Reflecting in the Rain..

 I’ve entered my 49th year and it marks the 36th anniversary of receiving a Holdsworthy-built Claud Butler, and Richard Ballantine’s legendary “Bicycle Book”. Mine was the copy with him fettling a Dawes tourer, sporting 70’s beard and jumper. Cycling (and indeed motorcycling) is a metaphor for life. It's exhilarating, challenging has ups, downs, and builds resilience, character, and resourcefulness.  

There's no such thing as the wrong weather, just the wrong kit...Something I reminded myself of while battling a squally crosswind and a carpet of leaves and dung at 4.30am. Ursula’s big Soma Condor 2 Shallow drop bars SOMA CONDOR 2 SHALLOW DROP BARS | (sevendaycyclist.com) beefy Schwalbe Land Cruiser and Vittoria Evolution Vittoria Evolution Road Bike Tyre | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) held their line impeccably, allowing me to fight the gusts and keep momentum.  

Yes, I know the British are obsessed with the weather, but, leaving aside the political and economic climates, its surprisingly mild here in the UK presently. 10-12 degrees, meaning I ‘ve been donning short sleeve base layers, lightweight long sleeve jerseys and only donning a lightweight shell jacket, such as the Oxford Venture OXFORD VENTURE JACKET | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) or the 7Mesh Cypress Hybrid Jacket 7mesh Cypress Hybrid Cycling Jacket | Seven Day Cyclist 

Its occasionally dipped lower, meaning I’ve reached for the full-finger Seal Skinz, but these Passport Crochet Back Cycling Mitts TEST & REVIEW: PASSPORT CROCHET BACK CYCLING MITTS (sevendaycyclist.com) have often been sufficient which coincidentally, remind me of the first Caratti pair I bought just after receiving the Holdsworthy Butler.

  

Lights have come so far since those days and the infamous Wonder, or Ever Ready glimmer-type filament models. Take this Ravemen TR500Ravemen TR500 Rear Light | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) for example- 500-lumen day flash, braking function, intelligent sensors, and though relatively hefty by contemporary standards at 93.5g, unimaginably light back in the late 80s. I’m developing a fondness for the Ravemen LR1600- big brother to the LR1200 Ravemen LR1200 Front Light | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) tested by Steve, recently, same goes for these Infini Tron and Infini Metis.  

Then along came another saddle, this 137mm (about 5.39 in) Smanie GT, which is reckoned to be all things to all mile-munching riders, be they asphalt, or dirt devotees. It’s a little narrower than my 143mm “ideal”. Ursula might be an odd host but, a good starting point. Faux leather coverings and Cro-moly rails might not set anyone’s Lycra ablaze but strike a good balance between performance, weight, durability, and price, in my experience.  

I was also pleasantly surprised to discover it allowed me to raise the Axiom Ocean Wave City+ Seat Bag slightly, meaning the LED light tab was parallel (or as close to) 

Arguably the Holdsworth is the best host. However, said machine is a sunny day’s plaything and right now, the roads are decidedly waterlogged, which is where these Q36 5 Anfibio Winter Rain Cycling Gloves and Showers Pass Atlas Cycling cap come in.  I’m still fond of Prendas Ciclismo Lisboa Waterproof Cycling Cap PRENDAS CICLISMO LISBOA WATERPROOF CAP | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) although, hand wash only can be a drag sometimes.  I’ve returned to the Shimano MT701 GTX SPD shoes Shimano MT701 GTX SPD Shoes | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  360 Dry calve length socks and have alternated between these Primal Dawn Bib Knickers TEST & REVIEW: PRIMAL DAWN MEN'S BIB KNICKERS (sevendaycyclist.com) and some surprisingly capable, wallet-friendly Triban.  

These form a nice, weather-cheating union without recourse to full-length tights, overshoes, and similar jazz. I’m generally of the opinion that talk of snowfall and “whiteouts” in November are little more than distractions by tabloid newspapers. I’m also tempted to say, “heard it all before” and whipped out the spiked Schwalbe winter, only to discover the narrative was wet and soggy.  

However, there’s a palpable uncertainty at present. Blackouts, anyone? Not that I’m a fan of the salt monster, but with local authority budgets slashed to the bone, gritters may be conspicuous by their absence. A winter wonderland would be an ideal opportunity to evaluate the higher-end Schwalbe spikes but also reminds me that many of society’s most vulnerable will be plunged into circumstances we would’ve considered unimaginable a few years ago.

