Blow Out Sale!!!

"Funny expression that one, especially when it’s used by bike retailers. Why would anyone want a blow-out?!!!!!" my mind raced, as pressure roared from the Univega’s Vittoria Street runner and we squirmed into the bend. Luckily I was able to tame the samba-dancing front end and drew to a dignified halt.

Flaccid tube removed from the comfort of a churchyard bench, the otherwise dependable semi-slicks’ centre strip was absolutely peppered with deeply embedded thorn cuttings. 

Exorcised with the steely determination of a teenager squeezing a puss leaden pimple, I made a note to pack tweezers, which would hopefully make any future purging a whole heap easier.

New tube in place and pressure restored with the surprisingly efficient Lezyne mini pump, I reinstated the wheel and whizzed the final mile or so home. I like the convenience of CO2 inflators, especially when its cold but always carry a decent pump as back up.

Damage sustained by the Street runner rendered it scrap, so I resurrected another Panaracer RIBMORE from the tyre rack. Spotting a sharp flint peaking out from one of the water-chanelling grooves, I purged, then plugged the hole with gel-type glue.

Tube stocks weren’t nearly so healthy, so I ordered another small batch of 26x1.75 via smartphone.

This also proved the perfect opportunity to install some Kryptonite Wheel Boltz. These are part of the security brands’ gravity range. Gravity in this instance, refers to the use of a pin mechanism, engineered only to release with the bike upside down.

Obviously, this makes tackling flats and similar roadside mechanicals, requiring wheel removal less convenient. Designed as secondary security, used in conjunction with a suitable lock, I'm curious why Kryptonite has taken the 5mm Allen, rather than Torx route. 

Both are common sights on better equipped multi-tools but turn out an opportunist tea leaf's pockets and chances are, you'll find a set of Allen keys. 

To date, Atomic 22 tribe is the only system I would risk forgoing a second lock with. Budget models were easily foiled using beefy pliers but might be fine for quick stop-offs at the bank/off licence. That said; ideally a decent security system should defeat potential crooks on looks alone. Otherwise, even if they can't foil your defences, frustration might lead them to destroy your bike out of sheer spite.

Hard core, organised criminals with vans will carry a full compliment of power tools and other brute force technology. These will generate quite a bit of noise, presenting a greater risk of them getting caught. Others  tend to have one tool for defeating a specific genre of lock. All things being equal, chances are they’ll walk on, when faced with both armored cable and U lock.

Talking of tooling, John Moss is just awaiting a final component for his lathe. Once that arrives, we're all systems go and the posts diameter can be reduced...  

Constant exposure to water logged back roads meant washing the Univega would've been pointless, so I deliberately allowed the fork legs, chainstays and rear triangle to get covered in acres of slimy crap. Fortunately, a big box of test goodies arriving on Thursday, included  M16 extreme bike clean and pro finish#2.

The former’s pale blue consistency looks like car screen wash but with a much nicer fragrance. Crucially, it shifted that accumulated grot with nominal effort. Speed freaks should note, the bike wash needs three minutes standing time, ten times longer than some popular pink brews.

This is still two minutes less than my present favourite, Pro Green MX formula https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/pro-green-mx-triple-pack . By the time I'd rounded up bucket, sponge and brushes, the witches brew of residual chain lube, impacted silty dirt and yes, waxy frame preserve pretty much slithered away on contact.

The inner chainstays still needed a soft brush tickling to tease some impacted stuff out but so far, I'm impressed. The pro finish counterpart is similarly easy to use, although unlike the Pro Green, it needs buffing with a bit of kitchen roll/ old, lint free sock/ microfiber cloth. No more demanding than beeswax furniture polishes, mind. All will be revealed in the coming weeks...

Random Tandem

It’s been a roller coaster week. A full cable refit to Graham’s recently refinished mid 90’s Timberline concluded my test of those Super B TB-WC30 Pro Cable Cutters https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/super-b-tb-wc30-pro-cable-cutters. I was also rather excited by a freshly blasted racing tandem that prepped and plugged, ready for a zinc rich epoxy base coat.

Turns out it’s an early 1950’s Rory O’Brien. Part of the refurb involved removing braze-ons, including the bottle bosses, which struck me as a curious move-even if the machine was being used for short-distance TTs.  

