Making a Brake For It...

No sooner had I decided to upgrade my fixed gear winter trainer’s TRP Spyre brake caliper, I discovered Ursula’s brake pads decidedly thin again. Not down to rim ruining bare metal but certainly urging replacement. Left unchecked, pads can do nasty things to disc rotors and rim sidewalls. In common with chains and cables, regular inspection and replacement is good mechanical empathy and sound economics.  

As budget stoppers go, the Genetic CX Cantilevers TEST & REVIEW: GENETIC CX CANTILEVER BRAKES (sevendaycyclist.com) are cheerful. I had replaced the pads some months back and after some deliberation and seeing the price of compatible replacements, I decided I may as well upgrade to Shimano BR CX50. In my experience, the BR CX50 are trickier to set up “just so” but suitably progressive and excellent bite, which is what I need, especially since winter is coming. 

I had been tempted by the CX70, which are essentially Ultegra grade but for me the CX50 strikes the sweet spot between price and performance. Ah, but then said mighty stoppers didn’t arrive on time, which led me to think laterally. Another hunt through the pads and small parts compartment of my mighty cantilever toolbox reaped some reward.  

However, it was a case of close but no cigar on the pad compatibility front. Then I spotted some low-profile Tektro CR710 in decent shape, save for the pads. The workshop fairies came to the rescue, alerting me to packet-fresh, compatible pads. In the zone, one thing led to another... 

Cantilever posts cleaned with turpentine, treated to some Peaty’s Speed Grease PEATY'S SPEED GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), the Tektro were slipped in situ...  As a side note, the Peaty’s Speed Grease is holding up rather well, several months down the line, although I’ve erred in favour of its Assembly Grease PEATY'S BICYCLE ASSEMBLY GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) stablemate for threaded parts and contact points. A drop of thread lock to the mounting bolts, everything was snugged to 6nm. I used the existing cable and switched to a sturdy pattern straddle wire. 

Pulled tight, pads correctly aligned, ten pumps of the Tektro RL340 lever confirmed everything was striking in perfect harmony-I just needed to draw the straddle wire through a little. Another neat feature of the CR710 is the barrel adjuster for quick adjustment. Now, the eagle-eyed among you will notice I’ve got the adjuster up-not “technically correct” but a deliberate action to suit me- I can reach it more readily and tweak, on the move if need arises... 

Seriously impressed with the modulation, feel, and mighty stopping prowess. (Two muntjac deer and a rabbit have confirmed this, beyond any doubt!) it’s also that oft-toted thing about bonding with your machine and staying with something until you’ve got it sussed. I also found two chains- a single-speed SRAM and another 10speed KMC, ready for next time.  

I’ll keep the Shimano CR50 handy but for now, the CR710 stays. Kept me out of mischief for a bit. Talking of which, I’ve already averted collision with two kamikaze muntjac deer that sprung strait into my path at 6am. Sunrise isn’t until 750, so, much of my riding is in the dark and wet roads.  

Hardly an issue given the prowess of the K-lite dynamo lamps, but these conditions ramp up the likelihood of puncturing. Regularly brushing tyre casings greatly improves the odds of averting a flat, since you’re shifting sharps before they get chance to burrow inside.  

Britain’s tabloid press had been promising snow by the close of October but I’m treating this as little more than a distraction from the present chaos. No urge to whip the Schwalbe WinterTESTED: SCHWALBE WINTER SPIKED TYRES (sevendaycyclist.com) from the rafters, just yet.   Sticking with the See Sense Handlebar Bag, on my fixed gear winter/trainer but I’m still very fond of the Craft Cadence Waterproof Handlebar bag CRAFT CADENCE WATERPROOF HANDLEBAR BAG | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), so is Steve... Right, time to apply another light coat of Humbrol enamel to Ursula’s frame end, leave it 24 hours and repeat, if required...  

Braking For Cake : Stopping & Shortages

 

A couple of weeks spent solely on my fixed gear winter trainer has given me reason to reflect upon the specification. Small upgrades can often result in big gains. Having refitted the Mavic/Halo Fix G Track hub HALO FIX G TRACK HUB | Seven Day Cyclist Tourin Tests Commuting (which feels buttery smooth once more, courtesy of new cartridge bearings and liberal helpings of fresh grease), I’ve decided it’s time to upgrade the otherwise dependable TRP Spyre caliper, in favour of its SLC sibling. Both have been on the market since 2013/14. Proven technology, rather than talking points but I don’t want the additional complexity of hydraulics, or hybrid systems.  

Some would argue the latter are lower maintenance and no trickier to set up, maintain, and service. However, for the time being, familiarity wins. Covid induced shortages globally have hit the cycle industry quite hard, but the UK’s present increased insular, nationalistic stance means shortages across all sectors are here to stay.  

There’s a current romanticism about 1978/9’s winter of discontent doing the rounds, and the allegedly character-building wonders austerity offers. People with food and fuel insecurity are nothing to celebrate in my book.  

Anyhow, I digress... Even though I found an SLC caliper at a sensible price, having lain my virtual money down, I received a reply, telling me I must wait a few weeks for its arrival. Good thing it’s a planned upgrade, not urgent replacement. The faster one can stop, the faster one can ride... 

Though the Mud hugger Gravel hugger guard’s aesthetic will horrify some, I like their industrial lines, and crucially they work, keeping a surprising and very welcome amount of wet, greasy stuff off rider and bike. No rattling, or to date any sign of paint abrasion either. However, I’ve been quick to apply “helicopter” tape at any point resting against painted, or lacquered surfaces. 

