Showtime!

I am of course referring to the 2016 Cycle show in Birmingham’s NEC (National exhibition centre), which though lacking the outright spectacle of Eurobike, still had plenty on offer.

A nasty bout of food poisoning the night before and a very fraught commute wasn’t the most auspicious start. However, I arrived at the NEC on time with trusty Sony NEX CSC, assorted lenses and some sugary sustenance to keep me from flagging at crucial points.

A few minutes later, Steve Dyster (Seven Day Cyclist’s co-editor) appeared and we convened for coffee and to strategise. Piping hot Americano coursing through my veins and colossal croissant consumed; we started with the year’s biggest trend-Gravel/adventure and disc braked road bikes. Most big brands had several models on offer and at various price points.

Of the most enticing to me was this titanium Boardman and several from Bombtrack; a German brand being introduced to the UK later this year. A big fan of cyclo crossers and their derivatives, I was particularly taken with their hook 2 and this drop bar 1x11 mountain bike, which is arguably the closest I’ve come to my ideal drop bar mountain bike build.

My passion for this particular breed was ignited by a “news in brief” piece, in the now defunct “Bicycle” magazine way back in 1987. This featured a Muddy Fox “Trailblazer”; which sported big drops, bar end shifters and 26x1.75 tyres. I’ve never seen one in the flesh and rumour suggests it was a prototype. Fast forward 29 years and I am very keen to put this Columbus tubed trail beast through its paces. 

Through axles have migrated from motorcycles to mountain bikes and now, disc braked skinny tyre road-biased builds. Increased front end stiffness is their main appeal over standard quick releases and there’s little trade-off in terms of removal speed; say when fixing a flat. We firmly believe that every stable should have a four seasons’ bike as car daily driver.

Enter this favourably priced Radman Urban. 6061 aluminium frame with stealth black finish and dressed perfectly for riding in all weathers. Alfine 11speed hub transmission, hub dynamo, hydraulic disc brakes, full length guards and a four point rack. Drops are my preference but the sensible flats and gear range are perfect for trailer/tagalong tugging duties.

With as little jiggling, I reckon you’d be able to sneak a set of 700x35 spikes in for the harsher months too…Suffice to say, I was quick to swap business cards and express interest in testing one. Another quietly popular trend was for hub gears and belt drives. Belts were all the rage back in 2009/10 but somewhat divisive.    

Clean, maintenance free riding is an obvious plus but debate always raged about their true efficiency. I have an open mind and haven’t heard too many horror stories regarding durability. Critics may cite Kawasaki’s belt final drive on their Z305 motorcycle back in the mid 80s, which was super smooth but vulnerable to collecting stones and similar sharps, which would sever it irreparably.

Others would justly pint out that powerfully built riders turning a cadence of 100/120rpm are hardly comparable with a high revving four stroke motorcycle. Shand cycles run this on their Rohloff stoater, which can also be converted at the drop out to run single speed or traditional derailleur setups. We chatted about frame building practice, which culminated in an open invitation to stop by their workshops, next time we were in Livingston.  

Fixed and other retro flavours also lingered, with Condor and Bianchi offering some very nice examples. I’m strangely taken with the former’s somewhat iconic Pista fixed, although less endeared to its electroplated finish. The iconic London marque has also taken a retro theme but given it a contemporary, practical twist. Their Cassico oozes continental charm with paint and polish but thankfully, those shiny tubes are stainless, not electroplated.

Their Pista and Paris Path models were also very appealing to yours truly, although personally I would’ve preferred mudguard eyelets on a machine following the road/path tradition. The Fatello was another enticing machine. 

A lightweight tourer cum Audax/day bike, its’ made from Columbus spirit tubing, features discs and sufficient clearance for 700x28 and full length guards. £799.99 as a frameset only, should you fancy going a’la carte. 

Bike shop shelves literally groan under the weight of bike washes and similar labour saving potions. Most work reasonably well, although I’m always intrigued by something genuinely different.

Stopping for a chat with Pro Green MX www.Pro-GreenMX.co.uk provided just that. Originally devised as a one-off formula for a moto-cross riding friend, they developed their formulas into three different products. 

