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, 1/3700 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
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 1.55mm, f/2.4, 1/1900 sec, ISO25 “Mango on the Trail” Cedar Park, 2022
Today the temperature was about 103°F / 39.4°C when I went out for a bicycle ride. It might be too hot for some, but I really wanted to get some exercise and didn’t feel like running was a good option, so I decided to go riding with Mango, my Kona Blast bicycle. She is super comfy, with an upright seating position, cushy handlebars, and granny gears so I can keep the effort on hills to a minimum.
I also wore my white helmet which has plenty of ventilation.😀
The ride was really fun, mainly because there were hardly any other people on the trail, which can get crowded on the weekends. But it was like a ghost town at mid-day, as people were taking shelter from the heat. I loved it!
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/5000 sec, ISO32 “Bicycle Mirror” Cedar Park, 2022
The sky was amazing as well, with plenty of pretty clouds to look at, and they provided occasional respite from the sun.
All-in-all it was a great ride. The only bummer was that my Strava crapped out and didn’t record most of it. Oh well.
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/7800 sec, ISO32 “Lovely Cloud” Cedar Park, 2022
