Taking the Biscuit

No, thankfully, I was able to hold onto these Cappuccino flavoured offerings to complement my diesel strength coffee consumption. I’m referring to some time wasting charlatans who were on a fishing expedition, rather than intending to purchase skills and services. They will be receiving an expenses invoice in the coming days. I’ve never suffered fools gladly and have no intention of starting now.

Milder temperatures have seen roads saturated as water oozes from swollen ditches and boggy farmland-ideal conditions for overshoes and other weather cheating kit. The TF2 extreme wet is staying put, although migrating to the outer links, which I have now concluded is largely attributable to my fixer’s stainless steel KMC X1 chain...

True, lubes tend to collect along a chain’s side plates but regardless of their characteristics, this is much less apparent on standard nickel plated or even, galvanised models. Moan aside, there’s been no call for topping up, or indeed, cleansing the side plates as yet.   

I have nothing against the turbo trainer per se. When I led a strictly road biased diet, I spent many winter hours whirring away at 6am on a simple, 5012 blue powder coated Tacx fan cooled unit. Well made, albeit crude and noisy, timber framed outbuildings amplified my efforts to the extent extremely tolerant neighbours asked if I was running a diesel generator.

One was a life-long distance road runner, so could empathise with this particular hamster on his wheel. On other occasions, there was something to be said for sitting in the garage, whirring away with the door open for ventilation and watching the horizontal rain.   

Walkman and turbo-trainer tapes coaxed me into the zone and kept me there.  Sweat nets, periodic re-greasing of contact points and regular waxing kept rider-generated coolant from inducing component seizures and frame damage.

A great outlet for “A” level and similar angst...These days, even budget lights can seemingly turn night into day, although the quality of output varies greatly. While there’s no doubt we get considerably more light for our money, the old adage of getting what you pay for remains unchanged.

Back then LEDs hadn’t hit the UK scene, so aside from hefty Lead acid systems; most lights were of the halogen glimmer type. This included the Union bottle (tyre driven) dynamo system used on my Holdsworhy Butler working bike that ferried me back and forth from FE college. Nonetheless, there was something distinctly satisfying about generating my own light; I saved a ton of cash on batteries too.  

I’d always been smitten with mountain biking but as the 90’s progressed, there was quite a bit of dirt in my riding diet and less call for riding inside.

I always liked the sense of escape, the ability to explore muddy backwaters, forests and fields. A more relaxed,” taking our fun seriously” ethos lured me into competition. During this time, cyclo cross became more mainstream with several mountain bike brands, including Kona getting in on the act.

The short racing season and the machine’s geometry mean that ‘crossers make brilliant four seasons’ working bikes. The internet was also becoming increasingly ubiquitous, meaning easier acquisition of spiked tyres and other goodies, once restricted to US/Canada and Scandinavian audiences. 

Therefore, winter became something to rejoice in. Add product testing into the mix and there’s all the incentive you could want for venturing out.           

Continuing this theme, we’ve a six month test of BTwin 700 cold weather cycling gloves http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/btwin-700-cold-weather-gloves and an interview with cyclo cross legend Mick Ives who, at 78 will be riding this years 100^th Giro d’italia http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/mick-ives-rides-again .

Hmm, talking of incentive, with the Univega’s metamorphosis complete, I feel another project coming on. A revision of, rather than addition to the fleet, seems to involve a disc up front and gravel bike flavour. Despite the blurring of genres, I’m of the opinion that there comes a point where a cross country mountain bike trumps the gravel bike when the going gets really gloopy.

Neither am I convinced the complication and additional weight of suspension to said ‘cross derivative will genuinely bridge this gap. In any case, my revision will remain little more than a component list and design concept until I have secured a move and shifted some unwanted stuff...  

Steve has been reflecting on his freshly enamelled bespoke steel tourer and its spec. From the joys of 853 tubing, mechanical disc brakes and full compliment of braze-ons to the trial and error stuff that only becomes apparent mid-way through.

Plenty of people can build frames by numbers in their/mate’s garage but when problems present, only a seasoned frame builder’s skill and lateral thought can arrive at a satisfactory solution. http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/going-bespoke-tech-stuff

On that note, I’m off to top up the Univega’s Waxoyl...          

