Pure Bike Degreaser (Weldtite)

Hi all,
A short review of Pure Bike Degreaser from Weldtite.

It is not secret I am a fan of many of the Weldtite products, those who know me a bit better also know that I try to do my bit to not trash the environment too much either when enjoying my riding, around the home or in general day-to-day life.

So finding a degreaser that is made from natural, renewable and biodegradable substances and actually works well is a good find in my book and I have been using it for a couple of years now.

The Pure Bike Degreaser is not only better for the environment it does do a very good job of cleaning the drive train and anything else that get grotty when riding, cleaning and rebuilding bikes.  I have used it to clean bikes after long wet over night rides, where just about everything ends up stuck to the drive train, after races in mud sticky enough it clogs you rear cassette completely (we have all been there).

A simple wetting down of the drive train (or other affected area) a couple of sprays, let it sit and penetrate for a while, agitate the area with brush and let it sit a little longer then scrub of and wash rinse off.  For really thick muck I find going over it twice seems to get a good clean result.  Obviously using a half decent chain/drive train brush which Weldtite produce.

I can highly recommend this degreaser, also works well on clothes and hands.

2013

Ok it has been a while since my last blog, so lets do a super quick round up of 2013 both climbing an cycling.

Firstly, my climbing over 2013 was a little quiet with only a few trips away and nothing outstanding climbed, other than the trip to the Dolomites with Dan.  However, it is fair to say that when I did get away I was generally at my limit, which is always nice to be able to do when you haven't trained or climbed much. So not a bad year in all and has given me some focus for 2014.  Probably nothing hugely exciting lined up, but things will progress.

Cycling, well after 2012 it couldn't get any worse.  Starting the year without having a serious back injury was certainly better.  But burning the candle both ends for at least 3 months kicked my arse a bit and this showed in the first few races.

But things improved, with an 8th at Twentyfour12, 3rd at the ACU/Gorrick Are You Tough Enough and a 17th in the 2nd Rnd of the Gorrick Brass Monkeys after a double injury month (must stay upright more often).

There were a number of Top 20's but these really served to frustrate me, but now motivate me for 2014.

A big thanks to:
Alpkit
Cycleworks
Wolf Tooth Components
Weldtite
and Cervo Rosso

For your support throughout the year, always nice to work with down to earth, honest and fun people.  I hope I can provide better results and still the same level of feedback and product testing and promotion, as I have done through 2013 in 2014.

A big thanks to Nik, Dan and others stepping in for Nik or joining me on trips as much of this would never happen without you all.

Strangely, the high-lights of the year are not the 2 best results, but the biking trip to Bormio with some of the CW crew, Nik and Chris and the Dolomites climbing trip with Dan (we plan to head back).

All-in-all a pretty good year and have got to me some great people and have some real laughs.

All the best for 2104.

Alpkit Bike Packing Kit Test

The other week I had a few days off to go and help my sponsor Weldtite with some filming (more on that later), so I had also arranged to meet Kenny (Alpkit) on the weekend to have a look and play with some bike packing kit and hopefully ride some of the Pennine Bridleway.

After the working with Weldtite for the two days, this was great fun and was great to meet everyone, such a good honest Brit company getting on with it, I headed for Barnoldswick to meet Kenny.  After meeting Kenny we decided to head up to Settle instead and just made last orders at the locals local.

After bedding down in the vans for the night in the centre of Settle, we headed over to Gisburn Forest Trail Centre, it had been extremely wet over the last few nights and was raining has we headed over.  The theory being that we would chew up less ground and it would be a good place to test the Alpkit bike packing kit on my bike to see what I would need.

After arriving and loading poor old Toad up see below we headed off on the Blue loop for starters.

Taken after the days riding.

My goal for the day was to workout what would suit my riding style and the SIR9 (Toad's) geometry best.  The combination of the Alpkit frame bag, Koala (seat bag), bar bag (prototype), stem holster and my reliable Camelbak, carry the kit I might need for a few days of travel, in the wet, cold and dry. (Picture above)

We set off and had did a circuit on the blue and then one on the red.  Both trails gave suitable climbing and varying terrain to test the kit and bike out with it all packed on.  More than a bit of standing water, mud and a bit of rain tested the Alpkit bike packing bags.

