I took a short spin today, down to Knowle via the Grand Union Canal towpath, and back up Warwick Road to Olton via Solihull. I have a motley collection of cobbled-together bicycles, today’s choice being made on the basis of terrain.
The Claud Butler touring bike would’ve been flummoxed by the towpath, as the route south of Catherine-de-Barnes is very rough, and can be muddy, but clearly it’s the best bike for the road trip back. My cheapie Halfords full-suspension mountain bike (thank you Freecycle!) would be ideal for the high-jinx of the towpath, but an absolute liability for the road.
So, I opted for my own ‘hybrid’: a Dawes 531 mountain bike frame (thank you again Freecycle), but the 26″ wheels are shod with the narrowest rubber the rims will take - 1.25″ near-slicks. This combination didn’t carve into the mud as much as the CB tourer, and the shorter frame with smaller diameter wheels encouraged better stability at slow speeds, and easier standing-up. It was no slouch on the road either (I’d upped the size of the main chain ring), turning in a road speed that took a few other Sunday cyclists by surprise.
The trip on the towpath was, however, far from ideal. Along the way I numbered a few improvements I’d like to make, and may well pursue. This is because I enjoy dirt-track cycling more than road-stuff, but I’m no hardcore mountain biker. Personally I find it more engaging to be on a route that has a few obstacles to negotiate; has a few odd things to see; and, with canals, is mainly on the level. I get a work-out but my knees are saved the pain of inclines. These days I find I’m beyond the scope of ‘training up’ to avoid knee strain: the old buggers are just too far gone.
Anyhow: improvements. Using the Dawes 531 MTB frame, I will consider the addition of…
- Slightly knobblier and wider tyres - perhaps 1 3/8″ with semi-road tread pattern - running at lower pressures for dirt-track work, pumped up on the spot for road work.
- I concede that having front suspension may reduce the jarring to my arms and shoulders, but the bike would certainly remain a hard-tail. That old rear sus thing saps too much pedal power - if you want comfort, stand up from the saddle for the rough stuff, or purchase a sprung saddle.
- Perhaps some puncture-proofing gunk sprayed into the inner tubes - I haven’t had a flat yet but…
- Keep the mudguards, the ones I have are from a touring bike so they leave plenty of clearance to the tyres: ideal for shedding twigs and old condoms that get muddyglued to the tyres. Going to slightly wider tyres might force me to splay them out a bit with my Brummagem screwdriver.
- Finally, narrower pedals. A few mm extra clearance would be useful when negotiating some poorly installed barriers that I presume are meant to stop motorcycles, but not impede bicyclists. Some let you through, some need a fair wiggle, or for the entire bike to be lifted over.
PS the more observant amongst you may notice I’ve performed an Orwellian rewrite of history, and changed all instances of ‘toe-path’ to the obviously correct ‘towpath’. What a numpty.