While the forks follow the traditional lugged and brazed construction, the frame is beautifully fillet brazed. Some would say this was an obvious choice for a pared to the essentials race rocket for two, saving precious grams and making it harder to disguise poor workmanship.

Urban myth, on both counts; though not commonly practiced during this frame’s era, TIG welding still translates into a lighter build, saving approximately 340g on a typical tandem frameset.

Fillet brazing is a process where brass is built up in layers, forming a very strong, uniform bond.  A frame constructed this way stands a better chance of survival following a collision with a tree, or parked car.

Talking of cars, anything other than fusion welding will signal MOT failure but a decent coachbuilder could successfully join two old school Jaguars together without any fear of failure. Motorcycle frames were also fabricated using this method.  

Being more labour intensive, there’s a cost implication but less competent/experienced builders can still get away with sloppy work. Done properly, large, smooth even fillets are all you’ll see. Be wary of overbite (where the tube has been filed at the fillet). This creates a stress point, which can result in premature and potentially fatal frame failure.  

John Moss has been focusing upon getting the Mango’s Di2 and Alfine hub combo harmonious but a conversation about machine shops and this Chinese made titanium seat post ignited his curiosity. Staying wit the Di2, he’s been having problems getting the shifters to communicate as he’d hoped with the 11spd Alfine hub. John’s career as a highly skilled technician means he loves to diagnose, fault find and continuously improve equipment.

I explained I had a 27.2 Ti post doing something nothing close to nothing and was toying with the idea of having it machined down to 26.0. This could then replace the Univega’s otherwise likeable BBB skyscraper. After some calculations and precision measurements, he calculated with a carbide tip, he could shave 136mm from the bottom, thus it would slide securely into the tubby tourer’s seat tube. Modern social history, human geography and industrial decline are subjects that have always fascinated me. Most cities have their no-go districts, or at least those with ill-repute.

Hillfields in Coventry has an unenviable reputation for being the city’s red-light district. Levels of deprivation are high, just as some inner London Boroughs including Hackney (despite the latter’s superficial gentrification, some might say, socio-economic cleansing).

However, it’s renown for being the region’s red-light area, drugs and associated criminal activity being consequently rife. I had always presumed this had been a relatively recent phenomenon, a’la Dagenham intensifying when the car factories and similar business left.

Anecdotally John and several other reliable sources refute my hypothesis. I’ve heard tales from the 1950s of organised criminal activity, including protection rackets, money laundering and of course, drugs. During the 1950s a smartly dressed young man walked into a Café’ and was greeted with smiles and warm acknowledgement.

A few minutes later, a woman running said eatery heard a scream and discovered the young man’s throat had been slit-in road daylight. She called for an ambulance and applied pressure to the wound using a clean tea-towel until paramedics arrived. The man survived.     

Conversation with Graham at Maldon Shot blasting & Powder Coating suggested painting the exposed section satin black wouldn’t be an issue either. It was decided that because of the metal’s characteristics, attempting to blast the surface (giving the paint fighting chance of staying put) was a non-starter, so he’d use an acid etch primer instead...Stay tuned…

Taking the Biscuit

No, thankfully, I was able to hold onto these Cappuccino flavoured offerings to complement my diesel strength coffee consumption. I’m referring to some time wasting charlatans who were on a fishing expedition, rather than intending to purchase skills and services. They will be receiving an expenses invoice in the coming days. I’ve never suffered fools gladly and have no intention of starting now.

Milder temperatures have seen roads saturated as water oozes from swollen ditches and boggy farmland-ideal conditions for overshoes and other weather cheating kit. The TF2 extreme wet is staying put, although migrating to the outer links, which I have now concluded is largely attributable to my fixer’s stainless steel KMC X1 chain...

True, lubes tend to collect along a chain’s side plates but regardless of their characteristics, this is much less apparent on standard nickel plated or even, galvanised models. Moan aside, there’s been no call for topping up, or indeed, cleansing the side plates as yet.   

