Unwinding the mind- A retrospective

 Cycling has been a central part of my life since May 1986 and I’ve racked up a few hundred thousand miles in that time. In the early days, it was a sense of escape. Escape from bullies, alienation from school and its curriculum, cultivating self-knowledge, character etc. Indeed, cycling (motorcycling too) is a metaphor for life and its challenges.     

In my early teens, imagination was fired by the glamour of racing, exploring far-flung lands on lightweight steel-framed mountain bikes. Hero worship mixed with a lust for exotic components, machines, exhilaration and adventure. Pencil thin framesets finished in Rosso red and electroplate, polished Italian groupsets... 

At the other extreme, lightweight, go-anywhere machines with Cro-moly framesets, 26-inch wheels, knobbly tyres and Japanese groupsets. These were marketed as “All Terrain Bikes” here in the UK and during this phase, some appeared with drop bars, which is what really fired my imagination.  

Something that has come full circle, with older mountain bikes being fed drops and repurposed as “Gravel bikes”. Aside from the Muddy Fox Trailblazer that ignited this passion, back in March 1987, Specialized’s Rock Combo (crudely a drop bar Rock Hopper for purposes of quick reference).  

Geometry isn’t that far off contemporary gravel bikes for that matter...Now, it might’ve sent my Lycra ablaze, but it was quickly pulled from production. However, 22 years of development hence, Ursula is incredibly close to bespoke. True, full-length chrome plastic guards limit the off-road potential but fine for dirt roads and incredibly practical for more generic, four seasons’ riding.  Tooling + access to components+ imagination are the ingredients to such a build.  

Again, arguably the same applies to other branches of life. Lateral thought and perseverance also belong there. Thinking in terms of Panaracer Gravel King 26x2.1, once the Schwalbe Marathon GT365TESTED: SCHWALBE MARATHON GT 365 TYRES WINTER UPDATE (sevendaycyclist.com) and Marathon Mondial TEST & REVIEW: SCHWALBE MARATHON MONDIAL TYRES (sevendaycyclist.com) reach a pensionable state.  

Both, although particularly the 365, have loads of miles left in them, which is a good thing, given supply lines are unpredictable. Until recently, this had been attributable to the pandemic but superseded by Brexit and the loss of frictionless trade. This phenomenon is also leading to food shortages and insecurity.  

The latter refers to people, (specifically those who are more vulnerable, socio-economically) going without due to rising costs. I can see a return to sectarian conflict/civil war in Northern Ireland but I’m less convinced there will be much public outcry, let alone civil unrest in response to food insecurity.   

Long, steady miles lend themselves to this kind of soul searching/introspection and I've frequently found creative solutions to all manner of issues/circumstances/situations. “Come back to it” as one elderly carpenter once said, seeing teenage me struggling with a feature. This shouldn’t be confused with, or permit procrastination and deferment but is great advice when employed correctly.  

Going back to tyres a moment, returning from one ride, Michelin World Tour popped into my head as a possible alternative for Ursula. Old as the hills, I bought a set from a motor/cycle dealership in Norfolk, mid-tour in 1989. They were to replace a worn set of 27x1/4 Nutrak, which were becoming increasingly puncture prone as a direct consequence. However, no 26 (mtb) option, rules them out.  

Vittoria Evolution, which seem to be a development of the Vittoria Randonneur TrailVITTORIA RANDONNEUR TRAIL TYRES LONG TERM TEST (sevendaycyclist.com) that served Ursula and I very well for several years. The Randonneur still exist but are very much a road, rather than mixed terrain tyre. 26 inch is going the way of 27x1/1/4 25 years back. There’s still plenty of reasonable and indeed, decent quality rubber available but choice isn’t as plentiful now 29 and 650b are the new industry standards.  

Back to 700c now and Extra UK have kindly sent me these Pirelli Cinturato Reinforced smarTUBE. These are aimed at gravel and endurance audiences and are made from TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane). Theoretically the holy grail of tubes, they promise superior puncture resistance, low weight and compact size. 82g on the scales, it’ll be interesting to see how they perform, not only in terms of puncture resistance but pressure retention. In my experience, Latex was exceptionally light and puncture resistant, but required inflating every other day.    

