Midwinter Makeovers & Tales of The Unexpected

Having decided my beloved Univega was going the 1x9 route; I stripped the LX cranks and gave them a seriously good clean. Despite regular cold water rinsing and hard paste waxing, the salt monster had left his pock marked calling card in the anodised finish.   

To make matters worse, after almost twenty years, the flamboyant red enamel was starting to chip all too easily along the chainstays. Up until now, this recession had been held back with decent quality nail varnish but now demanded more remedial action.

 Maldon Shot Blasting & Powder Coating www.ctc-powder-coating.co.uk replied to my SOS email, confirming they’d be happy to sort.

Tuesday afternoon, I needed a break from the keyboard, so stripped the frameset bare and attempted to chase years of waxy home brewed frame preserve from its inner sanctum. This would, theoretically minimise the amount of prep the team had to perform before blasting and ultimately painting. 

Since we’re on the subject, be sure to tell your frame builder/spray shop there is Waxoyl, or similar preserve sloshing around inside. Otherwise, with the introduction of heat, it will become molten, race from the tubes and potentially scald them!

What lies beneath.....

Graham and Chris were taking no chances. When the industrial degreaser didn’t do the business, my frame was immersed in their methyl chloride tank for a few minutes...As the honey coloured gloop dissolved, racing to the surface in a raft of brown bubbles, those relatively thin enamel and primer coats followed suit. 

Much to our surprise, the Alpina 506’s tubes were also sporting a layer of corrosion busting nickel.

Though less of a slippery customer and kinder process than Chrome, chances are the factory enamellers had to use acid etch primers to persuade the paint to stick. It would also explain why, despite high, hell and high water mileages, seemingly bare metal hadn’t succumbed to the elements.

This was easily dismissed in the Iron oxide cabinet before the surface was treated to an even finer polymer bead... Next came that zinc rich epoxy powder primer. I’d plumped for cream this time round, classic and understated. Would coordinate with the bike’s existing kit perfectly too.

The zinc was cured at 150 degrees for 15minutes; cooler than text book and forum lore would suggest. I’m told the lower temperature achieves optimal fusion between the primer and colour coat. 

Higher temperatures would result in a more brittle finish, prone to chipping.

I’d gone for poly gloss buttermilk, which requires particular care. Though the flow rate ensures even coverage, flawless results are difficult given its tendency to drip and run during oven curing. This is also goes for other paints with low pigment.

Even when stored correctly, powder paints eventually “go-off”. This can result in a lumpy; or flawed final effect. Some tell-tale shadowy dimpling had struck along the down tube. Job-lot finishers would probably pass this but Graham was having none of it. Imperfect areas sanded, he disappeared in search of a match and returned with a small tub of “Interpon 610 cream”. 

Initial inspection suggested a peachy pigment but testing on some scrap proved otherwise. A full account is coming up in Seven Day Cyclist www.sevendaycyclist.com  but for now, I’ll leave you with this photo-love story.  Fancy something similar? A single, standard colour, such as this cream including blasting and zinc based primer start at £65. What’s next? Those refurbished cranks, of course.

Cables & Cut Downs

Winter is hard on components and kit. The Univega is the most obvious candidate for some sealed Jagwire road elite sealed brake and shift cables. The existing mid-range inners and budget outers were still in remarkably rude health but generally speaking, I replace control cables seasonally on competition bikes, annually on working bikes.

Impervious designs are nothing new but they’ve come a long way in the last few years.

Housings used to be inflexible builders-hose types, which were difficult to cut and tended to chomp through paintwork with alarming haste, especially when gritty, slimy stuff got trapped between the two. The Gear cable housings proved tough customers to snip, brakes easier than some bog standard benchmarks. 

Though supplied with finish-friendly, rubberised cuffs, Jagwire’s CSX outers are soft, pliable and easily pruned with decent cutters. Same goes for the stainless steel inner wires, which I am told are impregnated with a special polymer lubricant.

