Moonlit Miles & Running Repairs FGG

Polaris Bikewear www.polaris-bikewear.co.uk have just sent some samples of their challenge range, which are designed with input from Tegan Phillips and other epic adventure tourists. While retaining the classic cycling cut and materials, other features have been tweaked for comfort and practicality.

Starting with the Nexus short, this is a six panel design made from a subtle navy blue Calvico (Polyester/Elastane) weave. One of the most unusual, though very subtle features are an elasticated mesh pocket on the left leg and a zippered “valuables compartment” on the butt compartment. The former have swallowed my jailor’s bunch without feeling intrusive, overburdened, or indeed ejecting mortar fashion at the first bump.

Inserts are probably one of the most personal contact points-they’ve gone for a medium density TMF, a blend of Coolmax fibres to keep the crotch region arid while a silver anti-bacterial component safeguards against infection. 50 miles in and things are favourable, which isn’t always the case- another 450 or so will give a much better idea of their capabilities and compatibility.

Tasteful Orange/Blue/Yellow silicone leg grippers are more generous than most and designed to prevent gathering and that unsightly branding when its time to strip off and hit the campsite shower blocks. …They also compliment the Challenge merino ride socks. Strictly speaking these are a Merino mix with padded heel and toe sections. Longer cut gives a more civilian look, while giving ankles and lower calves a sporting chance through long grass and brambles. 

Then we have their Traverse Jersey, another Merino based garment for fast wicking odour management. Not sure lime green is my colour (but there are alternatives?). This deviates from the traditional jersey script in several respects. A polo type collar gives better protection from harsh sunlight, while also offering a more civilian look when off the bike. Longer sleeves and front zipper offer similar benefits. The latter has one of the most user friendly tags I’ve ever come across-effortless climate control and subtle reflective detailing brings it to life around dusk and beyond. 

Given the more casual design brief, Polaris has been very inventive with the pockets. Two generous diagonal “Power mesh” stretch pockets sit on the sides and will manage larger mini pumps, smart phone, wallet etc with no hint of ejection over poorly surfaced roads/trails-to date at least. The men’s version features a similarly deep, zippered nelson pocket on the right breast. I’ve hauled my faithful compact camera around without feeling obviously overburdened.

It’s been unseasonably warm this past week or two (well into the late 20s/early 30s) for me to put their windproof pioneer jacket through its paces, even to arrive at any formative opinion.

It’s a two layer polyester design with a vented rear panel  that follows the more relaxed narrative, so won’t draw unwelcome attention and could also be worn as a general outdoor jacket-looks good with Jeans. Looking forward to seeing how it copes with wet and windy weather, the stuff synonymous with autumn and falling leaves.  

Elsewhere, the Univega’s Vittora Randonneur trail tyres finally succumbed to irreparable cuts in the casing. Several thousands of miles under their belt, I had previously patched a gash in the rear tread twice with a “boot” and filling the remainder with high strength glue but a third signalled their retirement.

I’ve gone back to those Vittoria city runner, a nigh on slick 26x1.6 road/commuter model, which rolls a lot faster than their 28tpi casings would suggest. Now, things go in fashions- most of us took the slick route with our mountain bikes during the mid to late 90s.

These days there are abundance of competitively priced, capable road biased flat bar commu-do-mosts, some with derailleurs, others hub transmission that are arguably much better working bikes, mtbs with slick tyres, full length guards, rack and a taller spread of gears remain very versatile four seasons’ bikes. Having succumbed to a some minor knee discomfort, I’m staying off the fixers for now and taking advantage of the Univega’s lower, variable gears and masses of pedal float 

Talking of derailleurs, tickly, noisy changes from its rear Microshift mech were attributed to a dog-eared rear outer cable. Given the inner was in rude health, I simply pruned some leftover compressionless Jagwire housing used on the Ilpompino’s front disc. Crisp shifting restored in two minutes flat-little victories!

The Eat My Dirt brake shields were sent my way on the basis they had “Michael Stenning” written all over them. These are primarily designed to protect disc brake/rotors from a sticky coating of spent lube when re-lubricating a thirsty chain. Same goes for tyres and rims.