Firstly, packing the bags carefully ensured good weight distribution which mean the bike handled just like it always did, just a bit heavier.  Even found myself getting off the ground and flicking it through the corners.  This also meant the forks weren't overloaded and therefore still reacted as they should.

Now to the bags, once all secured to the bike (frame bag sitting snug in the centre) and loaded with squishy, light, but warm clothing, food and maps, sleeping bag (Koala seat bag), tarp and few other bits (prototype bar), phone, gels and bars in the (stem holster), Camelbak filled with tent, MyTi pot, mug and tools.  Like I said, enough stuff to last a few days self sufficient.

Once in the bags, everything was easy to access and nothing was swinging around on the bike and they proved to be pretty waterproof as I splashed through the deep puddles and mud.  The sand and grit didn't really bother the zips and the bags wash off easily.

All-in-all, I found these bags great and will be getting my frame bag ordered with a few other types of bags soon.  One thing worth doing is putting some protective frame tape on the bike wear the straps wrap around it just to protect it from abrasions caused from the grit getting between the straps and frame.  There are other great things as well, you can choose the configuration of your frame bag, how many compartments (within reason) and zip locations.  All very handy to get a more bespoke and useful bag.

Dry Wax vs TF2 Plus+ Dry

A little while back Weldtite sent me over some Dry Wax and TF2 Plus+ Dry to test.  With the fine and warm weather we were having at that time as we were actually having a summer, the products never got fully tested in extreme conditions.

But eventually the weather let me test in the wet as well.

Dry Wax and TF2 Plus+ Dry

First thing that is blatantly obvious is they are two very different products.  One being a wax based lubricant and the other is Teflon based (more your usual lube). So what would be the different uses? Best conditions of use?

So first I tested using the Dry Wax on both road and MTBikes, after giving the drive train a good clean I applied the wax and set to using the bikes. The wax worked amazingly well on the road bike lasting extremely well.  The wax gives the drive chain a good protective layer which copes well with dry and wet road conditions.  However, I found the wax does wear off the quickly when used on the MTBike due to the grit, dust and mud.

The Teflon based dry lube is excellent at shedding water from those sudden and unexpected showers when out on the road or MTBike, this reduces the chances of grit and dust sticking to the drive train.  This made it a better choice for the MTBike, whilst I used the wax road bike right up until the weather finally turned wet.

I found both products great, but have a different uses. I also found using them in combination applying the wax first and then Teflon as the outer coat worked very well to increase the protection given to the drive train even in the current very wet and muddy conditions.

The only real con with the wax is the drive train needs to be extremely clean before applying it, otherwise it doesn't adhere to the chain well.

Both products are great and will compliment your toolbox well.

Cyclo Modular Workstation

A little while ago I was lucky enough to get one of the Cyclo Modular Workstations from Weldtite.  If I am honest the thing that lured me to this work stand was the Clamp Head itself, but with such a good deal it was worth getting the hole stand.  The stand is pictured below holding one of my rides.

 

 Modular Workstation

The first thing you notice is just how damn easy it is to use the Clamp, it is easily closed, released and rotated with the simple flick lock levers. In fact closing the clamp couldn't be easier as self adjust as you close it shut on any frame or seat post size and locks in place. To release simply lift the close lever and push the lock lever open. Couldn't be simpler and no boring winding of a handle.  I certainly can't fault the Clamp, top marks.

Clamp Head

What's in a stand?  My other stand is quite big a bit heavy, but very very stable.  It is still a mobile stand, though so I am comparing apples with apples. The Cyclo stand like the Clamp Head is easy to use and adjust and the leg looking mechanism is great, so simple to use and reliable.

But there are two quibbles.  On a firm and flat surface the stand is very stable, but you do need to make sure the bike is perfect central if it is a 29er or DH rig, removing a wheel once or twice I have had to make an unexpected catch.  But I have got that sussed by ensuring the bigger bikes are more central.  However, as soon as the ground is a bit uneven the 3 point contact design of the feet seem to cause it to be a little too unstable, so make sure you have a work mat underneath it at any races in a field.

