Looking Out To Sea

New bike day: Genesis Croix de Fer custom build

The inevitable happened and I finally sold my Ridgeback Flight after several years of good service. It went with fresh brake pads, mudguards and a rear pannier rack — all kitted out for the urban commute. I also foolishly left my Restrap toe straps on the pedals when I should have moved them to the Fuji track bike. Oh well, I got a good price for it all.

And the replacement! What a marvel. A custom build light touring bike built around the 2016 Croix de Fer frameset in “Colonel Mustard” metallic golden-yellow colour. The same frame as Harrison Ford, doncha know. Built by Bike Craft with Shimano 105 group and TRP Spyre disc brakes. Other goodies include the Alfine dynamo hub in the front and the solid wheelset.

I’ve now got a Busch & Muller Cyo headlamp wired to the dynamo and it’s totally amazing. Being able to just flick a switch and ride without thinking about batteries is totally amazing. The light has two modes, which is one more than I really need but I’ve been using the second “daylight running lights” mode anyway because it’s there. The lamp runs “dipped” and there’s some LEDs instead to appear visible to traffic in rear-view mirrors and such. And it’s “free” energy so why not use it?

My most recent purchase was a QuadLock mount to put my phone on the bike stem, which is really good for riding in the unknown — something I haven’t actually had a chance to do since getting the mount. We’ve only been one long ride (to Dunbar via Garvald) since receiving the bike.

What is left? A rear light to join with the front one will complete the utility of seeing and being seen without charging batteries. A rack so I can use my panniers again when carrying loads too large for a shoulder bag. And maybe some pedals? A brave move…