Story goes these were invented after Jon fancied a quick blast on Gary’s bike. Unbeknown to him, Gary had “just chucked a bit of oil on his chain and cassette” seeing as they were looking a bit dry…

Mid wheelie, Jon engaged the rear brake…Nothing. Next thing he knew he was flat on his back and the concept was born.  Being marine engineers, they made a prototype from cardboard and refined the design with some input from Huddersfield University.

The brake shields are essentially a massive “bib” that clips on in literally seconds once you’ve got the knack. Bike Bib was their intended moniker but it seems, Michelin own the name “bib”…

Ultimately, they decided polypropylene was the ideal, flexible, chemical resistant material. In fact, they are so confident in its longevity, they will replace free of charge and under normal use, so long as you send them a short video explaining how they failed.

First slip the shield behind the cassette and secure the tab around a convenient spoke. Clip the top hook around another spoke and check it won’t move when you rotate the cranks backwards.

Once you’ve cleaned and/or re-lubricated your chain, unclip and flush the channel through with a bit of bike wash/concentrate and rinse that away using tepid water. Despite some initial scepticism; it’s beginning to find favour with me. http://www.eatmydirt.eu/brake-shield

Out of the blue, this Blackburn Piston 4 floor pump arrived on the SDC test bench-straight from the States. It’s a high volume model, featuring a steel barrel and base, which are welded together and finished in a very fetching gunmetal grey, a huge 3 inch gauge that goes all the way to 220psi.

Formative impressions are very favourable-these 35mm Clement were brought from flaccid to 90psi in a cool 38 strokes and my Univega’s 26x1.75 Vittoria to 80 in 50, both with minimal effort. As you’d expect from this end of the market, not to mention Blackburn, the build quality is absolutely top notch, with a really solid feel and refined action.

While looking at foot mounted gauges is hardly a hardship, the super clear top unit means there’s no excuse for over-inflation and if you do, simply  scrub off the unwanted pressure by hitting the head’s integral bleed valve.  

Other pleasant surprises include these uber lumen Meteor Storm Pro and Shield-X lights from their UK importerwww.raleigh.co.uk . In recent years, high power systems have become increasingly compact, especially for the road market. The Meteor storm pro boasts a range of steady settings delivering between 1700 and 125 lumens, which is very impressive from a torch type with integral battery.

On paper, this range should cater for everything from race pace antics along unlit back roads to urban commuting. Admittedly offset by 6hour charge times, a quoted run time of 2hrs with the full 1700 on tap is pretty reasonable given its fuelled by a 3.6 volt 3200mAH cell…Buying a second will obviously extend its potential, especially since those sorts of charge times aren’t the most convenient for desk bound commuters.

Spec wise, we have two Cree XM-L2 diodes, CNC machined aluminium casing for durability and excellent heat displacing qualities and an automatic shut down in the unlikely event of overheating.  No less than ten modes, including a 2000lumen flashing “day” mode that they reckon will run for a claimed 38hours. 

Those looking at the bottom line will point out that high power Cree units complete with battery and charger can be picked up online for around the £20mark. True, these offer a lot of bang for little buck but tend to be a little unrefined in terms of delivery. Three modes, run times around5hours in top are quite enticing and in my experience, practical for longer winter training runs along unlit roads.

However, reflector and lens quality tends to be bargain basement, so while there’s enough bite for 35mph plus on straight sections, they tend not to be so useful in the twisties.

They’re decidedly overpowered in the suburbs, let alone town centres too, which is where those with more intelligent, multiple modes score highly. On a completely different note, I found myself roped into photographing a wedding at a days’ notice-one of the biggest textbook no-no’s for any photographer.

However, I had trusty CSCs and a few suitable lenses, so was happy enough to help out; on the understanding it was a favour. Despite some initial trepidation, the Baptist ceremony went surprisingly smoothly. I was even asked by one guest, if I had photographed her wedding 22 years previously (!). Right, off for a chat with Tegan Philips about her bike, Axel

Continuous Improvement

So, a TRP Spyre calliper kit was wafted under my nose at the right price. Resistance was futile and deal done. Mine is the black/silver contrast, which to my eye, is even better looking than the stealthy, sexy black unit adorning the Revolution Cross 2.