Corrosion is something of a moot point but these also feature a non-stick liner, designed to run the cables entire length, theoretically sealing it from grit, dirt and anything else that might impair performance.

Decent snips in hand, everything cuts and comes together beautifully. Stretch is supposedly another moot point. I was surprised to discover some sloppiness at the front lever-easily corrected by pulling the cable taught and snugging down the Avid’s pinch bolt. 

Budget cables by all accounts can lead happy and productive lives but they are prone to fraying and stretch. Traditional MO with these is to pull them taught and leave overnight. Next day, take up the slack, nip everything tight. Flush through with some PTFE based lube every few weeks and in my experience, they’ll plod on for a good six months or so.

The Univega’s rear cable run; though hardly torturous, isn’t the smoothest, high-quality cables make all the difference. Precise, Michael gratifying setup required some patience but rewarded with the slickest action I’ve experienced from the cheap but relatively cheerful cantilevers.

Force of habit usually sees me giving inner wires a quick fortnightly squirt of PTFE based lube but I’ve managed to resist and am exposing the system to wet, greasy roads wherever possible. So far, with zero maintenance, modulation and feel remain superior to mid range cables that I’ve traditionally run, then replaced annually.

Some will argue this level of performance is overkill for a daily driver. I disagree. So long as the groupset, new or old is of a decent calibre, it makes as much sense to have fit n’ forget cables as it does cartridge bearing bottom brackets, pedals, hubs etc.

Come the New Year, I’m going to cut the Univega down to a 1x9. This means I can lose the front mech, save a few grams and put the widely spaced cassette to better use.

Was tempted by a Shimano Zee crankset but having done one of my “January’s a long month, want or need” calculations; I’ve decided to use the existing LX spider. Chain-line is important, so I’ll be installing a shorter UN55 and using the swapping the 32 tooth for the 44. Shorter bolts and Tacx tool in post, it's a job for a quiet January afternoon.

In the meantime, for the budget conscious road fixer fraternity, we have a long term review of System EX track crankset http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/system-ex-crankset. There are better options for track racers wanting to stick with old school square tapers but for the money and winter fixed/single speed projects, it’s superior to some, similarly priced European competition.               

Having left the Univega basted in crap long enough to conclude of Pro Green MX aftershine 101 is a genuinely effective and long-lasting preserve http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/pro-green-mx-triple-pack I’ve been playing with a No quarter bike care kit.

No quarter is also specialist refinishers, offering powder coated and bespoke wet spray makeovers. Therefore, I was expecting something pretty special.  This full ensemble comprises of bike shampoo, assorted sponges, detailing brushes, carnauba hard paste wax and of course, micro-fibre cloths-two in fact.  

Packaging takes its lead from the cosmetics industry and yes, the wax has a really pleasant fragrance.  Unlike traditional bike washes, which are deployed via trigger spray, you pour four capfuls into a bucket of warm water and whip it up into a thick, sudsy lather.

I was quite impressed at that point and though purporting to be kind to ALL surfaces, I wasn’t surprised to discover it’s not the most visually impressive of formulas. That said; it does a decent job of loosening ground in filth-cocktails of slime, spent derv, oil, and road salt, caked on cowpats too. Aside from scent, the wax seems very similar to other hard pastes purporting similar properties.

Fairly economical-a little of both products goes surprisingly far, though overall effect hasn’t been so rich, or glossy as I’d expected. That said; the wax appears to remove some light corrosion and its protective qualities appear pretty good to date...Sleet, snow and similar wet stuff is forecast over the coming weeks, so let’s see how it holds up. 

Boing, Belts & Blinkies

Christmas within sniffing distance, the roads seem to be carpeted in a thick, greasy slime that engulfs pretty much everything-even if you’re running full length guards. For me at least, waxing working bikes isn’t about beautifying; rather protecting frameset, components and finishing kit from that corrosive cocktail.

