It Shouldn't Happen To A Photographer

 

“Riiiiip; Oh-no!” isn’t the most auspicious starts to a wedding, even if it strikes within the privacy of a bathroom. Mercifully, my salwar Kameez (Indian suit) trousers had only succumbed to a very slight and unrevealing tear, which was easily hidden (along with my blushes) by the long flowing gown.

No further wardrobe; or photographic malfunction struck during the four days of celebration and I virtually filled a16gb card to capacity.  The bride graciously agreed to some candid shots being posted here and on my photographic site. www.stenningphotographic.com

October 25^th also signalled the end of British Summer Time (BST) and being something of a night owl, I was delighted by an abundance of blinkies/related equipment sent for my testing pleasure from various editors and distributors.

Courier was very quick to compliment me on the weatherproof canvas commission and unusually, keen to talk cameras. He seemed to have a genuine appreciation of their mechanics too; which is heartening given widespread perception that photography is merely a question of pointing and shooting.

“What camera is that? Takes good photos mate!” Hmm, nothing to do with understanding of light, control of aperture, ISO and shutter speed, or the ability to spot a pivotal moment/ expression then... 

The Teenage Dream is one of those framesets typical of small scale builders during the early 1990s. I am of course referring to the practice of adding eyeletted dropouts-without altering geometry one iota. This permitted the same frames to be marketed as winter/trainers.

Consumer appeal was obvious too-a really spirited frame that would induce massive ear to ear grins, while still managing mudguards and 23-25mm section rubber… Aside from the legendary Salmon Profile models, persuading the narrowest of full length chrome plastics to fit without binding required patience and considerable ingenuity

Thankfully its lowlier cro-moly sibling (built the following year from a hotch potch of components swapped or salvaged from a recently deceased fixed gear conversion) was more accommodating...

Fast forward 23 years and these arrived from Widget. Being able to slide the front through said bike’s aero fork crown and tight rear triangle while still maintaining enough gap for 25mm tyres induce a state of delirium.

That said; fitment still demanded painstaking precision and minute adjustment. Pruning the stays by matter of millimetres at each point was the only means of maintaining this delicate equilibrium.

We are firmly in fag paper territory with these 185tpi, 25mm Vee Rubber Rain Rubber. Operating pressures range between 100 and 145psi, so despite having a midi pump capable of delivering a genuine 100psi plus, I won’t be popping out without a Co2 inflator nestling in my back pocket.  These also fought back, registering a cool six on the struggle-o-meter.

Cajoling them aboard a very unremarkable set of MA2 hoops required the combined forces of three composite levers and dexterous digits. These were accompanied by the sort of primal grunting and panting more commonly associated with the final stages of labour.

My workshop tyre wand would’ve been the speediest solution but evaluating ease of re/mounting using standard fare was crucial given we’re most likely to flat by the roadside, miles from said labour saving gizmo. Initial impressions are of an extremely quick, supple tyre with leach like cornering prowess and  

Halloween probably wasn’t the best time to commence fettling and the spirits certainly seemed to be conspiring against me. First the Teenage Dream’s rear dual pivot calliper got the sulks; prompting a thorough strip, clean and refit. Next up, cable replacement. Having spliced a decent quality mid-range Jagwire housing to length, to my horror I’d run out of equivalent inners. 

Budget inner wires tend to be very serviceable, although have a tendency to stretch, hence I leave a couple of hours, overnight where possible before pulling through and finally guillotining with razor sharp snips. Alas, malevolent spirits intervened again and as I squeezed the Jagwire cutters decisively, those budget Bowden erupted ruinously-both times.

Not to be outdone, my Hudl2 tablet computer suddenly succumbed to charging failure-something supposedly linked to the recent software updates. In practical terms, this means ringing their customer helpline and hoping it can be rectified before the warrantee elapses in a few days…

Feeling decidedly jinxed, I cut my losses, popped the bike back on its hook, ordered some mid-range inners and fresh bar wrap. Felt the urge for a bargain basement rummage-some Bike Ribbon with a slightly unusual colour scheme. Nothing fired my imagination, so I settled on this wallet-friendly black Deda and decided I’d upgrade the venerable Cane Creek SC5 levers in favour of some Shimano 600 since opportunity presented.

Aside from a lighter action, their slender profiles are arguably more in keeping with the bike’s early 90’s flavour.  Well, with the Cinelli mini tri bars dressed in recycled Ritchey, time I was shortlisting some people.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Dollars, Discs & Distractions

 

I was contacted by someone via “Up work” inviting me to write for them this week.  Keeping an open mind, I responded asking for their exact specification-sign of the times perhaps but, these sites tend to foster a race-to-the-bottom mindset where remuneration’s concerned.

