The Folding Society

News - up to December 2005

(Continued from the news page. For older news, pre-2005, please go to pre 2005 news).

LATEST NEWS IS NOW ON A NEW SITE -  CLICK HERE TO ACCESS IT

Coming soon ...
Updates to the site have been rather erratic recently - I don't want to bore or annoy readers with computer issues, but I've been trying to migrate web page maintenance from my main Windows-based system to one of another 2 operating systems. Apart from problems in trying to keep track of where the most up to date versions of the files are located in this transition stage, I have not been able to find a web page editor that is in the same league as the one I currently use on Windows, and the aggravation this has caused has discouraged me from updating the web pages as often as usual.

This year's end of year report should appear soon after Christmas, and in addition to the general review of the folder scene there will be updates on the reports of all the bikes I have used over the year. [07/12/2004]

Origami Christmas Ride
This coming Saturday, 11th December, is the second Saturday of the month, so there will be an Origami ride, and as it is December, our mid-day stop will be for (optional) Christmas lunch. We will meet from 10:30 at the Tearooms in Meriden for a ride starting at 11:00, and will follow a less than direct route to Hampton in Arden where we stop for lunch. I don't expect it will affect many people, but it appears from the train timetables that there are engineering works between Wolverhampton and Birmingham, so anyone planning to join a train at any of these stations will have to use a bus instead, with an increased journey time. Other trains which normally use that stretch of line may also take slightly longer than usual, so please check the timetables. [07/12/2004]

Folding Trailers
We sometimes get enquiries about folding or collapsible trailers, or trailers which are suitable for use with small-wheeled bikes. If you are on the look-out for such a thing, take a look at the Carry Freedom range (http://www.carryfreedom.co.uk) [07/12/2004]

A new range of "Land Rover" bicycles?
A new range of bikes is apparently being marketed under the Land Rover name - nothing particularly new, I suspect, but badged machines from other manufacturers (the Land Rover logo is very inconspicuous). The range includes 2 folders, both of which look as if they might be badged Dahons. I've been sent a pdf file of the catalogue, but it is rather large, and I have not managed to locate a web site containing the information. [07/12/2004]

Origami News
The Origami Ride at Milton Keynes on 13^th November was blessed by beautiful weather – a bit chilly, but bright sun, good visibility and no sign of rain. Organisers Phil and Lorna Wray had devised an excellent route – quiet, flat and scenic. 13 riders on a wide variety of folders took part, and thoroughly enjoyed the day. Many thanks to all who took part, and especially Phil and Lorna. You can find a full report on the Origami Ride web pages. During the lunch stop the programme of rides for the first part of 2005 was finalised, and you can also find this on the Origami Ride web pages. [14/11/2004]

Classic Moulton poster now available [Press Release]
After several enquiries and suggestions from purchasers of The 'classic' Moulton, Paul Grogan has created a large A3 (420 x 300mm) sized poster based on the rear cover of the books dust jacket. It depicts all of the 16 different U.K. produced machines covered in the book.

Although it may be argued that not all the later Series Two machines are shown, the bikes have all been chosen to show a typical cross-sectional representation of the production years from 1963 till 1974. (Should there be sufficient demand in the future, it is possible another poster could be produced covering the later Series Two's and possibly Moultons with Accessories fitted.) The posters are printed in full colour on 170 gsm white gloss art paper and laminated on the front face.

You can see the finished poster and ordering information on the Classic Moulton website at: www.theclassicmoulton.co.uk
[12/11/2004]

Origami Ride on 13 November at Milton Keynes
It will be the second Saturday of the month on 13th November, so there will be an Origami Ride, open to all folder enthusiasts, Moultoneers, members of the V-CC, and indeed anyone interested in cycling. This month we are meeting at Milton Keynes railway station from about 10:30 for a ride starting at 11:00. You can find more details about this and other Origami Rides, including the plans for the December ride, on the Origami Ride web site. [07/11/2004]

ANOTHER 16 inch tyre?
I'm indebted to Dave Minter for the following, which comes from the September/October Newsletter of Greenspeed, one of the leading manufacturers of recumbent trikes, some of whose models use the 16 inch 349 tyre:

"We are getting some new tyres made which we have designed especially for our trikes. These will be in a new size of 40-349 or 16" x 1 1/2" to give a better ride than the current 16" x 1 3/8" tyres. The 1st samples of the new tyres have been received, and were shown at Interbike. Testing on our rolling resistance machine indicates a better rolling resistance at 100 psi than any commercial tyre. We will be doing more testing as we receive more samples in different versions of this tyre. The tyre will be known as the "Scorcher", and will be available by the end of the year.

We are also looking at a tubeless version of this tyre which should have even lower rolling resistance, and will be more puncture resistant than belted tyres."

