Happy Holidays

Managed to steal away to the midlands for a few days and got a look at John Moss’s new fully faired Sinner Mango. He only took delivery the week before and I first spotted him whizzing past on Christmas morning while I washed and waxed my KA.

Frustrated at finding myself bereft of camera, thus missing that moment, I subsequently emailed John and we arranged to meet before he headed out for a Boxing Day blast down to his sister’s.

Speaking of the elderly eight-valve Ford, 150,000miles marked another full service (£122 including parts, labour and VAT). This basically consisted of 10w/40 engine oil, filer, pollen filter, grease and other top-up fluids.

Christmas night was spent doing some light trace photography, which drew the attention of several passers by and of course, the law. Thankfully, everyone was brimming with seasonal cheer and ultimately, left me, tripod and Samsung mini CSC unmolested.

John has taken the electronic option in case he should run out of grunt many miles from home but has been topping 33mph on the formative, local outings and under his own steam.

Glancing inside the Kevlar shell finished in yellow 2pac and integrated electrics/lighting aside; the layout is reminiscent of Mike Burrow’s iconic Speedy/similarly high end recumbent trikes.  Twist grip shifters command a Rohloff hub transmission and more traditional front mech, double ring set up.

He’s added a bit more cushioning around the headrest and is sticking with the hard shell, all weather cover. Suffice to say, he’s delighted, less so the couple’s cat’s, who are now barred from the workshop!

Elsewhere, rumour has it Lee Cooper is making a return to building under his own name and Heidi, my intern has been working on the social side of Stenning photographic. I have already lined up some interesting photographic projects and working on relocation. A new batch of test kit is also keeping me productive and out of mischief during the corridor between Christmas and New Year.

Contact points are extremely personal, so guaranteed to divide opinion. In terms of damping and control, I’ve always liked Lizard Skins DSP range, although it’s much higher maintenance than corks or similarly traditional coverings. Silicone rubber is beginning to enter the fold.

After six months daily service and despite some tell-tale stretch marks (resultant from minor over-tensioning), the Genetic wrap remains in rude health six months and many mucky miles hence.

Widget components also offer a similar covering, this time with a dimpled texture for improved grip in really wet, slippery conditions. This one costs a few quid more and comes in five colours, complete with expandable wedge plugs.

The naturally sticky texture rules adhesive backings redundant, meaning it’s easily unwound to correct aesthetic imperfection and doesn’t render it bin fodder in the event of cable replacement or handlebar swaps.

Most coverings are pretty generous these days to accommodate broad, oversized drops, so I wasn’t surprised to discover eight inches or so apiece leftover on these curvy Salsa Bell Lap-even with double ups.

Our green was interesting too. Aside from being an obvious choice for the teenage dream, it appears to change colour depending on the light-fluorescent when it’s overcast, less garish in brighter conditions.

Thus far, purchase, comfort and control are living up to the hype and while greater owner involvement is needed to keep it clean, compared with corks and leatherette types it’s not proving highly strung in that respect either.

Right; back to testing-lots of blinkies and commuter combos to put through their paces, some 700x25c tyres and strategies to complete before mid January 2016.             

         

My Ilpompino’s lower race bearings are showing some signs of wear, so I invested in 75 10 grade balls given the races/surfaces were in otherwise good shape. Obviously, price is a key player but most found in entry level to mid-range components are reckoned to be around the 100 mark, whereas higher end Shimano and Campagnolo are around 40 and 25.

So, what do these numbers actually mean? Well, essentially we’re talking materials and accuracy of machining, which has implications for efficiency and longevity. The most basic blister pack variants offered at £1.50 or so are 1,000 grade-more commonly associated with furniture casters-not a precision engineered load bearing component.

Caged bearings are convenient for factories and servicing headsets-they also fill space, thus fewer balls are required, saving manufacturers a pretty penny. However, loose always run smoother and seating them in a bed of stout grease overcomes that heart sinking tinkle as another leaps lemming-fashion beneath the fridge, or similarly inaccessible point. 

Talking of which, it’s amazing what gets rediscovered when rationalising the spares bin/drawer.

