Snow & Ice= Spikes

Plummeting temperatures finally heralded the arrival of snow and ice. Conditions the tabloid press were wetting themselves over for weeks, presumably a great distraction from other, politically engineered chaos crippling the UK. Warm banks because an increasing number cannot afford to heat their homes, food and fuel poverty on a wider level... Not scenarios associated with an advanced economy. 

Rant over. I’ve gone for the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro up front and the 1.75 Schwalbe Winter Plus at the rear, since there was insufficient room at Ursula’s rear triangle for the bigger tyre. Now, (this is the case for all spiked tyres) spikes need to be bedded in on dry tarmac for around 25miles before letting rip on icy, or snowy roads. Last Tuesday was switch day and bedding in was done on Wednesday morning at 430am.  

Spikes tend to add a bit of weight and resistance to things, so expect to drop a gear or two lower than you ordinarily might. This is accompanied by a gravelly patter, which quickly becomes comforting, especially when it's slippery.  

I’ve always been impressed by the Winter Plus, and their lowlier 120 spike Winter TESTED: SCHWALBE WINTER SPIKED TYRES (sevendaycyclist.com) but the Ice Spiker Pro are a few notches higher, thanks to the extensive proliferation of tungsten carbide spikes (362 in this instance). The advantages are immediately obvious when cornering or accelerating. No momentary losses of traction whatsoever, just lots of big grins.  

For the time being, the spikes will stay-they're by far the best option for slippery wintry roads. Madison Madison.co.uk – The UK’s largest cycle parts & accessories distributor has sent me some Maxxis Overdrive Excel. Marketed as a “trekking” tyre, they’re a dual compound model reckoned to cope in all weather and handle mixed terrain riding. Looking at the tread pattern, there are some passing, superficial similarities between them and the CST Expedium fitted to my fixed gear winter/trainer.  

However, the Expedium are only available in 26x1.75, while the Overdrive Excel are 26x2.0. This may be a moot point, or a deal-breaker, depending on your frame clearances and tastes. These days, I prefer a 1.95/2.0 section for Ursula but obviously, 1.75 and spikes is the way forward in wintry contexts, where clearance can become trickier on an older XC frameset running full-length mudguards (fenders).  

Other differences include theoretically superior puncture protection, given the Overdrive Excel’s “Silk Shield” runs bead to bead. Reflective sidewalls are another good bet during the darker months and indeed, daily drivers generally. 740g apiece is relatively light, for this genre and size of tyre too, so it’ll be interesting to see how they compare with Kenda Kwick Journey KS Plus KENDA KWICK JOURNEY TYRES | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) (Also comes in a 26x1.75, along with several 700C options.) The basic Schwalbe Land Cruiser (26x2.0) are 887g. Mick Madgett finished a quick tune up of Ursula’s Ryde Andra/SP SD8 wheel SHUTTER PRECISION SD8 HUB DYNAMO | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

 

Elsewhere, I was somewhat stunned to find this little Topeak Taillux 30 USB Rear Light had popped in two. Specifically, the lens had separated from the base, while I was gently picking it up from the charging table. It was a clean “break” suggesting the adhesive had just lost its bond.  

This enabled me to ogle the internals with a child-like curiosity, although obviously, I left well alone and rejoined case and lens with some Gorilla glue. I’m very fond of the three-mode, 30-lumen light and for that matter, its bigger, 100lumen sibling TOPEAK TAILLUX 100 REAR LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) so hoping this repair holds long-term.  I’ve left it curing at room temperature for the full 24 hours... 

Staying with lights, I had some unexpected mount woes with the See Sense BEAM+ but See Sense since sent me a replacement. The original was susceptible to annoying vibration when navigating anything other than virgin tarmac and that’s been conspicuous by its absence.  

Weldtite has very graciously supplied me with a replacement drive pin for my Cyclo Chain Breaker and are sending me their Ceramic coating kit, which is designed to protect the frame and components, making it easier to keep clean. Right now, conditions are perfect for assessing its worth and besides, anything that extends cleaning intervals is very welcome!  Now, I’m always drawn to products that claim to be all-weather.  Now in some respects, this can mean absolutely anything.  

