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Cycling log - random events in the day of a cyclist II

You have to ask yourself the whether need for such extreme clothing makes it the wrong weather for cycling to begin with. I have a long sleeved Gabba & if it is too cold for that then I don’t go out;)
 
From a safety perspective it’s hard to disagree with you, from a clothing perspective it’s not difficult for many of us to have clothes, footwear and gloves that mean we don’t feel cold. True about the face though, icy cold on forehead, ears and nose is not fun but in the Southern counties it doesn’t get to that often. And the winter sports across Europe suggest folk find a way to cope with it all.
 
I haven't done a lot of winter XC riding before, but have now been out a lot this winter. 3.5 hours of mud round the north downs in 4c this morning. Full length gear cable outer paid off and the shifting is now working a dream in all conditions. Some braces for the waterproof trousers would be handy next time out. Just got some decent lights, so might have a pop at doing the same route at night later this week.
 
I had on a 180g merino LS t-shirt, an Endura Pro sl waterproof shell, gloves and standard weight 3/4 bib shorts. It wasn't that cold.

My full on winter kit probably only gets 2-3 outings a year.
 
sq225917 said:
I had the front end skip about under me a couple of times yesterday, only had to unclip once.

I only have one pair of shoes, they're pretty lightweight summer items but with no venting. I never get cold feet though, my hands though.....
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Just picked up a pair of those Planet X lobster claw cycling mittens, sketchy for the technical stuff, but, boy, do they keep your hands warm. Amazing for a tenner.

Feet have standard xc race spd shoes, with sealskin socks and MT500 neoprene covers.
 
Those of us of a mountaineering persuasion have always had an obsession with warm hands. Dachstein mittens are fantastic for winter commuting if you can live with mittens, if you like free fingers then a better choice are the neoprene gloves you can get in Decathlon for next to nothing. They don't wear well but at under £15 who cares? I have used these in -15C Alpine winter conditions holding metal tools all day, they were toasty.
 
Has anyone here experience of servicing Marzocchi forks? I have a set of Gran Fondo 1 forks, they started leaking so I got a service kit. The RH leg has dismantled without incident, the LH leg has a 12mm nut on the bottom, which just turns. It should unscrew and you can then lift out the internal parts to replace the seals, but mine simply turns the internal parts. I've looked on You tube without success and a bike forum.
 
I'll bring the bits into the warm so I can have a look in comfort. Actually one thing occurs to me, there is a guy stripping a similar model down very quickly, he leaves a nitrogen strut in place before loosening the bottom nut. I lifted this out, it was loose in the stanchion and I think the manual said to lift it out, as I did. Maybe, just maybe, this strut engages with the internal parts if left in situ and allows the thing to be unscrewed. Watch this space.
 
Did a couple of hours on my Mongravel bike this afternoon. Absolute rubbish!
Uncomfortable riding position, even with riser bars. Odd handling. The frame seems to transmit bumps whilst soaking up pedaling power.
Incredibly, despite the narrow contact patch Schwalbe Marathons at 55PSI and the lack of suspension, average speed was no better than my full suss bike with 2.3" tyres at 25PSI. It also weighs 4 lbs more than the proper bike.

Thank goodness my new gravel bike (Bored Man ADV 9.0) should arrive on Saturday.
 
Tubeless vs. tubes on road rims?

I went tubeless years ago on MTB's but my roadbike (2019 Roubaix Sport) has tubes with the 28mm Specialized Turbo Pro clinchers. Both the tires and rims are tubeless ready, and I got a set of Stans Notubes valves ready to go (+ sealant).
Anyone want to comment who has switched over to (or back from) tubeless? On my MTB I really liked the change to tubeless combined with light tires and low pressures (Stan's Ravens - unfortunately no longer available in 26").

FYI roads here can be rough but in a couple of years riding no flats so far (though my wife had one).
 
I looked into tubeless road tires but nobody seemed to rave about them.

I went for latex tubes which gave a more comfy ride, and supposedly they reduce rolling resistance.

Down side is you have to pump them up every day.
 
What's the advantage with tubeless road tyres? MTB I get, you can run lower pressures and no pinch flats. But on road a slime tube or a tyre with a puncture band will do it without adding all the complexity, and you never run low pressures.
 
I think road tubeless might be useful if you live somewhere where thorn punctures are an issue, but otherwise it seems to be a bit of a solution without a problem for me. With correct pressures and decent tyres I've never found road punctures to be much of an issue, so while I have tubeless ready wheels and tyres I've never tried it as it looks like there can be a fair bit of hassle involved. I'm the same with MTB tyres - I just don't get enough punctures for tubeless to be worth considering.

I've gone as far as buying sealant etc. but not used it.
 
One of my road wheel sets is tubeless compatible but I haven’t explored it yet, summer bike if I do try. Biggest advance I have found is the move from 15mm to 17mm to 19mm road rims over the years and I can feel the difference. My 25mm tyres are perfect on those wheels I mention (Pacenti rims on White T11 hubs) and I run about 85psi (I’m a 90kg rider) whereas 25mm tyres become more lightbulb as you go down rim size and psi needs to be higher.

so if your frame and brake callipers accommodate I’m definitely in the 25mm-28mm-32mm tyre camp across my bikes. It’s hard to believe 19mm or 21mm tyres were once the norm.

Like others I use Stans in the MTB tyres again with inners.
 
I have gone tubeless on my commuter.

The big advantage for me is not being late for something at work.

There is an initial element of faff, but when you consider how much of a pain in the arse a puncture in the dark/cold/rain is, then it more than makes sense.

The grit used on roads here in winter can be particularly sharp pointed, so punctures are pretty much guaranteed.
 
S-Man said:
Thank goodness my new gravel bike (Bored Man ADV 9.0) should arrive on Saturday.
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Let us know how you get on with it. I was thinking about the tyre clearance of this bike and perhaps if you find the clearance insufficient, then you could fit 650b wheels with wider tyres.

Might not be necessary of course as my gravel bike is currently fitted with 700x37 WTB riddlers which are fine for all but rooty, rocky trails which is MTB territory anyway.
 
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