Spring=Tweaks & Trails

 

Sometimes it's not the nice new shiny kit that brings the most joy, nor a personal best, or an epic ride. Sometimes, it's getting a wayward, recalcitrant component to behave. Ideally from the comfort of home-an outpouring of relief usually follows the latter scenario.  

 

Recent little victories include getting Ursula's Microshift bar end shifters to play properly with the old girl's STX and Tiagra mechs, upgrading Denise's Hollowtech II preload to an aluminium alloy 10mm Allen key, meaning I can largely forget about the little plastic tool bit that invariably gets lost behind the workbench, or similarly inaccessible area of your workspace.  

 

Last but not least, there's the wired Remote for the Magicshine Ray2600, which means I can whip the power up and down more readily on the fly-great for exploring the lanes in the dead of night. 

 

After an unexpected cold snap prompting me to default to Ursula and the spikes, things thawed a little and I revisited the idea of Denise and gravel tyres. I’d stuck with the Continental Pure Contact, which have proven themselves incredibly dependable in all contexts, meaning I could just hoss along, confident I’d return from a ride without flatting-particularly welcome when pressed for time. Extra UK have sent me some Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M (700x40c).  

 

These are a tubeless ready mixed terrain gravel tyre designed for mixed conditions, wet, or dry-hence their appeal. The Cinturato Gravel M employ the Speed GRIP compound, which promises mechanical resistance, chemical grip, and similarly important, impressive puncture resistance. This is a nylon belt that runs bead to bead, rather than just the centre strip, so I’m hoping they deliver, not least since hedge cutting season has returned with a vengeance.  

 

They were surprisingly easy to sweep aboard the Ryde rims-read thumbs, no tyre levers, pressure ranges closely mirror those of the WTB Nano WTB Nano TCS Tyre | cycling-not-racing, as does the tread pattern. They’re 14g heavier at 513g, but still a very respectable, dare I say reassuring.   

 

Given a marked shift to milder conditions, I also took it as my cue to switch Ursula back from the Schwalbe Ice Spiker to the Continental Cross Kings. Doing so also revealed a little slop in the Hollowtech II bearings, which may have also contributed to temperamental shifting- out came the Oxford Torque R10, which tackles most jobs nicely, including those with higher torque fasteners-no issues removing the crank pinch bolts. A judicious turn of the M20 preload and these were nipped snug, then fully home with a torque wrench...Time to hit the lanes and trails   

 

Wouldn’t you know it, the front mech was misbehaving again. I released a smidge of tension from the STX’s pinch bolt Ursula’s front mech, then released the Microshift bar end lever’s tension fractionally- bingo up and down without missing a beat. Nothing serious, but these units seem more highly strung than their Centos 4700 counterparts. I also raised the saddle by a few millimetres, which seemed optimal.  Talking of tools here’s Steve’s review of the Oxford Torque Slimline 12 https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/oxford-torque-slimline-12-co2-multitool 

  

The milder conditions have allowed ¾ lengths It’s not been sufficiently mild for short sleeve jerseys and arm warmers, but layering is the key to enjoying early season and autumn.  

 

The ability to whip a layer on, or off to counter a sudden change in weather is good at any point- micro jackets will protect against unexpected showers and sudden, chill winds. Lighting is also very necessary since while nights and mornings are getting longer and arriving earlier, it's easy to get caught out. Six months or so hence, I’m suitably impressed by Shimano’s most recent incarnation of their Nexus Dynohub.  Shimano Nexus DH-UR700-3D Dynamo Hub | cycling-not-racing 

  

Though less mucky than midwinter, the early season still calls for regular bike cleaning. Oxford Products have sent me this huge cleaning buckets, which makes cleaning a big fleet (and indeed, other vehicles) a more time-efficient task.  

 

The bucket has a grit grate to stop gritty, muck stuff being redistributed around the bike (or another vehicle), there’s also a wash mitt and microfibre cloth. I’ve already given the KA and Micra a good wash n’ waxing to purge the witches brew of slurry and road salt and the 20-litre bucket makes the job much quicker-no need to run indoors to fill mid-way through.  

 

Knickers!

 

It’s easy to overlook luggage, specifically their mounting kit. I was blatting along another filthy backroad when my serenity was rudely interrupted by a mysterious squeak. I initially (and irrationally) attributed to the USE SX post’s suspension components needing a strip, clean and fresh helping of Peaty’s Speed Grease. However, these are internal and very well sealed from the elements.  

