Last Train to London

Schwalbe UK likes what we do at Seven Day Cyclist www.Sevendaycyclist.com so I was delighted to discover their Marathon 365 awaiting me, having just returned from a quick reckkie of that disused railway line.

 

As their name suggests, Schwalbe designed these to cope competently in all conditions and year round. 2 inches wide and a portly 1048g apiece, the 365 are to my surprise, heavier than their spiked winter siblings. We’re slipping into summer at this point but it’ll be interesting to see whether they can genuinely deliver when conditions threaten a face-plant at every corner.

Though the UK doesn’t get snow in the Scandinavian sense, the spiked versions will tackle snowy back road in full confidence and at respectable speeds. Frankly, I’d rather be relaxed at 17mph and enjoying the ride when roads are under several centimetres of snowy stuff than risking a face plant at every bend.   

Staying with their similarities, both tyres are wire beads and generally speaking, incredibly easy to re/mount- I experienced some minor creep while fitting the 365, so squeeze the sidewalls while reinstating the remaining sections to counteract their initial tendency to roll off shallower rims.

Even though I’m a dynohub devotee, I was delighted by the sidewall’s dynamo track and retro-reflective detailing. The dual guard puncture preventative system bodes well for dependability. As the name implies, dual guard employs India rubber and nylon belt. Should a sharp pierce the casing; these flex, pushing it out before it nicks the tube, causing a flat. 

Operating pressures for the 365 are between 35 and 65psi, lower than their winter specific siblings and more typical of two-inch trail rubber. Formative impressions suggest there’s less rider-sapping drag, or squirm over metalled roads compared with common or garden knobblies. 

Nonetheless, rolling resistance was something of a culture shock coming from the excellent marathon GT I was testing earlier this year https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/schwalbe-marathon-gt-tyres  A few hundred mixed terrain, all weather miles will give much better insight as to their persona, strengths and weaknesses.  

Elsewhere, we’ve a review of the back bottle https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/the-back-bottle-water-bottle , route guide https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/cycling-the-loire-cycle-route  and some shots of Mick Ives on his solo giro d’italia mission https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/m16-podium-stage-system-complete .




 I was in the capital on business this week and was pleased to see fixed remains popular. Plenty of Specialized, Genesis and less prosaic one-cog hacks shackled to street furniture. Well, I got excited!

So, that railway line...It’s a long forgotten service that was derelict and overgrown forty years back. We lived locally then and my father would often hoist me atop his shoulders to get a closer look at the track that nature had largely reclaimed.

Having awoken to discover the Ilpompino’s front Vee Rubber had a slow flat, I prepped the Univega and fifteen miles into a loop, took a left turn along a narrow, unmade road. The street specific 1.75 Panaracer coped surprisingly well along the loose gravel-even at 75psi and sure enough, the banking was still fully accessible. Hoisting the tubby tourer over my shoulder, I ran to the bottom.

Track long gone; it was more like a green lane. A bit much for the street-centric Panaracer, so bike back on my shoulder, I ran diagonally up the banking, nettles and other foliage ravaging my exposed legs and remounted cyclo-cross fashion.

A narrow, little used lane, just wide enough for a small car presented, so we followed that a mile or so before rejoining the main road and the final seven miles home. The ability to escape and explore on a lightweight but durable machine was mountain biking’s biggest draw for me back in the 1980s.

Arguably my cream and black friend is the closest to that era’s ideal. Amateur psychologists (of which, there seem plenty) would suggest I’m yearning to revert to those times. However, I felt acutely alienated during my teenage years and have no desire to revisit them.

This also proved an ideal opportunity to test the claims of a repair product. Look closely and you’ll see I’ve glued the LED tab on its wedge pack. Left curing for the 12hours cited, time will tell just how effective and indeed, permanent the repair really is.

