Winter Drivers

 

Mild and wet has been the blanket flavour of things with some very isolated icy spells, basically aligning with climate change predictions made by experts and for many years. I could discuss the rise of hostility toward qualified opinion, experience and skill but side notes aside, this is about cycling. I’ve been wondering whether I experience a seasonal fatigue by time December comes around.

Not on creative fronts and I’m still out getting the miles in with the same vigour, but the lack of daylight tends to dent my desire to spring out of bed first thing. It’s also an incredibly expensive time of year, not simply Christmas, rather things seem to fail unexpectedly during the darker months and can be expenditure many haven’t budgeted for, leaving us blind sighted and financially embarrassed.

 Seasonal expiry included the Grant combi boiler- a leak was quickly obvious when I noted low pressure and attempted to open the pressure loop valves to re-pressurise the system. Seems something of an Achillies heel with the Grant Vortex Outdoor Combi systems.

Still, it was nice to have heating and hot water reinstated following a couple of chill nights. The first house I lived in, having moved to London when I was 18 had no heating (and was generally in a very dilapidated state) and I recall the winter of 1992 being bitterly cold, although it did almost result in me feeling impervious to that kind of cold. On many occasions, it was colder inside than out, which was a fine motivator for getting out of one's pit and out on training rides.

I've switched back to the Shimano MW702 booties, just to reference comparisons between them and the Algor. The MW702 are a slimmer, the uppers more malleable and the soles slightly stiffer,, soi quicker to don and give slightly better feedback and connection with the bike, making higher cadences easier to maintain. 

 

There have been goodies to boost the mood. Lomo have sent me their winter mountain bike gloves- at a penny shy of £15 a lovely wallet friendly staple, dare I say, stocking filler. These are wind and water resistant, boast textured leather palms for grip, gusseting between thumb and forefingers, minimising wear when riding on the hoods.

Yes, they’re also intended for gravel and there’s no reason why they won’t transition to winter training and commuting. Middleweight design, they seem relatively dexterous and elasticated cuffs continue this narrative, and ultra practical black is offset by some reflective detailing.  In common with several other winter models, they’re intended for 5 degrees or so. Liner gloves are viable should temperatures dip lower, but you’d be better served with a deep winter model, if you’re regularly out in sub-zero temperatures. However, for the most part, this kind of glove caters nicely for late autumn, through to march. Let’s see what the real-world riding reveals. On and off road.

SKS have also sent me this rack top bag- I’m fond of this genre, they’re not suited for everything- I’d never put sensitive electricals, such as cameras in them, even with a foam bed, given the ruinous, low-level vibration that travels up through the rack. That aside, I’ve found them perfect for day riding with scope for tubes, tools, packable jackets, such as this Madison Madison Road Race Jacket | cycling-not-racing, gloves, arm warmers, snacks etc.

These Topeak MTX Trunk Dry Bag Topeak MTX Trunk Dry Bag | cycling-not-racing and Carradice have been firm favourites. The latter’s cotton duck requires a little more care and periodic reproofing to lock the elements out. However, this one’s done thirteen years and save for some lived-in patina and light wear, going very strong.   

 There have of course, been some midwinter temptations, one that I mustn’t indulge in for a wealth of reasons, space being a major one. Specifically, Raleigh’s Dynatech Titanium framesets, the one with the UGLIi fork.

These are the pure titanium models, rather than the lower end, bonded versions described by the press as chemical titanium and notoriously tricky to repair and refinish, since the glue will melt when exposed to the kind of heat employed in curing ovens- hence they need to be finished in 2K, or similar paints that will air cure.

The original Turbo saddle is another draw for me, but there’s no way I’d consider paying retro prices for one. I had a couple, including a gel version- fluro that I bought c. 1993 for the princely sum of £10. Suited my wallet, winter bike’s fluro livery and my derriere beautifully.

However, this goes back to my point about the midwinter and the need for seasonal comfort/distraction. I’ve switched Ursula’s WTB Rocket WTB Rocket Saddle | cycling-not-racing saddle to the  Ergon All Road Core Comp Ergon SR All Road Core Comp Saddle Men | cycling-not-racing , which has proven something of an inspired choice, offering a bit more support than the generally very likeable WTB.