This would be an interesting development - not just another tyre in this Brompton/Micro/Airframe etc size, but one which takes a rather different approach to design - wider rather than narrower to achieve good rolling resistance. The main problem I can see is that the miniscule mudguard clearance of the Brompton would probably rule out fitting it to some folders. [02/11/2004]

Mezzo d9 test report - at last!
We have finally released our test report on the very interesting Mezzo d9 folder. It's quite a long report, and it is avaialble on the web pages here. [17/11/2005]

Press Release -"New folding bicycle technology offers compact folding for full-sized bicycles"

We have recently received the following press release from Mark Sanders:

"New folding bicycle technology offers compact folding for full-sized bicycles
Ming Cycle, one of the top 10 global bicycle manufacturers, and MAS Design, UK based Engineering and Design company, have entered a technology transfer agreement. Ming Cycle take over the ownership of a revolutionary new folding bicycle technology, which includes extensive IPR and know-how. The technology allows bicycles with full sized wheels to be folded very quickly, without tools or dismantling, into very compact and portable sizes. Bicycles, with this technology will be launched in 2006."

Mark is of course the designer of the Strida. There are no pictures of the new bikes yet - the launch will apparently be at the Taipei Cycle Show, March 2006. You can read the full press release here (pdf format). [15/11/2005]

Folding Society changes
The new team has now taken over the running of The Folding Society, and these web pages. The new, improved, 'news' section should go live fairly soon, and the web pages are now actually at a new location, though the addresses are unchanged. As far was we can tell, the move has gone smoothly (apart from some of the special interest group sections, which were very out of date anyway, and the value of which is being critically assessed), but please let us know if you find any problems accessing any parts of the site. [06/11/2005]

Dahon Jetstream P8/Rohloff hub report update
Earlier this year we reported on the 2005 version of the Dahon Jetstream  P8, modified to use a Rohloff 14-speed hub gear.  The only serious  problem we had with the bike was with the headset. Happily that problem has finally been solved, and the report has been updated - you can find it here. [06/11/2005]

A folder holiday on Jersey
Regular readers of the Folding Society web pages will know that a small group of us go away for a weeknd together with our folders once or twice a year. This year Dave Minter and Susan Barlow arranged a trip to Jersey, only a few weeks before they returned to Australia. Most of the regulars on these trips took part, along with some newcomers. You can read about the trip in the report by Rosemary Hadland. [06/11/2005]

Stolen - Birdy Blue
One year old Birdy Blue taken from garage in South Croydon overnight 3 October 2005. Characteristics:
1.  CR2 0LB - 29 painted on the underside of the cross bar, in the triangle
2.  All Birdy transfers removed
3.  Alloy pedals and toeclips in place of standard pedals
4.  Comfort stem, rear carrier, lights, mudguards
5.  Replacement rear mudflap bolted on to mudguard
6.  Non standard handlebar grips and (cracked) mirrycle offside rear view mirror
Any information, please contact simon.jewell@bcs.org.uk or 07796 278820. [04/11/2005]

STOLEN BROMPTONS - our police are doing their best. And a caution against eBay
Here is an email I just received from the Islington police force (they also took the trouble to telephone me about this):

To whom it may concern,
I am an officer with Islington Police Intelligence unit, we recently recovered a haul of five Brompton bikes when we executed a warrant re stolen property. We  have restored three of them but have two outstanding ones, would you be willing to put the details below on your website to assist us in our enquires and potentially restore these to there rightful owners.
One is green with a s/n of 197880 the second is blue with a s/n of 197680. We would of course require further verification.

Many thanks

Andy Reeder

The telephone number to ring is 020 77421 0244. Many I thank Andy Reader, and the rest of the force, for tackling this problem, and I hope that itf they have apprehended a thief, then the courts will take a sufficiently serious view of the crime - for many of us, our folder is essential to our earning a living and being able to survive. Anyone who takes away these rights for their own profit should be subject to appropriate punishment.

More contentiously, one of the people who recently reported the loss of a Brompton tells me she is all but sure that this bike is now being sold on eBay. I find this all too likely - eBay, and car boot sales, are used by many entirely legitimately, but they are also a very convenient way for thiefs to dispose of stolen goods. I've never bought or sold anything via either eBay or a car boot sale, at least partly because I believe that at least some of the transactions relate to illegal activities - even if the majority are entirely legal. If you don't like this comment, please note that in less than a week this web site will be in the control of a new group! [26/10/2005]

Changes to The Folding Society and the web pages
The new team is in the process of taking over the running of The Folding Society. The transfer of control should be completed by the end of October. This is also resulting the the web pages being moved to a new location (though the web page address will not change), which may cause some minor disruption for a few days, and will also mean that there will be less updates for a few days as well. After that, the format of the news page will change too - more information on this soon. There will also be some changes in the structure and content of the web pages, though these make take a little longer. [26/10/2005]

Recovery of stolen Bromptons
We recently received an email containing the following news:

From this week's Islington Tribune:
Police find designer bikes
DESIGNER bicycles were recovered by police who raided a house in Edwards Park Mews, Barnsbury, on Saturday, writes Mark Blunden. Five of the distinctive foldaway Brompton bikes, popular with commuters, were found by officers from Islington police's intelligence unit. An American-import, yellow-framed Spicer bike was also recovered. PC Andy Reeder said: "Islington is shocking for bike theft." One owner has been traced but officers are appealing for anyone who has had a Brompton model stolen to contact PC Reeder on 020 7421 0244. A man has been arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

[26/10/2005]

Stolen Brompton
"Tempest Blue Titanium model only three months old taken from corner of Gordon Square and Gordon Street London WC1. Due to complete incompetence and naivety I don't have the serial number but the bike was an M-type with Ti seatpost and frames and pedal axle, 6 speed. Its only unique feature was a "Mint Sauce" transfer of a mountain-biking sheep (from the regular cartoon feature in Mountain Biking UK) which was on the cross bar just beyond the Brompton logo (no doubt they've scratched this off now anyway). They cut clean through my Bikehut padlock and left the remains there to let me see what a complete twat I was to rely on a totally inadequate lock. I mourn my beautiful machine but don't expect to see it again...... If anyone should spot it however PLEASE CONTACT ME AT m.e.percival@ntlworld.com or 07801948129. Thank you." [21/10/2005]

Brompton S2L-X
The new super lightweight Bromptons have created quite a lot of interest, though information is still a bit limited - Brompton's own web site STILL does not seem to have details of the new product range, including the super lightweights, many months after their launch. We don't have details her on the foldsoc web site either - because Brompton haven't sent us the information thye promised (more than one) to supply. Whatever the shortcomings of the communications process, there is no doubting that the new models are very appealing, although there is naturally a price to be paid to have on of the super light version with titanium forks etc. A price perhaps, but Bromptons hold their value well, so perhaps the COST of ownership, given the advantages both when riding and when carrying the folded bike, is not so great. We have already featured a report from an owner of one of the more conventionally specified machines, but a lot of us found the new two-speed super lightweight an attractive proposition for commuting. The question on this model has to be whether at this price, the limiations in terms of other types of riding are acceptable. We now have an owner's report on the S2L-X model, which may help to answer the question - read the report here. [14/10/2005]

Yet ANOTHER wet Origami Ride!
After wet rides in August and September, we thought we were due for a dry day. Everything went well in terms of weather until lunch time, but it was very wet for the return ride to Leamington Spa from Kenilworth (where we had a good lunch). The Aussies ducked (sorry!) out at this stage, taking a taxi, but our New Zealand contingent were more accustomed to such conditions, and coped admirably. 16 enthusiasts started out, with the usual strong representation of Bromptons and Moultons, plus a couple of Dahons, a Birdy Red and an Airnimal Rhino. I suppose the fact that 3 of the bikes had Rohloff hubs is an indicator that the ride attracts enthusiasts! The person who seemed most pleased by the weather was Paul Evans - though only because it proved that it was not the fact that he had been leading the last two rides which was the reason for the rain then! Our leader this time was John Hall, who found a splendid route, and we really can't blame him for the weather (any more than we blame Paul for wet August and September rides). On the basis that things go in threes, we hope that the next ride, starting from Milton Keynes, will be blessed with better weather. [14/10/2005]

Above: The ride started at the Pump Rooms at Leamington Spa. Note the Airnimal Rhino in the centre of the picture ...

Above: Left - the Rhino featured this device (with handlebar-mounted control) for adjusting the front suspension stiffness while riding! Right Despite the rain, the smiles show that we really enjoyed ourselves (organiser John Hall in foreground left).

Stolen Brompton
Black Brompton T5 (bought Feb 1999) frame number 147441 with front pannier block, folding pedal, Schwalbe Marathons, handlebar reinforcing rod, and rear LED/reflector under saddle. Stolen from outside the Narrowboat pub on Baldwin Terrace in Islington on the evening of Thursday 15 September 2005. Email to dot@dotat.at or phone 07970 401 426. [16/09/2005]

More on the Pashley Moulton TSR
BikeBiz has more information on the new Pashley Moulton TSR, which has been launched at the IFMA Show - see  http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/daily-news/article.php?id=5970. In particular, the models which will be available are listed, with UK prices:

The TSR30 (£1450 RRP) features Campagnolo Veloce 3x10 transmission 
The TSR27 (£1095) is equipped with SRAM DualDrive 3x9 transmission
The TSR8 city bike (£995) is equipped with a Sturmey Archer Phoenix 8 hub gear
(£100 less in each case for the non-separable frame versions)

The Campag equipped model will presumably be aimed at the sports rider: despite the large number of gears, Campag usually means quite high gears and closely spaced ratios, though if, as I've been told, non-Campag chainrings are used, some useful low gears will be available as well. Personally I'd like to hve seen a 9-speed Shimano derailleur equipped model, using a Megarange cassette, and a Rohloff 14-speed hub geared model in the range. [16/09/2005]

Folders, and MORE folders, in the New York Times
Following an article on folders and their owners in the business section of the NYT on 11 September, today's issue carries another article, this time under the 'Physical Culture' banner, and specifically dealing with higher performance lightweight folders. Folders do at last seem to be attracting positive mainstream media attention, which has to be good news. [15/09/2005]

