My new Orange Brompton

As you perhaps already know I have a new Brompton. Despite me saying that I would never spend another Orange pound on a Brompton...here I go eating my words. I won't bore you with why  I changed my mind but all I can say is that the decision was made pretty quickly and I simply went with the flow.

The bike is a 2018 All Black Special Edition in Orange. It reminds me in many ways of my first Orange Brompton which was orange with black extremities. I do like this a great deal better and black and orange are a killer combination for me. (You may recall me adding lots of black parts to my titanium Brompton I suppose to make my own special edition. I ended up hating the grey of the titanium spoiling the general look. This is definitely miles better).

I chose a 6 x speed, standard 50t chainring (for the moment at least), extended seat post and would have chosen a firm suspension but there is only one option now - firm. More on this later.

Already I have added a few optional extras. I do quite a bit of night riding and despite having some excellent battery lights I have always enjoyed the unlimited run time of dynamo lighting. It really is forget and go.

I had originally got a Supernova front light but didn't like it. The beam was bright but narrow and I actually preferred the beam from the Edulux II. I decided to keep the orange and black theme going and got a version in just that. (I have to say the colour seems to be a lot better than the one I bought and returned a few years ago.

To go with the front light I decided to go for the SON rear light which I have to say is excellent. It works well with the optional rear reflector. The red light is very bright and can be seen from a wide angle.

To power it all I opted for a SON XS in black with black spoke and rim. I have one of these on my P-type and it has been faultless. This one is a little lighter but apart from that and the different style it does the same job as efficiently.

Having been on two night rides to the coast recently you could quite happily travel dark country lanes and be perfectly happy using just these lights. The only thing I would add for urban cycling would be a additional light that has a flashing mode - just to be seen.


The 2018 Brompton bikes have the updated brake callipers. I have to report that these are pretty good and allow for confident braking.

The Brompton saddle was taken off immediately and a Brooks B17 in black put on. It certainly let me know it was new on the London to Southend run but a few adjustments to its position resulted in a very comfortable saddle for 102 miles from last Friday night to early Saturday afternoon.

I do have a black Brooks Swallow but I recently put this on my Condor road bike and it looks rather good on it so it will almost certainly stay put.

I had put on a Rixen and Kaul bottle mount to the front stem but this worked its way lose on the Southend run. I decided to try out a Monk Clip mount specifically for Brompton bikes which actually worked a great deal better.

I am normally a Marathon user but as the Marathon Plus has been updated recently to allow 110 psi I decided to give them a go. No worries from me with regards rolling resistance or them feeling sluggish. (I did have these issues with the older version when I tried them a few years ago). They run well and being slightly wider allow for a more comfortable ride.

The bike came with Marathon Racers and these look good for being a summer tyre and a wiser alternative to the Kojak.

The suspension block is now smooth with no ridges. There is no firm or normal just this. It is good. Definitely as firm as the firm suspension and if anything more so. I like it.

The Brompton pedals also came off straight away to be replaced by some Shimano SDPs that I have got on well in the past with.

The new lock on Brompton grips are actually really good and a massive improvement over the foam that was on bikes previously. The only reason they came off was I had a set of Ergon grips - in orange. These are same as those found on the pretty fine CHPT3 but in orange of course.

The space on the S-type bar is pretty good and made better by the new shifters. I have a Wahoo mount placed in the dead centre of the bars and a mount for my Exposure Toro front light.

There you have it. My new Orange Brompton. I am very please with it and having done a few distance rides on it I am pleased to be back with an S-type.

Shout out to Exposure Lights

Despite having a dynamo powered front light in the form of an Edulux II and possibly the same to go on my new Orange Brompton, I am a big fan of Exposure lights.

I have a Toro Mark 7 which can quite happily pump pump out at least 900 - 1000 lumen constantly over 6 hours without incident. I have had mine for just under two years and it has been faultless.

A few weeks ago it did develop a fault in that the LCD panel where you see the remaining run time lost its illumination. The light still worked Ibn every other way but seeing the amount of juice left in the light proved difficult.

I contacted Exposure Lights by email and in less than two hours I received a returns number. Packing the light up, I sent it off and thought I might have to wait a few weeks before getting the light back.

