Midwinter Retrospective

Christmas is always a tricky time for me, and for many, my desire to hunker down and reflect peacefully can be quite perturbing. Those close to me know there’s nothing to worry about and generally leave me to emerge, in my own time.  

Christmas morning and the child-like wonder gripped me. Time for the first outing with Ursula’s newly built dyno hub wheel. Due in part, to the Schwalbe Landcruiser being a few hundred grams lighter than the ultra-dependable Schwalbe Marathon 365, acceleration was refreshingly brisk, despite the wind.  

There had been little relent in the rainfall for a few nights and overspill from the fields had formed small lakes along the lanes, resulting in the gentle swoosh as the Landshark and Mondial pairing cut through the greasy, mucky broth. No such thing as the wrong weather, only the wrong kit I mused, as rain rolled from the Oxford Venture jacket. 

The FLR defender booties and waterproof socks and a slightly lower gear kept blood flow and feet comfortable.  

Engaging the front Tektro based “franken canti” revealed all was well on the toe-in front. No squeal, judder or nastiness, just serene, progressive stopping. Formative impressions of the SD8 hub suggests characteristics are very similar to its SL9 sibling HALO EVURA & SHUTTER PRECISION SL9 DYNOHUB BUILD (sevendaycyclist.com)  in the sense output can dip a little at the lower speeds but I’ve had no issues at 14mph plus.  

I need to take this time to inspect the old Rigida Snyper rim for wear and pension off, as appropriate. The Snyper were a solid, cheerful touring hoop and mine has been super dependable over ten years and countless thousand miles down the line. If it is heading for the Great Bike Shop in the Sky, I think I’ll have the 13-year-old Shimano hub built into another Ryde Andra 40...  

But then, do I acquire a modern, disc brake hub as well, to “futureproof things” ...Hmm, best park that thought for now, there’s plenty going on.  I’ve been doing a little re-touch of the Project 2 fork-applied a thin coat of phosphate primer and several thin coats of gloss black paint, leaving several hours between them. I also applied a thin helping of hide food to leather saddles to keep them protected and nourished. This is something II generally do every six weeks with traditional leather saddles, although some brands recommend longer intervals, which I observe. CARING FOR LEATHER SADDLES | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)   

As we weaved around the twisting bends, up ahead a family of red deer crossed the road and an Oxford/BMW Mini lay stricken in a ditch. Stopping confirmed it had been abandoned- no one was trapped inside, so I continued our otherwise silent and uninterrupted loop. Inexperience, too much Christmas spirit, who knows. Crucially no one appears hurt as a result.    

Looking back on the year and Ursula’s continual evolutions, I was surprised by just how many changes I’ve made over the past 12 months. Most of the drivetrain components were replaced due to wear and tear. Aside from chains and cassettes, the long-serving Shimano Deore LX cranks were beginning to lose their threads, prompting the upgrade to Hollowtech II.  

A couple of months later, I upgraded the rear wheel, since the rim was beginning to deteriorate- it was a cheap but very cheerful example, which had served faithfully for five harsh winters, so didn’t owe us anything. Deore hubs are reliable enough, but if I was going to replace, I may as well upgrade. An XT laced to a Rigida Sputnik was too good to pass up. Then of course, there was the Kinekt 2.1 post KINEKT 2.1 SUSPENSION SEAT POST | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com), which was another refinement that had completed my original vision of an otherwise rigid, all-terrain, go-anywhere, four seasons’ build. A concept that originally lit my fuse during an English class in March 87. A Muddy Fox Trailblazer, spotted in Bicycle Magazine, for the curious. A couple of years later, Specialized's Rock Combo just turned things up a notch.  

I switched the Sun Race Brifters for Micro Shift Bar end and Tektro levers, which was another good move, and since I was there, the Soma Condor 2 SOMA CONDOR 2 SHALLOW DROP BARS | (sevendaycyclist.com). The original Condor was a great bar, seemingly perfect for the design brief and the only reason I switched was because the Condor 2 was doing something close to nothing. If I was going to experiment, then was the time. 

