White Out

 120 miles or so hence, on the Schwalbe Billy Bonkers, the front succumbed to its first puncture. Two sharp flints embedded in mucky stuff buried inside the casing, nicking the tube. Tube swapped, sharps purged, and tyre reinstated, I couldn’t let the front brake lie. A quick, nuanced tweak of the straddle wire’s tension and boom! Both the Shimano BRCX50 and Genetic are now dialed-in, beautifully.   

I’d tired of fearsome weather front scaremongering, planning to leave the Billy Bonkers in situ and switch to the fixed, which still sported the 35mm Schwalbe Winter Plus-both bases covered. I love the Billy Bonkers’ quick, supple magic carpet ride and wet-weather cornering prowess is better than I’d expected, along wet, greasy lanes.  

However, more reputable sources were suggesting extensive ice and potentially heavy snowfall. Now was the time to switch Ursula back to spikes, before the week began. Washed, stripped the cassette of its slimy cocktail using the Weldtite Citrus Degreaser WELDTITE CITRUS DEGREASER | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), then treated the frame to another light coat of Muc-Off Miracle Shine for some additional protection.  

Finally, some more Weldtite TF2 Ceramic Lube to the thirsty-looking chain. While an engaging ride that encourages me to go out is high on my list, a spill, or mechanical is the last thing I want, miles from home on a dark, bitterly cold/wet night.  

The Schwalbe Marathon 365 TESTED: SCHWALBE MARATHON GT 365 TYRES WINTER UPDATE (sevendaycyclist.com) were another, next-best-thing option and I’m confident the tread pattern would plough away the snow, but I prefer the reassurance afforded by spikes. They’re also a little lighter, but then the 365 are wider (2.0 inches). Sunday morning arrived and I found a modest amount of snow carpeting the landscape but nothing outlandish, so popped out on the fixed.  

Plenty of traction from the tyres, transmission and the suspension post also seem to help in this respect but biting crosswinds along exposed sections proved a little challenging. Three degrees, hence snow, not ice. However, the wind chill was dialing things down a degree, or two. The FLR Defender MTB Dry Boot FLR DEFENDER MTB DRY BOOT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) have great thermal properties, so no issues there.  

However, mid loop, I was wishing I’d gone the Balaclava and liner gloves route. Those seeking a bit of additional damping/control could be well-served by the Kinekt Suspension Stem KINEKT SUSPENSION STEM | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and their suspension post KINEKT 2.1 SUSPENSION SEAT POST | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  

However, subsequent outings have even taxed the Univega’s 26x1.75 Schwalbe Winter Plus. Though I never went “rubber up” (as I most certainly would, with a conventional tyre) they couldn’t bite into the deeply impacted stuff, thus gain traction. Some enforced (dare we say, prudent) leave saw that I turned my attention to its Stronglight Aheadset.  

 

Mudguards make a big difference, extending maintenance periods but I’d last stripped and re-greased back in the summer of 2019. Much as I expected, the bottom race still had a thin, though tangible layer of Muc-Off Bio-Grease TESTED : MUC-OFF BIO GREASE (sevendaycyclist.com) doing the job. However, replenishment was definitely due. Went for some Corrosion Block Grease.  

This is a super stiff, waterproof formula, which is supposedly highly resistant to corrosion, temperature, so should stay put a good while. I packed it thoroughly and added some to the Gusset Headlock, since opportunity presented. Corrosion Block say it will also play nicely with other greases (which isn’t always the case). Time will tell... 

Though very much in hibernation, I also decided to give the Teenage dream’s MA2/Campagnolo Athena wheelset a good polish and wax. Now almost thirty years old, they’re still tarnish-free and came up beautifully. I need to strip and re-grease the rear hub and both would benefit from a quick true.  

Nothing serious-they haven’t lived hard lives, or hit anything but after thirty years, some minor play is to be expected. I’m also researching a better-quality hoop for my Bob Yak homage trailer, primarily based on better tyre choice. The OEM bargain basement knobbly is functional enough but a high-quality slick option, would improve my experience of said cheerful beast of burden.        