Back in the midlands, I had a tip-off about some long abandoned, derelict buildings, so headed off early morning with CSC and lenses. Following my nose and commanded by bladder, I found a stretch of wasteland. The external barrier had been flattened, allowing easy access.

Timely too, since Police with dogs had passed seconds before! Walking through the undergrowth, I was soon greeted by obvious signs of recent substance misuse, so continued carefully, ears attune to any little sound, or movement.

Charred chairs and mattresses aside, no-one was home and the neighbours didn’t seem particularly perturbed by my presence. Guess they presumed I was working on behalf of a developer.

The building was very well sealed-squatters or metal thieves weren’t going to be another force to contend with, so I had a relaxed half hour’s mooch. Bottom line, if asked to leave, I smile a lot and walk away pretty swiftly. Right, lots coming up and lots to get done, so back to the keyboard!      

Gearing Fixed

 

Well after some deliberation and a quick wander round the web, I sourced this 20tooth fixed sprocket and a new Sram PC1 chain. Functional, rather than exotic but crucially; the right size and at the right price! Chances are I’ll save this for the big sprocket and the stockier KMC for day to day stuff.  

Magic links, which enable easy, tool-free chain fitment/removal for cleaning are pretty standard these days. Though their appeal isn’t difficult to grasp, especially for pro mechanics needing to strip and prep a fleet of bikes after each race, even with derailleur set-ups, I consider these a weak spot, so default to the traditional and in my view, more reliable pin.

The PC1 is a nickel-plated single speed, rather than a half-link track-specific model, so in some respects and bikes with a single speed freewheel, I can see the reasoning but it’s still not for me!  

Fixed sprockets by definition tend to get wound on extremely tight. I opt for a lock-ring just in case but for the most part, unless I’ve been doing a lot of transmission braking (i.e. holding off against the cranks to regulate speed, say in slow moving traffic, or to prevent a face plant slippery roads etc).

However, their simplicity means they also tend to get forgotten-doused in wet, gritty stuff for months and potentially, years on end…  

Applying a layer of decent quality grease to the hub threads should be a no-brainer. Even then, wrestling them free can require a surprising amount of effort and the Ilpompino’s left hand EAI Superstar sprocket was no exception. To my surprise, the lock-ring came away quietly, with a deft nudge my Pedros’ Trixie.

However, it took the combined efforts of a carefully directed blast of penetrant spray, Pedro’s vice whips and some primal grunting before the sprocket would budge. Thankfully, grazed knuckles and agricultural language were conspicuously absent.

A carpet of blue Corrosion Block grease was applied to the hub threads and the big, black sprocket spun home. Since I was giving said bike a quick onceover, I took the opportunity of exchanging the titanium bottle cage for the Fidlock system and reinstating a “winged” carbon composite to the Univega’s seat tube boss.

Though pocket tools are a convenient and therefore, tempting default, I’ve been sticking religiously to the Fix-It sticks T-way wrench http://fixitsticks.com/t-way

for generic workshop fettling, primarily to hunt out any limitations in their design. I have one minor “room for improvement” box ticked but generally speaking, I‘ve been impressed by the quality of construction and standards of engineering.

A full review coming soon to Seven Day Cyclist www.Sevendaycyclist.com . This week, we’ve a photo love-story two-tone powder coat makeover piece and long term review of its performance almost two years, four seasons’ service later. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/two-tone-frame-makeover Steve Dyster has been riding his similarly faithful touring Lorry round the Radnor ring https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/riding-the-radnor-ring.    

Here in the UK, Police forces are starting to roll out “Close Pass initiatives” designed to target poor overtaking of cyclists by drivers. 1.5 metres is the magic number space wise. These initiatives involve incognito officers riding along some of the busiest sections of road.

In the event of sloppy, or downright dangerous pass, they communicate the vehicle details to motorised colleagues further along. These officers can then intercept and dispense advice and guidance on appropriate overtaking.

