Just Changing A Cable

 

Needing a break from the screen, I decided my fixed gear winter/trainer needed a quick polish. Noted the brake inner wire had begun fraying, so decided I’d switch that, since it was a simple job and no time like the present right? New cable fitted; I couldn’t get the Spyre SLC calliper to behave properly. I stripped and cleaned, and things were certainly improved but not as they should be. Most annoying was the binding right pad, which despite considerable gentle coaxing and patience wouldn’t behave.

Time is a finite resource, so I swapped over to an older Spyre unit I had prepped during Ursula’s rebuild. By contrast, this behaved impeccably first time, so I pulled the inner wire through a little further. Said overhaul also led me to switch the Deda Loop bar tape for the T-One Mr Fantastic Handlebar Tape T-ONE MR FANTASTIC HANDLEBAR TAPE | cycling-not-racing , since the Deda had weathered somewhat.

The T-One Mr Fantastic Handlebar tape is still going strong a few years and three bar switches since. It’s easier to clean, compared with the embossed and similarly sturdy Acros Silicone Wrap Handlebar Tape Acros Silicone Wrap Handlebar Tape | Seven Day Cyclist too, although that was another contender.  

The bar bags were switched since I needed to remove the Oxford to perform the cable replacement. Satisfied all was well, I tackled the aesthetic and polished the frameset and carbon bottle cages, the latter had lost their lustre slightly, but this was easily recovered using some BBB Bioready wash bike shampoo and its biowax stablemate.

These are very effective for rapid cleaning of lightly soiled bikes, or those times when you’ve replaced a component and got oily fingerprints on an otherwise clean machine. Durability isn’t on par with those containing Carnauba wax, such as this Motoverde Waterless Wash & Wax | cycling-not-racing  but bargain on a few weeks in primarily dry to fair weather conditions.

Grand finale’, I gave the Muc Off AirMach Electric Mini Inflator Pro a quick test. The 32mm Pirelli Angel DTPirelli Angel DT Urban Tyre | cycling-not-racing and Schwalbe One365 were completely deflated and raised to 80 and 105psi respectively. The pump delivered the goods, but by that point, the battery was down to 30% -in theory still enough to raise another flaccid tyre, though reinforces my point about always carrying a traditional pump, just in case…I’ve also managed to raise a 26x2.3 from 0-55psi and this Maxxis RavagerMaxxis Ravager TR Tyres | cycling-not-racing (700x40) from 0-55psi with 30% battery charge remaining.

I'd made something a faux pas, believing I had 3/8" bits compatible with the Park Tw torque wrench. Further investigation contradicted this, but Madison's press officer graciously supplied a batch covering the most common jobs home mechanics are likely to undertake. Ironically, while hunting for the non-existent 3/8" bits, I found an 8mm dual end wrench-I'd been looking for that while tweaking the barrel adjuster on Denise's front stopper. I carry a crude but surprisingly effective "giveaway" spanner. Does the job without rounding off but not the most pleasant to use. I was looking (lusting after?) Specialized's Rock Combo one evening, needing a reminder of the original specification and suddenly got the idea of switching Denise's cantilevers to the Dia Compe 984D.

However, I rapidly dismissed this as change for change's sake, not least as I'd got the front Shimano CX50 honed and recently bought some fresh pads. Though it can occasionally prove a little temperamental, the rear Suntour SE is reliable and was dirt cheap- hence I'd bought a second NOS (New Old Stock). I’ve also reached my conclusions regarding the Pirelli Cinturato Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M Tyre | cycling-not-racing. There are some minor shortcomings but they seem particularly suited to my riding environments.  

The Stronglight A9 headset was still behaving impeccably and had been given a liberal helping of Juice Bearing Juice. I'd made a boot from scrap butyl tube for the lower race. However, would be worth getting in some spares £2.99 or thereabouts. I should point out this version employs ball, not cartridge bearings.  

Always better to replace the bearings before brinelling and pitting strikes, although keeping them well-greased and properly adjusted is key to keeping the elements out and general longevity. During this phase, I also noted some minor slop in Ursula’s FSA, so eliminated that and nipped the stem bolts snug using the Oxford Torque 2-24nm Torque wrench.   