One for transmission components, another for all-over use and finally a wax polish preserve. We are assured all are devised and brewed in house, contain no salts, or similar nasties and were sent home with a pack to review. Watch this space…

Last but not least, being something of a clothes horse and MAMIL (Middle aged man in Lycra) I was very drawn to these designs…Well, if the jersey fits….

Moonlit Miles & Running Repairs FGG

Polaris Bikewear www.polaris-bikewear.co.uk have just sent some samples of their challenge range, which are designed with input from Tegan Phillips and other epic adventure tourists. While retaining the classic cycling cut and materials, other features have been tweaked for comfort and practicality.

Starting with the Nexus short, this is a six panel design made from a subtle navy blue Calvico (Polyester/Elastane) weave. One of the most unusual, though very subtle features are an elasticated mesh pocket on the left leg and a zippered “valuables compartment” on the butt compartment. The former have swallowed my jailor’s bunch without feeling intrusive, overburdened, or indeed ejecting mortar fashion at the first bump.

Inserts are probably one of the most personal contact points-they’ve gone for a medium density TMF, a blend of Coolmax fibres to keep the crotch region arid while a silver anti-bacterial component safeguards against infection. 50 miles in and things are favourable, which isn’t always the case- another 450 or so will give a much better idea of their capabilities and compatibility.

Tasteful Orange/Blue/Yellow silicone leg grippers are more generous than most and designed to prevent gathering and that unsightly branding when its time to strip off and hit the campsite shower blocks. …They also compliment the Challenge merino ride socks. Strictly speaking these are a Merino mix with padded heel and toe sections. Longer cut gives a more civilian look, while giving ankles and lower calves a sporting chance through long grass and brambles. 

Then we have their Traverse Jersey, another Merino based garment for fast wicking odour management. Not sure lime green is my colour (but there are alternatives?). This deviates from the traditional jersey script in several respects. A polo type collar gives better protection from harsh sunlight, while also offering a more civilian look when off the bike. Longer sleeves and front zipper offer similar benefits. The latter has one of the most user friendly tags I’ve ever come across-effortless climate control and subtle reflective detailing brings it to life around dusk and beyond. 

Given the more casual design brief, Polaris has been very inventive with the pockets. Two generous diagonal “Power mesh” stretch pockets sit on the sides and will manage larger mini pumps, smart phone, wallet etc with no hint of ejection over poorly surfaced roads/trails-to date at least. The men’s version features a similarly deep, zippered nelson pocket on the right breast. I’ve hauled my faithful compact camera around without feeling obviously overburdened.

It’s been unseasonably warm this past week or two (well into the late 20s/early 30s) for me to put their windproof pioneer jacket through its paces, even to arrive at any formative opinion.

It’s a two layer polyester design with a vented rear panel  that follows the more relaxed narrative, so won’t draw unwelcome attention and could also be worn as a general outdoor jacket-looks good with Jeans. Looking forward to seeing how it copes with wet and windy weather, the stuff synonymous with autumn and falling leaves.  

Elsewhere, the Univega’s Vittora Randonneur trail tyres finally succumbed to irreparable cuts in the casing. Several thousands of miles under their belt, I had previously patched a gash in the rear tread twice with a “boot” and filling the remainder with high strength glue but a third signalled their retirement.

I’ve gone back to those Vittoria city runner, a nigh on slick 26x1.6 road/commuter model, which rolls a lot faster than their 28tpi casings would suggest. Now, things go in fashions- most of us took the slick route with our mountain bikes during the mid to late 90s.

These days there are abundance of competitively priced, capable road biased flat bar commu-do-mosts, some with derailleurs, others hub transmission that are arguably much better working bikes, mtbs with slick tyres, full length guards, rack and a taller spread of gears remain very versatile four seasons’ bikes. Having succumbed to a some minor knee discomfort, I’m staying off the fixers for now and taking advantage of the Univega’s lower, variable gears and masses of pedal float 

Talking of derailleurs, tickly, noisy changes from its rear Microshift mech were attributed to a dog-eared rear outer cable. Given the inner was in rude health, I simply pruned some leftover compressionless Jagwire housing used on the Ilpompino’s front disc. Crisp shifting restored in two minutes flat-little victories!

