Rapha Cargo Bib Shorts on a Brompton

Today when I set off, London was freezing! It was almost as if winter had come early. In fact I had to go back inside to get a light rain jacket as there was a distinct chill in the air! This is such a change from the last few weeks of blue skies and glorious, warn sunny weather.

One garment of clothing I had been using while on longer Brompton adventures recently has been a pair of Rapha 'Cargo' bib shorts with a T-shirt rather than a cycling top. Normally I would not be seen in public wearing such a garment and usually put a pair of shorts over them. I mean, who want to look like Rudolf Nureyev at his best!

The 'Cargo' version is rather clever in that it has strong material on the outer thighs forming open pockets. In these you can quite happily store you phone, wallet, keys...the list goes on. There is no rattling about and everything is held very secure. There are also some more of these on the back and together they work really well.  The pads Rapha use are among the best out there and it all adds up to make a very comfortable riding experience.

When I started to heat up a little I folded up the rain jacket and stowed it away in one of the rear mesh pockets. All very clever.

On shorter rides I normally wear whatever it is that I happen to be wearing and for work it is normally a suit. For longer rides I usually wear padded shorts with a pair of short over them. As I have used the 'Cargo' shorts much more often recently (I have owned them for over a year) I can see myself putting them to use more often. For me a great deal more useful than the standard, ubiquitous bib shorts most people wear.

Stay safe out there people!!

Why I use my Orange Flame Lacquer Brompton for my commute

As you know I have two Brompton bicycles. One an Orange, Black Special Edition and the other pictured below, an Orange Flame Lacquer. Although I have used both for my Brompton commute, it is the Flame Lacquer that has this as its main role.

The main reason is the fact this Brompton has a front carrier blog. The other one doesn't because of the bracket I use attaching the front dynamo light being too high for a bag on a carrier block to fit happily. I usually carry a T-bag to work and this is an excellent bag for carrying all sorts.

This Brompton has the standard dynamo hub with front and rear lights. These lights really are very good and have the bonus of inbuilt reflectors. They are very much a fit and forget option and I find them very useful. I have used this bike on my overnight adventures to the coast and although the front dynamo light isn't quite good enough on its own for serious night riding, it is more than good enough for your commute when combined with a more powerful flashing front light. In addition to this the front light has good side illumination.

My Flame Lacquer is an M-type offering a good view of the road. The addition of some Brooks leather grips make things very comfortable.

Last of all the saddle. Mine is fitted with a Brooks B17 Titanium Special Edition and it is perhaps the most comfortable saddle I have ever owned. This is important as on my commute (which isn't actually that far) I don't wear padded bib shorts. I find that this saddle is comfortable no matter what I wear, whether that be a suit or a pair of jeans.

Of course I don't reserve this bike just for the daily commute. It does get out to play quite frequently as you will have seen in my blog posts.

The Orange Black Special Edition rarely gets used for the commute.  The Flame Lacquer is the Brompton I use for pretty much everything and I am rather fond of it.

What bike do you use for your commute? Let me know.

Stay safe out there people!

'You Brompton boys are crazy!'

In the last few weeks, here in London we have experienced some truly wonderful sunny days and high temperatures. British weather is changeable to say the least and a topic that is part of the general small talk that crosses all social and cultural boundaries. Stand at any bus, stop, train station etc.., and you will probably hear someone start their conversation about the current state of the weather, what it might be like later on or what they have heard it might be like next week.

This week the temperatures have been down roughly 10-degrees compared to what they were a week ago. I have been waring a pair of shorts and a T-shirt to work and this week - despite the colder conditions - wearing the same. 

Early this morning I had laid myself out a hoodie to wear as it was cold. Setting off on my Orange Flame Lacquer I thought to myself that it was indeed cold and after about one mile realised that I had forgotten said hoodie. Not wanting to turn back, like Sir Ernest Shackleton, I carried stoically on. 

At a set of traffic lights a chap on a road bike pulled up beside me. He was wearing a hi-viz jacket, long bib-tights and a pair of gloves. I was dressed like an extra from the video of 'Club Tropicana' by Wham! Apart from him mentioning the weather and what a cold morning it was, he pointed at my garments and said 'aren't you cold in that?' Nonchalantly, I replied that cycle would warm me up. (What I wanted to say was that it was so cold I hoped that my nipples would not tear their way through the fabric of my T-shirt)! As he cycled off when the lights turned green he said 'you Brompton boys are crazy!' Knowing the people I do who ride a Brompton...he might have a point!!

Stay safe out there people!