Gripped

The weather is showing some signs of a spring-like renaissance, which is nice, since I now have the Teenage Dream running like, well, the machine I remember so fondly. Discovered the front hub had a little play, so eradicated that and then investigated some boxes that had been left in a corner of the garage since moving.  

Much to my delight, I found a mixed bundle of better-quality tubes –700x18-25 and mid-section 23-40. All packet, so I’ve added those to the appropriate clear storage box and one apiece to the wedge packs. I’ve also decided to switch the Teenage Dream’s PDW (Portland Design Works) Big Silver Road Pump for this Lezyne Road drive Alloy Mini Pump.  

A few millimeters shy of 300, both are best described as midi, rather than mini pumps and in my experience, the PDW has an edge on the resuscitation speed and pressure fronts. However, I’ve found the bracket tenure a little less than ideal, so incremental creep has seen it shuffling down and “wood-peckering” the front mech. Distracting and unwelcome.

  

Interestingly, the Lezyne proved a better guest in the Portland’s bracket, so stays for now. I’ll be carrying CO2 cartridges along though, since I don’t fancy trying to deliver 110psi plus into the bikes’ 700x25c following a flat, although hopefully these will be infrequent, warded off by the pump, tubes, and similar rescue apparel. One thing led to another, and I began foraging for lights.  

Not that it’ll be seeing the depths of winter, but a compact 450/500lumen unit with backing singer and a decent rear blinky are wise precautions from a seen-with perspective, especially enjoying summer evenings. Time flies and light fades when you’re having fun... 

For the time being, I’ll alternate between this Moon Meteor and Bontrager Ion 350 RT front lights, although the Ravemen LR500S front light RAVEMEN LR500S FRONT LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) has a bit more clout, thanks to clever lens technology. Chances are I’ll be running them in their frugal flashing modes but a bit more oomph is always useful.  

I found an old but very worthy AA cell model for hanging on the wedge pack and an Oxford Ultra torch Mini+ USB Rear Light 15lm. The latter is a five-mode (one steady, four flashing) rear light that is a good bit brighter than the numbers alone might suggest.  

It's small enough not to interrupt the clean aesthetic. Was never totally convinced the Fuschia pink Knog wireless computer sensor was the best fit aesthetically, but never so offensive as to induce change. Mid rummage, I unearthed a black counterpart, so fed it a new LR44 button cell and swapped them over. 

Minor cosmetic stuff but worth doing, since I was there. It communicates very well with the elderly but very solid decathlon head unit. Not that I would advocate the “Frankenpute” route but I’ve had a few that have performed very reliably. 

Several weeks down the line, Ursula’s shifting had suddenly gone a little “off”. I knew the chain, cassette, ring and derailleur were fine but suspected the cassette’s lock-ring needed snugging down slightly. Job done; I stripped the Weldtite Ceramic, with a liberal helping of Muc-Off High Pressure Quick Drying Degreaser Chain & Cassette MUC-OFF HIGH PRESSURE DEGREASER | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) Zefal Extra Dry Chain Wax ZEFAL EXTRA DRY CHAIN WAX | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  was the substitute of choice. I also honed the front Genetic CX Cantilever TEST & REVIEW: GENETIC CX CANTILEVER BRAKES (sevendaycyclist.com)   for some additional bite, since opportunity presented.  

A week later and I’d forgotten that wet roads can have a zapping effect upon more traditional wax lubes. Nothing that wasn’t cured, once the flaking residual wax had been reclaimed, and worked into the chain.  

Zefal have also very kindly sent me some luggage- The Z Adventure C2 and Z Adventure C3. These took longer than expected since one carrier refused to bring them into the UK. Much of Brexit’s impact is being hidden by the pandemic but is presently “knee-capping" the UK economy.    

At 2.2 litres, the Adventure C2 is arguably a better fit on a bigger frameset, where it can cosy up against the headtube. However, Zefal also suggests it can be mounted in other ways. I think it complements the Univega quite well, doesn’t obscure the down tube bottle cage/bosses.  

The C2 is water-resistant, rather than proof, so will be interesting to see how it fares on wetter rides, not to mention my garden hose torture testing...  Testing aside, I’ll go with a dry sack to seal the elements out, full stop.  

