Sorting Shot Bearings

Amid the chaos of wholly unnecessary central heating oil tank replacement (resultant from a neighbour’s vitriolic refusal to accept two independent, qualified reports that the old unit was completely sound and fit for purpose); one's freelance canoe has been paddled with renewed vigour and seemingly positive results. Aside from the usual projects/collaborations, I’ve been weaving through the web's many strands of opportunity, albeit slightly undecided about some.

Anything with the “homeworking” tag targeted specifically at women sets my senses on red alert. For decades this was a euphemism for sweated, piece rate labour that often cost participants more money to acquire the raw materials than they actually made-£5 per thousand envelopes being one of the most commonly advertised lures that springs to mind. 

This appears to have crossed into creative, skilled vocations in recent years- $5 for 1,000 word feature ring any bells among fellow freelancers? Frankly, anyone foolish enough to plunder these depths i.e. willingly compete in such races to the bottom will find precious little sympathy from this corner.  

While shifting half a tonne of new central heating receptacle through the side gate and to its newly set concrete plinth, “Uncle” Benny happened to mention one of his bike’s fit n’ forget square taper bottom brackets had finally turned sloppy, so I agreed to supply and fit a cheap but fairly cheerful Shimano replacement. In this instance we settled upon the Japanese giant's basic UN26 complete with composite sleeves and solid steel axle-£7 inc postage. Removing the resident "Power pro" unit proved less taxing than I thought given a brief blast of penetrant spray inside the seat tube and using sheer leverage from Lezyne's CNC rod.

Despite giving the incoming unit’s threaded sections a liberal slathering of ceramic polymer grease and using precision tooling, these components are decidedly soft and very easily stripped-overcome by applying gentle pulses of super invasive penetrant spray while surreptitiously winding it fully home in gentle bursts.   

No sooner had we everything reinstated and double checked, it became apparent that his entry level road bike’s unit had succumbed to the same fate despite only a handful of rides! Given our experience with the UN26, he’s requested I supply and fit the UN55, whose superior bearings, seals and hollow axle should amass much higher mileages before singing that familiar swansong.

Staying with square tapers, this rather fetching System EX crankset has replaced the cheap but decidedly charming Stronglight ST55. 44 teeth maintain the road sensible 77 inch gearing, eliminating risk of spinning out on the flat or straining on moderate climbs.46/48t are the preserve of track or pancake flat TTs, though supply of 130 BCD fare is reasonable should wear or whim dictate.

At a glance 669g is fairly beefy-less than some super stiff hot forged track models but in keeping with other sub £60 fare and 170mm arms will suit production fixers, conversions or indeed some single/hub gear builds with lower bottom bracket heights since there’s less risk of grounding out when cornering hard.  

Mirror polished finishes are vastly superior to paint and this one should resist the salt monster’s advances for several seasons-longer fed periodic helpings of decent quality polymer car polish. In common with others in this class , detailing's a little workman-like around the inner spider but this isn’t glaringly obvious/likely to prove a deal breaker on trainers/club builds. 

Initial impressions are extremely favourable with excellent power transfer and nominal whip under sprinting or climbing efforts. However, we’re only 50 in to a 300mile plus evaluation for a new consumer focused title, so said remarks must be regarded as formative at this stage.

Rummaging through my spares drawer resurrected these low-profile, dual-sided shop branded Ritchey WCS homages for more convenient getaways and further improved ground clearance.They’re actually rather well made by FTP-another Taiwanese marque, boasting nicely machined, powder coated aluminium bodies, super reliable Cro-moly axles turning on remarkably smooth cartridge bearings. 

Ironically (and this seems true of other patterns) while perfectly accommodating of genuine Shimano cleats, they seem happiest with VP, Wellgo, Btwin and indeed Exustar! On that note, I’m off to pedal my wares and invest further energies into matters marketing/promotional.         

  

Future Proofing

Arguably there’s no such thing, everything must evolve to stand any chance of survival and those, no matter how “intelligent” who refuse to acknowledge and evolve will find themselves obsolete. Change is difficult for us to accept, it challenges our sense of certainty, presenting a new sense of vulnerabilities.