Autumn is trade show time; Seven Day Cyclist www.sevendaycyclist.com is not at Eurobike this year but will be attending the NEC Cycle show later in September.

Talking of stealth, I was surprised by dusk’s advance towards the latter part of August. Blinkies have now been flanked by commuter plus torch-type lamps of the 300-400 lumen calibre on my cyclo cross and road biased builds. 

Generally speaking the preserve of suburban-semi rural commuters, these lights are fine for tackling the latter end of dusk and bright enough to be seen by but 600lumens plus is nearer the mark when darkness really bites. 

Several Moon models of varying capacities and the See Sense Icon + rear have arrived on our test bench this past week.

At the upper end, we have the XL 760 torch-type unit, which is surprisingly compact for a model offering 760 lumens and seemingly powerful enough for tackling pitch-black lanes at a decent pace. Quoted run times of 2hrs 20 in top also seem pretty reasonable, although the    removable 3200mAh battery is another nice touch, meaning you can carry a spare and swap over for extended playtimes. 

Seven settings optimise performance and economy, so you can toggle down for town and up for backyard scratching, although 360lumens is arguably overkill for sub/urban duties.

At the other extreme, their Aerolite is designed for contingencies and surprisingly powerful relative to its size-the sort that comes in handy for early morning TT’s, pre-standlight dynamo companion, reading maps/road signs, or those “Oh #$*@t! My main lamp’s just died ten miles from civilisation and I can hear the chorus of banjos” moments. Thankfully, the latter are rare these days but not completely relegated to the vaults of history.

For many years, I rode primarily in the dark and for a variety of reasons, the most obvious being seasonal- testing lights. Darkness also brings a new lease of objectivity when testing components, or complete bikes.

If you can’t see groupset and simply settle into the ride, things become much less subjective. I have been pleasantly surprised by just how well some budget drivetrains performed; say when shifting under load, or at the last minute.

While not a people person in overused sense of the word; I am also intrigued by people’s choice of winter bike(s) and riding attire. Much of this stems from beginning my serious riding career during the month of falling leaves, inspired by Au Pairs and predictably, the classically French off season attire.

Retro kit, so long as it’s still practical and relevant also gets me very excited. Enter this Minolta X300 35mm film SLR…Retro cool for pseudo artists? An “expensive” paperweight by some people’s reckoning but in my case, it’s a prop for a project or two…

An editor once remarked that being a journalist; though especially freelance also demands the ability to take good photographs. With this in mind, I am predominantly self-taught with some school-of-the streets input. Seeking to experiment in a very different genre to product/technical work-I’m occasionally approached by people asking if I would consider doing their wedding etc but by my own admission; I am a shower of sparks (rather than confetti) chap.

Nonetheless, I’m looking to stretch myself creatively-in parallel. Think I’ve found a suitable studio and instructor to safely explore the genre of artistic nude/erotic (not glamour) photography.

In a wider context, being freelance demands resourcefulness and the ability to problem-solve and think laterally-this extends to cars and other equipment. Purchases are seldom accidental (although things have been known to fall into my lap).

Given my family’s backgrounds in heavy industry/print, growing up, I was steered toward acquiring a sound academic education and a broad, transferable skillset.

Those who experience least economic and consequential turbulence have skills that can be ported over to another industry with similar remuneration. Traditionally, people were also invested in, retrained to bring some facets up to scratch as required-assuming they basically fitted the criteria, although this has also changed.

With this in mind, I have been eager to enrol on a qualifications based massage course, which has to date, eluded me. A lot of further/higher education colleges run this as part of beauty therapy but not a separate entity. I have also been deterred (not so subtly by some tutors) on the basis of gender and to a lesser extent, age. Now, I’ve just received a call asking me to cover a wedding-at an afternoon’s notice...             

Wild Horses

Several weeks and a few hundred mixed terrain miles later, I’ve reached some definite conclusions about the Revolution Cross 2 http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/revolution-cross-2.

