I converted the wheels on the Love/Hate to an Eclipse tubeless system at the weekend. This means you can use normal tyres on a normal rim, but without tubes, meaning a nice lightweight set up and in theory, no punctures. Sounds too good to be true? Have a look at JustRiding Along. It wasn’t a pain free experience and involved a lot of huffing on the track pump trying to get the tyres seated on the rim, mucho latex being spilled everywhere and some doubts as to whether it was going to work at all. I gave up, it was Friday evening and I decided to drink some beer and try and forget about it.
Saturday started early, the kids were up at 6am, and I was groggy (beer and after midnight bedtime). Mrs Shonky was away on a ‘fitness weekend’ (a bunch of women drinking too much wine and doing the odd aerobics class), so I had no chance of a lie in. Mulling over the tyre problem, I realised that the solution was to get a big blast of air into the tyres really fast – like using a CO2 cartridge. As soon as I got a spare few minutes, I tried this and it worked first time.
No chance to test the new tyres out this weekend though.
Saturday night I had arranged a babysitter so I could go to see the World Cup Track Racing at the Manchester Velodrome. I’ve ridden there once, but this was the first time I’d been as a spectator. I didn’t know what to expect, and was prepared for it to be a bit dull. It was superb. The racing was exciting, we had seats near the finish line, the British riders won lots of races and the atmosphere was great. The sprinters are huge brutes, you don’t realise until you see them close up. They have the most unfeasible looking thighs, like something off a cartoon. Definitely a good evening out. I’ll take Mrs Shonky next time, she’ll appreciate the muscles and lycra.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Stonkin' Saturday Ride
Another weekend of squeezing stuff in 'til it squeaks. We had friends coming over Saturday lunchtime until Sunday afternoon, so my only chance for a ride was early on Saturday. I also had to fit in 6 hours or so of work, which meant working Friday and Sunday evening.
Saturday morning was one of those clear and crisp winter days that we all go on about, but rarely see. There was good sprinkle of frost and the sun was out, so I pulled the SS out of the garage, still plastered in Thursday night's Chatsworth clay (if the Duke of Devonshire sees this, he'll probably try to charge me for his mud).
The route was one of the usual combinations, Chinley Churn, Coldwell Clough and the Shooting Cabin. I have to keep reminding myself when these routes get too familiar and mundane that they are classics. Some people drive for hours to get onto the trails that I step out of the house onto. This time though they had a nice new coating of freshness, the air was diamond clear and the mud was partly frozen. The views from Chinley Churn stretched right into Wales and being a Saturday there was nobody about.
Despite the all round loveliness of being out in those conditions, my legs were not happy. I think the general weariness, stress and lack of sleep had finally caught me out. I was a slightly pathetic and slouching figure hauling the bike up the climbs and stopping for regular rests. The descents were still good though. After 2 hours I started to feel better and could have carried on, but had to turn for home, the noon deadline was approaching.
Spinning along the Sett Valley Trail, I got buzzed by another rider. He passed me at some speed, really close and with no warning, brushing my elbow as he passed without a word. Apart from being a bit rude (I think you should always at least say hello or 'passing on your right' or whatever), it was a bit dangerous. I noticed he slowed quite a bit as soon as he had a reasonable 'lead', so I got the legs spinning to see what happened. I gradually caught him (I don't think he knew I was catching up, or he would have been off again), and we met at a gate. I had a brief chat, I didn't say anything about his rudeness, and he seemed a rather grumpy fella. He was on a nice geared hardtail, and he kept looking down at the back of my bike. I was hoping he'd just say something then we could get the 'yes it's a one geared bike, yes it does go up hills, no there isn't any special reason, it really is just a bike' out of the way, but he didn't. He did keep increasing the pace though (the Sett Valley Trail is fast and flat, an old railway), so I had to spin rather quick. We soon got to the climb up through New Mills which is steep for a while, and this was unfortunately the last I saw of him. I gave him a wave from the top and he waved back whilst click-click-clicking down to a nice slow gear.
