Once again,
Ursula's front mech began misbehaving. The first time, I returned and
discovered some slop in the Hollowtech II crankset. Hmm, curious, but nothing a
quick tweak of the bearing tension wouldn't fix, right?
The
following outing and yep, the play hard returned, signalling the ti bottom
bracket's cartridge bearings were spent. I'd bought a couple of XT units in
preparation for this, or similar expiry.
No time like the present.
Being well
greased, the crankset and bottom bracket released very easily. I gave Ursula's
bottom bracket shell a careful cleaning, introduced some Oxford Mint Assembly
Grease Oxford Mint Assembly Grease |
cycling-not-racing, applied a light coating to the XT
bottom bracket and then sped it home. Talking of grease, Steve’s been long term
testing this Blub Lithium GreaseBlub Lithium Grease | cycling-not-racing
I went the
deep clean route with the rings and spider a ride or two later but was more
concerned with getting everything home and ruling out anything else. I reached
for the Peaty’s Speed GreasePEATY'S SPEED GREASE | cycling-not-racing and applied
this to the Deore cranksets axle, reducing the friction, while keeping
corrosion and similar hassles at bay. A quick nudge of the 10mm preload cap,
confirmed my diagnosis was correct, the titanium unit’s ceramic bearings were
indeed shot.
Double
checked, I wound the pinch bolts home to 14nm, spun the cranks-all sorted.
Another little job off the list, although in retrospect, I might've been better
served going for the XT following Ursula's frame refurb and modification. Some greasy finger marks adorning the right
chainstay and bottom bracket shell were effortlessly dismissed with the BBB Bio
Ready wash and a retired sock.
During this
phase, I was also convinced I had another, a third Hollowtech II bottom bracket
hiding away in the spares boxes. With a little time
on my hands, I took this opportunity to root around, emerging victorious. It
features the usual fit n’ forget bearings, aluminium cups and a composite component.
This saves 20g or so over the titanium Van Nicholas, although I’m confident the
bearings won’t last nearly so long. Nice
to have another handy, though-even if only as a stop-gap.
A few weeks and many mixed terrain miles down the line, the CST Patrol continue to impress with their all-rounder prowess, proving suitably swift on pockmarked asphalt, unmade roads and dirt trails. Impossible to comment on their mud churning prowess given it's been refreshingly dry of late. The EPS belt seems similarly effective at keeping flints and other sharps from causing mischief. However, rains and boggy conditions may tell a different story.
Staying with tyres and inflation, I’m extremely
fond of mini-inflators, which while not quite magic bullets, save time and
effort when recovering from wounded butyl. I’ve tested a fair few in recent
months and to date, my favourite is the CYC PLUS AS2 Pro Max E PumpCycPlus AS2 Pro Max E.Pump |
cycling-not-racing . The relatively large battery will
inflate up to 4 tyres between charges, which is great for longer rides,
especially bigger volume gravel and mountain bike rubber. It also features a
digital pressure gauge, taking the guesswork out of things, so there’s only
operator error to blame if you’ve whacked in too much pressure.
More compact
models fit better in jersey pockets. I’m fond of Muc Off’s Air Mach Electric
Mini Inflator Muc-Off Air Mach Electric Mini Inflator |
cycling-not-racing
it charges from zero to 100 in 25 minutes and capable of 100psi.
However, and this goes for other designs with 7.5v 300mAh batteries, I’d
advocate carrying a decent pump as a backup, should you succumb to a further,
or multiple flats during a ride.
Against this
backdrop, I’d spotted their PRO version, which in my view is a great improvement
and could give the competition a good run for your hard earned. £100 buys a
model capable of 120psi and will inflate up to 4 tyres between charges, which
only take a few minutes longer than the standard model. This is also quite
impressive, given Muc-Off has opted for a 7.4v 450mAh, which improves power
output but without unduly increasing bulk.
The Pro also
incorporates a digital gauge and auto cutout when the desired pressure is
reached, which is super convenient and a very welcome upgrade. Other
improvements include a screw on extension hose for TPU valves since these can melt
(it’s also recommended when tackling Schrader), a ball needle for footballs,
beach balls and similar items we may pick up on a family, or group ride.
The instructions give guide times for various tyre sizes when fully charged. 26inch isn’t included but there are sufficient comparators for me to cross reference claims during testing.
This Velo21 mini adjustable torque driver wrench. Unlike the preset types I’ve been testing recently, its adjustable between 4, 5 and 6nm, which should cater for contact points- a seat post adjustment, loose stem face, Aheadset bearings, cable pinch bolts, 6 bolt disc rotors, disc callipers to name but a few. Formative impressions are favourable, as is the price, so we'll see what the next few weeks and regular fettling reveal...