I have nothing against the turbo trainer per se. When I led a strictly road biased diet, I spent many winter hours whirring away at 6am on a simple, 5012 blue powder coated Tacx fan cooled unit. Well made, albeit crude and noisy, timber framed outbuildings amplified my efforts to the extent extremely tolerant neighbours asked if I was running a diesel generator.

One was a life-long distance road runner, so could empathise with this particular hamster on his wheel. On other occasions, there was something to be said for sitting in the garage, whirring away with the door open for ventilation and watching the horizontal rain.   

Walkman and turbo-trainer tapes coaxed me into the zone and kept me there.  Sweat nets, periodic re-greasing of contact points and regular waxing kept rider-generated coolant from inducing component seizures and frame damage.

A great outlet for “A” level and similar angst...These days, even budget lights can seemingly turn night into day, although the quality of output varies greatly. While there’s no doubt we get considerably more light for our money, the old adage of getting what you pay for remains unchanged.

Back then LEDs hadn’t hit the UK scene, so aside from hefty Lead acid systems; most lights were of the halogen glimmer type. This included the Union bottle (tyre driven) dynamo system used on my Holdsworhy Butler working bike that ferried me back and forth from FE college. Nonetheless, there was something distinctly satisfying about generating my own light; I saved a ton of cash on batteries too.  

I’d always been smitten with mountain biking but as the 90’s progressed, there was quite a bit of dirt in my riding diet and less call for riding inside.

I always liked the sense of escape, the ability to explore muddy backwaters, forests and fields. A more relaxed,” taking our fun seriously” ethos lured me into competition. During this time, cyclo cross became more mainstream with several mountain bike brands, including Kona getting in on the act.

The short racing season and the machine’s geometry mean that ‘crossers make brilliant four seasons’ working bikes. The internet was also becoming increasingly ubiquitous, meaning easier acquisition of spiked tyres and other goodies, once restricted to US/Canada and Scandinavian audiences. 

Therefore, winter became something to rejoice in. Add product testing into the mix and there’s all the incentive you could want for venturing out.           

Continuing this theme, we’ve a six month test of BTwin 700 cold weather cycling gloves http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/btwin-700-cold-weather-gloves and an interview with cyclo cross legend Mick Ives who, at 78 will be riding this years 100^th Giro d’italia http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/mick-ives-rides-again .

Hmm, talking of incentive, with the Univega’s metamorphosis complete, I feel another project coming on. A revision of, rather than addition to the fleet, seems to involve a disc up front and gravel bike flavour. Despite the blurring of genres, I’m of the opinion that there comes a point where a cross country mountain bike trumps the gravel bike when the going gets really gloopy.

Neither am I convinced the complication and additional weight of suspension to said ‘cross derivative will genuinely bridge this gap. In any case, my revision will remain little more than a component list and design concept until I have secured a move and shifted some unwanted stuff...  

Steve has been reflecting on his freshly enamelled bespoke steel tourer and its spec. From the joys of 853 tubing, mechanical disc brakes and full compliment of braze-ons to the trial and error stuff that only becomes apparent mid-way through.

Plenty of people can build frames by numbers in their/mate’s garage but when problems present, only a seasoned frame builder’s skill and lateral thought can arrive at a satisfactory solution. http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/going-bespoke-tech-stuff

On that note, I’m off to top up the Univega’s Waxoyl...          

Midwinter Blues...

Midwinter and its gloom can be tricky customers but I have the lanes largely to myself, all the head-space I could need.

Stout tyres, mudguards and stocky chain lubes, coupled with regular post ride, freshwater rinses keep bikes happy and reliable. Perpetual rains have dismissed space age favourites from the fixed’s stainless steel KMC chain in a modest 225 miles. I’ve resurrected Weldtite TF2 Extreme wet, which is holding up pretty well, without harbouring too much crap.  

To conserve supplies of expensive, space-age wax polishes during the slushy season, I’ve reverted to car wash n’ wax formulas. 1-litre bottles of these foaming elixirs can be bought along with a water guzzling sponge for £2.50 from discount/car accessory shops. Most do the 2in1 cleaning and protecting job pretty convincingly, conserving valuable time into the bargain.

Decent layers, tights, jackets, gloves and overshoes maintain my inner smile. Yes, like Charlie Watts and many Moscovites, I give little away. I will wave, or nod as we pass but that’s about it.

