Brompton S3L-X
I have a new bike. although I would rather call it HPT (Human Powered Transport). Sounds much geekier. It’s a Brompton S3L-X and so far I am chuffed to bits with it.
I have had a bike for as long as I can remember. I remember my first proper bike. A Raleigh Budgie with stabilisers. After that it was onto a Raleigh Striker and then BMX’s before my Dad decided to take the family on a madcap european cycle ride and equipped me with a hand built tourer from Cresswell Cycles in Coventry. I loved that bike and did a fair few miles on it.
My first folding bike was the Sinclair A-Bike which is fun, but not at all practical where I live or for the miles I sometimes want to do on a bike. I bought it because I couldn’t really afford the £1180 I needed to buy the Brompton that really caught my eye.
Just as Will Self says in his article, I’d always seen Brompton’s around, just not really noticed them. I remember suddenly wanting the British built Brompton after seeing a guy jump off the train and leap on the freshly unfolded jumble of spokes and steel a few years back.
Then recently I got to ride one courtesy of @IAmBrianJones who takes his Brompton everywhere. I was amazed at how nippy, easy to ride and well built it was. A beautiful piece of engineering. Quietly.. I wanted one even more. We then preceded to ride across London at night, nipping down towpaths and dark alleyways, I soon realised how much of the city I had missed commuting mainly underground.
So, earlier this week I decided to bight the bullet and started to trawl the interwebs finding the best price, the nicest looking dealer, the right bike.
My search finally stopped with Websters Cycles in Leicester.
Great service and a top guy. He really made the whole transaction very pleasant indeed and I’m now the proud and very happy owner of a British racing green Brompton S3L-X. It’s not like any bike I have had before.
My first ride on it was an 8 mile late night trip to a Pub in Northampton to attend the Northampton Geek Meet. Then I took it to London and didn’t need to take the tube once. I now take it wherever I can and am planning trips around having the bike with me.
It’s amazing how liberating it is not having to worry about parking or locking up your vehicle outside. I could get used to this.. And what with the spring on our doorstep.. I may have to.
There will no doubt be more stories, photos and video popping up in my feeds over the next few months as I peddle, roll, fold and unfold my way around the British Isles and maybe even Europe. The side affect of which is that I may even get fit in the process.
Lots of reasons for you to join me cycling in the sun (when it gets here). And if you are wondering where the tech is going to go. Well there are plans.. But that’s a whole other blog post.