The Univega’s fork blades, bottom bracket shell and rear triangle are caked in this unappealing and potentially damaging gloop. Thankfully, the fusion of silicones and polymers in Pro Green MX After shine 101 http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/pro-green-mx-triple-pack  is proving a robust, protective barrier. This coating of crud remains as I’m awaiting the arrival of some more boutique cleaning and polishing kit.

These days, seat posts boil down to two diameters 27.2 and 31.6mm but this wasn’t always so. Cane Creek’s enduring and for me at least, endearing ThudbusterST is still available in a huge choice of diameters. http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/cane-creek-thudbuster-suspensuin-se .

Weaving through the greasy moonlit bends, I had cause to contemplate acquiring one for the Univega. Though fairly portly at 460g or so, it’s extremely well- engineered and doesn’t bounce around uncontrollably like a pogo stick. 33mm of suspension doesn’t sound much but will iron out the sort of bumps experienced along lumpy lanes.

The Thudbuster compresses down and rearward, absorbing force at the same rate, so the net saddle movement is zero. Rebuild kits are readily available and even though my beloved tubby tourer is dressed for the foulest weather, I’d probably protect those linkages and elastomer components with a genuine Cane Creek neoprene boot. 

I’ve seen patterns around but pattern parts can be a vague fit.  

Now, being an old frameset, the Univega’s 26.6mm seat tube diameter still makes life complicated. I could go for a 25.4 and hope for a 26.6 shim, or more likely, get a machine shop to bring a 26.8 or 27.2 down on their lathe. If a suitable one comes up at the right price on a well-known auction site, perhaps...

After eight years, my Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyre belt finally perished at a crucial point, nearly taking my dignity along with it. Laura Zabo kindly came to my rescue with a replacement. This one is another Schwalbe, a 28mm slick, which is arguably lower key, dare I say more discrete than the deep tread touring icon.

Laura Zabo doesn’t just make belts; she’s into guitar straps, furniture accessories and jewellery. Staying with belts though, manufacturing techniques depend on whether she’s working with rejected (new) rubber, or reclaimed.

Both contexts demand careful inspection of their casings, to see how much usable width remains. 

She trims to size, disinfects and then chooses a suitable buckle. Worm tyres require more careful inspection; given glass and other sharps can become deeply embedded. Once thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, she can paint the rubber to taste. Full review and an interview coming soon to Seven Day Cyclist but in the meantime here’s a link to her site. www.laurazabo.com 

Having spent several years riding almost exclusively at night and along unlit roads, I get excited by high power lighting systems; while having a very soft spot for blinkies.

Edinburgh bicycle co-operative has sent us their Revolution vision COB rear light. Bearing close resemblance by Cat Eye Rapid Mirco X, albeit with a lower maximum output of 30 lumens (frankly, this is more than adequate for most riding contexts).

Bright but not likely to induce singed retinas, when crawling along in rush hour traffic, although some f the flashing and pulsing settings certainly discourage wheel sucking on group outings.

“Chips on Board” technology has almost become ubiquitous in bike lighting circles. Size is their main advantage over traditional surface mounted diodes.

Affixed directly to a printed circuit board, manufacturers can literally cram dozens of tiny diodes into the same space. Instead of applying individual phosphor coatings, they can simply use a single blanket, resulting in both brighter and uniformly spread lighting.   

Rather than being soldered, they are attached directly to the board, which makes manufacturing simpler while creating superior thermal performance i.e. in principle at least, heat is dispersed more efficiently, minimising the likelihood of premature diode failure. 

Unlike more powerful models, including Moon Comet X pro, it runs a cooler, negating the need for a heat sink.

The vision COB has four steady modes-30 , 15 and 7 lumens with some distinctive flashing and pulsing options.

The mounting and switchgear are very different though. Rather than the wraparound-O-ring, Revolution has plumped for a watch strap type, which is neat, achieves reliable fit on most post and seat stay diameters and a clever little interface means the light can be mounted vertically, or horizontally.

Its switch is located on the reverse, which is again, trickier to locate wearing full finger winter gloves but despite being soft, requires a definite, continuous press before powering up, so accidental engagements should be something to write home about.

