Brompton X Team GB Special Edition bike

If you subscribe to Brompton updates - and you really should - that and other forms of social media were all awash with a rather special edition bike. 

The bike in question is as the title of this blog suggests is the 'Brompton X Team GB Special Edition.' Limited to 2020 worldwide, it features a rather tasty red lacquer, gloss white and blue extremities. It also come with a Team GB Brooks C17 saddle and Team BG Lion graphic bag. (These are also in the shop to buy now, if still available). In addition there are three Dashel Team GB helmets - red, white and blue. 

I would imagine that this is going to sell out rather quickly, so if it is your thing, don't wait too long. For my money that red lacquer is lovely and should one day appear as a colour option. 

I suppose the big question is whether the Olympic Games will be held at all? I hope so. Link to the Brompton website where this is all explained below.

Stay safe out there people!!

Click here for the Brompton X Team GB page

Zombies on hire bikes

I recently met an old Bromptonian friend at Hyde Park Corner to deliver a bag they had bought from me. It has been a while since I cycled through Hyde Park in 'rush hour' and the the scene before me I likened to the the horrors of watching 'Army of the Dead.' (Have you seen that yet?!

Hire bikes are great. They are fairly inexpensive and  allow participants to ride a bike in London and when they get fed up with it or have reached their intended destination they simply dock it and go. 

With the sun out, the crowds were out too in and around Hyde Park. This was such a lovely sight after countless journeys during lockdown where I was literally one of possibly three other people! However, there was a little bit of an issue.

The route from Marble Arch to Hyde Park Corner is a little but like an A road during rush hour. You have cyclists of all types on all manner of bicycles getting from point to point. Added into the mix are quite a few hire bike users - many novices - who weave all around with little purpose or awareness - hence my zombie analogy.  

On this particular evening there were plenty of zombie types on these bikes as they weaved, wobbled, fell off, stopped without warning and attempted to perform a wheelie, and then fall off. It certainly kept one on the edge! In addition to this there were countless people on electric scooters and one person on a hire bike with their electric scooter being carried. 

Stay safe out there people!!

Only in London - viewed from a Brompton

I would imagine that if you live in any major city you could probably utter the phrase, 'only in _____!' inserting your chosen city in the blank. The other day as I sat at a set of traffic lights in SW7 with the sun shining I did say this under my breath.

The scene that greeted me was a cyclist on a bicycle - not a Brompton I hasten to add - cycling slowly while on the phone, chatting away. He was hooted by a taxi driver who had himself been using a phone and still had it to his ear. Now what follows was staggering. Said taxi driver sounded his horn, had his windows down and was shouting out to the chap on the bicycle that he shouldn't be using his phone. The irony and hypocrisy did not go unnoticed by the cyclists, who told him to go away swiftly. (I have cleaned that up as I am sure you can imagine)! 

They continued their argument as the lights turned green and I sauntered off, enjoying the sunshine saying 'only in London' as I turned into Hyde Park.