Festival fun & (Yet more) Flats...

Well, the adventure travel film festival came round just at the right time; giving digits and keyboard a welcome break from each other. Having loaded up the KA and headed along the M1 to Mill Hill, we went the hotel, rather than tent route, although the weather was perfect for the late evening outdoor cinema showings.

Austin Vince was an extremely welcoming host, making time to speak with people on a personal level, adding to the collective ambience. Now in its fourth year, the event still attracts more motorcyclists that cyclists but that is changing.

Slowly cultivating a strange and irrational interest in contemporary Ural and sidecar combos, I was slightly disappointed not to catch a couple in the flesh. Nonetheless, I found myself babbling excitedly to Sharon about two pre Aprillia Moto Guzzi and we met Miles from Cycle Miles (www.cyclemiles.co.uk) at his stall.

Sharon loved the creative gifts and kit, while I found myself ogling his fetching grey polo bike, which was in trailer tug mode (!) Having made my excuses for not bringing his T2 touring trailer along (Won’t fit in the KA, even with seats down) we then discussed his fixer’s spec in greater details while our better halves compared notes on how many bikes constitute too many... Most notable features of his polo steed are this two ring FSA crankset and the single Tektro lever that commands front and rear V brakes.

Elsewhere, Michael Murphy has devised the latest characters for our series of children’s stories and I have been struck by the most aggressive puncture plague in 25 years-literally depleting my stock of 700x25 and 35-43 tubes in the space of a month!

Thankfully, I’d had the foresight to put an order in last week, so despite receding rim tapes, embedded sharps and the odd faulty sidewall, we’ve kept rolling.

Some of us flat more than others, I fall into the thousands of trouble free miles, then six in a row. We’ve all got used to cheap tube bundles now and for the most part, they work just fine, although tend to be bin fodder- premium brands lend themselves better to patching.

Tubeless is certainly here to stay and I suspect, will become the dominant system over the next few years, though I'm fairly confident tubular and butyl will still enjoy a relatively strong following.

Most of us carry a couple of spare tubes; whip in the spare and where possible, patch the injured party at the next rest stop, or comfort of home. In common with exhausts, two patches are my limit. Afterwards, I’ll recycle them as top tube/chain stay protectors, boots for headsets and seat collars.

CO2 inflators have become the go-to’s for roadside resuscitation- not just for racing/catching up with riding companions. They certainly take the insult out of injury on those cold, rainy winter evenings, when you’re weary and want to be home, thawing out under a hot shower and supping a brew.

Nonetheless, being single use products, they still work out quite pricey and mini pumps should always be on standby, should the worst happen.

These have also improved greatly since the days of high volume mtb types that would leave you light headed once you’d eventually hit 40psi. Around the £25 mark buys a CNC machined aluminium unit capable of delivering a genuine 100psi plus into a 700x25 in around 440 strokes and 5 minutes.

Infinitely preferable to the long walk home (or being stranded) this is well within the operating range of most high pressure road tyres. Small enough to hide unobtrusively on the bottle bosses, or slip into a jersey pocket, mini track pump or high pressure frame fits are my preferred options when it comes to bigger section tyres and/or touring contexts.

Talking of which, those Maxxis Roamer are continuing to delight with their blend of low rolling resistance and plush ride quality. True, the Kevlar belt is less comprehensive than some, hence some vulnerability at the shoulders, although so long as these channels are purged of mud and similar detritus, sharps don’t get chance to work inside the tyre casing.

