Lucky Dip

Spring-like conditions continue the narrative of cool starts giving way temperatures in the mid-teens, bright sunshine and birdsong. 3/4lengths have been substituted for shorts, micro jackets for gilets and gloves for mitts.  

We’re waiting on some spring/summer clothing at Seven Day Cyclist but like most riders, let alone kit test junkie journos, we’ve usually built up a decent stockpile of goodies to draw upon.

I’ve resurrected these Ozzo, which are the classic knitted back and synthetic, faux leather palm. These have been serving on a shit-rota for the best part of a decade and rather like a well-loved teddy bear, the thin pile foam is starting to peek through the lining in places.

The embodiment of cheap but cheerful, they’ve proven more comfortable, even over longer mixed terrain rides than many, more sophisticated models. Gel pads designed to defend the vulnerable ulnar nerve region are not an exact science and can, in my experience, sometimes induce precisely the numbness, tingling and discomfort they were intended to alleviate.

Elsewhere, after two years’ riding shotgun on my MKII Ilpompino’s downtube, exposed to the harshest, wettest conditions, my Specialized mini pump breathed its last. Another quick rifle through the spares drawer unearthed several credible replacements.

Salvaging the Specialized’s ultra-dependable snap-shut bracket, I instated this The Lezyne Micro floor drive HVG mini floor hand pump with gauge (affectionately referred to by yours truly as the “detonator”) and compatible composite caddy.

It’s best thought of as a track pump that has been put through a matter-shrinking device. There’s a high pressure sibling that I’ve also used to good effect but this one will still deliver real world realistic pressures into medium section touring and narrower, street inspired mtb rubber.  

The Beast of Bodmin; my elderly farm cat clearly approves of this revision and the Vee Tire Rolldiac too, which have proven very competent all-rounders. These are 30mm, which seem optimal for this genre of machine but there are more traditional 23 and 25mm options. Personally, talking 25mm sections, I’d go for their rain runner, which for me at least, has the edge when it comes to speed, puncture resistance and outright grip in the wettest weather.  

Back to the pump; screw on valve connectors are another welcome touch, preventing the heart-sinking hiss as willowy valve stems are sheared clean off under vigorous effort. At 216, there’s a weight penalty over more minimalist designs and if that’s your criteria, a mini/micro pump and CO2/inflator are better choices, assuming you puncture infrequently.

Though adequate, the resin bracket could be more substantial, hence I’ve reinforced it with a stretchy Velcro backed offcut that was also doing something close to nothing. Judging by a formative thrash along local roads, this has cured any incremental creep, leading to the base chattering against the frame tubes like a demonic wood-pecker.

Remember to whip it off when parking in the street too, since the mirror polished anodized finish is extremely seductive. On a cold, wet night in the back of beyond, fresh tube and fully loaded CO2 inflator are my first resorts but a decent pump should always be on hand to save the day.

Continuing this salvage theme, having concluded the titanium post surgery a success; I happened upon this Crank Brothers Cobalt 3 rolling about in the same drawer-sans cradle. A quick email to extra bikes, their UK importer https://www.extrauk.co.uk/product/cats/crankbrothers/all/  was met with a very helpful response and ultimately, a new clamp.  The Cobalt 3 is a lightweight model, designed to some extent as a lightweight alternative to composites; hence the wall thickness is wafer thin around the minimum insert mark.

Yes, I was a little alarmed at just how thin but it becomes gradually wider then onward, so all things being equal, most riders shouldn’t have too many worries. Hell, I’m so confident, yes, you ca see where this is headed…I’m going to look into getting it reduced by .2mm, from 27.2 to 7.0 and have it serve the teenage dream.     

Talking of tooling, we’ve reached our conclusions re Blackburn’s switch and wayside models, which are very different but equally competent models. One for those who like to travel light while adding some bespoke bits n’ bobs to the mix, the other a one does most pocket workshop.      https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/blackburn-switch-multi-tool                   https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/blackburn-wayside-multi-tool

Conversion FGG

Early spring is probably the most unpredictable seasons for riding, or at least dressing. Winter’s slimy cauldron is pretty straightforward. Mudguards, stouter tyres and chain lubes to keep bikes happy. ¾ lengths/tights, overshoes, hats, gloves and base, mid layers/arm extensions and micro jacket cater for most conditions. 

