Forecasters have been
promising wild and wintry conditions here in the UK. Gritters were certainly out in force. Add
indecisive models to the mix and it’ll be no surprise that I’ve swung a leg
over my Univega and busied myself with some intensive kit testing.
I should point out, most
models I liaise with (such as Karen, photographed here) are consistent,
reliable, professional and ultimately delightful. There are always
exceptions, as per any trade/profession. I am very adept at reading people and
anyone presenting “red flags” of any description, is swerved, like a pothole.
Dry/wax lubes might sound like
an odd choice for chains and other moving parts and though not perfect, the
Smoove Universal chain lube is certainly among the most stoical I’ve come
across in grotty weather https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/smoove-universal-chain-lube .
I’ve swapped over to the lighter weight TF2 Ultra dry chain wax https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/weldtite-tf2-ultra-dry-chain-wax to
see how that copes with mid-winter.
An intermittent phantom squeak,
prompted some more stripping and component swapping. The phantom in this instance,
turned out to be loose cranks. I stripped the 8mm bolts and re-lubed using
Finish line wet. Decent quality wet lubes, also double as excellent grease
substitutes, on threaded fasteners.
Chain-ring bolts received the
same treatment, since I was there. Shimano A530 pedals were substituted, for these
Ritchey lookalike XTC, which have proven tough n’ dependable. Being able to
clip in and power away pretty much instantly is another definite draw, over the
otherwise agreeable platform/SPD patterns.
There are several things that
take the struggle out of winter riding. First and foremost reliability. Being
plagued by punctures miles from home on cold, dark, rainy nights isn’t my idea
of fun. Let alone if I’m hauling a week’s worth of shopping back from the
supermarket.
I’ve a soft spot for Kenda’s
relatively frisky, uni-directional small block 8. However, the lack of
aramid/similar belting means it’s more susceptible to thorns, flints and
similarly invasive sharps.
I was going to switch to the
Schwalbe Marathon GT 365 https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/schwalbe-marathon-gt365-tyre last puncture but held fire. (Vee Rubber are
due to send us some interesting models for testing).
Chickens and roosting sprung
to mind, while riding the crest of a slow-puncture wave. This struck along a
deserted lane, exactly fourteen days and almost to the hour, hence.
No rain but a very strong,
blustery crosswind, depleting my reserves and bringing the temperature closer
to -2. Another shrewd move during the colder months/early Spring-packing
additional layers, in case the mercury should slide, or delays/detours
present.
Ten minutes and some cursing
later, tube swapped, wheel reinstated with 50psi and we were homeward bound.
Three miles or so later, I was flagged down by a long wheelbase Mercedes
Sprinter van…
Transpired the driver, a young
Polish man was lost on his multi-drop round. Having experienced the misery of
multi-drop myself, I took pity on him but didn’t recognise the address on his
job sheet. The irony was, he seemed colder than me! No such thing as the wrong
weather, just inappropriate kit...
Elsewhere, John Moss wants his
Sinner Mango’s body refinished in a retro-reflective signal yellow. Wet spray
2pac is the obvious choice, given its carbon fibre.
However, preparation is the
tricky part. I reached out to Carbon Bike repair in Leatherhead https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/a-visit-to-carbon-fibre-bike-repair and another in the midlands, to see if they’d
help. John’s after a retro-reflective effect, the sort used on vehicle licence
plates. Signal yellow with a sparkle lacquer top coat is our starting point,
prior to professional guidance.
Talking more generally about
these things, while the body provides fantastic protection from the elements
per se, akin to glass fibre cars, the occupant can get a full “cauldron”
experience i.e. freezing cold in winter, roasting hot in spring/summer. Going
off tangent, I’ve long had a yearning for a Lomax; the 2CV based kit car/trike.
Incredibly simple, robust and inexpensive to run/maintain. However, sporting
glass fibre bodies, air conditioning would be a must.
