I’ll only be five minutes...

 

I’ve been here more times than I’d care to admit. I am unlikely to be the only rider who has a flash of inspiration and only to find those five minutes expanding to fit the time available. Midday, on Saturday, I decided I’d just tweak the Holdsworth’s brake lever positioning.  

A simple matter of unwinding the T-One MR Fantastic Handlebar Tape, slipping a long 5mm Allen key into the lever, moving upwards, then refitting the wrap around the Coefficient Wave Handlebars COEFFICIENT WAVE HANDLEBAR | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)   

Before I knew it, I’d switched the old but worthy Tektro for a new silver RL340 and fresh inner wire, and  the T-One MR Fantastic Handlebar Tape T-ONE MR FANTASTIC HANDLEBAR TAPE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) substituted for this Ciclovation Grind Touch Bar Tape CICLOVATION GRIND TOUCH BAR TAPE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  

I’d got past the point of being hungry, and my blood sugar was beginning to slide. Not ideal, nor my rendition of Ozzy Osbourne’s “No Bone Movies”. Crucially, the job was done, and maybe it’s the successful recycling of bar tape, but the results pleased me. Lever perfectly aligned and sufficient power to bring the rear wheel off the ground-if that’s your thing.  

Now glue that freshly pruned inner wire and celebrate with some cake and diesel strength coffee.... Tyres inflated, good weather, check. Off for a dawn blast, which confirmed these subtle tweaks were well worth the time and unintentionally extended fettling.  

The soundtrack to this outing had shifted to Keith Richards’ Talk is Cheap, which hails from 1988 but still resonates very deeply with me. (Bought the Album (vinyl) in the summer of ‘92 and Main Offender, his subsequent album in the summer of 1993, in case it mattered) Had a few rabbits test the front stopper, which did its thing with palpable efficiency. It’s also smoother than the older Tektro lever.  

Much of this, I attribute to the RL340 being a more ergonomic fit for my hand.  The Knog Nerd Computer had also stopped working. Something I attributed to the head units CR2032 cell finally giving up the ghost.  

Couldn’t justify additional diagnostic time and indeed, time away from other tasks, so revisited this, post ride. I’ve a soft spot for the NERD, so was relieved to find the cell hadn’t leaked and caused contact/more acute damage.  

Battery switched, unit re-calibrated and back on the bars. The NERD in question is the baby of the now discontinued range and only has 5 functions. Current speed, trip distance, trip time, clock and odometer. Befitting of a pared to the essentials road bike-I love the simplicity and the NERDs seem solid too.  

The first cycle computer I ever had was back in 1989- wired 6 function Cat-Eye Vectra that I fitted to my fixed gear conversion, which was based around a 501 tubed Raleigh frameset. Fag sealed bottom bracket, very ornate GB quill stem, 42cm SR bars, SR track crankset, fluted polished alloy post, Turbo copy Suede saddle (worn smooth, eventually)  

I loved and rode that bike for four years, until the frame fatigued where head and downtube met.... Maillard double-fixed hub laced to basic but serviceable Weinmann rims and shod with Vittoria Roma 25mm tyres.  Back then, Cat-Eye and Avocet and Vetta were common sights on seasoned riders ‘bars.  

Wired computers were (and arguably still are) the most reliable. However, remember to remove, when performing headset strips, otherwise you’ll snag and ultimately, rip the cabling. An unenviable feat and one I achieved twice. By that point, the gap in terms of prices and reliability between wired and wireless had closed considerably.    

I’ve seen a few doing the rounds on auction sites and at sensible prices. If I was wanting to add the finishing touch to a bike from this period, maybe. Wouldn’t pay classic prices for one, though. I occasionally get drawn to framesets, such as the magnesium Kirk Precision. Interesting, and often maligned framesets but much of this comes from a misunderstanding of the concept.  

These were conceived as a mass-produced and very inexpensive racing frameset. Casting wasn’t the best and there are few left these days. I was offered a frameset (new) with headset, seat post, and bottom bracket for £99.99 back in 1990. I sometimes reflect on that being a missed opportunity, but I also recognise, at the time, it was a distraction purchase.  

A distraction from teen angst and unrequited love. Serious things at the time and felt very acutely. Talking of concepts, I’m finding myself increasingly warming to TPU tubes, as a serious alternative to butyl. Weight and ride quality are the main draws, price and ease of repair are two turnoffs. I’m running some on the Teenage Dream, fixed gear winter trainer, too (with butyl tubes in the wedge packs, in case of flats. Some, including Eclipse can be patched, but curing times aren’t rest-stop friendly).  