The 42mm section are non starters for my MK2 Ilpompino’s rear triangle, 32mm with full length guards and 35 without, is tops. Nonetheless, their bigger 26x1.65 siblings look perfect for the Univega. I’ve been suitably impressed by the Guee wrap, which has a lower density and less rubbery texture than the Genetic flare, although lends itself better to road biased, rather than mixed terrain riding.    http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/genetic-silicone-bar-wrap

The Emperor's New Forks

Plenty of excitement-of the right and wrong sort this past fortnight; continued progress with the children’s stories, a couple of hours spent interviewing Austin Vince (www.austinvince.com) leading up to his adventure travel film festival on 12-14^th August. http://www.adventuretravelfilmfestival.com/

Then along came tyres that would not mount, mechs that swung too far and of course; a “Forking hell! My blades/steerer are divorcing!!!” drama.

Thankfully; this was all sorted with a call to upgrade bikes www.upgradebikes.co.uk. Two minutes later, Rory sorted me a set of Kinesis DC37 at a very compassionate price. Two days later, they arrived at my door suitably boxed to fox the notorious parcel destroyers, along with a brand-spanking new hacksaw.

I knew I had a packet fresh, replacement blade “somewhere” but rather than wasting time, simply ordered another saw, specifically for guillotining steerer tubes. Some will argue this is unnecessary expense; most of us replace forks every-so-often.

Maybe so, but £6 pales into insignificance compared to a badly cut tube, or operator injury. Keeping two sets of wire snips is also good practice; one for everyday jobs-cutting zip ties, plastic housing, wire fencing to length etc and another specifically for inner wires-they’ll repay their investment countless times over.

Back to the forks; these are a keenly priced and relatively lightweight composite set with an alloy steerer, disc mount and 45 degree rake. Check out a full review in Seven Day Cyclist. http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/kinesis-dc37-disc-fork

Kinesis frames and forks are well made and this one seems particularly good for a budget fork; countering the perpetuating myth that composites go floppy with age, or should be arbitrarily replaced at specific intervals. Personally, I’m inclined to inspect regularly and, in the event of a serious tumble, consult a specialist and make an informed decision.

Bottom line, I’ll pension off anything dubious. The cost implications of new teeth, time off work, or the prospect of having shards of composite plucked from my derriere by an overworked and underpaid A&E nurse far exceeds that of a replacement post/handlebar/fork.

I was tempted to plump for their Crosslight. These are a slightly quirky, industrial looking 6061 set, which I’ve used to good effect on a cross inspired mtb mongrel. There's  only 70g separating them from the Dc37. 

However, while I’d describe the Crosslight as direct, rather than harsh; carbon blades translate into a more compliant ride. Ideal opportunity for headset replacement-another FSA, from the comfort of one’s kitchen, naturally. 

Talking of comfort, I am largely a MAMIL (Middle aged man in Lycra) for point to point blasts; though I’ve always had a soft spot for “messenger” longs, which are extremely practical for spirited riding, yet more suave, dare we say, socially appropriate sans bike.

Price is usually a good indicator; although I have three particular favourites are at each end of the spectrum (£25-£75). Given this backdrop, I was decidedly disappointed by another top drawer set commanding the lion’s share of £100. 

No denying their appeal sans saddle but the cut saw them ascending my thighs faster than an 80’s Columbian climber. Could just be a poor liner/short combo, so I’ll persevere for another 100miles or so before passing comment proper.

Elsewhere, I’d been eager to get my sweaty little mitts on tom-tom’s bandit action cam for some time, attracted by its spec and promise of user-friendly editing.

Suggestion that action cams, regardless of quality are serious film-making tools is misinformed. Limited focal length and sound recording quality are the most obvious limiters but they are a useful way of recording the highs n’ lows of a ride, broadcasting short, first-look promotional pieces on social media channels.

Convergence; crudely the adoption of SLR cameras for film-making and we can now edit footage without having access to professional editing suites. However, as Austin Vince pointed out during our interview; the grammar of television-the way in which stories are told remains unchanged and must be mastered first.

