Wet November Ride

I don't think November 23rd 2009 will go down as one of the best days for a cycle, but commuting is an all weather sport! The only good thing about the wet weather is that the fair weather cyclists are gone; crawling back to the sweaty warmth and "dryness" afforded by the buses and tube; leaving only the serious cyclists the run of the cycle lanes. My morning commute is usually a fairly aggressive affair through the busy roads of south west London but this morning was possibly the most mellow ride I've had in a long time. I don't know if it was the drivers being more cautious because of the wet weather or just that all the planets happened to align in the sign of the sun god Raa?! But there was space being given aplenty, no suicidal pedestrians appearing from behind parked cars and no doors being flung open into my path. I'm even going to go as far as to say I enjoyed it. My enjoyable ride was then punctuated by a managable train ride when the heavens opened. I thought it was too good to be true, but I gritted my teeth and clutching my waterproof trousers I arrived into Southampton. Then (it must be Raa again) the rain stopped. Quickly stuffing my trousers away I made it to work with a smile on my face for once, setup for what has turned out to be a shocker of a day, but at least I can look forward to the ride home...

Touring Pannier Update

I've been living with the touring pannier for over a month now, so I thought it about time to share my findings!
The touring pannier has been an invaluable addition to my Brompton, in fact it has been so good I'm thinking of buying even more luggage; in the form of the C-Bag. The pannier has allowed me to do my shopping, carry ridiculous amounts of lunch, carry books, cat beds, spare clothing just about any load I could possibly imagine (upsettingly I did have to move some bags of gravel by hand/car, but they were about 20kg). The only initial downside was a slight sluggishness in the otherwise nimble Brompton steering, I soon got used to this and it is now fine. I sometimes have to remember that I can't fit in tiny spaces as I would otherwise do without the pannier on. i.e. between bumper to bumper traffic, it can be a little snug. The included rain cover can be a nightmare to get on due to its elasticy nature, but once its on its on and the rain doesn't get in and that's the main thing.
            Now, the reason I'm considering getting a C-Bag is for the smaller trips. I have read some excellent things about the C-Bag, mainly that it is easier to find things in than the touring pannier due to the yellow liner (this can be a problem with the touring pannier as it is like a tardis, I found a multitool which I'd totally forgotten I owned). The C-Bag offers a far more streamlined shape. I thought some talk I'd read of luggage affecting the streamlining of the Brompton to be fairly laughable, but after a slog home in a strong headwind I wasn't laughing!
           So I thoroughly recommend the Brompton touring pannier, if you carry a lot regularly it will be invaluable, but if you carry less and don't have thighs like Chris Hoy then you may want to consider the C-Bag! The C-Bag will definitely be on my Christmas list this year!

The Mayor of London's Skyride...

I and 64,999 other people decided to go for a bit of a cycle around London on Saturday! Going by numbers alone, the Skyride seemed to be a success. The roads were indeed carless, priority was given to cyclists and the weather was good; all important factors when enjoying a ride. The only downside that I encountered was the amount of cyclists! There are a lot of people that should not cycle on the roads unless there are no cars and it is heavily marshalled; maybe these people would be good road racers?! There were some seriously unroadworthy offerings. One gentleman I saw had a rear wheel so heavily pringled that it was barely going through the frame. I felt most sorry for the bike doctor, that chap could not have imagined what was going to happen! In fairness he did seem to repairing approximately 14 different Apollo bikes at any one time; and I went past him a few times!
There was a good Brompton turnout, plenty of 2009 models. I'd not seen that many of the available colours in the 2009 matt finish, so it was nice to see some of the rarer colours (purple haze, cornflower blue, turkish blue, orange, baby pink and desert sand). I think the fact people are willing to spend an extra £25 or £50 just to make their Brompton individual speaks volumes about Brompton owners. Some people are not that fussed about what colour their bike is (or how useful it is: see Apollo), but Bromptoning is a way of life! I'm still yet to see a raw laquer Brompton up close; from the photos I think it may be my favourite finish along with cornflower blue. Maybe my next Brompton will be one of these colours. Seriously considering another Brompton, no I don't need one, but I really really want one!
Anyway back to Skyride, I would definitely do it again. I think it shows the amount of people that would be willing to cycle if the roads/cycle paths were safer. I also wonder if there are a finite number of people who should cycle in order to keep the number of road incidents down...