The Eat My Dirt brake shields were sent my way on the basis they had “Michael Stenning” written all over them. These are primarily designed to protect disc brake/rotors from a sticky coating of spent lube when re-lubricating a thirsty chain. Same goes for tyres and rims.

Story goes these were invented after Jon fancied a quick blast on Gary’s bike. Unbeknown to him, Gary had “just chucked a bit of oil on his chain and cassette” seeing as they were looking a bit dry…

Mid wheelie, Jon engaged the rear brake…Nothing. Next thing he knew he was flat on his back and the concept was born.  Being marine engineers, they made a prototype from cardboard and refined the design with some input from Huddersfield University.

The brake shields are essentially a massive “bib” that clips on in literally seconds once you’ve got the knack. Bike Bib was their intended moniker but it seems, Michelin own the name “bib”…

Ultimately, they decided polypropylene was the ideal, flexible, chemical resistant material. In fact, they are so confident in its longevity, they will replace free of charge and under normal use, so long as you send them a short video explaining how they failed.

First slip the shield behind the cassette and secure the tab around a convenient spoke. Clip the top hook around another spoke and check it won’t move when you rotate the cranks backwards.

Once you’ve cleaned and/or re-lubricated your chain, unclip and flush the channel through with a bit of bike wash/concentrate and rinse that away using tepid water. Despite some initial scepticism; it’s beginning to find favour with me. http://www.eatmydirt.eu/brake-shield

Out of the blue, this Blackburn Piston 4 floor pump arrived on the SDC test bench-straight from the States. It’s a high volume model, featuring a steel barrel and base, which are welded together and finished in a very fetching gunmetal grey, a huge 3 inch gauge that goes all the way to 220psi.

Formative impressions are very favourable-these 35mm Clement were brought from flaccid to 90psi in a cool 38 strokes and my Univega’s 26x1.75 Vittoria to 80 in 50, both with minimal effort. As you’d expect from this end of the market, not to mention Blackburn, the build quality is absolutely top notch, with a really solid feel and refined action.

While looking at foot mounted gauges is hardly a hardship, the super clear top unit means there’s no excuse for over-inflation and if you do, simply  scrub off the unwanted pressure by hitting the head’s integral bleed valve.  

Other pleasant surprises include these uber lumen Meteor Storm Pro and Shield-X lights from their UK importerwww.raleigh.co.uk . In recent years, high power systems have become increasingly compact, especially for the road market. The Meteor storm pro boasts a range of steady settings delivering between 1700 and 125 lumens, which is very impressive from a torch type with integral battery.

On paper, this range should cater for everything from race pace antics along unlit back roads to urban commuting. Admittedly offset by 6hour charge times, a quoted run time of 2hrs with the full 1700 on tap is pretty reasonable given its fuelled by a 3.6 volt 3200mAH cell…Buying a second will obviously extend its potential, especially since those sorts of charge times aren’t the most convenient for desk bound commuters.

Spec wise, we have two Cree XM-L2 diodes, CNC machined aluminium casing for durability and excellent heat displacing qualities and an automatic shut down in the unlikely event of overheating.  No less than ten modes, including a 2000lumen flashing “day” mode that they reckon will run for a claimed 38hours. 

Those looking at the bottom line will point out that high power Cree units complete with battery and charger can be picked up online for around the £20mark. True, these offer a lot of bang for little buck but tend to be a little unrefined in terms of delivery. Three modes, run times around5hours in top are quite enticing and in my experience, practical for longer winter training runs along unlit roads.

However, reflector and lens quality tends to be bargain basement, so while there’s enough bite for 35mph plus on straight sections, they tend not to be so useful in the twisties.

They’re decidedly overpowered in the suburbs, let alone town centres too, which is where those with more intelligent, multiple modes score highly. On a completely different note, I found myself roped into photographing a wedding at a days’ notice-one of the biggest textbook no-no’s for any photographer.

