Tubes, Lubes & Tape Tribulations

 

I’ve been taking advantage of primarily dry conditions and defaulted to the Teenage Dream’s skinny-tyred charms. Down tube friction shifters aren’t everyone’s thing but these and the Campagnolo Victory mechs they command, are slick and reliable.  

Sure, I wouldn’t race with friction setups, but for training and general riding along open roads, fine. Went to pluck it from the hook for a dawn ride, only to discover the rear tyre was pancake flat.  

No matter, Ursula needed a run and I needed to double-check the Micro shift/Sun race/Shimano drivetrain was still playing nicely.  

Dialling in a stiffer spring tension was definitely the way forward. Not that I was pogo-ing, just a little too reactive for my tastes and the machine’s loftier stance. Crisp, seamless and predictable shifting, a big grin across my face as my mind roamed freely. 

Sorted the Teenage dream’s flat on my return-a sharp had nicked the rear tyre’s casing and grazed the tube, so pressure loss was, thankfully incredibly pedestrian. Struck away from the seam, so easily patched. Back into the wedge pack, as a spare. The chain was beginning to look a little thirsty.  

Nothing serious, but now was convenient. I stripped the chain with solvent, dried and switched to the Peaty’s Link Lube Dry PEATYS LINK LUBE DRY CHAIN LUBE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). Curing times are less convenient than the Tru Tension Banana Slip All weather LubeTRU TENSION TUNGSTEN ALL WEATHER LUBE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) but its clean and surprisingly durable.  

In common with other waxy type dry lubes, residual stuff clinging to the freewheel/cassette gets reclaimed by the chain, extending topping up times. Ursula is still running the third helping and I exceeded 400miles on the second. Chances are, I’ll switch to The Peaty’s Link Lube Wet, come the next replacement chain, which will probably coincide with October.

  

The Link Lube Wet is proving a great fit for the fixed’s KMC chain-keeping it serene and quiet. Both machines sport silicone bar wraps and I’m a huge fan of their damping and grip-hell and high water. The one minor downside, especially with bright colours, is the ease at which they accumulate grimy patinas.  

On the plus side, they can be tossed in the wash at 30 degrees, when really sullied. However, this is hardly the most desirable route when you’ve just fixed a flat by the roadside and grabbed the bars with slightly oily digits.  

Dark colours are the best bet, especially for daily drivers but then again, I like something quite bold for winter. Foaming type waterless cleaners get the worst out but be prepared to give them a regular tickling with a medium stiff brush (I’m really fond of Oxford Products Tyre ScrubTESTED: OXFORD PRODUCTS TYRE SCRUB BRUSH (sevendaycyclist.com) dipped in neat degreaser/bike wash concentrate and rinse with warm, then cold water.     As if by magic, some Velo Orange Rubbery Bar Tape arrived in the post-Thank you Connor.  I’ve gone for black but white, or a tan brown are the alternatives. Rubbery texture aside, it’s also 3.5mm thick, which promises excellent damping.  

The nights and mornings are gradually becoming darker. I run the K-Lite dynamos during the day but now the mornings are getting darker, blinkies are engaged for most rides-usually the Ravemen CL05RAVEMEN CL05 SENSORED REAR LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and CL06 RAVEMEN CL06 SENSORED REAR LIGHT | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) but I’ve also taken to mounting the Moon Sheild X Ultra MOON SHIELD X AUTO REAR LIGHT REVIEW? (sevendaycyclist.com) on Ursula’s Carradice SQR Tour.  

A nice height, closely aligned with driver eye levels. It’s a model that is slightly “Marmite”. Some (such as yours truly) think it’s fabulous, others feel it’s anything but user-friendly. There are 9 modes in total, which is excessive by some standards, and I must admit, I default to the flashing modes, since for me, they strike the best balance between output and economy.  

I’ve also needed to add a shim between the K-lite Bike Packer Ultra lamp and Velo Orange mount, since the former ad a tendency to migrate upwards-very slowly-washboard tarmac being the main culprit. Aside from being mildly irritating to me, I didn’t want it dazzling oncoming traffic. Nothing a quick delve through the bodge box and two fresh cable ties couldn’t solve.  

To date, I haven’t given much thought to replacing Ursula’s rear Schwalbe Marathon Mondial DD. It’s still perfectly serviceable. The Schwalbe Marathon GT 365TESTED: SCHWALBE MARATHON GT 365 TYRES WINTER UPDATE (sevendaycyclist.com) is an obvious substitution. These are exceptionally reliable and extremely durable. However, they are also hefty, and I fancy something sprightlier.  