Don’t take it to heart, I’m just enjoying some quiet time, mulling things over, escaping the torrent of calls from ambulance chasers and inept telesales people. I appreciate you are just doing your job and will deliver my rejections graciously. 

However, I don't wish to sue anyone for medical negligence, I've not had a hernia, I don't want a combi-boiler, thirteen brides from Ukraine (Or I might be needing the erectile dysfunction meds offered with disturbing regularity). An all expenses paid trip to the former Soviet states and the opportunity to photograph its abandoned military/industrial sites, would be welcomed.

On the extremities front, there’s plenty of Hi-Viz yellow to burn through the darkest of cobalt skies. I’ve Grip Grab hi-vis Hurricane gloves and for feet, these Ale shoe-covers with retro-reflective detailing. Designed primarily for sleeker race slippers, I was pleasantly surprised to discover (albeit with a bit of gentle persuasion) they'll entertain wider profile mtb and trainer type commuter/touring shoes too.

The Grip Grab gloves follow a most conditions narrative. A shorter cuff means they need tucking beneath the cuffs for a decent seal this time of year but won't look odd in mid-March when it's often temperate enough for a long sleeve base and mid-layer.

Talking of which, these are designed specifically for temperatures between +5 and 15 degrees, which caters for most contexts between September and March on these shores, although frankly, by the time the mercury is inching into double figures, I’m looking toward mitts or very thin mtb full-finger fare.

The emphasis here is water and wind resistance but for the most part, this strikes a decent compromise for general riding. I’ve been belting along comfortably for a couple of hours with the temperature struggling into single figures. 

Hands and to a lesser extent feet (Unless you are free-wheeling for long periods) are the first parts the brain shuts down to conserve energy. During one particularly cold mid-afternoon blast, I was conscious of the bitter arctic wind permeating the wind repellant membrane.Thankfully, this was fleeting and the 90minute ride remained enjoyable. 

Tech-friendly, silicone detailed digits pretty much mandatory these days. I’ve had no problems taking photos, popping lights on/off, rummaging around for keys, energy bars etc without removal.Optimum dexterity means a super-precise fit. I've had other Grip-Grab gloves so this didn't come as a surprise, although something of a culture shock if you're used to other brands'.  

Thankfully; 400 miles in those Schwalbe Marathon GT haven’t missed a beat; let alone succumbed to a flat.

Neoprene can be very useful when it’s really cold AND wet; since it insulates against the chill.However, they’re not my first options, since I don’t like their soggy, clammy feel. That goes for hands and feet. 

At the other end of the price spectrum, I’m also lucky enough to be testing this Showers Pass Torch jacket, which is very well equipped and aimed at similar audiences i.e. road, commuting and touring.

Experience leads me to suggest, satisfying all three groups is a tall order. Take commuting, for example. Some folks do bike as car runs-say 2-3 miles at a modest 12mph, or so, others 25mile round trips at a steady 20mph.

As I’d expect from a jacket commanding over £200, it’s made from a 3 layer, breathable rip-stop “Elite” fabric. Taped seams and YKK Aquaguard Vislon front zipper should keep monsoon rains firmly outside, while zippered side and shoulder panels provide physical ventilation.

There is also the option of adding an aftermarket hood (not really my thing, simply on the grounds hoods tend to compromise vision). Brushed lining provides comfort and warmth when the mercury slides

The main body features an attractive retro-reflective reflective map design along with day glow panels and four, removable button type “beacon” lights. These have three flashing modes are conspire with the other features to maximise visibility in all conditions. There are two sensibly sized pockets. My favourite. The "nelson" up front will gobble a 5inch smartphone and a thin, freelancer's wallet, or long zoom travel compact camera. 

The rear's diagonal poacher is also sensible. Easily accessed, I've had no problems stuffing bananas, Jailors bunch of keys and spare tube inside but it doesn't encourage over-stuffing, causing it to sag and bounce like an over-excited Labrador puppy.

An LED loop provides another lighting option at driver eye-level. So far, it’s performing well on most fronts and in temperatures ranging from 3-4 degrees. Forecasters are promising a seriously vengeful twist in the coming days, which shouldn’t call its bluff... Only one way to find out. Hmm, it's snowing now, so I'll switch to the Univega and those spiked  Schwalbe Winter tyres. 

