Top 5 reasons why a Brompton G-Line is a must for the discerning London user!

Now. I say, look here. It won't take a great deal of effort on your part dear reader to find examples of daring do as far as a Brompton G-Line is concerned. You will find many examples of the G-Line being used in the wild, on dead hard gravel tracks, butch forest trails, coastal paths and even - for those who possess a bivi bag - bikepacking! All perfectly legitimate uses, however I feel there are a number of important factors for a Londoner that make a G-Line a near must! In fact, I feel there are five!

#1 Ever so slightly off road

A frequent route for me is cycling south through Hampstead Heath. Here you will find that the paths cyclists are allowed on are horrid.  Mud, dirt, gravel, tree roots, grass, tarmac and various combinations of these can be found. I have completed this route several times on my Brompton Electric and it has been a case of taking things slow and steady.  

Hampstead Heath and its High Street is not an area I am overly fond of. Getting from slightly further north to its southerly point and beyond quickly is a must. Being ever so slightly off road at times and traversing its paths efficiently and quickly can be achieved on the G-Line. Its wider tyres, disc brakes and wider bars together make a more comfortable and faster ride. The Heath does not make things easy. Tourists, dog walkers, joggers, dogs, walkers, little dogs with clothing and heaven forbid...those from the acting profession all compete to get in your way. Believe me, it has been touch and go on more than one occasion. Owning and using my G-Line provides a confidence boost that when things get ever so slightly off road, I can cope!

#2 Cobbles

Many streets in London retain and preserve their historic cobbles. On a normal Brompton it is doable but not pleasant. On my G-Line it is as if the cobbles are not there. The other day, I cycled down a SW7 Mews, cobbled from one end to the other. The G-Line took it in its stride and made it effortless. 

#3 Accidentally going off road and not losing face. 

I recently found myself in Richmond Park with no intention of #1. However, in my haste in trying to find a short cut, I strayed onto part of the 7.5 mile Tasmin Trail that follows the perimeter of the park. I was on my G-Line and perhaps know what you are thinking. Did I suffer a rush of blood to the head and decide to go 'off road?' No, I most certainly did not! Once on the Tasmin Trail, I cycle along giving the look of someone who loved off road. As I passed other real off roaders on gravel and mountain bikes, I perhaps betrayed the true nature of my presence on the Tasmin Trail by my attire. I was the only cyclist wearing anything remotely like my navy blue blazer, pale blue shirt, powder pink chinos and a pair of oxblood brogues! Despite this, for a few minutes I gave the impression that I was at one with off road! Once I had regained my bearing, I was back on tarmac and out of the park. On a normal Brompton I might have got off and wheeled it along. With my G-Line and all that Brompton marketing whizzing around in my head, for a few brief moments, it was as if I were in gravel bike harmony. 

#4 Not actually going off road but you might as well be!

Roads in London can be pretty shocking. There are sometimes holes so large, one might conclude that a sink hole has opened up. Others are so deep, groups of recreational potholers, wearing head torches and boiler suits, could explore their depths! In addition to them just organically occurring, many holes appear with a person wearing a hardhat etched with the livery of various utility companies, who have dug it up for repairs/installation. Owning a G-Line in London, with those larger, wider tyres and disc brakes just make navigating all of this easier.

#5 Gravel!

In some parts of leafy N6 and SW13, after rain certain roads seem to acquire gravel. People cannot really tell you where is comes from and I have no proof but it is as if, like a farmer from the 1800's, someone goes out with a bucket of gravel and throws in across said roads as if they were feeding chickens. Cycling over this makes things twitchy and magnified when brakes are applied. The G-Line makes this phenomena so much easier to deal with. I have been thankful I have had my G-Line on more than one occasion!   

Some people have bought or are thinking of buying a G-Line for all the off road, bikepacking and adventure stuff. For me, in London, it just makes sense to have a bike capable of everything I have described and more!

Until next time, stay safe out there people!

William Shakour Titan, Torpedo Fountain Pen review

Now this isn't a Brompton bicycle related blog post in any way and is all about a fountain pen. If this is not your thing, I will not be too offended, however, it is a particularly fine pen and you might find it of interest.  