I’ve seen several “Uncle Bobs” produce abysmal wedding footage using completely stock, entry Level DSLRS in movie mode. Undeterred, I’m going to learn this language at my own pace, while having some uncomplicated fun with the Bandit…

Lubes, Trailers & Fixed Ideas

These samples from WD40 (parent company of the GT85 brand) and Free Parable T2 trailer have arrived on the Seven Day Cyclist test bench. First up we received those iconic red tins of PTFE infused water displacer that I’ve used since 1989. Excellent for sticky mechanisms, reluctant cables and as a frame flush/ masking agent for electroplate. Their degreaser; wet, dry and all conditions lubes arrived a few days later.

In many respects, the T2 is very different from the Yak pattern, although the coupling and swing arm system will be very familiar. High standards of manufacture run throughout. From the neat, uniform welds and bolt-on mono blade. Trailer wheels tend to be something of an afterthought. 

Though anything but exotic, the T2’s is a notch better than many OEM examples I’ve come across, turning on sealed fit n’ forget cartridge bearings.   

Having enjoyed a relatively restful few months, I’ve roused my cyclo ‘cross inspired fixer from its slumber. Back in 2005, it was acquired as a crate-fresh, stock MKII Ilpompino. 

These days, only the rear hoop and headset remain of the original build.

Traditionally, it has followed the fixed gear winter trainer narrative; full-length guards, rack, 28-32mm 60tpi tyres etc. However, last years’ conversion to a new, disc specific front end, two-tone powder coat makeover and a flurry of test kit has seen its incremental evolution. I’d call it a ‘cross/adventure hybrid; detractors would shout Frankenbike...

True; an 81 inch gear is too tall for anything sans asphalt and the rear triangle will only just entertain 32mm rubber. Gone are the Bontrager rack and full length chrome plastics in favour of these lovely 35mm Clement X’plor and Crud Racer clip-ons. Time ATAC4 have replaced the XLC dual sided Ritchey pattern SPDs and some minor, yet disturbing creaks were traced to its drive side, square taper crank bolt.

With an operating pressure between 55 and 90psi; firm centre ridge and soft diamond knobblies, the Clement are essentially mixed terrain tyres designed for unmade/roads and light trail fun.

The words dual-purpose are laden with negative connotations thanks to the awful OEM types that swept in with the 80’s mountain bike boom. These are worlds apart. Ours are the 120tpi versions; they’re also available in a stockier 60tpi casing, which would be my default for winter or weekend touring.

As you’d expect; rolling resistance is greater than a 120tpi 35mm slick, such as Vittoria Voyager hyper or Schwalbe Kojak. Similarly, they don’t slice through soft gloop like a thoroughbred ‘cross knobbly. Nonetheless, they’re responsive and keeping them rolling at 20odd mph is pretty effortless.

Cross-specific rubber when pushed hard on asphalt will squirm. I’ve been scorching along 1 in 7s at 30mph plus and to date; they’ve never missed a beat-rain or shine.

Formative impressions are of an extremely competent choice for riders looking to exploit their cross or gravel bike’s dual personality without needing to swap tyres.   

The same goes for the Crud guards. Aimed primarily at XC mountain bike audiences; these fit in the proverbial minute and have presented a simpler solution up front-especially since I’m using a headlock system in place of the SFN.

The Ilpompino’s mono-stay rear triangle seemed an ideal mounting point, maximising clearance while minimising air resistance-at least that’s my rationale’. On the subject of preload; a game of musical spacers addressed some minor slop in said machine’s OEM, cheap as chips; yet equally cheery FSA orbit.

Despite turning on bargain basement caged balls and slogging through some pretty harsh winters, its’ exceeded my expectations. Good quality grease, regular servicing, full-length guards certainly help.

However, I suspect we’re nearing the end of its useful life and I’ve a cartridge unit waiting in the wings... Elsewhere, good progress is being made with my children’s story collaboration. We’re agreeing new plotlines and Michael J Murphy is working on the visuals.   

      

Bubbling Beneath The Surface...

The past ten days have been a roller-coaster ride of highs n’ lows; my illustrator, Michael J Murphy has brought the main characters in my series of children’s stories alive as Jpegs. 