However, in terms of chain lubes, it tends to imply a blend that is primarily brewed to resist the worst weather. Weldtite Ceramic WELDTITE CERAMIC LUBE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) has held on very well, despite the freezing conditions. Motoverde PTFE Chain Lube Motoverde PTFE Chain Lube | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) is another very tenacious blend looking at the fixed’s chain is showing no signs of waning. Much like this disco brakes dual colour silver wavey disc rotor Disco Disc Brake Pads and Wavey Rotors | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)

Beast From The East

Swooshing along the snowy backroads, I bit into a somewhat al-dente chocolate bar, broke my tooth and promptly swallowed it, complete with crown! There isn’t much tooth remaining, which presented my dentist with a dilemma.

Mercifully, its salvageable. He’s proposing to use a series of metal pins to provide a framework for a replacement crown. I also need a filling but frankly, I’m just relieved any damage done is fully repairable.  

Aside from mourning my lost smile, the remainder of this week’s riding was pleasantly uneventful.

Tuesday’s conditions threatened to be more adverse, so I switched over to the 118 spike Schwalbe https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/schwalbe-winter-spiked-tyre . The carbide spikes are showing signs of wear, not enough that I’m worried about going rubber-up. Nonetheless, I’ll invest in a new kit, before we hit skid city.

Weather forecasts, here in the UK at least tend to overplay any incoming front. Anecdotally, I suspect this stems from Michael Fish’s failure to predict the storm of October 1987. However, the “Beast from the East” arrived with a vengeance, bringing considerable snowfall. The sort that Land Rover defenders take in their stride but sees SUVs spinning their wheels, and drifting.

The Schwalbe active winter may be their baseline, spiked model but there’s nothing low-rent about their performance. Bustling along the backroads at 18mph, while their chevron tread sweeps away the deep, virgin snow along completely deserted lanes. Spikes biting into the ice beneath, providing traction and inspiring confidence.

Tainted smile hidden behind my North Wave balaclava and hands toasty in BTwin 700 cold weather gloves https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/btwin-700-cold-weather-gloves  , I was certainly grinning, despite the mercury struggling to hit minus 2. Monday was colder, thanks to the ruthless wind-chill, which in real term translated as minus 6. Its been a good deal colder overnight.  

Over the past few rides, the SKS lube has turned a sticky black but seems relatively tenacious, clinging on very convincingly to the links, despite these very wintry conditions. Other observations include its readiness transfer to hands, something I’d expect from a wet blend… Anyhow, 130 miles, as set by the Smoove Universal chain lube https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/smoove-universal-chain-lube  is the number to beat.

Talking of dry types, the Weldtite TF2 ultra dry clocked up 105 before being completely stripped by the elements. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/tf2  Once the SKS (and the present climate) starts receding, I’ll switch to Finish line 1-step cleaner and lubricant and for the fixed, Finish Line Ceramic Wet.

There’s an old belief that winter bikes need better prep, since they’ll get less maintenance. I see the argument for stiffer greases and lubes, since bikes get exposed to harsher conditions. I had toyed with stripping and re-greasing the Univega’s bottom (headset) race.

Chickened out-on account of the cold, its sporting full-length guards and I delivered a healthy dollop of ceramic stuff during its revamp last January. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/after-the-gritters-went-home  Pencilled this surgery in for next week, when things thaw out a little.  I’m firmly of the opinion that bikes should get washed regularly, to rinse away corrosive salts, grime etc.

Debate rages about the most appropriate sorts and seems polarised between those who like bike specific washes and those erring towards household detergents. I’m not fond of the latter but sudsy car wash n’ wax formulas are a useful default, since they impart a layer of protective wax, which also saves time.

Some bike washes are designed to react with water i.e. on contact with a wet frame. In my experience, this isn’t necessarily any better or worse, in the grime shifting stakes. There’s also an argument that visually foaming formulas give the impression of working faster, when in fact, less lively potions bite into and, dissolve the grime more efficiently.  

Either way; rinsing bikes with cold water first strips anything caustic. Using hot simply accelerates the corrosive nastiness. I’ve been sent Guy Martins’ Proper Cleaner for review in another publication. Too early to comment on its performance, relative to others, but the subtle formula has shifted  the week’s accumulated spatter, with minimal user effort.