Atari relaunched its classic, some would say iconic games console, complete with cartridges a couple of years back. I was tempted at the time, put money by for one, but ultimately decided against it, on the basis of it being a five-minute wonder that would ultimately sit gathering dust in a corner. Distractions are nice, but we must tackle things at their root, or we’ll never advance.

 

Sitting On It

 

I’ve always liked a bargain but there’s a significant difference between bargain and false economy. Often, it’s a very subtle differential in price too. I’ve reasoned that if I’m typically returning 1300miles from a ten-speed chain, especially during winter, then there’s some sense in economising here. I default to KMC these days, but my search engine flagged up a 116 link Clarks for £8.99.  

All that glitters is not gold, or indeed nickel plated. I opted for two slightly cheaper KMC, keeping them in stock until Ursula and Denise’s existing chains reach .7 on the chain checker. Chains, cables, brake pads and the odd cassette are parts I like to keep in stock, since they usually fail at the least convenient point and in the case of chains, can wear remarkably quickly.  

While Ursula’s front RL340 proved an effective job of commanding the TRP Spyre, upgrading it to a 520 was the right move. I’ve re-discovered the 340 pairing, and will put these aside for Denise, should need arise, now I’ve decided the non-aero route was but a 5-minute wonder. I’d also toyed with popping some new hoods on an old set of Campagnolo Athena (which if I recall were reversible) but boils down to change for changes sake, essentially and not the best use of my time.   

I’ve replaced Ursula’s front pads with these DiscoBrakes Sintered Brake Pads | cycling-not-racing since I was doing a deep clean. That said; I was pleasantly surprised to discover once I’d removed the sludgy grime, a decent amount of pad material remained on the substituted pair. I’ve popped them away in my disc pads packet and will re-use another time.      

Left unchecked a worn chain will chomp through more expensive drivetrain components-cassettes, rings and derailleurs. This is particularly costly on a touring lorry with old school triple setup. Keeping a touring triple on song year-round can be something of a chore, so changing the chain just before it’s spent saves time, money and hassle. Rim wear is also rapid, if your bike(s) run rim brakes and don’t keep an eye on pad health. Regularly cleaning them of grit and other embedded muck will extend the life of both, with relatively little effort and save a lot of money long term.    

Talking of tourers, Raleigh’s Sojourn was an interesting model which I spent quite a bit of time testing back in 2012.  

However, despite handsome looks and some definite charms, with the stock wheelset it was less responsive and engaging than I’d come to expect, even from a traditional tourer, which is designed to handle predictably while hauling the kitchen sink. The sojourn sprung back from the vaults of my bike testing consciousness when someone posted their much modified and recently re-finished (powder coated) example.  

Despite some definite charm, I would upgrade the wheelset- probably to Ryde Sputnik, XT rear, Nexus, or Alfine Shimano Alfine UR700 Hub Dynamo | cycling-not-racing dynohub up front. Rubber-wise, and assuming we’re going the full mudguard (fender) route) I’d go for something like the Pirelli Angel DT Urban c. 37mm Pirelli Angel DT Urban Tyre | cycling-not-racing. I’d possibly ditch the metal guards for chrome plastics, too. Though functional enough, I was never really taken with Avid BB5, or other single piston mechanical callipers, finding them tricky to adjust and prone to rub.  

They’d be substituted for TRP Spyre and decent quality sealed cables, such as these Jagwire Road Elite Sealed Brake Kit Jagwire Road Elite Sealed Brake Kit | cycling-not-racing   Staying with the stock theme, I’d also switch the Sora brifters for Tektro RL520 and bar cons of some description. Alternatively, something like Kona Dew Drop might be a better starting point. Much of it for me comes down to the right price.    

I’ve done enough time sat on the WTB Rocket saddle, which has proven very agreeable to my derriere, despite being narrower than my bike fit ideal WTB Rocket Saddle | cycling-not-racing. It’s offered ample support, the subtle pressure relieving channel has done its thing competently, without fuss, or fanfare.  Contact points generally, and saddles specifically are very personal things and not an exact science.  

With a favourite go-to technical shell coming to the end of its useful life, the arrival of this Madison Stellar Ultra Reflective Men’s Waterproof Jacket was also timely. Aside from the bold yellow and retina tickling retro-reflective detailing, waterproofing and breathability are 10,000 apiece and there’s a big waterproof breast pocket and at £79.99 it's competitively priced so will be interesting to see how it performs in the coming weeks.