VIRO-SOL review. The hunt for an environmentally friendly degreaser continues...

In my eternal quest to stop using white spirit to clean my chain, I stumbled across this stuff recently. It sounded promising so I read the reviews which sounded great, one guy even mentioned it was great for cleaning bike chains! I ordered some and it got delivered today. Awesom-O's chain was pretty claggy after two outings with the new home-made lube so I thought he'd be a perfect test candidate. I was suspicious that once again there was no real citrusy smell when I opened it so I put a few glugs into a clip-top container, added the chain, and gave it a really good shake. Encouragingly, the solution started getting pretty mucky.

I opened the container and gave the chain a good stir and found the product is reasonable but definitely no cigar. I washed the chain thoroughly in hot water and dried it and although the outside looks nice and clean and shiny, there is no tinkling noise as you shake the chain which is a good indicator the internals of the chain have been cleaned out properly. Having looked at some of the data on this stuff, including the fact the pH is 11 (so keep it well away from aluminium components unless it's very dilute!), suggests to me that this is basically a standard alkaline degreaser with a sprinkling of citrus to add a whiff of 'green'. Having said that I bet it's awesome for generally cleaning, rather than actual degreasing, around the house and garden!

November 2017.

6th November: Another day off work today and it was a gorgeous one. It was fairly cool but largely blue skies and sunny so I took a rather filthy Awesom-O out for a spin. I didn't do anything special, just the usual three ups and downs of the farm path, but it was an enjoyable ride. It's definitely cooling off though, I had my running top under the Castelli jacket and it was perfect and I noticed my feet felt quite cold so it'll be overshoe season soon enough. As a slight aside, I saw two kestrels today fairly close up, one in insect alley and one a few hundred yards before there so maybe there's a family group? Anyhow, 25.1 miles to kick November off.

8th November: It was my first day ever working from home today and the weather was fantastic, sunny and not too windy, so I took Awesom-O out for a ride. I normally take thirty minutes for lunch so I figured I could just work for an extra hour this afternoon and set off. For some unknown reason my legs weren't feeling great so not the most enjoyable ride ever but it was nice to be enjoying decent weather still. 25.1 miles.

11th November: It was a chilly but otherwise gorgeous day today so I took Awesom-O out for a spin. before I did, however, I performed some much needed maintenance. i took both his chain-rings off and gave them a thorough clean and degreased and re-lubed his chain with my new EP90 mixture. I'm not sure why but i checked the chain with the chain checker and was astonished to see the 0.75% end dropped through every link I tried it on at a mere 929.5 miles! Somehow it had gone from ok to worn out in the one ride since I last checked it; I guess being sprayed with liquid mud constantly really doesn't do them much good. Anyhow, I fitted a new chain and headed out. It was a fairly normal ride except for one thing.

As I was heading back in on my first leg a fire engine was coming along the path towards me. I pulled in to let him past (thankfully he saw me and rather considerately turned the siren off!) and saw another one which soon passed me. I carried on and kept looking around to see if I could see what they were up to. I eventually saw blue lights in the distance. I diverted down Simonswood Lane and went to have a look. They were pulled up outside an isolated semi. There was no smoke or fire but all the doors and windows of one of the houses were open and there was a faint smell of burning in the air so I think one there had been a small fire which was now out. A fun ride and another 26.2 miles.

14th November: Another working from home day today so another daytime jaunt for Awesom-O. I was browsing eBay the other day and might have accidentally started searching for titanium bits. I noticed a rather natty titanium stem cap and bolt for less that seven quid delivered so it was soon on it's way to me. I decided to fit it before I left and noticed the star fangled nut must have been at an angle because it was hard to get the bolt in. I did notice that there were two equal thickness spacers above the stem so a job for when I got back. I also fitted a new set of cleats to my shoes as the existing ones were sounding a bit rattly and look worn out.

It had rained a bit this morning so the ground was very wet but it was a gorgeous day otherwise, overcast but very bright and very little wind. I did the usual three ups and downs and, apart from having to slow down because of an unusually high number of dog walkers, it was a very enjoyable ride and my cleats felt a lot more secure. When I got back I washed Awesom-O (obviously...) and then removed his forks. I marked and trimmed the steerer and then hammered the SFN in, which straightened it out, and put everything back together minus the redundant spacer. He now has a single, equal thickness, spacer above and below the stem and the new titanium cap and bolt look awesome. Anyhow, another 25.1 miles.