Given digital media dominates and portable devices have become the viewing tools of choice; we’re considering releasing a narrated version for younger children.

In keeping with our everyday focus at Seven Day Cyclist (www.sevendaycyclist.com    https://www.facebook.com/Sevendaycyclistmagazine/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel ), we’re awaiting delivery of an interesting trailer or two.

Some of the team are leaving their wives behind and heading off for a quick gander at the Czech Republic...

My strange and some would say; irrational love of crumbling Soviet military/industrial sites, coupled with an uncanny ability to get arrested, detained and interrogated by the authorities means I’ll be testing kit on domestic soil through June…

A recent dry spell enabled me to slather some of my home brewed waxy preserve over the KA’s chassis and underside. 

Build quality seems an improvement over its predecessors, suggesting there’s some truth in the long held belief that last-of-the line cars were the ones to go for, since all the faults had been ironed out. That said; rust behind the filler cap remains as problematic as ever.

Moisture gets trapped between the rubberised seal and bodywork. A distinct lack of galvanising means the elements nibble away unsupervised until the bubbling becomes apparent. Thankfully, remedial action wasn’t too intensive. 

Having removed any flaking paint, I sanded the affected area; then added two light coats of Krust; a water-based neutralising agent before turning my attentions to my two-wheeled fleet while it cured.

Some minor play had crept back into the Holdsworth’s headset bearings, swiftly cured by a quick bit of spacer shuffling and introducing a 2mm “carbon” unit beneath the stem cap. 

Forty miles hence, suggests this unexpected flash of inspiration has solved the problem. 

WD40 water displacer is one of those truly iconic products; look in any household cupboard, garage, bike shop and chances are, you’ll find the blue aerosol (or 5 litre solution) sitting on a shelf/workbench.It’s not particularly kind to seals and other rubberised parts but inhibits corrosion, prevents squeaks, lubricates cables, pivot points, mechanisms etc. 

GT85 is another justly popular, Teflon fortified maintenance spray, which keeps these areas slicker for longer. It’s also owned by WD40 and they’ve also launched a bike specific GT85 range including bike wash, dry lube, degreaser and silicone polish.

While my preference (and that of many bicycle/motorcycle dealerships) errs towards high quality beeswax furniture polishes; dirt cheap, they achieve high quality, lasting sheens on painted, plated and polished surfaces with minimal effort. Silicone products also nourish plastics and rubberised components-suspension elastomers, seals being obvious candidates.

Traditionally, silicone based polishes-bike specific, or otherwise have tended to quickly cultivate grimy patinas. Credit where it’s due, while this formula still seduces some filmy grime, it is easily dismissed (almost as quickly as these U-locks) given a quick, soft-cloth onceover, though the lion’s share of protectant remains. Looking forward to putting the rest of their range through its paces...

John Moss is another perpetual fettler, perhaps unsurprising given his engineering career. In common with coach-builders and other engineering grade trades I’ve encountered in the past, he’s been trained to discover weaknesses and improve designs accordingly. His Mango being a prime example; Alfine 11sped hub, much bigger ring instated, gearing now permits 35mph at modest cadences and theoretically in excess of 80mph on a long descent!

Richard Ballantine once suggested that having motorcycle experience can be very beneficial when pushing recumbents hard-I was somewhat smitten with his “Speedy” during this period and would certainly indulge today...Along with some kind of 850cc trike project if other priorities and space permitted.

John affirmed that his ten years spent riding large capacity motorcycles develops an intuitive understanding of exactly when to push and of course, to back off.  He’s also learning to work with glass fibre and appears to have commandeered the couple’s trailer for solo shopping runs and other errands. The hitch is presently undergoing refinement so it tracks more accurately behind the Mango...   