For many decades there prevailed a myth through Dagenham (a town built around the Ford motor company) that educational attainment was completely irrelevant since said motor giant would always grant local people (comparatively) well-paid, semi/unskilled work on their assembly line.

By 1995, according to schools liaison officers the average Dagenham school leaver “Stood a cat’s chance in hell” of being considered for the line’s most rudimentary jobs. Engineering has continued to make a low key return here and in other regions of the UK but levels of remuneration are incomparable with previous decades.

Those of a technical grade, with “valuable” transferable skills will move sideways into other industries/roles, those without face a decidedly uncertain future, forgotten by political administrations-regardless of their ideological “convictions”. 

Many people purport to understand social media but until recently, I’d been an operator, as distinct from mechanic. Rather akin to being stranded by the roadside with an elderly car haemorrhaging litres of coolant, oil and similarly vital fluids, grappling with the running gear is proving a steep but empowering and arguably essential learning curve.

Suspension systems are another perpetual evolution, though have never really fired the imaginations of road riders or at least enjoyed sustained commercial success. Two decades back, Steve Bauer’s Eddy Merrcx Paris Roubaix bike (sometimes sporting Rock Shox front boingers) looked loosely contemporary, though hasn’t aged well-its profile and seating position more reminiscent of Harley homage cruiser motorcycles.  Ditto Bianchi’s curious celeste dual road sussers from 1996 that resemble bicycle shaped objects flogged on petrol station forecourts.   

Weight and added complication have been the traditional lines of resistance. Carbon fibre and titanium  has long been the zing of choice-justly so in most contexts, though I must confess to a soft spot for Girvin’s Flexstem and AMP research’s simple forks-both now rapidly gaining anorak status, having vanished from production at least fifteen years ago with very modest spares availability.

Seatposts have been another mixed bag, from simple yet serviceable elastomer types slipping under £25 to ultra-smooth units employing a heady mix of nitrogen gas cartridge and coil sprung technology. Shorter travel designs have always nudged my consciousness for rough-stuff touring, cyclo cross and tandem stoker applications with Cane Creek’s Thudbuster proving one of the more enduring designs I’d not had the opportunity to test until now….

For the uninitiated, there’s two versions-LT (long Travel) aimed primarily at the enduro /cross country mountain bike audiences whereas its’ ST (short travel) counterpart is for lighter trail/cross/tandem stoker antics. Nudging 454g for the standard 350mm version, it’s offered in a refreshingly comprehensive range of sizes.

Other diameters are accommodated via a series of long shims. Back in the 1990s, several manufacturers of “trick” sub 200g CNC machined exotica produced a single size, supplied with the corresponding shims. Thing was, these were decidedly minimalist, often shallower than penicillin tablets, resulting in seat tube stress fractures. Thus some very prominent brands wouldn’t honour frame warrantees when paired to such.

Popular culture, though TV in particular seems central in engendering an “us n’ them” vehicular tribalism, which misses the point and isn’t remotely conducive to forming intelligent, cohesive integrated transport systems. 

Cycling plays a big part in Joshua’s continued quest for greater autonomy, requiring carefully reasoned, rational risk management. Knee jerk “cotton wool” protectionism is perhaps understandable but disastrously counterproductive, hence why I instilled the basics of road craft and an awareness of the increasingly maddening crowd who substitute skill for varying levels of aggression during his formative tagalong tenure.

Instrumental in this slackening of parental reins are his phone and this bar mounted waterproof Aquapac mobile phone bag. Some would advocate tracking apps and other surveillance but to me, this is decidedly Orwellian and recognising he’s not easily distracted, I’m happy knowing he will ride within his limits, can be contacted and communicate with me should circumstances arise.    