Going Bonkers& Brakes Sorted

In this instance, I’m heralding the arrival of these Schwalbe tyres, rather than passing comment on the UK’s present chaos. Red top tabloids have continuously threatened a nationwide white-out but in this corner of the UK, 4 degrees is the forecast. 2.1 inches is tops, clearance-wise with the Univega’s SKS Bluemels Shiny Mudguards SKS BLUEMELS SHINY MUDGUARDS | cycling, but not ususally racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and thankfully we’re not in fag paper territory.  

For the uninitiated, the Billy Bonkers are designed for Pumptrack, Dirtjump and Slope style and grip on loose, sandy surfaces... An odd choice for Ursula and indeed my mixed terrain diet, comprising of metaled road and slightly boggy bridlepath but bear with me... 

Ours are the wire bead “Active Line” K-guard versions.  

This means aside from the slight weight penalty over their performance line counterparts, they also have a slightly lesser grip, puncture resistance and quicker wear rate. There’s little in this, but worth noting. Oh, and any colour sidewall so long as its tan. These weigh 745g apiece but feel a bit lighter and boast operating pressures between 30 and 80psi.  

A broad range and the upper pressures implied they should be perky on metaled roads, while offering a compliant, magic carpet ride. 100 miles in and they’ve done just that, providing better traction on loose traction on loose, icy surfaces, too. There’s some trade-off in terms of rolling resistance, obviously-they're not going to roll like their Kojak cousins but maintaining a steady 18mph hasn’t been a hardship-even faced with some bracing crosswinds.   

I tend to be quite fastidious when it comes to maintenance, especially during winter when the mix of grit, salt, water and wet lubes can become a component chomping cocktail. Upon whipping the Univega’s wheels out, ready to perform the switch, I happened to glance at the front pads.  

Good thing I did, since the Genetic had worn very low. I’d last inspected them over Christmas, so just goes to illustrate how harsh winter can be. Pads, rims, discs, cassettes and to a lesser extent, cables are particularly vulnerable.  

Thankfully, I had some packet fresh replacements in my brake spares tub.  I’ve acquired some dual compound Fibrax, for next time but right now, we’re stopping on the proverbial sixpence. I’ve toyed with the idea of going the disc route upfront, but this would mean upgrading the Ultegra dynohub, new fork, and then a suitable caliper. Shelved all these, as quick as they arrived.   

Not so, Ursula’s BRCX50 rear cantilever. I (wrongly) attributed this to their pad compound. A helpful email from their UK importer led me to some nuanced adjustment of the cable tension and straddle wire. This improved mechanical advantage and ultimately, corrected the problem.  

The drivetrain was also looking scuzzy again, so I got busy with the Pure Bike Degreaser PURE BIKE DEGREASER | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and apply this Weldtite TF2 Ceramic. In keeping with other ceramics, such as Juice Lubes Ceramic Juice JUICE LUBES CERAMIC JUICE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), its intended for three seasons’ “Fairweather” service but (a) I fancied something lighter than the otherwise excellent Zefal Extra Wet Ceramic Chain Lube ZEFAL EXTRA WET NANO CERAMIC CHAIN LUBE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). (b) I was also keen to see how it performed in wetter conditions.  It’s certainly slick and seems to be holding out quite well in changeable weather but will be interesting to see how well many miles I get from a single application. 

  

The Ravemen CLO5 Rear Light is also winning me over with its blend of power, presence and economy. There are 7 modes. 2 steady and 5 flashing. In common with other, contemporary 30 lumen models, the optics give more than sufficient presence for pitch black roads. 

 

The lens is PC Engineering plastic.   It's refraction and designed in a way that could provide a larger lighting area, and therefore visibility. Behind sit 24 diodes using the now standard COB (Chips on Board) technology. There is also a sensor, which detects approaching traffic and automatically switches the unit to 30lumens for 5 seconds.   

Again, a few years back, 4lumen modes would be considered “glimmer” territory but the slow flashing option has similar bite to a typical 8 lumen setting. Adequate for sub/urban riding and passable, should you need to conserve some juice along a country lane. Definitely a contingency option, mind. The hinged type bracket shared with its CLO6 stablemate is another definite plus, allowing the light to be aligned very precisely for optimal effect.