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Prevention is always more effective, and usually cheaper than cure. Regular inspection can stop a lot of issues before they start, especially during winter, when conditions are harsher and daylight hours shorter.  the KMC chain is still going strong and foils the chain checker’s .75 marker, and we’re way past the 1500mile mark, which may also add credence to Bike Medicine’s Claims that the Purple Extreme | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) extends drivetrain life.   

Some minor mudguard chatter piped up, causing me to give Ursula more generic midweek onceover. Stays nipped snug, I discovered a small but deep gash in the rear Schwalbe Marathon Mondial Double Defense TEST & REVIEW: SCHWALBE MARATHON MONDIAL TYRES (sevendaycyclist.com). This prompted me to switch to the Schwalbe Marathon GT 365 TESTED: SCHWALBE MARATHON GT 365 TYRES WINTER UPDATE (sevendaycyclist.com).  

Hefty, as I’ve established on numerous occasions but ultra-dependable and offering decent traction when the mercury is stubbornly refusing to creep above freezing and that hard frost is audible. I acquired two more Schwalbe Land Cruisers. One for the Ryde/Alfine wheel (that Mick Madgett built with speed and enviable expertise this week) and a higher spec Land Cruiser Plus replacing the Marathon Mondial. I fancied a more substantial puncture repelling belt at the rear. Still 50g lighter than the Marathon 365, too.  

In terms of genre, the Land Cruiser remind me of Specialized Crossroads (26x1.9) which served me well between 1999 and 2001. Traditionally, the mention of mixed terrain, or dual-purpose tyres were synonymous with worst of both worlds. Sure, the Specialized and the Land Cruiser aren’t going to rival a 1.5 slick on the tarmac or a crossed country tyre through more demanding forest trails.

 

Nonetheless, some 600 miles down the line, they’re proving capable mixed terrain rubber that will swoosh along quite nicely on the tarmac, give a compliant ride along pockmarked lanes and still deliver along moderate trails. WTB All Terrainasaurus are another I have fond memories of. These are also available in 26x1.95 but I was running a narrower, 1.5 (have a feeling they came up smaller, nearer to 1.4). Dirt cheap, quick, and dependable for my commutes around South London... 

Since Ursula was in the stand, I got busy with the Motorex Grease Spray and The Torque Covert 7 Crank tool, whipping out bottle boss, carrier and mudguard screws. Being steel, these were all given a shot before I delivered a stream into Ursula’s inner sanctum and the Kona Project 2, while I was at it.  

Spray greases are super convenient and quite versatile, refreshing those parts thicker waxy preserves cannot reach so readily. In a pinch, 10w/40, or less sophisticated semi-synthetic motor oils are easily found/scrounged, can be delivered via a syringe and will do much the same job, in a steel frameset.  I've also delivered some into the less accessible regions of my KA, since the wings are welded, not bolted in situ. Removal, say if needing to repair a sill is a lot more involved. Getting some greasy stuff into the sills will at the very least, slow the advances of corrosion in areas where it can flourish unnoticed. 

Chainsaw oil is another cheap, readily available substitute, which doubles as a reasonable chain lube. Again, apply via syringe and be ultra-disciplined with the clean-up, or chains will become a matted, gritty transmission gobbling mess.

Bib shorts are a less obvious choice for the darker months, save of course, for slaving away on the indoor trainer. However, I often ride with bib shorts beneath lighter old school Lycra when temperatures are middling. Strangely enough, I’ve been comfortable with budget dhb bib shorts and 20-year-old GT tights (which I retain a strange, some would say irrational attachment to) when the mercury is struggling to climb into single figures.

I’ve been similarly impressed with the Gecko Ankle Length Waterproof Socks GECKO ANKLE LENGTH WATERPROOF SOCKS | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) which, being thinner than their Calf Length Classic All Action Waterproof Socks means they’re a better fit with closer fitting road and mountain bike shoes. No sign of this ice age, the red top tabloids have been screaming about for several months...Maybe it’s a cunning metaphor for something else...The cost-of-living crisis, which is forcing an increasing number to decide between heating their homes or feeding themselves and their children. Or perhaps the present diplomatic situation surrounding Ukraine...  