 

Going Bonkers& Brakes Sorted

In this instance, I’m heralding the arrival of these Schwalbe tyres, rather than passing comment on the UK’s present chaos. Red top tabloids have continuously threatened a nationwide white-out but in this corner of the UK, 4 degrees is the forecast. 2.1 inches is tops, clearance-wise with the Univega’s SKS Bluemels Shiny Mudguards SKS BLUEMELS SHINY MUDGUARDS | cycling, but not ususally racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and thankfully we’re not in fag paper territory.  

For the uninitiated, the Billy Bonkers are designed for Pumptrack, Dirtjump and Slope style and grip on loose, sandy surfaces... An odd choice for Ursula and indeed my mixed terrain diet, comprising of metaled road and slightly boggy bridlepath but bear with me... 

Ours are the wire bead “Active Line” K-guard versions.  

This means aside from the slight weight penalty over their performance line counterparts, they also have a slightly lesser grip, puncture resistance and quicker wear rate. There’s little in this, but worth noting. Oh, and any colour sidewall so long as its tan. These weigh 745g apiece but feel a bit lighter and boast operating pressures between 30 and 80psi.  

A broad range and the upper pressures implied they should be perky on metaled roads, while offering a compliant, magic carpet ride. 100 miles in and they’ve done just that, providing better traction on loose traction on loose, icy surfaces, too. There’s some trade-off in terms of rolling resistance, obviously-they're not going to roll like their Kojak cousins but maintaining a steady 18mph hasn’t been a hardship-even faced with some bracing crosswinds.   

I tend to be quite fastidious when it comes to maintenance, especially during winter when the mix of grit, salt, water and wet lubes can become a component chomping cocktail. Upon whipping the Univega’s wheels out, ready to perform the switch, I happened to glance at the front pads.  

Good thing I did, since the Genetic had worn very low. I’d last inspected them over Christmas, so just goes to illustrate how harsh winter can be. Pads, rims, discs, cassettes and to a lesser extent, cables are particularly vulnerable.  

Thankfully, I had some packet fresh replacements in my brake spares tub.  I’ve acquired some dual compound Fibrax, for next time but right now, we’re stopping on the proverbial sixpence. I’ve toyed with the idea of going the disc route upfront, but this would mean upgrading the Ultegra dynohub, new fork, and then a suitable caliper. Shelved all these, as quick as they arrived.   

Not so, Ursula’s BRCX50 rear cantilever. I (wrongly) attributed this to their pad compound. A helpful email from their UK importer led me to some nuanced adjustment of the cable tension and straddle wire. This improved mechanical advantage and ultimately, corrected the problem.  

The drivetrain was also looking scuzzy again, so I got busy with the Pure Bike Degreaser PURE BIKE DEGREASER | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and apply this Weldtite TF2 Ceramic. In keeping with other ceramics, such as Juice Lubes Ceramic Juice JUICE LUBES CERAMIC JUICE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), its intended for three seasons’ “Fairweather” service but (a) I fancied something lighter than the otherwise excellent Zefal Extra Wet Ceramic Chain Lube ZEFAL EXTRA WET NANO CERAMIC CHAIN LUBE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). (b) I was also keen to see how it performed in wetter conditions.  It’s certainly slick and seems to be holding out quite well in changeable weather but will be interesting to see how well many miles I get from a single application. 

  

The Ravemen CLO5 Rear Light is also winning me over with its blend of power, presence and economy. There are 7 modes. 2 steady and 5 flashing. In common with other, contemporary 30 lumen models, the optics give more than sufficient presence for pitch black roads. 

 

The lens is PC Engineering plastic.   It's refraction and designed in a way that could provide a larger lighting area, and therefore visibility. Behind sit 24 diodes using the now standard COB (Chips on Board) technology. There is also a sensor, which detects approaching traffic and automatically switches the unit to 30lumens for 5 seconds.   

Again, a few years back, 4lumen modes would be considered “glimmer” territory but the slow flashing option has similar bite to a typical 8 lumen setting. Adequate for sub/urban riding and passable, should you need to conserve some juice along a country lane. Definitely a contingency option, mind. The hinged type bracket shared with its CLO6 stablemate is another definite plus, allowing the light to be aligned very precisely for optimal effect.