Roads Paved With Dung

Shod with the Schwalbe Marathon GT, Cross flavoured fixer and I have been belting along the back roads. The GT feel a lot faster than their 808g suggest and continue to inspire confidence by the bucket load-in every sense. Talking of tyres, Seven Day Cyclist has an eight month test of another beefy section tyre, Maxxis Roamer http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/maxxis-roamer-tyres  

Fun is obviously high on any rider’s agenda but for me at least, reliability is level-pegging on a daily driver or winter/trainer. I want to concentrate on the ride, or let my mind wander in reflective/creative directions. While punctures and mid-ride mechanicals per se, are all part of riding, being sat by the roadside tackling a flat; or broken chain are events I prefer to keep infrequent.

Last Thursday, the thermometer had barely crept above minus 2, so I headed out late afternoon. Run at 85psi, their contact with the surface, coupled with the ability to regulate speed by holding off against the cranks, made 1in 4 descents and similar efforts that bit more comfortable.

Ascending one climb, dancing on the pedals and shoulders shuffling to similar tempo, my heart momentarily sank at a fut-fut sound, synonymous with a flaccid tyre. Glancing over my right shoulder, I was relieved (and somewhat amused) to discover this was a wheezy, asthmatic contemporary Fiat 500. Said super mini eventually regained composure and passed, observing a welcome 1.5 metre gap a few hundred metres later.  

Three miles from hot coffee, I swept around a bend to discover a young man tending to his motorcycle. I called out, checking he was OK; he affirmed this and explained his motorcycle’s final drive chain has snapped. This was literally 50 metres from where I was performing link surgery the previous Tuesday evening.

I offered to call someone but he politely declined, much as I did at his age and continue to. In parallel with the sheer fun and freedom, Cycling and motorcycling tends to engender a fierce sense of self-reliance.

We wished each other safe journey and I spun my way home, fingers and toe boxes nipped with chill. Next morning, I took the same route and saw his machine parked on the verge. I’m hoping he got home safely, acquired a new chain and is back to enjoying his machine again.      

These Super B professional cable cutter and inner cable puller arrived this week. We’d hoped to get them in ready for the Univega’s rebirth but no matter, these things can’t be helped and it’s timely enough given the stage I’m at with Graham’s GT. 

In common with other workshop kit, such as work stands, cable pullers aren’t essential but make maintenance and repair jobs that bit easier and quicker. Cable pullers; sometimes referred to as fourth hand tools tension the inner wire, leaving yours free to nip everything tight. Care is needed to avoid over-tensioning when feeding the inner wire into the slot but that’s as difficult as things get.

A decent set of snips, by contrast are the staple of any basic toolkit and will repay their investment countless times over. To some degree, there’s no limit to what you can spend. £30 odd is my benchmark and these Jagwire Pro my all-time favourites to date, anyway. http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/jagwire-pro-cutters  At £29.69 the imaginatively monikered Super B TB-WC30 are quite a bit cheaper, which fuelled my intrigue. Will be interesting to see how they fare in the longer term too.       

Elsewhere, John Moss has been plagued by a slipping Alfine set up. He attributes this to the manual system, so is talking in terms of upgrading the mango to Di2-price dependant. Mercifully the tandem’s Nu Vinci hub seems to be behaving itself impeccably since its rebuild.  

The same goes for the Univega, aside from another chain breakage-easily sorted with a few spare links and this Pedros multi-ttol. The 1x9 set up has enough range for long hills and fast descents. 

Full length guards offering ample protection from winter’s slimy slurry and of course, rural backwaters.The highways agency appears to be encouraging farmers to resurface with generous helpings of dung- even its Time ATAC aluminium pedals were showing signs of being engulfed. 

I also resurrected the Geonaute G-Eye2 to capture some footage. Lazily described by some as a poor man’s Go-Pro, it’s less intuitive than the Tom Tom but still offers decent image quality for a budget model.  

Right, I’ll leave you with the Visijax Gilet review http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/visijax-led-gilet  

Cables & Cut Downs

Winter is hard on components and kit. The Univega is the most obvious candidate for some sealed Jagwire road elite sealed brake and shift cables. The existing mid-range inners and budget outers were still in remarkably rude health but generally speaking, I replace control cables seasonally on competition bikes, annually on working bikes.

Impervious designs are nothing new but they’ve come a long way in the last few years.

Housings used to be inflexible builders-hose types, which were difficult to cut and tended to chomp through paintwork with alarming haste, especially when gritty, slimy stuff got trapped between the two. The Gear cable housings proved tough customers to snip, brakes easier than some bog standard benchmarks. 

Though supplied with finish-friendly, rubberised cuffs, Jagwire’s CSX outers are soft, pliable and easily pruned with decent cutters. Same goes for the stainless steel inner wires, which I am told are impregnated with a special polymer lubricant.

