The Joy of Robust Rubber & Other Reflections

To my delight, Madison sent me a set of Maxxis Re fuse TR 700x32c. TR denotes Tubeless Ready, but I’ve gone the tube route since it’s the best fit for me. However, it's nice to know that I can convert, later down the line, if fancy takes me. Talking of fits, they were surprisingly easy to slip aboard the rims- just a little help from the Topeak Shuttle 2.1 News about Seven Day Cyclist levers getting the last quarter home.  

Maximum pressure is a modest 75psi and out of curiosity (rather than reaching for the track pump), I grabbed the Topeak Road Master Blaster frame fit to see how efficiently it could perform roadside rescues. 200 strokes and 3 minutes had it to the maximum- a steady rhythm but minimal effort.  

Reassuring- our large is also the perfect fit for the top tube. The Maxxis Re Fuse have already inspired confidence-speed and rolling resistance are also good-although what I’ve come to expect from 60 tpi casings- a less supple ride than models like the CST CzarCST Czar Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) but I’m hoping the bead-to-bead puncture repelling belt prove ultra reliable, more so than the otherwise likeable Silk Shield employed in the Maxxis Overdrive Excel.  

I returned from a longer ride on Sunday morning and decided the fixed’s aheadset bearings needed tweaking slightly. This struck toward the end and upon returning home I concluded a spacer revision was needed. I removed a black 10mm and replaced it with 3x5mm blue, which sorted minor, but impactful tension issues.    

Potholes have been breeding faster than corrupt politicians, sending the senses screaming with alarm and testing my bike handling skills. In common with tubes, certain sections of road really need resurfacing, rather than sporadic patching. However, cash-strapped local authorities just can’t afford to entertain this. Not something the public understands but then, to be expected.  

Tendering sounds the way forward when it comes to getting best value but in practice, it’s a race to the bottom and a lot of work and on a wider level, services are inadequate. Want decent quality services and infrastructure then there’s a cost but managed properly, this will repay the investment many times over.  

I digress...Morning rides have still been unexpectedly chill, so I’ve been alternating between these Madison Bib Tights Madison Freewheel Thermal Bib Tights | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and ¾ lengths. When it's milder, these Funkier Ride Flo Men’s ¾ Bib Tights FUNKIER RIDE FLO MEN'S 3/4 BIB TIGHTS | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) when it's cooler, these  Triban Men's Road Cycling Bib Tights RC500.  

Great pads, extremely comfortable and generally rugged, given their price points.

¾ lengths have long been my go-tos for general road-biased riding. In the height of summer, bib shorts all the way, depths of winter, thermal tights but ¾ lengths cover all the other bases-nicely.  

Long sleeve jerseys and vest-type base layers, regular caps- the Showers Pass Elite Cycling Cap SHOWERS PASS ELITE CYCLING CAP | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and its Atlas stablemate being my favourites.

Gloves-wise, I’ve alternated between some Specialized full finger liner types and these long-serving Passport Crochet back Cycling Mitts TEST & REVIEW: PASSPORT CROCHET BACK CYCLING MITTS (sevendaycyclist.com). I’ve needed to feed the palms more regularly to keep them supple but again, they’re comfortable, and very rugged-with lots of retro charm. Obviously, being leather they also mould to the wearer’s contours.  

200 miles hence and the FLR F70 are beginning to mould to my feet and relax a little at key points. Not in the sense of becoming saggy, or anything similarly unwelcome, rather it means they’re easier to slip on and I’ve switched to some aftermarket insoles. More because I could, rather than a reflection on the FLR footbeds.  

Will be interesting (read I hope) they’ll relax sufficiently to allow comfortable pairing with waterproof socks... Yes, I know we’re heading toward summer, and it doesn’t rain that frequently (or heavily) in the UK but. Things can get boggy under tyre, especially along the trails, dab a foot down and yes, wet, gooey stuff can make itself known through the cleats first-assuming full immersion doesn’t catch you first.  