Twaaang! Aka Way of the Exploding Cable Hanger

Yes indeed, having returned from another head-clearing blast along the back roads, I was gently sweeping my Ilpompino back inside the garage when serenity was rudely interrupted by the faintest sound of binding…

We hadn’t encountered any holes or similar rim worrying phenomenon, so I presumed it was just a sticky inner wire. Pumping the left Tektro lever saw induced a faint tinkling as the tiny little pressed steel cable hanger expired, blowing itself into oblivion and inducing that sudden, monumental loss of cable tension.

Stunned silence was replaced by mild irritation-fettling aside; I’d literally engaged its rear stopper three, maybe four times in the last eight years. Initial thoughts leaned toward buying another Surly “braker” unit (as fitted to my Univega) but since the law only requires fixed builds to run a single, lever operated brake, I decided this presented the ideal opportunity to forgo it completely. Not so the braze-on posts. Some folks love nothing better than taking a hacksaw to their framesets but I like the option of reintroducing stuff should need, or fancy take me. They might also make brilliant blinky mounts...

A quick rummage in the spares drawer resurrected this resin Tektro stoker/dummy lever, some grey primer and my long T handled 5mm Allen key. Despite being well maintained, I was surprised at how arthritic the wide arm cantilever’s stainless mounting screws had become and momentarily envisioned strip-city. Having bypassed this grim narrative with a timely shot of release spray and severed the inner cable, things breezed together pretty smoothly.

Despite being previously repatriated and increasingly weathered, the Spa cycles leather handlebar wrap rewound sans protest and having wiped the bosses clear of residual grease, it was a question of either applying a thin, protective layer of polymer lube or, in this instance a thin coat of grey primer topped off with some of this Sugru “form & fix”.  

For the uninitiated, these are thin sachets of self-setting, flexible rubber that, until cured have a texture broadly similar to play dough/plastercine and can be moulded in much the same way.

Achieving smooth, even effects takes literally forty seconds or so, though seems to require a few hours unmolested to cure fully. Paint protectors are an obvious use, though ours has also been employed as replacements for mudguard (fender) stay caps, resealing electrical cables/dynamo wire etc.

Having double checked lever symmetry, reinstated and sealed the cowhide wrap, taking this opportunity to substitute the fetching but only moderately secure wooden plugs with some tap-in composites On the home straight, reinstating those canti-bolts with some Teflon prep the back door sprung open. It was Joshua who, to my astonishment proceeded to tell me this Dualco unit must be a “vacuum primed” design. 

Upon my affirmation, he then explained the mechanical principles behind them-correctly (!) Somewhat fond of deviating from the stock strip when it comes to degreasers and similar grime busting potions, I’ve just taken delivery of this three-litre dilute to taste concentrate from chemicals direct.

Hmm, familiar orange hue, “safe on all surfaces”, not for human consumption etc, interesting aroma too…I’ve a few sneaking suspicions about its potential hostility towards delicate anodised and indeed, flamboyant wet-spray finishes but let’s see how it behaves in various strengths and contexts before passing judgement. 

Baring All aka “The Baboon”

Here now comes the cautionary tale of becoming overly attached to aging Lycra- you know, those old faithfuls plucked from a shop’s sales bin for £10 or less that have soldiered on stoically for a decade or so. Slowly but surely the buttock region has become progressively thinner, there’s some obvious tell-tale fraying around the insert but otherwise, they’re socially acceptable...

Crashes aside, the humble polyester/elastane mix has few natural enemies and literally recedes by stealth. Thundering along the lanes late one night, headful of ideas turning me every which way but loose, I was suddenly conscious of an unusually ambient air coursing around the buttock region. Far from uncomfortable, this agreeable cooling sensation coincided with traffic gliding past serenely at a greater distance than usual for this locale.

Catching sight of one’s derriere’, the reason for this newfound curiosity became brutally apparent- those fibres had worn perilously thin, leaving little to the imagination. Mercifully, bricklaying gangs had left their lintels earlier; otherwise the procession of hoots, jeers and Dagenham smiles would’ve made matters all the more difficult to ignore. Conversely, I was disappointed not to encounter “Colnago man”; a relatively local rider who refuses to acknowledge others, even by way of a discrete nod. 

