I was swooping around the bends, enjoying the pre-dawn tranquility when my serenity was rudely interrupted by that unmistakable, gassy serenade. (Two, if you count the flatulent 125cc commuter motorcycle that popped and wheezed in the opposite direction-manifold gasket issues was my formative thought).
Motorcyclist around the next bend that familiar intestinal rumbling continued, and a small descent prompted me to engage a taller gear. Just as the Microshift bar con responded to my bidding, the serenity was broken by what I believed was the humous hitting home. Alas, that rumble in the jungle evolved into the thriller in Manilla...Yup, a chamois spoiling “shart” in modern parlance, which explained why I was unexpectedly moist and warm in said region, for the remaining 8 miles.
Thankfully, I was spared further indignity and Samsung washing machine did an excellent clean up job, while I er, slunk off to the shower. On the upside, Ursula had been cleaner than usual, thanks to primarily dry, windy conditions. I whipped the wheels out and treated the frameset to some Tru Tension Snow Foam.
As the name implies, it’s a foaming waterless cleaner that contains a grime gobbling solvent component. This evaporates, leaving a silicone protectant barrier behind. This dismissed any residual grimy patina from the bottom bracket shell, fork legs, and rear triangle. The product in question contains a silicone component, which leaves a glossy protectant barrier behind.
However, in my experience, fast buffing is required to avoid a streaky finish. An ideal opportunity to check brake pads for glazing, embedded contaminant, straddle wires and cables for fraying. As per usual, I gave the KMC X10.93 chain a quick measure, expecting to replace it with the X10.73 I had in stock but no, still dodging the .75 bin fodder mark. On went the new Alfine/Ryde dynohub wheel, ready for testing.
Talking of which, I’ve decided to postpone the disc conversion until I’ve thoroughly tested the Alfine dynohub and/or when the existing Tektro cantilever pads wear sufficiently thin. The Alfine uses the centre lock disc mount, which is arguably superior to the six-bolt systems. They’re easier to centre and fit.
No little screws to lose, just plug in your cassette tool, snug the lock-ring down to 40nm and done. I’ve never needed to re-tighten that belonging to the Shutter Precision SL9 dyno hub HALO EVURA & SHUTTER PRECISION SL9 DYNOHUB BUILD (sevendaycyclist.com), come to think of it. Managed to lose the aero adaptor allowing seat stay mounting of my Cat Eye Viz 150, when I was whipping it off to recharge. Thankfully, I was able to retrieve and reunite with the main mount and not lost to a dark and inaccessible part of the garage.
I switched to the Topeak Tailux 30 USB Rear Light, since that was fully juiced and has a super frugal flashing mode-good for nigh on 30hours. Not that the Lelumia is proving anything but reliable, I just prefer a secondary/backup in case something unexpected happen.
While doing my weekly once-over, I also discovered the Torque 7 tool had loosened and separated within the Deore crankset, explaining the faint, phantom chatter that crept in across washboard tarmac. Easily retrieved using long, needle nose pliers, but could’ve been more problematic, had I been relying on it in the arse end of nowhere. Otherwise, I’m developing a strong fondness for the design.
Far from the maddening crowd, alone with my thoughts and the wildlife, I have often contemplated my own journeys. Life is a game of chance. Good people do bad things, given specific circumstances and bad people can (and do) lead nice, comfortable, and rewarding lives. The notion that people “get theirs” may be comforting but isn’t necessarily so. I’ve met a few church-going drug dealers in my time-one wanting me to courier drugs back from the Netherlands back in the mid-90s. I hope Adrian has been suitably generous when passing the collection box, him being a pillar of the community n' all...