Many riders, myself included can cite close encounter on a seemingly daily basis. Some are more noteworthy and unnerving than others. Last Thursday, an elderly Lexus passed me along a long, clear stretch of road with inches to spare-close enough that I could tap the door skins with my finger-nails. 

This week, I almost became an ornament on the bonnet of a black Peugeot estate. The driver ignored my right of way and ploughed on regardless. I also noticed a young woman passing me erratically. When I glanced over, she appeared to be angling her smartphone directly at her crotch. Another posed for a selfie at every junction. Hopefully neither is going to become a trend.

Right; I’ll close with some more creative birthday decorations from Dolly Blue Blue.     

 

Gravitating Toward Fixed Gear Gravel...

 

No great surprise really given my love of ‘cross inspired bikes and escaping metalled roads on them. Yes, I’m leaning toward an endurance event, similar to the dirty reiver https://www.dirtyreiver.co.uk/ . I pondered this, while exploring some long forgotten lanes-the sort just wide enough for a very small car and zero wriggle room.

Shod with those 30mm Vee rubber, ‘cross inspired fixed and I took the centre-strip-an impacted mound of mud, silt and grit in our stride, albeit at a more cautious 15mph-in case a John Deere, or similar behemoth be winding uphill.

At 105psi or so, they’re really quite capable on softer surfaces, though more of a tyre that give a taste of gravel, rather than something I’d deliberately set out to tackle a big event with. Neither, for that matter, is a fixed gear of 79 inches but it was perfectly manageable in these contexts.

Hmm, I feel another reconfiguration coming on. Received wisdom says a gear of 63 inches is optimal for trail biased fixed gear fun but I’m erring on the taller end of 60. We are talking a 700c build and I don’t want to be spinning myself into another dimension, or whipping the wheel around when I come to long stretches of metalled road.

The MK2 Ilpompino’s frame and Kinesis cross fork permits tyres up to 32 and 42mm respectively, without clearance hassles but ideally, a gravel build’s rear triangle will entertain 38mm with room to spare but we’ll see.

Talking of frames, Seven Day Cyclist has a feature on refinishing aluminium alloy, complete with a step by step renovation of a Specialized https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/aluminium-frame-refurbishment   

Back in 2008 I toyed with going the two speed Sturmey Archer route. Frankly, though it has some obvious appeal, especially in the scenarios outlined here, in practice the system was short-lived first time round. It also adds unnecessary cost and complication to proceedings.

Some, scrappy, note pad doodling points towards a 19tooth sprocket. I’d like a decent CNC machined unit. Cheaper elliptical types with bevelled teeth hail from the days when racers would retire an old road frameset from competitive duties and convert it to fixed for winter training.

These sprockets compensate for chain-line imperfections and certainly have their place but below par for a purpose build. Ideally, I’d have another EAI Gold Medal premium (CNC machined unit with straight cut teeth).

A truly beautiful piece of precision engineering but to my knowledge, 18 teeth is tops. More likely that I will opt for a cheaper but extremely cheerful Halo, which is also CNC machined, offered in the magical 19. Think that’s a done deal, for now at least…

Generally speaking, living in a house completely devoid of heat during the winter of 1992, coupled with 30 winters on two wheels has left me with a high tolerance for cold.

That said; I’ve been taken aback by how chilly April and May have been-psychologically, I’m anticipating 15-18 degrees and on many morning’s its barely crept to 7 degrees, less when wind chill is factored in.

For the most part, I’ve been comfortable enough wearing mitts, as has Steve https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/santini-micro-mesh-gel-mitt  but on Wednesday, I resurrected these full-finger Endura Strike from my gloves drawer.

Revisiting them 8 years in, I’m still impressed by the standards of warmth and wicking. Even in relatively mild temperatures they wick much better than padding density and overall design might suggest. I’ve added Respro retroreflective stickers to accentuate hand signals on dark nights and unlit roads.

Elsewhere, I was called in to cover an event the Indian Community Centre in Coventry on Saturday. I’d also like to take this opportunity to introduce some creative wrapping and card making services from Dolly Blue-Blue.