The Pashley Moulton TSR
This is the replacement for what was known as the Moulton APB (All Purpose Bicycle). Apparently more news is going to be available on 17th September at http://www.tsr.uk.com/ . I'm not sure what if anything it will add to the information given in the latest issue of The Moultoneer. One bike was on show briefly at the Moulton Bradford on Avon Weekend at the beginning of the month, but was not available for riding. It looks a very interesing machine. [15/09/2005]

Swindon Smallwheels - no ride on 17th September
Please note that there will be no Swindon Smallwheels Ride on Saturday 17th September. Normal service should be resumed in October. [13/09/2005]

Another wet Origami Ride
Generally the weather is kind for us on the monthly Origami rides, but, following a very wet event in August, the weather was poor again for the September ride. Unlike last month, it was raining quite hard when the start time, 11:00am, was reached, so we delayed leaving the Tearooms at Meriden, and we also decided a shorter ride than originally planned was in order. Organiser Paul Evans quickly worked out an alternative route, so when we left about twenty minutes later, we made our way via Maxstoke and Coleshill to the National Motorcycle Museum at Bickenhill. Much of this was on roads we hadn't used before, but this turned out to be an inspired choice of route - quiet roads and pleasant surroundings; the rain was fairly light until the very final stages of the outward journey, when it became harder, and we were glad to reach the museum and retire to the resaurant for lunch. Most of the group made a visit to the shop in the museum, though we didn't actually go into the museum itself on this visit. Fraom the restaurant we could see that it was still wet outside, but eventually we braved the weather for the short return journey. At Hampton in Arden the majority turned left to make their way back to Meriden, while Paul Evans and myself went right, and as Paul did not feel he had ridden far enough, we rode all the way back to Birmingham.

Probably because of the weather, our numbers were down to 10 at the start of this month's ride, of whom one did not actually take part in the ride. There were 5 Bromptons of various kinds, a Moulton Stowaway, a Bridgestone Moulton, and the Mezzo d9 which I am testing, plus a conventional large wheeled non-folder. Despite the weather, we all enjoyed the day, and particular thanks are due to Paul for working out such an excellent alternative route at short notice - it might well be worth doing this again in better weather. [11/09/2005]

CycleFeast 2005 footnote
Rather belatedly, I've now put a very low resolution version of the video I made of the visit to Holy Island during CycleFeast on the web. Despite the low resolution and a very small image size, it is a 10M download, so don't try to access it unless you have broadband. You can download the movie, which is in Quicktime format, from the 'File Download' section on http://homepage.mac.com/mikehessey. [08/09/2005]

Bike Friday New World Tourist stolen
An American who is travelling in London has had her silver mid 1990's Bike Friday stolen from outside the Holiday Inn King's Cross Bloomsbury near Farringdon and King's Cross late night on September 5 in central London. The owner is looking to recover the bike if possible and is offering a substantial reward, no questions asked. The Bike is a Bike Friday New World Tourist folding bike.  It is a mid 1990's model.  It has no seat/seatpost, it has the caliper dia-compe brakes instead of the v-brakes, and it is a silver color (almost a ball burnished aluminum color though it is a cromoly frame).  It has a Shimano Exage crank and Sachs 5 derailleurs, with a front and rear racks. The serial number is thought to be 2141. A picture can be found at http://community.webshots.com/photo/443193576/443236400dsQqPm. If anybody finds or sees this bike please send me an email to wendyfisc...@hotmail.com or call (mobile) at 919-699-9915 (INTERNATIONAL THOUGH). [07/09/2005]

Watching the Tour de France by Brompton
Susan Barlow and Dave Minter went to France a few weeks ago to watch part of the Tour de France, using their bikes to get around, which in Susan's case meant her faithful modified Brompton T5. Susan has now sent us a report and pictures of the trip - you can read it on here on the web site. [05/09/2005]

Mezzo d9 full report Real Soon Now - UPDATED 01/09/2005
Since I first posted a few very preliminary comments on the Mezzo here, ATB Sales have contacted me regarding a few points. As a result I have made a couple of alterations, so if you read the original please take another look now.

