Small House Inspiration

There’s no getting away from the fact that flashes of inspiration often strike on the toilet. Well, my bathroom toilet, not the infamous festival Dav Lavs, or those few remaining public facilities, which though welcome are of variable quality and clientele. Spacer choice and height are not something easily focused upon when the person in the next cubicle announces they’ve missed a vein or is about to give birth... I digress... 

Having replaced Ursula’s spacers, mid-ride, I was musing about going the Star Fangled Nut route and holding the Blumels mudguard in situ with a compression plug- I had two bouncing around in the small parts drawer. However, I quickly dismissed this idea. No sense in over-complicating matters unnecessarily. As I’ve said before, the Gusset Headlock system gives some added security, should a fork/steerer crisis strike and while the SFN and plug trick might save a few grams, any benefits are otherwise negligible. 

 

That said; I may revisit, next time I strip and re-grease, or indeed, replace the Stronglight O’lite Aheadset. I spotted another, from a reputable supplier and at the right price, so bought, while I still could and before BREXIT’s “benefits” really bite. Otherwise, I’m pleased with the carbon fork switch-compliance remains the biggest plus and when I say compliant, I don’t mean whippy.  

Lateral stiffness is reassuringly good too. I’ve gone for the version with V/canti posts, since it’s nice to have options, although in practice, disc is my default. Having run it with the weightier Alfine hub wheel, I’ve switched to the Shutter Precision SD8 SHUTTER PRECISION SD8 HUB DYNAMO | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), which saves 213g, so will be interesting to see if there’s any discernible difference.   

I’ve regularly wondered about titanium forks- not necessarily for Ursula (my fixed gear winter/trainer being another obvious candidate).  

Justin Burls and his Torus range of ti components TORUS TITANIUM STEM (sevendaycyclist.com) are particularly well made. A Guide To Seatposts | Seven Day Cyclist However, others crop up periodically. Where these are concerned. I’d want a much closer look at the welds, threads etc since the devil is very much in the detail. Otherwise, Ti could well and truly outlast me- by some margin. I’d contemplate having them painted too. Corrosion’s a moot point but could draw the wrong kind of attention.  

As August rolls out, I’ve been doing some further “while I’m at it” tweaking and prepping. Removed the Fixed gear winter/trainer’s seat post, shot a blast of oily grease into the seat tube and applied some Peaty’s Bicycle Assembly Grease PEATY'S BICYCLE ASSEMBLY GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) to the post and raised it by a few milimetres.  

Dawn is arriving later, and the nights are subtly drawing in, meaning I’m using “proper” lighting more regularly. By proper lighting, I’m referring to the K-Lite dynamo systems and Magicshine Ray 2600 Smart Remote Bike Light on the Holdsworth and Teenage Dream. Not in the navigational sense per se (although that need is very slowly creeping closer, but more presence).  

The Orp Smart Horn’sTESTED: ORP SMART HORN (sevendaycyclist.com) 150 lumen flashing modes are OK in these contexts, but I prefer greater punch. Ravemen LR 500s RAVEMEN LR500S FRONT LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) is another particularly useful compact light for these contexts-especially for extended evening play times on the best bike. Talking of which, the Green Oil Dry Chain Wax is performing well, given the very arid conditions. I’ve gone well past the 120-mile mark., with no hint of waning.  

Not that impressive, compared with some petrochemical, or hybrid blends I hear you cry. However, it's cited as 80 miles per application, transfer to hands, legs and indeed, trousers is minimal and unlike some, curing times are also very quick-so practical for impromptu rides, touring, or commuting. Gear changes are light, frisky-just the way I like them, and continuing the clean theme, it attracts minimal dust, dirt, or similar contaminant. Right, that it for this week, I'll leave you with my review of the Souma Leather Handlebar Tape Souma Leather Handlebar Tape | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  

 

Silencing the stoppers & quieting the mind

A few weeks and 400 miles down the line, I’ve been delighted by the performance benefits offered by the Swiss Stop rotors. Oodles of stopping prowess, no squeal, or other intrusive noise. No loss of power on longer descents either and lateral stiffness means they haven’t felt whippy, when braking hard-say to avoid a mange et tois with red deer, who like to leave crossing to the last minute. They’re staying!  

Now the climate is becoming more spring-like, and the days longer, my thoughts are also turning towards getting some early morning miles in, on the Teenage Dream. When dropping the Halo White Line rim and Shutter Precision PD8 hub off with Mick Madgett, I was somewhat mesmerised by a late 70’s Mercian.  

Beautiful, with period proper components. Ok, so I’m anything but purist, though can appreciate this narrative and I was momentarily whisked back several decades. Non aero cables, down tube shifters, white bar tape.  

Contrast that with the Teenage Dream’s 531c frame, carbon fork, dual pivot calipers, Aheadset, Time ATAC pedals, Cinelli Sub 8 mini tri bars. I’ve switched the Freedom Thick slick tyre for this Schwalbe Lugano TESTED: SHWALBE LUGANO ROAD CYCLING TYRES (sevendaycyclist.com) since I noticed some formative sidewall damage.  I had planned to switch the Selle SMP Strike for a BBB Echelon but I discovered (to my astonishment) that the Echelon’s rails were incompatible with the Thompson post’s cradle. 

 

Would’ve shaved a few grams from the build. Not that the Teenage Dream could ever be described as weighty (although the original grey Look pedals I bought in February 1992, as an introduction to clipless were decidedly “solid”). Nonetheless, I still have the ARC and some similarly solid Shimano SPD from that era-which by contrast, make an appearance from time to time.   

Easter brought with it some unseasonably warm, dry weather, so rude not to whip TD off its hook, pop some wind in the tyres, a shot of Jokker 440 on the cables. It's still dark at 5 am, when I head out, so on went this Magicshine  Ray 2600 Smart Remote Bike Light, which as the name suggests, delivers 2600lumens, top whack but thankfully, there's a fair bit of tunability and I find the 1300 lumen setting provides more than enough bite for the backroads.  

A wired remote, similar to that employed by Raveman (PR 2400 USB Rechargeable Front Light with Remote RAVEMEN PR2400 FRONT LIGHT (sevendaycyclist.com) and the PR 1200 RAVEMEN PR 1200 DUAL LENS FRONT LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). Concluding the lighting theme, here’s my review of the Lelumia The Beast Rear Light LELUMIA THE BEAST REAR LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) Oh, and a reminder to check older models for battery leakage. Luckily I was able to salvage the Teenage Dreams before any damage was done-a quick shot of Jokker 440 on the contacts and fresh AAA cells saved the day. 

 

It may look like it’s straddling two decades but the bike’s specification works for me, on a very practical level. It’s still a blast to ride-on dry, sunny days, naturally. Besides, there are so many memories tied up in that frameset- it's been with me throughout my adult life and through its twists n’ turns. It was built during a recession, which I was largely sheltered from, having the good fortune of two parents with solid, well-paid careers.  

I wasn’t alone in that respect, but I had it easier than many counterparts. Over thirty years later, I’ve seen living standards and expectations for many people-even those with solid academic/vocational backgrounds fall. I’m relieved to have been able to invest in myself, parents and friends who encouraged me. Though all things are possible, and there has always been rich and poor, I never envisioned a time when there would be large numbers of people facing food insecurity.  

Not to mention the soaring costs, of this and other essentials-energy, fuel (petrol and diesel, rather than home energy per se). Some commentators have suggested the UK is on the verge of civil unrest but in practice, this is unlikely. Aside from the reversion of people’s rights to peacefully protest, the UK public tends to grumble behind closed doors, rather than take to the streets.