: WD40

By: g | No Comments » |

After many, many years, WD40 has made a return to my bike.

When I first came across using WD40 as a chain lube, I was riding a lot of sandy/gritty areas and no matter what trick lube I tried, it just turned into a crap paste after a ride or two. One day, in a fit of desperation, I cleaned everything up and then sprayed the chain with WD40 to remove any excess grease and grit.

It turned out what I had been using to do a final clean down was in fact the ultimate chain lube, period. The drivetrain with just WD stayed gunk free, shed all the crap sprayed onto it and continued to run smooth, noise free and most importantly, clean. To reapply, all I did was wipe the drivetrain down with a rag and give another coat – it cleaned and lubed at the same time.

Some friends at the time scoffed, besotted with their specialist ‘bike lubes’… right up until the point some mechanics in a shop said WD is all they use on their bikes… and even motos!

Well, after too long away from my trusty can of WD, I came back on Sunday. Once again frustrated by the greasy crap formed by these so called specialist lubes, and all the grit and ‘stuff’ attaching itself to my drivetrain, I washed it all down and sprayed a sweet smelling coat of the miracle lube.

Once again my rides are quiet and my drivetrain sparkly clean, only now sure to stay that way.

Side note: Even if you have to reapply a little more often, the cost of a can of WD40 when compared to the specialist lubes means you will actually keep your drivetrain in far better condition for a lot less.

 

Tags:#bike #cycling

 

: Soft… not all are created equal

By: g | No Comments » |

Several years ago, at the start of the whole Mountain Cycle thing, I was introduced to a line of cranks that for all intents and purposes were the goods. At the time we were in the market for a crank spec and I was assured that these cranks had been ridden in-house at MC for the best part of a year and proved flawless*. All seemed good. (more…)

 

Tags:bikes

 

: BiPosto Review

By: g | No Comments » |

We just got word of a posted review of our BiPosto shorts!

Glad to see that they are holding up so well to weeks of endless riding…

You can read it here: 2cycle2gether.com

 

Tags:biposto,review

 

: My Bike has no Soul

By: g | No Comments » |

My bike has no soul.

I was riding yesterday when it dawned on me.

When I walk into the garage and see it there, I view it not as a thing of joy but as a work tool; not one of those fantastic, beautiful hand tools that are crafted with care and precision though, but more like an expensive, clinical Bosch tool spat out of a series of bigger, more complex machines.

Friends have ogled the bike, in its carbon fibre, anodised glory; hazed by the smoke screen of technology.

But it’s disposable, ready to be replaced with the next better and greater bit of technology.

You can’t become attached to something like that.

It rides, fast, clinically, but it has no character.

It does not age, it wears out.

…It’s graphics are all I connect with.

After many years, I have come full circle and want more from my bike than something that does a job, no matter how efficiently.

I want to connect with it.

Feel as if it is more than the sum of its parts and a paint job spat out of some graphics department.

My bike should be something that shares my journey, my pain, my hunger.

And when I wheel it through the door, I should be able to look at it with pride and joy, not with indifference.

That to me is what a bike is about.

 

Tags:bicycle,ride

 

: Coming soon: Urban Tiki

By: g | No Comments » |

This has been a long time coming.

We tried to do it before but to be honest, it never really took off with us, it just wasn’t hitting the note… call it a lack of focus.

Well, it’s time to give it another crack, with some focus this time.

We are about to launch (re-launch?) ‘Urban Tiki’ our little gallery of bike and Lab-Gear culture inspired artwork that will be available as nice and affordable prints – if you like anything enough to want to hang it on your wall of course.

It’ll be quirky and a bit eclectic but a lot of fun to do, and maybe, just maybe there’ll be something, someone out there might just like!