The Plating debate

 After an unpleasant, slightly de-humanising appointment, I decided to console myself with a trip to Maldon Shot Blasting & Powder Coating, since I was in the area. Chris was about to undertake some metallisation, but we chatted a couple of minutes before he suited up and I spotted this Dave Russell...  

Red with electroplated rear triangle and forks. Nothing particularly unusual there...Then I spotted the rear facing dropouts, derailleur hanger and the Reynolds 753 sticker adorning the seat tube...Now, there’s a lot of debate around electroplating and thin wall tube sets. I’ve seen countless Columbus tubed framesets dripping in chrome.  

Plenty of Reynolds frames from the 70’s, 80s and 90s sporting electroplated forks, chainstays and rear triangles for that matter.  Some builders even dressed 531c in the shiny stuff. Tony Oliver in his book “Touring Bikes” was particularly forthright in his disapproval and forbid chrome on his frames.  

Now, the book is around thirty-five years old- I bought a copy in 1990 “Chrome is forbidden by Reynolds on their 753 as it causes hydrogen embrittlement, a technical term for ‘it will eventually break”. Others suggest hydrogen embrittlement, like everything else in life is a matter of luck and everything will eventually break.  

I’ve seen frames disintegrate when they’ve emerged from a dunking in the methyl chloride tank. For me personally, I can appreciate the aesthetic of chrome but would opt for chrome effect powder coating, or with a new frame, stainless steel tubes in the desired areas.  

Continuing the retro theme, I happened upon this Marin Bear Valley that was earning its keep as a flat bar commuter cum tourer, while navigating a town centre. Looking at the spec and quill stem, I’m guessing mid 90s and superficially, seems in good order.  I was aways very taken with the industrial beauty of the Zolatone 2000, especially with the fluro contrasts.   

Durability was the main draw for me at the time- it reminded me of rendered brickwork and seemed to resist abrasion/impact damage incredibly well. I had wondered if the Zolotone might be a good move for Ursula. Acquiring the paint was possible, courtesy of the internet but finding a finisher who is both familiar and competent with the paint is another matter. I had approached a couple of local finishers and took their silence as either a mark of disinterest, inexperience or a combination of both.   

I was still chewing over whether I should opt for powder coating, a wet spray enamel, or 2K acrylic. Choice of colour was also under review. Dove (or similar) grey was still top of the list, but orange or indeed, another red were beginning to challenge its hegemony.  A zebra finish…. Well, if it weren’t for the additional prep and expense, perhaps…Talking Cycology Men’s Summit Lightweight Summer | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) .   I was similarly taken with the spatter effects of this era. Kona’s were allegedly designed, so riders could touch up and ultimately, create their own custom paint effects.    

Given the weather had become decidedly balmy, I prepped the Holdsworth and enjoyed some pared to the essentials tarmac fun and to mix things up a bit. I’d only regret it come October, if I didn’t. Wolf Tooth WT-1 All Conditions Chain Lube Wolf Tooth WT-1 All Conditions Chain Lub | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) doesn’t require reapplying and the detergents employed ensure it pretty much self-cleanses. Knowing this, I also switched Denise’s KMC from the Blub to Peaty’s Link Lube All Weather.  

Another hybrid design with grot shedding properties like a wax but with an oil component for lubrication and corrosion inhibition. Aside from being relatively clean and very low maintenance, though market for dry to damp conditions, its ideally suited to thew drier stuff. It's also best suited to derailleur transmissions, the Link Lube All Weather Premium is a better fit for fixed and single-speed chains and of course, geared bikes in harder service/more changeable contexts. Think audax, reliability trials, winter training and similar endurance contexts. 

This Ergon AllRoad SR Core Comp Men’s Saddle also arrived. Interestingly, it was the medium/large version, which I presumed would be a little too broad for comfort. Many of the features are shared with its baseline (but very well-made) Comp sibling. It employs the same BASF Infinergy (Thermoplastic polyurethane- E TPU, if you prefer) which, if you examine closely, is visible around the exterior. This comprises of tiny foam particles which work to filter out and displace vibrations before they start jarring the rider.  

The scooped channel is deep, but this time without the base model’s curious cutout. The base is also nylon composite and the rails 7mm hollow Cro-moly, which explains the relative (320g) heft. However, finish and detailing seem typically, dare I say Teutonic.  The pro employs carbon rails and a carbon composite base, which obviously brings the weight down and might be the way forward, if you were counting grams.  