17th November: It was overcast and wet today but not raining so I took Awesom-O out for the usual three ups and downs of the farm path. It was a fairly typical ride except for one thing. As I was coming back down the path I saw two lads struggling to push a black Seat car back up a driveway but there was a concrete lip at the edge and they couldn't get the car over it. I parked Awesom-O on the verge and gave them a hand and the car was soon where they wanted it. The lads were very grateful for the help, I just hope they weren't up to no good! Anyhow, an enjoyable ride and another 25.1 miles.

19th November: I was bored yesterday so I whipped off Awesom-O's bottom brackets and completely cleaned it and the shell out with a toothbrush and WD-40. I dried it off and refitted it with loads of copper grease and took him out for a spin this afternoon. It was a slightly irksome ride in the sense that the two sections of the farm path that really stay submerged were finally dry so I could have taken the Strael for a last jolly before winter but I'm sure I'll get the chance again. I was quite late setting off so I took the Diablo rather than the Knogg so that I wouldn't get caught out. It was quite a nice ride, it's definitely getting colder, around 7 °C today but a fun ride none the less and another 25.1 miles.

28th November: After a few days of cold, wet, windy weather I finally managed to get out for a spin on Awesom-O. I had to track my snood down for this ride as it was the first properly cold ride of the year, the BBC website said 4 or 5 °C. As well as the snood, I also wore my Rapha merino under my Stolen Goat so I felt rather like a eskimo as I rode which is going to take some getting used to. I think I underestimated how much rain we've had recently because the two big puddles on the farm path were as big as I've ever seen them and I ended up wet to the knees from the bow wave from the front wheel. Anyhow, it's all good fun and another 25.1 miles.

Well, I didn't manage to get out again due to the cold, rainy weather but November goes out with a not too shabby 176.8 miles. Lets hope the weather warms up a bit and I can get a few rides in in December.

Keeping jock itch at bay and your kit smelling fresh.

I was reading an article about cycling related kit whiffs on road.cc the other day and somebody mentioned this stuff, Halo ProActive Sports Wash. It's a washing liquid designed to really get into the fibres of your kit and kill the bacteria and fungi that lurk in there causing odour and fungal conditions.

Having had jock itch in the past, I decided to give it a try and ordered a couple of bottles from Wiggle. I put my new Castelli bibs, my Altura top and some work shirts through on a 30 c delicates wash and waited for the results. I'm no microbiologist but the results were great, everything was clean and had a really zingy, pleasant clean smell to it so I'm calling this one a win and will keep on using it!

October 2017.

1st October: Having had quite a poor September mileage-wise, I have a feeling October will be better. It's taken me a while to find my 'it's not warm and sunny anymore' mojo but I think it's back. It was overcast but bright today and quite windy so I took Awesom-O out for a spin. I didn't do anything fancy, just three ups and downs of the farm path but it was an enjoyable ride despite the wind. Following on from my recent post about cycling products often being overpriced and reading a review of a ridiculously expensive rucksack, I decided to look at rucksacks on-line.

I currently use a Deuter something or other of around 15 litres that I used to use at work but something a bit smaller would be more ideal. A bit of Googling quickly found the Mountain Warehouse 10 litre Esprit rucksack reduced from £25.99 to £9.99! It arrived and got it's first ride today; it's fantastic, just as well made as much more expensive brands and the perfect size for a day pack! 25.1 miles to start October off.

6th October: The weather was pleasant enough for a change today but it was chilly, the BBC website said 12 °C. I could definitely feel the chill on my legs when I set out and my new Castelli jacket finally feels more suited to the weather. Anyhow, I took Awesom-O out and did three ups and downs of the farm path. My legs felt pretty good and it was an enjoyable ride overall and 25.0 more miles.

9th October: Another very pleasant day today. It was overcast but bright with very little wind so I took Awesom-O out and did three ups and downs of the farm path. It was an uneventful ride until I nearly got run over 100 yards from home! There was a big car badly parked on my side of the road and I saw him start to pull into the road. I assumed he'd see me and stop, especially as I now run a Knog Blinder Mini Chippy on the front in blink mode, but he kept pulling out and only stopped at the last second. I know the car, the owner lives about 200 yards from me, and the driver is very elderly. Two incidents with cars in over 11,000 miles and both very elderly drivers... Anyhow, another 25.4 miles.