While relatively courteous, I’m not the most welcoming of figures and don’t generally appreciate folk cruising alongside uninvited for a chat but wilfully ignoring someone who has bid you good morning/afternoon/evening is pretty ignorant. 

The politics of pleasantries have become increasingly complex too if forums are any barometer. Some folks taking great offence (an affront to their masculinity perhaps) at being overtaken by a faster rider unleashing a cheery “Hello”; Personally, I’m only mildly irked if someone has cut me up, or done so to make a point/for effect. Often I’ll whizz past on the following climbs, or laugh hard as a tandem blows them into those proverbial weeds, showing clean heels n’ chrome plastics. 

More changeable conditions i.e. pelted with hail stones the size of sugar cubes ricocheting from my Ilpompino’s top tube certainly brings waterproof jackets to the fore. However, until recently and with the exception of some eVent models, choice was between three seasons’ training models or the classic “Condom” cape synonymous with late 80’s massed start road racing. Admittedly these offered some protection from biblical stuff but left one feeling decidedly boiled-in the-bag after twenty minutes or so.

Micro types which fold much smaller and whose technical fibres facilitate a reasonably comfortable, hygienic inner climate have become increasingly affordable. Dhb Cosmo is a case in point. Subtle (rather than dull or wall-flowerish) colour schemes, gender specific cuts and rugged, “racing snakes” polyamide fabric has come to my rescue on several recent outings. These have been spent evaluating the durability and cleanliness of several different 

chain preps, not to mention some very fancy material specific cleaners and polishes.

The latter supposedly locks in a blemish-free lustre for several weeks following a single application. So far, so good on titanium/carbon composites, though I’m very curious to discover more of their precise chemical makeup. Better quality polymer based, composite friendly waxes promise similar performance and thus, the coming weeks could present some unexpected findings.     

Now…Can anyone guess the identity of this frameset that’s just arrived at the doors of Maldon Shot Blasting & Powder Coating?

Purple Haze & Teenage Dreams

Having agreed the graphics, title, marketing strategy and other definitive stuff, our collaboration is hurtling ever closer to fruition. Self-belief, realistic deadlines, effective time management and the ability to juggle competing priorities are fundamental to the success of any venture. Rest and play must also be factored into this equation if one is to avoid flying over the cuckoos’ nest or becoming the proverbial dull boy/girl. 

Sunny skies have roused the Teenage dream from its long winter hibernation for some seriously spirited back road fun. Little remains of its original incarnation but while there are firm, sentimental attachments to its 1982 Campagnolo Victory derailleurs, other components held more negative personal connotations, so were easily upgraded and sold on without remorse.

Once a benchmark, Reynolds 531 has long been superseded in competition terms by more exotic blends, though this was largely influenced by modern volume production methods, which favours fusion welding’s speed over fillet brazing-enter 525 and 631. 

However, not all flavours were resounding successes. The thin wall competition variant still delivers considerable grin inducing zing within those formative pedal strokes. Just resist any seat tube reaming or electroplating urges and have a little corrosion inhibiting preserve sloshing around inside-there’s a reason why it’s 27.0, not 27.2!

Once the Teenage Dream’s Regina screw on freewheel rumbles on up to the great bike shop in the sky, I’ll commence wholesale modernisation with this here Sun Race NRX group. Its OEM external cup bottom bracket will be substituted for something stiffer to compensate for the lugged and brazed frameset’s greater lateral flex but this is my only intentional deviation.     

Obviously such updating will necessitate professional resetting of its rear triangle to130mm-Lee Cooper (http://leecoopercycles.webs.com/) has very kindly offered his services and hence, said evolution will hopefully coincide with mid-winter’s wrath.

Deeply intrigued by and attracted to older framesets, component groups, cameras, motorcycles and even some cars, I’m no purist. Those actively living within a romanticised, rose-tinted view of the past will never move forward. I have comparatively contact with anyone I studied at polytechnic with-there are a few carried forward and held dear, obviously. The same applies to others within my previous professional “lives” but from a strictly personal perspective, yesterday is only significant in terms of what we’ve learned from it since.