There is still a reasonable amount of decent quality 26inch rubber around but it’s losing favour, just as 27inch did, I the late 80s. Supply issues are another problem here in the UK. Masked by the pandemic, European manufacturers are in no hurry to export to the UK, given the added paperwork and delays, which are likely to worsen in the coming months.   

Bags & Bright Sides

 

The arrival of this Craft Cadence Handlebar Bag brought a bit contemplation-Ursula, or fixed gear winter/trainer... The good news is this 3.5 litre model would sit nicely between the Soma Condor 2SOMA CONDOR 2 SHALLOW DROP BARS | (sevendaycyclist.com) bars, with a healthy amount of clearance between bag and mudguard. (Fenders for US/Canadian readers). However, it would require a more comprehensive re-jigging of the cockpit. Hence, I plumped for the fixed’s Genetic D Riser 4 GENETIC DRISER 4 HANDLEBARS | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) 

I still needed to slide the Genetic Neuron Accessory BarGENETIC NEURON ACCESSORY BAR | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) along, and switch the ORP Smart hornTESTED: ORP SMART HORN (sevendaycyclist.com) and action camera mount/housing. Another blessing in disguise by my reckoning, neater still. Bag in situ, I’ve decided to remove the Apidura Racing Bolt-On Top Tube Pack for a cleaner, less cluttered aesthetic.  

Talking of which, I prefer my handlebar bags to be less prescriptive, dare I say, less orderly. The big open plan compartment has a mesh pocket to capture valuables such as phones, wallets etc in a central, easily accessible place. Otherwise, there’s plenty of scope for bunging in spare tubes, micro jackets/gilets, gloves, arm/leg warmers, caps, tools, food, and compact camera.  

The straps are more like a belt buckle, and rather interesting, in the most positive sense. Less prescriptive than those featuring the otherwise very likeable and reliable Klick Fix type and offering greater stability than Velcro. The stem strap IS Velcro and stable, although, as with bike packing luggage, I would place some “helicopter tape” where it makes contact with paintwork, to avoid “tan lines” and other, easily avoidable calling cards.  

Made from micro welded Tarpaulin, the main bag meets IPX5, which isn’t waterproof in the submersible sense but coupled with the clam type closure is very reassuring. (I’ve had no issues to date, in some unexpected and intense showers.) That being said (and it’s not a reflection of the Craft Cadence) I would be inclined to line with a dry sack, if carrying cameras, or similarly sensitive electrical goodies.  

All good, in the main. Save that is, for a fatigued seat collar, resulting in a very pedestrian sinking of the Cane Creek Thudbuster ST G4. These small components eventually fail and worst-case scenario, a new collar and bolt are easy and relatively cheap to replace. I bought a couple of Selcoff units, complete for £1.99 apiece. Obviously, I had a good route around the small spares' trays first for a suitable alternative. Nothing doing and splaying smaller clamps is asking for trouble.  

Components are designed to be a precise fit and work to very tight tolerances. Hung safely back in the garage, I found myself fettling Ursula again. It started innocently enough, dialing some stiffness into the Kinekt 2.1 seatpost KINEKT 2.1 SUSPENSION SEAT POST | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). Then (almost predictably) I thought I’d check the shifting...For some reason, it was out of step. Not wildly so but merited investigation.  

After 15 minutes, I had a eureka moment, whipped off the Sun Race SP570 Rear Derailleur Hanger Extender SUNRACE REAR DERAILLEUR EXTENDER | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and threaded the NRX derailleur straight into the frame’s hanger (adding a quick lick of Peaty’s Assembly Grease PEATY'S BICYCLE ASSEMBLY GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com)  while I was there. Minor cable tensioning later and it moved sequentially, without hesitation across the block. I repeated this six times before satisfied all was well and that the derailleur wasn’t going too far in either direction.  

I completed the session by fitting this freshly charged Brightside Side Light to the downtube. Designed here in the UK, it’s a tertiary form of lighting intended to improve peripheral presence, say at roundabouts and junctions.  

Build quality is reassuringly good and waterproofing similarly impressive. It can also be mounted to other tubes, including the head tube (although this may not be practical, say with some bar bags). This, coupled with its topside (helmet-mounted front and rear combo light) counterpart look particularly effective, for boosting the presence of riders towing trailers and tagalongs.