Three rides in and I concluded a
slight kink in the rear derailleur housing was causing mischief-it wasn't
obvious, until I was cruising on the hoods and happened to take this
shot. I obviously replaced the outer and inner cables upon returning home.
Little surprise that shifting became that bit snappier and free of phantom
shifts and similarly unwelcome distractions.
Even if bars look comparable,
width and shape can influence things, so if changing contact points, or making
wider changes, it's worth changing the cables, ideally during, rather than
afterward. Talking of bars, here’s Steve’s review of the Lomo 3 Litre Handlebar
Bike Packing Dry Bag Lomo
3L Handlebar Bikepacking Dry Bag | cycling-not-racing
All part of bedding in, dare I
say bonding (deeper) with the build. Not one, but two Deore mechs arrived,
which is welcome. The SR Suntour fitted to Ursula is box fresh and the STX
adorning Denise’s downtube still has plenty of strength in its spring.
Nonetheless, it’s thirty years old and these things tend to expire at the least
convenient moment. Both Deore hail from the same era but have little signs of
use and plenty of power within their springs.
I'm sticking with the Shimano
CX50 stopper up front since there's plenty of bite and pads are readily
available. Temptation was to pop another Kore on, but this is change for
change's sake.
Mick Madgett has worked his wheel
building sorcery and built the older, non-disc Ultegra dynohub into the Ryde
Sputnik rim. Not an urgent job but glad its sorted. I've switched the existing
disc braked Nexus Shimano
Nexus DH-UR700-3D Dynamo Hub | cycling-not-racing over to Muffin and run
the low drag Shutter Precision SL9 HALO
EVURA & SHUTTER PRECISION SL9 DYNOHUB BUILD as a second/spare, as need
arises. Otherwise, I'm really pleased with the bikes in their present guises.
Denise's 36/26 is actually quite
close to the "cut down" trend that struck in the early 1990s, where
riders would often forgo the big ring (typically a 48 tooth) in favour of the
38 and 28 since this saved a few grams and was arguably more practical off
road. Though there's a lot to be said for triples, especially on a tourer, I've
found keeping them on song four seasons round to be something of a chore.
I also ran a Shimano 600 with a
Stronglight 48/38/28 setup, and this could also prove temperamental. I should
point out this was inherited with the bike, not of my doing and was ultimately
replaced with a Suntour XCD six months after the frameset's powder coat
makeover in March 1990. I was a big Suntour fan and remain very fond of
the late 80s and early 90s groupsets.
Elsewhere, I fitted the Blackburn Atom SL computer to Muffin and though accessing the battery compartment is fiddly, thanks to the tiny screws, the rest of the unit, including sensor feel solid in the Blackburn tradition. The display is very clear and the switches similarly solid. Not quite as bombproof flavour of old school, late 80's Cat Eye, but not far behind, so we'll see.
Staying with Cat Eye a minute, I
was interested to note they still offer wired versions, including one called
the Enduro, which is apparently designed for off road duties. I'd go for a
wired model since by definition, they are the most accurate, reliable option,
but there's the risk of me embarking on a headset strip/similar, forgetting
about the wiring and ultimately knackering it. I've got form for this, having
done it before, to a Strada back in 1994. I spend considerable time
connected to the internet in one form or other, to the point where I simply
want to decompress and disconnect on my rides- escape, for want of a more
involved explanation.
The Lomo Mountain Bike Gloves are
still seeing plenty of action and continue to impress in their pleasant,
understated way. Also on the test bench is the Lazer Strada Kineticore helmet,
a design that blurs genres.
It employs their ScrollSys system
for a precise, 360 degree fit, TPU eyewear docking system for parking sunglasses,
a rear light mount and Keneticore Propriety Integrated Rotational Impact
Protection, offering protection in a similar manner as MIPS. Where the two
systems differ is Keneticore Propriety Integrated Rotational Impact Protection
is built into the helmet from the beginning, whereas MIPS is added afterward.
This ensures it covers the entirety of the helmet and theoretically, improves
ventilation, while also using less material.
Hopefully none of us will ever
need to call on this, or rely on our lids, but twisting forces can prove
particularly harmful in a crash.
Build quality and attention to
detail impresses me at this price point. Simple things like the polycarbonate
shell extending around the rim and an intuitive "conveyor belt" type
adjuster tightening or relaxing the cradle tension being prime examples.
On the subject of sizing, I went
for a small, finding the medium can be a little larger than others. I'm at the
upper end of the 51-56cm circumference but still achieved a secure, comfortable
fit with scope for caps, buffs and similar headwear. Our sample also
coordinates nicely with these Shimano RX600 Shimano
SH RX600 Gravel Cycling Shoes | cycling-not-racing and cap