My apologies for the fact that the full report on this very interesting new folder has still not been produced. I'm still suffering the after effects of a cold, and frankly my cycling motivation has been very negatively affected by ongoing headset problems with another bike - unfortunately one I bought, rather than a test bike! I've managed to let several other people try the Mezzo, so when the report does appear, it should be quite substantial. If you are impatient, here are a few very brief initial reactions:

1. The bike looks extremely well made and robust.
2. I haven't done any weighing yet, but I'd guess it might be just a shade lighter than a Brompton, but not a lot. However, I find it much easier to carry when folded, as the balance is better, and the pedal does not dig into my leg while carrying it, as it does with a Brompton. I tested this impression by carrying the bike off the train at Platform 1 at Birmingham New Street, up the stairs, and along to the top of the stairs for Platform 12 without having to put the bike down - with the Brompton I would have had to stop at least twice. It is also easier to carry when unfolded, as a very robust catch prevents the rear triangle dropping when the bike is lifted - it's very easy to release the catch when folding though.
3. The folded size is quite compact, though larger than a Brompton. To get a reasonably riding position, I have to reverse the seat post in order to move the saddle back (even though I am very short), and this increases the folded size - like the Brompton.
4. The first stage of the fold can be to park the bike on the (very solid) rear carrier, again like the Brompton, which is convenient just for parking the bike, though not very stable in this position.
5. Folding is reasonably easy and convenient, though the extra step to flip the front wheel under means that the Brompton wins in this respect.
6. Unfolding is slightly more awkward - when flipping the front wheel out, it tends to catch on the quick release skewer, and quite a bit of fiddling is necessary to lock the front wheel in place - at least on the test bike. The QR skewer is not only used to hold the wheel in the forks (it is also a safety catch to hold the front wheel flipping catch - very important) - to get the front wheel out, you have to remove two small allen bolts. No key is provided, and nor is there a pump or anywhere to mount one, so perhaps owners aren't expected to fix their own punctures!
7. The odd steerer/handlebar arrangement means that a Brompton-style front bag cannot be fitted. At the back the large carrier will take the rather narrow, upright Carradice bag designed for folders, but of course it must be removed when parking or folding. I doubt that the Velcro used to secure this particular bag would stand up to frequent use in this way. I believe Mezzo are looking at some form of quick release luggage.
8. On the road, everyone is hugely impressed by the stability - by far the best 16 inch wheeled bike in terms of neutral handling, and better than many 20 inch wheeled machines ...
9. BUT, although the low-pressure tyres give a reasonably comfortable ride, they feel as though they have very high rolling resistance, resulting in quite a sluggish feel. Mudguard clearances are very slender - Scorcher tyres would not fit, though Schwalbe Marathons, Brompton, Stelvio and Primo tyres are OK. The rear brake is very poor - a change of shoes might help, but I think the rim surface finish may be a contributor - ATB Sales are not aware of any problem in this respect, so I must investigate further. The bike is incredibly low geared, though not as low (numerically) as I at first thought, as apparently a 52-tooth chainring is now being used instead of the original 48-tooth referred to in early specifications - top gear is about 71 inches, which is distinctly low - even by my standards (and I am an elderly, weak rider who likes to have his bike a bit low geared). Bottom gear at 31.5 inches is fine, though the sluggish tyres mean that you do need to make more use of the lower gears than you might expect. Using a larger chainring (if you could get one) would raise the overall gearing, though it is a pity to lose the low gears in the process. The root of the problem is that the 9-speed rear cassette is a 12-27. The 9 gears are far too close - when you need to change gear, you will almost always need to change 2 or even 3 times. The bike uses a Shimano Capreo rear mech and changer on the bars (an unusual combination of a rapid-fire-style lever to change down, and a button to change up). Capreo is intended for small wheeled bikes - but it is usually the cassette, with 9-26 or 9-28 teeth, which make it particularly suitable for the small-wheels (the 9 tooth cog raises the highest gear to compensate for the wheel size). Yet Mezzo fit a non-Capreo cassette, and don't even choose the far more suitable 11-32 or even 11-34 used by most other folder manufacturers - these clusters provide a slightly higher top gear, and a wider range. On the face of it, the choice seems inexplicable. However, it's worth noting that in top gear, the chain runs very close to the chainstays, and although the 11 tooth sprocket would clear, I am told, it's possible that in fact a 9 tooth Capreo cluster could not be used for this reason (I have not had an opportunity to test this).

Initial impressions are that the bike has some good points, and shows promise, but also has some significant shortcomings at present. However, please wait for the full report, and/or try it yourself, before coming to definite conclusions. I hope to have the full report available within a couple of weeks, though if I'm able to hang onto it for longer, I may later add an extended report after that. 

ATB Sales have discussed the gearing with me at length, and are emphatic that the choice of ratios was given a great deal of thought, and was chosen specifically to suit the target market. Furthermore, the rear cluster could relatively easily be changed to meet the needs of an individual owner - eg 11-32, giving gears of 25 - 77 inches. Personally, and those who have tried the bike seem to feel as I do, I still think the gearing is on the low side, and actually I am infamous for preferring gears on the low side. ATB also state that the Capreo cluster was deliberately not used as the alternative gear choices would not then be available (Capreo is normally only 9-26 or 9-28), and furthermore it is a unique system, so spares etc might be more of a problem in the future. I can only accept that this is indeed a deliberate, planned, choice, but it isn't one that I think is the most appropriate for a bike of this kind and it's intended market, and others who have tried the bike while I've had it seem to have felt as I do. I think we just have to agree to differ on the question of the gear range and spacing, and prospective owners must come to their own conclusions. After talking to ATB Sales I plan to try fitting some different tyres, and also investigating alternative brake blocks - I hope to do this and produce a final report within the next 2 weeks. 

