Money For Old Rope?

 

It has been suggested by some that gravel is little more than repackaged 90s cross country mountain biking. As a means of starting debate, it’s a good opening line. I disagree. Any sweeping statement is by definition inaccurate. As with any other genre of riding, gravel will mean different things to different people. 

I removed the Topeak MTX Trunk Dry Bag Topeak MTX Trunk Dry Bag | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and gave the DX rack a clean. Some grittiness had made inroads into the centre channel’s powder coated finish and there was some fastener taint. Both easily remedied with a drop of chain lube and some Motoverde Waterless Wash & Wax Motoverde Waterless Wash & Wax | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). Lastly, I switched the Ergon All Road and Ritchey saddles around. Both have proven good choices for me, but I was keen to see how well the Ergon performed with Denise along rougher roads and trails. 

I would argue gravel is an evolution of cyclo cross, which started with models such as Specialized’s Tri Cross. Cyclo cross bikes with daily driver friendly features such as mudguard and carrier mounts, several bottle bosses and wider gearing. Running in parallel, we had the adventure bike, which were tour friendly cyclo cross bikes with longer wheelbases, bigger clearances and tour-friendly geometry, disc brakes, braze ons and a hint of MTB DNA. 

  

For me, gravel is the lovechild of adventure tourer and thoroughbred cyclo cross bike with some XC mountain bike DNA for good measure. Some more, some less. Some competition models are closer to pared to the essential's cross builds with bigger clearances and hydraulic stoppers. Though very capable, they’re a little too prescriptive for my riding needs/tastes. I’m also very fond of the suspension tech evolution-seat posts and stems, specifically but feel that a fully blown suspension for is, for me, pushing things too close to full blown mountain biking.   

 

In its purist sense, the internet is a fantastic resource (allowing of course, for the mine of mis and disinformation). It allows us to experience and share skills and information at lighting pace and in our own time. Since my early teens., I have always been fascinated by manufacturing processes.  

 

Frame building and enamelling/paint being the most obvious. Yes, these were the starting points- I’d needed a frame built/repaired and/or refinished by a skilled and sympathetic workshop, but it extended to other areas- an interest in building my own touring trailers along the lines of Bob Yak. During these years, aside from some welding and unrelated professional courses, much of my formal learning was academic. 

  

I have always held a desire to learn wet spray refinishing along with powder coating, if only for my own projects and amusements. Having finished listening to You Tube stories while drafting copy, You Tube waved some interesting channels and gravel cycling in particular. Paul Brodie’s  Painting my GRAVEL BIKE // Paul Brodie's Shop (youtube.com) 

 

channel where he discusses his latest gravel build and disc mount, before showing the start to finish wet spray. He’d gone for an orange and spatter effect. I was sat there transfixed as the grey primer tubes came to life in a bold orange. 

  

I’d seen this before obviously, and it’s never lost its magic. As with so many things, a skilled person makes it look effortless. I watched Mario Vaz in his paint shop and marvelled as the paint magically stopped at certain points.  

 

During our conversation, he reflected and said one of the things he really enjoyed about paintwork and stoving enamels in particular, was that every colour is different to work with. Aside from the obvious satisfaction in being able to undertake the work to a high standard, there’s the other long-standing narrative about me not wanting to be reliant on or beholden to anyone else. At least no more than is strictly necessary. 

 

I’d been contemplating the fixed gear winter/trainer’s gearing and chain tension. The Pirelli Angel DT’s flat was another tiny sharp that had grazed the tube, hence the slow pressure loss. An easy fix, but given the bike is now more road-biased, I went for a 28mm Schwalbe One 365, which gives a gear ratio of 70.7 inches, greater clearance and a more responsive ride. 

Changing chain tugs, for some nicely made, long-serving Genetic and opting for a previously cut, but unused KMC S1 proved the cure. It also presented an opportunity to check the rear Halo sprocket's health. Fixed drivetrains are simple but take a lot of stress-especially if you, like me, don’t run a rear brake. Replace chains regularly and get the tension right to prevent reduced efficiency and accelerated drivetrain wear. Talking of drivetrains, I'll end here with Steve's review of Blub Bio Degreaser Blub Bio Degreaser | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

 

Right kit for the wrong weather

Wet and windy has been February’s flavour, so I’ve been erring towards water-repelling lubes, greases and clothing. Opportunity presented, so I re-greased the fixed gear winter/trainer’s Aheadset with the Wolf Tooth Performance Grease. The Juice Lubes Bearing Juice stubbornly clung to the lower race and cartridge bearing but service intervals are there for a reason.  