Cheese, Carbon Contemplation & Leather

 No, sorry to disappoint, these are not some newfound fetishes but now that I have your attention...I’ve been running in the fixed gear winter/trainer’s newly fitted Stronglight O-light Aheadset and tweaked the bearings twice in approximately 150 miles. Nothing obviously noteworthy in that statement. However, two sets of stem bolt heads have essentially turned to cheese, despite the use of decent tool bits and a torque wrench.  

Admittedly, the originals were a little rounded, four years down the line but the replacements I had initially plucked from small parts drawer literally turned to mush and had to be delicately extracted. To clarify, the threads were fine, it was the Allen heads that were decidedly soft.  

Disappointing, given they were supposedly stainless steel, not aluminium alloy. The latter may have some weight advantages, but decent quality stainless steel is the benchmark-unless your bikes are on extreme calorie-controlled diets.  

In this instance, titanium (proper, not the cheap as chips Chinese fare- the sort advertised as ti and £1.99 for 6 bolts) is a good bet, but remember a synthetic grease, such as White Lightning Crystal High Performance Clear Grease TESTED : WHITE LIGHTNING CRYSTAL GREASE (sevendaycyclist.com) if you’re pairing them with 6061/7005 aluminium alloys, or indeed, lightweight steel, otherwise they could forma very stubborn, galvanic bond.  

Ti to ti (in common with steel to steel and aluminium alloy to aluminium alloy) is fine with PTFE, or even lithium-based preps-it's just when you mix metals of different parentage that problems can present.  

Long story short, more rummaging in the small parts jumble trays unearthed to compatible units, which were breezed in and torqued down to 5nm. I purchased some spares online, so there’s some in reserve, but crucially, these are perfectly adequate and of reasonable quality.  

Point is, like tubes and chains, it’s good to keep a supply since they usually fail at the least convenient and arguably most frustrating time-namely when the shops closed, and a job that could have been done in a few minutes has to wait.   

While the fixed gear winter/trainers’ Kinesis carbon fork seems in good health, I’m keeping an eye out for a suitable replacement. Not that it overly complicates matters but given the frame hails from 2005, I need a traditional 1 1/8th steerer- not tapered and Q/R, not through axle. They’re still around and worst-case scenario, I’d go for a decent, lightweight 4130 cro-moly replacement, which may add a few grams but, all things being equal, will last a lifetime and without undue anxiety. Serendipity will guide for now.  

I was once described as “philosophical” by two young women I had gone to school with. It was the summer of 1990, Anette and Justine were working in a dress factory, while waiting for our exam results.  

They were hoping to join the navy. Anette’s comment was a polite way of implying that I didn’t care about the results, had little ambition, or drive. Couldn’t’ve been further from the truth. I’ve always been adept at bluffing, as a defence mechanism. I will also adapt, regardless which way the wind blows, but never lacked focus, ambition, or direction.   

Ursula and fixed gear winter/trainer both sport traditional leather saddles. Ursula this Cycles Berthoud Soulor CYCLES BERTHOUD SOULOR LEATHER SADDLE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) , the fixed, this honey Spa Cycles Aire Titanium, which is made from Australian cowhide. Both have served year-round and haven’t required anything, save for periodic “feeding” with suitable leather food, to keep the hides nourished and protected from the elements.  

Both have done many thousands of miles on both, so custom formed to my derriere.  I’ve had some nice leather bar wraps, too, including this Bobbin TESTED: BOBBIN LEATHER HANDLEBAR TALE (sevendaycyclist.com). Again, provided you’ve given the hide a periodic feeding, they should hold their looks and perform well for several years. I’d also run Brooks for several years, hell n’ high water.  

Save for some patina and fading, it racked up thousands of miles, before I replaced it. I have also dressed its bars with some store-branded leather tape for several years. Souma leather have sent me theirs to test, which was warmly appreciated. I’ve designated this one for the fixed, since Ursula had recently been upgraded to some 3.5mm thick Ergon BT Gravel Bar Tape.  

I’m still perfectly happy with the silicone adorning the Holdsworth’s drops and see no reason to replace the Kranx Stretta Primo High Grip Anti Shock KRANX STRETTA PRIMO ANTI SHOCK BAR TAPE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) presently dressing the Teenage Dream’s Salsa bell lap. Cyclo cross bars on a road bike???...Yes, I love drop bars on mountain bikes too, which probably goes some way to explaining my fondness for Ross Shafer’s Salsa Cycles (although he has long since sold the brand). On that note, I'll leave you with my review of the Shimano PD ED500 Pedals Shimano PD ED 500 Pedals | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)