A few minutes later, I received a further email offering me $17 Canadian dollars for a 1,000 word feature including photographs! "Up yours" was a tempting retort but rather than dignify this with a response, I decided stripping and cleaning the Ilpompino’s disc setup was a more positive use of my energies.

Avid’s BB7 is a markedly easier system to adjust than their justly popular BB5 but mine had become misaligned, causing the inboard pad adjuster to brush the spokes. I hadn’t taken a spill, or incurred similar trauma but a thorough back to basics exorcism seemed the most remedy.

Removing the front wheel and inspecting the 160mm Shimano rotor confirmed it was perfectly true and snug aboard the hub. Next stage was to disconnect the cable and reseat the calliper. 5mm Allen and 25 torx keys at the ready, I slackened the mounting hardware; then wound the pad adjusters out, before driving then fully home against the disc rotor. Centring the calliper is simply a matter of pushing it against the fork mount and then tightening the mounting screws.

Strictly speaking, I should’ve reconnected the cable at this point but was following my own intuitive flow, centralising the pads and double checking everything by spinning the wheel. Cable reconnected, a very gentle whisper was corrected by a quick turn of the outboard pad. Spinning the wheel and engaging the Cane Creek lever ten times to verify (and/or placate my advancing neurosis); I repatriated tools and drizzled a little more lube on the chain. Unfortunately Writer’s block was still a sitting tenant, so my attentions turned to mowing lawns before they assumed jungle status and while October still permitted.

Down time paid off, since paragraphs and inspiration flowed consistently once I’d settled back at my middle aged desktop. Four days and 100miles hence verified everything’s behaving impeccably and while I’ve a thing for fierce brakes and solid lever action, allowing fractionally more cable slack has rewarded with more progressive stopping, though pulled in anger, there’s sufficient wallop to raise the rear several inches from the ground.

That Bobbin bar wrap continues to impress with its stylish, shock absorbing properties. Tenure bare handed, even in the wet is pretty impressive too; not that I ride without gloves with any regularity.

The G-Eye2 action is another pleasant surprise and a definite improvement on its predecessor. Whether it’s a poor man’s Go Pro, in much the same sense Triumph’s GT6 was to Jaguar’s E-Type remains to be seen, although it does illustrate how far budget tech has come along in recent years.

Recording quality is good and ideal for developing video reportage skills but the Go Pro will shoot professional grade footage, whereas the G-Eye 2 is firmly in enthusiast hobbyist territory. 

Despite daily rides of 20miles plus, sometimes the walls can start metaphorically closing in. Needing some inspirational escape, I headed out in the Micra with my trusty NEX5 and stopped off at Maldon Shot Blasting & Powder Coating.

Alongside various classic Porsche shells and a 1966 GT40 race car, the methyl chloride tank was making short work of this MG BGT’s blue 2pac paint, revealing plenty of filler and the original orange livery beneath.

This scabby but otherwise sound Specialized Rockhopper built from a Ritchey Nitanium steel alloy tubeset was also awaiting blast and pale blue powder coat makeover and certainly held my attention. I’ve always been a big fan of Specialized’s iconic steel Stump jumper and rock hopper series since first clapping eyes on them back in 1986/7. 

The romance of adventure, exploring foreign lands on a lightweight go-anywhere bicycle was an obvious draw. Then of course, the thrill of speeding along deserted singletrack, flicking around tree roots-just me, the machine and my thoughts-often fuelled by magazine contraband and rudely interrupted by a teacher’s confiscation!

Detailing suggests this one’s of 1998 vintage and while the cable run places them right in gloop’s path, I like the clean aesthetic and would be inclined to build it into a pared to the essentials 1x10 drop bar adventure bike with old school, wide arm cantilevers, fast rolling knobblies, 12-30 cassette...

Back to the future and speaking of romance, I’m due at a wedding, so will pack camera equipment into the Ka and head off to Bedfordshire.

Wrapping up for Winter

 

So, after some deliberation, I plumped for this very fetching honey coloured Bobbin bar wrap to replace the venerable Mpart. Arguably, black would’ve been more obvious given the Ilpompino’s new colour scheme but I’m rather taken with the warm, tan contrast.

Cursory inspection of the end plugs suggested it was a rebranded shop variant and one that had served me well. However, the hide seems superior-much thicker, though still very supple, so sharp effects are achievable with minimal effort and the absence of lever strips posed no problems.

Despite the strong adhesive, correction is similarly effortless, which was welcomed when doubling up at personalised points. While the end plugs looked pretty, tenure proved poor and prompted swift substitution for a set of plastic Cinelli-sorted.

Initial thoughts are of a luxurious, grippy and fatigue reducing covering that should weather reasonably well; nourished with Nikwax or similarly good quality leather proofing on a quarterly basis. On our second outing, I was convinced the tube gremlin had struck again.

