Frazzled Freehub?

 

There we were, minding our own business, bimbling along the lanes when the glitch became a low grumble. Ursula’s chain began jumping and the freehub began to lock up when I attempted to freewheel. Yes, the Halo Spin Doctor’s freehub was protesting 8 miles from home. No river riding, Jet washing, or similar abuse and I’d only done a few weeks riding since it was replaced in December.  

Mercifully, my default constant cadence, developed through many years riding fixed meant we could scoot back at 12-14mph. Pedestrian perhaps but infinitely preferable to walking home. Switching to XT/Ryde wheel with recently upgraded bearings, loaded with Juice Lubes Bearing Juice solved the immediate issue. However, it left me with something of a conundrum. 

An email and subsequent telephone chat with Ison-Distribution suggested it could just be wet, gritty stuff creeping inside along the lanes. I also learned the unit has a grease port, something I consider a godsend for easy maintenance and long component life. Sure, you’ll still need to strip and inspect bearings, races etc but it means they’ll have plenty of lubrication and are protected from the elements in-between. On the advice of Ison Distibution’s MD, I pumped grease into the freehub’s port until some brown gooey stuff bled out. Cleaned up and dropped some middleweight wet lube into the port.    

Then my mind went into overdrive... 

I could always retrieve the lowlier Deore- a decent enough hub but the seals and other components aren’t as you’d expect, to the same standard. Given the mileage and four seasons’ service involved, I’d be better served by the XT, and it would ultimately work out cheaper, long term. There were some interesting hubs but too pricey for a gamble, especially on the spares front. No rush... 

The fixed’s Un300 square taper bottom bracket is still turning away smoothly three years on. Testament to it (and the UN52 and 55 predecessors) build quality. I’m not the only rider who has returned nigh on 10,000 miles (about 16093.44 km) before they’ve turned sloppy, or grumbly. For context, while some of the patterns have served me well, they’ve hit the bin at 6,000 miles (about 9656.06 km). I may well go for this Genetic Cromozone Cromozone Sealed BB | Ison Distribution (ison-distribution.com next time.  

To lubes. The Blub ceramic is supposedly unsuitable for damp to wet conditions, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how it stayed put, despite being exposed to wet, greasy roads, not to mention blasted with deep, dodgy puddle water.  

I was surprised to find Ursula’s left Microshift bar con rotating in the bar ends. An easy fix- simply a matter of popping in a 4mm Allen key, separating the lever from mount, introducing a 5mm into the expander wedge and turning counter-clockwise.  

An opportunity to use this Muc Off 17in1 multi tool, which I’d received for testing. It’s a compact model with 17 functions and thus far, only a few, minor compromises have revealed themselves. When choosing multi tools, in my experience much will depend on your bikes, their age and genre.  

Compact models such as the Muc Off work best on contemporary bikes, including, but not restricted to smaller framesets. Multi tools are designed for quick tune ups and get out of a jam repairs, not workshop duties.  

However, tourists, or those on group rides might find Topeak’s Alien, or this Passport CDWPASSPORT CDW MULTITOOL | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) a better bet. Talking of touring, functions such as spoke keys tend to be a little basic, and not the nicest to use, so you’re better served packing a dedicated key.  

I’d also suggest packing a separate, long-ish  L shaped key for recessed fasteners, such as those found on brake levers/brifters and of course, any specialist tooling for your bike, tagalong, trailer etc. Same goes for tyre levers, and applies to the Alien and CDW, although these are the better of the grouping.  

Strangely enough, while the ergonomics of more expensive standalone composite levers mean they’re nicer to use, some of the most dependable models are the bargain basement nylon types usually found in puncture repair kit bundles. Thorn Cycles 20 function Multi Tool comes complete with a Rohloff compatible bit. Mine still serves me well, although 16 years down the line, corrosion has made itself known in places. Last lube biased mention for this entry, my review of Muc-Off MO94 https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/muc-off-mo94-multi-use-spray  

The Leatt Jacket MTB Endurance 2.0 has become my default, given its lightweight, yet highly windproof, water-repelling and quick wicking properties. The perforated back and arm panels ensure a steady supply of cooling air, while keeping the chill and moderate showery rains at bay and it's so light, I’m only noticing its positive qualities.  

It also packs small, taking up minimal space in bike luggage, although it will certainly fill a jersey pocket. I’ve been alternating between bib long and bib knickers, given the season but I’m also looking forward to putting the Endurance Bib shorts through their paces once the temperatures get milder.  

