You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
The answer was bloody obvious, after wracking my brains for the last few years.
road bike... nah. gravel bike... dur... already got a couple of XC bikes
to cut a long story short, the answer is..... x = Brompton.
Fun, hugely practical, cool in an anticool way... once I'd stopped trying to justify one on public transport money saved vs purchase price it was an obvious choice.
I've only ridden it about 200 yards with this weather but it is providing hours of fun practising folding and unfolding in the living room, occasionally leaving it unfolded to can admire its curves.
Can't wait for the next half term holiday so I can chuck it in the car and explore the country lanes....
Can’t wait for the next half term holiday so I can chuck it in the car and explore the country lanes….
can you not pedal it there and avoid using the car?
Holidays are those things where you pack the kids and the dog and the Mrs in the car and head off to a cottage in Devon or Dorset
All my XC rides start from home
I thought the equation was b=n+1?
Leave it in the boot and enjoy the drive?
Can’t wait for the next half term holiday so I can chuck it in the car and explore the country lanes….
can you not pedal it there and avoid using the car?
Come on. You can do better than that Rocketdog, this is STW.. What about...
Can you not remove the polluting car and resource intensive bicycle from your life and weave your own from reeds reclaimed from an organic focused local farming commune?
Make sure you buy some clear "helicopter" tape if you're practicing the fold.
I do like mine, I've only put about 250 miles on so the leather saddle is still hideous after two or three days commuting in a row, but as a means of avoiding zone 1 and 2 tube fares it's been superb. Had an hour on it through Epping Forest after I'd done a Tough Mudder earlier that day, and it coped well there too.
My Brompton was my sole N from 2002 to 2009. Then I restarted MTBing and have had a hardtail as well ever since, a BMX joined for a bit, and then a full-sus (normal, then electric with a brief overlap having both). Still got the Brompton. It doesn’t get used much now but it did thousands of miles in my London commuting days. So my N = Brompton + hardtail + full-sus = 3. Any more bikes and I get confused!
b=n+1 ... well yeah but got 11 months of this ride 2 work scheme before that problem arises again
Got some heli tape left over from doing my last new bike and was planning on sticking some on the obvious abrasion points, but apparently the paint will come off anyway at the main frame hinge?
brompton/hardtail/FS - no need for anything more!
not looking forward to the 1st rear puncture, I guess it will happen at the most inopportune moment
I've always wanted a Brompton but when it's new bike time they lose out by being so much less exciting than a MTB, gravel or road bike.
Should really buy one on the cycle to work scheme, which one for £1200?
Does the folding pedal still scratch the frame or did they fix the over-fold? I had a black one. Because it’s easy to touch up and will get scratched as it’s folded and in the boot. Great fun, but I have a different 16” folder now that’s also a nice ride.
My favourite is the S2LX. Two speeds are enough, but mudguards are a must for commuter riding.
What's your alternative TiRed?
It’s a fixed wheel dropped bar Tactic panache thats about 20 years old, weighs sub nine kilos (after I removed the five speed SA rear, chain guard, rear brake, lead saddle and steel bars). Fold is nowhere near as fast or small but the ride is better and the weight is much better. I fitted a Brompton luggage block to the light bracket on the front. Cost about £200 all in, including the new rear wheel, mudguards and high pressure tyres.
Light enough to think “that’s light” when you pick it up. I’d also like a t-line but they’re the realm of speculators on eBay.
The answer is 2 road bikes, 2 MTB's. Simple. None of this gravel rubbish.
Sexy! Love a Flite saddle, proper 90's MTB nostalgia. Timeless.
“not looking forward to the 1st rear puncture, I guess it will happen at the most inopportune moment”
Schwalbe Marathon Plus!
Prices have risen since the rebrand of the model range. I was very fortunate to get a great deal on a 2021 model through Evans of all places (I got a M6L with front bag and Brooks saddle for less than current 3 speed C line money)
There are good pictoral guides online as to where to put helicopter tape, sorry haven't got one to hand but sure it was just a Google search or Reddit.
Yes the folding pedal will scratch the bike if you do it in the "wrong" order.
I always though the equation was n = n+1 where n is the number of bikes you currently own. People are adding too many terms.
D = 1/r
Where D equals desire for a new bike, and r equals the amount of riding you actually do.
Evidence is that almost every bike I've bought has been in Jan-March when the weather is at its worst and I'm sitting at home googling bikes instead of out turning the pedals.
“I always though the equation was n = n+1 where n is the number of bikes you currently own.”
It always has been and still is - but isn’t it as much consumerist bollocks as it’s tongue-in-cheek humour?