Back to the KA

Next came three light coats of red oxide primer. Ideally a colour coat would’ve been applied but in my experience, these will keep the region solid and grot free. Before reinstating the filler cap assembly, introduce some decent quality, rubber friendly grease to the seal. It won’t cure the problem but greatly inhibits further bouts of grot and therefore, more intensive exorcism.

If you’ve bought a late model MK1 with no signs of corrosion in this region, I’d recommend a similar strip-out before filler and more serious intervention’s needed...

Fending off Storm Katie

The Teenage Dream has to be one of the trickiest configurations where fitting full-length mudguards is concerned (fenders, should you prefer) hence my delight when an editor sent me a pair of BBB BFD22 Slim guards. The Dutch brand asserts these will accommodate pretty much any road biased frameset-within reason and with the sensible caveat, that some minor adaptation/compromise may be required. 

Their video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fIB3-cyvvM) makes fitting look incredibly straightforward but my quaint n’ contrary road build from 1991 still had some surprises in store. Ultimately, achieving sufficient clearance meant filing the rear mounting bracket and substituting the 25mm B’Twin X light for a Lifeline’s virtually slick, prime armour road tyre.

I could’ve forgone the rear’s lower section (arguably the only option for bikes with curved seat tubes) but doing so was an aesthetic no-no. Besides, the whole idea is to prevent the seat tube and to a greater extent, front mech and bottom bracket shell getting blasted with dodgy, gritty water!  

Having also discovered said bike’s front hoop was suffering from a minor wibble and flat spot (an occupational hazard given the local infrastructure’s poor condition just now). Alan at Riverside cycle centre kindly popped it on his jig and tamed any samba dancing tendencies within a matter of minutes-for a measly fiver!

Fag paper clearances foxed; aside from some minor tweaking (including some glue to achieve more secure bond between stays and sections) the joys of a dry derriere and relatively clean bike have been fully realised, despite the wet and windy wrath of hurricane Katie. This photogenic couple also seemed to approve!

Matt finishes stir mixed emotions in me. When I lived and rode in London’s less salubrious, transient districts characterised by bedsits and brothels, flat colours were a great means of keeping motor/cycles under a thieves’ radar.

However, it wasn’t long before this urban warrior theme caught on commercially, thus inviting unwanted introspection from thieves. BBB offer these in any colour you like, so long as its stealth black that compliments contemporary and traditional road builds very convincingly. Think I’ll add retro-reflective stickers at key points and know I’ve some plug-in mud flaps hiding in the spares stash-somewhere...

Next phase of fleet fettling is to replace the Teenage Dream’s fork sensor battery (computer is registering big fat zero, though digits suitably bold) and address the Holdsworth’s headset play. Nothing serious-just a question of adding a spacer or two and possibly substituting the so-so expander wedge for something more substantial.     

Talking of commercial, Green Oil announced they will be joining Lee Cooper and some others in advertising with Seven Day Cyclist. www.sevendaycyclist.com

Simon Nash has also sent us their latest range of anti/lubes, greases, which includes SLIP-the brands first foray into general purpose lubes. Plant based, it’s reportedly suitable for chains, bearings, locks, hinges and other moving parts.

They also suggest its safe on rubberised components, plastics too.  We’ll be putting them through the mill over the coming weeks and longer term, to see how they compare with previous blends and petrochemical competition. We’ve also received the MK3 eco-brush.

Previous versions were extremely effective on tyres, chain rings, cassettes, hubs and other drivetrain components. I’d shied away from paintwork and other delicate finishes, such as silicone/polymer based handlebar coverings, so it will be interesting to see whether the softer bristle plot can deliver all-round.   

Elsewhere, my illustrator is confident he will have brought the characters for my series of children’s stories to life by close of April and I’m working on some new storylines/adventures.

This trike also came under my radar while mooching around the midlands. Seems to be based around a Reliant engine and Honda CB750 front end-didn’t have chance to speak with the owner but would love to know more, so will drop by another time.