When your day’s riding involves a Wilier Zero 7, the prospect of showers can seem inconsequential.
As luck would have it, having left Endura’s Adrenaline race cape at home in my hurry to climb aboard £8,500 worth of race bike, the rain held off for all but the shortest interludes.
The temperature was lower than at the start of the week, but still warm enough to try out some more spring-oriented test kit. Today’s ensemble: Vermarc’s Flanders Classic jersey and shorts, paired with the same company’s Roubaix-lined arm and knee warmers, light gloves and overshoes.
First impressions? The polyester jersey is essentially summer wear, but worn over my time-served Endura Baa Baa merino base layer, proved plenty warm enough for temperatures nudging double digits. The full zip remained, well, fully zipped throughout the ride, but it made it easier to put on and remove the garment (no irritating ‘over the head’ malarkey necessitated by half and three-quarter zips) and if temperatures climb in the months ahead (never a certainty in England) will provide a good source of ventilation.
The knee warmers vs. bibknicks debate can be divisive, but I prefer three-quarters. Vermarc’s knee warmers comprise a single piece of polyester-elastene mix fabric, with an elasticated gripper band at the upper end. They were warm and didn’t restrict movement, but gripped a little too tightly for my liking at the thigh. That said, they remained in place throughout the ride.
A brief note on the Kask Mojito helmet, a lid that has become very much my ‘go-to’ selection in recent weeks: its excellent ventilation allows chilly headwinds full access to the noggin. I wore a cotton cap, but found myself with an ‘ice cream headache’ and wishing I’d opted for a Roubaix lined skull cap.
The Zero 7 delivered much of the thoroughbred performance promised by its absurdly low weight and impressively high spec. I’ll need more time in its company for a full review, but the most suprising first impression was its relative comfort. It’s a race bike of course, not a machine you’d choose for touring, but most of the stiffness is in its lower half . The beefy head tube allowed the Zero7 to track nicely, even in some fairly hefty crosswinds, while the huge bottom bracket and box section chainstays converted every ounce of effort to forward motion. A final note at this early stage: the compact chainset seemed a baffling selection for a race bike, particularly one equipped with an 11-speed cassette able to provide a wide gear selection.
Perhaps passing a watermill after the recent downpours was asking for trouble, and the apparent total immersion of the road surface almost prompted an about face. The good people at ATB Sales certainly wouldn’t have thanked me for immersing their Fulcrum Zeros in flood water up to their axles. Closer inspection, however, revealed a perfectly dry line at its extreme edge, and safe passage around the excess of a swollen river. The technique? Plan your route accordingly in the first instance to avoid well-known flood spots (it would have helped me). If unavoidable, pull off the road, assess the progress of other road users, and if it appears passable, approach with caution, and coast through at low speed, out of the saddle.
Waves and smiles from motorists forced to slow by the standing water offered a glimpse of how relationships between those on two wheels and four could and should be.