Saturday morning was one of those clear and crisp winter days that we all go on about, but rarely see. There was good sprinkle of frost and the sun was out, so I pulled the SS out of the garage, still plastered in Thursday night's Chatsworth clay (if the Duke of Devonshire sees this, he'll probably try to charge me for his mud).
The route was one of the usual combinations, Chinley Churn, Coldwell Clough and the Shooting Cabin. I have to keep reminding myself when these routes get too familiar and mundane that they are classics. Some people drive for hours to get onto the trails that I step out of the house onto. This time though they had a nice new coating of freshness, the air was diamond clear and the mud was partly frozen. The views from Chinley Churn stretched right into Wales and being a Saturday there was nobody about.
Despite the all round loveliness of being out in those conditions, my legs were not happy. I think the general weariness, stress and lack of sleep had finally caught me out. I was a slightly pathetic and slouching figure hauling the bike up the climbs and stopping for regular rests. The descents were still good though. After 2 hours I started to feel better and could have carried on, but had to turn for home, the noon deadline was approaching.
Spinning along the Sett Valley Trail, I got buzzed by another rider. He passed me at some speed, really close and with no warning, brushing my elbow as he passed without a word. Apart from being a bit rude (I think you should always at least say hello or 'passing on your right' or whatever), it was a bit dangerous. I noticed he slowed quite a bit as soon as he had a reasonable 'lead', so I got the legs spinning to see what happened. I gradually caught him (I don't think he knew I was catching up, or he would have been off again), and we met at a gate. I had a brief chat, I didn't say anything about his rudeness, and he seemed a rather grumpy fella. He was on a nice geared hardtail, and he kept looking down at the back of my bike. I was hoping he'd just say something then we could get the 'yes it's a one geared bike, yes it does go up hills, no there isn't any special reason, it really is just a bike' out of the way, but he didn't. He did keep increasing the pace though (the Sett Valley Trail is fast and flat, an old railway), so I had to spin rather quick. We soon got to the climb up through New Mills which is steep for a while, and this was unfortunately the last I saw of him. I gave him a wave from the top and he waved back whilst click-click-clicking down to a nice slow gear.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Mud and Cake
I got the new BB fitted in time to head off to Bakewell for the nightride. Derek and Ade rode over from Derek's house to meet me and Steve in the car park.
We did the Bakewell route out of the Vertebrate guidebook. The others had done the route before and claimed to know it well. We still got a little lost a few times, especially in the woods down to the golf course at the end where we developed some new freeridey trails through the mud and leaves.
Did I mention mud? There was plenty, the type that glues itself to your wheels until they drag like a very draggy thing. There was some mist too, and a long grassy slope that had been recently muck-spread. I can still taste it. We all had fun and I felt pretty strong despite being semi exhausted at the start (too many working hours and too little sleep). Maybe I function best when tired? Ade was struggling at the end, so rather than leave him to an hour's slog back to Derek's house (he'd ridden over from there) we loaded his and Derek's bike in the cars and drove back to Derek's country pile.
Derek's missus had made a great looking sponge cake, and the feeding frenzy that followed was quite something. The whole cake disappeared within minutes. It was probably the highlight of the evening...
Cups of tea and gassing meant I didn't get back til after midnight. Up at 6am again for work - I'm not catching up on that sleep am I?
We did the Bakewell route out of the Vertebrate guidebook. The others had done the route before and claimed to know it well. We still got a little lost a few times, especially in the woods down to the golf course at the end where we developed some new freeridey trails through the mud and leaves.
Did I mention mud? There was plenty, the type that glues itself to your wheels until they drag like a very draggy thing. There was some mist too, and a long grassy slope that had been recently muck-spread. I can still taste it. We all had fun and I felt pretty strong despite being semi exhausted at the start (too many working hours and too little sleep). Maybe I function best when tired? Ade was struggling at the end, so rather than leave him to an hour's slog back to Derek's house (he'd ridden over from there) we loaded his and Derek's bike in the cars and drove back to Derek's country pile.