A very low but persistent hiss tore through my serenity, a mere 700 metres from home. Psyching myself up for another tube swap, I was elated on discovering it was merely the sound of carbonated drink escaping my bottle valve. However, I wasted no time in plugging a small but significant nick in the Vittoria’s casing with superglue.  

There’s no such thing as too many when it comes to spare tubes, patch kits or Co2 cartridges and Murphy’s Law guarantees they’re never to hand when you need them.

More than two patches and butyl gets recycled as seat collar/headset boots, shims for lighting brackets/similar accessories. 175-2.1 inch MTB sizes are much easier to slide into place but bigger 30-38mm road sections also work reasonably well.

Confounded by the mysterious disappearance of those bought during my last decathlon dash, fastidious foraging unearthed a fully loaded repair kit, so the wounded tube has been sorted and relegated to the serviceable spares stash. I also rediscovered this handy folding stand. Lacking the outright stability of the PRO types, it’s much neater than improvising with a Perspex jug when photographing bikes.

Knog’s biggest Blinder Arc-the 640, continues to impress, with its combination of versatility and output that frankly outshines many budget models claiming much bigger numbers.

This goes to substantiate the point, that reflector, diode and lens are pivotal when talking useable light. Weather resistant to IPX6, (everything bar full blown submersion in layman’s terms), ours haven’t missed a beat when subjected to my five minute hose-pipe torture test.

This isn’t an act of vandalism, I’m not seeking to destroy these, or any other lighting system. Rather, when manufacturers claim something is waterproof, then I pursue accordingly but within reason, obviously.  

Elsewhere, wedding season here in the UK supposedly fizzled out with September’s swansong but I’m delighted to be covering some Indian ceremonies in Bedfordshire before October’s through. This month will be the last real opportunity to get some serious miles in on the “teenage dream” too; so I’ll be taking full advantage.  

 

My mother’s car port commission has also generated a steady stream of interest.

Prices start at £250 for my stock, rural scenes blown up on 5x3ft weatherproof canvasses. Bespoke works and other sizes are also welcomed-just contact me by email with your requirements and we’ll take things from there.

Continuing the photographic theme, I’m still hunting a suitable replacement Sony Alpha (Minolta pattern) body and at Seven Day Cyclist magazine, we’re recruiting interns to assist with production and marketing.   



Kitchen Sink Drama

Kitchens double as fantastic workshops-fresh running water, kettle food, TV/radio and similar creature comforts. Returning from the midlands with new laptop, I decided there was no better way to start the week than reassembling my beloved Mk2 Ilpompino.

Having carefully reintroduced headset cups, seat collar and bottom bracket shell, everything came together pretty effortlessly, although by midday focus was waning on account of telephone calls and encroaching hunger. By this point, only the front brake needed dialling in but I’d earmarked other, pressing deadlines for the afternoon. 

Tuesday was deeply frustrating, spent awaiting a courier and responses to urgent emails-neither of which arrived until late that afternoon, though thankfully I managed to keep a 4.45 appointment. By 1800 the disc was sorted and home brewed frame preserve sloshing inside the Ilpompino’s inner sanctum.

New seasons’ clothing and lighting needed putting through its paces and I don’t require enticing where kit testing’s concerned. I was also pleased to discover decathlon had sent me a G-Eye2 escape under warrantee. This seems a marked improvement over its likeable predecessor. Fittings/accessories are GO-PRO pattern, so thus far, everything, including the weatherproof casing plugs straight on.

A quick, cursory play later, I mounted it on the Ilpompino’s handlebar extension bracket, engaged lights and headed out. Just as Tuesday was concluding on fairly positive notes, while grinding along a greasy, dung strewn gradient, we sliced through a cowpat heavily impregnated with hedge clippings…

The Vittoria voyager hyper unleashed a loud petulant hiss, blowing raspberries with every revolution. Despite being narrow, large trucks often take this route to small industrial units, so a suitable clearing was imperative if I wasn’t to become another piece of roadkill.  

Finding a safe, sheltered spot, I rummaged through the wedge pack. No CO2 inflator!!!!...A wave of panic subsided upon finding the Specialized midi pump, spare tubes and my favourite BTwin tyre levers.

The eerie silence was broken by a woman’s voice. “Excuse me, have you got a puncture?” Despite the Sigma Evo Pro lamp’s considerable power, I couldn’t pinpoint her location but presumed it must’ve come from the cottage opposite.

“Yes, but its fine-thank you” I replied, an early 80’s Godley and Cream track “Under your thumb” suddenly filled the backdrop as my imagination went into overdrive. I wouldn't mind but there's still a few weeks until Halloween.

Even in standard mode, the Sigma Evo Pro’s has sufficient bite for spirited backroad scratching and I was particularly grateful for its prowess as I removed the front

wheel, extracted the wounded butyl and began scrutinising the Vittoria’s casing for embedded sharps.

