Seek and Deploy

This time around I’ve managed 285miles from the Juice Lubes Chain Juice Wax before it required replenishment. Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the compatibility of chain lubes. Good practice says strip your chain and transmission of pre-existing lubricant, before applying another brand ort type.  

However, I’ve topped up my fixed gear winter/trainer’s chain with Zefal Pro Dry https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/zefal-pro-dry-lube and the Chain Juice Wax with Pure Bike Dry Lube. While of the same genre, the latter is not petrochemical-based and employs an ethanol carrier. Plant-based ethanol to be precise, which works to the same science and is every bit as flammable as petrochemical blends.  

Like a lot of lubes, the Pure requires a liberal shake to blend solvent and lubricant components. Drizzled into the links it’s visibly stockier than the Chain Juice Wax and supposedly resists water and wash-off very effectively. It also requires 3-4 hours curing time, so I’d leave it overnight, wherever possible.  

Apparently, it’s designed to be deployed elsewhere-cables, pivot points and other metal to metal interfaces. Aside from compatibility, I’m also looking to evaluate its cleanliness, tenacity, and temperature stability.  Thus far, its behaving much like the Juice Lubes Ceramic Chain Wax in terms of friction. However, its closer to a wet, rather than a dry wax and I will be very surprised if it racks up 400 miles per application. By that point, the existing KMC chain will be spent anyhow.  

The Cycles Berthoud Soulor Leather saddle https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/cycles-berthoud-soulor-leather-sadd goes from strength to strength, although I’ve been accelerating the personalisation process, applying a water-based hide food, 20 minutes prior to every other ride, which has certainly made the thick hide very supply, while my ischial tuberoses do their thing.  Continuing this retro theme, I’ve come back to these Passport Crochet Back Cycling Mitts https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/pasport-crochet-back-cycling-mitts. 

Despite being stored indoors-at room temperature, the leather palms had turned surprisingly stiff, so I applied a liberal helping of leather food, so hopefully, that’ll solve the problem. 

Mirror shades and big lenses were another blast back to the past. I’ve been rather impressed by these Merida Race, which in the style stakes, literally transported me back to 1989.  Costing less than £30, they offer excellent defence against strong sunlight, wind, and insects, thanks to the large surface area.  

No problem with fogging either, thanks to the thin cutouts. However, there’s no polarising technology here (a feature that’s increasingly trickling down to the £40 price point) so they don’t react to changing light conditions. Not a lot of use at dusk, or when skies are threatening cobalt, thundery rage.    

The Continental Contact Speed tyres are continuing to deliver a flat-free, magic carpet ride, although being a soft, grippy compound, they’re wearing around the centre-strip, Mohican fashion. Component life varies on some many things but I’m bargaining on 3,000 miles before they’re bin-fodder.  

By this point, I’m hoping to switch to something like Panaracer Gravel King-26x2.1, please. Oh, and of course, a Cane Creek Thudbuster G3 https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/cane-creek-thudbuster-suspensuin-se, to complete my wish-list upgrades. The sort that will complete the bike’s go anywhere, four seasons persona as I’d envisaged the concept 33 years back.  

Admittedly, compact geometry and suspension posts weren’t a “thing” then.  I’ve also taken to charging lighting and other tech over the course of a ride, using the K-lIte AC/DC twin-port charger, which is one of those little, yet incredibly satisfying things. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/k-lite-bikepacker-ultra-dynamo-ligh 

Water Sports.....

No, look elsewhere if you're after the sort involving bodily fluids. We've been hit by a band of low pressure, bestowing monsoon rainfall of the type more commonly associated with epic melodramas. Harbingers of doom proclaim the end of summer but these are perfect conditions for real-world conditions for product tests.

The good folk at Moore Large (http://www.todayscyclist.co.uk/) have left me Knog's Dry Dog to play with. Our seventeen inch version is big enough to hop inside and on the strength of recent long, steady rides-completely waterproof (even submerged during river crossings) thanks to the sonically welded 1200 denier PU fabric. Acres of bold, reflective detailing ensures 180 degree visibility, which is an absolute godsend whether chasing along country lanes in the dead of night or tackling the usual town centre malaise. Similarly, Rixen Kaul click-fix systems inspire confidence over the roughest roads and trails, accommodating most gauges of rack with a deft flick of the Phillips screws. Asymmetrical design allows it to ride either side and this extends to the webbed shoulder strap which shares a similar profile to the pig-dog. A splash of cartoon nudity is the only thing likely to divide opinion and for my part, I'm indifferent but some office/environments might not be so liberal.

Having discovered the Univega's Kenda Ultralite tube mysteriously perished at the valve stem, it now lives on as a top-tube protector, which ironically coincided with the purchase of another patch kit. Mean and rueful of the glue-less breed, finding they either don't adhere at all, or slowly peel away, I'll stick with that little tube of vulcanising solution. Leaning bikes by their top-tubes is something I avoid wherever possible but on those occasions calling for intimate relations with street furniture, the old inner tube trick protects paintwork and thin-walled tubing from unnecessary nicks, scrapes and dings.

