Unwinding the mind- A retrospective

 Cycling has been a central part of my life since May 1986 and I’ve racked up a few hundred thousand miles in that time. In the early days, it was a sense of escape. Escape from bullies, alienation from school and its curriculum, cultivating self-knowledge, character etc. Indeed, cycling (motorcycling too) is a metaphor for life and its challenges.     

In my early teens, imagination was fired by the glamour of racing, exploring far-flung lands on lightweight steel-framed mountain bikes. Hero worship mixed with a lust for exotic components, machines, exhilaration and adventure. Pencil thin framesets finished in Rosso red and electroplate, polished Italian groupsets... 

At the other extreme, lightweight, go-anywhere machines with Cro-moly framesets, 26-inch wheels, knobbly tyres and Japanese groupsets. These were marketed as “All Terrain Bikes” here in the UK and during this phase, some appeared with drop bars, which is what really fired my imagination.  

Something that has come full circle, with older mountain bikes being fed drops and repurposed as “Gravel bikes”. Aside from the Muddy Fox Trailblazer that ignited this passion, back in March 1987, Specialized’s Rock Combo (crudely a drop bar Rock Hopper for purposes of quick reference).  

Geometry isn’t that far off contemporary gravel bikes for that matter...Now, it might’ve sent my Lycra ablaze, but it was quickly pulled from production. However, 22 years of development hence, Ursula is incredibly close to bespoke. True, full-length chrome plastic guards limit the off-road potential but fine for dirt roads and incredibly practical for more generic, four seasons’ riding.  Tooling + access to components+ imagination are the ingredients to such a build.  

Again, arguably the same applies to other branches of life. Lateral thought and perseverance also belong there. Thinking in terms of Panaracer Gravel King 26x2.1, once the Schwalbe Marathon GT365TESTED: SCHWALBE MARATHON GT 365 TYRES WINTER UPDATE (sevendaycyclist.com) and Marathon Mondial TEST & REVIEW: SCHWALBE MARATHON MONDIAL TYRES (sevendaycyclist.com) reach a pensionable state.  

Both, although particularly the 365, have loads of miles left in them, which is a good thing, given supply lines are unpredictable. Until recently, this had been attributable to the pandemic but superseded by Brexit and the loss of frictionless trade. This phenomenon is also leading to food shortages and insecurity.  

The latter refers to people, (specifically those who are more vulnerable, socio-economically) going without due to rising costs. I can see a return to sectarian conflict/civil war in Northern Ireland but I’m less convinced there will be much public outcry, let alone civil unrest in response to food insecurity.   

Long, steady miles lend themselves to this kind of soul searching/introspection and I've frequently found creative solutions to all manner of issues/circumstances/situations. “Come back to it” as one elderly carpenter once said, seeing teenage me struggling with a feature. This shouldn’t be confused with, or permit procrastination and deferment but is great advice when employed correctly.  

Going back to tyres a moment, returning from one ride, Michelin World Tour popped into my head as a possible alternative for Ursula. Old as the hills, I bought a set from a motor/cycle dealership in Norfolk, mid-tour in 1989. They were to replace a worn set of 27x1/4 Nutrak, which were becoming increasingly puncture prone as a direct consequence. However, no 26 (mtb) option, rules them out.  

Vittoria Evolution, which seem to be a development of the Vittoria Randonneur TrailVITTORIA RANDONNEUR TRAIL TYRES LONG TERM TEST (sevendaycyclist.com) that served Ursula and I very well for several years. The Randonneur still exist but are very much a road, rather than mixed terrain tyre. 26 inch is going the way of 27x1/1/4 25 years back. There’s still plenty of reasonable and indeed, decent quality rubber available but choice isn’t as plentiful now 29 and 650b are the new industry standards.  

Back to 700c now and Extra UK have kindly sent me these Pirelli Cinturato Reinforced smarTUBE. These are aimed at gravel and endurance audiences and are made from TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane). Theoretically the holy grail of tubes, they promise superior puncture resistance, low weight and compact size. 82g on the scales, it’ll be interesting to see how they perform, not only in terms of puncture resistance but pressure retention. In my experience, Latex was exceptionally light and puncture resistant, but required inflating every other day.    