Brompton Related Luggage!

I've never been one to like panniers and baskets and alike, but the time finally came for me to bite the bullet and let the bike do the heavy lifting. I usually use a Crumpler Weenie to carry all of my belongings and I must say it has worked excellently for over a year; but it's just not big enough. With the wetter weather due any day now I like to be able to carry the waterproofs just in case. Now, there are plenty of options out there depending on type of Brompton, type of load and fashionable leanings; but I purely wanted to be able to carry a flexable sometimes large load. I looked at the Carradice range of bags and I was very close to purchasing the City Folder, mainly due to its classic looks coupled with modern twists (leather buckled straps conceal quicker to use plastic clips), but it just didn't quite cut it on the volume stakes. I also considered the C-Bag and the older S-Bag, but I think these are more for the laptop carrying Brompton user. I've made it pretty obvious, but I purchased the front Touring Pannier and I love it. There are a two different configurations of the bag available with frame or without and its worthing making sure which version you're getting if you're buying online.
I intended on purchasing online, then I found out that Velorution (http://www.velorution.biz/) do a price match ("Don't feed Cowboys and Chicken") with any UK or European retailer, online or bricks and mortar and it just so happened I was going to be passing the following day! Bonanza! I went in and sure enough they had it and, I didn't even need to use the price match as it happened the price on the website was out of date and they were selling at the same price as online retailers.
I thought the Touring Pannier would excel in the cold/wet weather but it also has its upsides in the warm weather (as I expect, does the other luggage); these mainly revolve around not having something clinging to you making you sweat more! Also it means, if you go for a cycle in the chilly morning, you have somewhere to stuff the jumper come sunrise! I have nothing but praise for the front pannier, there is only one downside which I have found so far and that is the slightly slower fold time, as you have to remove the luggage pre-fold. I have found that you can re attached the bag once folded (though stability is seriously compromised with uneven or heavy loads) and push the Brompton around shops. I also usually carry my Brompton, unfolded, down steps etc and obviously (I say obviously but the first time I went to pick my bike up with the luggage attached I managed to make a complete hash of it) now I have to grab the frame a touch nearer the headtube. The stuff pockets at the front and sides are good for drinks and maps. The clippable pockets at the rear are good for more frequently used items and also smaller things that would get lost in the 28 litre capacity of the main pocket! The clips for the main luggage hold seemed to be in a bit of an odd place to me, semi submerged inside the side pockets. It works, don't get me wrong, but it took me a minute to find them first go! I was also happy to find a rain coat for my bag tucked inside the divided internal pocket, so should it rain, everything should stay dry. I'm officially converted into a pannier user and I can't see myself going back...

Improved breaking (sic)?

For a while now my standard brommie brake levers have been accruing a type of unsettling wobble. Today I decided enough was enough and it's time for a change; so after some severe rummaging in my box of cycling spares, I found a pair of Avid SD5 levers. Incidentally the Avid SD5's are used on the unfathomly expensive (but in a way, very good looking) Birdy Hybrid Folding Electric Bike (see: http://www.cyclesense.co.uk/products.php?plid=m23b282s19p7631&rs=gb). Anyway, I digress; after some foraging on the internet I found no method for removing the current Brompton levers, so I got the tool box out and decided to do the leg work myself. And here's how it went (any queries then leave me a message):

Figure 1. How to release the lever from the bars

The bolt to release the Brompton brake levers from the handlebars is actually inside the lever itself. You have to squeeze the lever and slip a 4mm allen key in through the gap where the brake cable sits (see: Figure 1).

