Heavier Hearts & Lighter Tyres

 

Been a little “out of sorts” for a while now. There’s a lot to be grateful for and plenty of reasons to smile. Safe, secure home for me and the bikes, lots of lovely test kit to research, review and enjoy but the global and more localised instability can sometimes prove exhausting. Especially if you’re a deep thinker with a predisposition toward catastrophising.  Some carefully considered introspection is good for us-planning a course of action, ways forward etc. Sitting in a dark corner wringing our hands solves nothing.

Being Generation X, I am very grateful for the childhood and teenage years we had. Not least the freedom to explore and navigate the world, people and situations in real time. We made our own entertainment and for the most part, learned patience, and conflict resolution of sorts. Childhood without screens wasn't strictly true. Many an afternoon was spent in front of the hypnotic glow of a VDU, practising the basics of programming and playing the latest video game releases of that era.

Not forgetting television, and video.... The video nasty moral panic, championed by Mary Whitehouse and the Conservative government prompting the video recordings bill in 1983. One requiring all video recordings were certified in the same fashion as cinema and indeed, banned in many cases with widespread use of fines and prosecution.     

It's easy for people to punch down at younger generations, whether it be parenting or wider behaviours. Blaming children and parents for a screen addiction, anxiety and depression conveniently swerves around some inconvenient truths. These things are incredibly layered and complex. However, factors such as playing fields and other public spaces sold to developers, the very gradual collapse of communities and looser social cohesion are highly influential, at least here in the UK.

Governments are supposedly there to govern in the best interests of their citizens and protect the most vulnerable, but I've witnessed les e faire indifference for the most part-regardless of which administration assumes power. By the same token, a society's citizens must also shape change. The post war explosion in public services, housebuilding and other infrastructure projects was not attributable to a benevolent political class. 

Given the disruption to global supply chains resultant from the Strait of Hormuz, shortages are inevitable. At some point, governments will be forced to step in with some form of rationing. The question in my mind being will they intervene before the point of crisis or leave it until they have no option?

I often reach solutions to a wealth of things during a ride, whether tweaking a component-a recalcitrant rear mech, spongy brake, bothersome bracket, or a deeper, personal dilemma.  That said its crucial to be mindful of our emotional state and remain focused on the roads, trails, and potential hazards.

Obviously, the same goes when operating any other vehicle. That out of the way and having reached some firm conclusions regarding the Genetic Hi-Grip Handlebar Tape Genetic Hi-Grip Handlebar Tape | cycling-not-racing, I’m racking up some proper mixed terrain miles with Denise and the Continental Terra Trail.

Though typical of most gravel tyres when popped on the scales, their low rolling resistance, snappy, engaging persona gives them an edge over those with a knobbly profile when tackling metalled roads, dry to moist dirt roads and similar hardpack.

No cuts, or punctures to date and it’s worth noting I’m running ours with tubes-bog standard butyl and TPU to be precise. Tubeless has some definite advantages, most notably, the ability to run lower pressures for additional grip but I’ve found things decidedly gooey should you catch an aggressive thorn. Or your cat take exception to a certain brand of tyre…

Strange as that may sound, my dearly departed farm cat had a definite dislike of Panaracer. He’d induced a few flats by gnawing and clawing the sidewalls. Curiously this wasn’t the case with Schwalbe, Kenda, Continental and indeed, V-Tire Co. Seemed quite fond of the V-Tire Co Zilent TEST & REVIEW VEE TIRE CO ZILENT TYRES and Zilent II TESTED: VEE TIRE CO ZILENT MARK 2 TYRES (as was I).

Having packed the WP823 with Peaty’s Speed Grease PEATY'S SPEED GREASE | cycling-not-racing and whipping them aboard Muffin’s cranks, I headed out for a few 20-mile loops. I’m pleased to report the thinner viscosity grease was trafficked deep within the pedal’s inner sanctum, eliminating the squeak and any roughness.