The only other thing I notice that was once again only a quibble, nothing major. Was that at full height the stand does tend to have a bit of a lean, meaning that large pedals get a little fouled on the stand itself.  If you drop the stand a little this straightens out, but for me means I would be working a little bent over.  Fortunately I don't run large pedals and you can see in the first picture there is plenty of clearance for XC style clip-less pedals.

Overall, this is a very good work stand and has an excellent Clamp Head and there are range of different mounts for the Clamp Head that really make it versatile.  It has taken over as my workshop stand and serves me very well indeed.  I have kept using the heavier one of have at races as it is just that little more stable although the clamp on it is not as good as this one, but then again it doesn't get used a lot at races.

Nice work team, very happy with this and it is now a permanent fixture next to the workbench.

Y Wrench Allen Keys - Cyclo Tools

I have had two sets of Y Wrench Allen Keys from Cyclo (Weldtite), the 2, 2.5, 3 and the 4, 5, 6 for review for a little while now.

OK, I will get the one con out the way first.  The 4, 5 and 6 version comes as ball ended version and I understand why, you get a little more tolerance of the angle you can use the tool at. My issue with this being that sometimes ball ended Allen keys slip and round out the bolt, even a little can become a problem.

Now for all the good stuff and there is a lot.  Firstly as the picture above shows they have a really nice surface area to grip, not too big and not too small, I find them easy to use with my big hands as does Nik with her little hands, super important as she is my chief mechanic at 24hr races, they are also comfortable use.

The tools are well made and certainly stand up to a great deal of abuse, I have had mine for a while now and used them a lot, but they show very little use.  Between the two tools they cover all sizes of Allen Keys I need for my bikes and the Y shape I have to add is surprising helpful in improving access and adding leverage with some of the harder to access bolts.

These have become a permanent fixture in my tool box.  Great work guys, but sometimes you still need something with quite a long handle to get enough torque on a bolt.  For everything else these do the job.

Weldtite TF2 Aerosol Spray

As some may know Weldtite have got behind me for this year and one of the great products I have been given is the TF2 aerosol.  This is one of the best lubricant products I have ever owned, if not the best.  In the bottled form it is great, but in the aerosol it is just so damn handy.

 

Why? Simply put, it does all the things the bottled TF2 does, but without needing wiping off or making a mess.  In particular it has been great at my endurance races where having the ability to give the drive train a quick spray to lube it again if much easier than the faff of a bottle.

Also, I find it much easier to give the springs in my pedals a spray with the can and get it actually on and into the springs rather than it dripping ever where and needing a wipe off after.  The little red pipe for the nozzle extension certainly comes in handy as well, allowing you to get to parts in difficult places, like mech springs, without covering you bike in lubricant.

How well does it work?  Every bit as good (extremely good) as it's bottled little brother, which I also use religiously on my chains when maintenance speed is not critical.  It repels water well, penetrates well and does not attract a lot of foreign bodies to the lubed surface, if any.

Top Tip: it can be used as a more gentle WD40 also, for those bits you forgot to lube or grease properly when you last had them off the bike or car.

I can't recommend TF2 products enough, I have used them for a while and I have never been let down.

24hrs of Exposure - Race report

Often when writing a race report I try to be upbeat if it went wrong or down play it a bit if it goes well.  Well this one may be a little odd as it was going well and then went complete ares up in no time at all.

Coming into the 24hrs of Exposure I was confident of one thing, I am very strong on the bike now for endurance racing I have put in the time on the bike and looked after any niggles in the body as soon as they arise.  So I was confident coming into the race of doing well, not cocky though.  Too much can go wrong in a 24hr to ever be cocky or to ever have a favorite coming into one.

After arriving Friday night, relaxing a bit and catching up with Phil, Shaggy, Mel, and Matt, Nik and I headed to bed.  In the morning, we would sort the pit a bit more, Phil and I did recce loop of the track at a casual pace and thought it to be Ok.  I made a gear change to the singles going from 32/20 ratio to a 32/18 ratio as the course wasn't too steep or had any big climbs, until the rain came down this was a good choice, although was changed by Shaggy as the rain changed the game later on.

