It has felt like ages since I wrote a blog post. I have been rather busy of late and just haven't had the time to put fingers to the keyboard. Ironically, September and what we have had of October has been one of my most active Brompton cycling months. I have been on several adventures - including a nocturnal run to Southend - but just haven't had the time to let you all know about what I have been up to. There has been one big change.
A few years ago I stopped commuting on my Brompton bikes - for reasons I won't go into now. I have missed this a great deal but from more or less the start of September until now I have cycled to work by Brompton.
I have three Brompton bicycles:
- Orange Titanium, M6LX
- Cloud Blue, M6L
- Orange, Black Special Edition, S6L (but with a rider bar fitted, so more like an M-type)
My commuter hack has turned out to be my Orange, Black Special Edition. This is the only one of my bicycles that has still got the standard Marathon tyres fitted. All the others have the newish Continental tyre - that I really do like a great deal.
I have given up on a dynamo set up mainly as the wire bracket holding the light always shears off and the version that works, doesn't really make it easy to use a bag on the front mount. Instead I use the Brompton Cateye mount - which works really, really well. I can also use an old Volt 300 in addition to the one that comes with it.
Talking of bags I currently have two that I use regularly. The first is the 'Brompton Borough Large Roll.' This is a great bag that has a huge capacity, with a material that has some degree of waterproofing without the use of the rain cover it comes with. The second and perhaps my favourite is the 'Brompton Borough Large Waterproof Bag - Navy' that is for my money, the best bag they produce. Large capacity and totally waterproof, it really is an excellent commuter bag.
My commute is not really that far but it does cut my journey time down by a considerable amount when compared to walking. As I did when up to a few years ago I took the Brompton to work every day, I cycle in all weathers. If it is raining I will wear a waterproof jacket and some waterproof Proviz over-trousers. If the weather is dry and mild, I just wear my suit.
So far it has all worked really well. Abandoning my former route to one created by my Wahoo, I now cycle on very quiet roads I previously knew noting about. This new route is better in every way.
Winter is of course coming but the only thing that has ever halted my Brompton commute has been icy roads and snow. Normally this doesn't happen too often.
I hope that you are all well out there and hopefully I will be abel to get some more blog posts out there to reflect all the cycling I have been doing.
Stay safe out there people!
nice to have a read from you again:)
ReplyDeletefor lights i have taken off the dynamo wheel, mainly for weight reasons. but that contact next to the hub is really flimsy.
i have on the handlebars on all four of my bromptons a pair of cateye bayonet fittings, where i put a ponted down volt800 for near field, and a gvolt80 for a non-blinding distant light. these two together lightens up things seriously. running them on medium setting is more than adequate.
in the summer i use original yellow and green label super light rolling tyres that i still got a good batch of. in the winter i put marathon and marathon racer on the fastest 2x10 bike, and carbide studded marathons on an old 2x5 T5 from the 90s for days with refrozen slushy ice. but the daily winter beater is a T5 converted to 44/305 which is surprisingly fast with michelin country j tyres, and really grippy in wet and snowy conditions. it just recieved new rims in anodised red:)
as a bad weather insurance i always keep im my bag a 7mesh windstopper jacket in xxl to go outside anything i might be wearing. just over 100 grams of absolutely non sweaty rain protection. combine it with rainlegs, designed for rain, but also effective as wind protection..
Good to hear from you again too brother.
DeleteGood work! I just supplemented the fleet with another Brompton, an electric one. Have you tried it? Thoughts? Also note you have a saddle bag in the pic on this blog... type? and do you recommend?
ReplyDeleteCheers for the staccato blogging 😉
I usually use a Carradice Zipped Roll. It's pretty good but of late I have been using the Mini O bag.
Delete