Showing posts with label bicycle brakes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bicycle brakes. Show all posts

Monday 10 September 2018

Harvest Festival








 

No, not that one…After a week’s postal drought, a blizzard of kit arrived, including the Redshift Shockstop Suspension Stem www.redshiftsports.com I referred to, a few entries back.

Unsurprisingly, it’s infinitely more sophisticated than the Girvin Flex stem that divided opinion, back in the day (but one I was rather fond of). More refined engineering and working to closer tolerances, set up, is perhaps, predictably, a little more involved.

Given this precision and depending on rider weight, elastomers need to be swapped over and pre-load carefully reset. Not the sort of installation you’d attempt, 20 minutes before a big ride.

On paper, my Holdsworth might seem an unusual test rig. However, the shock stop is also intended for tarmac biased riding and the weight penalty, compared with a traditional 7005/6061 unit, is only around 80g.

As I’ve mentioned before, the frameset’s thin, steel tubes and carbon composite fork blades, are synonymous with compliance. However, the steerer is aluminium alloy and front end can feel unexpectedly direct, over washboard surfaces. My favourite 1in7 descent being a case in point.  

Ison Distribution www.ison-distribution.com sent me these rather fetching Genetic CX cantilevers for testing. I’ve reviewed several Genetic products, from pedals to seat posts, over the years, and have been consistently impressed, by the brands’ bang-for buck ratio.

Despite discs’ dominance, there’s a lot to be said in favour of the humble cantilever. Lightweight, a well-honed unit has adequate mechanical bite, to halt 115kilos-comfortably.
These are CNC-machined aluminium. The braced design, we’re told is designed to eradicate flex. 

Standards of finish are very high, relative to the asking price and polished finishes always keep their looks. Albeit with the occasional waxing, or buff with a polishing cloth and product, such as Crankalicious Mayo Jaune. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/crankalicious-mayo-jaune-intensive-  

The Genetic were trickier to set up, with my Univega’s shallower reach Microshift brifters, which is historically, the case, with any wide arm design. M System patterns and models, such as, these Avid Shorty 4, are pretty much plug n’ play.  Crucially, I have the tubby 
tourer’s braking back up to scratch now.    

Elsewhere, I’ve switched my winter/trainers perch from the likeable 14mm wide BBB Echelon saddle, to titanium railed Brooks Swift homage. Motivations for this, will become obvious, further down the line.

However, its butt bespoke and some additional “spring” is welcomed along the lanes. Especially, since I’ve forgone the Cane Creek Thudbuster ST https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/cane-creek-thudbuster-suspensuin-se   in favour of the more tarmac traditional Genetic Syngenic https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/genetic-syngenic-seatpost .
Despite warnings of apocalyptic weather fronts, temperatures remain in the high teens/early twenties. 

No call for substituting shorts and summer jerseys for something more substantial (although summer kit is easily extended through autumn, with Lycra arm and leg warmers).
Talking of which, I’ve been suitably pleased by the Tenn GC Eurosport range https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/tenn  https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/tenn-global-eurosport

We are being approached with winter ranges, including some from Stolen goat www.stolengoat.com , which is really nice.

The 29th marks the tenth year of this blog and has me reflecting on my motivations behind it. Its conception originated with the acquisition, and restoration of a certain orphaned frameset-hence the title.

However, other cycling related projects and concepts/product testing soon crept in. Occasionally it has lapped at social commentary and indeed, some personal shorelines. There’s a lot more to riding, than components and equipment, which make everything go, stop and handle in correct proportion. Yes, I am including the rider, in this equation.

Two wheels, with and without engines are extremely practical, everyday vehicles for a small planet but long, steady miles are very conducive to deeply reflective states. Often, I contemplate the journeys along life’s highways and my wrong turns on its roundabouts.

I’ve been brutally penalised for some mistakes on the one hand and I am acutely aware of a controlled rage within me. Conversely, I have a responsibility to myself and others, to learn from and channel these experiences/emotions positively.

Similarly, some unexpected detours have resulted in serendipitous successes. On that note I’ll end with Steve’s review of Surly’s Ted Trailer. With a maximum payload of 300lbs, its ideal for those of us carrying big, bulky loads, of a physical nature.  https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/surly-ted-trailer