Conversely there’s memorabilia retained from this era-a Motorola team jersey bought for my eighteenth birthday-something that immediately spirits me to Plaistow and E.G Bates cycles on the Barking Road. (long gone along with any East End connections). 

Raised in a rural parish, I marvelled at West Ham E15- an area characterised by abandoned and often derelict factories, depots and cars in 1992, its grey, grimy patina captured perfectly in Kodak’s Tri-X black n’ white 35mm film. One afternoon in 1994, I snuck past a loose section of corrugated iron and into the rotting hulk of Lesney’s former toy factory having visited a friend at Homerton’s decidedly foreboding RN RU.

Abandoned since 1983, the main track and apparatus were still evident with little evidence of metal theft or mindless vandalism. Extensive redevelopment and gentrification means these areas are almost unrecognisable and therefore unprepossessing.     

I ran an Indian built Enfield Bullet for a short spell towards the decade’s end. Beautiful lines, delightful to polish, sipped petrol but even blessed with upgraded 12 volt electrics and a single front disc brake, contemporary urban traffic conditions proved a test of our resolve, let alone an earlier “genuine” Royal Enfield.

This is entirely different phenomenon from the recent and in my view, very welcome reintroduction of some older concepts-merino jerseys, dyno lighting, internal gears, properly sealed and moderately priced fixed hubs, child/utility trailers to name but a few examples that have been resurrected using modern materials.  

Concrete jungle aside, riding is fertile ground for contemplation. With the benefit of hindsight, there are situations and events and indeed some people I would’ve approached very differently but regrets and “what ifs” are futile.

Good, bad or plain indifferent, these experiences have shaped my identity, world view. Lessons learned form the basis for better decision making and relationships, whether these are business or of a more intimate nature.   

Greases, Gloves & the Perils of Parabens

Been working on a piece about lubricants, which logically led to a paragraph or two’s discussion of de-greasing, health n’ safety and hand washes. Parabens might not be the first thought entering our heads when scooping up some dirt purging gloop but their widespread prevalence in cosmetics, toiletries, personal (read sexual if you must) gels is cause for thought and for me at least concern, afterall, ubiquitous doesn’t necessarily mean harmless.

Used as a preservative/biocide, extending a products shelf-life, there’s an increasingly convincing body of research linking para-hydroxybenzoic acids with cancers, hormonal abnormalities, immune, neurological and reproductive toxicity.  

Indeed, there appears an increased presence of these oestrogen mimicking particles within the tissues of breast cancer patients, nearest the underarm region. Playing Devil’s advocate, it may be (like Aspartame, the somewhat controversial artificial sweetener) that there are safe limits within which such complications do not arise…

Bottom line, I’m in favour of minimising contact with anything potentially carcinogenic, whether used motor-oils, contaminated greases, even the supposedly super clean space-age polymers. Thin, washable gloves seem infinitely preferable to absorbing further, potential toxins through my skin. Elsewhere, those nice folk at Moore Large (www.todayscyclist.co.uk) have sent me a stainless steel KMC Z1 (inox).

Nudging 442g, it’s something of a behemoth but seemingly bombproof and positively serene. Now, stainless seem an obvious candidate for winter bikes and daily drivers but nonetheless, low should never be interpreted as zero maintenance, thus I’ve a hunch the pins might succumb to some red freckling.

Admittedly there’s no substitute for long miles, along wet, salty roads but in their seasonal absence I’m trying a similar experiment, leaving a discarded section marinating in a tub of fresh water laced with table salt and left drying in coastal climes.

Ours remains dressed in the factory drizzle, which appears pretty corrosion repellent but in any case, only a minority of us will be whizzing round on truly parched chains for any period. Not that this should be a problem given my present arsenal has been joined by some store brand “wet weather” and “Teflon based” lubricants passed my way for critical evaluation.