11th October: It was absolutely pouring with rain and windy today but I had a couple of tests to so so it proved a very rule #9 ride! Firstly, I'm going to stop using the Morgan Blue Syn Lube on Awesom-O's chain, it's great at staying on and lubing the chain but the build-up of crud on the jockeys wheels had to be seen to be believed. I cleaned the chain and re-lubed it with Morgan Blue Race Oil because I want to see what the chain's like in the morning after an hour and a half in the rain. Secondly, I wanted to see how the Castelli Alpha performs in the rain. The main body was ok but the sleeves let the rain right through so 'not brilliantly' was the answer to that question. Lastly, I wanted to wear my new Castelli Velocissimo long bib shorts for the first time, so... They're brilliant! Perfectly skintight, the straps are the perfect length for me and the pad protects you but just disappears, I'm probably going to pick up a set of Castelli shorts in the spring to replace my Lussos. Oh, and note to self, start wearing your overshoes again when it's wet; cycling shoes fill with water in about 0.3 seconds when you're riding through three inches of water at speed...  Anyhow, a wet and windy ride but another 25.0 miles in the bank.

13th October: Following yesterdays test ride, the chain had gone slightly rusty on the inside of the links so I topped it up and left it. What followed was a rather unusual ride. The weather was unseasonably warm, around 19 c, with the occasional glimpse of blue in the sky but very windy so it was the first ride in a while where I wore my bib shorts and Altura short sleeved top. Anyhow, I took Awesom-O out and did three and a half up and downs of the farm track. Despite the wind, which was very strong heading out on the track, it proved to be quite a zen ride. Even though I was spinning along into the wind struggling to maintain 16 mph it was a very enjoyable, relaxing ride. Anyhow, a fun ride and another 27.3 miles.

15th October: Strangely, it was another unseasonably warm day with lots of blue sky today so the Strael got another trip out. Having ridden Awesom-O for a while the first thing I noticed was that the seat was low so I raised it about 3/8" and it felt even better. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary, just the usual three ups and downs of the farm track, but I did see the Kestrel I saw recently again on the section I call insect alley so I suspect it has a nest somewhere nearby which is cool. It wasn't a perfect ride, it was fairly windy and I got properly close passed by some tool in a Ford MPV on the way back, but an enjoyable ride overall. 25.1 more miles.

20th October: I booked a day off from my new job today because I didn't have anything to do (shortly before being given a large list of jobs, oops...) so I took Awesom-O out for a spin. It was overcast but bright and not too windy for a change so it was quite an enjoyable ride. There were still huge muddy puddles on the farm path though so Awesom-O needed a really good wash when we got back but I'm used to that by now! On a different note, I saw what I thought was the kestrel again but I'm starting to have doubts. I'll try and memorise it more exactly if I see it again and work out what it is... Anyhow, 25.4 more miles.

26th October: It turned out to be the first night ride of the year tonight. I took Awesom-O out for the three ups and downs of the farm track and by the end of the second up it was pretty much dark. Weather-wise it was dry and breezy and fairly damp and chilly at around 10 °C but this gave me an opportunity to test my new anti-winter secret weapon, a Stolen Goat 'Climb and Conquer' winter jacket.

The jacket is designed to be extremely warm and waterproof ie the perfect jacket to get you out of the house on a freezing winter night. I wore it with my new Castelli Velocissimo long bibs and it was definitely warm! I ended up riding with unzipped about six inches which was definitely odd given he time of year but definitely bodes well when the weather turns really cold! A pleasant ride and another 25.1 miles.

29th October: Having decided that Morgan Blue Syn lube is too thick but their Race Oil isn't winter-proof enough, I decided to have a crack at making my own recipe lube. I knew about EP90 from when my dad and I had a series 3 Land Rover, it's a gear oil commonly used in older vehicles. Being a gear oil, it's designed to provide protection against metal-on-metal wear so it ought to be perfect in a chain lube so I mixed one third EP90 with two thirds Syn Lube. I degreased Awesom-O's chain, dried it, and applied one drip per link and headed out to do three ups and downs of the farm track.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day, clear blue skies and not too much wind, so I wore my new Castelli Alpha top over my white Nike running top and my long Castelli bibs. It turned out to be fairly warm so the the running top probably wasn't necessary but it was a very enjoyable ride anyway. In typical British fashion, the warm weather brought out a lot of cyclists and I even saw a late middle aged couple jogging on the farm path which was unusual. 25.1 more miles.

Well, I didn't manage to get out again so October goes by with a not too shabby total of 228.5 miles on the clock.

September 2017.

2nd September: It was quite warm today with blue skies and hardly any wind so the Strael got another trip out. I've been doing some research on vitamin D and exercise and there's definitely something in it. Because it's created by the action of sunlight on exposed skin, rather than being common in food, it's very easy to be deficient in vitamin D and apparently most people are.

