Whoppers

Puncture season has well and truly struck and Tuesday’s night’s wet n’ windy lane-side pit-stop saw my endless gratitude for this helmet mounted BBB Scout light. 200 lumens doesn’t sound much these days but the really pure crisp arc of light made locating spare tube(s), tyre levers and Cool tool (not to mention the job itself) that bit easier.

It also ensured I didn’t lose anything, or litter the verge when bunging everything back in. Talking of lights, while there are some minor compromises, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the Xeccon Zeta 1300r Wireless Front light http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/xeccon-1300-wireless-front-light

This was the second flat in two successive evenings, so has me questioning whether unbranded tube bundles are little more than false-economy. Fine for getting back on the road and other contingencies, but not as everyday staples; neither puncture seemed the result of a sharp piercing the Clement USH casings. Both rim tapes are pristine too.

Graciously the supplier is sending me a replacement bundle, in case these are a rogue batch.I’m likely to revert to a thicker gauge butyl, possibly a Kenda thorn resistant on the rear, store branded goo-filled model up front.

Having reviewed the contents of my wedge pack, I retrieved a CO2 inflator and spare cartridge to further minimise roadside indignity on a wet and blustery night. That said; I never ride anywhere without a decent pump riding shot gun on the bottle mounts, or in a jersey pocket.

Research suggests the brain is in fact, phenomenally active when we are consciously resting. Talking of customisation, I awoke on Wednesday morning with the idea of a tyre swap. A 35mm Vittoria Voyager hyper at the rear and a 42mm Maxxis Roamer 2ply up front…Hmm, well best laid plans…

Despite the MkII Ilpomopino’s rear triangle supposedly swallowing 35mm sections (sans guards), the voyager hyper was tickling the chainstays at their narrowest point, so I reinstated the 35mm Continental.

I suspect, given their portly profiles, the Voyager’s 32mm counterparts would still be in fag paper territory clearance-wise. Shame, since they’re a really, nice compliant tyre with magic-carpet ride quality. We reviewed them in issue 7 when Seven Day Cyclist was a monthly, downloadable PDF publication. http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/pdf-reader  

https://issuu.com/vortexcreative/docs/sdc_7?e=0/14991072SDC8

 

The 42mm Maxxis and Kinesis fork proved a much happier marriage.

Grotty roads, oily finger prints and similar caked-on spatter also presented opportune moments for further testing of The Pro Green MX triple pack. Having sprayed the drivetrain degreaser on the ring and sprocket, before working it into their inner side and then into the links using an old brush.

Most bike cleaners are marketed as kind; or at least safe on plastic, composites and rubberised components. Experience leads me to conclude, some are kinder than others so I took this opportunity to give the tyres a really good scrub too. 

Though a big fan Green Oil’s bicycle brush this Oxford tyre scrub continues to grow on me.  The rubberised contoured handle sits naturally in the palm and allows really efficient cleaning. Sculpted nylon bristle plot is angled perfectly for lifting impacted gloop and sharps from the casings, restoring the aesthetic and greatly reducing the likelihood of punctures and other damage. 

Generally designed for mud and other organic contaminant, the relatively gentle cleaner continues to impress, shifting oily finger marks and even some internal frame preserve that oozed out from the bottom bracket shell.

The drivetrain degreaser has also shifted more sophisticated petrochemical chain lubes and caked on residual stuff clinging to the cranks inner spider. Having dried and re-lubricated the chain, it was time to give everything (bar contact points, disc and rotor components a misty blow-over with their all-over shine formula.

I could easily lose 30minutes to polishing-often it’s a therapeutic, reflective exercise. However, applied in a gentle mist, this formula cures to a really jewelled like effect within thirty minutes. A gentle breeze certainly helps but isn’t essential. So far, judging by my Univega, it isn’t attracting a dirty patina in the usual places-fork crowns, bottom bracket shell and rear triangle.       

Kitchen Sink Drama

Kitchens double as fantastic workshops-fresh running water, kettle food, TV/radio and similar creature comforts. Returning from the midlands with new laptop, I decided there was no better way to start the week than reassembling my beloved Mk2 Ilpompino.