 

Inspect & Pension Off

 I returned from a wet, greasy ride on Ursula and was about to strip and lightly lube the chain with some Peaty’s Link Lube Dry. Something prodded me to whip out the chain checker and it slid into the links .75 is the pensioning off point for 9, 10 and 11 speed units.  

I plucked a Sram from the stash, pruned by a few links and fitted sans magic link, since though I understand the design principle, I much prefer a solid pin. That said; I slipped the residual links and magic link into a re-sealable bag, into the See Sense Handlebar bag SEE SENSE HANDLEBAR BAG | cycling,-but-not-usually-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), just in case.  

Observation suggests 10 speed chains last between 3-4 months. I’d returned 1600miles from the superlight model which is a good bit more than the 1250 typically managed before they hit .75 on the chain checker. I was also astonished by the amount of congealed lube coaxed from the jockey wheels and derailleur cage once I’d removed the worn chain. Particularly since I’d regularly deep cleaned the drivetrain between lube changes and as appropriate, topping up.   

As for the Peaty’s Link Lube Dry, well that’s another water-based, wax prep, intended for spring/summer use, so now is the time to test.  

In common with all waxes, especially those employing water-based carriers, any trace of pre-existing lubricant must be exorcised. It leaves the spout with a celeste hue, so even coverage is easily achieved. Once cured, it assumes a waxy glaze, theoretically meaning it runs cleaner, rather than collecting contaminant and scabbing off.  

Time, miles and climate will reveal its true characteristics and staying prowess. Spotted this Austin, while on our chain checking spin. From a distance, I believed it to be a 2CV based Lomax, prompting a closer look (without drawing unwanted attention, or making the rightful owner nervous).  

Several months down the line, my fixed gear winter/trainer’s aheadset was still very smooth and subsequent inspection confirmed bearings and races were still well protected by the Park PPL-1.  

However, I’d come that far and needed to assess the Peaty’s Assembly Grease on bearing components (since it’s apparently perfectly fine). The boot/headset cosey made from scrap mtb inner tube was also perishing, so due replacement. This also presented an ideal opportunity to clean the KMC chain and feed it some of the Peaty’s Link Lube All Weather Premium. 

Packed with Peaty’s and excess wiped, the headset was buttery smooth. I used the excess to grease the stem and Gusset Headlock threads, since the latter is a sitting duck for wet, gritty stuff.  First outing at 6am the next morning and everything felt bang on. Chain serenely quiet, steering quick and ultra-refined.  

Along the lanes, at 20 mph and banking into a right turn, I feel the tyres lose traction-diesel. Thankfully the fixed transmission, experience and decent rubber meant I was able to regain control, without incident.  Diesel vehicles, those with automatic transmissions in particular, drip unspent fuel under more forceful, or sudden braking. Farm vehicles, coupled with the sudden, more intense rains, flushing spillages from the fields are another possibility.  

I’m never one for compulsion, especially when it comes to helmets, but wear mine pretty much every ride. Every so often, I get a gentler reminder of their benefits. Now and then, even the anti-bacterial pads can turn a bit funky too. Steve’s been testing Oxford Mint Helmet Santiser OXFORD MINT HELMET SANITISER | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) . In a pinch, I’ve given whiffy lids a quick blow-over using anti-bacterial santiser sprays and do, from time to time, take mine in the shower with me. A couple of thousand miles along the line and the Bontrager (model) finally succumbed to a flat. A flint, more accurately. It had burrowed into the casing, commuted by wet, greasy roads and dung. 

 

Hardly a major issue, but unwelcome at any point, especially when the weather was turning slightly stormy. Thankfully, I had two spare tubes and two pumps. CO2 cartridge but no inflator. Unsure how that came about-would've made for a quicker pit-stop. Flint removed, fresh tube and 60psi later, I refitted the wheel and rode the remaining 7 miles back without incident.  

The Peaty’s All-Weather Premium has certainly held its own but transferred very readily to hands and bar tape during said mechanical. Upon my return, I gave the bike a quick sudsy bucket wash, put some additional pressure and a drop of glue into the tyre. This is also an opportunity to check/replenish tube stock, pump and in my case, add the CO2 cartridge/inflator.  On that note, I'll end here with my long term review of the Kenda Kwick Journey KS Plus Tyres KENDA KWICK JOURNEY TYRES | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)