Wednesday 19 June 2013

Neat Exustar CK2 Covers for SPD Cleats

These are fantastic, and great value for money too. I bought two pairs. No more Bambi-on-Ice moments in the Cafe!

Here you can see the other side of the little rubber cap. They slot very easily over the cleat and when you're about to get on the bike, they remove easily and occupy a tiny amount of space in your jersey pocket. 



The packaging. Sorry, I couldn't rotate these photos, so you'll have to rubber neck a little. Click them to enlarge. 

Exustar do various versions for different cleat types, as per the table below (click to enlarge).

And a little bird on a fencepost, just for the sake of it!

Saturday 26 January 2013

Genesis Equilibrium Build Log Part 3: "Pretty Weirdo"

As a build log, this will be rubbish! I say this because the bike is finished, but I didn't take any pictures along the way. So, I present to you: Pretty Weirdo!
Why that name? If you remember, the build criterion was use whatever stuff I have lying around. Because of that, I ended up with a good looking 6 speed road bike, running cross tyres!
Rear derailleur: Shimano Tourney RD-TX35
Cassette: Shimano 6 speed 14-28T (screw on freewheel type)
Chainset: Mighty 170 alloy cranks 44T steel teeth
Bottom bracket: Neco Shimano compatible square taper cartridge
Chain: KMC with quick link
Front chain-keeper: Deda dog-fang
Shifters: Sunrace 6 speed bar mounted lever
Headset: Ritchey Logic V2
Handlebars: ITM Vitus alloy 46cm (I think this is the o-o measurement, but haven't checked) 
Bar tape: Deda, champagne
Stem: Ritchey Comp 120mm
Brakes: Miche Performance dual-pivot caliper, long drop 57mm
Brake levers: Tektro
Frame: 56cm Genesis Reynolds 725 heat treated chro-moly steel alloy butted (rear dropouts standard road ~130mm), two bottle cage mounts, mudguard eyelets.
Rims: Weinmann AS23X alloy, nutted axles
Hubs: Quando alloy
Tyres: Maxxis Raze 700x33 folding
Basic pedals. Below, grab your steed and jump on! 
Seatpost: Alpina alloy 27.2mm
Saddle: Charge Bucket
Forks: Genesis carbon, alloy steerer 1 1/8", (standard road width ~100mm)

The frame looks beautiful and feels great to ride. Comfortable, yet lively. However, it is too small for me and I can't get over that fact. Therefore, she's on sale now (please see the CTC forum, and later next week, on eBay.co.uk).

Monday 21 January 2013

Snow!

Time to have some fun on the cyclocross bike. There's nothing like it! The tyres are Challenge Grifo  700x33 clinchers (what they call "open tubulars", but they are not tubulars!). 

Saturday 12 January 2013

How to change brake pads: Clarks V inserts, Tektro CR720 cantilevers (cartridge)

In muddy, wet conditions, brake pads wear out very fast. Replacing cartridge type pads is quick and somehow satisfying. I'm a fan of Clarks brake stuff, because quite simply, I've never been disappointed after buying any of their products. I also like Kool Stop, but they are pricier. So, step one, dismantle your brake assemblies, and clean up the alloy holders (soapy water and an old toothbrush - rinse well in clean water, and dry off with a paper towel). 
These CP501 70mm insert cartridge pads are very cheap (less than £4 a pair), but in my experience, feel good and work well. They would fit V, Hybrid, Touring, MTB - basically Shimano pattern cartridge holders. The pads come with new retaining pins (you can see them taped to the cardboard pack above). Below, you can see the "forward" arrow markings on both pad and holder, and the cutout for the pin on the pad.
Simply slide them in, but at the point shown in the photo below, remember to put the bolt back in position before fully pushing the pads home. I hold the pads with my fingers and press the holder down on a flat surface. 

Here the pad is pushed home (you should be able to see daylight through the little hole). Then simply push the retaining pins in. 
Put the bits and bobs back on the bolt in the original order, finishing with the washer and nut. Below they are all ready to be fitted back on the bike.  
I have to say that I find the Clarks pads to be an improvement on the Tektro pads that came with the original brakes. The great thing about cartridge type brake pads is that you can try out a few different brands and types - e.g. dual or triple compound varieties - in order to find the ones that you most prefer. There's a huge choice out there, and a wide spectrum of prices!