Gambles

 

I'd been looking at the Campak4 doing something close to nothing for far too long but hadn't found a decent mount to replace the mighty Minoura. In my experience, action cameras themselves have become more solid, feature laden and weatherproof-without recourse to the polycarbonate casings. However, while I’d always prefer money to be invested in the camera itself, bike mounts supplied tend to be very crude and ineffectual.  

Enter a site notorious for bombarding me with offers of inflatable life-size pleasure dolls...A couple of solid-looking designs suddenly popped up in my feed and only a few quid for the pair-including postage. Some goods on these platforms can be false economy, utter junk in some instances but this one looked worth a punt.  

Yes, you can lash something credible together using an old reflector mount, tap washers, rubber shims, ¼ inch threaded bolt and two nuts. The most involved bit of this is rounding up the parts- a three-minute job to fit. Performance-wise, I’ve found these reasonably effective with smaller compact cameras, so on paper, they should be fine with a Go-Pro type action camera.  

Switching Ursula’s wheels over to those with the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro was a shrewd move, although the snowy conditions were a little overplayed. Sure, the temperatures dropped to freezing but the snow’s consistency closer to sleet. Presented the ideal opportunity to adjust the rear mech and dial in the shifting a bit- the Microshift bar con had come loose in the end and the inner wire had stretched a little.  

An easy fix.  In the days leading up to this, I’d been getting Denise muddy, slithering along the singletrack lanes and was pleasantly surprised by how well the 120tpi WTB Nano shed moderate mud, especially when I’ve hit the asphalt, or indeed, leafy hardpack trails. They’re also palpably more compliant than their 60tpi stablemates in the latter contexts, something I was particularly conscious of while navigating a disused airfield.  

I’m also getting familiar, dare I say fond of the Topeak Backloader, which is sensibly proportioned, lightweight and lightweight, without feeling fragile.  The main fabric is ripstop polyethylene/nylon and highly water resistant, rather than proof, but that goes for most in my experience.  

There’s an inner liner with 10,000mm water resistance, which is very welcome and eliminates the need for the humble bin liner-unless you wanted to go the belt n’ braces route. As I said in an earlier entry, despite being the smallest in the family (10 and 15litres being the alternatives. I’ve tried binding old inner tube around the USE post to minimise this but there’s still minor bob and sway-especially when I’ve been climbing out of the saddle. Not close to some of the bigger bike packing designs I’ve tested in the past but the Zefal Adventure R5 Waterproof Saddlebag ZEFAL ADVENTURE R5 WATERPROOF SADDLE BAG | cycling-not-racing  and its bigger, 11 litre sibling ZEFAL ADVENTURE R11 WATERPROOF SADDLEBAG | cycling-not-racing are notably more stable. I’ve wondered if a double hook and loop post strap would cure this, although both the Zefal have only one...

Sat on the toilet, contemplating life, the universe and another Trump presidency, I concluded an aftermarket brace and turned to another auction site for wallet friendly inspiration. I happened upon this Topeak Backloader Wishbone homage, which also features bottle bosses. Some commentators have suggested there are compatibility hassles with luggage and some saddle rails... We’ll see... I’ve switched the fixed gear winter/trainer’s very likeable Cycology See Me Pink Handlebar bag Cycology See Me Pink Handlebar Bag | cycling-not-racing  for the Oxford Aqua Evo Adventure Daytripper Handlebar bag.  

As the name suggests, this is a relatively compact 3.5litre model. Measuring 24x10x14cm, it’s made from 400denier ripstop TPU, with some reflective logos and detailing. Welded seams to lock the elements out, segregated internal pockets for phone and tooling oh and an external cargo net for gloves, packable jacket and similar overspill. Its big enough for day type duties and just fits between the fixed’s bars without obscuring the K-Lite Ultra LD Low Drag Dynamo Light  K-LITE ULTRA LOW DRAG DYNAMO LIGHT | cycling-not-racing  which is a welcome relief.  

Talking of jackets, colder temperatures have seen me dip back into the winter wardrobe for a middleweight jersey cum jacket and Oxford Products Venture Jacket OXFORD VENTURE JACKET | cycling-not-racing. In common with Madison Roam Madison Roam 2.5 Layer Waterproof Jacket | cycling-not-racing, the Venture has a hood and other features that lend themselves equally well to touring, winter commuting, mountain bike and gravel duties.  I'll leave it here with my review of the Madison Isoler Thermal Jacket Madison Isoler Thermal Jacket | cycling-not-racing 

 

Wouldn't You Know It

 