Finally, the Sun Race Driven NRX rear mech imploded, replaced by a Tiagra. In many respects, close to a complete rebuild, but aside from some refinements/indulgences, and the mech’s untimely demise, components owed me and the “old girl” nothing. Ah, now my fixed gear winter trainer’s brake has got the sulks-a frayed inner wire. No time like the present...Maybe it got jealous... 

Never Ending Story

 

The quiet and extended periods of darkness are extremely conducive to product testing and more generic reflection. On the bike front, it can also be a time when an idea, becomes the ONLY idea. Ok, Michael, give us something to work with. Well, I’ve been pondering, with the new SD8 dynohub, whether I should take Ursula the disc route upfront. This would obviously require a new set of forks and a caliper.  

There are several routes I could’ve taken. The first is custom. I could get a frame builder, such as Lee Cooper Home - LEE COOPER CYCLE FRAMES (webs.com) to build me a suitable set from a decent grade of Cro-moly. However, going that route, I would need cantilever and disc brake mounts, mudguard eyes, and would probably add some custom mounts atop. Did I mention paint.... A bespoke, but arguably not the most cost-effective route...  

I happened upon some aluminium alloy Kinesis, which were another very plausible, relatively inexpensive choice that would’ve also presented a weight saving, albeit feeling a little more direct than their steel counterparts. However, transpired these were an archived model.  I toyed with the idea of something with carbon blades and an alloy steerer.  

A few inexpensive Chinese models looked basically OK. However, they only sported a disc caliper mount, which defeated the object. Now, it’s suggested in some circles that budget forks tend to be a little overbuilt. However, the prospect of a cheap fork failing at any point, inducing an expensive and painful spill, is another turn-off for me.   

Then a set of lightly used Kona Project 2, complete with both sets of brake mounts came under my radar (and moreover at the right price). 180mm steerer...Now, I hadn’t expected these to materialise, so got over excited and bought blind, taking a gamble on the 180mm steerer tube.  

This was on the slimmer side of precise but viable, with a spacer exchange. Paint was similarly good. A light dab of phosphate primer and some gloss black will cure a couple of superficial chips. Topeak Versa Mounts TOPEAK VERSAMOUNT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) will address the missing mudguard eyelets. For the time being, I’ll run the existing setup and new wheel until I’ve got everything together and can transfer everything seamlessly. Afterall, new front brake, pads, rims with machined side walls...   

I've gone for another TRP Spyre SLC caliper, a TRP compression-less cable kit, and will take the Cane Creek SC5 route. Disc rotor will be a 160mm Clarke unit, since that’s what I have in stock, and I’ve used them to good effect with my fixed gear winter/trainer’s Spyre setup. This will of course be topped off with a change of bar tape. Elsewhere, back in the moment, Oxford products have sent me this Torque Covert Crank Multi tool, which fills the gap in the drive-side of your Hollow tech crank.  

I’d been known to blank these with a surplus bar end plug, on aesthetic grounds but this way, you’re filling space with something genuinely useful. Held magnetically in situ, the 7-function tool includes 3,4, 5, 6mm Allen keys, Philips head screwdriver, T25 Torx key, Chain tool, chain link holder, which is quite an impressive feat.

  

Oxford have really turned up the dial on their advanced rider range and the Oxford Venture Jacket is no exception. It’s a lightweight, packable “proper” shell jacket designed to thwart the elements. 10,000mm for waterproofing and breathability might sound distinctly average but in practice are proving very effective in the real world.  

Though snug, it’s accommodating of winter layering. The laminate shell has also been doing an excellent job of blocking icy chills and even the detachable hood is winning me over. However, there’s a couple of hundred miles before I draw any firm conclusion. Should reach those come the close of Christmas...