The Humble Brompton

Cycling for fun

Since living in Bristol, I have ventured more and more into the world of bikes. This started with the purchase of a Raleigh Carbon Airlite road bike which I kept in pride of place in the sitting room of the flat. It was way over budget but a really great, fast bike to ride. On this bike, I completed 2 century rides of 111 and 130 miles. One was the Action 100 Bristol-London ride and the other was simply a training ride in preparation for the Bristol-London. Cycling seems to be the only sport that I thoroughly enjoy, and given that my weight constantly fluctuates between 95kg (209lbs) and about 108kg (239lbs) at my biggest, running has never really suited me.

Bikes are great, they’re a form of transport, exercise and you simply get to see more of your surroundings than you do from inside a car. In its simplest form, a single speed, cycling is just about getting somewhere at your own speed in your own time under your own steam. It’s also free (once you have a bike)!

“Other forms of public transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart” - Iris Murdoch

Originally, I was all about the stats. How fast, for how long, moving averages and total distances. Now however, and possibly as a result of a fairly nasty 24mph accident where I just slipped on something while turning a corner, the simple pleasure of riding a bike has become the overall enjoyment factor. The Raleigh was sold on and the collection has varied over the last few years. From mountain bikes and cross bikes and, until recently, my favourite, a cheap and heavy but hugely rewarding single speed. It is said that the ideal number of bikes is X+1 where ‘X’ is the number you currently own!!

Now however, and as a result of an extremely generous wedding gift from The Wife (Sarah), I am the proud owner of my very own, British-made Brompton folding bicycle and this is, without doubt my best and favourite bike.

Made in England

In England, we used to manufacture a lot of things but in recent years with cheaper sourcing, international labour and a simpler and speedier global transport infrastructure, it has become increasingly difficult to be globally competitive. However, some industries remain and Brompton is one of the only two frame builders in the UK left (according to their website). They have a huge market in China but I remember John Sergeant saying in a BBC documentary once that the very fact that they are made in the UK is a massive selling point to the Chinese, who seem to be manufacturing a great many things themselves.

Brompton bikes are not cheap, but then again, very little that is this well made is. With a new one starting from about £760 and then with a few extras, you’re comfortably into the £1000’s with my spec sitting at just over £1500. A large chunk of this extra is the lighting. In case you feel it’s relevant, I chose the original M-bars, a classic and historically British Brooks B17 saddle, 6 gears - achieved using a 3-speed hub 2 ‘normal gears’ with raw lacquer frame and the (frankly outstanding) SON dynamo lights. You can spec-up your own on their site here. The design has hardly changed over the years. They have been fettled and improved but the basic (and now pretty much iconic) shape is almost identical. The shot below by the reservoir shows my new bike alongside a 9 year-old version from yesteryear.

I am a huge fan of British made bikes and one of the reasons for getting my Raleigh originally was due to the strong British heritage associated with the brand, originally based in near Nottingham. However, you have to go back to about 1965 to find a Raleigh made entirely in Britain. They do come up on Ebay occasionally but few are in good condition. They are an absolute hoot to ride but don’t expect the rod-brakes to stop you in a hurry.

The bag in these images is the 7 litre Carradice Barley saddle bag but a Limited Edition tweed version. Again, made in England (by Susan - the craftswoman’s name is hand-written on the label) it suits the bike perfectly. It will hold just enough for a one or maybe 2 night stopover somewhere as long as you don’t need too much!

It's all about the fold

So… there are other folding bikes about, some with bigger wheels, leading to less rolling resistance, some with more suspension and neat extras but none of the other serious contenders can be as compact as the Brompton. One of the best features in the ‘parking fold’ where you simply lift the bike and let the rear wheel swing underneath and create a platform for it to rest on. This is perfect for train platforms, outdoor cafes and any other time where you would otherwise need to find something to lean a normal bike against. Fully folded, it’ll fit comfortably in the boot of a small car and can be checked in on a plane with some airlines as normal luggage!

There is a routine in folding it up and unfolding it and this must be done in order but it takes only about 3 attempts to get it right. This guy can do it in 7 seconds!!

It also, despite being a single tube and with the small wheels, rides surprisingly well and can, when needed be quite nippy. I have had it for little over 2 weeks and have already racked up over 180 miles on it!

An option for touring

While waiting the 6 weeks for it to be hand-built, I read almost everything I could find online about these great little bikes. Particularly this website. Russ and Laura have done extensive touring on their Brommies and even have an unofficial e-book on it giving all sorts of useful advice.

Many people see this and say, ‘but it looks so unstable’ and ‘it’s only good for short distances’ but these are people who have likely never ridden one. I have offered a few times to let some doubting friends have a go and everyone without fail is surprised with how well these little bikes actually ride.

They also have some great luggage options with a potential 16 litres on the optional rack and up to 31 on the front carrier block, it is possible to carry a lot. Combine that with a saddle bag and you could be looking at as much as 50+ litres of capacity. Again, these well made bags aren’t cheap and are Brompton specific but well worthwhile. There are cheaper home-made options you can adopt like the couple who run Path Less Pedaled.

I am convinced that, having covered a decent distance on this bike, including some lung-busting hills around Avoncliff near Bath, that Bromptons would be ideal for touring. The journey may be a little slower at times but that’s part of the point with bicycle touring. It’s about the journey and once the luggage has arrived, I will surely be taking a few weekends away to make sure my hunch is correct. Plenty of people before me have done it so there is advice online but it is definitely something to look forward to for me in the months to come.

The Best Bit

“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day … Teach a man to cycle and he will realise fishing is stupid and boring” Desmond Tutu

Most people will have heard or read at some point that exercise releases endorphins that improve one’s mood etc but on top of that, riding a bike is fun. It can be hard in a hilly area but it’s still very enjoyable. Riding a Brompton is even more fun but also hugely amusing. It is not lost on me that someone weighing upwards of 16 stone and 6 feet tall riding along on a bike with a 1 metre seat post, that essentially looks like it should be for children or midgets, is amusing. It looks ridiculous. However, this all adds to the experience.

I honestly think it is impossible to be in a bad mood while riding a bike.