The rains came, which was welcome
on so many levels and perfect for assessing the performance of tyres and shoes
in wet, slippery contexts. I was particularly keen to see how the latest
generation of Continental Cross Kings would bite when things tuned slippery,
dare we say boggy. They bit and subsequently cornered better than I was
expecting but time and more intense
gloop may say different.
They are quite sprightly over
hardpack, loose surfaces and indeed, metalled road, although as defaults, I
remain impressed by CST Patrol. CST Patrol
Folding EPS Tyres | cycling-not-racing I’ve been forming the opinion that
the FLR MTX are best suited to broader pedal platforms. Ursula’s Shimano M757
seemed more supportive than more modern dual sided designs and I’ not sure why.
These first generation tend to
clog with mud noticeably quicker. I noted some Juice Lubes Bearing Juice creeping
from the bodies. Maybe I’d been a little too generous, a little too liberal but
we’re talking creep, not oozing. I was also impressed by how well the NOS SR
Suntour mech scooped the chain between rings- snappy and reliable, even under
load. Sure, it seemed fine on the stand, and designed for a triple, there’s
plenty of throw. However, stuff can play impeccably on the stand and misbehave on
the road, or trail.
Upon returning and giving both of
us a good clean, using up the last of the Nzero degreaser NZero Bike
Degreaser | cycling-not-racing and indeed, the Peaty’s Link Lube All
Weather. Then was also the time to switch pedals- I went for the A530 since
they should bring out the FLR MXT’s best qualities.
Horses for courses, essentially.
While I default to gravel and cross-country mountain bike shoes for general
riding, road included, since the soles are stiff but still compliant and grippy
enough for walking but are a little too sporty for more adventurous outings,
touring particularly.
These Sidi Aertis are another
design that bridge the gap between mountain biking and gravel, although, riding
with merino blend socks, I wasn’t surprised to find myself with wet feet given
twenty minutes in a heavy downpour. Mercifully, the shoe’s profile means thinner
waterproof socks are also realistic (and would be a must for me, during the
winter months, although I’d probably switch to the Shimano MW7 Shimano
MW7 (MW702) Gore Tex MTB Shoes | cycling-not-racing) by the time things
turn wintry wild).
A touring shoe of the FLR’s genre
also has scope for waterproof socks. Much as I anticipated, the FLR kept
persistent rain at bay for an hour before it became palpable. Fine for
commuting and similar duties without recourse to toe covers, overshoes
etc.
Flex was more palpable when on
the fixed and charging up the climbs, but I didn't want to go for a single
sided, hybrid design. Even though the bottom bracket gives a sporting
chance when cornering, there's greater clearance with the Shimano 540 and being
dual sided, it's easier to clip in and power away-say at the traffic
lights.
Talking of lights, the new
seasons models are beginning to become available. I've been sent this Cat Eye
Tight Kinetic, which is impressive for the price. A "braking" function for £23 would've been unheard of, just a few
seasons back. I've also received this Lezyne Flow Cage SL Enhanced.
I regret passing my last
pair of Lezyne flow on, so was rather pleased to be sent another for testing.
Left- and right-hand specific models are nothing new, but some are definitely
more ergonomic and though debatable, arguably one of the last words in
customisation. On a strictly personal note, Lezyne’s are the best I've used to
date.
Side entry cages are what's
called for on smaller compact geometry framesets, since you can both fit and
access bottles without catching knuckles on the top tube, or indeed, frame fit
pump-should you run one. They’re also a good fit for gravel and bike packing
contexts where you’re running a bag within the main triangle.
I'm a convert to the mini compressor type
inflators, at least for roadside rescue, although Muffin, Ursula and Denise
still carry a Topeak Road Master Blaster. Muc-Off Airmach and Lezyne as
reliable, efficient backups.
The rains and wet roads were
really useful from a testing perspective, although I wasn't surprised to
discover things performing as I'd expected. However, standing water meant bikes
were suitably filthy given a few outings. I'd seen some bike wash going silly
cheap and was keen to see how it compared with some premium blends, not least
since I was down to the Stan's No tubes.
I tend to give bikes a good wash n' wax, since
they cut through the grime, while leaving a protective wax barrier behind.
Nonetheless, I don't always want to take this route and bike washes still have
their place.
I was pleasantly surprised by how effective the budget potions were on heavily encrusted organic grot, although as I'd hope it's not potent enough to strip oily, or greasy stuff. I reached for this Dynamic drivetrain detox to strip the residual Peaty's Like Lube and modest contaminant from the rings, chain and cassette.
Having exhausted this, I've switched to TF2, which is a competent and inexpensive all-weather formula that holds out well in moderately wet conditions, although attracts more contaminant than more sophisticated blends and also contains PTFE, which isn't particularly kind to us, or the wider environment. Formative outings on Muffin suggests the thru axle to quick release conversion is very dependable and seems slightly stiffer than traditional quick release configuration. I've also gone for the slightly narrower (38mm section) Vittoria adventure tyres, which run at a similar pressure to the Continentals and gives a little more clearance around the Gravel Hugger front guard. Talking of tyres, here’s my review of the Maxxis Rambler Maxxis Rambler Tubeless Ready Tyres | cycling-not-racing
