Spring=Tweaks & Trails

 

Sometimes it's not the nice new shiny kit that brings the most joy, nor a personal best, or an epic ride. Sometimes, it's getting a wayward, recalcitrant component to behave. Ideally from the comfort of home-an outpouring of relief usually follows the latter scenario.  

 

Recent little victories include getting Ursula's Microshift bar end shifters to play properly with the old girl's STX and Tiagra mechs, upgrading Denise's Hollowtech II preload to an aluminium alloy 10mm Allen key, meaning I can largely forget about the little plastic tool bit that invariably gets lost behind the workbench, or similarly inaccessible area of your workspace.  

 

Last but not least, there's the wired Remote for the Magicshine Ray2600, which means I can whip the power up and down more readily on the fly-great for exploring the lanes in the dead of night. 

 

After an unexpected cold snap prompting me to default to Ursula and the spikes, things thawed a little and I revisited the idea of Denise and gravel tyres. I’d stuck with the Continental Pure Contact, which have proven themselves incredibly dependable in all contexts, meaning I could just hoss along, confident I’d return from a ride without flatting-particularly welcome when pressed for time. Extra UK have sent me some Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M (700x40c).  

 

These are a tubeless ready mixed terrain gravel tyre designed for mixed conditions, wet, or dry-hence their appeal. The Cinturato Gravel M employ the Speed GRIP compound, which promises mechanical resistance, chemical grip, and similarly important, impressive puncture resistance. This is a nylon belt that runs bead to bead, rather than just the centre strip, so I’m hoping they deliver, not least since hedge cutting season has returned with a vengeance.  

 

They were surprisingly easy to sweep aboard the Ryde rims-read thumbs, no tyre levers, pressure ranges closely mirror those of the WTB Nano WTB Nano TCS Tyre | cycling-not-racing, as does the tread pattern. They’re 14g heavier at 513g, but still a very respectable, dare I say reassuring.   

 

Given a marked shift to milder conditions, I also took it as my cue to switch Ursula back from the Schwalbe Ice Spiker to the Continental Cross Kings. Doing so also revealed a little slop in the Hollowtech II bearings, which may have also contributed to temperamental shifting- out came the Oxford Torque R10, which tackles most jobs nicely, including those with higher torque fasteners-no issues removing the crank pinch bolts. A judicious turn of the M20 preload and these were nipped snug, then fully home with a torque wrench...Time to hit the lanes and trails   

 

Wouldn’t you know it, the front mech was misbehaving again. I released a smidge of tension from the STX’s pinch bolt Ursula’s front mech, then released the Microshift bar end lever’s tension fractionally- bingo up and down without missing a beat. Nothing serious, but these units seem more highly strung than their Centos 4700 counterparts. I also raised the saddle by a few millimetres, which seemed optimal.  Talking of tools here’s Steve’s review of the Oxford Torque Slimline 12 https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/oxford-torque-slimline-12-co2-multitool 

  

The milder conditions have allowed ¾ lengths It’s not been sufficiently mild for short sleeve jerseys and arm warmers, but layering is the key to enjoying early season and autumn.  

 

The ability to whip a layer on, or off to counter a sudden change in weather is good at any point- micro jackets will protect against unexpected showers and sudden, chill winds. Lighting is also very necessary since while nights and mornings are getting longer and arriving earlier, it's easy to get caught out. Six months or so hence, I’m suitably impressed by Shimano’s most recent incarnation of their Nexus Dynohub.  Shimano Nexus DH-UR700-3D Dynamo Hub | cycling-not-racing 

  

Though less mucky than midwinter, the early season still calls for regular bike cleaning. Oxford Products have sent me this huge cleaning buckets, which makes cleaning a big fleet (and indeed, other vehicles) a more time-efficient task.  

 

The bucket has a grit grate to stop gritty, muck stuff being redistributed around the bike (or another vehicle), there’s also a wash mitt and microfibre cloth. I’ve already given the KA and Micra a good wash n’ waxing to purge the witches brew of slurry and road salt and the 20-litre bucket makes the job much quicker-no need to run indoors to fill mid-way through.  

 

Urges...The Digital Devil Made Me Do It

 

 

While engaged in an orgy of online Christmas shopping before prices, availability and other headaches start kicking in, a USE SUMO post snared my attention-New Old Stock, and the starting bid was £20.  

