Return Of the Bar Cam?

 

Glancing down at Ursula’s riser-drops while hossing along a particularly muddied byway, I decided there was plenty of available real estate and it might be time for the bar cam to return... Once its rear wheels had been sorted by Mick Madgett, obviously. I’d had another six mile walk of shame, courtesy of a blow-out and pothole tag team. I decided to prune the expired Ikon Maxxis Ikon Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) down and it could live on as a belt, rather than becoming landfill. Mick had finished building the new XT wheel and tweaking the Rigida Sputnik/XT the following Friday.  

Not to be out-done, the fixed gear winter/trainer’s rear Pirelli Angel DT Pirelli Angel DT Urban Tyre | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) succumbed to a hedge clipping-close inspection of the tread suggested it had struck just proud of the centre strip and 5mm puncture repelling breaker strip- a hedge clipping the culprit, although it was only a tiny pin prick in the tube.  

Comes with the season and of course, wet, greasy roads make a sharp’s progress that bit easier. Winter and early season riding is hard on even the best maintained bikes. Aside from taxing tyres, it’ll chew through chains and other drivetrain components, mechanisms can gum up, contact points can seize.  

Periodic re-greasing of the latter, regular washes and inspections go a long way to prevent mischief, not to mention long walks home. Then of course, wheels get more punishment courtesy of poor infrastructure. Again, vigilance certainly helps. However, due to chronic lack of investment, the UK’s roads have been falling into serious disrepair. Local authority budgets squeezed to oblivion by central government is compounding matters.         

Ironically, the temperatures rose, and roads dried out sufficiently for the Holdsworth to appear briefly from seasonal hibernation. My first opportunity to evaluate the repaired steel fork and its impact on the bike’s handling. Spoiler alert, it was worth the switch- handling is still very engaging, just a little less twitchy and whisper it, more comfortable over longer distances.  

The CamparkV40 had been doing something close to nothing for a good while, too. Action cameras have improved over the years, but the small sensors mean footage in low light is so-so and, in my experience the V40 is no exception. However, I was attracted to its solid build quality and highly weather resistant body.  

No call for a separate, audio distorting polycarbonate case-a definite plus. Google had been floating several other options at me. Go Pro 12 was an obvious choice, DJI Osmo Action 4 another but there’s no justification for shelling out if existing kit is otherwise solid. (I already had an ancient but very worthy Geonaute G-Eye 2 doing not a lot- it has outlived the Apeman A80).  

 

With the Leatt Endurance 2.0 enjoying a well-earned wash, I’ve resurrected an impressive Gore Torrent Men’s Jacket. It’s a lightweight three-layer model made from polyamide. Water resistance is superior to the Leatt (although I’d expect so, given it was £229 back in 2021) and the medium tips the scales at 190g.  

 

Fit is decidedly snug, but sizing is perfectly accurate. I should also point out, it’s a road rather than gravel, or trail garment and, it's also less packable, which may also be significant in the latter riding contexts.  

 

The 7Mesh Cypress Hybrid 7mesh Cypress Hybrid Cycling Jacket | Seven Day Cyclist is a more packable design, much closer to the Leatt in this respect and indeed, at £131.25, pricing. The 7Mesh is made from Gore Tex Infinium, the body being 50d polyester, the back body is 78% polyester and 22% elastane. Really close fit eliminates flutter and similar distractions, while the dual zippered side vents allow more tuneable airflow, while simultaneously improving access to jersey pockets. 

  

Talking of jerseys, I’m a major fan of long- sleeve summer models, especially since they offer greater protection against sun and to a lesser extent, wind burn (which can be an issue when riding in and around coastal regions). They’re also useful for when the temperature’s a little changeable-late summer evenings, early autumn and of course, spring.  

 

Cycology has sent me their Summit Lightweight Long Sleeve Summer Jersey and Baja Blue Classic Cycling Cap. The Summit follows the Polyester/Elastane narrative, and the yarn offers SPF50 protection, which is very welcome (although I’m still inclined to apply a high-factor sunscreen during the height of summer).  

 

Three large rear pockets and a fourth zippered design are hardly front-page news but again, very welcome, and sensibly proportioned. A full-length hidden zipper gives a seamless look, while affording excellent, tuneable airflow and temperature regulation.   

 

The Baja Blue Classic Cycling Cap follows the brand’s tradition of lively artwork and is made from a polyester/cotton mix. (65/35%). More cotton than I’ve come to expect from the technical variants, so time will see whether this has any impact upon moisture management and odour control.  It does have a very generous peak, which can be flicked up, or down, depending on choice and riding contexts.  Enough chat, time to get some more miles in... 