Like what you see? Don’t be shy, get in touch and I’ll pass your enquiry over.

 

 

 

Polished Performer

A semi-sheared side plate put a temporary stop to last week’s back road blasting on the Holdsworth. Unusually for me, spare links were conspicuous by their absence. Thankfully said weakness was spotted at the end of Tuesdays’ outing, not ten miles from base. A generous helping pruned from the Ilpompino’s inox unit were later found in its wedge pack.



 

Rather like spare tubes and patch kits without a pump or CO2 inflator, links aren’t a fat lot of use without a suitable chain tool. Those found on some multi tools will do an excellent job of splicing and re-joining beefy track types. However, keep this infrequent. to avoid fatigue. Even if the pin doesn’t pop, the spreader slots can eventually crumble.

 

That said; I’ve been stunned to discover some pricey models marketed as “Workshop” used relatively soft aluminium drive pins, which inevitably expired within a month’s moderate use.  
 

A new KMC was sourced at a very favourable price. I’ve pruned a few links for spares but otherwise leaving it complete for a rainy day. I’ve also decided to whip the wheel round and use the 16tooth alloy 3/32 sprocket, delivering a marginally lower gear.  


 

Staying with chains a moment, here’s the mid-term (3 month) review of the Weldtite TF2 extreme wet, which had served my ‘cross inspired fixer’s chain from January onwards https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/weldtite-tf2-extreme-wet-chain-lubr . 

 

Weather is still quite changeable, erring on the wintry and for the meantime; I’m sticking with some middleweight formulas. Here’s a quick guide to lubes and the science behind them https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/blank-ao363
 

Before I’d discovered the fractured side plate, an audible click when under load pointed to the right hand Time ATAC XC4. Not the most obvious pedal choice for a road build, let alone TT bike. 


 

However, I much prefer dual sided models for quick getaways. These are resin bodied, which save a few grams. Plentiful float is good news for knees and there’s plenty of ground clearance too.
 

The only downside for me is their use of brass cleats, which, being a softer metal wear faster and are pricier to replace compared with SPD. Admittedly, price is partly due to a lack of patterns. SPD can be found pretty much anywhere and I’m yet to find some that aren’t universally interchangeable. 


Elsewhere the postman brought me some kit from Brian Davis I’ve been rather impressed by his concepts. First up, we have the fix-it sticks T way wrench http://fixitsticks.com/for-bikes , which is simplest described as the big brother in the range, designed specifically for workshop duties. The fixed T handle is made from high quality nickel plated, heat treated chrome vanadium steel.

Supplied with 7 contemporary bits 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6 and Torx, it’s also fully compatible with any standard ¼ bit, which is a refreshing change. These are held securely within the ends using neodymium magnets and there’s a handy pouch to keep everything in. No excuse for losing anything, unless the cat decides to sweep them from the workbench and to the least accessible point!

 

While my initial rummage through the spares drawer for off cuts of track chain might’ve seemed in vain, the arrival of some titanium polishes and the Univega’s recent post upgrade has stirred an unexpected revival.

The Ilpompino’s otherwise excellent perch has been substituted for this Brooks Colt pattern with titanium rails. A lick of nourishing food to the Australian cowhide and it coordinates beautifully with the equally pleasing Bobbin wrap https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/bobbin-leather-bar-tape.

 

This sits atop the super refined Thudbuster St for now…I’ve given the Ti bottle cage a quick polish, replaced the high volume Lezyne micro floor drive for its high pressure sibling. Right, that’s me done for now. Wonder how that clump of dried earth got lodged in its right hand issi pedal….

Missile Primed

 An overcast, though refreshingly  dry Easter Sunday prompted me to rouse the Holdsworth from its hibernation. A quick polish, air in its Maxxis Re-fuse tyres, a quick drop of PTFE lube into the chain, cleat mechanism and cable; we were ready for a quick 15 mile blast. I’d forgotten just how much fun it is to ride.