Corrosion is something of a moot point but these also feature a non-stick liner, designed to run the cables entire length, theoretically sealing it from grit, dirt and anything else that might impair performance.

Decent snips in hand, everything cuts and comes together beautifully. Stretch is supposedly another moot point. I was surprised to discover some sloppiness at the front lever-easily corrected by pulling the cable taught and snugging down the Avid’s pinch bolt. 

Budget cables by all accounts can lead happy and productive lives but they are prone to fraying and stretch. Traditional MO with these is to pull them taught and leave overnight. Next day, take up the slack, nip everything tight. Flush through with some PTFE based lube every few weeks and in my experience, they’ll plod on for a good six months or so.

The Univega’s rear cable run; though hardly torturous, isn’t the smoothest, high-quality cables make all the difference. Precise, Michael gratifying setup required some patience but rewarded with the slickest action I’ve experienced from the cheap but relatively cheerful cantilevers.

Force of habit usually sees me giving inner wires a quick fortnightly squirt of PTFE based lube but I’ve managed to resist and am exposing the system to wet, greasy roads wherever possible. So far, with zero maintenance, modulation and feel remain superior to mid range cables that I’ve traditionally run, then replaced annually.

Some will argue this level of performance is overkill for a daily driver. I disagree. So long as the groupset, new or old is of a decent calibre, it makes as much sense to have fit n’ forget cables as it does cartridge bearing bottom brackets, pedals, hubs etc.

Come the New Year, I’m going to cut the Univega down to a 1x9. This means I can lose the front mech, save a few grams and put the widely spaced cassette to better use.

Was tempted by a Shimano Zee crankset but having done one of my “January’s a long month, want or need” calculations; I’ve decided to use the existing LX spider. Chain-line is important, so I’ll be installing a shorter UN55 and using the swapping the 32 tooth for the 44. Shorter bolts and Tacx tool in post, it's a job for a quiet January afternoon.

In the meantime, for the budget conscious road fixer fraternity, we have a long term review of System EX track crankset http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/system-ex-crankset. There are better options for track racers wanting to stick with old school square tapers but for the money and winter fixed/single speed projects, it’s superior to some, similarly priced European competition.               

Having left the Univega basted in crap long enough to conclude of Pro Green MX aftershine 101 is a genuinely effective and long-lasting preserve http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/pro-green-mx-triple-pack I’ve been playing with a No quarter bike care kit.

No quarter is also specialist refinishers, offering powder coated and bespoke wet spray makeovers. Therefore, I was expecting something pretty special.  This full ensemble comprises of bike shampoo, assorted sponges, detailing brushes, carnauba hard paste wax and of course, micro-fibre cloths-two in fact.  

Packaging takes its lead from the cosmetics industry and yes, the wax has a really pleasant fragrance.  Unlike traditional bike washes, which are deployed via trigger spray, you pour four capfuls into a bucket of warm water and whip it up into a thick, sudsy lather.

I was quite impressed at that point and though purporting to be kind to ALL surfaces, I wasn’t surprised to discover it’s not the most visually impressive of formulas. That said; it does a decent job of loosening ground in filth-cocktails of slime, spent derv, oil, and road salt, caked on cowpats too. Aside from scent, the wax seems very similar to other hard pastes purporting similar properties.

Fairly economical-a little of both products goes surprisingly far, though overall effect hasn’t been so rich, or glossy as I’d expected. That said; the wax appears to remove some light corrosion and its protective qualities appear pretty good to date...Sleet, snow and similar wet stuff is forecast over the coming weeks, so let’s see how it holds up. 

Boom! And The Hub Bearings Were Gone!

December’s slippery start coincided with the complete and extremely audible implosion of the Univega’s rear M475 hub. Slightly tickly shifting was the only warning that something might be wrong. Thankfully the cheap but relatively cheerful unit held together long enough to nurse it the final five miles home.

Some mouse action and a few emails later secured a complete, machine built wheel turning on a more refined NOS, pre disc Deore hub. Something of a workmanlike groupset, I was also very fond of its STXRC predecessor.

This also boasted decent performance and was inexpensive enough to replace should you come a cropper. 

Anyhow, concluding this eulogy to the dearly departed M475, here’s a strip and overhaul piece in Seven Day Cyclist http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/rub-a-dud-hub. 

Better sealed and arguably built than the M475, general consensus suggests to high quality greases and regular servicing is crucial to their performance and longevity.

