Tyres & Tweaks

 

I’d been contemplating tyres for the fixed gear winter/trainer, ahead of the darker months. Something Schwalbe but not too stodgy was my first thought, especially since 32mm is pretty much tops with guards-I could shoehorn 35mm at the rear with the Mudhugger Gravel Hugger guards MUD HUGGER GRAVEL HUGGER MUDGURADS | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com).  

 

A chance discussion with Saddleback, WTB’s UK distributor got in touch, inviting me to test WTB’s Exposure. They initially suggested the touriste cum all road typical 36mm but, given the clearances, we went for the 30mm. They’re also marketed as being for gravel bikes serving as tarmac tools, which on paper seems another good audience. 120tpi, dual compound casings bode well for supple ride quality and a decent turn of speed.  

 

Their SG2 puncture repelling tech runs bead to bead, designed to protect against nicks and more serious cuts which also bodes very well for general winter riding. Will be interesting to see how they compare to the 32mm Maxxis Refuse MAXXIS REFUSE TR FOLDING TYRE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), after all, they’re also close comparators weight-wise.  

 

Even though the Halo White Line HALO CLASSIC RIM & SHUTTER PRECISION DYNOHUB DISC WHEEL BUILD (sevendaycyclist.com) aren’t duly deep, or wide, I’d been warned the Exposure would put up a fight and I went for a 700x23-28c tube to minimise the likelihood of pinch flats. To my astonishment, I was able to mount them speedily and using only my thumbs, although had the mighty Crank Brothers Speedier Lever ready, in anticipation. 

 

 Will be interesting to see how the Evolution stand up to winter, compared with the 60tpi, 700ish g genre I lean toward from November to March (or thereabouts). Kenda Kwick Journey KS Plus KENDA KWICK JOURNEY TYRES | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) have been the most durable of this genre, relatively swift too.  

 

Vittoria Adventure Tech are another surprise. 820g for a 700x38 is hefty (although still lighter than Schwalbe’s iconic Marathon Plus) and the 3mm puncture repelling belt only covers the centre strip. Nonetheless, they can be run at 85psi and feel surprisingly swift despite coarse 33tpi (Threads per inch) casings. CST Xpedium CST Xpedium Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) remain a firm favourite of mine if you’ve bigger clearances and to a lesser extent, a tighter budget.    

 

Staying with the themes of fixed and stubborn stuff, I’ve concluded the only option for splitting beefy track chains is this Cyclus Chain Rivet Pliers. Cobra had dropped theirs. The Cyclus are a fair bit dearer than the Cobra and though a worthwhile investment, it’s always prudent to watch the pennies. Besides, I’m replacing chains every two thousand miles, not daily.  

 

No sooner had these words been uttered, Saddleback invited me to test this Feedback Sports Chain Tool 3.0, which they say is the last shop grade chain tool I’ll ever need. Delighted to put these claims to the test. It does look and feel extremely well-engineered. Designed to chomp chains from 1 to 13 speeds. Bodies and pins eventually fail, in my experience, so I was pleased to see Feedback Sports offer inexpensive replacements.  

 

While dry and bright weather is a stable feature, I’ve been getting out on the Holdsworth, resulting in some minor tweaking of the saddle height and alignment of the down tube bottle cage, which was offending my sensibilities.  

 

Boiled down to a few millimetres in both cases and easily sorted with a 5 and 4mm Allen key. If only everything in life were that easily rectified... Well, good thing it’s not, otherwise we wouldn’t develop the resilience, coping mechanisms, creativity and general ability to overcome challenges and obstacles. 

 

I’d finally managed to organise the boxing and posting of Ursula. I’d a large box but needed to cut it down and essentially, engineer a new one, using copious amounts of duct tape. I was relieved to discover the box would just fit inside Meg, the mighty K11 Micra, rear seat down. Sent it 48 hours, insured to the hilt and the post office clerk was genuine and incredibly helpful.   

 

Closer inspection revealed more peeling paint around the bottom bracket shell and chainstay bridge. Now, my love and religious application of Waxoyl is widely known and there was plenty sloshing around the old girl’s inner sanctum. However, watching Paul Brodie’s channel Romax Rescue // Paul Brodie's Shop (youtube.com) 

 

I began wondering whether water had snuck in through the chainstay bridge, resulting in some undetected corrosion. Then again, as a club elder said to me as a thirteen-year-old we can convince ourselves of anything. I’ll leave that to Winston Vaz to assess. Main thing, the old girl’s makeover is underway.  

No Messing....