Spring can hurl hail, sleet and snow with one hand, blazing sunshine the next-all in the space of an hour; or less. The past week or so has seen foggy starts and temperatures struggling to exceed 6 degrees.

Cygolite hot rod 50 and Giant Numen + link TL in daylight modes, dynamo and BTwin V100 320 convertible (White or red diodes in flashing or constant modes) have been on duty night, or day. The rationale’ for running blinkies during daylight is about remaining conspicuous and one that I personally subscribe to but don’t necessarily advocate.

Admittedly, someone would have a hard time arguing they were unable to spot the Cygolite dash pro 450 usb or Bontrager 350RT units in daylight flash modes (500 and 350lumens respectively). However, other road users run the risk of “Blinkey blindness” once the practice of running lights during the day becomes the accepted norm.     

300 miles in and the Ti post hasn’t castrated me, or shown any obvious signs of failure/fatigue. Nonetheless, I’m still highly attuned to any unnerving sounds!  

Bib shorts, tights, long sleeve base-layer short-sleeve training jersey and gillet/micro jacket grace my body. Medium density full-finger gloves and Lusso moisture transfer neck warmer takes care of my extremities.

Blessed with a generous thatch, even in really cold conditions, I find hats keep me a little too toasty. Something like this Lusso multi-functional neck warmer is generally ideal, since rather like the iconic buff, I can convert and wear it a number of ways.

Made from a 85% polyester 15% Lycra mix, it lacks the outright comfort of a merino garment but is very competitively priced and easy to live with. The black base and zig-zag patterning coordinates handsomely with the entirety of my riding wardrobe, civvies too.

I’ve always been slightly prone to chest infections since childhood. Though I can usually dispatch a cold within a matter of days, throw a chest infection into the mix and the subsequent chain smokers rattle can linger for weeks. Therefore, I’ve tended to wear it cravat fashion, clinging around my neck.

Just like the iconic Buff and other sleeve types, there’s sufficient length for covering the cheeks and nose-bandit style. In this guise, it also provides some welcome protection against dust and other physical particles but obviously, no defence against those emitted by diesel vehicles in congested traffic. 

Merino aside, my one minor gripe with the tube type designs is their relatively slow wicking once truly saturated-I’m talking post torrential rain, not concerted rider effort. I’ve not encountered this particular scenario just yet but will be interesting to see how the Lusso shapes up in a storm.

Balaclavas also have a niche following on these shores. When the mercury slips several degrees below zero, I’ve found some polyester models fine but +7 degrees upward, clamminess really sets in. This “Weatherneck system” arrived the other week. It’s essentially a convertible balaclava cum neck-gaiter and facemask. So far, it’s shaping up to be three surprisingly good garments in one. https://theweatherneck.com/

The amusingly monikered mullet cap offers excellent defence against chill (albeit slightly too warm for yours truly) and fits very well. The perforated Balaclava component is similarly generous and attaches/adjusts via moderately powerful magnets, which is a lot more convenient than Velcro, especially while cruising along. Turned chilly? Simply whip it round and let the magnets do their thing.

The base can be tucked into a jersey for seamless protection and unlike some monocoque designs, hasn’t impaired breathing, or turned overly clammy under sustained effort.

Back in the 70s and 80’s Balaclavas were associated with bank robbers and best removed before entering public buildings. 

These days, it seems combining this with a remote trigger for SLR cameras leads to “community spirited” neighbours believing you are part of a terror cell...

Finally on this conversion themed entry, we have the MKS EZY system. This permits tool-free, quick release removal of certain MKS pedals. The main idea being you can remove one, or both to deter theft when locking up in the street, when transporting a bike, or just optimising storage space. Just like their urban platform pedals, it’s extremely refined and beautifully engineered. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/mks-urban-platform-pedals .

Step in, or dual sided systems have been my default for almost 25 years, although there’s a lot to be said in favour of half-clip designs for bike-as-car commuting/utility riding in smart/street shoes, or even less pronounced steel toe safety footwear.

Ending on a completely different note, these three turkeys have been blocking the back road, almost religiously, every Tuesday morning. They’re quite vocal in their contempt, engage in seemingly heated debate among themselves and refuse to move, even for large articulated trucks!        

