143mm Revisited

 Last week’s disc brake refurbishment also gave me cause to reflect upon other things, specifically saddle width. Now, product testing means I test and review a wealth of different contact points and sometimes I am sent slightly wider models, or designs with more/less padding, of varied materials, and so forth.  

I am of the belief we need to spend at least 400miles with products generally and contact points in particular, before arriving at definitive opinions (longer in the case of traditional leather saddles that can require considerably more miles to mould properly and thus, become comfortable.) 

Switching the Spa Aire (titanium) saddle (265x148mm) to Ursula did not reap the rewards I’d initially thought, so I revisited the contact points spares’ box and replaced this, and the fixed gear winter/trainer’s 145mm BBB Echelon for the 143mm Selle Royal Respiro and 142mm Pro Turnix Gel.  

Both are cutaway designs, the former sports galvanized magnesium rails and tips the scales at 276g. The Pro Turnix Gel features painted stainless steel rails and weighs 278g. Both save a few grams from both builds.  

I had successfully run the Selle Italia Sport Gel Flow, (another cutaway model with thicker padding but slightly narrower at 140mm) with Ursula for a thousand miles, so will also keep that within easy reach, just in case. At 380g it’s a bit heftier than the others, courtesy of the hollow feC steel rails, but still a good bit lighter than the loveable Aire titanium. 

  

Back in 2008, I was lucky enough to receive a thorough 90-minute bike fit consultation, courtesy of Specialized and their BG Fit Specialized BG Fit System - BikeRadar. This revealed that my saddle height was 1mm out and yes, 143mm was my ideal saddle width. It also revealed that despite legs of identical length, one femur is fractionally longer than the other-cured using their insoles. This meant I had a very slight tendency to lean, inducing shoulder discomfort over longer distances.  

Being so remarkably close illustrates it is possible to get fit bang on, without a consultation but it is a very thorough means of assessing correct positioning and could save a lot of money long term. Not only in terms of wrong component length, but potential injuries requiring physiotherapy and other professional rehabilitation.  

Factors such as bike type and positioning will also play their part. A more upright stance will place more pressure on the ischial tuberoses (sit bones). Therefore, a slightly broader, more padded saddle might be prudent. At the other extreme, the Holdsworth is a long, low machine, sporting a 137mm BBB Razor saddle, which is also music to my derrière.  

A reliable ballpark measure of saddle width is achievable by sitting on a padded, leatherette chair or sofa for a minute-long enough for sit bones to leave their indents. Place two small coins to mark these and measure the distance between them in millimetres (just don’t tell Jacob Rees Mogg).  

A few 4am blasts suggest I’ve made the right moves, but we’ll see longer term, especially in Ursula’s context. Aside from sunrise being around 7ish, it’s also much cooler now- there have been a few mornings I’ve gone for the heavier weight long sleeve jersey, winter weight gloves donned a cap beneath my helmet.  

These Seal Skinz Leather Road Cycle Gloves are my default for general cool seasons riding, before temperatures really tumble. They offer excellent insulation, breathability and crucially dexterity. Some of the “lobster claw” types are fabulous when its bitterly cold and you’re cruising along but aren’t conducive to dexterous tasks and can often require removal for roadside mechanicals/inspections.  

Talking of inspections, I have been rather impressed by this Ravemen LR1600 Front Light. There are a few weeks to go before I arrive at a firm conclusion and root out any potential flaws but I’m certainly warming to it.  

As the name implies, it’s a six-mode front light producing a maximum of 1600lumens and staircasing down to 800 (medium) 450 lumen (low) and 150lumen (eco). It also has a 600-lumen daylight flashing and a 1600 emergency function.  

Aside from really build quality, it features clever optics. It employs a similar polycarbonate lens with the “Total internal reflection” and “refraction” technology meaning it’s a lot brighter than figures suggest.  

While there’s no denying the full 1600lumens are ideal for the navigating the darkest backwaters at warp speed, the 800lumens is still practical in these contexts. Anecdotally it feels closer to 1,000, maybe 1100lumens and I’ve had no issues cruising along at a steady 20mph.  