Along Came Alfine

 No sooner had the Alfine idea started becoming the ONLY idea, Madison Cycles graciously sent me a unit for testing, 32 hole and better still, black, which will go handsomely with another Ryde Andra 40 hoop, laced to black spokes. Tipping the scales at 612g (including skewer), Ursula will be the beneficiary and my fixed gear winter trainer will receive the overhauled Shutter Precision PD8 HALO CLASSIC RIM & SHUTTER PRECISION DYNOHUB DISC WHEEL BUILD (sevendaycyclist.com) as before.

I’ve also harvested a silver left hand Tektro RL340 to colour coordinate with the RL520 lever, which will of course, command the TRP SPYRE SLC, once I’ve got some quiet time to strip and bolt everything together. Will be the perfect opportunity to overhaul the Stronglight Aheadset too, lashings of Peaty’s Bicycle Assembly Grease PEATY'S BICYCLE ASSEMBLY GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) this time around, methinks.  

Peaty’s Speed Grease PEATY'S SPEED GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)has really won me over for applications demanding minimal friction and despite some initial suspicion, it’s proved remarkably stoical despite high mileage and often dodgy weather. It’s also best suited to bearings with seals, hence my old school cup n’ cone Campagnolo Athena hubs were fed the last of the Park PPL1. White Lightning Crystal High Performance Grease TESTED : WHITE LIGHTNING CRYSTAL GREASE (sevendaycyclist.com) is another good bet, especially for components employing rubber/composite parts- sealed hubs, suspension components to name but two examples. Then, of course, there’s Green Oil Eco Grease  TWELVE MONTH TEST: GREEN OIL ECO GREASE (sevendaycyclist.com) is another, planet and person-friendly option- I went that route when installing the ti bottom bracket into Ursula’s shell. Then of course there’s lard.

 

No, I’m being facetious. However, 30 years back, I encountered the odd, mechanically inept engineering student sold on this animal-derived product for their bike. On the subject of lubes, here’s my review of the Bike Medicine Purple Extreme Synthetic Chain Lubricant| cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) Ursula’s KMC chain is still hanging on in there, still has a couple of weeks, maybe more before the BBB checker registers .75 and said faithful electroplated chain becomes bin fodder.   

The Lelumia The Beast rear Light continues to impress me with its blend of power and relative frugality. Belting out 150 lumens in the highest setting, 65 lumens is as low as it goes. Not ideal for built-up areas, but bang-on for the backroads, and of course, deterring wheel sucking.   

Talking of deterrent, I’ve received some Motorex Grease Spray. This isn’t a bicycle-specific blend and appears to be an old school lithium blend. Now., this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Lithium greases are very tenacious and long-lasting. Good bets for headsets and cup n’ cone hub bearings, metal to metal contact points e.g., sealed bearing cartridge bearings (provided the metals are of the same family I.e., aluminium alloy to aluminium alloy, titanium to titanium etc).  

Lye soap and oils are a mixture that bonds very well to metals. However, they can result in galvanic corrosion-a chemical reaction between metals of different parentage, when exposed to the elements, or long sessions on the indoor trainer, seizure can strike. In common with PTFE based blends, they aren’t kind to seals, or other composites either.  Being a sprayable formula also means it also makes a handy internal frame preserve. Good for protecting frame ends, lubing quick-release skewers and of course, those oft-forgotten cleats.  

It’s no secret that I have a “thing” for practical fixed gear builds- sensible clearances, mudguard mounts etc. Machines that follow the short-lived “Road path” narrative, not forgetting what are essentially traditional cyclo cross bikes with mudguard mounts, cantilever bosses etc.

No surprise to discover my excitement at discovering The Brothers Cycle AlldayThe Allday | Brother Cycles while having a wander round the web.  Even closer to the traditional cyclo crosser with track ends narrative in my book. I really like the gold and black spatter fade too. Not my usual colour scheme perhaps and evocative of the champagne and brown effect a friend had on his Raleigh Maverick, back in 1986.  

