daily slice-of-life photo blog of a Gen-X dad
I rode my Brompton to pick up the mail this evening, and the weather and light was so beautiful that I went for a nice ride around the neighborhood. Blue hour is so great!
Today I went with Sophie, my 1972 Peugeot UJ-10 bicycle, for a ride on the local hike & bike trail. I mentioned previously that the bluebonnets were on their way out for the year, but to my surprise, they were blooming like crazy! So I guess we have a couple more weeks to enjoy them. :)
Ever since I got Piplup, my 2022 Brompton C Line bicycle, I haven’t shown Sophie or Rossa much love. But today reminded me how much fun the vintage French road bike is. What I like about it is the speed and quietness of it. The 27-inch Panaracer tires, at 95 psi, roll so smoothly and the quick acceleration is noticeable. Also, the freewheel emits a very subtle and precise clicking sound which is super elegant. Many of today’s mountain and gravel bikes that I see on the trail are super loud (and annoying in my opinion). I remember reading that two signs of inefficiency are heat and noise. Not sure if that is the case with modern bicycle cassettes, but I prefer the quiet rather than the loud buzzing.
Speaking of loudness, I have a Crane Suzu (bell) on Sophie. I had forgotten how loud and crisp it sounds! I guess I got used to the Brompton’s tiny (in size and sound) bell. The Crane Suzu is so loud that it can be a bit alarming to hear, so I make sure to ring way before I actually pass people. I like Crane a lot. The company is from Osaka (my wife’s hometown) so I feel some affinity towards them. I’m thinking about replacing the little Brompton bell with a small bell from Crane – another fun and beautiful upgrade to consider!
I hope you had a nice day!
A new park just opened in our town, and it has a large lake at its center. I went with Piplup to check out the fishing, and although we didn’t catch anything, we had a very nice ride. And as a bonus, I got a tip about a good fishing spot from another fisherman. Score!
Many people buy the rear rack for their Bromptons just so that they can have a more stable stance for it when it is folded. But I found that the rack and the Brompton’s low top-tube are perfect for carrying a fishing pole. The other end of the poles (two sections) are secured to the top-tube with simple velcro straps, although you can simply tie it with a string too.
I put my small tackle box in the Brompton Borough Large bag in front. A nice combo for a fishing trip!
I got the urge to go fishing so I headed to the neighborhood pond to cast a line. The water level was pretty low so it wasn’t ideal by any means, but it was still fun!