Having carefully reintroduced headset cups, seat collar and bottom bracket shell, everything came together pretty effortlessly, although by midday focus was waning on account of telephone calls and encroaching hunger. By this point, only the front brake needed dialling in but I’d earmarked other, pressing deadlines for the afternoon. 

Tuesday was deeply frustrating, spent awaiting a courier and responses to urgent emails-neither of which arrived until late that afternoon, though thankfully I managed to keep a 4.45 appointment. By 1800 the disc was sorted and home brewed frame preserve sloshing inside the Ilpompino’s inner sanctum.

New seasons’ clothing and lighting needed putting through its paces and I don’t require enticing where kit testing’s concerned. I was also pleased to discover decathlon had sent me a G-Eye2 escape under warrantee. This seems a marked improvement over its likeable predecessor. Fittings/accessories are GO-PRO pattern, so thus far, everything, including the weatherproof casing plugs straight on.

A quick, cursory play later, I mounted it on the Ilpompino’s handlebar extension bracket, engaged lights and headed out. Just as Tuesday was concluding on fairly positive notes, while grinding along a greasy, dung strewn gradient, we sliced through a cowpat heavily impregnated with hedge clippings…

The Vittoria voyager hyper unleashed a loud petulant hiss, blowing raspberries with every revolution. Despite being narrow, large trucks often take this route to small industrial units, so a suitable clearing was imperative if I wasn’t to become another piece of roadkill.  

Finding a safe, sheltered spot, I rummaged through the wedge pack. No CO2 inflator!!!!...A wave of panic subsided upon finding the Specialized midi pump, spare tubes and my favourite BTwin tyre levers.

The eerie silence was broken by a woman’s voice. “Excuse me, have you got a puncture?” Despite the Sigma Evo Pro lamp’s considerable power, I couldn’t pinpoint her location but presumed it must’ve come from the cottage opposite.

“Yes, but its fine-thank you” I replied, an early 80’s Godley and Cream track “Under your thumb” suddenly filled the backdrop as my imagination went into overdrive. I wouldn't mind but there's still a few weeks until Halloween.

Even in standard mode, the Sigma Evo Pro’s has sufficient bite for spirited backroad scratching and I was particularly grateful for its prowess as I removed the front

wheel, extracted the wounded butyl and began scrutinising the Vittoria’s casing for embedded sharps.

Ten minutes later, wheel reinstated with a useable 60psi, I resumed my twenty mile loop. Petitioning the god of punctures with prayer seemed to help. Kenda thorn-resistant tubes are my first line of defence, rolling resistance is more apparent given their relative heft.

However, their valve stems are too short for deep section rims, so I may opt for something impregnated with green goo if this scenario becomes more prevalent into winter.  Time to replenish the otherwise superb faux leather Mpart bar wrap. Hmm, what will it be?...

 

Salvage

After several attempts with Southern scrappies, I managed to persuade a Midlands based vehicle dismantler to let me photograph his yard in action. Arriving with steel toes, hi-viz jacket and assurances I would take only my images met with surprisingly little resistance.

Fiats, Alfa Romeo, Vauxhall and even the odd X type Jaguar sat in neat piles, their empty bodies squashed like discarded soft drinks cans. Teenage lads peered inside elderly Nissan Micras (not the most obvious Yoof wagons!); while I pondered the lives of three mk1 Ka stacked nearby and pressed the shutter at desired intervals.

Rediscovery of my Cyclo tyre removal and fitting tool’s replacement head has spelt an end to tyre torment and prompted the resurrection of these26x2.1 Kenda Small block eight for some off the beaten track fun with the Geonaute.

As their name suggests, the small block 8 are a closely spaced knobbly designed for optimal speed and control across hard surfaces with operating range between 30 and 80psi. They’ll quickly clog and become slicks in gloopy mud but this was academic given full-length mudguards preclude anything trickier than dry woodland trails.