Ten minutes later, wheel reinstated with a useable 60psi, I resumed my twenty mile loop. Petitioning the god of punctures with prayer seemed to help. Kenda thorn-resistant tubes are my first line of defence, rolling resistance is more apparent given their relative heft.

However, their valve stems are too short for deep section rims, so I may opt for something impregnated with green goo if this scenario becomes more prevalent into winter.  Time to replenish the otherwise superb faux leather Mpart bar wrap. Hmm, what will it be?...

 

Makeover Magic: The Ilpompino's New Clothes

Sometimes deadlines are like a slow but consistently burning fuse. Having caught up following last weeks’ IT crisis, I headed off to Maldon Shot Blasting & Powder Coating to witness and document my frames’ transformation stage by stage. 

After the usual pleasantries, conversation turned to other enticing projects booked with them including lugged n’ brazed 531 frames from the early 1990s and various classic car shells/chassis awaiting blast and/or structural repair.

Chris examined the Ilpompino’s factory livery and decided it was best left soaking in their methyl chloride tank prior to blasting. Sometimes, depending on the existing paint, it’s possible to skip straight to the blast cabinet.

Once the active ingredient in over-the-counter stripping products; methyl chloride is a nasty carcinogenic, so now the preserve of controlled contexts. This is diluted with water to prevent evaporation but agitating the depths unleashes an unmistakable, pungent odour.  After fifteen minutes marinating in the stagnant looking chemical soup, Chris dons rubber gauntlets and delves deep.

My frame emerges seconds’ later, almost completely bare save for some localised residual silty paint. Passed through the glass bead cabinet and several minutes’ intensive tickling reveals a bare, dimpled surface; it also confirms my initial suspicions of surface pitting where the salt monster had nibbled the right chainstay.

This doesn’t dictate Metafil, or similar specialist fillers but Chris gently sands it flat before masking and plugging threaded sections. Critics of powder coating cite that achieving two or more colour effects requires applying 2pac or similar wet spray paints atop. This is relatively labour intensive, costly too...

Given this backdrop, a two-tone powder coat finish sounds a bit risky but Chris and Graham seem completely comfortable with the commission.

Regardless of family, all paints have unique characteristics according to their colours/pigments. My French blue/grey effect leads Graham to introduce a thinner, corrosion inhibiting zinc phosphate primer, which won’t risk imperfections in the top coats.  

Midway through this formative stage my Sony Alpha SLR camera body gets the sulks. Despite frantic efforts to re-dial settings, it refuses to deliver three frames per second required. Hastily diverting to my trusty NEX5 ensures there’s minimal loss of footage.

Confident of even coverage, “Izzie” is passed through the curing oven for fifteen minutes and our attentions turn to locating French blue (5024) and a complimentary  grey.  A hearty cheer erupts, signalling both polyester powders are in stock and in plentiful quantity.

Graham starts by loading the 5024, confirms a good flow rate by depressing the gun a few times and returns to the curing oven. Moments later, the frame is earthed and ready to receive the colour coat. Graham covers the main triangle under a blanket of pale blue before checking the powder is heaped uniformly throughout. Two affirmative nods and it returns to their their curing oven for ten minutes at 200 degrees.

Conversation meanders to the frame’s history, how I came to acquire it and its significance to me. Having returned to the oven, we discover gallons of molten frame preserve racing from the vent holes and bottom bracket shell...pooling  on the concrete floor.

Mercifully, this hasn’t contaminated the colour coat and can be deftly dismissed but serves to illustrate the importance of warning your frame builder or spray shop, should you suspect a frame has something oily sloshing around inside.

The boys take it all in their good humoured stride, blowing the frame through with compressed air. Demon purged and our next dilemma is whether to start the grey as a solid, or gradually fade it in atop the blue.

Solid effects involve masking, which in this context, risks permanent “tan lines”; so we take the latter route. Unlike wet sprays, powders can be blown into new shapes, or reused. Meticulous in their approach, Graham revises this three times before progressing round the rear triangle.

Moments pass, tension mounts as his eyes painstakingly scan every last particle. To my relief he nods again before spiriting it into the oven once more.  Finally, my beloved frame is given an acrylic clear coat, which adds further protection, while accentuating its rich, glossy lustre.

Right, time to introduce some fresh home brewed frame preserve and helicopter tape to abrasion prone points; then I’ll build it up before October’s through.

Heartfelt thanks go to the team at Maldon Shot blasting and Powder Coating for undertaking this transformation www. http://ctc-powder-coating.co.uk/.

Trevor (Father and MSBC MD) has asked me to point out that cost for this kind of specialist effect varies wildly depending upon several factors. This includes colour choice(s), post blast remedial works and whether decals/other detailing are required.