During this pre-winter inspection, I also swapped the otherwise likeable Craft Cadence Bar Bag for the compact See Sense Handlebar Bag SEE SENSE HANDLEBAR BAG | cycling,-but-not-usually-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) since I fancied something more compact. Bigger capacities have a lot in their favour but some impact upon steering... The See Sense reclaims some bar space and forced me to do an inventory of tubes, CO2 cartridges and other little spares that can spell the difference between roadside rescue and the long walk home. Yes, that is still very much at the forefront of my mind.  

Touch-up paint is useful stuff to have waiting in the wings. High build phosphate primer well and truly cured, I’ve acquired oil-based hobby enamel and some brushes, so I can make good Ursula’s frame end. I added light blue, grey, white, and black to the order so there’s some in stock for the fixed gear winter/trainer, should need arise.  

 

The tubby tourer’s indexing is nigh on there, but not quite.  A quick tweak of the limit screws and tensioning proved the cure. 

I am also considering fitting an inline adjuster to the outer, where it exits the Velo Orange Rubbery Handlebar Tape VELO ORANGE RUBBERY BAR TAPE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). In principle, this shouldn’t be necessary but in practice it may allow some very slight tweaking on the fly. Afterall, mountain bike shifters have them. Another advantage of bar cons, is the option of switching to friction mode, should indexing go way off track.    

 

Rough With the Rough

Implosions often seem to strike when we least expect them and always at the least convenient moments. Our story begins at 5.25am. Ursula and I had just exited a dark junction, turning left, I gently accelerated when there was this sickening implosion. My heart sank, thinking it was the chain that had failed.  

Coasting to a halt, I switched on the Brightside topside helmet light BRIGHTSIDE TOPSIDE HELMET LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) to discover the Sun Race Driven mech had basically self-combusted. In the dark, and my shocked state, it looked like this suicidal mech had also claimed Ursula’s Ritchey frame end. Either way, we had to get home, which basically translated as a six-mile run, wheeling Ursula by the bars. Made it back, in the pouring rain and saturated roads, within 30 minutes.  

Gently hanging her up, I was relieved to note frame end and wheel were unscathed- save for some minor paint damage. The derailleur’s threaded part, still lodged like a bee’s sting induced some head-scratching until I decided to drill it out. Well, large enough to insert a Torx driver and turning it counterclockwise.  

At least that was the plan.  

All was going well until I discovered my cordless drill’s Ni-CD battery was dead, Thankfully, I was able to source an inexpensive replacement (the drill in question is over 20 years old). This delayed things by a few days, so meantime, I gave the frame ends two light coats of high build phosphate primer, while I awaited a replacement battery and rear mech. 

 

In practice, this was a painstaking task, with some very anxious moments, but ultimately successful. Thankfully, I was able to drill out and essentially obliterate the riveted part, insert a corkscrew to provide suitable purchase and turn...  

 

I’ve gone for a short cage (28 tooth maximum) Shimano Tiagra. I spotted one at the right price and wasted no time in adding it to virtual cart. Not least since supply issues remain prevalent, which has also done nasty things to prices. Some folks are a bit sniffy about Tiagra. Now, it’s one step beneath 105, which was widely regarded as big S’s workhorse road groupset but in common with the STX & STX RC mountain bike groups, performance to price ratios are very favourable. Decent shifts, inexpensive in the event of a spill, and of course, winter.    

If that wasn’t enough, closer inspection of my beloved, mile-munching ford KA revealed some minor sill rot. Most of the section was solid but sanding back some bubbling revealed a collection of tiny holes. Thankfully, MPA Classics worked his magic- patched, welded, and primed for £40. I’ve since added two thin coats of phosphate-rich high-build primer for some additional peace of mind. A light coating was also added to Ursula’s frame ends, while I awaited the replacement drill battery.  

This delay meant a switch to my fixed gear winter/trainer and the torrential rains were perfect conditions for evaluating the Mudhugger Gravel Guards. Coverage and protection are surprisingly good, due in part to their length and profile. Waterlogged roads, driving rain, and gusty winds meant maintaining momentum was my primary focus but, having returned, I was pleasantly surprised by how dry my legs, back, and buttocks were. No gritty raccoon stripe either.    

 

There’s been some minor spatter atop the guards and around the frame’s wishbone, but we are talking minor, which was even more remarkable, given the monsoon conditions.  The mounting kit also seems very reliable and crucially, chatter-free. Still got a couple of hundred miles before I arrive at a more rounded conclusion. Times are very strange here in the UK, on a wider level. Supply chain issues are making goods, even basic staples harder, or at least slower to acquire.  

A lack of skilled people within several sectors of the economy is also compounded by those who have long been redundant and irrelevant to contemporary employers. Left behind, we might say. This has been a slow, incremental process spanning decades.  for example,25 years ago, Ford would not consider a Dagenham school leaver for the most basic job on the track.  

A stark contrast to the entrenched belief that school/academic attainment wasn’t crucial, since there’d always be a job on the line, at the body plant.  Car plants paid well for semi-skilled, assembly line work. As Honda were winding up their Swindon factory, I heard machine operators (not skilled machinists) had been earning £20ph and now struggling to comprehend that they should expect £9 on the open market. However, when big, or main employers go, it’s the ripples-the loss felt by the wider, local economies that is the most brutal and enduring.