Freedom to choose (or at least make genuine choices) should never be undervalued. I've been exercising my right to ride sans lid these past few weeks and it has raised a number of interesting points. Firstly, other riders seem more inclined to acknowledge me-regardless of genre or tribe while drivers pass with greater caution and distance. Having worn helmets for the best part of twenty-three years, going totally bareheaded doesn't come naturally-hence the traditional clubman's cap, providing protection from the sun's glare and wind-chill. However, the lid has been resurrected to coincide with these rather tasty new lights from Moon. The creatively monikered X500 is a five hundred lumen, five mode, high power commuting lamp designed for either handlebar of helmet fitting.

Early impressions suggest commendable build quality and output relative to competitor brands, although I have some reservations concerning the lack of peripheral illumination-a moot point perhaps when used as a secondary system but otherwise a consideration when emerging from unlit side-roads, junctions etc . This aside, a choice of wall or USB charging is particularly welcome, although run times in the upper modes don't favour extended nocturnal playtime. Several weeks' thorough testing will reveal all. Elsewhere we've the five LED Mask with detachable covers for perfect colour contrast/coordination and its sixty lumen Shield sibling. Perfect on paper for desk-bound commuters I'm looking forward to putting these through their paces. Our samples were supplied by Raleigh UK (http://www.raleigh.co.uk/) should you fancy a more detailed run down before I return with a more detailed evaluation complete with "Beam" shots.

"I reject your reality and substitute it for my own" is an undeniably witty retort and I am fully aware that stupidity cannot be legislated against. However, there are people who cannot see the correlation between Russian roulette and overtaking on a blind bend. The photograph here depicts the aftermath of a head-on collision between an MG sports car and Ford Mondeo, resulting in critical injuries, necessitating three hour road closure. I realised the gravity of the situation upon spotting a lone stretcher and two police officers gesticulating in between periods of protracted discussion. Nineteen years previously, a cyclist in his early twenties was killed having struck a postal van. Talk focused upon the rider's helmet omission and according to eye-witness reports, the stationary vehicle wasn't badly parked-a genuinely tragic accident resultant from a momentary lapse in concentration.

There prevails a curious myth that simply passing the car test (along with examinations per se) qualifies individuals as competent drivers when in fact it merely proves they were assessed as being suitably safe to be allowed to operate a vehicle on public roads without supervision. There are no shortcuts to road craft as the proliferation of fatalities amongst thirty-somethings who acquire motorcycle licences via intensive course and on large capacity (typically 750cc) machines. By contrast cyclists and motorcyclists who adopt cars as another mode of transport generally "read" the road to a better standard, showing greater empathy for others.

Sermon over and since it's pouring with rain, I'll go testing.

Charge of the Light Brigade

Reputedly a creature of the night, lighting is an evergreen subject, not restricted to the depths of winter. Generally speaking I'm really taken by the convenience of systems feeding from USB ports-an indisputable boon for desk jockeys, although docking space at my PC tower is too scarce to mention. Watching the dog-walking Li-on unit charging from the kitchen socket, it suddenly occurred the adaptor should be a universal fit and hey presto, the Vis 360 now guzzles straight from the mains!

There's something deeply satisfying about generating your own power and lighting is a logical extension. Chance acquisition of a mid range Rigida Snyper rim looked the consummate partner to this 105 grade dynohub. Presently bereft of wheel jig and stainless spokes of the corresponding length, I have entrusted the build to Alan at Riverside Cycle Centre. Let's be clear, aside from crazed lacquer there was nothing wrong with the venerable nexus unit. Nexus was a fabulous commuter groupset capable of lasting many years with some basic TLC. Unfortunately, it tended to be run into the ground and criticised contemptuously for expiring!

Identifying an inexpensive, yet adequately powerful lamp as replacement for the spontaneously combusting Basta has proved difficult, although this model from RSP looks very promising. Unlike old-fashioned Sturmey Archer and the super smooth Schmidt units, Shimano cannot be turned off which means minor perpetual drag but installing an intelligent switch that engages come the onset of darkness will hopefully maximise bulb longevity.

Speaking of intelligent systems, these Uvex Sphere glasses are fantastic across the board and suitably stylish sans bike too. They're made from Makrolon, a sophisticated polycarbonate employed because of it's impact/temperature resistance coupled with absolute optical clarity. The latter is hard to quantify and takes several longish rides to fully appreciate but its superiority "litemirror" technology works to the same principles as automatic welder's darkshields, ensuring perfect tone and contrast.

Elsewhere, our home brew citrus bike wash has developed a hiccup, well mould to be precise so I need to introduce an inexpensive, natural preserve to the blend. Mercifully there's still plenty of commercial prep in the garage for now... Just as well seeing Joshua has disconnected himself from the dubious delights of his Nintendo and taken to thundering along the lanes at an impressive thirteen mph. Amazing what a handlebar mounted computer and new helmet can inspire!