Roads Paved With Dung

Shod with the Schwalbe Marathon GT, Cross flavoured fixer and I have been belting along the back roads. The GT feel a lot faster than their 808g suggest and continue to inspire confidence by the bucket load-in every sense. Talking of tyres, Seven Day Cyclist has an eight month test of another beefy section tyre, Maxxis Roamer http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/maxxis-roamer-tyres  

Fun is obviously high on any rider’s agenda but for me at least, reliability is level-pegging on a daily driver or winter/trainer. I want to concentrate on the ride, or let my mind wander in reflective/creative directions. While punctures and mid-ride mechanicals per se, are all part of riding, being sat by the roadside tackling a flat; or broken chain are events I prefer to keep infrequent.

Last Thursday, the thermometer had barely crept above minus 2, so I headed out late afternoon. Run at 85psi, their contact with the surface, coupled with the ability to regulate speed by holding off against the cranks, made 1in 4 descents and similar efforts that bit more comfortable.

Ascending one climb, dancing on the pedals and shoulders shuffling to similar tempo, my heart momentarily sank at a fut-fut sound, synonymous with a flaccid tyre. Glancing over my right shoulder, I was relieved (and somewhat amused) to discover this was a wheezy, asthmatic contemporary Fiat 500. Said super mini eventually regained composure and passed, observing a welcome 1.5 metre gap a few hundred metres later.  

Three miles from hot coffee, I swept around a bend to discover a young man tending to his motorcycle. I called out, checking he was OK; he affirmed this and explained his motorcycle’s final drive chain has snapped. This was literally 50 metres from where I was performing link surgery the previous Tuesday evening.

I offered to call someone but he politely declined, much as I did at his age and continue to. In parallel with the sheer fun and freedom, Cycling and motorcycling tends to engender a fierce sense of self-reliance.

We wished each other safe journey and I spun my way home, fingers and toe boxes nipped with chill. Next morning, I took the same route and saw his machine parked on the verge. I’m hoping he got home safely, acquired a new chain and is back to enjoying his machine again.      

These Super B professional cable cutter and inner cable puller arrived this week. We’d hoped to get them in ready for the Univega’s rebirth but no matter, these things can’t be helped and it’s timely enough given the stage I’m at with Graham’s GT. 

In common with other workshop kit, such as work stands, cable pullers aren’t essential but make maintenance and repair jobs that bit easier and quicker. Cable pullers; sometimes referred to as fourth hand tools tension the inner wire, leaving yours free to nip everything tight. Care is needed to avoid over-tensioning when feeding the inner wire into the slot but that’s as difficult as things get.

A decent set of snips, by contrast are the staple of any basic toolkit and will repay their investment countless times over. To some degree, there’s no limit to what you can spend. £30 odd is my benchmark and these Jagwire Pro my all-time favourites to date, anyway. http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/jagwire-pro-cutters  At £29.69 the imaginatively monikered Super B TB-WC30 are quite a bit cheaper, which fuelled my intrigue. Will be interesting to see how they fare in the longer term too.       

Elsewhere, John Moss has been plagued by a slipping Alfine set up. He attributes this to the manual system, so is talking in terms of upgrading the mango to Di2-price dependant. Mercifully the tandem’s Nu Vinci hub seems to be behaving itself impeccably since its rebuild.  

The same goes for the Univega, aside from another chain breakage-easily sorted with a few spare links and this Pedros multi-ttol. The 1x9 set up has enough range for long hills and fast descents. 

Full length guards offering ample protection from winter’s slimy slurry and of course, rural backwaters.The highways agency appears to be encouraging farmers to resurface with generous helpings of dung- even its Time ATAC aluminium pedals were showing signs of being engulfed. 

I also resurrected the Geonaute G-Eye2 to capture some footage. Lazily described by some as a poor man’s Go-Pro, it’s less intuitive than the Tom Tom but still offers decent image quality for a budget model.  

Right, I’ll leave you with the Visijax Gilet review http://www.sevendaycyclist.com/visijax-led-gilet