Re-packed, steering felt buttery smooth and protected. While rummaging for some clean rag, I resurrected a drivetrain cleaner and frameset polish. Given the bike was sporting a fair bit of grot, I liberally blasted drivetrain liberally, allowing it the designated few minutes standing time before rinsing with fresh water and treating the bike to a quick wash n’ wax.  

I’d just received some Nzero  Organic Wet and Organic Wax Lube, so decided I’d drizzle a little into the KMC Z1 EPT chain. The rich honey colour and viscosity reminded me of the Chain L High Mileage Formula Chain Oil, CHAIN L HIGH MILEAGE FORMULA CHAIN OIL | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  and I applied with similar frugality, giving the side plates a quick cat-lick afterward.  

I was slightly surprised to discover NZero recommends the wet be allowed to cure overnight, less so to discover the dry only required 30 minutes or so. Some other formulas including Momum MIC Dry cure in similar timescales, although traditionally wax-type blends have needed upwards of a few hours.  

I’ll keep feeding the fixed a wet lube and will alternate Ursula between the NZero Wet and its wax counterpart (a) because I’m testing the and am curious to see how well the wax will hold out in middling winter/early season conditions.  

Wax formulas, due in part to their cleanliness make particularly good candidates for cables, I’d forgotten how well-engineered the MKS NJS Chain Tugs are and how well they tension the chain-even compared with some mid-price favourites. Should’ve known better and taken that route first time round but still, lesson learned, and the others are still very serviceable.  

 

Wet weather signalled prompt return to the Shimano MW501, Shimano MW501 Dry Shield SPD MTB Shoes | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and I’ve alternated between the Showers Pass Elements SHOWERS PASS MEN'S ELEMENTS JACKET | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and Madison Roam 2.5-layer jacket Madison Roam 2.5 Layer Waterproof Jacket | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com).  

I returned from running a few errands in Meg, (the long-serving and much-loved Micra) to find the DPD man strolling up the drive with this Topeak MTX Trunk Dry Bag. At 1.1 kilos, it feels bombproof, seems as waterproof as most of us will ever need, and is extremely well made. Materials-wise, we’re talking 420/840 denier waterproof nylon with sonically welded seams.  

There are two zippered compartments running shotgun and internally an EVA foam base with dividers to insulate against vibration and of course, the toolkit jingle. A shoulder strap makes for convenient porting sans bike and the Quick Track System means it slots directly and very securely into compatible Topeak racks, such as this Topeak Uni Super Tourist DX. If you don’t want to be tethered to a system and prefer to swap luggage around, you’ll need to look at other models within the family.  

Summer caps might sound an odd choice for the early season. However, the seasons are no longer so predictable. As climate specialists have been predicting for many years, the winters have predominantly become milder and wetter, albeit with interludes of snow and ice. Changeable contexts mean I alternate between traditional winter weight “Belgian” designs, highly water repellent, breathable models, such as these Showers Pass.  

However, when temperatures creep into double figures and wind chill isn’t a factor, I find thinner models including this and the long-serving Buff a much better fit.  Especially given I’m blessed with a decent shock of hair. Peaks need to shelter eyes from the sun, gusty winds and other airborne contaminant but without impairing vision.  

All these described fall into this category and fit unobtrusively beneath helmets of various genres. Generous peaks also protect exposed areas, such as the neck from strong sun. One of the reasons I always kept a spare cap handy when Joshua was small and along for the ride, on his tagalong. 

I contemplate many things from the saddle, aside from that which might be immediately obvious. Riding had always been a form of escape for me. Free the body, free the mind. I was a child but remember the miner’s strike very well. It signified a much wider turbulence as old industries failed, factories folded, taking communities with them. The focus is often around a certain plant e.g. Ford’s Dagenham body plant, which pretty much closed 24 years ago.  

There’s a sense of myopia that strikes. People focusing on jobs lost at that specific employer, without giving a thought to the wider and equally serious implications that surround the closure of large, or main employers.  The implications for suppliers, café’s, pubs, small shops and similar small business lost in the malaise. It’s easy to appreciate Orwell’s dystopian vision in 1984 but rather like traditional Marxism, his notion of authoritarian control did not consider authoritarian populism, and consent fuelled by propaganda.

Conspiracy theorists spinning yarns about people being microchipped through vaccines fail to recognise that people willingly jettison their privacy and data through open social media accounts. Then of course, there are major footprints left through other, unfiltered online activity, apps, loyalty cards etc. Siri, Amazon Echo and Google Echo anyone?