Steaming Surly Rollergeddon

Works for me.

Now starting to look for new bars in 25.4 pursuit/bullhorn flavour.

Found a Genetic, Soma do a nice looking one, Nittos seem to drop will look again for a flat one.
What else, think Deda where all oversize, Profile ?

Anyone recommend anything ? any other brand to look at..... aiming for 25.4 Alu and flat with upswept ends like I have on now (but not bent)

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Todays icy roll around.

Sun dropping and temps dropping. Up to bridge 4 to explore the link to the main canal system. Might do a tow path ride in the summer, so been randomly looking at segments to see if rideable.

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Mobile phone pics today.

No swans in dead end of canal and calm at the marina (caff shuts at 4pm)

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Bridge 3 is a road bridge and I carried on up the canal, as this is not the main canal system the towpath is grass embankment and soft/hard going on 28mm slick tyres with mudguards.
The picture is junction of Shropshire union to Whixall Marina.

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Happy Biek didn't topple over as water is cold to be fishing a Surly out.

Kept feet dry and used footbridge. Now on main canal and towpath is hardpack and good going.

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One of many Lift bridges, uses same Key as Lock gates to wind the bridge up and down again.
If this was down near Ashford the boyracers would have jump contests here as long straight run up, nice launch angle to flat landing and instant write off.

Instead the road was littered with bird watchers.
I wanted to make the caff in good time so kept going.

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Overdose on sugary Lemon Drizzle cake and Latte.

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Some handlebar possibilities:

https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/components/finishing-kit/handle-bars

28mm tyres, muddy towpaths and back lanes and thermal water bottle FTW

Chased 2x farm cats down lanes on way back.
Got chased 1x farm dog :)
Ice on fields but not roads, did some gentle leaning with no crashes :)

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Why not 31.8? Bars would be much easier to find and stems are very cheap second hand.
Hadn’t realised your location. If you pass by Ruyton XI Towns, pop in to Cafe Eleven. It’s owned and run by my mum. I’ll pay forward a coffee for you if you say Phil sent you

Didn't like the profile of 31.8 as the centre section is fat then tapers down, also super stiff. Not a problem using riser bars but i prefer the flat constant diameter of 25.4 they have a bit of give when you pothole..... and with no bulge you have more room for hand position.
Nitto's are mostly 26mm, the one 25.4 has a 27mm drop, oddly planet X are flogging Nittos so cheaply it falls into "to cheap to be true" camp that i wonder if they are legit Nittos. Loads of 31.8 out there. Although Chop & Flop wasn't viable because of the 31.8 drops i had where channeled for cable runs. Might just push the boat out and get black Soma's as they will take bar end brake levers.

Yes, been through Ruyton XI :) funny name for a village, haven't looked into the history yet. Zipped through in the car, 20mph limit and bit of a hill, sure the Cafe was in the central bit, will consult the map book and see if i can find a back lane route :)

Named so I believe simply because it is the central village of the 11 local ones in the parish. Would once have been Ruyton of the eleven towns. Apparently the only place name in the world with a Roman numeral, though I haven’t fact checked that!
Exactly that, the cafe is in the old Parish hall at the bottom of the hill in the 20 zone

@f1s went through PX last night :) couple of nice ones really cheap...... then wham-won't accept bar end shifters or brake levers.

A few things to change, the bars as old and slightly bent, new saddle, toying with a Q/R front wheel as could drop weight cheaply and current rims are worn although i got some bargin rims from Condor ages ago, impulse buy and nothing to lose by trying wheelbuilding. What else, fancy trying Nokon/jagwire brake cable, more for the extra braking than low weight. Got a new chainring sat here that i never got round to fitting and some sprockets i haven't tried yet, and maybe a Halo clickster at some point as i miss 6 pawl pick up on my mountain bike :)

@PhilDAS i assumed it was something like an estate and owned by Ruyton the XI.

just google mapped it.
If i chop through the lanes after loppington (great pub there) and go wild back lanes, try and avoid popping out on the main road at Baschurch, then i should pop out at the top of the hill of XI
Some working out still. Maybe 15 miles :) so a 30 out and back with hills.

Just been full circle :)

soooo... looking for soma reviews, found some peak Fixie forum chatter from 2007/08 on various forums, then ended up back here but in 2013
Ain't much chatter, but they seem to have a good rep and been around a while.

Time to renew a lot of things.

Holding out on the bars at the moment, but really not much chatter about them, and what little I find is positive and SJS and Hubjub have them.

Really should get some leggings/tights/shorts as been making do with some karrimor running ones, which while cheap also start falling apart as soon as you use them.
The old Bell Sweep R helmet has a couple of cracks down the back, so a new helmet.

Absolutely no idea about Spesh lids, had loads of Bell.
But kinda digging the garish colourway, Pink to what looks orange, to yellow.
I could paint my fork pink, pink and orange bartape against the weird mustard yellow surly, be straight to anti porn :)
Want something bright :)

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Ordered late Thursday.
Dispatched Friday via second class Royal Mail.
Arrived today, Tuesday morning. Custom made box from recycled amazon box.

A very light weight box.
Went with Hubjub as never used them before, only wanted the bars at the moment £46 + £3.50 p&p couldn't find many stockists of Soma and Hubjub came in cheapest.

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Being picky about 25.4 and flat did limit the selection.

Nitto are mostly 26mm and/or don't accept bar end levers. And have bar drop.
Few others at 26mm from Profile that do accept bar ends and flat, no drop.
31.8 I don't like the centre butting and step down to standard diameter, tried a couple out but nope for me.

So the Somas, 25.4, flat/no drop, no stepped butted centre section, stack of sizes from 36cm - 44cm in silver or black.
I went for 40cm coming in at 296grams on my kitchen scales. A quick flex test and stiffer than the very old 38cm Sakae Road Champions that have been Chopped and flopped and are slightly bent.

https://www.somafab.com/archives/product/urban-pursuit-handlebar

https://www.hubjub.co.uk/soma-urban-pursuit-handlebar-254mm-2997-p.asp

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Another day another angle.

Old silver bars 218grams. New black Somas 295grams with scope to cut back the horns.
Best go for some rides and start trimming back. Bar tape isn't doing too well and is going to be on and off a few more times.

Being pulled another way.

But there is another.
A ripple in the force, different, not Steel.....

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Reckless is normal :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLlu_RpElBs

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@PhilDAS. Cheated and used car which was good as side roads are mostly slushy mud and ice. Didn't announce my self in case it wasn't your mum and they knew nothing of the forum and might think I am mad and call the police :)

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Haha ah well, next time. She runs it on her own so it'll definitely be her or failing that, my dad on a rare occasion

Got a back road route dialled in though for when things dry up :)

Nearly parked in a hedge today due to surface conditions being more suited to 4wd and chunky tyres.
Not sure how much of whats on the car is mud or slurry, see what the car smells like in the morning :)