Baggage, Bonding & Time Machines

 

Now, short of a huge lottery win (The sort that buys large freehold property with even bigger workshops, welders, and all manner of tooling joy) I won’t be indulging but building Denise and to a lesser extent, Ursula’s upcoming modernisation has brought me back to the spring/summer of 1989 and Specialized’s Rock Combo.(11) Specialized RockCombo Owners | Facebook Many are now heralding it as the first gravel bike-a relatively lightweight go anywhere machine based around a cro-moly frameset. The 19.5-inch version had a 42-inch wheelbase, 17-inch chainstays and of course, four-point carrier fixings, big wide swoopy drops, Turbo saddle, Suntour XCD, thumb shifters and a triple 3x7 range.  

  

I recall it being pitted against tourers in a magazine group test and stock, with the 26x1.5 tyres it would’ve been a perfect off the peg mile muncher for me- had I the money- bearing in mind that I was on the cusp of turning 16 and I recall the Rock Combo being around the £450-500 mark. Bear in mind, I’d bought a used Claud Butler Super Dalesman from a dealer for £250 earlier that year, so there wasn’t the budget (or parental tolerance) for another machine. Time machine? Well, that would be seriously handy, and I would’ve corrected some decisions before they had the sometimes-lasting impact they did… 

  

Again, much as I love the Rock Combo and would give one a loving home, I wouldn’t pay classic, dare I say nostalgic prices for one. Between Denise and Ursula and their mix of retro and contemporary, my dirt riding needs are very well catered for.  

 

There were some great concepts that fell out of fashion, but a lot went extinct for good reason. Front loading stems being prime examples. Sure, they have a place on older builds, but I greatly appreciate the ability to pop the stem face off and slot the bars in place.  

 

No need to go through the rigmarole of removing the bar tape, accessories, brake levers etc.  Talking of retro, though I like Denise’s gear cable run, the Oxford Aqua Evo bar bag had me thinking I may need to reroute to prevent fouling… On balance, the Aqua EVO is possibly a better fit for the fixed gear winter/trainer, since it’s a disc setup, so no cable/hanger fouling hassles. We’ll see. 

  

I’m very fond of the Shimano PD ED 500 Shimano PD ED 500 Pedals | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) but changing the Wellgo MO94B WELLGO MO94B SPD PEDALS | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) was an inspired choice, the platforms giving greater support, especially off road and Denise’s lofty bottom bracket means no grounding issues, even when cornering aggressively along tightly winding singletrack. They’re staying.   

 

 

 

After some further reflection and light tweaking, the Suntour SE cantilevers and I bonded. Setup is a little more involved than a traditional cantilever but not overly complex. The arms are centred by loosening (one at a time) with a 5mm Allen key and aligning with a 16mm cone spanner. I took this opportunity to tweak the cable tension, pulling it fractionally tighter. There’s a little more travel at the lever than I was familiar with but when the pads bite, fierce, yet controllable power is on tap. 

  

Since I had the Allen keys out, I switched the Ergon All Road for the Madison Flux and then of course, decided the Carradice Carrady was a better bet, given the 600-denier polyester/PVC material was much easier to wipe clean. Of course, a ride the following morning confirmed it was too large and binding on the WTB tyre (!) Back went the SQR Tour. 

  

Now, while I liked the lived-in, long-standing patina, after 23 years, I was also conscious of it needing a deep clean and re-proofing. Ditto the Carradice Super C Rack Bag, which had served for a decade or so. The fabric is best cleaned by brushing residual dirt off and then lightly cleaning with a sponge and warm soapy water. Allow it to dry thoroughly. The reproofing wax only needs a light, sparing application and cured with a hairdryer on a high heat setting. I have every intention of keeping them going for as long as reasonably possible. I love the SQR system’s rigidity and carrying capacity both volume and weight.   

  

Talking of wax, I’ve switched Denise’s KMC chain to Blub Wax. I needed to give the Finish Line Grunge Brush a good testing. True to claims, it will work dry-I simply sprayed some neat degreaser on the bristles, chain and cassette and went to town. Rinsed with warm water, we’d gone from scuzzy to sparkling in a matter of five minutes. 

