Midwinter Resurrections

A quieter start to 2024 should not be inferred as unproductive. When the dust and celebrations have settled, January can be a very cold, mean and sometimes expensive month. I made time to box and send the Holdsworth’s forks to Lee Cooper, which pleased me. Meant he could work on the steerer, and I could reinstate at my leisure. It may necessitate a longer brake calliper, but I know I have a suitable dual pivot candidate in the spares drawer.  

Not that there’s anything obviously wrong with the existing ACOR carbon pair, but I’m very conscious they’re a budget model and over 15 years old now. Pointless hunting down another fork when the original and rather ornate 531 set has been hibernating in a box since the frameset’s original re-spray  Road Path to Enlightenment: Primed, Painted and Restored to its Former Glory 

A brief conversation suggests adding 6 or 7cm to the existing steerer’s the way forward. I’ve suggested 6cm but Lee’s word is law. Never ask, (or worse still, try and cajole) a frame builder, or similarly skilled person into doing something they feel flawed, or unsuitable.  

Relative Christmas and New Year calm allowed me to dedicate some time to a book draft. A work in progress these past eighteen months and though cycling and motorcycling run throughout, they’re very incidental. It’s about a relationship of a very different kind, spanning three decades, starting in London’s East End, during the autumn of 1992. 

It’s often said you write the first draft for yourself and refine accordingly. However, doing, not talking is key. Same reason I don’t make New Year’s resolutions.    

Switching Ursula to the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) was a prudent move as the lanes had become extremely icy, made worse by the recent flooding. I was also pleased to note the rear XT hub is spinning buttery smooth and silent following December’s repacking and bearing upgrade. There’s a lot to be said for the humble cup and cone hub.  

Having checked the chain, while out on another daylight meander, I was pleased to discover Ursula’s KMC still had some useful life. Decided I’d switch to the Weldtite Ceramic Lube WELDTITE CERAMIC LUBE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  given the conditions are typically wintry. Though there’s a lot to like about the Silca Special Formula Chain Lube, it’s not designed for flooded roads and similar extremes and in my experience, that goes for wax-type formulas per se.  

A deep drivetrain clean, coupled with the arrival of some invisiFRAME Protective Coating presented the ideal opportunity to give the old girl some sudsy bucket TLC. Same went for the fixed gear winter/trainer- I’d managed to sneak the odd ride in, where weather permitted.  

According to the blurb, the invisiFRAME Protective Coating was developed in partnership with Fenwick’s and designed to make framesets and components resistant to contaminants such as energy drinks, gels, mud, dirt, and grime. Reckoned good for gloss, matt, and carbon they suggest 15 applications from the 100ml (about 3.38 oz) bottle and up to six months per treatment. I’ve gone this route with a matt blue Bell Avenue MIPS Road Helmet and of course, the fixed gear winter/trainer.  

Similar MO to the Rapid Ceramic Shield. Apply to clean, dry bikes. Give the bottle a shake spray in short, light bursts and work into surfaces using a clean micro fibre cloth. Leave thirty seconds or so for a formative curing, then buff with a fresh clean cloth and leave “overnight” to cure properly. Less involved than some multi-stage automotive detailers, it will be interesting to see how well it holds up against the elements and compares to Weldtite Ceramic Shield Weldtite Rapid Ceramic Shield | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  

I took this opportunity to fit the Cycology 8 Day Handlebar Tape. Designed for grip and longevity, the tape employs a silicone-derived topcoat that prevents the pattern from wearing with use. I’m really drawn to the pattern, which reminds me of those decorating roads during the Tour De France. It also contrasts nicely with Ursula’s cream and black theme.  

The damping comes courtesy of our old friend EVA foam and though shorter than some, 224cm should be sufficient for wider, flared drops. On the flip side, this texture means it's less malleable than some and requires a firmer pressure to achieve a nice, uniform overlap.  125 slippery, mixed terrain miles hence and I’m really warming to grippy, shock-absorbing charms.  Right, I’ll round up with Steve’s review of The Sportful Sottozero Base Layer Jersey https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/sportful-sottozero-base-layer-jersey 

 

Plans & Prep

 

Having done some extensive overhauling and replacement of Ursula’s cockpit and drivetrain, September’s subtle changes encouraged me to scrutinise my fixed gear winter/trainer’s drivetrain components. All seemed basically sound, although the KMC Z510 HX chain was showing signs of fatigue and due its pension, so I switched it for this blue KMC S1. 