Full zero to hero refuelling demands 3 hours at the mains-a green diode chimes in when the lithium polymer cell is ready to go and is a useful visual of reserves. Like most these days, it uses the almost universal USB cable, so if you lose the original, chances are you’ll have plenty of compatible units lying around the house, or office.

A memory function is another nice touch and changing modes is simply a question of two rapid prods. Formative impressions are very favourable-in all settings, though we’ll see how it fares given a few weeks in different conditions and riding contexts...

Boom! And The Hub Bearings Were Gone!

December’s slippery start coincided with the complete and extremely audible implosion of the Univega’s rear M475 hub. Slightly tickly shifting was the only warning that something might be wrong. Thankfully the cheap but relatively cheerful unit held together long enough to nurse it the final five miles home.

Some mouse action and a few emails later secured a complete, machine built wheel turning on a more refined NOS, pre disc Deore hub. Something of a workmanlike groupset, I was also very fond of its STXRC predecessor.

This also boasted decent performance and was inexpensive enough to replace should you come a cropper. 

Anyhow, concluding this eulogy to the dearly departed M475, here’s a strip and overhaul piece in Seven Day Cyclist http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/rub-a-dud-hub. 

Better sealed and arguably built than the M475, general consensus suggests to high quality greases and regular servicing is crucial to their performance and longevity.

I have a love/hate relationship with many things, though limited daylight can be a drain; I remain strangely endeared to winter. Not least since it provides the ideal opportunity to see how greases, lubes, polishes and bike washes cope with the blizzard of slush, slurry, salt and slime.

I’ve tended to err towards daily drivers and winter/trainers rather than specific winter bikes per se. However, a simple, well-dressed, season specific machine can be seriously good fun to ride.

In fact, it’s incredibly liberating because you’re focused on enjoying the ride, rather than being pre-occupied with thoughts of expensive composites and brightwork being under siege.

Regular washing (rinse salty bikes with cold water first, since hot will simply accelerate the caustic component destroying process), cleaning and re lubing save wear, expense and hassle later on.

Another editor has left me to play with a selection of lovely degreasers, some high octane, super flammable but ultra convenient aerosol types, others (including Pedro’s Bye Grease Degreaser) are biodegradable pump spray formulas. Pedro’s, like many other brands are decidedly tight lipped about its composition.

In these circumstances, I err on the side of caution and don disposable inspection gloves, keep recipient bikes/components away from plant/animal life and the contents from entering waterways. Pedro’s recommend it as a general gunk removing potion, not just for transmissions.

Like Fenwicks’ FS1, it’s not a visually lively brew but supposedly breaks down contaminant on contact and dried, ingrained stuff within a minute. Despite the fanfare, I felt a little cheated since it requires some concerted stiff brush agitation before making inroads, even on more basic mineral oil/ISO wet lubes or 5w/30 semi synthetic motor oils.

Nonetheless, it’s otherwise pleasant to use, kind to surfaces and skin alike. Siphoning off 20% and diluted with water, it makes a mild bike wash, dismissing organic and lighter petrochemical gloop with similar panache as other eco-friendly blends.

Finish line wet is something of an institution among wet lubes and in many respects, still cuts it 22 years on. Made from “a blend of high viscosity synthetic oils, water repelling polymers and advanced anti-wear additives”; it works out very cheap and so long as you’re prepared to give side plates, jockey wheels and derailleur cages a weekly cat lick, it doesn’t turn into horrendously gloopy component gobbling mess.

Bikes on tarmac only diets can get away with a trace amount on every link, enough lubrication and corrosion inhibition yet minimises the amount of contaminant collected and ultimately, cleaning frequency. During a mild to moderate winter, expect to replenish with trace amounts on a fortnightly basis. Wet lubes of this ilk also double as nifty grease substitutes on fasteners, cantilever posts etc.    

I’m not sure whether it’s the shortage of daylight, pre Christmas mania, or a combination of both but people’s road craft seems to nosedive the deeper we get into December. 

