Look what I bought today...

Well, it certainly ain't fixed. :(

As a few of you might rememeber I built my first fix over the summer (Cotic Roadrat, Goldtecs, Open Pros) and loved it. Sadly, my halls at uni won't let me keep it inside - don't want to risk it being nicked.

Managed to get this on Gumtree for £260. Not bad considering it's in pretty good condition, just needs a clean, and it retails about £600 new. 39 weeks at uni (although I'll be here all year) at £17 travelcard for students = £663. Bargain, plus riding is way more fun.

I'm really, really tempted to get a white industries eccentric fixed hub... Would be an awesome project. It's already so fun to ride, fixed would make it amazing.

Edit: Resized the pic!

I've NO idea why, cos it'd have no real use for me (they folding up bit), but I've always fancied a brompton...

All that and they're based in Brentford...

They are surprisingly fun to ride. Really responsive, and with the rear suspension (well, it's more dampening than suspension) it's smooth too.

It's next on my list after a refurb of the concorde. I think my GF fancies moving out of London a bit so i'd have to get the big train in to Liverpool st or Kings X, Bromptons seem like the obvious answer to the travel needs at either end. I can't stand the tube. USed to ride one at my old job for local deliveries and it was great fun, Good on you.

Chris

Bargain! Is it an S2?

Got an S3 myself, got it on an insurance job after my older T3 was stolen.

18 months old now, same as the pic apart from the saddles is now a 'normal' one after I broke the original riding pished one night shouting at all the traffic along the A4 and the bottle dynamo is no more after the bracket holding it on sheared off about a month ago!

Almost took Brett going up Highgate the other month, but to save him embarassment I gifted him the 'win'.....

I can't stand the tube either anymore. The novelty has worn off after 3 weeks of it 6 days a week, going to South Kensington (Imperial College, and I work in the Science Museum Bookshop) and having to contend with the stupid tourists and parties of schoolkids blocking everywhere I try and go.

Sam - Yeah, it is. I reckon I could sell it July time for the same price or more. I look after my stuff :)

Good plan! To smarten it right up though before selling, SJSCycles do replacement handlebar grips in the grey, about £2 for a pair.

That's pretty good. I was quite tempted to ride out to Brick Lane Bikes on my lunch break tomorrow, get some coloured ones that they've got on their home page

I can imagine they'd laugh their heads off at me in there. Rolling in at lunch with a Brompton, my PAC bag and chain round my waist, asking for fancy grips :)

if that was a dog, you'd take it out to the back yard and shoot it.

like my last GF

haaaaaa

I'd rather have a dog than no dog.

ken dodd's dad's dog's dead

Ok, maybe I won't ride all the way to BLB tomorrow, it's like an hour away.

Anyone know of any bike shops that sell snazzy grips near South Ken? 30 min radius. I'm pretty quick.

eeehhhh Ok, maybe I won't ride all the way to BLB tomorrow, it's like an hour away.

Anyone know of any bike shops that sell snazzy grips near South Ken? 30 min radius. I'm pretty quick.

Not South Ken but nearer than BLB.

New Cavendish Street Bikes.

http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/mapping/map.php?pc=W1W+6YD

How far do you ride it? What are they like for say 1hr riding? smiling-buddha if you're listening this applies to you too.. and any other folder peeps out there.
Yes, I'm still considering my options. Gunning down everyone in the city is a little more difficult than I first thought.

Cheers, that's great. I'll head down there after lunch.

Hippy, if you get the set up right (basically meaning the saddle height as that's all that can be adjusted as standard), then they're good for however long you need to ride them. I'd advise getting a 6-speed as the gaps in the gearing between 2nd and 3rd are ridiculous, into a big headwind you're either pedalling like you're towing a piano, or your legs are going like the clappers like you're riding a 40" gear.

The S-Type mirrors a road position best as the bars are lower, it also makes it easier to honk on the bars.

The only issue is the tricky handling, especially in the wet. Every manhole cover, painted white line, or pile of leaves is like riding on ice!

In fact, I'm planning to do the L2B on my Brompton next year, all for charidy.

"Every manhole cover, painted white line, or pile of leaves is like riding on ice"

tends to affect all bicyclists, not just bromptonauts spinning wildly and achieving 11mph max.

The Brompton couldn't be in any way described as stiff yet compliant. It is, however, 10 billion times less shitty than the tube.

not ten billion. maybe ten times.

lol.

i like bromptons.

think they're kinda classy.

@ Hippy. Are you thinking about buying a folder? If so, I can't help you much because I've never ridden one. However, I remember that Jim Langley thinks highly of the Airnimal Chameleon, he talks about it on his site. It's not going to fold up very small, but it looks pretty fast...

bit of a beast

Airnimals start at £1k! No way I'm buying a folder that's more expensive than all my other bikes.
I have heard they are much more suitable for 'roadie types that have no other choice but to fold'.
Used one perhaps.. but it's more of a fallback if I never finish building the Armstrong or GT and basically I'm folder-curious. :)

build the armstrong u gimp!!