Tag: bicycling

My next major update for Piplup is an 44-tooth chainring. The bicycle’s standard configuration comes with a 50-tooth chainring which is a little too high for me. In other words, the gearing isn’t low enough to provide a comfortable “granny gear” for climbing hills, and the common 44T switch should help with that.

I ordered the black chainring, so the silver ring part just inside the black chain-guard ring in the photo will change. I really like the look of the “black edition” Bromptons, so I am going that route with the new components, which include the chainring, fenders, and rear rack. FYI, the 2023 Bromptons have an option for black edition, but it costs more than the silver version. I would have liked to go that route, but I can’t complain since I bought my Brompton during the 20%-off sale.

I went for another ride with Piplup today. I love my Brompton bicycle so much! I’ve been getting more and more excited about doing a bicycle tour, and I’ve put some dates on my calendar, but I’m traveling quite a bit this year, so I might not be able to squeeze it in until next year.

Well, at least I can ride locally, which is a lot of fun.

Today I took Piplup, with her new rear rack, to the lake at the YMCA. I had to adjust the chain (from yesterday’s post) to get the shifting to work correctly, and it took a bit of figuring out, but now that I know how to do it, it seems pretty simple.

Anyways, I really like the black rear rack and black fender. Now I want to replace the silver front fender with a black one. But that’s not urgent. I’ll keep my eyes open for a sale.

I didn’t mention it in yesterday’s post, but the reason I bought a rear rack is because I am planning on doing some bicycle touring with Piplup, and the rear rack is essential for allowing a backpack to be fitted on the bike. And I’ve put my first bike tour on the calendar! It’s still a few months away, but I am looking forward to it.