well. Something I
attribute to a mix of profile and tread pattern. Pressure also plays a part.
I’ve been running them between 50 and 55psi, the upper end of their range,
given I’ve been doing a mix of tarmac, trail and green lane.
Despite this, their relatively
supple casings ensure sprightly,, yet compliant passage over washboard
surfaces, tree roots, stones and ruts. I’m expecting them to cope better than 2.1-,
or 2.3-inch cross country mountain bike rubber due to these characteristics and
greater clearance. Theoretically, less chance of clogging around fork crown and
rear triangle. Time will tell.
The M Par Ridge Pannier rack also
continues to grow on me. There are some limitations common to single tier
designs per se, but lateral stiffness is excellent-even with heavy loads. I’ve
also been impressed by oodles of heel clearance with big (20 litre) panniers, including
the mighty Lomo Zephyr and this Halfords Advanced Waterproof Pannier Bag.
Aside from the top sections,
which employ nuts with nylon inserts, I’ve applied some medium strength thread
lock to the fasteners- precautionary but good practice, especially when hauling
the proverbial kitchen sink, or escaping the maddening crowd.