This was want, not need, so I wasn’t going to engage in a bidding war. Serendipity saw I was the only bidder, leaving me convinced it was meant to be mine. I had also been quick to check, while watching the auction, that I could acquire a suitable shim and at the right price. No room for “White Elephants”.  

Fortunately, these were still readily available, so £33 all told, including postage. I’d decided I’d go the 27.2 shim route and had earmarked it for the fixed gear winter/trainer, since I was happy with Ursula’s Kinekt 2.1 KINEKT 2.1 SUSPENSION SEAT POST | cycling-not-racing and Denise’s USE SX. I’m certainly not going the “boing” route with traditional pared to the essential's road build. The Sumo, in common with the SX and Redshift Sports has a preload tucked within the post, requiring removal to set, or adjust the degree of bounce but arguably a cleaner aesthetic.  

Given it had been in storage for some time, I suspected any grease had degraded to the point of being ineffectual, so took the opportunity to clean the spring and elastomer components and delivering some Peaty’s Speed Grease inside to lightly lubricate. I was tempted to go for the strawberry jam flavour of Muc-Off Bio Grease, but I’ve been impressed by how well the Peaty’s perked up the SX fitted to Denise.  

In common with the SX, I found the saddle cradle something of a faff and not something you’d want to approach in a rush, yet dependable enough. I’ve added a lick of Oxford Mint Assembly Grease to the fasteners before snugging everything tight with my torque wrench. 

I’ve switched the Ritchey WCS saddle from the Carbon Cycles eXotic Carbon Ti Seatpost Carbon Cycles eXotic Carbon Ti Sea | cycling-not-racing and left the Selle Royal Respiro Sport (281x143mm, in case anyone wondered) adorning the Cane Creek, should I feel the urge to switch things around again.   

While uncovering and fitting the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro Tyres | cycling-not-racing to Ursula’s Ryde XT and Ryde SP SD8 SHUTTER PRECISION SD8 HUB DYNAMO | cycling-not-racing wheels, I happened upon a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Winter Spikes 700x35c, which would comfortably fit Denise’s clearances should we suddenly get another “Beast from The East” or prolonged period of icy, slippery weather in the coming months.  

Chances are, I’d simply stick to Ursula for such a period, but it’s nice to have the option, especially if I’m testing kit, or just fancy taking Denise out. These were the base model with 120spikes, which still gives some definite bite. I also had some Continental Nordic Spike (120 spikes) which are another reliable choice but at 42mm, the absolute comfortable limit for Denise.    

Given a choice in these matters 35-37mm is my preference since you’ll need clearance for snow, slush and slurry. 120 spikes are at the lower end of the spectrum, 240 is my benchmark for snowier conditions and/or deeply impacted ice but 120 still offer dependable bite on slippery surfaces.  

Kenda Klondike is another long-standing studded choice. The 700x35c feature 30tpi casings and 100 studs, which again, are a better bet for when its icy, rather than snowy. There’s a 26x2.10 version with 252 spikes and a 26x2.35 with 400, which would be an interesting comparator to the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro Tyres | cycling-not-racing  There’s still a few helpings of WTB lube left, so I’m staying with it for now but will probably reach for the Peaty’ Link Lube Premium All Weather PEATY'S LINK LUBE PREMIUM ALL WEATHER | cycling-not-racing since I want chains fed something stoical, yet still relatively clean running.    

The roads remain very muddy and the trails less so, although I’ve stuck to the mighty Shimano MW7 booties, which continue to impress with their efficient power transfer, temperature management and water resistance. Shimano MW7 (MW702) Gore Tex MTB Shoes | cycling-not-racing 

I’ve erred toward waterproof socks more often now the seasons changing and leaves carpet lanes and trails. I’m also increasingly endeared to the Gorewear C5 gloves. I’d experienced some unexpected discomfort in the left hand, but this tempered after 60 miles or so, suggesting the padding settles given a bit of time.  

A relief too, given the asking price. However, doing an impressive job of keeping vibration, chill and wet firmly locked out. Oh, but wait a moment, they’re not waterproof in the submersible sense, so if you’ve jettisoned a bottle and it’s landed in a stream, you’ll get a soggy hand retrieving it. Though not as nimble as some, for a deep winter glove, they’re surprisingly dextrous. I keep coming back to the old saying “No such thing as the wrong weather, just the wrong kit”. On that note, here's Magicshine's Black Friday PromoBike Cycling Lights & Gears for Night Riding | Magicshine – Magicshine Lighting