Said tubby tourer’s drivetrain has also developed a phantom squeak. Crank arms are tight, chain properly dressed (in Muc-Off Hydrodynamic lube, which has evolved into a seemingly hygienic wet potion these past 120 mixed terrain miles). Definitely not those Time ATAC pedals but rotating the cranks suggests the fit n’ forget UN55 bottom bracket might be culpable.

Not obvious sources of grief, since these (and their UN52/54 predecessors) enjoy legendary reliability-10,000 miles or more in some cases). Faulty seals/bearings are possible, albeit unlikely since I avoid jet washing like the plague. Will monitor for now and may even plump for an FSA or Stronglight next time round.  

Things they say; happen for a reason and while wrestling with the anaconda that is writer’s block, I sought solace in my austere, though practical concrete plot known affectionately as the Soviet block and began testing the degreasant claims of some bike wash formulas. Experience leads me to conclude that concentrates harness best-of both worlds performance, though require careful alchemy.

Pre-mixed blends are generally bang on for speedy cleaning of non/organic stuff thrown up from the roads and trails but their neutrality to all frame materials and finishes means they can’t cut through the sort of congealed claggy grot harboured by winter/fixed/cross and mountain bikes fed tenacious ceramic or even, old school wet lubes.

Common sense dictates starting with the bike’s transmission; otherwise you’ll just coat the rear triangle in mucky spatter and smear it over the frame. Therefore, I decided to whip out the Ilpompino’s rear wheel for minimal faff. Good thing I did –closer inspection of the 32mm Kenda Kwicker Bitumen revealed the iron cap casing was riddled with flints that could induce puncture of epic, tube-binning proportions!  

Murphy’s Law reasons this would strike several miles from home on a wet and windy night. The casing is reparable and I will fashion two boots from offcuts of scrap tyre at a more convenient moment.Generally speaking, 32mm is the limit with full length mudguards but being a slick, a 35mm Vittoria Voyager Hyper fits without touching anything-just, we are talking tighter than a hipster’s trousers.

Some WD40 drivetrain degreaser had arrived during the week and having achieved predictably lacklustre results using two generic bike washes; I shook, aimed and fired in two short blasts. Several months’ congealed gunk ran like mascara from the stainless steel track sprockets. Breathtakingly quick, though cautions suggest minimising contact with seals and similar rubberised/plastics.

Then of course, after several years’ faithful service, the pressure gauge on my Revolution floor pump is singing its swan-song and this rather likeable Axiom multi-tool literally blew its guts while slumbering in my rack bag. Again, I’ll attempt reconstructive surgery shortly but thankfully, Axiom offers original purchasers a lifetime warrantee against manufacturing defect.

Integral gauges tend to be the Achilles’ heel of budget track pumps, which generally soldier on for several years before heading up to that great bike shop in the sky. Standalone gauges are more reliable in any case.

Spring may have brought longer evenings but the advent of some much needed temping means tweaking one’s ride schedule. Time to resurrect the big guns for spirited back road blasting methinks…

Quest for Tyres (& forks!)

Sourcing commuter/everyday tyres for a group test feels reminiscent of the Commodore 64 classic about a uni-cycling caveman called BC, who weaved around prehistoric, pixelated canyons amassing replacement rubber. 

Just as grass roots racing still stars bikes brewed using an eclectic mix of reciprocal parts hung on older, though worthy framesets; there are no hard n’ fast rules.  Some folks with mechanically sensitive riding styles prioritise minimal rolling resistance and are willing to accept greater vulnerability to sharps, holes and other nasties.

Others prefer the belt n’ braces combination of a really tough 30tpi casing, aramid belts, thorn repelling inner tubes and a slightly stodgier ride.

One thing everyday rubber needs to be, is dependable otherwise you won’t fancy riding. No matter how proficient or prepared you are, there’s nothing pleasant about roadside tube swaps and patching damaged casings fifteen miles from home when its pitch black and minus 5! 

