Right kit for the wrong weather

Wet and windy has been February’s flavour, so I’ve been erring towards water-repelling lubes, greases and clothing. Opportunity presented, so I re-greased the fixed gear winter/trainer’s Aheadset with the Wolf Tooth Performance Grease. The Juice Lubes Bearing Juice stubbornly clung to the lower race and cartridge bearing but service intervals are there for a reason.  

Re-packed, steering felt buttery smooth and protected. While rummaging for some clean rag, I resurrected a drivetrain cleaner and frameset polish. Given the bike was sporting a fair bit of grot, I liberally blasted drivetrain liberally, allowing it the designated few minutes standing time before rinsing with fresh water and treating the bike to a quick wash n’ wax.  

I’d just received some Nzero  Organic Wet and Organic Wax Lube, so decided I’d drizzle a little into the KMC Z1 EPT chain. The rich honey colour and viscosity reminded me of the Chain L High Mileage Formula Chain Oil, CHAIN L HIGH MILEAGE FORMULA CHAIN OIL | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  and I applied with similar frugality, giving the side plates a quick cat-lick afterward.  

I was slightly surprised to discover NZero recommends the wet be allowed to cure overnight, less so to discover the dry only required 30 minutes or so. Some other formulas including Momum MIC Dry cure in similar timescales, although traditionally wax-type blends have needed upwards of a few hours.  

I’ll keep feeding the fixed a wet lube and will alternate Ursula between the NZero Wet and its wax counterpart (a) because I’m testing the and am curious to see how well the wax will hold out in middling winter/early season conditions.  

Wax formulas, due in part to their cleanliness make particularly good candidates for cables, I’d forgotten how well-engineered the MKS NJS Chain Tugs are and how well they tension the chain-even compared with some mid-price favourites. Should’ve known better and taken that route first time round but still, lesson learned, and the others are still very serviceable.  

 

Wet weather signalled prompt return to the Shimano MW501, Shimano MW501 Dry Shield SPD MTB Shoes | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and I’ve alternated between the Showers Pass Elements SHOWERS PASS MEN'S ELEMENTS JACKET | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and Madison Roam 2.5-layer jacket Madison Roam 2.5 Layer Waterproof Jacket | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com).  

I returned from running a few errands in Meg, (the long-serving and much-loved Micra) to find the DPD man strolling up the drive with this Topeak MTX Trunk Dry Bag. At 1.1 kilos, it feels bombproof, seems as waterproof as most of us will ever need, and is extremely well made. Materials-wise, we’re talking 420/840 denier waterproof nylon with sonically welded seams.  

There are two zippered compartments running shotgun and internally an EVA foam base with dividers to insulate against vibration and of course, the toolkit jingle. A shoulder strap makes for convenient porting sans bike and the Quick Track System means it slots directly and very securely into compatible Topeak racks, such as this Topeak Uni Super Tourist DX. If you don’t want to be tethered to a system and prefer to swap luggage around, you’ll need to look at other models within the family.  

Summer caps might sound an odd choice for the early season. However, the seasons are no longer so predictable. As climate specialists have been predicting for many years, the winters have predominantly become milder and wetter, albeit with interludes of snow and ice. Changeable contexts mean I alternate between traditional winter weight “Belgian” designs, highly water repellent, breathable models, such as these Showers Pass.  

However, when temperatures creep into double figures and wind chill isn’t a factor, I find thinner models including this and the long-serving Buff a much better fit.  Especially given I’m blessed with a decent shock of hair. Peaks need to shelter eyes from the sun, gusty winds and other airborne contaminant but without impairing vision.  

All these described fall into this category and fit unobtrusively beneath helmets of various genres. Generous peaks also protect exposed areas, such as the neck from strong sun. One of the reasons I always kept a spare cap handy when Joshua was small and along for the ride, on his tagalong. 

I contemplate many things from the saddle, aside from that which might be immediately obvious. Riding had always been a form of escape for me. Free the body, free the mind. I was a child but remember the miner’s strike very well. It signified a much wider turbulence as old industries failed, factories folded, taking communities with them. The focus is often around a certain plant e.g. Ford’s Dagenham body plant, which pretty much closed 24 years ago.  

There’s a sense of myopia that strikes. People focusing on jobs lost at that specific employer, without giving a thought to the wider and equally serious implications that surround the closure of large, or main employers.  The implications for suppliers, café’s, pubs, small shops and similar small business lost in the malaise. It’s easy to appreciate Orwell’s dystopian vision in 1984 but rather like traditional Marxism, his notion of authoritarian control did not consider authoritarian populism, and consent fuelled by propaganda.

Conspiracy theorists spinning yarns about people being microchipped through vaccines fail to recognise that people willingly jettison their privacy and data through open social media accounts. Then of course, there are major footprints left through other, unfiltered online activity, apps, loyalty cards etc. Siri, Amazon Echo and Google Echo anyone?     

When Things Go Smoothly...

