Happy Holidays

Managed to steal away to the midlands for a few days and got a look at John Moss’s new fully faired Sinner Mango. He only took delivery the week before and I first spotted him whizzing past on Christmas morning while I washed and waxed my KA.

Frustrated at finding myself bereft of camera, thus missing that moment, I subsequently emailed John and we arranged to meet before he headed out for a Boxing Day blast down to his sister’s.

Speaking of the elderly eight-valve Ford, 150,000miles marked another full service (£122 including parts, labour and VAT). This basically consisted of 10w/40 engine oil, filer, pollen filter, grease and other top-up fluids.

Christmas night was spent doing some light trace photography, which drew the attention of several passers by and of course, the law. Thankfully, everyone was brimming with seasonal cheer and ultimately, left me, tripod and Samsung mini CSC unmolested.

John has taken the electronic option in case he should run out of grunt many miles from home but has been topping 33mph on the formative, local outings and under his own steam.

Glancing inside the Kevlar shell finished in yellow 2pac and integrated electrics/lighting aside; the layout is reminiscent of Mike Burrow’s iconic Speedy/similarly high end recumbent trikes.  Twist grip shifters command a Rohloff hub transmission and more traditional front mech, double ring set up.

He’s added a bit more cushioning around the headrest and is sticking with the hard shell, all weather cover. Suffice to say, he’s delighted, less so the couple’s cat’s, who are now barred from the workshop!

Elsewhere, rumour has it Lee Cooper is making a return to building under his own name and Heidi, my intern has been working on the social side of Stenning photographic. I have already lined up some interesting photographic projects and working on relocation. A new batch of test kit is also keeping me productive and out of mischief during the corridor between Christmas and New Year.

Contact points are extremely personal, so guaranteed to divide opinion. In terms of damping and control, I’ve always liked Lizard Skins DSP range, although it’s much higher maintenance than corks or similarly traditional coverings. Silicone rubber is beginning to enter the fold.

After six months daily service and despite some tell-tale stretch marks (resultant from minor over-tensioning), the Genetic wrap remains in rude health six months and many mucky miles hence.

Widget components also offer a similar covering, this time with a dimpled texture for improved grip in really wet, slippery conditions. This one costs a few quid more and comes in five colours, complete with expandable wedge plugs.

The naturally sticky texture rules adhesive backings redundant, meaning it’s easily unwound to correct aesthetic imperfection and doesn’t render it bin fodder in the event of cable replacement or handlebar swaps.

Most coverings are pretty generous these days to accommodate broad, oversized drops, so I wasn’t surprised to discover eight inches or so apiece leftover on these curvy Salsa Bell Lap-even with double ups.

Our green was interesting too. Aside from being an obvious choice for the teenage dream, it appears to change colour depending on the light-fluorescent when it’s overcast, less garish in brighter conditions.

Thus far, purchase, comfort and control are living up to the hype and while greater owner involvement is needed to keep it clean, compared with corks and leatherette types it’s not proving highly strung in that respect either.

Right; back to testing-lots of blinkies and commuter combos to put through their paces, some 700x25c tyres and strategies to complete before mid January 2016.             

         

Changing Gear

I’ve just recruited an intern to work on Stenning photographic and we’re also recruiting a design assistant for Seven Day Cyclist (www.sevendaycyclist.co.uk ), which is moving from a downloadable magazine to arguably more accessible web format after Christmas.

December’s frenetic countdown to holiday season requires schematic planning to avoid a lull come January, so while relatively tired, there’s no let up.

Sabre tooth man-flu has also relented sufficiently as to permit clear thought processes and a return to serious testing. However, my susceptibility to chest infections means climbing and similarly strenuous exertion still induces the sort of hacking cough synonymous with long-serving, chain-smoking shipyard welders!

Wilder weather fronts have also prompted my Univega’s swift resurrection, though thankfully the gritting Lorries appear to have gone home. Said Tubby tourer’s more upright stance is hardly aero but widely spaced gears provide ample grunt for winching, bombing and cruising.

Big tyres also permit the odd crafty cut through and provide a magic carpet ride now that pot-hole season is in full-swing. After several weeks traversing, wet, greasy rural backwaters, the otherwise likeable Teflon prep was showing signs of embedded filth, prompting a thorough degreasing and some Fenwick’s Stealth.

Generally speaking, bells on bicycles induce eye-rolling- a well-timed yell consumes no handlebar space, costs nothing and is more effective.

However, Oregon based ORP have combined a genuinely capable three mode 70lumen light and 76/96 decibel horn in one blinkey sized package. I’m a big fan of the cutesy silicone blinkies in blanket narrative. This one is available in seven colours and protects the unit from drop and weather damage.

Diodes, circuitry and lithium polymer cell are neatly sealed in a similarly tough polycarbonate body and tucking the USB port firmly underneath, sandwiched between the bars further minimises the likelihood of dirt and ingress getting a look in. 

Prodding the rear “Whale tail” downwards unleashes a more subtle, though attention grabbing bleep that warns pedestrians, walkers and runners of your advance without driving dogs into a braking frenzy.

Upwards delivers a much louder warning, which has dissuaded a couple of learner motorcyclists from making a risky manoeuvre and some drivers from swinging doors open without looking. The diodes also flash a visual warning and the design’s a marked improvement over other battery systems.

In constant mode, the light is just about good enough for well-lit town work and has saved my bacon a few times-most notably when the Univega’s 800lumen dynamo lamp was slow on powering up. Otherwise, flashing modes are perfect companions to these and other main lighting.

Run times are quoted as 12 and 6 hrs respectively, which will depend upon how often the horn’s engaged but like most lithium ion/polymer fuelled models, seems pretty faithful to those quoted and unaffected by factors such as temperature.          

Debate has always raged as to what constitutes serious cycling with people proving particularly sniffy in the contexts of commuter/utility apparel. While I’m most commonly seen blasting along in technical fabrics, it’s worth remembering typical car journeys are less than two miles. This sort of distance can be ridden at reasonable speed and comfort wearing everyday street clothing-a mindset most apparent in the Netherlands.

Similarly, while my preference in terms of commuter lid errs towards well ventilated, sub 300g models with less aggressive profiles and trail DNA, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by this ABUS Hyban. Tipping the scales at a relatively portly 380g; it sports an ABS hard-shell, which is available in six different colours, shrugs at the inevitable everyday carelessness and has a more flattering feel when riding in civvies.

A few years back, feeble watch battery fuelled single diodes integrated within the thumbwheel closure were the preserve of upper end commuter models. Increased demand and plummeting prices means we’re getting sensible, user friendly LED lights integrated within the shell.

Admittedly, these only constitute tertiary lighting but intelligent positioning means they’re aimed squarely at driver eye-level and visible to around 80 metres-further on clear nights. Though relatively well-ventilated and employing the inlet/exhaust system, I was still surprised by how unobtrusive the Hyban felt-even over distances of 15-20miles at a steady 18mph.

Much further/at faster speeds and the increased weight becomes evident, so not a design lending itself to weekend touring. However, many scoots to the office, visits to friends and similar bike as car journeys are much shorter in any case.

Sturdy shell and surprisingly useful peak come into their own on more adventurous mixed terrain commutes encompassing forests, canal/bridle paths etc, while the former provides useful platform for cameras and lighting. Increasingly, it’s difficult to find bad products per se and these must be evaluated according to their intended purpose(s) and comparable designs, not ill-informed preconceptions.