So after milling around for a bit, 12 o'clock approached and we were soon off and Phil and I found ourselves lapping comfortably at the same speed, so I settled in for the long haul.  As the hours ticked by, positions changed, the lap times settled down a bit and I certainly found my rhythm.  Although I did get caught up a couple of times for a few minutes in mini battles with other riders, it was mainly to keep a fluid rhythm on the single, I did remain settled and calm.

More laps ticked by and I had a good strategy for the heavier or slippery climbs, I was refueling well and keeping my stops to a minimum.  Phil and I would lose contact then join up again as we rode our own races and as per normal everyone encouraged each other along.

As I pushed on I felt strong, calm and just kept to my own race plan. Soon it was lights on as the sun started to set, this is the time I love riding into the night is fantastic.  As I ride so much at night to train, I always looked forward to this phase of a 24hr.

Lights on and some more food in and I was off, same tempo cheery and still smiling.  Phil and I again synced up on course and saw an amazing sunset as we crossed through some of the thinner parts of the forest.  We lost contact through a slippery of camber section as his fat tyres gripped the surface and the guy in between us refused to let me pass. Oh well, I passed the next climb.

I was starting to feel the cold as I finished the lap and could see the rain clouds rolling in. I stopped, ate a bit more, got my leg warmers and a waterproof on as the clouds dropped every millimeter of their payload.  As the rain eased I headed out, even a little happier know it was dark and wet.  I had asked Nik and Shaggy to change my gear ratio back to 32/20 as the course hadn't really dried out and now I was spinning a little easier.

This nest lap went as well as the others and I felt quite good, but was still feeling cold, so decided I would stop again and change my baselayer, jersey and arm warmers for a base layer and light jacket. As I rolled in the team swung into motion, Shaggy changed garmin and lights from Toad to Tonka and Nik grabbed my dry clothes as I ate some more.

In a few minutes it was time to hit the course again, I felt focused, but apparently seemed elsewhere.  But it didn't take much to get me back on the bike, I was feeling good despite a little cold.  But the dry clothes will fix that, right.

I headed off down the course and in about 300m's, I blacked out for a second, I woke up veering sideways.  I fired in a couple of caffeine gels and continued on.  A few minutes later the same thing again.  I put some more food in an entire Mule Bar, backed off a little but kept going.  I kept having these black outs.  I slowed a bit more, to the point it was quicker and certainly safer to walk.

I walked about a mile, having eaten and drunk a bit more hoping this would pass.  But it continued, by the time I got to the next marshal I was a mess.  I don't think I made much sense to the marshal, as he had to ask me if I want to quit.  I said "yes".  He kept me there for a few minutes then sent me down the road to the next marshal, he checked I was alright and sent on to the next one and then it was direct to the event village.

I made it back to the pit, where Shaggy and Nik, were surprised to see me, but concerned about me. I dropped the bike and collapsed on the ground.  I recall them both talking to me, but not what they were saying.  I think I just kept saying "no", which was probably the wrong answer.  After sometime, Nik managed to sort me and some gear out and stick me in a shower.  I think I was in there for sometime. Even after the shower and more food I was very wobble, not terribly lucid and just wanted to go to bed.

In the morning I was still feeling terrible, but did my best to cheer those on, still racing from the stability of a chair in our pit and wrapped in lots of clothes feeling a bit cold and exhausted still. Soon the other started to wake up and I thanked them for their help and support and congratulated Phil and a great ride and 2nd in the Fatbike category.

Slowly as the morning wore on I became more lucid, but still felt like I had raced an entire 24hr, not just 10hrs of it.  A few days later I still feel exhausted, but my legs, arms and shoulders feel as if they have one nothing.  Which is unusual even a few days after a hard 4hr race.

I had to abandon two 24hrs last year, but the reason where clear in those.  One I was only 10 weeks back from a serious back injury and the other was due to tearing a bunch of tendons in my left wrist.  This was different, we worked out I had eaten and drunk well.  I am pretty confident I changed before the cold would cause any issues as I wasn't shivering and I had managed to avoid the drenching rain.  So the body shutting down in the manner and at the speed it did is a slight mystery as I don't feel ill.  The only conclusion that makes any sense is purely the fact that Nik and I have both been so busy for the past few months that I truly ignored how much this would take out of me.  Apparently a hell of a lot and when the body says enough is enough, it means it and you can't argue.