This week, I have reclaimed a bedroom drawer for T shirts but much more exciting was the rediscovery of this carbon composite Blackburn Airstik SL micro-pump. At 15cm it’s hardly efficient, though handy back pocket bling when coupled with Co2 cartridges and enjoying the Holdsworth’s company, or popping out on a similarly pared to the essentials test rig.

Budget track pumps can be surprisingly longlived too, although gauges are their weak spot. I’ve had this Revolution (Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative’s own brand) unit complete with smart head for a good few years.

The gauge is well on the road to retirement but barrel, piston and other components are in rude health. A new valve end for this Lezyne Floor Drive has just arrived from Upgrade bikes- their UK importer www.upgradebikes.co.uk so; I will pass the Revolution unit on to a good and grateful home.

Speaking of testing, Seven Day Cyclist has a You Tube channel in the pipeline. Yes, it will involve action cams but no, we’re seeking to avoid More about this once its’ live.

Recent overcast conditions and summer’s slow but definite swansong sees me setting out with freshly fuelled blinkies. Tethered to bars, post and luggage-we’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of this season’s latest designs and more powerful models-promised in the next week or so…

However, an argument has been brewing suggesting cyclists should use blinkies in all conditions-all the time. Dull, low light-hell, yes but perpetually a’la Volvo no.

The perpetual sidelight argument was popularly banded about for motorcyclists too but independent studies seemed to suggest other road users simply acclimatised, thus riders became “invisible” once more.

I can also see this turning into a very convenient legal loophole for someone looking to swerve a driving without due care and attention charge.  “I was getting the perfect angle for my selfie, when I suddenly felt this disconcerting lump. Having uploaded it to my social media channels and two dating sites, I thought an exhaust mounting was coming loose and found a stowaway cyclist”…

Staying with images, Infrared photography has always inspired curiosity, not so wholesale camera conversion. Once converted, your committed-it cannot be reversed. Following a conversation with a camera dealer inclined towards this genre; I jumped at this 55mm Hoya filter.

There are plenty of filters being hawked on the online auction sites for around a third of the asking price but with decidedly inferior results. I saw no sense in taking this route, only to find myself forking out for the Hoya afterward-false economy. Initial results were quite impressive when using a tripod, small apertures and long exposures, although hot spots and similar imperfections seem harder to sidestep.

These models weren’t quite what I’d had in mind either but at least the brazing holding this Beetle’s roll cage together is nicely done. Before I close this entry, let’s talk riding attire.

For training and similar riding, I’ve always felt perfectly comfortable in Lycra but much prefer a more civilian look for commuting and more general riding. Practical and chic, we’re talking ¾ lengths and looser fitting Plain Jerseys with concealed pockets and subtler colours.

While photographing birds at a local reservoir, this young woman’s machine and attire caught my attention; rolled up sleeves and turn ups... Save for quick scoots of a mile or two, denims are a recipe for chafing and discomfort. Were hers skilfully tailored-possibly home made with a cycling specific cut, or just the old street jeans with shorts beneath trick….

Either way, she was turning a seasoned tourists’ cadence too. A few firms were converting old MOD fatigues into messenger knickers some years back, wonder if the same goes for jeans. Levis, Muxo and a few others offered some nice versions straight off the peg but bespoke always provides food for thought.

Tarnished Repute

Yes, the inclement weather has made a return but with plenty of advanced warning and roads drenched in salt. Mercifully I’d spent the previous weeks putting kit through its paces with a view to working a balance between copy, books and the ceaseless struggle to find sensibly satisfying temp gigs in parallel…

I love blinkies, particularly those offering something different, whether it’s retina-tickling prowess, cell sipping economy or indeed both. One23’s half- watt high power unit is a very good example.

Watts are very misleading since this is a measure of power consumed rather than deliverable output but pedantry aside; we’ve been visible from around 750 metres-maybe more on a clear night. This coupled with decent weather seals (passed my saltwater submersion test with flying colours) is all the more impressive from a model giving change from £12.