 

The sudden onslaught of wet, mulchy conditions are great testing grounds, particularly for chain lubes and I’m pleased by how well the Momum MIC Wax Lube Momum MIC Wax Lube | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) is holding up in these contexts- staying put without attracting loads of transmission killing grot. Unlike more traditional waxes, there’s a corrosion inhibiting part, so no orange taint come the first hint of a puddle.  

However, when I last reviewed it, sustained wet stuff still resulted in some tell-tale freckling so we’ll see how much impact November makes. 440 miles per application was returned during the spring, wonder what we’ll achieve this time round...  

Dogged Persistence

I was pursued by a very determined and extremely aggressive Alsatian, while negotiating a particularly dark lane. Dropping to a 36 inch gear,  fuelled by a rich mix of caffeine and adrenaline, I dropped said disagreeable canine on the climb. 

I've been attacked by an Alsatian, on four separate occasions in thirty years. Thankfully, my tetanus was up to date and injuries superficial. At time of writing, the UK is still rabies free. However, even though the treatment has gone from 30 to 4 shots, I've seen them administered, and they look decidedly painful. 

Animosity towards cyclists, was once thought to be triggered by the freewheel mechanism. I Consigned that generalisation to  the bin, when I had to out-sprint one, riding fixed.  

A dog dazer, or similar humane deterrent, might be a useful acquisition. 

These send out an ultrasonic frequency that dogs cannot handle, causing them to retreat. Thinking about it, there's probably a phone app that does much the same thing. However, inm these scenarios I want to press and go, not fumble with my phone!

There's no footage of this encounter, since I've been frustrated by some low-level mount chatter that manifests as a very audible rattle. Its particularly apparent over washboard tarmac. 

I've checked the metal bracket's hardware is fully snug and research suggests its a quirk of the design. Therefore, since I'm a couple of years post warranty, I modified  the composite component. 

This Thermoworx Whitemorph polymer sounds like an obvious candidate https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/thermoworx-whiemorph. However, while its very effective for some jobs, including this resurrected Fibre Flare Single Tail rear light, it sets hard. I needed something supple that would dampen this annoying vibration. 

Experimenting with off cuts of scrap butyl and Acros Silicone Wrap Handlebar Tape https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/acros-silicone-wrap-handlebar-tape  proved fruitless. 

Enter Sugru. It's a single use, mould able silicone putty, which sets flexibly, so hopefully that'll cure this annoying trait. January has seen a trend towards drier conditions. 

Since the Univega's chain was looking patchy and the cassette sporting a layer of ingrained gunk, I decided it was an ideal opportunity (a) to put some chain cleaners through their paces (b) Switch back to the Juice Lubes Ceramic Juice to see how it fared in drier conditions. 

Worked one lot into the cassette using an old, clean paintbrush and decenated some into the chain bath, which stripped the chain back tpo its electroplated state with Piranah-like efficiency. Very satisfying. 

Obviously, two cheap nail brushes, doused in solvent, will have similar effect. However, thist tends to be messier. A moot point if part of a more comprehensive, sudsy bucket scrub is on the cards. My Univega was, given the wet, wintry conditions. I started by giving the Fizik Vento Microtex Tacky Bi-Colour Bar tape https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/fizik-vento a good tickling, to remove some ingrained petrochemical patina. I then turned my attention to frame and wheelset. 

 I also took this opportunity to give my Carradice SQR bags a deep clean and switched them over. Both are waterproof but the black cotton duck SQR tour coordinates better with the Univega's aesthetic and the Carradry's glossy fabric makes more sense for my fixed gear winter/trainer (which doesn't sport mudguards). https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/carradice-carradry 

 I've found these Funkier Aqua Gents Pro Water Repellent tights particularly welcome https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/funkier-aqua-gent-s-pro-tights

Being steel, little surprise that the new seatpost binder bolt stayed snug. However, I wasn't sure whether the collar would stretch, or not. So far, so good, although I do give the saddle a quick tug, before setting off. We've also been very impressed by the budget Schwalbe Road Cruiser tyres https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/scwalbe-road-cruiser-tyres . 

Although less bullet proof than others in Schwalbe's range, the Kevlar banding seems pretty dependable. Steve succumbed to a hawthorn but I've remained unscathed, despite the greasy mulch carpeting many of the roads I navigate. Another pleasant surprise is their relatively supple compound, which combines great handling and compliant ride.