Part of my route involved cycling on the Grand Union Canal. As I passed over a major road I could not help but be a little smug at seeing the lines of cars going nowhere, while I glided along at my leisure. I suppose part of the appeal of cycling is the freedom it brings.
Not long after I was feeling smug, my route turned cyclocross! A tree had fallen over and further along (not shown in the photo below) there was another one down.
After passing through my old haunt of Notting Hill I arrived at Kensington Gardens. As I cycled along I saw a young teenage girl walking quite happily speaking Russian into her phone. About 2 metres behind her were three rather scary looking gentlemen in suits following attentively in a delta formation, looking with suspicion at me cycling along on my Brompton and anyone else that veered too close to this young lady.
At Horseguards the Household Cavalry were getting ready to change. I cannot think how many times I have seen this over the years but when passing, if I have time I always stay to watch for a few minutes.
After a spot of luncheon with my relative as the day still looked lovely I decided the best thing to do was to cycle back a slightly different but equally scenic way.
Just off the Bayswater Road I past the building where Spike Milligan - I think - once lived and Eric Sykes used to have an office. Eric Sykes was a comedian, actor, writer and director. I recall walking up this street in my childhood/youth and always remember him being the most miserable of people every time I set eyes on him.
When cycling along in London you often pass locations you might not have been to for ages but have significantly changed. The properties on the street below used to be single dwellings with one family living there. Now they are all converted into several flats.
This is the beauty of a Brompton. Ride as much as you fancy and if the weather or inclination takes you, there is always the option of other forms of transport.
Hey there, I'm glad I came across your blog. I'm hoping with your experience with various Brompton models you might be able to help me make a decision. So I currently own the 2019 all black orange S6L which I purchased back in the spring. I wasn't initially looking at Brompton because of the price but was convinced and it's been one of the best purchases I've made. It's so convenient and fast. However, I do carry it a good amount, up to my apartment or my office, occasionally up the stairs in the subway, and started considering a lighter model, specifically the CHPT3. I test rode it two weeks ago and was surprised that I could feel the difference riding on it. However, given the price difference, I have some hesitations, primarily because if I want a bike that's practical for commuting (it's my primary source of transportation), I would probably add mudguards and a front mount, both of which would make the weight not too far off from my current bike. So I'm debating whether or not to get the CHPT3 and make those additions and at least benefit from the different feel on the bike, or potentially keeping both and leaving the CHPT3 as is. I can't quite justify having two but you own two so I'm really curious why and how you choose to use one over the other. And you switched from the superlight to the all black but that seemed to me more for aesthetics? Anyway your input would really help me figure things out. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAmanda
If you like it, go for it. For me the titanium didn't really do it for me and I sold the one I had.
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