Up Front

No sooner had I switched Ursula to the Schwalbe Marathon Mondial, I acquired another sharp, which infiltrated the casing and nicked the tube. Another very slow flat and I was suspicious about the barely discernible spitting that seemed to strike when I was speeding through lanes, seemingly paved with acres of slippery bovine dung.  

Tube patched, I switched to the spare and decided I’d leave the rear Marathon Mondial and run the Schwalbe Marathon GT365 up front. TESTED: SCHWALBE MARATHON GT 365 TYRES WINTER UPDATE (sevendaycyclist.com) At 1048g apiece, they are very portly but the aesthetic blends with the Mondial and will resist pretty much hell and high water. Given as the gearings’ right, overcoming the increased rolling resistance hasn’t been overly taxing. 

As their name implies, the GT365 are a heavy-duty tyre, prioritising reliability, in every sense. Whether you are commuting through winter’s worst, need something for the child/trailer tug (where a puncture can turn a chill outing from stimulating to distressing- for all parties, but protégés in particular)  

For the record, I’m yet to flat with the 365, so I expect to sit back and enjoy the lanes, while I await the arrival of the new rear-wheel and contemplate which rubber route, I will take next. I will also replenish tube stocks, since it’s always good to have a few in reserve.  

I generally pension tubes, past the third patch but may keep one, as an emergency spare, should I, or indeed another rider find themselves in crisis. There is a fine line between the principles of self-reliance and being tone-deaf. Having the emotional intelligence to realise the best prepared machines and riders can run into difficulties is equally important. 

For the time being, I’ve done away with the Topeak Midloader frame Bag TOPEAK MIDLOADER FRAME BAG | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and redistributed its contents between the Zefal R5 ZEFAL ADVENTURE R5 WATERPROOF SADDLE BAG | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and See Sense Handlebar Bag SEE SENSE HANDLEBAR BAG | cycling,-but-not-usually-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

One thing led to another and I turned my attentions to my fixed gear winter trainer. Justin Burls had kindly sent me a Ti track sprocket, which prompted me to attempt removing the existing 16tooth Cro-Moly unit from the traditional, threaded side of the Halo Fix-G Track hub HALO FIX G TRACK HUB | Seven Day Cyclist Tourin Tests Commuting . Thankfully, though it had weathered a little over the past year or so, I’d greased the threads liberally.  

 

A liberal blast of GT85, a gentle tap of the Pedros Vice whip using an engineer’s mallet and-bing! the sprocket released. Sometimes, a liberal blast of solvent rich sprays, including disc brake cleaners DIRT WASH DISC BRAKE CLEANER | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) can make passable penetrants, shifting moderately stuck components.   

A moderate helping of Park grease to both hub and sprocket threads to avoid almost certain galvanic seizure later down the line, then I spun it home. Huzzah!  I also fitted a Bontrager AW 3 hard Case Lite Reflective Road tyre, since opportunity presented.  

I’m increasingly warming to the AW3 Hard-Case Lite and its quick, supple ride characteristics, which have made my fixed gear winter/trainer even more fun to ride. That being said; I am wondering if it’s Hard Case sibling with an aramid sub layer and bead to bead anti-cut casing, is a better bet for year-round/winter duties where punctures can be a miserable experience. 

Sadly, Control Tech no longer produce their Silicone High Performance Handlebar tape.  

Though tricky to wrap, the combination of superb grip, damping and durability means it’ll be adorning the Univega for some time to come. Talking of silicone, several weeks later and I’ve reached my conclusions regarding the T-One Mr Fantastic Handlebar tape, which comes in other colours, if orange isn’t your flavour T-ONE MR FANTASTIC HANDLEBAR TAPE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

 

 

Gout Begins At Forty....

  

Not something commonly associated with seventy odd kilo tea total vegetarians perhaps but I appear to have been bequeathed this excruciatingly painful affliction by my late father. Once thought to be the consequence of a lavish/indulgent lifestyle, received wisdom suggests gout arises from over production of uric acid, leading to joint inflammation.

In this instance we’re talking Podagra-a variant specifically affecting the big toe, which induces sporadic yelps and agricultural utterances when donning snug fitting road/Audax slippers. Anti-inflammatory drugs appear the medical profession’s default option, though research suggests that antioxidants, concentrated vitamin C and upping good (as distinct from junk) fluid intake play a central role in exorcising said demon. Frankly, the mere thought of pharmaceutical cocktails induces palpable resentment, so I’ll seek guidance from sympathetic practitioners and explore naturally occurring alternatives.

Thankfully since riding elevates my mood, I’ve been chasing through the lanes, battling some seriously stormy conditions, hoping improved toxin flushing blood flow will reciprocate. Other casualties included the chain pin function of this long serving Specialized EMT, finally succumbing to fatigue after five years and countless road, trail and indeed, workshop service. No danger of retirement mind, since everything else remains absolutely A1-testament to tooling quality.