  

No sooner had I uttered something about not changing Denise's specification, Oxford Products sent me their Aqua Evo Adventure Daytripper pack. At 3.5 litres, it’s over twice the size of the Cycology and Topeak models I’ve tested recently, which is on some levels, a departure from my minimalist narrative.

At 329g its relatively lightweight and enjoys a maximum 2 kilo payload. It’s made from 400 denier rip-stop TPU. Welded seams and waterproof zippers. Internally, it features a dedicated tool and phone compartment, keeping these silently segregated from each other and other things you might want to dip in for. There’s a cargo net at the front for capturing overspill and the sensibly proportioned zipper tag promises easy access mid-ride too.   

  

As with other models that tether to the head tube, you’ll want to apply some helicopter tape to prevent wear-through (especially when mud and water are thrown into the equation). This goes for any other luggage that rests against the frame. I’m fond of those using Klick-Fix type brackets. On the one hand, they occupy a bit more real estate, but they also hold the bag out further, so they won’t foul head tubes, cables etc. Topeak’s Compact Bar Bag and Tour Bag are good examples.  

 

The compact version is most likely to appeal to photographers looking to carry a compact system camera, or SLR on tour, or day trip.  The bigger, 5 litre model will swallow a camera body two lenses and a fair bit more.  I always carry a 20mpxl super zoom compact camera in a jacket, or jersey pocket to capture things mid ride, but CSC are superior options if you’re looking for optimal resolution.  

 

Talking of jerseys, here’s my review of the Castelli Espresso Castelli Espresso Jersey | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) However, CSC and SLR need proper storage. Never pop cameras or sensitive electricals in a rack top bag, even the generously padded type, such as this Topeak MTXTopeak MTX Trunk Dry Bag | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) since low-level vibration will prove ruinous. 

  

Elsewhere, the weather had been decidedly wet and mucky, which have been a little tedious in some respects. It was so wet that I’d gone from the FLR mountain bike shoes to the Shimano MW501 Dry Shield SPD MTB Shoes Shimano MW501 Dry Shield SPD MTB Shoes | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) a lightweight, packable jacket such as this Leatt Jacket MTB Endurance Leatt Jacket MTB Endurance 2.0 | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and over to the Madison Roam 2.5 Layer Waterproof Jacket Madison Roam 2.5 Layer Waterproof Jacket | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), which, some small points aside, is a nice fit for gravel, mtb and commuting duties thanks to the hood, hip pockets and tasteful colours. Waterproofing and breathability are 10,000mm apiece, so not quite on par with more expensive models, but pretty good, in the everyday sense.   

  

Having checked the Tiagra’s maximum capacity, I’ve decided I’ll take Denise the 11-28 cassette route, when the chain wears out, giving a rough range of 31-79 inches. The SS is designed for 2x10, whereas the GS is intended for triple setups, in case anyone wasn’t aware, or were simply curious.  

 

Talking curious, I’ve decided to switch Denise’s Wellgo MO94B pedals WELLGO MO94B SPD PEDALS | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) in favour of the Shimano PD ED 500 Shimano PD ED 500 Pedals | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). Not the most obvious choice and given the frame’s heritage, the first generation of SPD would’ve been aesthetically a more obvious, period sensitive fit. I may well go this route later down the line.  

 

Grateful for having options. I decided now was time to replace the rear inner brake cable, since I was convinced a kink, or similar was impairing the Suntour SE cantilevers’ function slightly- I needed to re-wrap the T-One bar tape in any case, since it had slipped a bit over the first few weeks.  

 

I made some time to remove Ursula’s Stronglight Aheadset and Van Nicholas VNT Ceramic Bottom Bracket, giving Ursula a good, deep clean ready to be boxed up and sent to Winston Vaz in July. The latter was liberally greased, so released effortlessly and the Stronglight’s cups popped out with a few deft taps of a mallet and my Kinesis fork steerer tube drift.  

Aside from some minor flaking of the cream powder coat, the frame is generally in good shape. Another little job off the list. I’ll treat the headset, bottom bracket, and drivetrain components to a tour de parts washer in due course. I also took the plunge and invested in a “proper” cup removal tool, since one was going for £20.  

The Kinesis fork steerer is a much safer drift than the long flat bladed screwdriver bodge, especially with aluminium alloy cups, but not ideal. I’ve also been thinking in terms of acquiring workshop-quality chain rivet pliers, mainly for breaking and rejoining track chains. These days I buy derailleur chains pre-cut and, in the instances, where I may need to prune one, this Topeak, or indeed, a multi-tool model will suffice.