Ergon also offers a leaf sprung design seat post, which promises to offer road bike feel with “superior suspension on rough surfaces. There are two versions, with and without layback.  On that note, I’ll close with my review of the SR All Road Ergon SR All Road Men’s Saddle | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

Baggage, Bonding & Time Machines

 

Now, short of a huge lottery win (The sort that buys large freehold property with even bigger workshops, welders, and all manner of tooling joy) I won’t be indulging but building Denise and to a lesser extent, Ursula’s upcoming modernisation has brought me back to the spring/summer of 1989 and Specialized’s Rock Combo.(11) Specialized RockCombo Owners | Facebook Many are now heralding it as the first gravel bike-a relatively lightweight go anywhere machine based around a cro-moly frameset. The 19.5-inch version had a 42-inch wheelbase, 17-inch chainstays and of course, four-point carrier fixings, big wide swoopy drops, Turbo saddle, Suntour XCD, thumb shifters and a triple 3x7 range.  

  

I recall it being pitted against tourers in a magazine group test and stock, with the 26x1.5 tyres it would’ve been a perfect off the peg mile muncher for me- had I the money- bearing in mind that I was on the cusp of turning 16 and I recall the Rock Combo being around the £450-500 mark. Bear in mind, I’d bought a used Claud Butler Super Dalesman from a dealer for £250 earlier that year, so there wasn’t the budget (or parental tolerance) for another machine. Time machine? Well, that would be seriously handy, and I would’ve corrected some decisions before they had the sometimes-lasting impact they did… 

  

Again, much as I love the Rock Combo and would give one a loving home, I wouldn’t pay classic, dare I say nostalgic prices for one. Between Denise and Ursula and their mix of retro and contemporary, my dirt riding needs are very well catered for.  

 

There were some great concepts that fell out of fashion, but a lot went extinct for good reason. Front loading stems being prime examples. Sure, they have a place on older builds, but I greatly appreciate the ability to pop the stem face off and slot the bars in place.  

 

No need to go through the rigmarole of removing the bar tape, accessories, brake levers etc.  Talking of retro, though I like Denise’s gear cable run, the Oxford Aqua Evo bar bag had me thinking I may need to reroute to prevent fouling… On balance, the Aqua EVO is possibly a better fit for the fixed gear winter/trainer, since it’s a disc setup, so no cable/hanger fouling hassles. We’ll see. 

  

I’m very fond of the Shimano PD ED 500 Shimano PD ED 500 Pedals | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) but changing the Wellgo MO94B WELLGO MO94B SPD PEDALS | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) was an inspired choice, the platforms giving greater support, especially off road and Denise’s lofty bottom bracket means no grounding issues, even when cornering aggressively along tightly winding singletrack. They’re staying.   

 

 

 

After some further reflection and light tweaking, the Suntour SE cantilevers and I bonded. Setup is a little more involved than a traditional cantilever but not overly complex. The arms are centred by loosening (one at a time) with a 5mm Allen key and aligning with a 16mm cone spanner. I took this opportunity to tweak the cable tension, pulling it fractionally tighter. There’s a little more travel at the lever than I was familiar with but when the pads bite, fierce, yet controllable power is on tap. 

  

Since I had the Allen keys out, I switched the Ergon All Road for the Madison Flux and then of course, decided the Carradice Carrady was a better bet, given the 600-denier polyester/PVC material was much easier to wipe clean. Of course, a ride the following morning confirmed it was too large and binding on the WTB tyre (!) Back went the SQR Tour. 

  

Now, while I liked the lived-in, long-standing patina, after 23 years, I was also conscious of it needing a deep clean and re-proofing. Ditto the Carradice Super C Rack Bag, which had served for a decade or so. The fabric is best cleaned by brushing residual dirt off and then lightly cleaning with a sponge and warm soapy water. Allow it to dry thoroughly. The reproofing wax only needs a light, sparing application and cured with a hairdryer on a high heat setting. I have every intention of keeping them going for as long as reasonably possible. I love the SQR system’s rigidity and carrying capacity both volume and weight.   

  

Talking of wax, I’ve switched Denise’s KMC chain to Blub Wax. I needed to give the Finish Line Grunge Brush a good testing. True to claims, it will work dry-I simply sprayed some neat degreaser on the bristles, chain and cassette and went to town. Rinsed with warm water, we’d gone from scuzzy to sparkling in a matter of five minutes. 

  

The wax seems to cure in 30 minutes, seems temperature stable and does the typical wax thing, trapping grit and other contaminant before it can do anything destructive, then flaking off, leaving only a clean, filmy lubricant layer behind. Corrosion resistance seems better than traditional blends but the need to replenish if the bike’s not ridden for 48-hours is a little annoying. This sounds as if this is a component in common with its Ceramic stablemate. Ending on a lube note, here’s my review of the Wolf Tooth WT-1 All Conditions Lube Wolf Tooth WT-1 All Conditions Chain Lub | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)