Change of Tempo

Conditions have become markedly more autumnal, which in some respects has proven very welcome. Temperatures have slid to the high teens-low twenties, so at 5am, its closer to 12-14 degrees and the wetter roads mean chain lubes are easier to evaluate. 300 miles in, The Muc-Off –50-degree chain lube shows no sign of relenting. There's some residual, sludgy gunk growing around the derailleur cage and jockey wheels but nothing out of the ordinary and less than I’ve come to expect from middleweight wet lubes.  

It’s made from a high viscosity synthetic, known as Polyalphaolefin. One that flows well at low temperatures, maintains its properties and low volatility. Characteristics that explain its popularity within the aircraft industry.  In the present conditions, I’m expecting at least 600miles from a single application. Aside from winter and commuting duties, it should excel in cyclocross, gravel, and mountain bike contexts.  

Fixed gear winter trainer’s new KMC is still sporting the factory lube but the tension was a fractionally too high, so I adjusted it at the close of our first outing. Not the most obvious choice perhaps, but the Lezyne Classic pedal spanner is perfect for tackling track nuts. Over a foot long, there’s more than enough leverage for stubborn pedals and is incredibly pleasant to use and far too nice to lend.  

The business end is made from CNC machined nickel-plated steel, features a bottle opener and the pedal/nut slots are offset, so no faffing trying to whip ‘em on the pedal flats. This bolts into a super tactile wooden handle, which sits perfectly in the palm. I've had mine for years (primarily as I don’t lend it!) but the electroplated finish is also top-notch.   

Staying with the fixed, the 32mm Kender Kwick Journey KS Plus continue to impress me with their blend of relative speed, compliance, and reliability. The 5mm puncture repellent belt seems equally dependable-no flats to date. When it comes to working, or winter bikes, reliability is worth those extra grams-the last thing I want to be doing is tackling a flat on a cold and rainy night, when I could be home nursing coffee and the bike safely tucked away in the garage.  

Talking of flats, Steve has been putting the Muc-Off Puncture Plug Repair kit through its paces https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/muc-off-puncture-plug-repair-kit  Talking of which, the wind steadily intensified over the course of Tuesday-nothing too wild, but I had pause for thought on Wednesday morning, when this tree came down. 

Had I been thirty seconds quicker...At the time, the felled tree was just something to navigate, the introspections, and what-ifs came after. Ironically enough, I had switched from the Smith Signal (my default for several thousand miles) to this airier and slightly lighter Cratoni.  

The Cratoni is several years old and a budget road model but has some nice features, including a bug net. Attaching a rear light is equally straightforward. Talking of which, Steve’s been impressed by the Ravemen TR300 rear Light https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/ravemen-tr300-bicycle-rear-light .  

Pumping out a maximum of 300 lumens, it employs three super bright CREE LEDs and a sturdy aluminium casing doubles as a heatsink, theoretically giving the diodes, battery, circuitry, and switch a sporting chance of a long and happy life. 

The mounting kit also seems an improvement on its less potent siblings. 300lumens is arguably overkill for most conditions but as a daylight running mode, especially on a trailer, it’s hard to fault its presence. On that note, I’m off to finalise my reviews of the TR30 and TR50. 

 

 

Misty Mornings

 

Navigating the backroads at 5am is like riding through pea soup and can play all sorts of tricks on an active imagination. Mercifully, the closest I’ve come to demonic hounds, or werewolves are speeding muntjac, deer but ideal conditions for evaluating lighting-and my reflexes!  

While it has some definite quirks, the Ravemen TR50 USB Rechargeable rear light is surprisingly potent, especially in the highest, 50 lumen flashing mode.  

This has sufficient bite to burn through dense coastal mist and doubles as a decent daytime running light. True, it doesn’t match the Knog Cobber Mid Rear Lights’ https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/knog-cobber-mid-rear-light knockout punch. High flash and pulsing produce 150lumens apiece and are relatively frugal-especially in the flashing mode.  

The Cobber’s curved optics, not to mention 192 diodes also mean its peripheral reach is considerably better.  Nonetheless, it needs four hours charge time and is almost twice the TR50’s asking price.   

The highest setting has exceeded cited run time by a few minutes, although the auto kickdown to fast flashing doesn’t last long (around 15 minutes) before shutting down. A consideration, rather than a deal-breaker but I’m always inclined to run a backup light, regardless.  

Flash flooding and thunderstorms have tempered the recent heatwave, hence my lube switches.150 miles in, formative impressions of the Muc-Off –50 lubricant are also very favourable. Not dissimilar to the Weldtite TF2 All Weather Lubricant https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/weldtite-tf2-performance-all-weathe in terms of lubrication and cleanliness. I have high hopes for its corrosion resisting properties, too.  

Similar viscosity also lends itself to cleat/mechanisms and even cables, although a dry wax such Weldite Ultra Dry Chain Wax https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/weldtite-tf2-ultra-dry-chain-wax is, my preferred option for cable inners. In this context, there’s no need to observe the long curing period, although it will last a good while longer if you can.  

Half link chains, like a lot of things, divide opinion. Personally, I’m a fan. They were a popular way of addressing chain tension issues, especially on fixed gear conversions with vertical frame ends. Much less of a challenge on a purpose build frameset using track ends.  

During a quiet moment, I chose to substitute my fixed gear winter/trainer’s Sram PC1 for this KMC HL1 Wide. As the imaginative moniker suggests, it’s a hefty, nickel-plated ½ link, direction specific model. Easily cut and joined using this trusty Topeak All Speeds Chain Toolhttps://www.sevendaycyclist.com/topeak-all-speeds-chain-tool.  

 

Refined and super smooth, I’m wondering how the HL1 will compare with my all-time favourite, the KMC Z1x https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/kmc-inox-chain (save for the tendency for lube to migrate from the rollers to the outer plates). Talking of which, I’m going to leave it dressed in the factory lube for the time being, since it's there, although being quite contrary in these matters, I might well change my mind.  

Talking of electroplating, while on a mission of mercy, I exhumed this seven-year old, 20 function BBB Microfold XXL from the recesses of my car boot tidy. I always some tooling there in case I need to fettle a friend’s bike while visiting, or in case someone is stuck by the roadside. 

Now out of production, said tool is anything but obsolete and has some nice touches. Curious? OK, T25 Torx, spoke wrenches (3.2, 3.3 3.5mm), tyre lever, chain hook, chain tool, chain pin tool, 2, 2.5, 5, 4, 5, 6, 8mm Allen keys, 8, 9, 10mm Box wrenches, Phillips and straight blade screwdrivers. By the look of things, I may have lost the 8mm cap but otherwise, it’ll cater for most eventualities and is surprisingly pleasant to use, thanks to the rubberised coating.  

I was somewhat stunned to discover the plated tooling had cultivated some unsightly, barnacle-like tarnish. This presented the ideal opportunity to test the cutting prowess of this M16 Ride & Shine. The chemical abrasives did a decent job of removing the lions’ share within 20minutes, albeit with a little help from a flat-file. Apparently, the Ride & Shine leaves a protective barrier behind, so we’ll see how effective that is...