Having replenished the grease and attached the Ritchey WCS perch, I decided the USE Sumo post should sit pride of place in the fixed gear winter/trainer. Everything slid together effortlessly, thanks to the precision USE shim. I ported the Klick fix mount over the WCS rails, checked everything was at the correct height, correctly aligned and torqued before reattaching the Axiom City Plus. Talking of fitting and switching contact points, here’s my review of the Oxford Mint Assembly Grease Oxford Mint Assembly Grease | cycling-not-racing 

 

I needed to drop Denise's post by a few millimetres, since my leg was extended too far and quick dab downs were also less predictable. Timely too since I met a boisterous young Alsatian called “Cooper” off the lead and whose owners seemed casually disinterested. I was immediately reminded of Richard Ballantine’s remarks about dogs and other creatures of the field and air being a menace to the cyclist... 

 

Cooper eventually trotted off with the couple. I’d dismounted at this point, resting Denise against the tree by her bars, so no danger of being knocked off by a hound high on life. I’d been bitten by an Alsatian on two separate occasions during my adult life, so though not fearful, I’m very mindful. My silence was also a quiet contempt for the owners and their elected indifference.   

 

I stood reflecting on the 120tpi WTB Nano’s performance, relative to their 60tpi stablemates, my decision to drop the saddle height before heading out and my continued appreciation of the Gorewear C5 GORE-TEX Thermo Gloves. I’ve also switched over to Tubolite TPU tubes and decided I wanted greater cornering prowess, so switched the Shimano PD ED500 pedals Shimano PD ED 500 Pedals | cycling-not-racing for the Wellgo MO94B WELLGO MO94B SPD PEDALS | cycling-not-racing  which also represents a181g weight saving.  

 

Back in the saddle, I scooted off and hustled along the newly muddied lane and found myself concluding the Ergon SR All Road Core Comp Ergon SR All Road Core Comp Saddle Men | cycling-not-racing is genuinely more comfortable than the more basic (but still excellent) All Road Ergon SR All Road Men’s Saddle | cycling-not-racing  Other dogs and their owners were far more gracious, dare I say emotionally intelligent and received a suitably cordial greeting as we passed.  

 

Another thing I had been conscious of is some swaying of the Topeak Backloader. I’ve bund some old inner tube around the post with the hope of minimising any bob, or sway, while simultaneously protecting the USE SX posts’ anodised finish. Post mounted luggage of this kind is designed for bulky but crucially light loads and riders with any experience will mount heavier items low. I’ve followed this narrative, as you’d hope. I’ve stashed several tubes, Muc-Off Pump, small multi tool and CycPlus AS2 Pro Max E.Pump CycPlus AS2 Pro Max E.Pump | cycling-not-racing inflator which is well within the acceptable and indeed, maximum payload. Now, I’m quick to confirm this is minor sway, not samba dancing. Despite substantial Velcro closures, uber litre designs are prone to sway, due in part to length and their lofty position- the main reason I err away from them.  

 

Dynamos rule the roost when it comes to my four seasons’ bikes, but I always carry a compact rechargeable light as backing singer/backup. I was suitably impressed with Ravemen LR 1000Ravemen LR 1000 Curved Lens Front Light | cycling-not-racing and was curious about the brands K series. Enter the most powerful 1800lumen unit here. There are some obvious similarities with the LR1600, most obviously, the sensored technology. In this instance, its two tiered and incorporates AI (Artificial intelligence). The daytime running mode will select the intensity it feels appropriate, while the AI learns the lighting conditions on your routes and tailors things between 100 and 180-lumens accordingly.  

 

Obviously, the wireless remote means you’re not beholden and can override to taste. Then of course, there are the features we’ve come to expect from Ravemen. IPX7 for weatherproofing, solid CNC machined casing and the ability to charge phones and similar gizmos from the port and you can also plug in a power bank, should reserves dwindle. In common with some of the smaller LR family, I’m not completely taken with the mount.  

 

By no means poor, it's quick to whip on/off, which is convenient for commuting and other contexts where bikes can be unattended for periods of time. However, on balance I prefer the more substantial versions employing Allen keys common to the PR series and LR1600 Ravemen LR1600 Front Light | cycling-not-racing.          

       

What of the 120tpi Nano, then...Well, I’ve noticed their improved compliance over their otherwise likeable 60tpi counterparts, switching to a TPU tube up front has also brought some tangible benefits on the compliance front, especially at the higher end of their 50psi pressure range. The Nano aren’t intended for gloopy mud synonymous with a British, or indeed, Belgian winter cross meet but seem to behave in excellent proportion across moderate, greasy mud.  I'll close for now with my review of The MagicshineSeeMee100AD Radar Detection Tail Light Magicshine SeeMee 100 Tail Light | cycling-not-racing