In this newsletter, tales of truly epic rides from the north, guidance on keeping the chain silent and clean, and some suggested reading for those times between brevets. Don’t forget to check the calendar, and I hope to see you on the road soon.

Book Review

In The Hardmen the writers behind cycling superblog Velominati.com and The Rules will tell the stories and illuminate the myths of not just the greatest cyclists ever, but the toughest. From Eddy Merckx to Beryl Burton, and from Marianne Vos to Edwig Van Hooydonk, the book will lay bare the secrets of their extraordinary and inspirational endurance in the face of pain, danger and disaster. After all, suffering is one of the joys of being a cyclist. Embrace climbs, relish the descents, and get ready to harden up. . .

It’s available online and at less than $10-00 for your Kindle, its a bargain.

Technical Article

In a Velominati frame of mind at the moment which is why I’ll mention Rule 65 which states Bicycles must adhere to the Principle of Silence and as such must be meticulously maintained.

There are at last count at least a trillion ways to clean and maintain your bicycle drivetrain and at least as many more opinions on how not to do it. Everyone does agree though that a clean and well maintained chain is a pleasant experience as you glide silently down the road, and that proper maintenance can save you money from not having to continually replace the chain and rear cluster.

A few notes from my experience for what its worth, you don’t need to buy stupidly expensive tree hugging orange smelling degreaser. You can buy a lifetimes supply for half the cost at Bunnings. You don’t need a fancy and fantastically expensive dedicated chain cleaning tool, a $3 dish scrubber will get the job done (Bunnings). And a $2 paintbush to apply the degreaser (Bunnings). A leaf blower is a great way to dry the bike after hosing it down. You can also use it to keep the driveway free of  leaves (also Bunnings). And baby wipes are a good way to quickly clean the entire bike and especially the chain (Aldi).

The most significant chain friction points are the pin, bush and roller inner surfaces. A dry lube comprises a solvent and lubricant particles, normally PFTE based. The solvent carries the lubricant into the inner part of the chain and evaporates. It will also dissolve grease and move dirt around and so the chain should be clean before you apply it. If you use it regularly the chain will be a lot cleaner than if you use mineral oil or a wet lube.

On lubricants, dry lube works well here in the south but needs to be applied often to maintain that “just serviced” experience. For those in the north, a wet lube would be a better idea I expect and I’d be interested to hear more about what is used and what works. I normally give the chain a wipe with a baby wipe (Aldi) after a ride and then load it back up with dry lube. Keeps things running nice and smooooth.

Anyway, it’s worth taking a few moments to read and see if you learn anything new.

Read more.

Ride Reports

The trOppy

Discovered too late for me to include in the last newsletter, this is a real treat. I’m going to leave the picture below to whet your imagination. Enjoy a stonking good read.

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Marburg Warthog 100km

David Foster shares his day at the office on the Marburg Warthog. Headwinds, tailwinds, the fragrance of the country, random charity rides, cats in unusual places –  whats not to like?

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Upcoming Rides

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