Derek's missus had made a great looking sponge cake, and the feeding frenzy that followed was quite something. The whole cake disappeared within minutes. It was probably the highlight of the evening...
Cups of tea and gassing meant I didn't get back til after midnight. Up at 6am again for work - I'm not catching up on that sleep am I?
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Bloody friggin ISIS
I've got an ISIS chainset on the SS. I've had it a couple of years now, and whatever BB I try, they all seem to last about 3 months, by which time they feel like the bearings have turned into broken glass and the cranks wobble alarmingly. I've even had the pleasure of snapping a BB axle whilst dropping down towards Mam Nick from Rushup.
I was at the point of ditching the chainset and going back to Octalink or even the good old Shimano square taper, when a friend told me about the new SKF ISIS bottom brackets. SKF have solved the ISIS bearing problem using well sealed roller bearings, and this friend (a frequent ISIS masher) had one on test for WhatMountainBike and it was actually lasting longer than the usual 3 or 4 rides.
I bought one and put it in the LoveHate. It has lasted a month no problem, but the annoying creak that has developed has been traced to the BB by elimination. I took it out last night, regreased it and put it back, giving it a nice tweak on the spanner to ensure it was nice and snug. This final tweak resulted in a loud crack. I had sheared off the end of the aluminium mounting cup, not the loose one, the one that is bonded to the BB shell. That's a perfectly good BB fecked (in fact probably the best ISIS BB I have ever, ever owned).
The result is: I need a new BB quick for tonight. I can't wait the week or so it takes to get a new SKF one, and the only one available in Manchester is a Raceface Evolve for £45 from Evans. It's a lot of money for a bottom bracket shaped piece of Edam. Anyway, I bit the bullet and went into Evans (after a lovely lunch in Livebait with MrsShonky). The gormless chap at the counter vaguley understood what I wanted and finally found it. (As an aside, a customer was collecting his new folding bike when I was waiting, and complained that it was supposed to come with free mudguards, Evans had fitted a front and rear Crudcatcher. It looked ridiculous, and the guy was, rightly, not happy. It looked like they would foul up when it was folded. The Evans shopmonkey was not giving way though...)
Back to now. I'll slap the new tube of cheese in when I get home and head off for tonight's ride round Bakewell - we're doing the route from the new guidebook.
I was at the point of ditching the chainset and going back to Octalink or even the good old Shimano square taper, when a friend told me about the new SKF ISIS bottom brackets. SKF have solved the ISIS bearing problem using well sealed roller bearings, and this friend (a frequent ISIS masher) had one on test for WhatMountainBike and it was actually lasting longer than the usual 3 or 4 rides.
I bought one and put it in the LoveHate. It has lasted a month no problem, but the annoying creak that has developed has been traced to the BB by elimination. I took it out last night, regreased it and put it back, giving it a nice tweak on the spanner to ensure it was nice and snug. This final tweak resulted in a loud crack. I had sheared off the end of the aluminium mounting cup, not the loose one, the one that is bonded to the BB shell. That's a perfectly good BB fecked (in fact probably the best ISIS BB I have ever, ever owned).
The result is: I need a new BB quick for tonight. I can't wait the week or so it takes to get a new SKF one, and the only one available in Manchester is a Raceface Evolve for £45 from Evans. It's a lot of money for a bottom bracket shaped piece of Edam. Anyway, I bit the bullet and went into Evans (after a lovely lunch in Livebait with MrsShonky). The gormless chap at the counter vaguley understood what I wanted and finally found it. (As an aside, a customer was collecting his new folding bike when I was waiting, and complained that it was supposed to come with free mudguards, Evans had fitted a front and rear Crudcatcher. It looked ridiculous, and the guy was, rightly, not happy. It looked like they would foul up when it was folded. The Evans shopmonkey was not giving way though...)
Back to now. I'll slap the new tube of cheese in when I get home and head off for tonight's ride round Bakewell - we're doing the route from the new guidebook.
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