Season of the Hiss

I asked for some mud, some wet gooey stuff to see how the Nutrak NUTRAK x VEE Swift Frenzy gravel mud tubeless ready coped in its intended environment. My wish was granted in the form of biblical rains and harvest season. B roads and lanes resembled a cyclo cross meet, which was absolutely perfect. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well they’ve carved through mud-even deep boggy stuff and they’re a lot quicker across metalled roads than I’d bargained for.

Given the price and their supple casings, puncture resistance was another thing I was keen to explore. Hedge clippings and thorns thrown into the mix eventually made their way inside, inducing a slow flat. They’d lodged deep too and proved tricky to extract-even with fine, needle-nosed pliers.

This also prompted me to closely inspect the tube stock. Several were ready for repurposing as headset boots, frame protectors etc. Replacements ordered, while I still had a couple of serviceable spares in paniers and seat packs.

Rule of thumb sees me retire a tube after two patches. I will often carry an old thrice-patched tube just in case I meet a stricken rider while out. (We’ve all been by the road, or trailside with a tube blown to smithereens and forgotten to check the spare) but these are for contingencies, not something I’d rely on.   

The Nutrak x Vee Swift Frenzy Gravel are tubeless ready, which is great-I like the option of going tubeless and recognise several genuine benefits but I’m not a tubeless devotee.

While a more supple ride and greater grip (since you can run tyres at lower pressures) are definite advantages, I do like the cleanliness of a tubed system, should you catch that sharp with your name on it. This isn’t about right or wrong. Riding in common with wider life has a lot of nuance mixed with the absolutes. I’d much rather chat, explore and share ideas than argue.

Again, I default to butyl, but am also fond of TPU variants, which save weight, without sacrificing durability. I’ve found them a little trickier to patch and carry a spare butyl for roadside recoveries. Latex is also very light and resistant to cuts, but most I’ve tried required inflating every other day. Flaccid tyres can be a little disconcerting-is it just natural pressure loss, or something more serious…

Continuing this narrative, Weldtite sent me their 2.0 tyre levers, which fit nicely in the hand and have some nice touches. The curved ends seem to infiltrate tight tyre beads efficiently; leverage is reassuringly good, while the integrated valve core remover is another godsend. I’ve found some minor shortcomings, but more about that in my upcoming review.

Pumps are another essential, especially during the colder, darker months when you want to get back in motion ASAP. I’ve gravitated to the convenience of compressor type designs. Muc-Off Air Mach Pro Muc-Off Airmach Electric Inflator Pro | cycling-not-racing  and Cycplus AS2 Pro Max CycPlus AS2 Pro Max E.Pump | cycling-not-racing  are two I remain fond of, although I always carry a reliable handpump as backup. Though they’ve fallen out of fashion, I remain a fan of the high-pressure frame-fit type and Topeak’s Road Master Blaster Topeak Road Master Blaster Frame Pump | cycling-not-racing in particular. CO2 cartridges have their place and have saved me from a long walk home on several occasions. However, they’re single use, release is less controlled, and CO2 is very cold when discharged.

Upgrading my trailer’s wheel has been on the agenda for some time. Not that there was (and indeed, is) any rush, the OEM is still perfectly serviceable and likely run into the ground. However, in common with others, it’s a little crude.

This Deore hub and a polished Sun Ringle CR18 hoop were waved under my nose at the right price, so when time’s right, I’ll get them laced up.

The CR18 have a reputation in some circles for failing at the eyelets, but conversation with experienced wheel builders suggest this isn't inherent to their design, rather a symptom of over-tensioning. 

Schwalbe has sent me their Marathon Pro Allmotion. Ours are the 700x40c and a departure from the venerable, iconic Marathon in several respects. Tipping the scales at 554g apiece, they feature a completely new tread pattern. This employs a solid centre strip for speed across asphalt and grippy shoulders for traction in the wet and along greasy roads. They're marketed at touring and light trekking audiences with a maximum payload of 150kilos.

The compound was originally developed for Schwalbe’s road racing range. The casings feel very supple, reminiscent of gravel tyres, such as these Maxxis Rambler Maxxis Rambler Tubeless Ready Tyres | cycling-not-racing.   The folding bead is also tubeless ready and is E-50 certified for S-pedelecs. I was surprised to discover the maximum pressure is 50psi. Not outlandish in gravel circles, but quite low compared with traditional touring rubber and the Marathon in particular.  This also presented the ideal opportunity to inspect (and ultimately replace) rim tapes. I’m not the biggest fan of adhesive types and these had begun to peel, leaving spoke heads exposed.

Persistently wetter conditions are perfect for evaluating ceramic coatings, bike cleaners and of course, lubes. I switched Ursula and Denise from wax to Weldite Wet and All-Weather Lube, respectively. The former replaces their Extreme Wet, whereas the latter is a stoical middleweight.  A little goes a long way-particularly when it comes to the wet, so I've applied very sparingly. I'm curious to see how many miles I can return from a single application and how much contaminant it attracts.   

Last but not least, Van Rysel have sent me some of their new season’s range, including this RCR 2 Men's Road Cycling Winter Jacket – Grey and the ECR Long Sleeve Jersey-Terracotta red. Formative impressions are very favourable, but there are a lot of miles to go before I form firm conclusions.  

Meantime, I'll close here with my review of the Weldtite 20 Function Multi Tool... The Weldtite 20 Function Multi Tool 173g | cycling-not-racing

Michael