Battle of Wills

 While I’m testing the Alfine Dynamo, I’ve decided it was time to bolt a rotor to the SP SD8 SHUTTER PRECISION SD8 HUB DYNAMO | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) hub, creep a little closer to the front-end swap. Time, or rather uninterrupted opportunity are in short supply at present, so the smoother this process the better. Then of course, Ursula is very much a working bike and needs to be well, working. An unhurried, methodical approach is key, in my experience, to getting things set up properly and while digesting the manuals are crucial stages, lateral thought, and processes of elimination are similarly important. 

Enter triple-checking spacer/stack heights, and condition of components like rotors. Talking of which, I subsequently discovered the Shimano centre lock rotor I believed was nestling quietly in the spares bin, was in fact a figment of my imagination. Five minutes at the keyboard, crowned by a deft mouse click-sorted.  

Wrong time of night, wired, maybe? Whatever the catalyst, I found myself bidding on an allegedly brand-new Kinesis Maxlight fork. 7005 aluminium alloy, disc and cantilever mounts, uncut steerer... Thankfully someone else overtook me on this journey, since I discovered the vendor had a reputation for not honouring the auction price and more significantly, transpired this was a 1-inch steerer. All that glitters...  

Besides, sometimes we need to be forced to use what we have, and not get overly indulgent.  Especially since the UK is hitting the highest patch of inflation for 30 years and things are becoming increasingly lean, even for those who would never imagine they’d feel economic constraint.  

Storm Eunice hit the UK last week. Reckoned to be the most intense since the storms of 1987, it seems to have wreaked similar devastation in certain areas of the country. Conditions were close to eerily calm, that morning. Few cars, little wildlife as I weaved around the backroads and singletrack lanes.  

Wind speed intensified to around 60mph at 1500hrs in my region, with fallen trees, collapsed walls and similar damage prevalent. During this period, I was driving on the motorway and could feel the KA buffeted by gusty winds. These dropped by 1900hrs, although still accompanied by a banshee howl.  

I woke the next morning to winds around the 23mph mark, so Ursula and I headed out for a twenty-mile loop. Plenty of stray branches and dead wood but thankfully nothing obviously dangerous at that stage. I returned with the intention of giving the old girl a good clean. That she got.  

Undersides of her Bluemels mudguards SKS BLUEMELS SHINY MUDGUARDS | cycling, but not ususally racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  cassette n’ all. This, coupled with a need to test the Torque Covert 7’s chain tool brought forward chain replacement. Oh well, might as well. I went for another KMX X10, since it was close to hand. The .73 has a duller, grey finish than the ultra-reliable .93, which has me wondering if that’s the only difference. I’m no fan of the magic/ “missing link” genre and always join mine using the old school method and always carry a batch of spare links. Contradictory perhaps, given my remark 

 

I was surprised to find some minor knee discomfort recently, especially since I don’t turn big gears, or participate in impact activities. Having researched the matter in greater depth, I concluded it was an alignment issue. Switching from the FLR Defender booties to their Rexton Active cousins. I was relieved to discover this was down to cleat positioning, thus easily addressed. Might also explain the odd patina forming on the right side of this Cycles Berthoud Soulor CYCLES BERTHOUD SOULOR LEATHER SADDLE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

Decided, since I hadn’t stretched the fixed gear winter/trainer’s wheels for a little while now was the time to get some miles in. Gave me an opportunity to bed the TRP SLC caliper in properly- wet roads with gritty stuff and a minor nudge of a 3mm Allen key sorted these.  

The good folks at Ison Distribution www.ison-distribution.com have returned my freshly refurbished SP PD8 dynohub. New bearings, grease and overhauled, ready for building back into the Halo White line rim HALO CLASSIC RIM & SHUTTER PRECISION DYNOHUB DISC WHEEL BUILD (sevendaycyclist.com) but that’s a job for another time, there are more pressing priorities just now.  

 

False Senses of Security

 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...