  

The wax seems to cure in 30 minutes, seems temperature stable and does the typical wax thing, trapping grit and other contaminant before it can do anything destructive, then flaking off, leaving only a clean, filmy lubricant layer behind. Corrosion resistance seems better than traditional blends but the need to replenish if the bike’s not ridden for 48-hours is a little annoying. This sounds as if this is a component in common with its Ceramic stablemate. Ending on a lube note, here’s my review of the Wolf Tooth WT-1 All Conditions Lube Wolf Tooth WT-1 All Conditions Chain Lub | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

 

Bring on the gloop

  

While Mick Madgett was working his wizardry on the Ryde Andura/XT hoop, I discovered I’d added to much tension to the fixed gear winter trainer’s chain. Since the sun had its hat on, I headed out for a couple of sunny rides on the Holdsworth. Afterall, that’s what it's for. 

The Schwalbe One 365 gives a very quick, supple ride quality, in contrast to the Freedom Thick Slick’s coarser but ultimately durable casing- which stays on the rear for precisely this reason. I like the slightly odd couple pairing, so they stay. The Blub Wax lube is also staying, just to see how well it behaves in drier contexts. Like most waxes, it's self-cleansing, so but anecdotally, there’s less friction. However, in common with its ceramic stablemate, if the bike’s not been ridden for two days, you’ll need to replenish.  

Not so the Wolf Tooth WT-1 All Conditions Lube. Three hundred miles hence, I’m still on the first application and it’s proving extremely clean, even in the wet. The links looked a little parched but touching them confirmed a tangible, filmy layer remains.  This suggests their claims of 400 miles per application is more than salesmanship.  I’m told it’s a synthetic blend made in partnership with SCC Tech. One that binds to the chain, while the detergents cleanse the dirt as you ride.  

Back to the fixed Gear winter trainer, I’m starting to discover some vulnerabilities in the Pirelli Angel DT Urban Tyre Pirelli Angel DT Urban Tyre | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) puncture repelling belt- the third flat (thankfully a slow puncture) at the rear. This struck following six miles of gritty backroad- a flint had worked inside the rear tyre’s shoulder (the puncture repelling strip only covers the centre strip).  

Saddleback sent me these 700x40c WTB Nano. They’ve been around a few years and found a lot of favour among gravel audiences and seem to follow a similar mtb tread in gravel sizing narrative.  

On paper at least, they should be an interesting and very relevant comparator. Of course, with the return of said wheel (which took Mick ten minutes to tame) came the tyre conundrum...Being as I already had the tyre off, it I thought it rude not to slip the WTB in situ. Effortless just using my thumbs.  

Much as the Maxxis, I introduced 50psi, fitted the wheel and then decided I’d switch the misbehaving CX50 in favour of the Suntour SE. The latter fight back a bit (though less than I was expecting) and they’ll need some fine tuning.  

For the uninitiated, these are a late 80s design which employ an internal mechanism that moves when the pads strike the rim, applying more braking force. For these reasons, these should not be run up front (unless massive “stoppies” and being launched over the bars, cartoon style is your thing.)   I’ve had a few tentative outings in monsoon conditions and can confirm they’ve enough power to lock the rear wheel, deployed in anger. 

For the time being, they’re behaving well enough, so I’ll quit while ahead and leave them be. I’d bought another pair, NOS for £10. I wouldn’t pay retro prices for them but couldn’t resist, given their performance. Staying with brakes, I had to tweak the front barrel adjuster and couldn’t find a suitable 8mm open wrench. Ironically, this pressed steel “giveaway” spanner saved the day.  

During this phase, I also switched the saddle. 300 miles hence, the five-year old Pro  Turnix Gel Saddle was proving less supportive to my sit bones than I’d expected. I’ve opted for the Ritchey WCS Cabrillo, which at 260mm long and 146mm. Shorter and a little broader.  

Formative impressions are positive, so I’ll er, sit tight and probably switch for the Ergon SR All Road for comparative purposes.  100 miles hence, I’m warming to both the Maxxis and WTB, which at this point are proving remarkably similar. A little slower across tarmac but compliant, predictable and very swift through mud, dirt and loose stuff. They’re also proving reassuringly good at shifting gloop, thus not becoming slicks at the first hint of a boggy section.