Spin Dizzy: Fresh Freehubs & Other Wheel Woes

Despite the rescue attempt, the Halo Spin Doctor’s Freehub had succumbed to pawl spring failure. Ison-distribution were characteristically incredibly helpful and empathetic, sending me a replacement the next day. I’m hoping this will be a long-term cure. However, I bought another XT hub as a precaution, while opportunity and favourable pricing presented. 

I’d been enjoying a succession of very mucky outings aboard Ursula, I succumbed to a sudden and unwelcome rear blow out and a minor wibble in the sturdy Sputnik/XT wheel. This ultimately meant a six mile walk home and led me to retire the basic but generally likeable Maxxis Ikon Maxxis Ikon Tyres | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 2,500 mixed terrain miles down the line. Doesn’t matter how well built a wheel, or how sturdy your tyres, catch that sharp, or that hole with your name on it and something’s gonna give.  

 

A couple of riders slowed and offered help-as is the standard code for us and understood there wasn’t much that could be done at that stage-the spare tubes had also failed. I thanked them and we went our separate ways. I was mortified when a middle-aged woman stopped her Nissan Qashqai and asked if I needed help, or a lift somewhere. I was touched on the one hand and made clear I was grateful. However, I’m also very wary of people and their motivations and often find accepting help very difficult.  

 

At that time, I also wanted to be alone with my thoughts and to reflect. I’ve replaced the rear Ikon for a Continental Cross King Shield Wall (26x2.3) which promises to handle well on most surfaces and a puncture- repelling belt also promises greater reliability.  I left Mick Madgett to work his magic with the Rigida/XT hoop and build another wheel based around an XT hub as a second/spare since opportunity presented and my faith in the Spin Doctor had waned. 

 

Though quite different, removing the spin doctor freehub cast me back to the old Maillard Helicomatic system from the early 1980s. I had one on a bike bought in March 1988 primarily for the frameset and ultimately, converting to a fixed gear. Rebuilt pretty much and racked up many miles in the four years of ownership. Daylight where head and down tube met signalled the end. I salvaged the good, transferable components and ported them over to a geared winter/training frameset in the summer of ‘92.  

I toyed with the notion of running it as a 1x6spd and bought another Helicomatic Freewheel- a very close ratio, knee-busting block, since that’s all I could find and in my impressionable teenage mind, it would be fine…Point being, it was incredibly easy to switch these blocks, compared to a traditional screw-on freewheel. However, it was one of those concepts that wasn’t fully embraced and ultimately, the freehub system became dominant.  

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it featured on some early 80’s Peugeots. I digress. I’ve decided it's now time to switch the Holdsworth’s BBB Razor for the Smanie GT137 saddle, which is 137mm wide, 257g and features hollow Cro-Moly rails. A little wider than the mighty Razor but may offer a little more support and, all right, I fancied a change, ahead of the Spring when hopefully the weather will be nice enough for some fast blasts.  

By that point, I’ll switch the fixed gear winter trainer’s KMC Z1 for the half-link Gusset Slink. For the uninitiated, the latter is a beefy model that will add some further girth but in my experience is great for getting chain length bang on and they’re super durable too. Despite suggestions, the Blub Ceramic has been surprisingly stoical despite some persistently wet, muddy lanes.  

I returned a good 280 miles in these contexts before giving the bike a seriously deep clean and deciding the gungy beard of mud and contaminant needed purging too. Having got everything respectable, I found myself spinning the wheels and discovered a very loose spoke.  

So loose that the nipple had retreated into the rim. I whipped off the tyre, tube, and rim tape, only to hear the nipple orbiting the rim and then vanishing. Never to be seen again. Another email to Ison and they graciously sent me some brass14g replacements. 

I overcame my 37-year fear of the spoke key (some might draw parallels with the android’s fear of the screwdriver cited in Channel 4’s 1984 tongue- in- cheek sci-fi drama “They Came from somewhere else”.) and wound a new one in, judiciously snugging the spoke taut, plucking the others to ensure uniformity. I’ve said this before, but this long-standing terror came from one summer afternoon in 1987.  

 

Armed with a rather basic spoke key, a cherished copy of Richard’s Bicycle Book and a vague notion of turning the spokes, I got busy with my Holdsworthy Butler’s front wheel… Transforming the 3mm wibble into a samba dancing hoop.  Sure, I’ve tweaked the odd nipple I desperation miles from home, but it was always with a sense of acute trepidation. Never trusted my own wheel building and over the years from chatting with other riders anecdotally, I’m not alone.