Original report posted 29/08/2005. Additions/changes in blue made on 01/09/2005.

Odds and ends ...
The photograph on the right was sent by Dave Mytton, who spotted this location in London.

Trevor Batchelor spotted a review of a large-wheeled bike with couplings on an American web site - you can see it if you are interested at http://roadbikerider.com/producttests.htm. 

Bike Friday have a very low resolution monochrome picture of their new recumbent folding bicycle, which replaces the SatRday, on their web site - try looking in the section by Fred the office parakeet! Little can be learned from this picture, and it seems likely that it will be at least a couple of months before it is launched.

According to Bikebiz.com, Dahon are set to launch some new models at the show in early September. Their 2006 catalogue seems to include even more models than there have been in the past, with some eye catching innovations. It's worth bearing in mind that, based on past expereince, the 2006 models will not become available until well into that year, and probably not until the middle of 2006 in the UK, so I would not put off buying any current products. [26/08/2005]

CycleFeast 2006 - 14th-21st July 2006
The inaugural CycleFeast in 2005 was a great success, and the dates have already been set for 2006. Visit their web site for all the latest information.

News of a completely redesigned Pashley Moulton
Issue 75 of The Moultoneer arrived today. The most exciting news is that Pashley are introducing the Pashley Moulton TSR, a replacement for the machines which used to be known as APBs. This is FAR more than a name change - in fact almost every feature of the bike seems to have been changed. We hope to have more information later. [24/08/2005]

ANOTHER Brompton stolen in London
Silver L6 Brompton stolen from Rosebery Av London N1 on 22 Aug 2005. New rear rim, mudguard and suspension pivot bolts. Raleigh Record (f), Marathon (r), stainless spokes. Most distinctive items (if still present):
 - PLUM coloured front mudflap and ugly bodge securing left-hand mudguard stay to fork.
 - In-line skate wheels replace plastic rollers.
 - Custom Al bracket on seatpost with tow ball.
Stolen with steel-framed front touring pannier containing silver laptop called RUBY, papers, books, tools, 2 pieces of 3/4"x3/4"x1/8" thick Al channel, c 6" long.
Good reward available. Please contact David, both via dcd@soi.city.ac.uk or 020 7040 8445 and via ljonesuk@yahoo.com or 079 4426 8705. [23/08/2005]

Sturmey-Archer web site updates, a disc brake version of the 8-speed hub and a new hub brake dynamo
Velovision reports that Sturmey-Archer at last have a new web site, with interesting news of a disc brake version of their 8-speed hub gear and a new hub braked dynamo. The link to the Velovision story is
http://www.velovision.co.uk/cgi-bin/show_comments.pl?storynum=731. [22/08/2005]

Swindon Smallwheels ride 20 August 2005
I'm afraid I don't manage to get to the Swindon ride all that often, due to the time and stress of travelling more than anything else. However, having made the journey for the August ride, it was very satisfying to find it so well supported. There were 14 riders present, and it was particularly good to see that not only were there 10 adults, but 4 small children as well. Two of these were riding their own bikes - and very creditably they performed too - another was strictly a passenger in a child seat on the back of a (large-wheeled!) solo bike, while the last was on a trailer bike (also behind a large-wheeled bike). This did mean that the ride was of modest length, and at a very gentle pace, but it was no less enjoyable for this. The range of folders/small-wheelers was fairly normal, with Bromptons, Moultons etc, but Chris Dent had his very new Dahon Jetstream XP, and I took the Mezzo test bike. A number of people took the opportunity to try the Mezzo, so their comments will be included in the test report which I hope to put on the web site in the next 10 days or so - let's say that so far the opinions are mixed. While Chris was trying the Mezzo, I was able to ride his Jetstream XP - I own one myself, but haven't had it out for a few weeks, and it reinforced my view that it is a really excellent machine (in contrast to my Jetstream P8, which is about to be scrapped due to the headset - a problem which I think, or hope, is specific to my particular example, and not common to all these models.). The weather was glorious, and there were no mechanical problems with any of the bikes, so it was a thoroughly enjoyable day. Swindon Smallwheel rides take place on the third Saturday of every month, meeting at the Designer Outlet Centre in Swindon for a ride starting around 11:00am, so if you can manage to get there, I can thoroughly recommend them. Many thanks go to Mike Roberts for having created this excellent ride. [22/08/2005]

Stolen Airnimal Chameleon
Taken from bike stand on Upper Street (Islington), London. Bright blue (Joey colour scheme, but it's the Chameleon 105 model). Straight handle bars with bar ends, missing saddle (the only bit I have left!). Shimano 105 gear set. New Pasela tyres. Taken on the evening of Thursday 18th August, 2005. Contact gabriel.gilson@bbc.co.uk with any details.  [22/08/2005]

Travelling by air with a folder
Lee Dembart recently emailed the following interesting comments on carrying his Brompton on scheduled air flights in the USA, along with the two pictures shown below.

