Suited and Booted

 

Perhaps I should be imagining lottery numbers and other things of significance…. How so, Michael. Well, I’d been contemplating bar tape replacement. I would be keeping Denise and Ursula’s silicones (for another time) but pension off the fixed gear winter/trainer’s ENVE Enve Handlebar Tape | cycling-not-racing.  

 

A week or so down the line, an editor sent me this Deda Loop and Josh from Saddleback this Wolf Tooth Supple Bar Tape (both the 5mm and 2.5mm versions). The former is a natural silicone, no adhesive backing needed and easily rewound, should you need to replace a cable, swap bars etc.   

 

Denise is sporting the 5mm version, which proved surprisingly straightforward to apply, allowing for the fact its 40mm wide and 5mm thick. Wolf Tooth recommends maintaining a consistent 2.5mm overlap for best overall effect. Oh, (and this goes for silicones per se) do not pull too taught while fitting, or run the risk of tearing, or unsightly tan line type fading. Uncut, and including plugs, it tips the scales at 187g.   

 

After some resistance and initial reluctance (I really like the Acros Silicone Wrap Handlebar Tape’s LONG-TERM TEST: ACROS SILICONE BAR WRAP | cycling-not-racing orange contrast- with both bikes, though Ursula in particular) at the close of a filthy, drivetrain chewing ride, coinciding with a deep, sudsy bucket clean, I switched the Acros for the 2.5mm Wolf Tooth, which was also lighter-107g uncut, including plugs, the Acros 163g.        

 

Josh also sent me this WTB Rocket, a cro-moly railed model 142mm wide and with medium density padding, comfort zone pressure relieving channel. Reminiscent of a Specialized saddle I had some years back, albeit a diet version.  

 

I’ve popped this on Ursula, switched the Ergon SR All Road Ergon SR All Road Men’s Saddle | cycling-not-racing to the fixed and left the Ergon Core Comp adorning Denise’s cradles.  75 mixed terrain miles in, I’ve slid it very slightly further back and found the padding and pressure relieving channel incredibly effective. I’ll plonk myself on it for another 500 or so miles before casting more concrete opinion.  Other unexpected revisions come in the guise  

 

 

of these 700x40 Continental Pure Contact which are reckoned to be highly dependable commuter rubber but at 587g apiece without the heft of some favourites. These have been slipped aboard Denise, given the clearances and to evaluate how well they’ll cope along the mucky lanes and battle-scarred tarmac.

80 miles down the lanes later, I’m warming to them. The compound seems very grippy, the water channeling grooves have been shifting water and slimy stuff surprisingly well and even at 65psi, they seem very compliant... The Continental Pure Contact are also reckoned capable of handling some light dirt and meet 8 on their scale for puncture prevention-I’ll be happy to test these characteristics and claims.  

 

That said; the Continental Contact PlusTESTED: CONTINENTAL CONTACT PLUS TYRES had similar characteristics and perform surprisingly well along unmade roads, too. However, at 978g apiece for the 35mm sections, they are considerably heavier than the Pure Contact and while I’ve appreciated the Contact Plus’s dependability, their heft is also quite palpable. 

 

Given the milder temperatures, I’d switched Ursula back to the Continental Cross Kings since the icy/snowy conditions went as quick as they arrived. I’ve gone back to a rack with the fixed gear winter/trainer.  

 

In this instance, the Topeak Uni Super Tourist 2.0, which is a smidge lighter (879g against 917g) on account of the traditional non-disc design and single tier pannier rail. It’s reckoned capable of 26kilo payloads, which should be enough for most people’s needs. I’ll not be going anywhere near that in the everyday sense, not least as I wouldn’t want to be hauling more than 5-10 kilos on the fixed.  

 

Rule of thumb, 15 kilos upwards and I’m reaching for the trailer. There’s a reason touring bikes have a wide spread of gears, erring on the lower side after all... However, I like the versatility and options that a decent rack affords, especially on a winter/trainer where temperatures can vary and you might want to remove, or add another layer, change of gloves, additional food/similar goodies on longer rides.  

