Horses For Courses

 

April is renowned for showery, changeable weather and the past couple of weeks have been no exception. I’m sticking with wet lubes, since they’ll stay put in these contexts. That said, it’s crucial to give the side plates, derailleur jockey wheels, and cages a weekly wipe, ideally with a rag dipped in solvent.  

The Zefal Extra Wet Nano Ceramic ZEFAL EXTRA WET NANO CERAMIC CHAIN LUBE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and Motovede PTFE Chain Lube Motoverde PTFE Chain Lube | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) are particularly stoical, although the latter requires 12 hours to cure properly.  

Shimano has recently announced a switch to cartridge bearings. This gave me cause to contemplate Ursula’s XT, which is still using the original balls. Now, bearing types are, unfortunately, not cross-compatible. I.e., a hub designed for balls cannot use cartridges and vice versa.  

If they were, I’d be going the cartridge route. I’ve bought the best quality (grade 10) balls and will introduce these to coincide with a grease test.  Basic bearings can be as low as 100 grade, which denotes something generic- functional but less accurately machined and more prone to wear, pitting and other corrosion.  

Synthetic greases are my preference, especially when it comes to contact points and threaded components. Bottom brackets, derailleurs, freewheels, bottle cage, mudguard, and carrier mounts. Hubs and headsets with seals, too. Same goes for anything with metals of different parentage.  

Fluted aluminium alloy seat posts and Quill stems/adaptors in steel frames were notorious for galvanic seizure. Sure, ahead stems have long been the dominant system. However, there are plenty of people wanting to retain a beloved classic's originality and the odd new retro build with a threaded setup.  

Similarly, the humble quill to Ahead converter enables older bikes to run contemporary bars and stems- without forgoing the original fork. MTB to gravel or touring lorry conversions being obvious candidates.  

Mudguards, no matter how solid eventually warp and fail, 4 years and close to 40,000 miles later, the Blumels Shiny are beginning to show some obvious signs of wear. The rubberised components that dampen vibration have perished and earlier this week, my sensibilities were offended by a low-level rattling.  

I pulled over and found a rivet securing guard and stays had failed. I was only a few miles from home, so rode back and decided the best route would be to clean and dry the affected area, then bond them together with superglue, clamping them in situ to cure. Glues may set within 10 minutes, at least in ideal conditions but I like to leave things overnight, longer if possible.  

Ultimately, the repair didn’t take. Replacing the rivet was another option but I decided this would be unnecessarily invasive, so went for a beefy zip tie instead. This also failed, revealing further deterioration, so after some deliberation, I decided to retire both and contemplate the way forward. I will obviously fit good quality guards (fenders) of some genre, they may not be traditional chrome plastics... 

I also discovered the Sigma BC 9.16 ATS Computer SIGMA BC9.16 ATS WIRELESS CYCLE COMPUTER | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) sensor battery had died, sop time to replace that. I should point out this is not the original, rather a third-party unit, so three months, or so’s daily service for a “pound shop” special isn’t bad going.  Then of course, the fixed’s VDO head unit came out in sympathy, so I replaced that, too.        

By far the most solid full-length mudguards I have ever used are Tortec Reflector. These lasted ten years before fatigue finally claimed the chrome plastics at key areas. Four seasons-snow, ice, bitter cold, hell and frequently high water. Tortec made some equally solid racks, too.  

All this presented the ideal opportunity to get some miles in on the fixed gear winter/trainer, which saw less winter action, courtesy of the persistently icy conditions. Contexts demanding spikes, hence my defaulting to Ursula. Talking of upgrades, I’ve concluded that while the existing KMC are very cheerful, I’m better served by a higher-end model, such as the Z1X (which has returned 3,000 miles in very harsh conditions).  

By the same token, I still have a couple of S1 in stock, and they perform well enough, so I’ll use those before considering said upgrade. Icy crosswinds and bracing headwinds reminded me why I don’t go steeper than 76inches- quick enough for cruising on the flat, doesn’t see me spinning into the next dimension on the descents and I’m not busting my knees on the climbs. 

Talking of favourites, I’ve gone back to the Shimano RX600 Shimano SH RX600 Gravel Cycling Shoes | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) shoes and their vastly superior power transfer. Much closer to a traditional road shoe, just with a little more compliance and a very grippy sole. It shouldn’t be inferred that Shimano MT701 GTX SPD Shoes Shimano MT701 GTX SPD Shoes | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) are also rans-far from. I remain a big fan.  