There was a lot of good, how strong I felt on the bike and how easier everything felt, the food we had I wanted to eat and continued to do so.  The bikes ran very well and a complete overhaul is wise in the weeks leading up to a big race as it boosts your confidence in you machines and makes pit management a bit easier.  Staying on the bike when pitting if you have no reason to get off works really well.  For the rest I year I can get back to enjoying cycling as I have a massive base now and this should take some stress of and give me more time for rest.

Massive thanks to Nik and Shaggy for keeping me going and being supportive. Thanks to Phil for some company and encouragement on course. :)  Mel, Katie, Paul H, Les and everyone who offers us lunatics encouragement and support.

Thanks to Cyclework, Weldtite and Alpkit for your support and I promise the season will improve.

Thanks to SIP Events, for another great event and all you staff for their great help.

Matt Carr, tell us a joke. ;)

Gorrick 100 and 24hrs of Exposure

The weekend just passed I took part in the Gorrick 100 as I normally do each year as a prep race for the 24Hours of Exposure.  This year the course location was moved to Porridge Pot Hill and the Gorrick team created a great, fast and interesting track with loads of new bits, with very little fire road trucking.  Despite this the course was fast, very fast, which meant I was always going to suffer on the single speed.

By and large the race went well in terrific conditions, with the course dry and the sun shining. As I tried to keep my pace high with a gearing suitable to a 24hr race not a 100km one.  I pressed on but soon came unstuck with cramps, after a lie down and stretch, I continued on and paced myself to finish and ensure that my legs recovered from the cramps.

By the end of the race I had dropped to 30th, but I have to say I was quite content with that.  My focus remained on the 24Hours of Exposure and trashing my legs was not an option and actively recovering from my cramps during the race was a positive for this coming weekend.

With my focus now narrowed, I am prepping for the weekend, bikes are prepped and I am feeling quite good physically and mentally, but quite restless.  Hopefully the nerves will be useful energy and a positive.

Weldtite, Alpkit and Cycleworks have got right behind me and everything has come together at the right times, so this has also keep the household calm.

I look forward to seeing if all the effort and sacrifices that have been made, pay off.  I am also sure my pit crew will ensure that I keep going and stay fully fueled and the bikes rolling, she bloody good at these and giving a hug when required (don't discount the power of this).

24 hours of Exposure, here goes.

2013 Training

Well simply put, I made a 2013 training plan, some Strava Challenges help fulfill these plans and I am rapidly approaching the last few 100k's of the April block, in time to taper and be ready for the Gorrick 100 on the 5th May and the 24Hrs of Exposure on the 11th/12th May.

Watching the improvements over the weeks, some of which seem to come with no effort and some when you think you are having the worst session every, have maintained my momentum.

I do have to say, that the incorporation of the Strava challenges to the training goals, for me has worked well.  I am mildly competitive (until you put me on a start line) so Strava doesn't get me wound up, but rather helps keep me motivated.  Entering a training challenge devised by someone else seems to work for my psyche and gets me on the road, trail and even the turbo more often.

But the key thing I put in every training plan is one rest day or recovery day a week, this may include a ride still, but it will probably be very short slow and involved a lot of messing around.  This certainly is one way to maintain the love, losing this would make it hard to train.

I also always have the caveat "if the body says no, the body says no" this has been played only a few times this year, which means I must have something right at present.

As I now head into the race season, the training cycles shift and become a little more flexible and a planned week in the Italian alps riding and another climbing will also break up the season, yet still provide valuable time at altitude and exercising in a more relaxed manner.

The only real questions that remain are, which gearings to use for which races on the singles?  Everything else is currently on track, even with some major development around home in the form of a massive garage and workshop.

As usual, a massive thanks goes to my Nik and indeed my cycling partners and my sponsors for keeping me active and equipment in working order and supplying it.

The race season start is counting down. Tick, Tock, Strain, Puff

Weldtite sponsorship

Some great news from Don'tfalloff Race HQ, Weldtite www.weldtite.co.uk are sponsoring me for  Endruance races and whatever other types of races I squish in to this years calendar.  They join cycleworks.co.uk and Alpkit, and are yet another UK based company.