There’s the usual detailing I’d expect from a premium garment- mesh bibs and braces, SPF50+ UV protection and a 4-layer Italian chamois pad, reckoned good for 7 hours of XC trail riding, which also bodes well for long, steady road miles, too.  

Pockets have become an increasingly common sight on bib shorts, especially those geared towards gravel and mountain biking audiences. Madison’s Roam Madison Roam Men's Cargo Bib Shorts | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) being prime examples, although theirs is designed to port bigger items including phones. Gloves and other things you might want easy access to. Leatt has suggested theirs is intended for a communication radio, but I think it’s a good bet for energy bars and other essentials.  

I could don Lycra knee warmers, since these are designed to extend a garments wearability, say in autumn, or early spring, where the weather can switch from warm sun to chill rain at the drop of a hat. However, I appreciate their benefits. Those I’ve tested tend to slowly work their way down, exposing skin, while being annoying, into the bargain.   Could wear them beneath messenger knickers, though…Watch this space. 

Chain Strain

I’ve found it difficult to get inexpensive, yet durable track chains these days. After 1500 miles, the 1/2link KMC is heading on up to the Great Bike Shop in the Sky. I’ve gone for two, another KMC-a Z510 and a Z1X hopefully, it’ll be as faithful, albeit potentially less durable than the Z1 X Inox SEVEN DAY CYCLIST'S 3000 MILE TEST OF A KMC INOX CHAIN The one minor niggle with the latter concerned the inox finish being too slippery, encouraging lubes to migrate from the rollers and to the side plates.  

Tension is a hotly debated topic and for some reason, I’ve found it trickier to get it just-so with ½ link models. I don’t tend to deviate from a 42x15 (ring and sprocket) configuration.  

The Z1X is a traditional single link design, so I had a wander around the web and discovered a chain-link calculator that promised to generate the correct (rounded up) length. (based upon chainstay length, ring, and sprocket size) ...Using said system, the chain for my set up should be 48 links long, which seems ridiculously short.  

Took a guess, using the dead ½ link, pruned and popped aboard. Tension adjusted and track nuts snugged tight, ready for the road again.  Roads are perpetually filthy but thankfully, the gritting lorries have been conspicuous by their absence. 

Post-ride examination of the drivetrain confirmed some minor but tangible play in its UN55 cartridge bottom bracket. I took this opportunity to replace it with a UN300, since the UN55 is seemingly discontinued. 

There’s one waiting in the wings for the Univega, once it’s existing gets the grumbles and a UN26 somewhere, just in case. 

However, while the latter units are solid enough, I’m not particularly taken with the plastic cup. Otherwise, this family is ultra-reliable, fit n’ forget units. So much so, Murphy’s law dictates they will expire when the bike shop’s closed.   

Elsewhere, I decided to add some more lubricant to the Kinekt stem spring and elastomer, using Slip. Slip is vegetable-based, contains no solvent, and therefore, leaves more, composite-friendly lubricant behind.  

Feedback from Kinket’s engineering team suggests this should be the cure for any squeaking/creaking.  I’ve always found elastomer-based systems are low maintenance but run happiest with a moderate helping of synthetic (rubber-friendly) grease. I also found the medium spring can lead to bottoming out on longer road climbs, especially on the fixed (where I’m out of the saddle and placing most of my weight on the bars and pedals). Replacing springs is straightforward but getting the upper spring guide aligned proved trickier with the firmer option. 

   

I’m keeping their seat post clean and protected via larger wedge packs and have switched to an Axiom Grand Fondo, which aside from being super convenient size-wise, offers precisely the surface area to protect the moving components from wet stuff thrown up by the rear wheel.  

I will switch to the dedicated Kinekt model at some point, over Christmas. However, I am interested in testing compatibility with other brands, shapes, and sizes, including bike packing luggage. (Especially given it’s a design that’s also marketed at gravel audiences).  

In common with other suspension posts, including Cane Creek Thudbuster TESTED: CANE CREEK THUDBUSTER ST SEATPOST (sevendaycyclist.com)  there’s an aftermarket boot option to shield moving parts from the elements.  Elsewhere, while unpacking and investigating the storage boxes, I hit the helmet light jackpot, courtesy of this 550lumen Silva Pave’ Front light hailing from 2015. The lightweight, fossil shaped light gives a much purer arc of light than 550 lumens would suggest.