Just this past week, I’ve had several uncomfortably close encounters, despite being lit up like a Christmas tree on acid. A disturbing number of drivers seem distracted and unable to execute competent overtaking manoeuvres, often passing with inches to spare, then braking hard to avert collision with an oncoming vehicle.

Some have clearly been preoccupied with online shopping apps, others applying makeup but I’ve even noted one van driver playing a banjo while at the wheel!  On that note, I’ll leave you with a few more shots of Tanya Atherton from last week’s studio session.

Methyl Chloride to Modelling

I had been keen to undertake some fine art nude photography in a safe environment for several years. Opportunity presented in the form of Tanya Atherton http://purpleport.com/portfolio/tanyaatherton/  and Paul’s studio in Reading http://www.pauls-studio.co.uk/main.htm 

Aside from a disconcerting sign for “South Wales” while trundling along the M4, the venue is very close to the motorway exit and neither taxed elderly Tom Tom, or my pitiful sense of direction. Only one wrong turning (and that was heading home).

Dressed in beloved deep brown cow hide jacket; denims and moccasins ( the latter easily discarded to avoid dirty footprints on white backdrops); I arrived, camera bag bulging with lenses, spare batteries, memory cards, spare flashgun. Then of course, my hand-held “light-sabre” style LED light.

This should’ve catered for every eventuality.... 

In practice, my old faithful Sony Alpha 55 body decided not to communicate with the remote flash trigger.No amount of gentle tweaking or cajoling could persuade it to capitulate, so I borrowed Paul's Nikon D500 for this shoot. Obviously, working in this context it is imperative to consider other practicalities, such as model comfort. Ensure your venue has decent, functional heating, a break area and be very clear about what you are looking to achieve from the session beforehand. Technical skills are no substitute for good interpersonal communication. 

Tania is very intuitive and delightful to work with. Paul’s sage like wisdom and calm, friendly support ensured consistently good results and the three-hour shoot concluded favourably.I would like to pursue this genre further and hopefully, these shots will attract other models looking to explore or expand their port-folio.

Back to bikes... www.sevendaycyclist.com has an overview of commuting/everyday tyres http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/rubber-fetish-talking-tyres and chat with Tegan Philips about Axel, her mile munching Surly disc trucker.http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/tegan-phillip-s-surly-disc-trucker. The Univega’s almost constant exposure to wet, greasy roads saw its bottom bracket and rear triangle engulfed in caked on, slimy grunge.

Much as might be expected from a decent polymer wax, the Pro Green MX bike shine 101 has provided an excellent barrier, so paint, anodising and bright work remained resplendent.  Twenty minutes, some fresh Rock n’ Roll absolute dry chain lube later, we were ready to go again. I’d forgotten how tenacious the absolute dry is-stayed put for at least thee months.

Admittedly much of this was through a relatively arid early autumn but several wet weeks and a good 600miles in, a protective filmy layer still adorned the links. This compensates for the curing time, which is between two and four hours, depending on air temperature.

I tend to leave lubes with this kind of gestation, curing overnight. My personal preference errs toward light to middleweight preps, which attract less grot and therefore, require less cleaning before replenishment.

That’s not to say I’ve an aversion to wet lubes, especially on a winter fixed mountain bike where you want the oil to stay put come hell and/or high water. Many are very quick to apply, make excellent transition to other little jobs and will even double as grease substitutes on fasteners.  

Talking of cleaning, an editor has very kindly presented me with some anti lubes and Pedros’ bike brushes to make my winter fettling that little bit faster. This time of year, it’s worth giving things a quick once-over to stop component seizures before they start.

Something I was reminded of on Wednesday when my MK1 KA’s drivers’ side door lock apparently seized solid. I initially attributed this to a central locking fault, which seems quite common, not only to the KA but Focus too.

Thankfully, stripping away the interior facia and blasting its components with middle weight PTFE spray restored normal, slick function. Since prevention is always better than cure, passenger side and boot mechanisms and assorted heavy duty bike locks also received liberal, precautionary squirts.