 I’ve seen a bit of bar con bashing online recently. In common with others who are vocal in their destain for things, much of the comments come from ignorance, so are arguably irrelevant. Some suggesting cables run THROUGH the handlebars. Sure, they’ve fallen from mainstream gaze and lack the light, snappiness of Brifters but they’re also lighter and ultra-dependable. Great for back of beyond touring, beasts of burden, and indeed, daily drivers like Ursula.  

Microshift still makes them (and continues the dependable theme with their Sword and Advent group sets). Hot on the heels of the Spyre SLC, Ursula’s rear Shimano CX50 cantilever pads had gathered some glaze and needed a quick scrub. It also presented the opportunity to strip and lightly grease the posts. The straddle wire was also beginning to look tired, so was also replaced. Consumables are eaten quickly through winter, especially if you do bigger mileages.  

I’d spotted a rear Tiagra mech, pads etc being sold as bankrupt stock and at very enticing prices. Sad, since it’s never good to see, or hear of businesses going to the wall. In the late 80s, it was common for people without business acumen, financial literacy, or experience to open enterprises and often fail catastrophically. However, it's become increasingly prevalent for established and successful traders in post-Brexit Britain.     

Little and often maintenance becomes second nature, extends the life of components, and usually stops trouble before it starts. I’d applied a light helping of Muc-Off HCB1 to Ursula’s chain stay bridge area and the BBB Echelon saddle rails, which were showing some localised corrosion.  

Again, nothing to get excited about at this stage and HCB1 will mothball, stopping surface grot in its tracks. Yes, generic maintenance sprays will certainly help on this front, but need more frequent reapplication and are readily washed away. They’re meant for light lubrication of cables, and pivot points, flushing wet, corrosive stuff out, priming chains removing muck, and grime, loosening sticky/lightly corroded parts.     

Back to the Holdsworth 

Having removed the Woodman Jupiter’s lower cup cum race with a few deft taps of my trusty crown race tool. (It also needed a little chemical assistance, courtesy of some Muc-Off MO 94). I set it carefully on the Holdsworth’s crown and decided there was sufficient Park PPL100 TESTED: PARK TOOL POLYLUBE 1000 LUBRICANT FOR BICYCLES (sevendaycyclist.com) grease dressing its needle roller bearings, so just transplanted.    

 

The Jupiter’s design means it's extremely well-sealed from the elements, so an obvious choice for MTB and XC duties. Ironic perhaps that the Holdsworth and Teenage Dream are fair-weather playthings, but the Woodman’s design and refinement (coupled with the fact decent-quality headsets were becoming harder to source) swung it for me. Forks in, it was simply a matter of stacking up the spacers, refitting the cockpit, connecting the front brake, adjusting pad height, and the usual tweaks.  

 

I like the slight contrast between frame and fork, accentuated by the Knog NERD computer’s blue silicone casing. Had the fork been any darker, it would’ve looked a little too obvious (although could be toned down with a comparable, darker shade of blue bar tape). Anyhow, mission complete.  

 

Elsewhere, the switch to MKS NJS chain tugs subverts the need to detach the Topeak DX rack when accessing track nuts- adjusting the chain tension or removing the wheel-problem sorted.  

 

I decided now was the time to see how well the Peaty’s Speed Grease PEATY'S SPEED GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) was holding up on Ursula’s Hollowtech II axle, given the flooding and generally adverse conditions of recent months. It also presented an ideal opportunity to give the rings a good scrub. As the photos suggest, a reasonable amount of Peaty’s remained and was still doing its friction-busting, corrosion-stopping thing.  

 

However, I’d come this far and opted to strip and introduce this Wolf Tooth WT-G Grease. It’s a synthetic blend designed primarily for moving parts- hubs, headsets etc but apparently fine for contact points and threaded parts. Its reckoned stable between minus 50 and 180 degrees and promises low friction, longevity and high resistance to water, oxidisation and corrosion.  

 

The crank’s pinch bolts were completely devoid of grease, so were a little reticent to release. Nothing a shot of MO94 couldn’t sort, so I was sure to add a generous lick of the Wolf Tooth grease to them before refitting and torquing down to the recommended 12-14nm. Buttery smooth once more. The headset’s bottom race came next, and I stripped the rear Shimano CX50 brake, greased the canti posts and replaced the straddle wire.   

 

Talking of which, it's much easier to apply than some higher viscosity formulas – Juice Lubes Bearing Juice being a case in point, although the latter is really stubborn and being so thick makes a great host for loose balls. No escapees in the hub shell. However, the Wolf Tooth is supposedly designed for contact points and similar duties too, so I’ll be checking that out in the coming weeks and possibly months.  

 

Having switched the Holdsworth’s Miche Primato calliper for the long-reach Tiagra, I decided now was the time to upgrade the Teenage Dream’s lower end Miche Performance. Plenty of life in the pads, so I gave the callipers a quick clean and polish and bolted everything together. I’m sure I have the rear Primato somewhere in the spares stash. I’ll upgrade the Teenage Dream’s rear Performance unit when I unearth it. I'll close here with Steve's review of the Castelli Entrata Tights https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/castellientratatightsnopad