Closer inspection revealed it was the Zefal R11 flap tickling the rear tyre and kit trying to make a bid for freedom. Pump, tubes and CycPlus AS2 Pro Max E Pump  CycPlus AS2 Pro Max E.Pump | cycling-not-racing inflator tucked safely inside, I tethered straps tight (including the beefy post mount) and we were sway and binding free once more.  

I was also relatively surprised to find the Motorex Chain Wax still intact, albeit a little filmier, some fifty odd grotty miles down the line. I’d needed to top it up again, as a precaution (since it needs several hours and ideally a full night’s curing). However, unlike the very likeable Blub Wax, it isn’t unduly temperature sensitive and won’t degrade if the bike’s not been ridden in two, maybe three days.  

I’d also decided some nocturnal testing was in order. Having already had the Magicshine Allty 400’s Garmin type mount aboard the bars, I resurrected this Ray 2600, which puts out a total of 2,600 lumens. This is the predecessor to the Ray2600B (bluetooth) which requires an app. I've nothing against apps per e, I'd just much sooner have manual control and a remote, wired or otherwise.  

There are four basic, steady modes-170, 330, 650 and 1300lumens- using both lenses basically doubles this and there's also a smart ambient mode, should you fancy letting the light and its sensor technology lead. However, in common with other high-power designs with integral batteries, run times are relatively short in the highest settings, so best to use these sparingly, or buy a model with a medium setting that you can happily default to on the darkest of your rides.      

A few days later and temperatures tanked to minus 2, prompting me to huddle under the duvet and ignore the alarms longer than I ordinarily would. I woke Ursula and we headed out along the backroads, the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro’s gravelly patter reassuring me we’d remain upright along the sections of wet road that likely hid black ice and other nasty surprises.  

The left Microshift bar end shifter had also gone off tune in the freezing conditions, meaning temperamental shifting to the small ring. These seem more highly strung than the Centos, although still easy to live with. Front mechs, contrary to popular misconception tend to be tricky customers- ask anyone who’s had to keep a touring triple on song year round. Having popped Ursula on the Topeak  Flashstand eUP Topeak Flashstand eUp | cycling-not-racing  ,I deduced it was a cable tension and shifter tweak. Pulling the mech through at the mech cured 85% and a quick 2-minute tweak of the shift lever tension solved the remaining niggle-ha!   

I was also getting some squeal from the front disc but this was easily dismissed by engaging the front brake on a moderate descent-maybe the rotor was a little too clean.   

Back from another subzero ride on Ursula, I decided the Peaty's Link Lube Dry was beginning to look a little too conspicuous by its absence, confirmed when I touched the links. This prompted me to question compatibility between the Link Lubes. For example, the Rock N' Roll family of lubes can just be applied atop the other, should you fancy a change, say going from a dry to middleweight, or weight formula. The solvent properties within them strips any residual lube/gunk and cures, leaving only the new choice behind. Would the Link Lubes work in a similar way, the carrier stripping and priming, leaving the All-Weather in situ. Or would it react badly with any traces of Link Lube Dry., resulting in an oily mess... 

 

I gave the Link Lube All Weather a vigorous shake to mix the two parts and then drizzled into every link while spinning the cranks backward...Unlike the wax, there's no hanging around waiting for it to cure, but I popped Ursula away and went about my day.  Being minus 2, I headed out on Ursula the following morning and was pleasantly surprised to discover a lack of chemical animosity between the two lubes, although I had to scoop some residual gunk from the jockey wheels upon my return.       

 

The internet is a fabulous resource and, in this context, great for researching, learning, not to mention, shopping. However, scams appear to be on the rise. These tend to pop up in the right-hand panes of Facebook and the platform doesn't seem remotely interested in the association, which doesn't come as a complete surprise, give Mr Zukerberg's cow-towing to Donald Trump and disinformation. I had one that looked to be a genuine Endura link but when you click on it, it carries you over to a very different, yet plausible site -(Ounwear) with a familiar range of Endura goodies and plausible, not too cheap, not too steep. prices  

 

Take Endura Xtract ¾ lengths as a prime example. The Xtract employs their 400 series pad-a 15mm thick model with the usual anti-bacterial, fast wicking finish and strategically positioned gel for added comfort.   

 

Thing is, the typeset is different, Endura are based in Scotland, not the Far East, so you'll (a) not be supporting the brand, and its suppliers (b) won't get any genuine products and chances are, they'll pocket the cash. I'm not saying stick with only the official sites but check the vendor's credentials.