It's worth noting here that the barrel adjuster on the Brompton lever is different to "normal" levers. Normal levers have a split in them to allow the cable to be removed without having to undo the cable at the opposite end and pull it through...(See: Figure 2)

Figure 2. The unusual Brompton barrel adjuster

So, you have to undo the bolt which holds the brake cable to the brake caliper allowing the brake cable to be removed all the way through the barrel adjuster. You may also have to snip off the cable cap on the end of the cable. If you have to do this, ensure you are going to have enough cable left to setup your brakes when it comes to putting everything back together.

Thread the cable through the cable outer, making sure that all frame mounted routings are used and that the cable follows the same path as previously. If you take a new route, it may affect the fold. It's also worth squirting a dash of GT-85 down the cable outers just to keep the action smooth and to displace any trapped water.

Feed the brake cable onto the lever and ensure that all of the cable outers are seated into their fittings.

Re bolt the cable to the brake caliper and squeeze on a cable cap.

Now all you have to do is make sure that the brake pads are sat equidistant from the rim on each side. If not, lightly loosen the bolt which holds the caliper onto the frame and adjust the pads accordingly. Make sure you hold the caliper when tightening, else it'll just spin back to how it was!

So that's it, the only concern I have now is that somehow due to the increased power that something will give up and snap off. I have never had an issue with Brompton brakes previously and I think the calipers work excellently. This was not an adjustment due to necessity! Here's the finished article:


The image doesn't really do it justice, the levers do look remarkably fitting, with the added bonus that the brakes have become binary brakes!

If you follow my instructions, do so at your own peril, I can't be held responsible if anything bad happens!

Standard Brompton Tyres...

There are mixed views in the world of the Bromptonaut about how useful the standard Brompton tyres ("yellows" due to the yellow label) actually are. Now I've had these on my Brompton for the duration of its life; which is well over a year now and I have only had one puncture in the rear tyre (frantically touching wood...). I ride through the mean streets of London on a regular basis, I do however do my best to dodge the glass and other unknowns in the road, I've only ever hit one pothole (read: crevasse) and that did more damage to my wrists than the tyres. I've had several near misses with cars, pedestrians and other mammals, requiring me to drop the anchors at short notice and come to a sliding stop. There is still a decent depth of tread and I am only just considering changing them to something else due to some slight cracks appearing. They've held up reasonably well in the wet, I never usually venture onto the road paint unless it's suitably warm and I do my best to avoid the ironworks; especially in the wet. So my view is that they are a totally acceptable tyre (I'm sure they wouldn't get through the Brompton QC if they weren't), but as with most things common sense is necessary. The big question now is which tyres do I get next...!

Light the way, hassle free...

Soon, it'll be the time of year when lights will be needed again. Sorry to be the bringer of doom, but it's best to be prepared! I think I have the best lights for a Brompton, bar the official Brompton ones (though I would still tandem these with some auxiliary lights), the Topeak ComboLite lights. Now these don't seem much to look at but I can assure they do the trick. First off, they are cheap, admittedly not always a good start, but in this case I think it is. They are small, require no permanent fixings, batteries seem to last forever (manufacturers state 60 hours use on constant, but I'm sure mine have lasted longer than this), multiple functions and they weigh next to nothing. I think the best feature of these lights is the fact they can stay on the Brompton when folded. I'm a forgetful type and one of the things I always forget is lights, plus if you go riding during the day and end up staying out until the darker hours and you haven't remembered your lights you become one of those plums who ride in the dark without lights...Bonnet fodder. So I leave mine on, they've been on all summer, I've not used them but there they are, just incase! Another plus is that I use my rear light as a stopper to prevent the extended seat post from hitting the road when I fold. It's only a small thing but it helps speed up the folding process. Now I have got the rear light teamed up with a Cateye TL-LD170 as I was going through a period of severe invisibility but I think for the average rider the Topeak Combolites would suffice. Also worth noting is that SJS-Cycles sell these as well as lots of other Brompton goodies...Go on, treat yourself and don't get run over!