This prompted me to port some Shimano XT over to Denise. I love the Shimano PD ES 600 SPD Shimano PD ES 600 SPD Pedal | cycling-not-racing  aside from the soft finish but fancied a change. I’ve also switched the Roswheel Lightweight Tour Rack Roswheel Lightweight Tour Rack | cycling-not-racing for the M-Part Summit M Part Summit Rear Rack | cycling-not-racing which is slightly broader, so doesn’t cause the Zefal Shield G50 Mudguards Zefal Shield G50 Mudguards | cycling-not-racing to tickle the rear tyre so readily. Right, I'll leave it here with my long term review of the Muc-Off Waterproof socks, since May is proving a little changeable weather-wise Muc-Off Waterproof Socks | cycling-not-racing 

Chilly Charms & Sudden Thaws

 

Conditions became wintrier as January unfolded and I was relieved I'd left the Schwalbe Marathon Winter mounted to Denise's wheels meaning I could just hop on, relax and enjoy the ride, despite the icy stretches. I decided to switch the Selle Royal Respiro for the WTB Rocket WTB Rocket Saddle | cycling-not-racing . The Respiro served me well for the best part of 13 years and I wondered whether the foam matrix was beginning to lose its memory around the rear.  It also heralded the return of these “lobster” gloves, since wind chill had brought the air temperatures considerably lower than minus 6.

Warmth is a definite plus but there’s trade off on the dexterity front, which can dictate their removal when bag rummaging, multi tool wielding and other tasks requiring fine motor skills. These link two fingers together, so allows me sufficient freedom to operate a compact camera, adjust a zipper etc. Better than the mitten type, but still comparatively limited.  For this reason, I also pack a set of liners, or middleweight gravel types, should I need to tackle a flat, or similar.

Considerations aside, they are blissful for otherwise bitterly cold midwinter outings. Blessed with a generous thatch, I tend to default to a water repelling, breathable cap such as this Showers Pass Elite SHOWERS PASS ELITE CYCLING CAP | cycling-not-racing. However, when il fait froid, I reach for another old favourite, the “Belgian” style cycling cap, which has served me well for around twelve winters.

These are characterised by better coverage and protection to the ears and a slightly thicker, sometimes fleecy inner fabric. I reach for mine once the air temperature hovers around zero, or the wind chill drags it into minus figures. Higher and I find the breed a little too toasty for my tastes.  The Sidi Algor Sidi Algor MTB Shoes | cycling-not-racing have proven themselves extremely temperate when the mercury’s dipped to minus 6. Not that I’ve had any issues with Shimano’s mighty MW702 Shimano MW7 (MW702) Gore Tex MTB Shoes | cycling-not-racing in similar contexts, but the Algor are slightly toastier.

The Zefal Shield G50 guards continue to impress with their capacity for keeping crappy stuff off myself and Denise.  Aside from a weekly, judicious check of the Velcro, I've not needed to give them a second thought. I've also been pleased by Ursula's new front mudguard.

Though less elegant than the Mudhugger MUD HUGGER GRAVEL HUGGER MUDGURADS | cycling-not-racing and similar designs, its simple and offers good coverage to rider and machine without risk of clogging. How it will fare longer term, when the glop, UV light, heat and cold have done their worst, remains to be seen.

Mudguards, though a valuable defence are no substitute for regular cleaning. When the gritters have been out, give bikes regular washes, starting with a cold rinse to flush away the corrosive contaminant (hot will only accelerate the caustic process) before going for the warm sudsy bucket and brushes.  

There’s a lot of discussion around bike washes- in the Marmite sense. Some really like them, other folks loathe them, citing them as money for old rope. I sit somewhere in the middle. Salty season aside, I like those which can applied direct to the bike i.e. without having to get the bike wet first- scrub and rinse.

Otherwise, I default to good quality car wash n’ wax type formulas, which will gobble the grime, while leaving a light wax barrier behind. Obviously, this can’t compare with a decent quality hard paste, or fluid formula, but does offer some defence. Great for when time and daylight are at a premium.  

In a matter of days, ice and snow gave way to flooding, so it made sense to switch to Ursula for a bit, and I was also curious to see how well the new front mudguard performed when it came to waterlogged lanes. Suitably impressed, it made a huge difference to my comfort, although they’re arguably perfect for 1.9 section rubber. Glad I’d donned the Shimano MW702.

Managed to get the Blackburn Atom4 to play nicely with minimal effort. A shot of PTFE free spray on the sensors contacts and decent quality CR2025 cells seem to address the intermittent connectivity issues. The smaller frameset places the head unit and sensor in closer proximity, which probably helps.