 

Tests of Time

Nostalgia is very comforting and there were some genuinely great products and concepts back in the late 80s. Many I recall from the cycling press, read during my otherwise instantly forgettable, and decidedly dubious school career. Some have stood the test of time and remain very relevant, others consigned to history.

Anything dirt based with drop bars obviously grabs my attention. Specialized’s Rock Combo (sadly short-lived) and Muddy Fox’s Trailblazer being two prime examples. Seems I'm not the only fan, either! https://bikesboardsandphotos.wordpress.com/2018/01/21/specialized-rockcombo/ 

I’m not convinced U brakes were an inherently bad idea. They certainly offered considerable stopping prowess.

However, chain stay mounting was more conducive to dry, dusty California. Not the damp, leafy climes more commonly experienced in the UK and Canada. Little wonder why Kona mountain bikes were such a hit in the UK. Compact geometry framesets with sensible clearances. Designs that look current and still perform beautifully today.   

Some saddles fall into the classic narrative. Aside from traditional leather saddles, which has remained a quiet institution among tourists, there’s the Selle Italia Turbo, the Rolls etc. The catalyst for this sudden rush of retrospective was induced by the arrival of Selle San Marco Concor Super Corsa saddle. Tipping the scales at 320g, it’s not the lightest but hardly outlandish, so now sits pride of place on my fixed gear winter/trainer.

I had a Concor on my first fixed-a conversion based around a 501 tubed Raleigh frameset. 

When that frameset died in July ’92, I bought a comparable frameset from a small scale, midlands-based builder. Ported most of the stuff over and headed to London’s East End. University and idealism followed. Come ’94, I’d worn it smooth, the rails a little wobbly where they slotted in the base.

Flogged it to a cash strapped land surveying student for as little as I paid for it (Having bought a luminous yellow Turbo gel from a shop’s bargain bin). Not a bad buy and it matched the frameset’s lurid enamel. Shortly afterward, I’d primarily switched to cross country mountain bike racing and a flyte.

Had a couple of the minimalist, ti railed wonders and got along with them surprisingly well. Back then, saving every last gram, as economically as possible, was the primary focus. Though I keep a keen eye on my machine’s girth, it’s not at comfort’s expense.

That said, I was pleasantly surprised to discover this PRO Stream Off Road Saddle weighs a positively feathery 207g. Surprising, since the rails are stainless steel (Inox) Yes, there’s a bit of carbon involved, and on some levels, a less obvious choice for my Univega. However, I’ve been running the BBB Echelon with good results. Besides, being a mixed terrain, four seasons’ build its perfect for assessing the design’s capabilities and potential limitations. 

Classics aside much technology has improved considerably. Clothing is one area, where materials have become more sophisticated on the one hand but crucially budget and mid-point clothing staples arguably represents better value than ever before. I’ve been quite impressed by these middleweight Prendas Ciclismo Winter Cycling Socks https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/prendas-ciclismo-coolmax-winter-cyc   

Lighting and other, electrical tech are another, prime example. These days it’s difficult to find a poor light, thanks to competition. I’ve been particularly impressed by this Moon Meteor.

Not the most powerful designs (400 lumens steady, 500day flash) but extremely compact and a great companion to my high-power dynamo units. 

A good choice for pared-to-the essentials best/winter bikes.  Intelligent and tuneable designs are another clear trend. Knog Cobber Mid rear Light https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/knog-cobber-mid-rear-light  being one example. At the time of writing, these are at the upper end of the market. However, like most tech, it’s only a matter of time before this technology trickles down. 

Others, such as this See Sense Icon2 https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/see-sense-icon-2-rear-light offer these options but are also capable of monitoring road surfaces and a wealth of other information. This can be shared, via their app and theoretically, has the power to shape town planning and improve safety. However, you don’t have to use all these features to appreciate its intelligent design.  

At the other end of the market, this Oxford Ultratorch R75 pumps out an impressive 75 lumens (tops) and so far, decent run times, from a full charge.

