Forks Return...Winter’s Wrath Continues

 Lee Cooper returned the Holdsworth’s forks. I’m delighted with the steerer extension and ahead conversion. The eagle-eyed will note it’s a slightly different shade of blue, but I like the subtle contrast, so it’s staying. I’ve retrieved the XLC longer reach dual pivot calliper and then I’m ready to switch everything over, at my leisure- the Holdsworth is a sunny day’s plaything and presently enjoying seasonal hibernation. For now, they can sit in my office.  

The plan is just to whip the Woodman’s lower cup from the Acor carbon unit and transplant it to the steel fork. At that point, I’ll thoroughly inspect the cheap but cheerful Acor and decide whether to keep or euthanise. I’ve sold older, branded forks with 6061 steerers and carbon blades in the past. However, on balance, I’ve concluded it’s not worth the hassle, or risk this time.  

While on these missions, I also acquired another 1-inch Aheadset (an FSA) since these, or at least, decent-quality staples are getting trickier to find-at least at the right price.  The blue anodised finish is another shade of blue but again, aesthetically compatible with the existing livery.  

Famous last words, that’s the Holdworth’s revisions complete. I might port the Miche calliper over to the Teenage Dream as an upgrade to the budget but very serviceable Miche Performance unit but that can all wait- we’re slap bang in the middle of a stormy winter. 

 

The ice relented but was replaced by storm Isha. Milder temperatures induced a switch back to the Halo Spin Doctor and Shimano Alfine Dynohub Shimano Alfine UR700 Hub Dynamo | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) wheels shod with the Maxxis Ikon tyres Maxxis Ikon Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). I also decided then was time to retire Ursula’s KMC chain. I managed 750 miles before it nudged .7 on the chain checker. Typically, I’ll get 1100-1300 miles so this should give an idea of how wet and generally grotty the past few months have been.  

I have a love/hate relationship with magic links. On the one hand, they are very convenient (especially when you’ve the magic link pliers to hand. Note to self, must locate mine). Much of this arises from a lack of feeling in my index finger, which makes aligning the two parts fiddly-especially when it's bitterly cold. I manage, it's just a slower process.  

While hunting the KMC magic link pliers, I rediscovered this Hyper Cracker cassette lockring tool. It basically turns the bike frame into a giant chain whip and allows roadside cassette removal, say when needing to replace a drive-side spoke mid-tour. Really nicely made and a pleasant resurrection. Wondered where that had got to.   

 

Given things had thawed, I headed out on the fixed for some faster-paced fun. Thick mud carpeted the roads, and I was pleasantly surprised by their grip through some seriously slippery, gloopy stretches. Not quite in cyclocross, or Paris Roubaix territory but not a great deal of tarmac.  Despite the low temperatures, these Castelli Entrata Thermal Bib Knickers are surprisingly comfortable Castelli Entrata Thermal Bib Knickers | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

  

As for the tugs, well, perhaps predictably, I’ve gone for another set of MKS NJS. Credit where it's due, the auction site specials were in fact of a decent quality. Problem being they were 10mm, which means they’d foul the chain. The non-drive side was a nice fit. In some respects, I’m annoyed- should’ve just gone for the MKS first time around but that’s the thing with auction sites, they’re a gamble. You can get an absolute bargain or buy cheap and buy twice. 

 

I’m sticking with the Weldtite Ceramic WELDTITE CERAMIC LUBE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) for now-at least until something seasonally appropriate arrives for testing. As defaults go, there’s a lot in its favour. It’s relatively clean for a middleweight and doesn’t wash off come the first puddle. The advantage over a more traditional, gloopy wet lube is that while it won’t hold back hell n’ high water, it won’t become such an effective grinding paste when grit, salt, mud and other contaminant litters the landscape.   

Stems & Other Pleasant Surprises

This Vecnum freeQuence Suspension Stem arrived to distract me from the UK’s unbraked descent into terrifying in chaos. It’s a spring/elastomer parallelogram design, intended for riders between 50 and 120 kilos (110 to 264 lbs). There’s more than passing similarity to the Kinekt Suspension Stem KINEKT SUSPENSION STEM | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) that Steve and I remain fond of, too.  