I have been a member of their Review Team for the last year and can honestly say they make some great products and are really ace people.  So when it came to looking for some additional support, they were my first choice by a long shot.

Below is the first little shipment of products that I received to keep the wheels and cranks turning, clean and lubricated for the year, which looks like an exciting one.

Right now I think there is CX bike that requires some of that Dry Lube (the red cap) and some riding on dusty trails.

Thanks Lorraine, Paul and all of the Weldtite team.  :)

Gorrick Brass Monkeys Rnd 1 and 2

So in the last month and a bit I have competed in Rnd 1 and 2 of the Gorrick Brass Monkeys, with mixed and slightly unexpected results, all this in my new category of Vet, albeit a little early moving up thanks to Gorrick's birth dates requirements. :)

Rnd 1 came around it was cold, stayed dry, mostly and the course held up well. After struggling to find my rhythm with a geared bike I managed to ride myself into 8th in Vets and 21st overall.  Not too bad considering in the last 2 laps I really struggled to get past 2hr race back markers who mainly refused to get out the way of faster riders.  This was clearly addressed at the start of Rnd 2 by the Gorrick Officials.

So happy with Rnd 1 and a bit surprised as other things have taken priority since I effectively wrapped up my season and planned to use the Brass Monkeys to keep some race fitness up.

Onto Rnd 2, a stomach bug in the week and I had no aspiration of a great result.  It was sunny, fairly dry, the undulating and heavy course suited me well and I headed off at a steady pace and looking at the result timings I was doing OK.

Out on my 4th lap and overtaking a couple of 2hr riders, I heard a massive crack from my saddle. Balls! A quick check and it was toast, snapped clean through and directly over the seat post. No the rails the saddle. I tried to push on, but racing on a broken saddle for another 1.5hrs was going to be too tough and is a major pain in the arse (sorry)  :)

If it was half a lap or even a lap left I would have pressed on as that is close enough, but the prospect of another 2-3 laps without being able to sit down, didn't appeal.  I have finished races with 1 lap to go before with a broken seat post bolt and your legs don't like you a whole lot for quite a while.

So as I had done much better than I expected due to illness I was content to pull the pin and encourage the rest of Team Cyclesworks and my friends home.

They all did very well and it was actually nice to be there waiting for them at the end.

Good news for me is that even with a stomach bug in the week, I seem to recover well enough to at least put in a good show for a few laps, so the training is on the right path.

Happy Riding and Merry Christmas all and fingers crossed for some winter climbing.

Gorrick Brass Monkeys Rnd 1

Well this weekend sees the first of the Gorrick Brass Monkeys, put on by the Army Cycling Union.  These tend to be fast and not so much fun. ;)

The weather is looking like it my play into my hands, cold, wet for the days before and heavy going.  Single speed it is then, unless they change to fire road trucking, then I'll just be annoyed as it turns into a 4hr CX race and I will have a bread knife at a gun fight.

Great to see a number of CW team mates heading out as well.  Hopeful some podiums.

Cyclo Tyre Remover/Fitter and Red Devils

A few weeks back I received the latest review products from Weldtite, the Cyclo Tools Tyre remover and fitter and some Red Devil patches (pitched below). The later I was hoping not to have to use for a while.  How wrong was I?

The tyre tool was always going to get the first use and lots of it with the changeable weather and tight fitting tubeless tyres.  To say the least, it makes life dead easy.  Simply place the lever under the tyre, put some torque on it, attached to QR and spin the tool around the tyre, it is really that easy.  Putting a tyre on has always been a battle of strong thumbs and tyre bead resistance. No more, place the tool back on the wheel with the lower lever over the rim and the tyre behind it and spin the tool again.  Even with a tube in, there is no risk of pinching it.

As for the Red Devils (RD's), tearing a big hole in a tubless tyre is never great, then pinch flatting no long after with the newly installed tube, just plain sucks.  Although the accompanying note had wished that I didn't get a chance to use them, I did.