I mention it because when I set out today I really didn't feel like a ride but I ended up enjoying it and averaging 17.0 mph which was very good. I noticed this performance boost last winter when I took vitamin D so I've ordered some 5,000 iu tablets and my parents can have the rest of my 1,000 iu stash when they arrive. Anyhow, 25.3 miles to kick September off.

9th September: I really dropped on with today's ride. The BBC weather website said it would rain all day today and all weekend. As it turned out, today was actually hot and sunny albeit with a very strong wind. I took the Strael out and did three ups and downs of the farm track. It was hard work with the wind but quite an enjoyable ride overall. I hadn't taken into account the recent rain however; there were a couple of huge muddy puddles and the bike, and myself, were absolutely covered in mud by the time we got home - who said buying a white bike was a good idea?! Anyhow, a fun ride and the vitamin D must be working because I averaged 16.7 mph despite the wind. 25.1 miles.

16th September: Well, after a week of terrible rain and wind, including storm Aileen, I finally managed to get out for ride today and did the local 27. It was actually quite sunny so I took the risk of the puddles having dried out and took the Strael and luckily I was right, they'd pretty much dried up. I was wearing a new top on the ride as well. Autumn's on the way so I spent my Christmas money early and bought a Castelli Alpha FZ jacket (reduced from £175 to £99 from Merlin!) and some Velocissimo 3 bib tights to go with it. It was too warm, about 15 c, for the tights but I wore the Alpha over my Lusso bibs.

The Alpha is made from Gore Windstopper 150 so it breathes really well and has a mesh zip up front section so if you get too warm, you can undo the main zip and still have the mesh section underneath to keep the jacket from flopping around. Despite it being too warm really, the jacket was great. I had it unzipped a few inches so I kept cool and I wasn't a sweaty mess when I got it so it's definitely breathable. On a similar note, the 5,000 iu vitamin D is definitely working, despite the strong wind I averaged 17.1 mph which was very good, I'm usually slower when it's windy. 25.1 more miles.

17th September: Another nice day today so I managed to get out and do the same ride I did yesterday. It was a gorgeous day, very windy but super clear with largely blue skies; a real sign that autumn's on the way. It was fairly windy but my legs felt reasonably good so quite a fun ride, the average was looking good as well until the wind got up a couple of times as I got closer to home but 16.6 mph isn't too shoddy and it was another 25.1 miles. Incidentally, I wore the Castelli jacket again and was boiling so I'm going to put that away for a few weeks until the temperature starts to fall a bit more.

24th September: Being short of miles this month I really wanted to get out for a ride yesterday but I somehow pulled a muscle in my neck which was really annoying. Anyhow, it feels a lot better today so I took the Strael out for spin. Given the terrible weather we've had so far in September, today was a real surprise. It was warm with some blue sky and not too much wind, at least initially. My legs felt great and, despite the wind getting up a bit mid-ride, it was a fun ride with an average of 17.2 mph which is good for me. 25.1 much needed miles.

25th September: The weather was quite nice today. It was started overcast but some blue sky appeared eventually and there less wind than we've had recently. Because of all the recent rain I decided to take Awesom-O because he has mudguards and I didn't fancy getting filthy.

The ride started well but I soon ran into a snag half way up the farm track, BT were installing new poles and had a van parked right across the path. I decided to divert towards Aughton and ended up having fun ride just exploring wherever I fancied going and finished with a handy 28.7 miles. Due to other commitments I didn't make it out again so a disappointing total for September of 154.4 but I'm still massively in the green for the year so here's hoping for a more pleasant October.

August 2017.

7th August: After a lot of rain recently and a lot of time surrounded by bike bits I finally managed to get out for a ride today. I'd decided that carbon really doesn't float my boat any more and steel definitely does so I treated myself to a Fairlight Strael frame and forks and set of Shimano ST-RS685 hydraulic shifters and BR-RS805 calipers and spent a few days building it up. I still have the RS500 crankset and it's original wheels so the Giant can be rebuilt and sold on at some point in the near future. The eagle eyed ones among you will notice that I am a bit of a tart and went for the £40 option of an orange Hope headset and seat clamp plus I bought the orange Hope skewers to match!

Anyhow, I eventually got the Strael finished, the rain had gone and it was actually quite warm and sunny so I took it out for it's inaugural voyage and ended up having a blast. I'd very carefully researched all the key dimensions of the Giant and the Strael and the Strael in size 56R was perfect; slightly longer, slightly more reach and with a lower front end. Amazingly, it looks like I'd manage to get the Strael spot on before I even set off. The position felt absolutely perfect; long and low but comfortable at the same time.

