Special Edition Brompton Bicycles?

Brompton has released quite a few special editions of late. There has been the all black, black with a splash of colour and a blacker version of the all black. Added to the mix we now have a nickel edition and a stardust black which has sparkle bits.

They are all rather nice and have created a fair amount of excitement but I do think Brompton has missed a trick again. With so many special editions cropping up...how special are they?

I suspect that if Brompton were to offer some of the all black components for sale as after market purchases - cranks, seat posts, brake callipers, brake leavers, rims - they would actually make more money in the long run and keep existing owners happier.

Most people buy one Brompton and that is it. They are a good enough bicycle to simply upgrade the various components as and when needed or desired. Having more readily available spare parts deemed to come from a special edition would be a licence to print money, surely.  Perhaps Brompton wants to keep these special editions and their rather tasty components wholly exclusive?

Hard work on the commute home

Coming home this evening the wind seemed to be blasting me full on for the entire journey home. There really was no let up at all and at one point I was cycling only at 8 mph. Normally that particular stretch is around 15-16 mph.

A chap on a mountain bike ahead was definitely  finding things harder than I was but I suspect that with so many gears to play with, he was on his granny ring at the front and dinner plate at the back and therefore pedalling but not really going anywhere.

I think us Brompton riders sometime dream about having lots more gears to play with however for the type of journeys I go on, whether up hills or over fair distances I have not really cursed the Brompton for having only 6 x gears.

About 200 metres from my front door the wind - still very strong - was behind me which resulted in me not having to pedal at all. 

I don't know about you but on my commute, more times that not I seem to be cycling into a head wind rather than the other way round.

Seat post slippage

The past few weeks I have been wondering why some of my journeys have been that bit harder? I had put it down the fact that after my lengthy self-inflicted excite from cycling - due to an injury sustained by yours truly. It would now seem being a little out of condition as a result of this, is not the only reason.

After my commute home this evening I checked my seat post. It had shown signs that it was slipping on the London to Otford ride. After this I tightened it a little. It would appear not enough as by the time I reached home it had gone down at least an inch!

I tightened the little bolt some more and pleased to report that all is well. After a 3 x mile test run, all was well in the world of seat posts again.

I have not had any problems in the past with seat posts slipping down but checking once and a while cannot do any harm and might just preserve your legs a little!!