I think that regular readers will probably know that I do have a thing for fountain pens. I have owned and sold lots and lots of pens. I have written with pens by Montblanc, Conid and Graf von Faber Castell costing several hundred pounds to the trusty and affordable Lamy 'Safari.' It is quite rare for a new pen to grab my attention and affection so quickly but my recent purchase of one by William Shakour has certainly achieved this. The pen - as the blog title has announced - is a Titan 'Torpedo' and can be seen in the photo below. 

The 'Torpedo'

Before I tell you more about what I think about this pen, it is perhaps worth mentioning that about five years ago I had another by William Shakour - also Titan in size. Below you can see it next to a Montblanc 149 (a large oversized pen) making it look rather smaller. I really liked this pen as well but sadly it was taken from a backpack front pocket when I was at a conference. 

An older William Shakour pen next to a 149

I first came across William Shakour and his pens via a friend who had a couple of them in different colours to the blue one I had above. William is a one person operation and makes 3D prints of his various designs, sands them down and puts the finishing touches to them. He is enthusiastic about his designs and a complete gentleman to deal with. If you look up other reviews by many of the more prominent YouTubers, you will discover that he gets rave reviews - and rightly so. 

At the recent London Pen Show, I saw some of his newer designs in the flesh as it were, as well as seeing people mention them on Instagram and various other forms of social media. I liked the 'Torpedo' so once home I placed an order. I was very lucky with the timing as William had a spare moment to fit my order in and get the pen ready. He kindly sent some photos of my pen after it had been printed and where the sanding process was ongoing. 

A short while later, my pen arrived. It is a large oversized pen and I opted for a steel #8 nib that has William's custom design, I think lasered on. 

It is a wonderful looker

It is a large pen and further below you can see it next to a Lamy Safari - not a small pen by any means - for comparison. The proportions of the pen are wonderful as is its feel and balance in the hand. I have large hands and it is perfect but I know many with average sized hand who find it as comfortable. 

The finishing on the pen is to a very high standard and it is difficult to get your head around the fact that this is a 3D printed pen and not turned out of some fancy acrylic! The pen feels as it could withstand anything and there is a good thickness of material in the cap and body. 

William supplied my pen with a blue feed for my fine nib. He also supplied a spare white feed. (more on this later). The pen wrote beautifully once filled and the balance in my hand all made for a supremely comfortable and enjoyable writing experience. 

My pen is smoke grey and translucent. It has a great overall look.   

Next to a Lamy Safari

Of course, I did muck things up, as only I can. With that lovely white feed sitting there, I decided to take the nib out of the one the pen came in and have a go with the white feed. Not only did I break the lovely blue feed when trying to get the nib out, I bent the nib at almost a right-angle. Totally my fault. Sending a message to William, explaining what had happened, he took pity on me and sent a replacement. He would not accept payment for it. 

That white feed and housing!

While waiting for the replacement to arrive, I fitted an awful #8 titanium nib I had spare that was just about usable but had always been so scratchy a surgeon could perform an operation using it. Despite this, I still loved the pen. When the new nib arrived, all was well in the world and the pen is again...wonderful. The nib is a lovely, lovely writer and hard to believe that 18K isn't stamped somewhere on it. 

You won't run dry in a hurry

I am not sure how much ink it holds but it is an outrageous quantity that would keep you going for an age. The pen is filled via piston fill and this is again designed and made by William and was silky smooth.

I love this pen! I haven't used another since I got it and I know that we are going to become better friends as time passes by. I cannot really think of any minus points at all. Okay, if you like a clip (I personally don't care) it doesn't have one and put it down on a surface and it will roll. Saying that William does provide a pen rest - 3D printed by him. Mine would stay in a case or in my jacket pocket when I wasn't using it. 

You can see William's pens and order one via his Instagram. He has a full time job in addition to making these great pens, so patience is required if you don't see him at a pen show. I will certainly be ordering another in the near future and in the meantime, I will happily using this one. (I must confess that this was originally going to be a present for Mrs Orange. About 20 seconds after inking it, I knew she wasn't getting it)!

Until next time, stay safe out there people!

Brompton G-Line Blue Plaque and similar ride

This weekend has been rather lovely in terms of weather. Taking advantage of this unseasonal sunshine, I decided to head out and confine myself to parts of Fitzrovia, Mayfair, South Kensington, Chelsea and Belgravia to find a few Blue Plaques of the great and good and a few other versions of the same that aren't the official blue ones. 