It’s been a very welcome guest and we’re inviting other brands to send us their ‘genre blurring models to see how they compare in similar contexts. Raleigh has said they will be putting their £650 Maverick forward. http://www.raleigh.co.uk/ProductType/ProductRange/Product/Default.aspx?pc=1&pt=14&pg=15774

Sharing the Claris drivetrain (albeit 2x8) and Tektro Spyre brakes, its’ based around a 6061 aluminium frame and carbon fork and reckoned to weigh 2 kilos less-looking forward to swinging my leg over the 56cm’s top tube. 

Back on my blue/grey ‘cross inspired fixer, it’s been reminding me of what I've been missing, especially on the climbs.

For now the Avid BB7 and Cane Creek lever combo are delivering decent modulation and feel, although I’m still very tempted by the Spyre...Elsewhere, I’ve swapped its Time pedals over to the Holdsworth in exchange for the blue Issi and replaced the Ilpompino’s KMC Z1X chain, like for like, which also succeeded in killing three long serving chain tools!

Over three years hell n’ high water service hence; my Shimano R82 sports touring/Audax shoes are beginning to look decidedly peaky in places, so I’ve resurrected these very impressive Quoc Pham. A contemporary take on the classic touring shoe, the upper is made from high quality cowhide with lace lock lace system and 3M reflective heel strip.

This takes a while to break in but aided by a periodic lick of hide food, moulds beautifully to the foot. The outer sole is moulded rubber and features a hardened mid section and an unusually aggressive, SPD sole for improved grip. Power transfer isn’t quite on par with super stiff race slippers perhaps but it’s still very good. Craftsmanship and more importantly, long distance riding comfort is superb.

       

I went clipless back in 1992 with some Look ARC and patent leather Diavolo shoes (£50 all in from a local bike shop) but testing aside, my preference lies with the recessed SPD/R types. Discovered during my mud biased mid 90s, their sheer convenience is hard to beat.

Fixed, I can click in without needing to coax the pedal body into position, wet slimy decking aside, there’s little chance of me going down like the proverbial sack of spuds when its a bit slippery, or gouging holes in expensive lino.    

With autumn just around the corner, we’re beginning our lighting group tests. There’s the odd master blaster involved but otherwise, rather like megapixels, its more about the quality of lens and diodes, rather than firepower per se.

Models with several settings ranging from 800 down to 100/flashing modes cater for pretty much everything you’d need for the darkest rural roads through to well-lit city centres.

In the past I’ve been curious and even indulged in the 1,000 plus models offered on auction sites but while bright, they’re just too aggressive and beam quality/useable light doesn’t match that of those boasting 600 or so. In top mode, they can simply dazzle other road users-potentially dangerous, not to mention, extremely aggravating.

That said; I’ve used some budget (sub £100 CE compliant) official imports to excellent effect and the lower, steady settings can return 3-4 hours before kicking into flashing/SOS to conserve juice. Battery packs have become increasingly compact, riding unobtrusively beneath the top tube, rather than consuming a bottle cage.    

For those who don’t want, or need this additional clutter, tuneable torch types can be ideal for middle distance commuting and training but consider run-times carefully, if you’re tackling long stretches of unlit road. Several offer 600-800 lumens but there’s usually a serious trade off where run times are concerned-expect an hour or so, tops. However, they can strike just the right balance for those who generally ride in sub/urban contexts but want to indulge in some back road scratching after work.

Those with 300-400 lumens and several settings are surprisingly useful too, my choice for late summer evenings, where time can slip away and dusk set in unexpectedly. Blinkies are arguably all that’s required for getting home with in these contexts but I still prefer a proper light up front, blinkies acting as backing singers-especially given the all too prevalent culture of victim blaming-litigious, or otherwise.   

There is an increasingly popular trend for combining products-Cycliq fly 6 LED with integral camera being an excellent example. Along with Moon’s surprisingly potent Gemini, Raleigh has sent us this Icon + unit, which tailors light automatically to suit conditions.

http://www.raleigh.co.uk/ProductType/ProductRange/Product/Default.aspx?pc=2&pt=117&pg=18570

It’s capable of producing 190 lumens and even features a movement sensor, triggering an alert to your smart phone, indicating that your bike is being moved and potentially vandalised/stolen. Useful additional security when supping coffee and sharing ideas at a cafe’ stop; on that note, I’m going to see if this stuff is a creative kick start or belongs behind the creosote...