 

There’s also the option of dropping by the supermarket and picking up some essentials. Elsewhere, I remain pleasantly surprised by the Lomo Bike Packing bag, which is not only very waterproof and surprisingly easy to port between bikes, but surprisingly stable-something I attribute in part to the internal stiffeners. It’s worth noting I’m still running the saddle rail frame, and I’ve not filled it to full, thirteen litre capacity yet Ending on a Grave note, here's my review of the WTB Nano SG2WTB Nano SG2 Gravel Tyre | cycling-not-racing

Wrong Turns & Bum Steers

 No, I’m not referring to more headset dramas. Thankfully, the fleet’s Woodman, FSA and Stronglight are all buttery smooth and without play... 

Looking back on things it had been one of those days and serves as a reminder of how tiredness can impair judgment and lead us down some very blind alleys. Cycling and motorcycling are powerful metaphors for wider life, whether its touring, racing, or just well, riding. 

 

Diagnostics rather than repair are often the involved process and if you’ve started from the wrong point, then everything else will be “off”. Rather like being lost, following that same road will often lead to frustration and wasted time, sometimes (and where possible) its best to pack up and resume another time.  

Ursula’s chain had been jumping when climbing in the small ring. Chain and cassette were in nigh on perfect health, so I assumed it might be the Tiagra mech gumming up, maybe a cable issue...Fast forward to that Saturday afternoon. I’d been treating some minor corrosion on the KA and Micra’s sills and some minor grot on the latter’s door skin.  

As the photo illustrates, the Micra’s was deeper than first believed, requiring two hours welding. Anyhow, I’d given the first coats of marine primer a few hours curing and was waiting to apply a final thin coat.  

I decided now was the time to investigate Ursula’s drivetrain glitch...Spoiler alert, the KMC chain was too long, causing it to kick up. Pruning it from 110 to 104 links the following afternoon cured the problem. However, this wasn’t obvious to me the previous evening. I started by cleaning the Tiagra mech and assessing springs, alignment etc.  

Next thing I knew, I’d replaced the inner cable and even switched mech... No joy (obviously) but I’d an idea that perhaps the Microshift bar con was in fact an mtb version i.e., the pull ratios being different and thus ultimately incompatible with the Tiagra. Nope, not the root issue.  

Weary and dejected, I put Ursula away and downed tools for the day. Following morning, while on another mission, the penny dropped- chain too long! Returned that afternoon, switched the mech and cable, then pruned the chain.... Huzzah, up and down snappily and in both directions. I dare say there’ll be the odd quick tweak in the formative rides to come, but relieved and crucially, quit while ahead.    

I’ve been putting this System EX Grease Gun through its paces- hubs, headset bearings, seat posts etc. I’m still fond of the Finish Line Grease Gun, which has served me very well for a decade or thereabouts, but the System EX is all metal and has an extension for really detailed, mess-free delivery.  

Perfect for fasteners and similar small parts. Made me wonder what had happened to my old-school Dualco Mini Grease Gun. I’m confident it's safely packed away and wasn’t liberated post-move. Park GG1 looks very similar, save for the finish. These have some definite charm, assuming you’re not wanting, dare I say needing to switch between different types.

For these reasons, I’d probably go for a fully synthetic blend of grease, such as the White Lightning Crystal High-Performance Clear Grease TESTED : WHITE LIGHTNING CRYSTAL GREASE (sevendaycyclist.com) which can be applied to pretty much any component without fear of it doing something nasty to seals and delicate rubberised components.  

Generally, reliable, I’ve found the Dualco can “ingest” air, interrupting flow rate, so you’ll need to purge by slackening the top and inserting a screwdriver into the base and forcing upward until all the air is expelled. Not a big job but can take a few attempts, which can be frustrating if you’re mid-job.  

As for the System EX and Finish Line designs, these also need to be packed tightly. Fill the gun by hand and then, with chosen grease threaded tight, pump the tube until grease flows easily while depressing the trigger.    

From there, it's pretty much squeeze and go.  However, if you’re having issues, unscrew the gun, squeeze some grease into the chamber and then pump the tube, like a piping bag, or toothpaste until the grease rises to the top of the tube. Repeat as necessary until the tube’s spent. 

Elsewhere, The Hutchinson Challenger have arrived. Ours are the tubed, tan wall 28mmm versions reckoned good for 5,000kms and allegedly a more supple compound than typically found on other “endurance” models. It will be interesting to see how they compare with the Maxxis Re Fuse TR MAXXIS REFUSE TR FOLDING TYRE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), which are still serving faithfully on the fixed gear winter/trainer. Ending on a tyre-related note, here’s my review of the Topeak Smart Gauge DX2 Topeak Smart Guage D2X | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)