I am still waiting for my beloved Orange Brompton! The bike shop where I took my Brompton to have the new parts fitted told me that they have not been as busy for ages. This time of year is apparently a great deal slower than spring and summer but not at the moment.
The success of the British Olympic Cycling Team and Bradley Wiggins have all conspired to make cycling more popular than ever! The shop in question were saying that all types of bikes were selling fast and many people were buying them via bike to work schemes. When I dropped off my Brompton I saw no less than 6 other Brompton bikes in the racks waiting to have something done to them. I also saw gleaming new bikes waiting to be set up for new customers or to find their way to the shop floor.
This can only be a good thing. The more cyclists the better I say. If there are more of us, then perhaps the government will see fit to think about our cycling infrastructure - or lack of it. Hopefully I will get my beloved Brompton back tomorrow but I can tell you I miss the M-type handlebars, the 6 x gears, the fact I can use my large C - Bag on it and last but by no means least, the colour!
I know how you feel. If I recall correctly, I had to wait a week and a half to get my Brompton back during its "annual" service check (and that was after waiting three months for the appointment -- no exaggeration!). I put "annual" in inverted commas as I don't strictly take it every 12 months. Anyway, the shop texts you when the bike is ready for collection. I was so anxious as I waited for that text to arrive!
ReplyDeleteMore reasons to get on a maintenance course and learn to do it yourself :P
ReplyDeleteI did a Brompton maintenance course last March at Cycle Training UK in Bermondsey. I highly recommend it! Had a very enjoyable day and learned how to do many useful things such as taking the wheels off (and putting them on again!), repairing a flat tyre, changing brake and gear cables, etc. It does mean I need to take my bike in less often to the repair shop, but every so often I do like them to go over it more thoroughly than I can, given equipment (and still knowledge) limitations that I have!
ReplyDeleteMore info on the maintenance course at http://www.cycletraining.co.uk/library/website/other/lib0000000097.pdf
Many thanks Will. I am going to try and get myself on a Brompton specific course at some point. I'm sure I'd like tinkering with my Brompton bikes rather than taking them to a shop all the time.
ReplyDelete