Phases of a trend

[rebeccmeister]

1. New thing invented.

2. Early-adopters get it and hype it up.

3. I scoff.

...time passes...



(I came up with a whole series of reasons to justify this purchase, but it is still a very silly little bike)

Comments

[graydon]

I'd say the rugged and practical wins, and what might be viewed as silliness is vanquished thereby.

And besides, the cheap knockoffs are the ones where people report having to re-lock the frame while riding.

[rebeccmeister]

Oh gosh, yeah. A number of years ago when we were cleaning out my grandpa's barn, I took home an older-generation folding bike to try and fix up and ride. I never got on it, even once.

It has become much harder to get Bromptons now, but for what I wanted, very much worth the wait and expense!

Sillly Brompton

[(Anonymous)]

Hi Rebecca, I have a 2009. My silly version has a mountain drive planetary gearbox built into the bottom bracket that gives me a 2.5 gear reduction that lets me climb walls and shift while standing still or under heavy load. Still a sweetheart machine. You will love it. James Duncan

Re: Sillly Brompton

[rebeccmeister]

Oh nice! Didn't know you were also a Mafia member. Friends in the Tempe area got into them ages ago (when I was in the scoffing phase). :^)

This one has the internal hub plus 2 external gears, providing a versatile gear range. The shop I got it from says that's how they sell all of their Bromptons now, because that's what makes sense!

[bluepapercup]

It’s adorable!! My ex has one and I was always quiteimpressed with it.

[rebeccmeister]

They're pretty darned great for a number of things - especially multimodal commutes in big cities!

[thisnewday]

First, how's it ride? And secondly, do you anticipate being able to do things with it that you couldn't do with a full-size bike? Just wondering...

[rebeccmeister]

It rides pretty well! It has a 3-speed internal hub and 2-speed cassette, which gives it a gear range that's close to the range of a 21-speed - just without quite as many steps. The front bag attaches to the frame, which means that adding a load doesn't have a major impact on steering. I do think I'll want to swap out the grips for Ergon grips, because with a smaller front wheel steering is naturally more squirrelly. And friends say it does make one a bit more aware of bumps and pavement quality.

For uses - see my reply to ivy. Whether my actual uses match my intended uses - we shall see!

[thisnewday]

Thanks very much for the info. Due to age and attendant changes in physical ability, I'd thought about finding something a bit easier to transport to bike trails, etc, and easier to maneuver once there. This looks like a viable choice for that and maybe for everyday riding as well. Wishing you smooth roads and safe rides...

[thisnewday]

Um, this is bad. Mello Velo, in the 'Cuse, is a Brompton-affiliated bike shop and I know they'd take my Jamis in trade, lol...

[rebeccmeister]

It's definitely nimble but might be a bit harsh for bumpy trails. I think there might be other styles out there that might work better. I think there are even folding fat-tire bikes nowadays!

[slydevil]

Beautiful color! Welcome to... the fold

[ivy]

[pun trombone]

[rebeccmeister]

*requisite groaning noises*

[rebeccmeister]

Amusingly, the color was what I could get the soonest. I was kind of grateful to not have to put a lot of thought into picking a color this time.

[threemeninaboat]

YEAHHH!

[rebeccmeister]

:^)

[ivy]

Congratulations! I held off on getting one since I was traveling less... I keep thinking I should use my regular bike more, but there are few short trips that I take from where I live now. Everything's either directly up Denny or else 15+ miles each direction. What is your intended use case for it? Maybe you'll inspire me to get out there more!

[rebeccmeister]

Thank you!

I had a couple of use cases, travel being just one of them:

-Spare bike that can accommodate a range of people of different sizes - visitors and for the bicycling course

-For days when I get a ride or take a bus one-way on my commute (yes, buses have racks for bikes but that gets to be cumbersome and it's definitely cumbersome when someone offers me a ride)

-In the winter to solve the "last mile" problem for getting to/from the bus stop. It's enough of a hike to get to or from the bus stop that I'd like to try doing it by bike.

[cmcmck]

My first serious bike was a raleight RSW16.

One like this, indeed and that was when smallwheels were mega new!

[rebeccmeister]

There are so many great British bicycle companies! Love it!

[larryhammer]

Origami bike!

[myka]

brilliant!