As Easy as One, Two Zee...Well, not quite ...

Braking up to scratch and headset buttery smooth, the UN55 bottom bracket was showing the early signs of slop. Nothing serious but seeing as I already had a UN300 on standby and time allowed, rude not to replace. All was going to plan until I put a shot of lube on the tool threads and coupled it with the cranks.  

I was rather shocked to discover them flaking away.  Thankfully, popping them from the tapers wasn’t a hardship and no surprise the bottom bracket spun free with comparable ease, thanks to my policy of liberally greasing threads and of course, oceans of frame preserve... Time to investigate my transmission box...  

Enter the Shimano Zee and 36 tooth ring, compatible bottom bracket, Acor tools and some of the Corrosion Block grease, since it was to hand. Now, I’d bought the Zee blind. Other than acknowledging that it was new, unused, and priced to sell, I didn’t think to check the axle length... It’s not the most obvious choice perhaps, given it's intended for freeride and downhill audiences. However, it's solid and in my view, quite pretty.  

Hollow Tech II basically works to the same compression principle as Aheadset. Set the bearing preload hand tight, test for play and good movement, then gently snug the pinch bolts down to 14nms (alternating between them, to ensure equal loading and avoid damage caused by over-stressed components).  

Being as the cranks provide the compression, if I was going to run the system successfully (without the bearings constantly coming loose) I needed to plug this. One-inch Aheadset spacers seemed the obvious solution. Rummaging through my small parts toolbox proved fruitful.  

While there’s a lot to like about the Shimano Hollowtech II bottom bracket (and their bottom brackets, per se), I wasn’t taken with the plastic sleeve, so found myself upgrading to a titanium Van Nicholas VNT Ceramic Bottom Bracket. This has a titanium, rather than composite sleeve, so engaged very precisely within the frame shell.  

Essentially everything came together beautifully, although I was quick to apply a liberal helping of suitable grease to the threads, shaft and bearings. Always a good policy but there was no way I was going to run the galvanic gauntlet for the sake of a couple of minutes. Having exhausted the Corrosion Block, I went for the Green Oil Eco GreaseTWELVE MONTH TEST: GREEN OIL ECO GREASE (sevendaycyclist.com). It might lack the outright stoicism of Park and similar but nonetheless, it’s a solid middleweight performer.  

Being several degrees below zero, it emerged from the spout in a more solid state than some petrochemicals but malleable. Thus far, this present configuration is proving very satisfactory. Chain line is bang on and I’m not pedaling like John Wayne. Just as well since pandemic and Brexit is beginning to bite in terms of acquiring suitable replacements e.g. Deore and at sensible prices.  The UK is a third country now, so importing from Europe would incur punitive import costs. In essence, I will stick with the present configuration and evaluate other options, should limitations with the setup materialise.   

 

While rummaging through my spares boxes like a possessed spirit, I also happened upon the trail version of K-Lite's Bike Packer Ultra. K LITE BIKEPACKER ULTRA DYNAMO LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) Suspicious that the V2 issues may boil down to the lamp, rather than the “box”, I performed the switch... On the one hand, being the same family, I would expect the switch and connectors to play nicely, but that shouldn’t be taken as a given. 

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before the lamp came to life, so I tethered it to the Soma Condor 2 Shallow Drop bars SOMA CONDOR 2 SHALLOW DROP BARS | (sevendaycyclist.com)  and am back to swooping through the empty lanes, which are now largely free of anything slippery, thanks to a sudden hike in temperature. However, there’s a fair bit of standing water, so sans guards, bikes get mucky. Nothing a decent bike wash won’t shift. Steve’s been quite impressed by the Pure PURE BIKE WASH | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  

Larger bike packing luggage, including this Zefal Z Aventure R11 do a decent job of doubling as a rear guard, protecting rider and saddle from the watery worst.  

