If the Shoe & Luggage Fits...Racemmute

 Fresh cleats instated; I’ve begun racking up the miles with the FLR Rexton Trail and Touring Shoes. Notice the shroud just covering the cleat? Apparently, this is to protect it from premature wear/damage, but it also necessitated positioning the cleat further back than I would ordinarily. Otherwise it wouldn’t engage with the pedal mechanism. That done entry/exits are crisp, clean affairs.  

The sole is described as “medium stiff” Coming from the Quoc Pham, there’s a bit more give but not the sort that impairs a decent cadence. It’s most obvious riding fixed, where I’m climbing out of the saddle, on the climbs. Less so, on my Univega, given the broad, moderate range, which is conducive to seated cruising and climbing.  

The synthetic upper features mesh venting and laser perforations, which so far are offering reasonable airflow, without letting water in. It’s worth noting that, thus far, I’ve only been exposed to light-moderate rain and haven’t submerged my feet in a puddle.  

Striking the correct balance between tour and trail is quite tricky, although there’s some obvious overlap between the two, the sole needs to be compliant enough for walking in, offer sufficient grip, yet not attract masses of gloopy mud on those occasions where you’ve decided to explore an unmade road/towpath/trail.  

I have relatively long, narrow feet, thus prefer sleeker designs, such as the FLR and these long serving Shimano, over the wider, trainer styled versions. Looking for a fast, stable and lightweight folder? This 12 kilo Tern Verge. It boasts and intriguing blend of components from road and mountain bike groupsets  https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/tern-verge-p10-folding-bicycle  

The Tru Tension All Weather lube continues to hold on, 300, changeable miles hence. I could’ve held off a bit longer, but these lubes are best topped up, rather than run dry. Very reasonable-although I’d hope so, given the marketing and price point. 

Cleanliness and low friction remain the main draws, although I’ll be sticking to its wet sibling on my fixed gear winter trainer. For a wet blend, it’s also comparatively clean, although it does transfer to fingers more readily than the all conditions counterpart.  

Steve’s been quite impressed with Rock n’ Roll Super Slick Greasehttps://www.sevendaycyclist.com/rock-n-roll-super-slick-grease which is designed for those with seals and those which move. Hubs and suspension components being the most obvious candidates.  

Lights aren’t the most obvious consideration this time of year-it's light from 5.30 am and dusk only sets in around 20.30. However, working bikes aside, these conditions are very conducive to extended playtimes on the best bike(s). 

Therefore, a set of blinkies is a shrewd move, just in case you discover an interesting detour, or get a flat. I’m sticking with the K-Lite Dynamos https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/k-lite-bikepacker-ultra-dynamo-ligh and https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/k-lite up front but Bob Elliot & Co (link) have sent the Ravemen TR30M and Ravemen TR50. The TR30 is a translucent design, which theoretically provides 360degree illumination. As the name suggests, maximum output is 30 lumens and run times cited as being 1.7 and 15 hours (steady and rapid flash respectively).  

There’s a memory function, so you can just prod and scoot off without cruising through the four other modes. There’s an auto kick down function, so, should the lithium polymer cell’s reserves dwindle, it’ll default to rapid flash. The TR50 packs a total of 50 lumens (flashing) and 6 modes. 50 lumens should be sufficient for daytime duties too.  

Looking at the lens suggests it might have better rearward, rather than peripheral punch and I’m not completely sold on the bracket but time and regular use in different contexts will tell.  I’ve switched the Dill Pickle bag for this Passport Bike Packing Seat Saddlepack.  

This genre of luggage is designed primarily for lighter, bulkier items-clothes being the most obvious, but for the time being, I’ve slipped a few tools at the bottom and slipped inner tubes atop. The Passport seems well constructed and very steady, which isn’t always the case. 

 I can’t stand sway, so was delighted by the double post strap, which seems very secure on my Univega’s narrower 26.6mm post.  Oh, racemmute? I am referring to treating your ride to work, as you would a race. Maybe it’s those years spent belting through the capital but doing otherwise feels unnatural...  

Navigating The Maddening Crowd

With lockdown long since imploding and societal angst seemingly accelerating several notches, I’ve resumed a state of hyper-vigilance on the roads-on two wheels and four. No sooner had the old Scott shoes imploded and I switched to the legendary Quoc Pham Tourer, my kettle followed suit.

  

Thankfully, I found a passable spare, while waiting for this red replacement to materialise.. Bob Elliot & Co graciously sent me some of their own brand tooling and these FLR Rexston Active Touring Trail shoes.  

The latter are a wallet-friendly design with a seemingly rugged synthetic upper with lace and a Velcro closure to keep the former neatly tamed and out of the transmission. Glossy synthetic uppers should prove easier to clean and are a much better bet than Cordura Nylon types traditionally used on street-styled trainer types.  

Mesh vents will hopefully permit a cooling free flow of air. The sole is reinforced nylon- what 

I’d expect from a trail/tour type model and moreover, this price point. Formative impressions suggest they’ve less rigidity than the Quoc Pham, but it will be interesting to see how they’ll compare with these Triban, in terms of power transfer.  