I have a love/hate relationship with many things, though limited daylight can be a drain; I remain strangely endeared to winter. Not least since it provides the ideal opportunity to see how greases, lubes, polishes and bike washes cope with the blizzard of slush, slurry, salt and slime.

I’ve tended to err towards daily drivers and winter/trainers rather than specific winter bikes per se. However, a simple, well-dressed, season specific machine can be seriously good fun to ride.

In fact, it’s incredibly liberating because you’re focused on enjoying the ride, rather than being pre-occupied with thoughts of expensive composites and brightwork being under siege.

Regular washing (rinse salty bikes with cold water first, since hot will simply accelerate the caustic component destroying process), cleaning and re lubing save wear, expense and hassle later on.

Another editor has left me to play with a selection of lovely degreasers, some high octane, super flammable but ultra convenient aerosol types, others (including Pedro’s Bye Grease Degreaser) are biodegradable pump spray formulas. Pedro’s, like many other brands are decidedly tight lipped about its composition.

In these circumstances, I err on the side of caution and don disposable inspection gloves, keep recipient bikes/components away from plant/animal life and the contents from entering waterways. Pedro’s recommend it as a general gunk removing potion, not just for transmissions.

Like Fenwicks’ FS1, it’s not a visually lively brew but supposedly breaks down contaminant on contact and dried, ingrained stuff within a minute. Despite the fanfare, I felt a little cheated since it requires some concerted stiff brush agitation before making inroads, even on more basic mineral oil/ISO wet lubes or 5w/30 semi synthetic motor oils.

Nonetheless, it’s otherwise pleasant to use, kind to surfaces and skin alike. Siphoning off 20% and diluted with water, it makes a mild bike wash, dismissing organic and lighter petrochemical gloop with similar panache as other eco-friendly blends.

Finish line wet is something of an institution among wet lubes and in many respects, still cuts it 22 years on. Made from “a blend of high viscosity synthetic oils, water repelling polymers and advanced anti-wear additives”; it works out very cheap and so long as you’re prepared to give side plates, jockey wheels and derailleur cages a weekly cat lick, it doesn’t turn into horrendously gloopy component gobbling mess.

Bikes on tarmac only diets can get away with a trace amount on every link, enough lubrication and corrosion inhibition yet minimises the amount of contaminant collected and ultimately, cleaning frequency. During a mild to moderate winter, expect to replenish with trace amounts on a fortnightly basis. Wet lubes of this ilk also double as nifty grease substitutes on fasteners, cantilever posts etc.    

I’m not sure whether it’s the shortage of daylight, pre Christmas mania, or a combination of both but people’s road craft seems to nosedive the deeper we get into December. 

Just this past week, I’ve had several uncomfortably close encounters, despite being lit up like a Christmas tree on acid. A disturbing number of drivers seem distracted and unable to execute competent overtaking manoeuvres, often passing with inches to spare, then braking hard to avert collision with an oncoming vehicle.

Some have clearly been preoccupied with online shopping apps, others applying makeup but I’ve even noted one van driver playing a banjo while at the wheel!  On that note, I’ll leave you with a few more shots of Tanya Atherton from last week’s studio session.

Cold Comfort

Wintry, or should I say seasonally appropriate weather has  swept in almost overnight, so I’m extremely grateful for another batch of climate cheating kit and some more lighting arriving at my door. However, even this did not prevent me contracting a nasty dose of sabre-tooth man-flu.

Until then, thermal training jackets (Especially those bearing the “windstopper” tag) had left me feeling decidedly boiled in the bag given twenty miles at club typical speed. However, said chill beating prowess is a godsend with the mercury barely entering single figures.   

Snowfall in the midlands and elsewhere brought the gritting Lorries out in force and I was surprised by just how quickly my Ilpompino’s transmission was turning into a gloopy, grinding paste-even with a stout, though clean running Teflon fortified prep gracing those stainless steel links. Time for a full-blown exorcism.

This also presented the opportunity to fit a Bontrager rack and Zefal Iron Pack XL. The former is very intelligently designed, primarily for commuting and light touring. Better still, a wealth of similarly well engineered adaptors means it neatly accommodates unusual configurations-including frames without eyelets.

That said; carbon ends are a no-no and it’s a very precise fit, so take the time to measure, check before finally nipping everything tight and pruning arms with a junior hacksaw. Oh and make sure the blade is razor sharp, mine wasn’t leading to a slightly jagged cut that needed filing. Hardly a big deal but extra-faff nonetheless. 