Hey Mr. Tambourine Man...

 After several weeks and 600miles, I’m forming my conclusions regarding the Shutter Precision SD8 hub and curious as to how Shimano Alfine 6V3 Watt DH-S01 compares in terms of resistance and output. I wasn’t completely surprised to discover the SD8 employs contact seals, whereas the Shimano employs Labyrinth, which is in principle superior and probably explains why Ursula’s Ultegra unit has served 10 years without missing a beat.  I wasn’t surprised by the SD8’s marginal drop in output at slower speeds and on the climbs. 

One such gradient takes me past a poultry processing plant, which though fully operational and quite harshly lit, has a strangely eerie feel, amplified by the humming vats and pipework. A “closet” fear some thirty years ago was failing my A levels and being consigned to a slaughterhouse or similar environment. Then of course, there were the small electronics factories that littered out of the way industrial estates. 

 

Contexts where the health and safety at work act were more casually observed. Those with a mild learning disability could be found in the dipping/varnishing sections with minimal, if any PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). Upping the tempo and the K-Lite Bike Packer Pro V2K LITE BIKEPACKER PRO V2 FRONT LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)’s full 1300lumens come back on tap and I’m escaping the hulk, feeling the crisp swoosh as the Schwalbe Land Cruiser and Marathon Mondial keep traction across the hard, frosty asphalt. The swooping rush of a descent, a sharp left, and I’m along another silty, gravelly singletrack road, with the odd, solitary house illuminated by moonlight.

  

Conditions where I’m glad for a Belgian style cap, mtb booties, waterproof socks, a heavyweight winter jersey topped off with a technical jacket. The Oxford Venture OXFORD VENTURE JACKET | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) has become my default- its thin, stretchy, and more comfortable than I was expecting from a garment boasting 10,000mm for waterproofing and breathability.  

To my surprise, even when it's minus 2, these Seal Skinz gloves keep my digits temperate and mobile. Eyewear is another thing to neglect at your peril-nothing worse than stinging, salty tears, and blurred vision. Besides, as my military motorcycle instructor so rightly stated, you only get one pair.  

For the last few months, I’ve defaulted to these Smith, which sit comfortably and banish draft. There is the occasional mysterious and deathly silent figure, emerging from the misty shroud of a ploughed field. Otherwise, I’m free to contemplate, reflect and crucially, enjoy. Occasionally I get the urge to sing but thankfully, this is usually tempered by the fear of awakening something supernatural hiding in the foliage.  

Black Shuck could take exception to my rendition of The Stone Ponies “Different Drum” and I don’t fancy my chances of outrunning him. Well, 5am conjures these possibilities... Having said that, I’ve seen cloaked, hooded figures emerging from forest clearings and I am firmly of the opinion there are things that shouldn’t be dabbled with. We would also be phenomenally arrogant to assume there aren’t incredibly advanced societies elsewhere in the galaxy.  

Conditions eased a little under rubber, so I’ve also been out to play on the fixed, which also proved an opportunity to bed in the TRP SPYRE SLC and address some cable tension. The Cane Creek SC5 lever CANE CREEK V BRAKE DROP BAR LEVERS | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) was drawing closer to the bars before I was getting bite at the rotor. Well, the modulation and feel, I prefer. Nothing a quick tweak of the barrel adjuster couldn’t rectify.  

However, this called into question the viability of the RL340- the 520 would be a more satisfying union, simply due to greater cable pull-afterall, it was designed for V (Linear pull) brakes. Staying with the fixed, low temperatures also do nasty things to cheap and cheerful batteries. The CR2032 cells in the fixed’s VDO head unit. Located a spare while searching for a rather handy Ice Toolz  pedal and 15mm track nut wrench, so switched, since the white unit was doing something close to nothing.   Right, on that note, I'll leave you with Steve's review of the Cushion Aid saddle Donut proSADDLE DONUT PRO | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)