However, at 285g a fair bit lighter, and adjusting the tension doesn’t require opening the stem or swapping springs (not that this could ever be described as a hardship with the Kinekt). Simply introduce an Allen key and gently turn clockwise to increase tension, checking as you go.  

Convenience aside, this does away with the need for “lock-out” and similar engineering to overcome unwelcome travel. Vecnum list the unit as self-lubricating, which is arguably another bonus. However, it employs fit and forget bearings, which will ultimately require professional servicing/refurbishment once worn.  

Vencum also recommends applying gripper paste (the stuff typically employed when fitting carbon components) to the fork steerer. Good practice for this genre of stem generally I’m thinking, although I’ve never had any issues with the Kinekt or Redshift Sports TEST & REVIEW REDSHIFT SPORTS SHOCKSTOP SUSPENSION STEM (sevendaycyclist.com) Shock stop Suspension Stems.  

30mm (about 1.18 in) travel is 20mm (about 0.79 in) positive, 10-degree negative, rather akin to a suspension fork. Again, in common with the Kinekt, it’s designed to be progressive and not affect the bike’s geometry. Regardless of bar height, or positioning- whether you ride on the hoods, tops, or drops. It's beautifully machined, extruding that industrial beauty that I’m deeply drawn to. Formative impressions are very favourable but we’re in the honeymoon phase at present. Only time and real-world mileage will tell.  

I’d recently switched the fixed gear winter/trainer’s Cane Creek Thudbuster G4 for its G3 predecessor TESTED: CANE CREEK THUDBUSTER ST SEATPOST (sevendaycyclist.com) when I opted to return to this Pro Turnix Gel saddle, which continues the weight saving without sacrifice narrative. I went for the Peaty’s Bicycle Assembly Grease PEATY'S BICYCLE ASSEMBLY GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and took this opportunity to replace the seat post collar boot- made from scrap mtb inner tube.  

I’m deeply endeared to both generations of the Thudbuster ST, but I must admit, I’m not overly keen on the G4’s single-bolt saddle clamp design. Not that I’ve had any real-world issues these past two years or so. However, this seems a curious design for one intended to support riders weighing up to 150kilos.  

 

For those unfamiliar with the Thudbusters, upon hitting a bump these work downward and reward, so force is absorbed at the same rate. This prevents the saddle from bouncing around and robbing rider power. Aside from Mtb and gravel audiences, in my view, they have a lot to offer tandem stokers who don’t always get warning of the lumpier stuff until they’re experiencing it first-hand.  

I also remain a big fan of Redshift Sports Shockstop Suspension Seat post REDSHIFT SHOCKSTOP SUSPENSION SEATPOST | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), although not everyone is sold on the industrial aesthetic and length means its best suited to road biased, rather than semi/compact mtb builds-Ursula being a case in point. There’s not much between them weight-wise either. Something may not be to my tastes but that certainly doesn’t make it inferior, just not the right fit.  I’d noticed some unexpected judder under heavy braking with the new rotor and pads.  

Closer inspection revealed the obvious culprit- a soiled rotor. A simple cure with some Green Oil Clean Chain Degreaser Jelly GREEN OIL CLEAN CHAIN DEGREASER JELLY (sevendaycyclist.com) and some vigorous scrubbing with their Bike Brush. Clean, but not sterile is a rotor’s preferred state. I’d confirmed this by switching back to the SL9 wheel and Swiss Stop Catalyst Pro Disc Rotor  Swiss Stop Catalyst Disc Rotor | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) I’d also discovered a pinch flat and since one thing always leads to another, I’ve switched to Specialized’s Road Sport Tyre and now that roads are getting wetter, I’ve reverted to Motoverde PTFE Chain Lube on the fixed Motoverde PTFE Chain Lube | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) For now, I’ll stay with something dry/waxy to keep Ursula’s drivetrain clean and wear pedestrian. I'll close with Steve's review of the Ravemen LR1200 front light Ravemen LR1200 Front Light | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)