Rather, it's horses-for-courses- they’re a better bet for bike packing and more traditional touring/commuting. Contexts where you might want a sole with some extra give. FLR Rexston Active Touring/trail Shoe are another solid choice, if you’re on a tighter budget FLR REXSTON ACTIVE TOURING/TRAIL SHOE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

Revisions

Chain and cassette replaced, I still had a good 250 miles or so to go before nearing anything like a conclusion regarding the Halo Fixed G hub and fat cog system. Wet, greasy lanes with waterlogged sections, mulched equine dung were perfect and rather welcome, given the mild February we’d been experiencing. A subtle “phantom” squeak permeated my serenity. Snugging the track nuts and 8mm crank bolts down proved the antidote.

This gold anodized Halo skewer presented itself, so I thought “why not”. Cured some very minor pad rub, which pipped up, when I was out of the saddle, and dancing up the climbs. Disc rotor was true, cables and callipers were correctly adjusted, and everything behaved impeccably on the workstand (doesn’t it always?).

Therefore, perhaps a tighter union at the dropouts…Niggle, and episodic tinkle muted.  The passport anti rust single speed chain continues to do its thing silently, and the galvanised surface does an excellent job of retaining lubricant.

I was a little surprised to discover some orange taint. Especially since Weldtite TF2 extreme wet lube https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/weldtite-tf2-extreme-wet-chain-lubr  is one of the most tenacious (albeit not the cleanest) wet lubes I’ve used to date.  

The watery corrosion vanished, upon contact with a clean rag. Some Squirt chain lube arrived for testing, so I treated the transmission to some Green Oil chain degreaser jelly, as part of a sudsy bucket spruce-up. Talking of which, Steve’s been putting Silkolene wash off, to the test https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/silkolene-wash-off

A reminder that Spring can still prove very wet and mucky, so I’ll leave the KMC dressed in its factory lube. Once that’s thinning, I’ll swap to the Squirt. Dressing appropriately for the changeable conditions, is another challenge.  Thankfully, softshell jerseys and ¾ lengths with water repelling top layers plug the gap.

Early morning outings are still quite chill too. I’ve always found this very refreshing and for the time being, I’m still sporting a “Belgian style” cap beneath my lid and Oxford Bright 4.0 gloves https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/oxford-1 . I pack a buff and the Oxford bright waterproof cycle gloves 3.0 https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/oxford-bright-3-0-gloves  on longer rides, when temperatures can climb into the low teens.   

Full length guards make a world of difference, keeping bike and rider, presentable. Cue the Univega and putting miles on the Selle Italia Sport Gel Flow FEC-Alloy saddle.

Thus far, its proving music to one’s derriere, whether I’ve been cruising along the asphalt, or tackling more technical terrain. Soft, yet supportive, which can be a very difficult balance to strike.

The relatively narrow profile is also very conducive to fast tempos, although I’m generally cruising along at 85-90rpm. Another intermittent phantom squeak (traced to the M45’s jockey wheels), prompted me to carry a small dropper bottle of simple lube.

Saddles and pedals are the first components I replace, on off the peg bikes (purchased, rather than tested). The Inbred, fitted to my stock MKII Ilpompino, was a notable exception. It eventually migrated to my MTB based crosser, with similarly pleasing results.

That had 46cm road drops, which were up to the job in the “Use what you got” tradition. It was On-One Midge drops, that really turned me on to the big, swoopy sort. The 25.4mm versions were a bit whippy but the 31.8 firmed things up a treat.

WTB Mountain drop bars are another firm favourite of mine. Especially for a rough stuff tourer, or tagalong/trailer tug, although to my knowledge, they’re no longer made. No surprise then, that I was generally impressed by Soma Fabrications Condor https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/soma .

Something of a talking point, the shape generally suited me. However, the original pastern had some drawbacks. Soma have revised the shape. The MK2’s top sections are also straighter, allowing easy fitment/alignment of lights, and more hand space. That said; drops and hoods, are my go-to defaults.

Speaking of revision, it’s been a good few years since I towed Joshua behind, on the tagalong. He turned 16 this week and will be sitting his GCSEs this summer. That chapter of my life remains ingrained, almost thirty years hence.

Provisional places on courses at FE college. The opportunity to study subjects I was interested in, focused my mind. Riding kept me sane in between revision, exams and anxiously awaiting results. Whether examinations, is the best means of assessing knowledge, or competence, is somewhat debateable.

Nonetheless, undertaking previous papers, to strict exam conditions, will hone these skills, and is, like time trialling-the race of truth. It will reveal where your weaknesses, and gaps in your knowledge lie. Everyone’s different but don’t sit more than two “mocks” per day, tops.

Remain structured, it’s easy to kid yourself your knowledge is better than it really is. Or, at the other extreme, hammer yourself into the ground. Papers aside, set revision in two-hour blocks, and slot in regular food and sanity breaks.