I have also discovered said bike’s Thudbuster seat post can present problems when fitting wedge packs. Often, the Velcro straps aren’t long enough, which ultimately results in premature fatigue. The Zefal is a cavernous and neatly segregated model combining old school reliability and modern design.

Externally it’s made from a rugged 820 denier water repellent fabric with plenty of Scotchlite, weatherproof zips-easily operated in gloved hands. Two litre internal capacity equates to two tubes, two multi tools, tyre levers, patch kit, CO2 cartridges;3 tyre levers, AAA batteries and small bunch of keys.

An EVA foam lining supposedly protects valuables from low level vibration while rigid composites maintain shape. Plenty of long, steady miles in the wet and a hosepipe test should reveal its true potential and maybe a limitation or two.   

Back to the deep clean…

Now, I really appreciate the clip on convenience of chain baths but there’s a lot to be said for the old school brush on technique. 

Simply cut the top from a redundant trade bottle, pour in your favourite ant-lube and dawb on with a cheap, clean brush.  Fenwick’s concentrate worked into the links, hub and sprockets and residual salt dismissed with cold water, I engulfed the bike under a sudsy blanket and went in search of bucket, sponge and hot water. 

Fifteen minutes hence-sparking bike and chain dressed in Fenwick’s Stealth. This lube is one of those super high-tech formulas that needs careful application and ideally, overnight curing but dries to an almost invisible state and stays put. 

Plenty of other lubricants will also shrug at winters’ toxic sludge. In a pinch, that capful of 10w40 or more basic semi synthetics such as 5w30 is seriously long-lasting though remember to wipe the side-plates, rings and derailleur cages weekly to avoid grit and grime doing their worst.

Sophisticated fully synthetic motor oils often contain detergents, which keep contemporary engines ultra clean and are reconstituted within the oil pump. Applied to chains, a few hours hence and those detergents will strip all the lubrication…Everyone has a very different opinion when it comes to winter/workhorses and I’m a subscriber to single ring simplicity.

Note, I didn’t say single-speed. I like fixed for countless reasons but a cross derivative running a 1x8/9/10, or even 11spd cassette has to be an extremely practical option. Lively ride, ample clearance for stout rubber and full length mudguards, two sets of bottle bosses and a more upright configuration also helps.

No front derailleur faff, a sensible spaced block means you can climb, cruise and canter in good proportion. Tiagra grade consumables are plentiful and cheap, so no excuses for running everything into the ground-they don’t look low rent either…

Elsewhere, I’m about to recruit a social media person for “Seven Day Cyclist” and my photographic venture. We’re also bringing another designer on board, having concluded a web based (rather than downloadable mag) format is the preferred layout.

This has also coincided with a fresh temp gig to balance the books and my KA sailed through its MOT inspection with no remedial work required. Impressive for a 13 year old “super-mini” with 148, 250 on its odometer.     

Nirvana?

November arrived and once again, I spirited myself off to the midlands. I’ve always been wary of gentrification since intentionally, or otherwise, it can equate to socio-economic cleansing, changing communities forever.

Coventry has experienced decline harder than most-evident in children’s faces. Once hub of the transport industry and home to many household names, you can almost hear the Special’s seminal “Ghost town” playing a soft accompaniment as you pass the former car plants, derelict pubs and empty shops. Far from being disparaging, I am very fond of the city and its rich, colourful history.

On this occasion, we found ourselves in Fargo village, a creative space hosting galleries, studios and independent retailers. Parallels with London’s Spitalfields’ and Brick Lane districts are perhaps inevitable but it’s not trying to emulate my once beloved East-End and I found plenty of photographic inspiration.

Winter is literally around the next bend, although temperatures have been decidedly mild until now. Traditionally harsh, it remains richly rewarding so long as rider and machine(s) are appropriately dressed. 

Clothing needs to keep us dry, yet temperate and while reliability presides, bikes must be suitably inspiring to entice us outside. Indeed some pundits are prophesising harsh weather front originating in Russia will hit the UK around New Year, causing temperatures to plummet to record lows. Looks like spiked tyres will make reappear on the Univega afterall!    

http://www.pocketmags.com/viewmagazine.aspx?titleid=2582&title=Seven+Day+Cyclist

On a brighter note, we’re delighted to announce the arrival of “Seven Day Cyclist”-a new consumer focused magazine with a slightly different perspective. The first issue is available on pocketmags for less than your typical Latte’ and features a thorough road test of this Foffa Urban, these Axiom racks and a fair bit of grass roots touring too.