The official scheme for Blue Plaques has its origins in 1866 and firmly in London. The brainchild of politician William Ewart (advocate of the abolition of capital punishment) it was set up by the Society of Arts in 1867 and since 1986 has been run by English Heritage. There are hundreds of Blue Plaques around London and wherever you are, you are never too far from one. 

Heading south from North London the first plaque of the day was that of Kenneth Williams. He lived in a flat in Farley Court for seven years and his one looked out to view of Regents Park. I bet he loved it. The 'Carry On' films are perhaps from a bygone age, but for me he was the best thing in it. 

The first plaque of the whole commemorating where famous person lived thing, was that of poet Lord Byron in 1867. It marked the birthplace of a house that used to be in Cavendish Square, long since demolished. The plaque now rests on the side of the John Lewis building on Holles Street not too far away. 

I could be wrong but I think the bit in inverted commas is a misquote. I suspect he would have found this amusing. 

My next stop took me to the former residence of P G Wodehouse, where at 17 Dunraven Street, the great man used to live. Wodehouse is my favourite writer and the area around Mayfair is where Plum - his nickname - found many of the locations and characters for some of his books and plays. The late Norman Murphy used to conduct legendary tours around this area highlighting this. 

To many his writing is approaching genius, if not reaching this accolate, and he remains (for me at least) the best thing to ever have come out of Dulwich College where he was educated. 

Not far too far away, stands the former home of James Bond creator, Ian Fleming. At 22 Ebury Street, very much in the thick of Belgravia and not far from Victoria Station, Fleming certainly lived in a prime location. 

Of course, when I took this photo I was asked by a passerby who should be the next James Bond. I think they were a little taken aback when I replied, it should be Jeff Bezos. I think it could work. 

Further up on the same road there is a plaque for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Aged eight, he composed his first symphony there. 

Not far away in Chelsea at 18 St Leonard's Terrace, is the house where Bram Stoker lived. He settled her in London after becoming the manager of actor Henry Irving. Stoker actually had the genesis of the idea for Dracula in 1897 after succumbing to a nightmare induced by eating too much crab. 

So, if you fancy writing your own novel, get down to your local fishmonger and stock up on crab...lots of it!

Not far away at 23 Tedworth Square, novelist Mark Twain lived in total seclusion after the sad and untimely death of his daughter Susy. 

When the plaque was put in place in 1960, Twain's other daughter Clara commented that her family has loved the house and surrounding area. 

While at 34 Tite Street, Oscar Wilde reached the height of his fame. It was here that he wrote 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and 'The Importance of Being Earnest.' It was also the house he left to serve his time in jail in 1895. Interestingly, Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde knew each other well from quite an early age. 

As a child and passing Albert Court - a stones throw from the Royal Albert Hall - regularly I was told stories about Howard Carter and his great discovery in Egypt. He lived at number 49 until his death in 1939. Tales of his adventures captivated me and probably one of the reasons why I have a History degree. There is no Blue Plaque at Albert Court but there is one on 19 Collingham Gardens.

Tucked away at  153 Cromwell Road stands the property that Sir Alfred Hitchcock had his first home with this wife. They stayed there for 13 years before heading off to Hollywood. 

I have always had a soft spot for Terry Thomas and his films. I do remember as a a small boy seeing him as we crossed paths, ironically Albert Court. Seeing that I recognised him, he winked and shouted out 'what ho!' I was on a high for about two months after that.  He lived at 11 Queen's Gate Mews (a wonderful location) for many years. I pass by quite near this street probably once a month and usually I go out of my way slightly to walk past. 

Saving the best to last, not far from Baker Street Station, on a post box you will find a small Blue Plaque to Danger Mouse, the greatest detective of them all!

This was a rather lovely 12ish mile cycle and I really did enjoy finding all these plaques - some I know very well and some that I have not seen before. If you are in London (of course other parts of the country have them too) try and spot a Blue Plaque on your travels or look one up to go and find. 

As today was so lovely, I think that I am going to take off the off-road tyres in favour of the more road friendly variety. This is purely as the sun was out and I am under the misapprehension that summer is but a step away. As soon as I have these tyres off, it will probably start snowing, raining and be back to zero temperatures! 

Until next time, stay safe out there people!