A cheap, but hopefully cheerful and relatively quiet replacement. Time and miles will tell. A slightly cheaper chain replaced more frequently is always better than a neglected top draw model, which will chew through more expensive components, or fail, at a critical moment.  

I returned 3,000 miles from the Z510, though I will be suitably pleased to get 1200 from the S1. Not that I’m powerfully built but I don’t run a rear brake, moderating speed by holding off against the cranks. In any case, I have a beefy, half-link HL710 BMX model waiting in the wings, when the S1 starts losing its edge. Back in the late 80’s, when I was riding conversions, 3/32 Sedis and beveled sprockets were my defaults and performed reliably enough, compensating for any slight chain line imprecision. I much prefer beefier track types though.  

Tension is another important consideration. Too little and the chain’s sagging, possibly coming off, sending you down. Too much and aside from being brutally inefficient, accelerating wear also runs the risk of breakage.  

Since we’re on the subject, tough fixed drivetrains are simple, don’t forget to give the sprocket threads a helping of stiff grease periodically to prevent them seizing. They’re easily forgotten but get basted in a fair amount of caustic, slimy cack. 

A few rides in, I then discovered some slop in the Fixed G hub-checked the obvious stuff-track nuts were snug, ditto the sprocket and spacers. Play was definitely coming from the sealed hub bearings. These are Japanese EZO bearing (6000 size) so not something I had readily to hand.  

For the time being, I’ve switched to the Halo deep-section Aerorage wheel, until such time as their replacements arrive and I have time to perform the op. Cursory inspection suggests some specialist tooling, including circlip pliers, which will otherwise be used infrequently, so I may well outsource this to a good local wheel builder while I pursue other projects. 

 

Noticed some minor cuts in the long-serving 35mm section Schwalbe Marathon GT tyre casing. Easily sorted with a quick drop of superglue. Prevention is always more convenient than cure. On a roll, cleats were replaced. The existing fasteners had turned arthritic, though stopped short of seized. Two short blasts of penetrant/freeing oil and trusty 4mm Allen key secured their release. I added a lick of Peaty’s Bicycle Assembly Grease to the fasteners.PEATY'S BICYCLE ASSEMBLY GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)   

 

Otherwise, I'm making the very most of ambient conditions, enjoying the Teenage Dream’s spirited charms. 

 

The Ravemen CR600 is proving a good companion, albeit with short run times in the highest, 600-lumen setting. Comes with the territory, i.e. typical of compact, high-power lights. That said, output quality is better than I’ve come to expect from mid-power models. Holes and similar hazards are easily spotted from a decent distance and at a reasonable pace.  

However,800 lumens upwards.is a better option for regular/longer distance backroad fun. If you can handle the relative bulk, its 1200lumen cousin is well worth a look. RAVEMEN PR 1200 DUAL LENS FRONT LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  Sportive and Audax riders are much better served by dynamo systems, and I’ve been seriously impressed by the K-Lite Ultra Low Drag Dynamo Light K-LITE ULTRA LOW DRAG DYNAMO LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

 

Rural roads aren’t generally littered with glass and similar sharps, but thorns and hedge clippings can be quite prevalent at certain points of the year. A few miles from home on my dawn blast, I was feeling the stirrings of a very large bowel movement, which was also urging a quicker tempo. Then I felt that ominous up n’ down sinking feeling...Yup, the rear tyre had been slowly bleeding pressure and when I stopped to check, I was down from 130, to 20psi.

   

Inconvenient but spare tube, tyre levers and Lezyne pump meant I was back on the road and racing for the toilet, fearing my bowels might overtake me. Thankfully they didn’t, but it was an uncomfortably close thing. I would’ve got away quicker but was foiled by a faulty CO2 cartridge...