Took a midweek meander to
Milton Keynes and the 12th Ice Bike (trade) show. All told, worth
the 200 mile round trip. Gravel is a very big deal and, justly so in
my opinion. Uber wide tyres, cassettes 1x11 transmissions…
I was particularly taken with
Ridgeback’s Ramble and M part bike packing luggage. Had a nice chat with
Ridgeback’s brand manager, so hoping to swing a leg over a medium ramble, very
soon…
Shimano’s mixed terrain shoes
look another tasty treat and I’ve also been impressed with Madison’s in house
clothing range. Working bikes are another “fetish” of mine. I’m talking 4130
framesets for a solid, yet engaging ride and fully dressed for the foulest
weather. Cyclo cross, or mountain biking aside, rider and machines plastered in
wet, gritty, corrosive slime isn’t desirable.
Full length guards (fenders)
four point rack, hub dynamo, cable operated disc brakes...
Though fixed/single speeds are close to my heart, I’m fond of modern hub gearing too. Little surprise that I
was equally taken with the Genesis day one series.
Superficially, I’m not sold
on the CST tyres and some folks won’t warm to the old school, square taper
cranks. At 70 kilos, I’m unlikely to find flex an issue. Decent, fit n’ forget
cartridge bottom brackets such as the UN53 are still plentiful and easily
upgraded, as and when the OEM unit gets the grumbles.
Remaining the rightful owner,
of any bicycle, is a blend of savvy, luck and solid locks. Thankfully,
Kryptonite and Finish line were similarly receptive to Seven day Cyclist’s
testing MO.
Back with the fleet, I’d just
run a certain wax lube bare in 100 miles, which was longer than I’d expect from
a dry waxy type through February. It’s worth noting these tend to last longer
on a derailleur geared transmission.
Something I’ve attributed to
residual wax being deposited across the cassette and subsequently reclaimed by
the chain. Contrast that with a more moderate 76 miles with fixed and
single-speed builds.
That’s a standard helping,
left curing overnight. Waxy stuff more
or less dismissed, this was an optimal time to wash the tubby tourer of a week
or so’s accumulated grot. I’d treated it to Crankalicious enduro frame sealant,
which acts as protective barrier.
The Univega’s frameset, unlike
the others, doesn’t have a clear acrylic top-coat, for reasons explained, here https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/after-the-gritters-went-home
. While the chainstays and forks were sporting a thin, watery layer of grime,
mud and similarly substantial organic stuff failed to stick. A quick, cool
water rinse, everything slithered away. Stroking the tubes, plenty of enduro
remained, so no need to replenish.
Some SKS lube your chain,
arrived. It’s a waxy looking PTFE infused blend, which is reckoned good for up
to 75 applications. The bottle incorporates an integral dropper head. Pressed
against the chain rollers, the orange dropper releases lubricant, supposedly
optimising delivery and eliminating waste.
Keep applying for fifteen
revolutions of the cranks. No wastage, no hanging around waiting for it to cure
either, which is another definite draw. Just a matter of seeing how durable it
is, especially since the UK is “bracing itself” for another weather front in
the coming days.
Finish line no drip
chain luber kit works to the same principle.
Finish line’s employs a gauze
type filter and claims you’ll recoup time and 50% less product per application.
Not the most exotic of test goodies perhaps but anything that saves time and
waste has to be a winner.
Pour 60ml of your chosen
tipple (roughly half a typical bottle) into the reservoir. Press against the
chains rollers, while turning the cranks-voila!
Speaking of winners, Seven day
Cyclist has joined forces with the caravan club. We’re offering two-free
entries to Cycle fest 2018 https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/win-sportive-tickets-with-cyclefest
Reverting to those Ritchey
pattern SPDs, so I could ride the fixed in my Lake booties is paying off. Warm,
dry feet. Well, save for the neoprene cuffs but at least these remain warm,
even when saturated. Personally, rinsing and treating the uppers, with a decent
quality leather food beats overshoes, hands down.