I carry my Brompton onto commercial flights, where it fits in the overhead compartment. I thought you might be interested in the attached pictures of my Brompton in the terminal and in the overhead compartment of the plane. The key picture, of course, is the overhead compartment, where my folded Brompton just fits.

The Brompton goes through the security X-ray machine without any trouble, though the security people, who aren't used to seeing bicycles coming through, always ask what it is. One agent rang the bicycle's bell. Because one isn't allowed to take pictures in the security area, I can't show the Brompton going into the X-ray machine.

I live in Los Angeles, but I'm working on a project temporarily in Las Vegas, 300 miles away, and I commute weekly between the two. As it happens, in each city, I am able to bicycle to the airport, fold up my Brompton and carry it on the plane, and then bicycle home in the other city.

If the folded-up bicycle package were any larger, it wouldn't fit in the overhead compartment, and I'd have to check the bike as baggage.

[22/08/2005]

Watch the Birdy
News is just coming out of a significant change to the Birddy range from r&m. The main frame is completely changed, now having a Y-shape, though the suspension and folding method are unchanged. The models now have descriptive names, rather than being named by colour. They will be available in Germany in November. More information is available in English and German at http://www.birdy-freunde.de/birdy/newbirdy.html. [21/08/2005]

9-speed Mezzo test
I've just got hold of a 9-speed Mezzo for testing. I hope to have first impressions available here soon, but unfortunately I've just started a cold as well, and I'm feeling very miserable, so it may be a few days before I have more news of the Mezzo. [16/08/2005]

CycleFeast 2005 report update
As mentioned yesterday, I have posted a combined report on some of the bikes at CycleFeast and my latest experience with the Dahon Jetstream P8 on the web site here. Unfortunately, there isn't space to make my final slideshow  on the web (over 40M for the full slideshow, and over 1G for the video!). I've now put simplified picutre reports on the web, divided by day as follows:
Day 1 - Arrival and a fairly gentle ride to Berwick-upon-Tweed
Day 2 - A ride to Etal and Ford
Day 3 - A ride to Holy Island
Day 4 - Another visit for Fenton, for a display of birds of prey
Day 5 - A long, fast ride to St Abbs

Even these smaller photo reports have taken me to the limit of my web space, so they may have to be removed  quite soon. [15/08/2005]

Folders in a REAL Mini
A potential folder owner recently contacted me regarding a folder suitable for use in an original (Issigonis/Moulton Mini - not one of these modern BMW things ...). I've owned Minis in the rather distant past, but I found it difficult to give a good response to the enquiry (I'm not sure that ANY current folders were in production when I last owned a Mini). If you have one of these splendid machines (that is, the cars, not bikes), I'd welcome any advice regarding a folder to suit - the enquirer wanted to put the bike in the front seat space, but with the front seat still in place; I think a 'stick' folder might be the best solution. Airframe commented some while back that they had made the front wheel as a QR removeable to fit a Mini, but I think they were referring to one of the modern things. By the way, I don't intend to get into a long car discussion here ... [14/08/2005]

Dahon Jetstream P8/Rohloff hub report update, and more on Cyclefeast 2005
As mentioned a few days ago, there is an excellent report on Cyclefeast in general by Sue Archer on the Velovision web site, so there is no point in me writing anything here on that subject. However, there are some things I would like to add on the cycles in general, folders in particular, and especially the two machines I took to the event - the Dahon Jetstream P8 with Rohloff-hub, and the Moulton fx8 (with double chainring and 9-speed cassette, so really it might be better to refer to it as an fx18). Rather than write several overlapping reports, I'm going to put all of this in one place, the long term report on the Dahon Jetstream P8. You can access this combined report here. [14/08/2005]

A memorable Origami Ride
Our August Origami Ride was held on 13th of that month. Despite it being the holiday season, and a very bad weather forecast for the day, 13 people turned up (11 signed the register, there was certainly one other present, and I have a feeling there was one more too). There were 3 Moultons and 1 Dahon, the rest being Bromptons. Remarkably, everyone was using a hub gear, though Susan Barlow did slightly spoil the unanimity by having a double chainring and front derailleur mechanism on her Brompton as well as the rear hub. Three of the hubs were Rohloffs, Mike Roberts had a brand new Sturmey-Archer 8-speed hub on his very smart Stowaway, and the rest were older S-As. I took the Dahon Jetstream P8 with Rohloff hub, partly because many people seem keen to see and try it, and partly because I like it so much. 

I had planned to cycle into Birmingham to catch the train, but a few spots of rain at the crucial time persuaded me to go instead to my nearest station, Tipton, to go by train to Birmingham, where I changed to a train for Birmingham International. Due to engineering works, trains weren't running on to Hampton in Arden - usually I prefer the extra ride anyway, but at the end of the ride this was to be less welcome.