Despite being 62 years old, the plain gauge lugged n’ brazed 531 frame gives a beautifully responsive zing, although the composite forks add further refinement for fewer grams.

Aside from a few dips in speed-in keeping with traffic conditions, I surprised myself by keeping the tempo between 22 and 25mph along the flat sections, quicker when descending.  Hmm, perhaps this yearning for TTs can translate into something tangible… 

Might seem a strange move by some people’ reckoning but I decided, early on Holiday Monday morning to substitute its cheery composite Tifosi in favour of the Crank Brothers Cobalt3, which was resurrected from my spares drawer a few weeks back. The bluish-grey finish coordinates surprisingly well with the existing setup. It actually has several advantages over the Tifosi for this kind of build.

Despite being 400mm long and 7075 series aluminium, it’s actually 5g lighter and being an inline, rather than layback design brings me closer over the cranks for increased power.  I may ultimately veer toward something TI given its enviable blend of strength, low weight and corrosion resistance but just now, the Cobalt is more than earning its keep.

I was tempted to forgo grease given there’s ample of my home brewed corrosion inhibitor sloshing around the frame tubes. In the interests of ensuring a worry free, weather repelling union, I went for some green Park grease.

This was applied along its length and the threaded cradle bolt, since these can often get overlooked and form a very stubborn union over time.

I’m also contemplating the return to some form of aerobar. A compact model that is unobtrusive, yet still allows me to hunker low. I’m thinking in terms of a pattern like the Cinelli adorning the Teenage Dream.

This may necessitate a shorter stem, say 8cm, given I’m disproportionately short in the torso. When it comes to builds of this kind, I like an uncluttered. A Knog NERD computer and compact light with sufficient navigational bite to tackle semi-rural roads, should I lose track of time. 

I can hear some of you shouting “what about the tom-tom bandit!!!!”Fear not, it’s a temporary fixture in case I capture some warp speed footage worthy of note. Returning to the subject of lighting, mountain biking and years spent belting along unlit backwaters cultivated a default towards high-power systems-800 lumens upwards in new money.

However (and although this is changing) even in the lower settings, these systems aren’t the most useable for suburban and similar contexts, where 220 lumens or so is ample. Daylight modes as I’ve said before are becoming increasingly popular and increasingly effective-500lumens produces quite a visual punch, even on bright days. These also consume relatively little handlebar space and the lack of battery pack preserves the sleek aesthetic.

This Raveman CR500 arrived recently and is a nice, if slightly quirky option filling tis design brief quite handsomely. It doesn’t have the daylight option but has seven modes.

These are pretty much in keeping with others in this class- top is 500 lumens, enough for semi-rural riding and just about good enough for navigating unlit roads at 17/18mph.

The plug in remote control allows easy selection mid ride and though less convenient than a wireless unit, makes dipping down/up to suit conditions easier, since hands can remain on the bars. 

Both the CNC machined aluminium shell and the resin bracket are better than I’ve come to expect too. The former is reckoned to withstand IPX 6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzpoCv_OmXk and supposedly survives accidental drops onto a hard surface from a metre high. The lens is more unusual. Some systems, even those around the 300lumen mark can be intense, almost dazzling at close quarters.

Raveman has employed a cut-off beam, which casts a very broad arc of light, while the other picks out the detail. Coming from those with a really pure white arc, the visible split took a little acclimatising to but could never be described as distracting-in the sense of halos and similar imperfections.  



I’m warming to it anyhow. Shows how far lighting technology has come in the last decade or so; especially when I think back to the hefty 10W single lamp lead-acid systems.     

Elsewhere, Seven Day Cyclist www.sevendaycyclist.com  has been sent some lovely goodies from Brian Davis, a US based innovator who designed the weatherneck balaclava system. https://theweatherneck.com/.