There are four modes in total. Three flashing (high, medium and low) modes and my default, flashing.  COB (Chips on Board) technology intensifies output, since you can pop more diodes within the same space. In this instance 24. 

These are fuelled by a lithium polymer cell and the unit meets IP65 for weatherproofing. To date, ours has been swamped with dodgy standing water, silt, spray and similar unmentionables with no issues. Talking of subverting wet stuff, I’ll close with my review of the Raw Prismatic reflective Mud flaps https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/raw-prismatic   

Condor Man

No, not the 1981 Disney flop, starring Michael Crawford, although  we do live in very strange times... After a morning's admin and housework, I was suddenly gripped by a flash of inspiration. The sort so bright, it risks a nasty case of arc eye.  

I decided to ditch the Univega's long serving moustache bars in favour of the Soma Condor. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/soma According to my thought processes (I hadn't reached calculations, or anything so rational), the riser sections would provide sufficient height for me to spend the majority of my time on the drops... 

With this in mind, the Soma Condor 2  https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/soma-condor-2-shallow-drop-bars  might've seemed a more obvious choice. However, though I'd run both, briefly on my tubby tourer, to assess Soma's claims (which were realised in the real world) the moustache bars had become something of an institution...I'd also convinced myself they had an edge, when on trailer tugging duties.  

I'd also earmarked the MK1 for a gravel-specific project and the MK2 for my fixed gear winter trainer. Then came the Genetic D-Riser 16   https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/genetic-d-riser-bars  and another round of musical handlebars. Besides, the Univega has a predominantly black/dun colour scheme. Contrary chap that I am, I may switch to the Condor 2, later on, should the urge strike. For now, the Condor's black finish clinched it. 

Spare inner and outer cables-check, spare bar tape-check, electrical tape-check. This was also an ideal opportunity to give this Soma Woodie 20 Multi-tool a formative test. Strictly speaking, multi-tools are designed for road/trailside teaks/tuning and repair, not workshop use. However, they are super-convenient, so good ones tend to become go-tos. 

Within half an hour, I'd everything rounded up, bike in the stand and components stripped. I'd removed a shim or two, when switching back to the Univega's OEM triple butted fork, but close scrutiny suggested height and drop depth were textbook. 

I pruned some outer cable housing, fed a new inner wire to the front Genetic CX cantilever  https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/genetic-cx-cantilever-brakes and dialled it in a bit. Ample bite to raise the rear wheel, lever grabbed in anger-perfect.  

I was able to recycle this Lizard Skins DSP 2.5mm https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/lizard-skins-dsp which was of sufficient length to provide ample, cushioned coverage. The adhesive backing was conspicuous by its absence, although adhered well, to the bars' shot peened finish. 

Decent quality electrical tape anchored it to the tops.  Having dialled in the rear mech again and pruned its cable, it was time for one last once-over and a 20mile fault finding blast. 

No faults to find-positioning absolutely bang on and as I'd always envisaged back in 1987, when I first clapped eves on a Muddy Fox trailblazer. The Trail Blazer was essentially a drop bar mountain bike with  bar end shifters and 1.75 section tyres.  

Specialized followed suit two years later, with the Rock Combo. These were similarly niche, and had a very short production run.  Feel free to get in touch, if you still own and ride one. I'm not looking to purchase, nor am I someone bitten by "classic" prices and groupsets have come a long way since. However, I loved the concept then, and still do.    

Anyhow, the Univega's positioning now means I default to the drops, affords better protection from the wind (Compared with the otherwise likeable moustache pattern) while retaining good control off road. Tops also provide superior parking space for lights, cameras and similar creature comforts.   

Talking of which, I've also switched saddles, this time to BBB Echelon, which is reputedly a road and trail friendly design, thus meets the criteria handsomely. Also proved the ideal opportunity to remove the seatpost, and treat it to some Park Tool Polylube 1000 Grease, before the darker months set in. 

A home-brewed butyl collar and full length chrome plastic guards/fenders (depending on where you're reading this) certainly help, but its one of those little, preventative measures that saves a lot of time and hassle, later on.