Another email from Exposure informed me that they had received my light safely and 8x days later my light was back in my possession with a new LCD fitted and working perfectly.

Credit where credit is due, Exposure made the whole process of getting my light repaired painless. As for my Torro front light, it will continue to be a loyal companion on all manner of rides boosting the level of illumination from my dynamo front light as and when required.

London to Southend Overnight (Well almost)!

Friday was the start of the cycling season of night rides to the coast. I love these rides and as such it dominated my thoughts in the days leading to it. Having bought a new Brompton - yes you read that correctly) I was itching to take it with me for its first proper outing.

New bike!

My new Brompton is a an all black special edition - with orange naturally - S6L. Regular readers will know that I had a titanium S6L and added lots of black parts but for me it just didn't work and I ended up selling it some time ago.

When I headed out it was already raining lightly and this was to be a big part of this ride. Cycling through Hyde Park and Hyde Park Corner memories of my first night ride to the coast came back and that same excitement was there. The park also brought back other memories it being two years to the day since my dad passed away. When I reached South Carriage Drive I could almost hear his wheezing laugh as he commented on me having purchased another small wheeled bicycle.

Arriving at the National Theatre, Dr John was already there on his Brompton and we were soon joined by Mark and Geoff on big wheels. It was the first time I had seen Mark's big bike and it was a beauty.

After a safety talk from our ride leader and all round good egg Bob, just after midnight we were off into a light drizzle that was to persist until the ride was almost over.

Sadly, after only covering 1.5 miles we had to wait for a mechanical issue to be resolved. However with near military precision Bob had arrange for the rest of us to wait under cover!

I think it was about 03:40ish when we arrived at the Junction 31 service on the M25. I say services but there was very little open or on offer. Most of us had taken the advice of packing some refreshments of our own but for some reason the cup off tea I bought was rather good.

After spending about 45 minutes warning up and drying out we headed off into the early morning. It was still raining and more than a little chilly.

As dawn approached there were sections where one could spin the pedals a little more freely. Riders thinned out considerably and I found myself cycling on my own for a few miles with the faint red glow of a rear light several hundred metres ahead.

My new Brompton performed admirably and liking the more stretched out position of my Condor road bike, I found the lower and slightly more forward riding position that is a Brompton S-type very comfortable. Writing of comfort, one aspect that was not that comfy after about 40 miles was my brand new B17 Brooks saddle! I certainly knew that it was new I can tell you. I made a mental note to apply some proof hide when I got home. (To that saddle that is)!

Proper cyclist?

There were lots of first time riders and they equalled about half the number. I hope that they weren't put off by the weather. This group of riders are a fine bunch, made up of people from all walks of life. What they ride is equally as varied. I like the way that no one is left behind. Where help - usually in the form of a Jedi Master-like Tail End Charlie - is never too far away and where the emphasis is on the journey rather than how fast you get there. So many clubs are filled with boring types who are not inclusive, selfish and downright rude.

About 50 miles in a fellow rider said that he thought my rear wheel looked a little wobbly. Stopping to check I wasn't sure. It looked like the tyre was making wobble but everything else looked okay. When I got home I rang Brompton Junction and booked it in for its free first 100 mile service and will mention it then.

When we were approaching the last few miles I asked Geoff if were were nearing the train station of Leigh-on-Sea to which he relied yes. With us arriving at Southend later than planned, a commitment later on and suffering from a brand new Brooks saddle I stopped opposite the station, said my goodbyes to the Tail End Charlies and headed inside.

Getting the train to Fenchurch Street before 09:00 meant that I arrived back in London well before 10:00 and was home well before 11:00. I clocked up 58 miles in all.

The train home

Despite the constant rain, the slightly later finish and not making it to Southend I still enjoyed the ride a great deal. For all of this years night rides to the coast I have decided that I will do them all on a Brompton. I have not in any way neglected or gone off my Condor road bike - which I will of course still use - but for these rides for some reason I feel compelled to do so on small wheels.

Many thanks to Dr John, Mark and Geoff for their company and to Bob for leading the ride. Whitstable - one of my favourites - is in a couple of weeks and I already have a few additions to my new Orange all black in the pipeline. I'll get round to posting some better photos in the not to distant.