That said; the British justify their preoccupation with weather on the defence it is so changeable. I’m not a subscriber to this. I’ve found Belgium and the Netherlands more changeable, especially during spring. Maybe it’s another example of that infamous British Exceptionalism...In my book, there’s no such thing as the wrong weather, just the wrong kit for it.  

 

Rubber, Bearings n' Bounce

Wasn’t expecting to be so impressed by the CST Czar 700x28 but many early morning miles hence and they’ve won me over with their blend of speed and swift, though predictable handling-even along greasier road surfaces. Wild rabbits love to test my handling skills and help with this assessment process. Little to choose between them and the Vittoria Roubino Pro Control Vittoria Rubino Pro Control Graphene 2.0 | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) in terms of handling and compliance. Both are 60tpi, but the Roubino Pro run between 70-100psi.  

No minimum pressure is inscribed on the Czar’s sidewall, just a maximum-120psi. I’ve defaulted to 100 and this seems my sweet spot. I was pleasantly surprised to discover sufficient clearance at the Holdsworth’s fork, so parked a Czar up front and a Roubino Pro at the rear, given. Taking this route saved at least 300g from the build and probably deliver some more zip to proceedings. I am a major fan of the Freedom Thick Slicks, but an opportunity presented itself.  

Puncture resistance is dependable thus far. However, I have a quiet thought as to its long-term durability in this respect. A reflection of the price point, rather than the Czar specifically. I say this, since, in my experience, most budget-belted models seem dependable to around the 2,500mile (about 4023.36 km) mark before losing their edge a little.  

Back in 1989, I had a set of Nutrack 27x1 ¼ on my Holdsworthy built Claud Butler Super Dalesman. These became vulnerable to flats during a Norfolk tour, so were replaced with Michelin’s bargain mile munching World Tour (eventually superseded by some Vredestein due to clearance hassles). In the early 80s, there was a trend for relatively tight clearances, even “fully fledged” touring lorries were designed with 32mm tyres in mind. There’s a lot to love about this breed. They handled beautifully laden, or otherwise, had strong brakes and sufficient gearing to ride up, down, and along the Great Wall of China.  

Keeping a 3x drivetrain well-mannered could be a chore sometimes, though-especially through a grotty winter.  That said; while I like the relative simplicity of 1X setups, they tend to be relatively expensive, particularly when it comes to cassettes, given the wide spread of ratios involved. They also require mechs with very long arms, reminiscent of mid-80s mountain bikes, although I have subverted this by running a road typical 11-25 block and road mech. Works for me, for the most part, although there is some trade-off when it comes to winching and bombing prowess.  

There is a quiet movement for repurposing older mountain bikes as drop bar tourers/monster cross and gravel bikes. One I happen to subscribe to. However, if you’re going the drop bar route, there are a few things to consider. One is cable routing (if you are heading towards a front derailleur) the other is stem length/height.

Older cross-country mountain bikes tend to have very long top tubes. This partially explains why I run a stumpy 35mm stem, even on a 17.5-inch frameset. I am proportionately short in the torso but by contrast, on a semi/traditional road build, I run an 80, or 90mm stem.    

Staying with the front end, I decided it was time to retire Ursula’s long-serving (8 years) Stronglight O’Light. This time, I’ve gone for another, the Stronglight O’Light ST. ST denotes steel, whereas the O’Light was aluminium alloy. I had planned on just switching the bearings from the bitsa ST I bought some months back.  

However, it became clear the O’Lite cups were also looking tired, forcing my hand. I took this opportunity to prune the steerer by 15mm, switched to a shorter Gusset Headlock Cro-moly bolt and lost the extra spacers. Cleaner aesthetic too... The stiffer Kinekt Suspension Stem KINEKT SUSPENSION STEM | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) spring also arrived this week, so I wasted no time in switching to it.  A very easy job, thanks to the design’s engineered simplicity.