The ride is classic steel all the way. Fast and stiff but with the beautiful smoothness that makes a good steel frame unbeatable; I genuinely couldn't be more pleased with it. The brakes are an absolute revelation, especially. They were an absolute pig to bleed but the power and modulation are streaks ahead of the Spyres. A really fun ride and 27.8 miles to start August, and the new n+1, off.

10th August: I got out after work tonight but before I set off I tightened the headset on the Strael. It was slightly loose on the previous ride and I could hear the forks clonking around constantly which was quite annoying. Anyhow, the weather was quite nice, sunny but fairly windy, so I took Dairy Farm Road and the OCR to the end of the farm track and did three ups and downs and then headed back through the village, stopping for a chicken kebab on the way. Another 25.2 miles for August.

13th August: After a fairly miserable wet Saturday, today was looking a lot nicer so I took the Strael out for another spin. Prior to the ride I'd adjusted the saddle so it looked more level and ended up really not enjoying the first up and down of the farm path. I stopped and tilted the saddle back, as it had been, and I was absolutely flying again. There was virtually no wind either, which is extremely unusual, so it was a very enjoyable ride and I averaged 17.1 mph which was good. Another 24.9 miles.

15th August: After all the rain we've had recently today was finally warm and sunny, albeit windy, so I took the Strael out for a spin after work. I did two up and downs of the farm track and a loop and for the first time I can recall had a passenger. I thought I saw a speck of mud on my leg out of the corner of my eye but when I looked down I realised it was a shield bug!

He was on my leg just above my knee and he sat there happily for a good two miles despite the 18 mph wind and being vigorously flung up and down at 90 odd RPM! He eventually decided to go exploring and started heading up my leg so I stopped and carefully placed him on the top bar of a gate but not before taking a picture of him. A bit of post-ride Googling suggests he was a red-legged shield bug which are predatory so I'm glad he didn't bite me! Anyhow, another 22.9 sunny miles.

25th August: I finally got for a ride today after an unplanned ten day hiatus! The last few days have been hectic; my dad's in hospital, we've had a lot of rain and poor weather, I'm in the middle of changing jobs and I've currently got a cold. Anyhow, It was sunny and fairly warm I took the Strael out and did two up and downs of the farm track and two loops. It was nice to get out again and I averaged 16.8 which was decent and a much needed 26.1 miles.

28th August: Well my cold is on the wane at last and it was a surprisingly hot and sunny day so I took the Strael out for the afternoon. Because the weather was so nice I ended up in a restless, meandering sort of mood so I ended up doing half the farm track, the track to Aughton and back then finishing the farm track and completing my usual 27 miler. I don't know if it's because I've been taking a lot of vitamin D and zinc for my cold but my legs felt awesome all the way around. On top of that I think the sun has definitely topped my tan up a bit so an awesome ride all round and another 31.2 miles.

30th August: I really wasn't in the mood for a ride tonight but my cold's a lot better and I'm short of miles so I dragged myself out of the house and went for a ride. The weather was OK, quite warm and mainly blue skies but it was very windy which didn't help. I persevered and after about ten miles I started to enjoy it somewhat. I did what is now my staple, the shortcut to the farm track and then three ups and downs of the farm track.

On a more depressing note, you can tell autumn's on the way from the picture I took above. I got in at 7:46 and I was starting to think "Hmm... I'm going to need a front light if I stay out much longer" as I rode through the village; it's not going to be long before every ride involves fitting lights back AND front. A reasonable ride and, because the Bolt decided to not start recording until I was about 0.6 miles into the ride, another 24.6 miles leading to a monthly total of a less than ideal 182.7 miles. 

An awkward cycling ailment.

For the last couple of months I've had a miscoloured patch right at the top of my left thigh. It was a sort of yellowy pink colour with quite distinct darker pink edges. It didn't hurt at all but did itch slightly occasionally. I googled it and found it was quite common among people who do a lot of sport and is known in the UK as Dhobi itch and as Jock itch by the Americans. It's caused by a fungus that lives in the skin and it's very easy to treat.

Any kind of fungicidal ointment from the chemist or supermarket will shift it quite easily. I bought Canesten (which actually says on the back of the box that it's for treating Jock itch) but you could use Daktarin or an own brand, the key ingredient is the anti-fungal agent clotrimazole. Just apply two or three times a day, don't share towels and always wash your bib shorts after every ride and it should dissappear in a couple of weeks.