The first thing I notice and liked about the RD's was they are thicker than other stick-ons and so lets hope more durable and certainly seal a big puncture than say TopPeak, the RD's have sealed fairly sizable pinch flat a few weeks back and I am still running that tube.  Everything else is the same they stick well and are simple to use.

I can highly recommend both these products and anyone who works on bike wheels lots or changes/trashes tyres lots you have to get the tyre tool.

The Red Devils are coming to Canada for sure.

DirtWash Bike Cleaner and G-Strings

Over the last month or so my pitch manager (other half) and I have had plenty of opportunity to test the Bike Cleaner and G-Strings.  The weather has been appalling and the mud sticky, and with a conversion to gears for a few recent races, the G-String's have been keeping the cassettes nice and clean.  They replace a stiff brush which often covers me in the grease and mud as it flicks of in all directions or a cloth folded over and pulled through the cassette (much like the G-Strings) but unlike them you inevitably leave half of the cloth behind.  The G-Strings make cleaning the rear cassette's much easier and much cleaner and are dead simple to use.  Why has no-one thought of this before?  Brilliant idea!




 

As for the Bike Cleaner, I have once again performed some side-by-side tests between this and the another leading product which I still have a lot left of.  I used both on mud covered MTBikes and my road bike.  Whilst the overall results are pretty good, the Bike Cleaner required quite a few applications to remove the heavier grease around the cassette, chain rings, chain and frame as opposed to the other brand.  This occurrence on the MTBikes lead me to test on the road bike.  Once again with the more stubborn grease and road grime a few applications were required to remove them.  This obviously leads to pretty rapid use of the Bike Cleaner and the process of cleaning the bikes is extended a bit.

All-in-all, the G-Strings are absolutely fantastic and I will be getting some more when these are used up.  The Bike Cleaner requires some improvement to displace my current one, but does a pretty good job.

As a side note, I am still using TF2 lubricant and will getting more of this soon too.

Twentyfour12

Well last weekend was the Bontrager Twentyfour12 and I was racing the 24hr Solo. With Nik and Rob in support it was game on.

As you can imagine the course was wet, muddy and hard going. I was sitting in 4th and physically and mentally feeling strong.....well apart from my wrists developing servere tendonitis in both of them, which still hurts today.

Anyway, pulling out at about 10:30hrs i still finished 18th and will be able to keep training for my ultimate goal for this year. The worlds in Canmore in September.

This years results havent been as great as last year. There have been top 10's and 20's but nothing significant. Maybe the worlds is the big story this year?

At least out of the Twentyfour12 I can take some good things, Nik is now an awesome Pit Babe (Bitch) ;) and I was physically and mentally in a very good place. Just need to repair the broken bits.

As for the Twentyfour12 itself, the event was overall great as I hoped it would be as I really love this event. But two things stood out and I understand the first was difficult to manage.

Which was the changing of the course during the race. Not that it occured, but there did appear that an advantageous situation could have arose as a rider chasing another may have benefitted from arriving at the course change shortly after the change an behind the rider they are chasing as that other rider still had to deal with a sludge fest. Just a pondering and I am sure it was thought of.

The second, confused me to what Solo 24hr Racing is? No disrespect to the rider. But if you sign up for a 24hr, it is in my opinion and others for the challenge mentally, emotionally and physically. To which, at the point when you mentally need a usher to ride with you, surely based on this being part of the challenge I would imagine you would wisely withdraw for safety reasons an in the spirit of 24hr racing and its challenges. Just my thoughts as this seemed an odd tactic as a soloist and as I said, no disrespect meant rider he did well to find the physical ability to keep turning the pedals.

To the Bontrager Twentyfour12 team, Martin and Keith, thanks for another brilliant race, despite the monsoon.

Next stop Big Dog.

training and twentyfour12

A brief update.

Since returning from Alaska, a little under two weeks ago I have been training madly to get some bike legs back and it seems to have gone alright.  To keep me honest I went out on the single 26" the first few times and found that I felt quite good, a bonus.

The last few rides have been on the single, the roadie and the now converted to 1x9 blocks SIR9's, as the Twentyfour12 doesn't have a SS category and one of the hills is a particular ball breaker.  It is rideable single speed, I have done a few laps there single, but to be competitive I decided to run gears.