However, I had trusty CSCs and a few suitable lenses, so was happy enough to help out; on the understanding it was a favour. Despite some initial trepidation, the Baptist ceremony went surprisingly smoothly. I was even asked by one guest, if I had photographed her wedding 22 years previously (!). Right, off for a chat with Tegan Philips about her bike, Axel

Continuous Improvement

So, a TRP Spyre calliper kit was wafted under my nose at the right price. Resistance was futile and deal done. Mine is the black/silver contrast, which to my eye, is even better looking than the stealthy, sexy black unit adorning the Revolution Cross 2.

Autumn is trade show time; Seven Day Cyclist www.sevendaycyclist.com is not at Eurobike this year but will be attending the NEC Cycle show later in September.

Talking of stealth, I was surprised by dusk’s advance towards the latter part of August. Blinkies have now been flanked by commuter plus torch-type lamps of the 300-400 lumen calibre on my cyclo cross and road biased builds. 

Generally speaking the preserve of suburban-semi rural commuters, these lights are fine for tackling the latter end of dusk and bright enough to be seen by but 600lumens plus is nearer the mark when darkness really bites. 

Several Moon models of varying capacities and the See Sense Icon + rear have arrived on our test bench this past week.

At the upper end, we have the XL 760 torch-type unit, which is surprisingly compact for a model offering 760 lumens and seemingly powerful enough for tackling pitch-black lanes at a decent pace. Quoted run times of 2hrs 20 in top also seem pretty reasonable, although the    removable 3200mAh battery is another nice touch, meaning you can carry a spare and swap over for extended playtimes. 

Seven settings optimise performance and economy, so you can toggle down for town and up for backyard scratching, although 360lumens is arguably overkill for sub/urban duties.

At the other extreme, their Aerolite is designed for contingencies and surprisingly powerful relative to its size-the sort that comes in handy for early morning TT’s, pre-standlight dynamo companion, reading maps/road signs, or those “Oh #$*@t! My main lamp’s just died ten miles from civilisation and I can hear the chorus of banjos” moments. Thankfully, the latter are rare these days but not completely relegated to the vaults of history.

For many years, I rode primarily in the dark and for a variety of reasons, the most obvious being seasonal- testing lights. Darkness also brings a new lease of objectivity when testing components, or complete bikes.

If you can’t see groupset and simply settle into the ride, things become much less subjective. I have been pleasantly surprised by just how well some budget drivetrains performed; say when shifting under load, or at the last minute.

While not a people person in overused sense of the word; I am also intrigued by people’s choice of winter bike(s) and riding attire. Much of this stems from beginning my serious riding career during the month of falling leaves, inspired by Au Pairs and predictably, the classically French off season attire.

Retro kit, so long as it’s still practical and relevant also gets me very excited. Enter this Minolta X300 35mm film SLR…Retro cool for pseudo artists? An “expensive” paperweight by some people’s reckoning but in my case, it’s a prop for a project or two…

An editor once remarked that being a journalist; though especially freelance also demands the ability to take good photographs. With this in mind, I am predominantly self-taught with some school-of-the streets input. Seeking to experiment in a very different genre to product/technical work-I’m occasionally approached by people asking if I would consider doing their wedding etc but by my own admission; I am a shower of sparks (rather than confetti) chap.

Nonetheless, I’m looking to stretch myself creatively-in parallel. Think I’ve found a suitable studio and instructor to safely explore the genre of artistic nude/erotic (not glamour) photography.

In a wider context, being freelance demands resourcefulness and the ability to problem-solve and think laterally-this extends to cars and other equipment. Purchases are seldom accidental (although things have been known to fall into my lap).

Given my family’s backgrounds in heavy industry/print, growing up, I was steered toward acquiring a sound academic education and a broad, transferable skillset.

Those who experience least economic and consequential turbulence have skills that can be ported over to another industry with similar remuneration. Traditionally, people were also invested in, retrained to bring some facets up to scratch as required-assuming they basically fitted the criteria, although this has also changed.

With this in mind, I have been eager to enrol on a qualifications based massage course, which has to date, eluded me. A lot of further/higher education colleges run this as part of beauty therapy but not a separate entity. I have also been deterred (not so subtly by some tutors) on the basis of gender and to a lesser extent, age. Now, I’ve just received a call asking me to cover a wedding-at an afternoon’s notice...