  

 

 

White Out

 120 miles or so hence, on the Schwalbe Billy Bonkers, the front succumbed to its first puncture. Two sharp flints embedded in mucky stuff buried inside the casing, nicking the tube. Tube swapped, sharps purged, and tyre reinstated, I couldn’t let the front brake lie. A quick, nuanced tweak of the straddle wire’s tension and boom! Both the Shimano BRCX50 and Genetic are now dialed-in, beautifully.   

I’d tired of fearsome weather front scaremongering, planning to leave the Billy Bonkers in situ and switch to the fixed, which still sported the 35mm Schwalbe Winter Plus-both bases covered. I love the Billy Bonkers’ quick, supple magic carpet ride and wet-weather cornering prowess is better than I’d expected, along wet, greasy lanes.  

However, more reputable sources were suggesting extensive ice and potentially heavy snowfall. Now was the time to switch Ursula back to spikes, before the week began. Washed, stripped the cassette of its slimy cocktail using the Weldtite Citrus Degreaser WELDTITE CITRUS DEGREASER | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), then treated the frame to another light coat of Muc-Off Miracle Shine for some additional protection.  

Finally, some more Weldtite TF2 Ceramic Lube to the thirsty-looking chain. While an engaging ride that encourages me to go out is high on my list, a spill, or mechanical is the last thing I want, miles from home on a dark, bitterly cold/wet night.  

The Schwalbe Marathon 365 TESTED: SCHWALBE MARATHON GT 365 TYRES WINTER UPDATE (sevendaycyclist.com) were another, next-best-thing option and I’m confident the tread pattern would plough away the snow, but I prefer the reassurance afforded by spikes. They’re also a little lighter, but then the 365 are wider (2.0 inches). Sunday morning arrived and I found a modest amount of snow carpeting the landscape but nothing outlandish, so popped out on the fixed.  

Plenty of traction from the tyres, transmission and the suspension post also seem to help in this respect but biting crosswinds along exposed sections proved a little challenging. Three degrees, hence snow, not ice. However, the wind chill was dialing things down a degree, or two. The FLR Defender MTB Dry Boot FLR DEFENDER MTB DRY BOOT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) have great thermal properties, so no issues there.  

However, mid loop, I was wishing I’d gone the Balaclava and liner gloves route. Those seeking a bit of additional damping/control could be well-served by the Kinekt Suspension Stem KINEKT SUSPENSION STEM | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and their suspension post KINEKT 2.1 SUSPENSION SEAT POST | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  

However, subsequent outings have even taxed the Univega’s 26x1.75 Schwalbe Winter Plus. Though I never went “rubber up” (as I most certainly would, with a conventional tyre) they couldn’t bite into the deeply impacted stuff, thus gain traction. Some enforced (dare we say, prudent) leave saw that I turned my attention to its Stronglight Aheadset.  

 

Mudguards make a big difference, extending maintenance periods but I’d last stripped and re-greased back in the summer of 2019. Much as I expected, the bottom race still had a thin, though tangible layer of Muc-Off Bio-Grease TESTED : MUC-OFF BIO GREASE (sevendaycyclist.com) doing the job. However, replenishment was definitely due. Went for some Corrosion Block Grease.  

This is a super stiff, waterproof formula, which is supposedly highly resistant to corrosion, temperature, so should stay put a good while. I packed it thoroughly and added some to the Gusset Headlock, since opportunity presented. Corrosion Block say it will also play nicely with other greases (which isn’t always the case). Time will tell... 

Though very much in hibernation, I also decided to give the Teenage dream’s MA2/Campagnolo Athena wheelset a good polish and wax. Now almost thirty years old, they’re still tarnish-free and came up beautifully. I need to strip and re-grease the rear hub and both would benefit from a quick true.  

Nothing serious-they haven’t lived hard lives, or hit anything but after thirty years, some minor play is to be expected. I’m also researching a better-quality hoop for my Bob Yak homage trailer, primarily based on better tyre choice. The OEM bargain basement knobbly is functional enough but a high-quality slick option, would improve my experience of said cheerful beast of burden.