This also conserves battery reserves. Ravemen are no strangers to remotes, but these have been wired types. The LR1600 features a wireless unit fuelled by a single CR2032 cell. Range is approximately a metre, meaning the LR1600 is more practical than some as a helmet mounted option.  Let’s see what the coming weeks bring... Meantime, I’ll leave you with my review of these carbon forks Carbon Cycles Exotic Fork | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

Stoppage... AKA Urgent Refurbs

Some lovely rotors and pads arrived from Disco Brakes DiscoBrakes.Com :: Shop :: DiscoBrakes Shop . I wasted no time in removing the long serving and dependable TRP rotor and popping the 160mm Vibe in situ. Cursory inspection suggested my fixed gear winter/trainer’s TRP SLC callipers' organic pads were still passable, so SP PD8 HALO CLASSIC RIM & SHUTTER PRECISION DYNOHUB DISC WHEEL BUILD (sevendaycyclist.com) wheel back in situ. Much to my dismay the next morning, stopping prowess had all but vanished...  

Returning home, closer examination revealed muck and accumulated grime were giving a false impression of ample pad material. These had been in situ for 10 months and judging by their condition, should’ve been replaced after 6, maybe 7. The generally accepted rule is replace once the pad has 1.5mm (about 0.03 in) material left. A quick word about pad material, while I’m here. Organic pads (sometimes referred to as resin pads) have a lot in their favour.  

Commonly made from a blend of Kevlar, Rubber, and Silica with a resin bonding, they are quiet, offer sharper braking, and bed in easily. The compound offers excellent insulation against heat build-up, too, although on the flip side, are more predisposed to fade. A minor, if not moot point on a lightweight bike and rider. However, a definite consideration on a touring tandem, or recumbent for example. They also wear relatively quickly in harsh, or mucky conditions, so might not be the best options for winter riding, especially off-road.  

Now, I had a couple of organic Spyre SLC pads in stock, but Disco Brakes were gracious enough to send me some sintered and semi-metallic pads for testing.  Sintered, sometimes referred to as metallic pads are made from bonded metal particles.  In theory, these will last longer than their organic counterparts, especially in wet, muddy, and gritty contexts. They are less prone to fade, so will work better on those long descents.  

However, compared with organic types they need to “warm up” before reaching optimal “bite”, take longer to bed in, and can be noisier. Now, though not relevant on a cable-operated setup, such as mine, the metal components will transfer greater heat to hydraulic fluids, than an organic variant.  

Then again, they’re much less prone to glazing over and last longer. I’ve gone the semi-sintered route. On paper, these should be the best of both worlds, hence my decision. As the name might imply, these are a mix of organic and metal, so take less time to reach performance, shouldn’t fade on long descents, and last better than organic pads in grotty contexts. I’ve never had any problems with pad glaze, but this can be an issue with organic and semi-metallic models, so we’ll see.  

I stripped and cleaned the calipers since these were coated in oily contaminant and the inner cable was fraying. Having stripped back the Souma leather bar tape Souma Leather Handlebar Tape | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), to get better access to the outer cable and thus route the inner wire through more effectively, I noticed a lot of slop in the Cane Creek SC5 V Brake Lever CANE CREEK V BRAKE DROP BAR LEVERS | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), and its internal resin cable tunneling was also showing signs of wear.

I’d come this far... I exchanged the Cane Creek SC5 for this silver Tektro RL520, which is also designed with V and cable-operated discs in mind. (I’d originally earmarked it for Ursula’s disc brake upgrade but discovered the RL340 would work just fine.)  

Next came a fresh stainless steel inner wire (the last in my stock, prompting a further order).

Cables, pads, and chains are all things likely to fail at the least convenient moment, so well worth having a couple in hand. Overhaul complete and braking is better than ever. It also prompted a more thorough Inspection of Ursula’s SLC caliper and pads.  

No such issues but a reminder for more regular investigation and pad replacement. I’ve fitted the other six-bolt Disco Brakes Rotor to the SD8 HALO EVURA & SHUTTER PRECISION SL9 DYNOHUB BUILD (sevendaycyclist.com) wheel though since it was superior to the serviceable auction site special. Chain and other drivetrain components were also in very rude health, which is a welcome surprise. I’m up to 1600miles on the KMC and on this trajectory, reckon I’ll get to 2,200 before replacements’ prudent. Mick Madgett finished re-building my SL9 HALO EVURA & SHUTTER PRECISION SL9 DYNOHUB BUILD (sevendaycyclist.com) wheel too, so looking set for the winter, now.