Superficially it’s tempting to say they’re dead ringers for a wealth of similar formulas, which will lead doubting Thomas/Theresa’s suggesting this illustrates the prevalence of badge-engineering. Healthy scepticism is essential but so is keeping an open mind. Two products can look decidedly similar and in some instances comprise of identical ingredients.

However, that’s not to say tracks one and two were putting different labels on the same products-weights and measures can vary, hence why some marques will stay put longer, attract more/less contaminant, or in the bad old days, leave a streaky finish, do nasty things to rubberised components and indeed, beneath our skin.

Elsewhere, in the name of frugality, gracious donation of this elderly but worthy tower means I have a reliable desktop once more and my collaboration continues to gallop towards the tangible entity we’d envisaged but near, yet so far springs to mind.

Several weeks on and those Btwin Automatic (SPDR) homages continue to delight, even on the fixed thanks to a subtle weighting that allows easy location/flipping when trickling along. As expected, their softer aluminium bodies sport more battle scars than premium fare but nothing outlandish and I love the convenience of being able to walk gracefully without ravaging best linoleum. Whisper it but I’m not regretting the Ilpompino’s regression to square tapers either; though a stiffer ring would be welcomed…

Lateral Thinking & A Saunter Through The Spares Bin

Bank holidays are a great opportunity to relax, reflect and therefore be more productive as a consequence. That said; self-employment in any capacity/context requires long hours, forward planning and oodles of self- motivation- I’ve seldom seen bed before 1am these past few months. Presently I’m working on my collaboration and specifically cover designs, which is a different but extremely rewarding challenge with intense flashes of inspiration.

Further investigation revealed the Ilpompino’s GXP cranks and cups had become sitting tenants, though three timely blasts of penetrant spray and gentle persuasion from this ACOR wrench accelerated a tidy eviction.

Obviously closed cup pro grade designs hold the winning cards when it comes to absolute precision, though open type enable loosening of the non-drive side, facilitating release of reticent two-piece Truvativ without recourse to more forceful techniques.

Much to my surprise, several salt strewn winters had infiltrated the chain-ring bolts, leaving their threads unexpectedly brittle. Hence I’ve introduced an understated but worthy sealed square taper bottom bracket and low mileage Stronglight 55 crankset for the short to medium term until such time the latter’s non-detachable ring becomes bin fodder, or I acquire something more glamorous.

110mm long axles might sound another curious choice for fixed gear builds but the chain line’s bang-on, those extra few millimetres breathing space prevents arms fouling cadence sensors and similar electrical gizmos.

Dropping a couple of teeth has lowered the gearing slightly (from 81 to 77.6 inches), lessening joint strain on more intense climbs and improving acceleration without hampering cruising tempo or inducing quasi comedic spin-out during long descents.

Such moments had me thinking about chain life. Derailleur set ups ascend the stairway to heaven between 800 and 1100 miles depending on rider sensitivity, standards of maintenance, lube and riding conditions but things seem considerably less prescriptive with single speeds. Obviously the former variables, not to mention chainline are significant players.

However, theoretically at least (given the additional loading associated with braking, track standing and explosive acceleration) one would reasonably expect this to be level pegging with their variable cousins.

I’ve had a brown 3/32 Sedis expire somewhat fatally nigh on 25 years ago while hurtling along at 42mph, inducing unwelcome mirth and interesting rider antics. Aside from last year’s infamous crush injury, there’s never been a spiteful moment or sense of impending expiry using 1/8^th track fare. 

The Ilpompino's  KMC is starting to shed its purple finish in places and I keep a generous length of links lest disaster strike miles from home but we’re well into three thousand miles. My preference is for half-links since they allow more precise pruning, especially on conversions where tensioning can prove tricky (vertical dropouts being a case in point) and some whisper 10,000 miles plus is readily attainable.

Galvanised coatings according to others are show-stopping must-haves, particularly but while taint resistance is pretty good, those I’ve used have lacked finesse unless fed a wet lube diet and eventually the zinc layer flakes away, leaving links exposed and therefore equally vulnerable to Joe n’ Joanna rot. Perhaps Inox is the answer to these particular prayers…