Festival fun & (Yet more) Flats...

Well, the adventure travel film festival came round just at the right time; giving digits and keyboard a welcome break from each other. Having loaded up the KA and headed along the M1 to Mill Hill, we went the hotel, rather than tent route, although the weather was perfect for the late evening outdoor cinema showings.

Austin Vince was an extremely welcoming host, making time to speak with people on a personal level, adding to the collective ambience. Now in its fourth year, the event still attracts more motorcyclists that cyclists but that is changing.

Slowly cultivating a strange and irrational interest in contemporary Ural and sidecar combos, I was slightly disappointed not to catch a couple in the flesh. Nonetheless, I found myself babbling excitedly to Sharon about two pre Aprillia Moto Guzzi and we met Miles from Cycle Miles (www.cyclemiles.co.uk) at his stall.

Sharon loved the creative gifts and kit, while I found myself ogling his fetching grey polo bike, which was in trailer tug mode (!) Having made my excuses for not bringing his T2 touring trailer along (Won’t fit in the KA, even with seats down) we then discussed his fixer’s spec in greater details while our better halves compared notes on how many bikes constitute too many... Most notable features of his polo steed are this two ring FSA crankset and the single Tektro lever that commands front and rear V brakes.

Elsewhere, Michael Murphy has devised the latest characters for our series of children’s stories and I have been struck by the most aggressive puncture plague in 25 years-literally depleting my stock of 700x25 and 35-43 tubes in the space of a month!

Thankfully, I’d had the foresight to put an order in last week, so despite receding rim tapes, embedded sharps and the odd faulty sidewall, we’ve kept rolling.

Some of us flat more than others, I fall into the thousands of trouble free miles, then six in a row. We’ve all got used to cheap tube bundles now and for the most part, they work just fine, although tend to be bin fodder- premium brands lend themselves better to patching.

Tubeless is certainly here to stay and I suspect, will become the dominant system over the next few years, though I'm fairly confident tubular and butyl will still enjoy a relatively strong following.

Most of us carry a couple of spare tubes; whip in the spare and where possible, patch the injured party at the next rest stop, or comfort of home. In common with exhausts, two patches are my limit. Afterwards, I’ll recycle them as top tube/chain stay protectors, boots for headsets and seat collars.

CO2 inflators have become the go-to’s for roadside resuscitation- not just for racing/catching up with riding companions. They certainly take the insult out of injury on those cold, rainy winter evenings, when you’re weary and want to be home, thawing out under a hot shower and supping a brew.

Nonetheless, being single use products, they still work out quite pricey and mini pumps should always be on standby, should the worst happen.

These have also improved greatly since the days of high volume mtb types that would leave you light headed once you’d eventually hit 40psi. Around the £25 mark buys a CNC machined aluminium unit capable of delivering a genuine 100psi plus into a 700x25 in around 440 strokes and 5 minutes.

Infinitely preferable to the long walk home (or being stranded) this is well within the operating range of most high pressure road tyres. Small enough to hide unobtrusively on the bottle bosses, or slip into a jersey pocket, mini track pump or high pressure frame fits are my preferred options when it comes to bigger section tyres and/or touring contexts.

Talking of which, those Maxxis Roamer are continuing to delight with their blend of low rolling resistance and plush ride quality. True, the Kevlar belt is less comprehensive than some, hence some vulnerability at the shoulders, although so long as these channels are purged of mud and similar detritus, sharps don’t get chance to work inside the tyre casing.

The 42mm section are non starters for my MK2 Ilpompino’s rear triangle, 32mm with full length guards and 35 without, is tops. Nonetheless, their bigger 26x1.65 siblings look perfect for the Univega. I’ve been suitably impressed by the Guee wrap, which has a lower density and less rubbery texture than the Genetic flare, although lends itself better to road biased, rather than mixed terrain riding.    http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/genetic-silicone-bar-wrap