On many levels, lights and similar gizmos that guzzle from portable devices are absolutely fabulous but lets’ not loose sight of the horses for courses mantra. Those fuelled by two little AA cells and returning 60-80hrs in flashing mode can be superior choices for tourists, Audax aficionados, not to mention commuters who don’t clock on at a PC.

So then, the past two hundred and fifty miles or so leads me to conclude that the Ilpompino’s front-end conversion was by far the best upgrade, bringing a supple yet more vivacious persona to what is essentially a cyclo cross frameset with track ends and 120mm track spacing.

I’ve also decided to revisit  fendersville, retaining a dry derriere’ while keeping salt, slush and other corrosive brews from making inroads into paint, anodising and bearing surfaces. These 37mm section Tortec seem an obvious choice with their heavy-duty chrome plastics, reflective sidewalls and stainless steel components. Their epic rack; also fashioned from the tarnish resistant metal and reckoned to have a mammoth 40-kilo payload will be put through its paces aboard the Univega.

Tarnish resistant…you mean to say stainless can succumb to the dreaded fur too?  In the sense that watches are water resistant (as distinct from proof) to 30, 100, 300metres etc, Inox as its sometimes known is in fact an alloy, typically containing12% chromium, nickel, molybdenum and sometimes titanium oxides, ergo it stains-less than cruder steels. Welding will prove trickier for roadside garages compared with plain gauge mild or Cro-moly should disaster strike in the wide blue yonder too, although this is considerably easier than aluminium.

I have a well-honed hatred of corrosion stemming from watching my childhood clunkers turning furry in the salt coastal air and of course my grandfathers’ almost pathological ability to find traces of this welder’s foe literally everywhere-especially from beneath parental vehicles.

Such neurosis was not welcomed, not least by my father who appeared close to boiling point on many occasions during these puritanical outbursts reminiscent of a bad horror flick where the demented priest is commanding iron oxide from spot welded sections, er sorry, I mean malevolent spirit from an innocent child/hapless housewife/tearaway teens.

Monsters, demons and folklore are all embodiments of fears- conscious latent or otherwise and Joshua’s been developing that pre pubescent fascination for sci-fi/ horror-genres that I still have a fondness for, so can converse widely with him about while maintaining effective censorship.

Cycling’s own particular boogie man of the moment is Lance Armstrong, who having groomed the world and fallen from grace is looking to reinvent his empire with some shrewdly executed bargaining and carefully choreographed remorse.

While never buying into the fairytale, professionally I’ve found his hegemonic grip upon the cycling imagination fascinating and privately believe his competitive success was motivated by  a longer term desire for political prowess. Aside from the obvious sporting scandal, these particular exposes' have the potential to oust cycling from the Olympics.

Some are citing Paul Kimmage’s notorious participant observations/revelations that doping is virtually institutionalised and rather than racing becoming cleaner, performance enhancers have simply become more sophisticated and for a time therefore, undetectable.

Life experience, coupled with that as a columnist/writer leads me to suggest this is quite likely on the one hand but it does leave the door open for those exposed in such a public way to project themselves as victims to be pitied. Are they sorry for being cheats, or ashamed at their exposure?

The notion of a single universal truth has been somewhat eclipsed by truths, which have varying degrees of accuracy-accounts will differ depending on the narrator. An institutionalised culture of doping may well play a lead role. However, to suggest everyone is actively (or passively) engaged in such behaviours is somewhat simplistic and therefore inaccurate.

Public perception of professional cycling is undeniably tainted, which is not the case for other sports such as boxing or soccer. In a wider context, pro-military propaganda paints all service people as heroes/ victims, whereas in reality some will also indulge in rape, torture, extortion and similar gross inhumanities because they can. Others who have served in Bosnia/similar conflicts remark how the army taught them how to kill but not to deal with the emotional consequences. By the same token, many, many leave the services perfectly well adjusted with nothing more sinister than tall-tales and fond memories.

My point being, whatever the setting, conformity is expected within certain parameters but simplistic knee jerk reductionism neither explains, nor addresses extremely complex matters. Perhaps these revelations are so emotive because they challenge our own framework of absolutes….