On a happier note, spent several fun days in the midlands, which included seeing Jamie Cullen and support perform live at Birmingham Symphony Hall. Lee Cooper has extracted the Holdsworth’s fractured shell and is in the process of cleaning the tubes before introducing its replacement. Temptation to add braze-on bottle bosses creeps in every so often but rebuffed on the grounds of structural integrity-even the most skilfully applied heat causes some very minor weakness, which is unnecessary given sturdy, paint friendly adaptors are plentiful these days. Nonetheless, this has prompted me to rethink livery-there’s no doubting RAL5012 is an extremely alluring colour, only something like RAL 5014 or 5024 signifies a fresh start/new chapter without “specialist” cost implication.

Speaking of which, my titanium fetish continues to blossom courtesy of this Swift-esque “Aire” saddle from Harrogate based SPA cycles.  http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b0s204p2863. Saving 171g on its ferrous sibling adds £35 to the ticket price, though even with regular feeding I’m banking on six hundred miles before my derriere’s completely smitten. While harvesting used Alpha compatible Minolta lenses, studio backdrops and Christmas presents online, an editorial cheque fluttering through my letterbox induced spontaneous investment in a 400mm ti post, which will play a lead role in the Ilpompino’s friskier makeover.    

Weapons Of Mass Distraction & Managed Expectations

Justin Burls has been branching out into titanium components, specifically forks, headsets, seatposts and collars. Suffice to say all are beautifully executed to his exacting standards and once again, I find myself using sound economic rationales to quell urges compelling me to upgrade the Univega’s front end.

Said tourer has recently received this nicely nickel plated, albeit comparatively hefty 12-25 Sun Race cassette and KMC’s imaginatively monikered X393 chain, replacing the venerable BBB and heavily galvanised KMC unit that finally succumbed to a heady mix of high mileages and last winter’s particularly vengeful salt monster.

The latter (designed for 6,7 and 8speed transmissions) features an interesting nickel/brown finish, which is presumably a cost cutting exercise, since its loftier 99 boasts full nickel plating. Theoretically bushingless designs counteract accelerated wear, ensuring comprehensive free-flow lubricant on the one hand, while flushing salt, grit, sand and similar contaminant out in due course. In practice this seems to depend on prep quality and riders observing good standards of drivetrain hygiene

I’m leaving ours dressed in the factory drizzle for now to see how it behaves but have forgone the seemingly obligatory “magic” link joining system that irrespective of brand, seems blessed only with an uncanny ability to self destruct fifteen miles from the nearest chain tool.

Print as opposed to web titles have longer lead times, hence Moore Large www.todayscyclist.co.uk were kind enough to send over Knog’s new blinder family of blinkies and at the other extreme, some of their house band ballistic models boasting a combined firepower of 3000 lumens. The single lamp seems breathtakingly similar to Magicshine’s MJ808E right down to beam patterns and minor shortcomings but these pale into relative insignificance when you consider it gives change from £80 and adds a modest 335g to proceedings.

Producing 2000, its sibling is remarkably compact, although twice the output demands a more powerful fuel source-6.4amh compared with 4.4. Knog stuff is always interesting, if only from a funky design perspective but the past few seasons have seen the Australian brand twist the quality control knob a few notches higher. Big daddy of the blinder clan, the front reminded me of an old school twin lamp night sun unit that had been passed through a matter shrinking device by some batty boffin.

 Living up to their name, beam purity throughout the eight settings is certainly attention grabbing, though unleashing the stated two hundred does horrendous things to run times but crosses over into see with territory in suburban and less challenging semi rural contexts.

Traditionally USB rechargeable models were water resistant by middling degrees but a clever flip out pod combined with high quality silicone/ polycarbonate and aluminium construction enables easy connectivity with portable devices, while ensuring Mother Nature stays firmly outside.

Repeated five minute attacks using a high-pressure garden hose and salt water immersion testing failed to make any impression.  Some would reason this a little extreme but I reason if a manufacturer claims something is genuinely waterproof within prescribed tolerances, a diligent tester will always call their bluff and often as with bikes, this can take time. I run winter/audax models in particular for at least three, sometimes four hundred miles in a variety of weathers/contexts to see how they behave and to properly evaluate facets such as handling, build/finish quality.

Winter steeds and daily drivers lead harder lives by definition, regardless of rider compassion so those under my scrutiny are left under said slimy cocktail until their rightful owners send couriers to repatriate them. Most manufacturers/distributors are welcoming of this and I always supply photographs of their mucky states to substantiate my findings.

Suppliers and wider audiences are fully entitled to challenge opinions but should never be in a position to question factual stuff. Every so often I get PR companies expectant that I will take delivery of something one day and submit a glowing report the next. Conclusions can be reached within different timescales and these days, bad products are notable by their exception. However, I’m not prepared to consign my, or a publication’s credibility to the nearest skip by submitting rehashed press releases. At the other extreme, there are people wilfully determined to break stuff, taking belt sanders to pro quality bib shorts with the misguided view this somehow replicates the abrasive forces experienced in a typical tarmac slide, thus indicating levels of rider protection (!)

Hmm… any kindred editorial spirits needing a helping hand with their virtual, or indeed print titles are very welcome to approach me by email in the first instance.

Time I stripped the Teenage Dream’s chain of mothballing agent and drizzled some  Finish Line ceramic wax into its links. Think I’ll swap some components around and treat the front hoop to a quick tweak while I’m about it.