Lighter Moments

Unnerving creaking from my Univega’s post region prompted a swift dismount but turned out to be little more than a loosening cradle bolt. Easily silenced with a lick of grease and nipped tight with a 4mm Allen key. 100miles in and the wonder metals’ unique, subtle zing adds to the machine’s already compliant ride, saving a few grams over a 6061 model too.

Another box of goodies arrived on my doorstep this week, hence, this Bontrager flare R city tail light clings limpet fashion below the increasingly indispensible Cycliq fly 6 https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/cycliq-fly-6-camera-and-rear-light . 

This little blinkey boasts a total of 35 lumens and has daylight and two night time flashing settings. “Intelligent” systems that automatically kick down once battery reserves plateau is pretty commonplace these days but sensors that adjust the beam’s intensity according to lighting conditions are also becoming mainstream.

For such a small light, visibility is pretty impressive- reckoned to be around the 400 metre mark. 

My own experience suggests this is likely to be on open roads and clear nights. So far, I’ve only been running it during daylight hours but have been pleasantly surprised by its potency. The positive top-mounted switch is easily commanded in full-finger gloves and its dimensions are perfect for pared to the essentials road and TT builds.   

I wouldn’t want to be following at close quarters in the flashing setting, say on a group ride and I generally prefer models with greater surface area for town work but let’s see what the coming weeks and different riding contexts reveal.

Up front comes this Cygolite dash 450, which as its name implies is a compact 450 lumen model, very much of the commuter plus genre i.e. capable of delivering enough bite for semi-rural navigational work on the one hand but with a wide range of town-friendly settings.

Years spent riding trails and back roads in the dead of night have meant a definite leaning towards big guns that belt out 1000 lumens plus. That said I’ve become increasingly partial to these and similarly unobtrusive designs that have enough wallop for those spring/summer evenings when that hour’s blast on the best bike has transitioned into two.

True, most blinkies in flashing modes usually provide enough presence in the seen-by sense and for contingencies but I prefer a proper light, something around the 350lumen mark running alongside in these contexts.  

The Cygolite boasts 7 settings, four night modes and three for daylight, which should cater for most contexts, save for dead of night and quoted run times between 1hr 15 and 70hrs. Build quality is pretty solid throughout at the bracket allows some adjustment, which is a boon when affixing to moustache bars and others, with less useable real-estate. 

This sample has been playing backing singer to my Univega’s Exposure Revo dynamo system, which for my purposes and the machines four seasons’ hell n’ high water design brief is indispensible.

Back to the Cygolite; the rubbery centre mounted switch cum battery life indicator is ideally positioned and easy to use in middle-weight gloves and on the fly. The top row of 4 LEDS has a slightly dated feel on the one hand given the increasing ubiquity of COB technology.

However, the combo works on the basis (one that I happen to subscribe to) that in most riding contexts, drivers tend to notice a pulsing/flashing set up first. Formative impressions are quite favourable when run in overcast daylight.

Experience with this genre suggests these are fine for longer commutes/rides with a mixture of city/suburban and shorter semi rural sections. Again, several weeks in different contexts may reinforce, or refute this opinion...

Staying with lighting, I’ve always been drawn to integrated systems, higher end hub gearing and dynamos in particular, especially for touring and four seasons’ working bikes.

Giant has extended this principle to its Strive helmet. I’ve always been impressed with Giant’s level of specification, not to mention their TCR concept, which arguably normalised semi/compact geometry road bikes back in the late 90s. Look closely and you’ll notice there’s a branded fascia that pops away to reveal a magnetic plate. This is specifically designed with their Numen Plus Link tail light in mind.

The NPL is a four mode, 20lumen model with a quoted 5 hour run time in its lowest setting. It uses COB (Chips on Board) technology, where diodes are mounted directly aboard the circuit board, saving production time and optimising output.

Another neat feature is the auto on/off sensor that works in the same way as a Shimano dynamo switch, reacting to the light levels and automatically turning the light on/off.

20 lumens sounds tame given the lumens race but given it’s positioning, anything more potent is likely to dazzle and alienate approaching traffic. All things being equal and save for really foggy contexts 15-35lumens are sufficiently potent for most conditions and from a generous distance too.

The NPL charges via magnetic USB system, reminiscent of one Blackburn employed on their flea a few years back, although much easier. Connect light to base via the magnets and the plug the USB cable into the mains/PC/Laptop port.  Talking of laptops, time I gave mine some down time and headed out to test some more goodies.