As the horrible weather appears to be setting in, this might end up being a bad decision, but I know my pit manager is awesome and whilst the Plymouth course can get proper wet, it seems to be the type of mud that falls off when you get a certain amount on your bike and there is a creek crossing part way round, so I hope her job will be easier.

I am feeling pretty psyched for this event and can't wait to even start packing the van Thursday night.  It is a great course and event and I failed to race it last year due to a broken ankle, so I am super keen this year.

There will be 3 other Cycleworks racers taking on the solo 12hr, so we should have a good presence this year and hopefully some great results.

It will be great to see friends again and attempt to go toe-to-toe with Big Rob Dean and Huw Thomas, and this should be a good gauge of how prep is going or should be directed for the Adrenalin 24hr Solo World Champs in Canada in September.

Weldtite TF2 a full report

Well as part of the official test team I have been given the TF2 All weather lubricant to test and I have been doing exactly that.  For a little over a month I have used it in dry and slightly dusty conditions to wet sodden conditions with trails running like streams.  It has been used on my SS MTB's, my CX and my roadie, and it is safe to say I really like it.  I also ensured I considered everything from application to performance.

One of the many sprockets the TF2 has been protecting.

There are a couple of other brands I have used and even compared directly with the TF2 as I still have some laying around and these comparisons were the real eye opener.

The TF2 is easy to apply, the consistency of it allows you to get it on the chain easily, work it in to the links and wipe off what little excess there is.  With some other lubes I find myself cleaning the rim, chain stay and wiping the excess off many times.   The long application lid makes it easy to get into jockey wheels and other places without covering everything in lube.

Some of the trails I have ridden on in the last month have quite a bit of grit on them and after a few k's riding (particularly the SS) you get that familiar grinding sound.  With the TF2 this seem to take a lot longer to occur. i.e. the grit isn't sticking to a gloopy lube on your chain.  After my first ride with TF2 in the wet I was surprised by this and checked that my chain was indeed lubricated properly and it was, it just didn't attract as much rubbish.

In the dry and the wet, TF2 just works and I have to admitted to being a little surprised about the difference when I did a back to back test on the same loop on the same bike in the same conditions.  First using TF2 on a sodden trail ride I returned and the chain had not collected as much mud and grit as it would on the next ride using another leading brand.  I had ensured I cleaned the and lube the chain appropriately between each ride to give a balanced test.  The other leading brand lube, collected more rubbish than TF2, not huge amounts, but it was noticeable even without inspecting the chain.  This of course has the adverse affect that we use lubricants for, so we really want to reduce this as much as we can, TF2 does and keeps the chain lubed.

In a test with another brand, which I was using when I received the TF2.  The other brand works as well once applied and even helps clean things up a bit, it does go everywhere due to its viscosity and requires a few passes with a dry cloth to clean off excess.  TF2 did not and this also meant less TF2 was used.

Pros:
So TF2 is easy to apply, not messy and doesn't leave excess on the chain, it keeps the chain lubricated in a variety of riding conditions and is not a magnet for crude and grit.

Cons:
I should ideally find something in this area as well, but I have to say I can't. I guess some lubricants work others don't and some work better than most.

Weldtite TF2

I am still in the process of testing the TF2 lube from Weldtite and will write a full review shortly.  But in a recent back to back test with another leading product on the same trails in the same conditions on the same bike setup one thing was assured.

The TF2 does not collect anywhere near as much trail grit and grim as the other product.  It is such a stark difference I was surprised.

TF2 All Weather just works.  Full report coming soon.

First impressions TF2...

Saturday I got my first product to test from Weldtite TF2 All Weather lube.






I have only had a brief chance to test it since receiving and the first impressions are good. Easy to apply, not to messy and in a dusty race it didn't collect to much dust from the trail, hence no grinding of grit between chain and chain rings and sprocket.

When applying it, it stayed on the chain as it was rotated and didn't just fly off or drip straight off and it worked nicely into the links and there was very little excess to wipe off.

It will get a proper test this weekend as I head for the 24hrs of Exposure and what appears to be some cold and maybe a little wet to start with weather.

More to follow.
S