They’ll be my default, riding the Univega, the Quoc Pham, on the fixed. I’ve added a fresh set of cleats too since the only free set were Wellgo, which now seem incompatible with contemporary Shimano (although Shimano work just fine with Wellgo).  Here’s an overview, if you’re new to riding and considering going clipless https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/stepping-in-a-guide-to-going-cliple    

Was rather surprised to discover the Univega’s rear Continental Contact Reflex Tyre pancake flat. Whipping the tune out revealed a very tiny puncture wound. Nowhere near the valve, or seam, so easily patched and back in the wedge pack.  

I took this opportunity to clean the bikes’ rear triangle, using the Tru Tension Cycle Snow Foam, nip the mudguard’s chainstay bridge bolt tight and feed some Muc Off tyre sealant inside the tube. This also served to cement just how clean the Tru Tension Banana slip Tungsten All Weather Lube is to touch.  

Yes, its tacky but there’s been no annoying transfer to hands and consequently everything they encounter.   Its wet counterpart also continues to impress me on the friction and cleanliness fronts Now, long term life with the Acros Silicone Bar Wrap is also very favourable and the wrap seems very durable.  

However, the matt, embossed texture means that grimy patina, say following some fettling and indeed a roadside mechanical. It responds very well to machine washing but that’s not always convenient, let alone desirable. Sudsy bucket solutions and medium-stiff brushes will dismiss the worst of oily petrochemical spatter but still looks jaded. Enter the Tru Tension Monkey Juice Gel Bike Cleaner.  

Aside from the slightly synthetic banana odour and colour, the gel is designed to cling to the surface, thus giving the chemicals longer to break the grime down, on a molecular level. 3minute recommended standing times are also longer than the blow n’ go blends, although not unheard of. Thus far, given a medium-stiff bristle tickling, two minutes in, dirt and grime fell away, come the first warm water rinse.          

Elsewhere I’ve had to employ some lateral thought and these Topeak gizmos to attach this rather fetching Apidura Racing Bolt-On Top Tube Pack. One of my minor bugbears with traditional top tube/frame bags, is their tendency to rotate and leave “tan lines” in the lacquer/paintwork. Bolting to the frame is the obvious means of swerving this issue. However, my fixed gear winter/trainer (nor any of my fleet, for that matter) isn’t blessed with this feature...

  

Therefore, after a few minutes lateral thought I decided a modern composite band on interface would subvert this issue. Hence, I opted for another set of the Topeak Versa mount, which will comfortably handle the payloads involved.   

My Chemical Romance

I’m very fond of testing cleaners, polishes, waxes, greases and lubes. Most work but some perform much better than others. I’ve just received this big soft brush and bike wash from Zefal (along with a side-entry cage). As if by magic, this  Tru-Tension Banana Slip Tungsten All Weather Lube also arrived.  

Timely, since the Univega’s KMC chain had reached retirement, so I exchanged it for another KMC X10 73. 1650 miles seems reasonable from a 10speed, although I’ve stuck exclusively to dry/wax lubes during this period.  

Similarly, though shifting was still reliable, the chain lost its edge at 1250miles. it’s surprising how much difference a packet fresh chain makes, hence chains on race bikes should be replaced more frequently. I’ve also been quite impressed by this wallet and purportedly, planet-friendly Pure Dry Lube https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/pure-dry-lube    

All things being equal, I tend to replace a cassette, every third chain and keep one of each, waiting in the wings. There is a (plausible) narrative, suggesting there is a global shortage of components, given the pandemic.  

I have noticed a pronounced rise in the prices of chains and similar consumables, so took the opportunity to harvest some, spotted at notable discount. Given the present global and political climate, I am not confident this situation will improve significantly in the coming months.   

  

So, to the Tru Tension Banana Slip Tungsten All Weather Lube. Tungsten is reckoned a superior friction modifier, compared with ceramics, let alone our old friends Teflon/PTFE. This is another wax formula but said to cure in minutes, not hours. I’m wondering how it will cope in changeable conditions.  

How well it will repel water, and indeed corrosion during damper rides, whether it is temperature stable, makes good transition to cleat/similar mechanisms etc.   I’ve opted for its wet counterpart on my fixed gear winter/trainer’s chain and have been pleasantly surprised by the low friction and tenacity, in the past sixty miles but I’m looking at another 400miles before forming any viable conclusions. 

Tru Tension also has a maintenance spray within its range. Again, it purports to be “Perfectly formulated cycling spray to loosen stiff components such as cables, linkages and forks”. In common with the breed, Tru Tension says it doubles as a light penetrant spray cum polish. Most do all these things, by degrees, in the one- does- most sense.  

Lighter potions have the edge when it comes to displacing moisture, say from lighting switches and battery trays, whereas the beefier blends keep mechanisms and cables slick for several weeks at a time.  

There is certainly a place for both, on any rider’s shelf. I’d also advocate a tin of penetrant spray to tackle seized and stubborn parts, although in my experience, highly potent aerosol degreasers using strong solvents will also shift some stubborn/seized parts.  

Came in handy, salvaging Shimano cleats from the Scott shoes, which suddenly imploded. The sole literally came away like skin from a salmon fillet. I’ve consigned them to the bin and reverted to the mighty Quoc Pham Tourer. 

I also ported the Shimano cleats, since they work best with both genuine Shimano pedals and their homages. Yes, Wellgo in particular!