Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/2200 sec, ISO32 “Cloud Blue Brompton” Cedar Park, 2022
Today I went to IKEA to buy a couple of Dimpa bags. These particular bags are the perfect size for putting a Brompton folding bike into. They cost only $7 so are a popular choice for Brompton owners to use when traveling. There are plenty of videos about using them, so if you are interested, check them out! I also picked up a Pivring backpack (only $4!) to loop around the handlebars. It’s a cheap alternative to a bag that fits on the Brompton front carrier block, which are generally pricey.
After that, I went for a ride around the neighborhood. I still need to find the optimal seating position, but I am getting closer! The Brompton is such a fun bicycle to ride. Oh, I also need to decide on a good name for it to go along with Sophie, Rossa, and the recently stolen (😢) Mango. I am leaning towards “Piplup” which is the name of a cute blue pokémon.
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/55 sec, ISO500 “Dimpa Bags” Cedar Park, 2022
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 35mm, f/2, 1/105 sec, ISO2000 “Folded Bike” Cedar Park, 2022
Today I received a Brompton C Line Explore folding bicycle. I’ve had my eye on a folding bike for a long time now, and when the C Line series went on sale recently, I jumped at the chance and ordered one from the Brompton website. It took only a few days to deliver via FedEx, nicely packaged and almost fully assembled. You can see in the photo above just how compact the Brompton is when folded. I pretty much just needed to attach the seat, unfold, and go for a ride!
Speaking of the seat, the C Line includes a black Brooks C17 Cambium seat, which is very nice. But I wanted to use my Brooks B17 from Sophie on the Brompton, so I made the switcheroo. (The black Cambium looks pretty sharp on the Peugeot, btw)
Next, I went to the elementary school parking lot so I could make initial adjustments to the seat and handlebar position. I also got used to the 6-speed shifting system, which worried me at first because the hub makes clicking noises even when pedaling (in most gears). I thought it might be defective, but a quick Google search told me that this sound is normal for that kind of hub. Whew!
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/240 sec, ISO32 “Cloud Blue” Cedar Park, 2022
After the seat and handlebar adjustment, I grabbed my helmet and headed for the hike and bike trail. The Brompton is so fun to ride! It’s unlike “regular” bicycles in that the wheels are much smaller, so the steering feels a bit twitchy, but I got used to it quickly. The tires are pumped up to 80 psi (maximum of 110 psi) so it rolls quite fast – much faster than I was expecting! But unlike my road bike, Sophie, the Brompton’s step-through design makes it very easy to get on and off of, so it feels like a super-convenient way to get around.
I only rode about 15 km, but I can tell this is the start of a lifelong love affair. 😄
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/60 sec, ISO200 “Packaging” Cedar Park, 2022
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/2000 sec, ISO32 “Sophie” Cedar Park, 2022
I went out for a ride with Sophie today and noticed that I couldn’t shift into the granny gear. The shifting lever was at its limit, but it still wasn’t enough to get the chain onto the largest sprocket. When I inspected the cable later, I saw that the metal braids in the housing were coming out of the plastic. When I changed these cables last year, I didn’t think I needed to put the housing caps on, but I guess those are essential. So I trimmed the damaged housings and added end caps, then reassembled the shifting cable, and now it shifts normally through all the gears. Yay!
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/120 sec, ISO50 “Cabling” Cedar Park, 2022
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/3700 sec, ISO32 “Sophie” Cedar Park, 2022
This afternoon I went for a ride with Sophie, my 1972 Peugeot UJ-10 bicycle. I haven’t ridden the Peugeot in a while so it was fun to go for a spin on the vintage road bike.
I like to record my bicycle rides with my GoPro and post to YouTube, but decided to leave those at home and just ride without the extra burden of the video camera. You would think that filming with the GoPro would be simply hitting the record button and just let it run, right? But actually, it causes me to think a lot about it when I am riding. For instance, “is the angle still okay? had the battery overheated and shut the camera down? do I need to change batteries?”. If GoPro cameras were reliable, then I’d have less stress about it, but they are pretty flaky.
Anyways, the only camera I had with me today was my iPhone, so I was just focused on the ride and seeing the sights. It was so fun! The Peugeot is a lot different than my other bicycles – it’s faster and a little more challenging to ride, especially over any gravel or dirt. I mostly kept to the hard surfaces, but there are a couple places where riding over gravel is necessary, and it got a little sketchy! Still, I enjoyed the whole ride.
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/3200 sec, ISO32 “Sophie” Cedar Park, 2022
I hope you had a good day!
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I use a Fujifilm X-series camera for most of the photos on this site and my Instagram. Why not pick one up for yourself?