Vittoria have always enjoyed a strong following and their UK importer has kindly sent me their 26x1.6 street runner and 120tpi 700x35c Voyager hyper. The street runner is basically a fast rolling urban mtb semi slick, whereas the voyager is marketed as an “Ultra-light touring tire has most of Pro Series race technology. Grip, comfort, handling, reliability, good look: this tire has it all!”

Hmm, proof of the puncture resistance and overall performance lies in daily service but both seem pretty keen so far. Also begs the question of where my workshop tyre wand has vanished to...

Irrespective of product, someone will always find limitations (as distinct from fault). Some people are just genuinely harder on equipment than others. Back in the late 1990s, I regularly attended the Brixton Cycles “Beastway” mountain bike racing series held at London’s Temple Mills Lane and recall one rider saying he’d destroyed countless pairs of high-end cross country race wheels.

There wasn’t any obvious explanation-yes; he had an aggressive technique, though hardly abusive. Then, during the course of conversation, it transpired he exceeded 90 kilos-markedly heavier than might be expected of a man standing 175cm (5’9) tall.

Staying with surprises, those 32mm Kenda Kwicker Bitumen have proved their worth these past fourteen months, only puncturing once in 5,000 miles-easily remedied with a sturdier tube, suggesting the Iron cap technology is genuinely effective.

Lacking the outright invulnerability of their Iron Cloak (Aramid) series, or indeed Schwalbe’s slightly portly “smart guard” system (that actually deflects sharps rather than drawing them inboard) Iron cap denotes comprehensive puncture preventative strip spanning bead to bead but with vastly superior wet weather manners compared with some similarly priced rivals.  

Rolling resistance isn’t bad for a 60tpi casing either (when run at their 85psi maximum) either. Sure, the tread is beginning to sport some obvious signs of wear along the centre-strip but I reckon we’ll reach 8,000 before retirement beckons. Popular lore advocated alternating front and rear tyres for uniform wear/optimal economy. Indeed, it was an enticing argument since, depending on rider/braking technique, the rear can be exhausted almost three times as quickly.

Alas, just as fork, rather than frame failure is most likely to result in serious injury, the same goes for a front blow-out. Thrifty folks, desperate to get their money’s worth and who employ similar pairings can extend their lifespan by replacing a worn rear with their existing front and letting the factory-fresh unit lead. Exhausted tyres are best reincarnated as belts or “boots” (cannibalised strips used to bandage and reinforce nasty lesions in otherwise healthy casings).

Two suitable disc specific fork candidates with mudguard eyelets (for the Ilpompino’s front end transformation) have arrived at once. Imports intrigue me but I’d sooner do business with a domestic supplier. Ticket prices may be higher, though faults/warrantee matters are straightforwardly addressed and there’s no nasty import tax hangovers further along the line. Making do and retrofitting to the fixers ITM Visa blades seemed another tangible option. In reality, the band-on breed seems decidedly low-rent.   

Contrary to my earlier remarks about TRP’s HYRD being too prestigious for said build, the lure and practicality of a self-adjusting open system seems way too enticing and for me at least, justifies the additional cost over a mechanical calliper. Donning bandanna, huge hoop ear-ring and gazing into my crystal ball, I see a machine built front 32hole hoop, laced two cross to Shimano’s venerable M525 (Deore) cup n’ cone hub…

Deore, rather like its STXrc predecessor is a very serviceable, inexpensive groupset that delivers plenty of smiles per mile but doesn’t dictate re-mortgaging should something break. Cup n’ cone hubs have been superseded by sealed cartridge types but are mechanically simple and very smooth when striped and fed decent quality waterproof grease at regular intervals.    

Aside from some intensive brand management/promotion of “Seven Day Cyclist”; I’ve been introduced to an artist who might be willing to bring “Claud the Butler & Friends” to life on a royalties basis. There’s been renewed interest from publishers too; although the whisper of self-publishing has intensified into a gentle roar.

Arguably an internet phenomenon but we’ve all become very comfortable with the notion of free goods/services. I am a firm believer that people’s time and skill need recognition and should be remunerated, or at least repaid in kind.