I spent a good amount of time of Saturday working on my road bike. After 4,500km the bar tape was getting a bit worn and the tyres and chain were probably past their best.

It was great to witness the transformation back to showroom condition – the dark grey sticky encrusted cassette being stripped back to former polished glory, faded & cut tyre carcasses replaced with clean black and the worn chain removed and a new one fitted that should be good for the next 2,800 miles.

As well as the dramatic aesthetic improvements, the clean also allowed me to look over the Focus checking for damage – the scuffs across the brake units from when I got hit by a car, the little rough patch on the clearcoat at the rear dropout caused by the rough bootliner when transporting my bike to my parents. Fortunately no cracks, chips or anything nasty to be found. It was good to minutely examine the frame and components as I went, reconnecting at a level that makes it more than just a tool for my enjoyment.

It seems there are 1,001 ways to wrap tape, but I went for the clockwise on the left and anti-clockwise on the right. Once it got the method down it was fairly easy to lay tight coils that nicely showed the embossed ‘Zipp’ logos to their full. A lot more padding than I am used to, but since I am thinking about getting new gloves (with thinner padding) it is probably a good thing.

Weather and miscellaneous other things kept me off the bike for the long weekend, but with luck the next 2,800 miles will start tomorrow.

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