After the usual refreshments at the Tearooms at Meriden, we set off in dry conditions. Paul Evans, who kindly took on the organisation of the ride at very short notice, had found a new route and destination for us at Pinwall, just beyond Atherstone. Just over half way there it started to rain, and this was almost continuous for the rest of the day. The lunch stop was at the Red Lion at Pinwall, and most were glad to escape the rain, though I opted to add some distance by riding around the area - very flat here, though we had encountered some hills on the way there.

Mike Roberts had been struggling to grip the gear change twist grip on his barely tested S-A 8-speed equipped Stowaway on the way out, so, always keen to try something different, I swapped bikes with him for the return journey. Due to the weather, and other reasons, a lot of people bailed out at lunch time, and only 6 hardy souls rode back to Meriden in the very wet conditions. We all got back safely, though we were all soaked to the skin I think (I certainly was).

A few comments on the two bikes I used: The Dahon and Rohloff performed very well for me on the outward journey. On the way back the Stowaway and Sturmey 8 were interesting. Mike had not had time to test the bike after fitting the new hub, and it clearly was in need of some adjustment. It would be unfair to comment in detail in view of this, so I'll just say at this stage that, in the condition I rode it, I did not risk using all the gears, and was not very impressed (my comments at the time were rather stronger!). Mike seemed to like the Dahon and Rohloff, but he found the suspension hard (so has everyone else who has ridden it, and I take the same view). I certainly found the suspension of his Stowaway far more compliant on the return journey. Mike also found the headset of the Dahon stiff - more on this subject in the update to the long term test report on the bike coming very soon.

At the end of the ride our organiser, Paul Evans, claimed this was probably the longest of our rides from Meriden, had involved more hill climbing and was also the wettest. I'm not sure that any of these claims were actually true - I can remember on Origami when only Pinky and I turned up, and we just rode back to his place to do some work on his computer. Certainly in terms of rain it was still well short of the conditions on the infamous Moulton Bicycle Club Raunds sub-aqua ride some years ago! The main ride was rather over 30 miles (50Km), though I managed about 87Km due to the distance ridden to get there, and the additional distance I did at lunchtime.

Many thanks to all who braved the conditions to make this a memorable (and enjoyable in most ways) ride, and especially to Paul for organising the ride at short notice, and finding a route which would have been superb in rather better weather conditions. [14/08/2005]

CycleFeast 2005 report
There is a good general report on the recent CycleFeast event by Sue Archer on the Velovision web site (http://www.velovision.co.uk). I've now completed my full photo report of the event, plus a video, but the slideshow requires some 40M space, so I'm not too sure how to proceed in making it available! Add on the video, and it's about 1.3G. As there is already such a good report available on the event in general, any further article I might write on the subject will relate only to the folders at the event, and the performance of the two machines I took with me - the Dahon Jetstream P8 with Rohloff hub, and the Moulton fx8 (actually with a double ring and 9-speed cassette). [12/08/2005]

ANOTHER Brompton stolen in London
Red L3, in good condition, around a year and five months old - so built in early 2004. It was stolen from outside a restaurant (Strada, in Islington Upper Street) on the night of August 11), between 7.30pm and 9pm. It had some superficial chips to the top of the frame, where the seat post enters and slides down when folded. It also had a front bag mounting block and a tiny bell on the left side of the handlebars. Sadly, the frame number is not known. But if anyone comes across it, they should call Martin Talbot on 07802 277528. [12/08/2005]

CycleFeast 2005 taster
It will take a while to get the full photo report on CycleFeast together, but here is a taster, based on just the first day. [09/08/2005]

Stolen Bromptons
While I was at Cyclefeast, reports were emailed to me of two stolen Bromptons. Here, slightly delayed, are the details:

Red Brompton L3, frame number 166426 was stolen from a garage in Hampsted between 0715 and 0745 on Monday 25th July. It was manufactured in 2001. We still have the front bag and other bits and pieces as the thief did not seem to have found them. It has a black leather Brooks seat and a Brixton Cycles "BC" logo on a transparent sticker near the seat pillar. Any news, please contact Francis Norton, email francis at redrice dot com, or 07710 864 775.

New orange Brompton L6 (plus standard front bag) stolen from outside a shop on Shirland Road, London W9.  Had the new frame hinge.  In Brompton's brightest orange.  Very sad. Contact Rob Cope, 07941 633663

[09/08/2005]

CYCLEFEAST 2005
The first CycleFeast event took place 3-8 August 2005. There were 57 people there - rather more cycles, as some of us took more than one. This event was an outstanding success; it was a very relaxed atmosphere, and the available ride options changed overnight, plus the fact that Jason's distances needed to be interpreted as +50%, -0%! There were plenty of folders present, lots of recumbent tricycles, and even a good number of very conventional machines too. I'll post a more detailed report, and also a photo report, later - watch this space ... In the meantime, I'd like to thank Jason, Phil, Ken, Paul and all the other who planned and ran the event for a very enjoyable week. [08/08/2005]

10 days with a titanium Brompton
Member Mike Smithson has supplied a report on the new super lightweight Brompton, with titanium forks etc, based on his first 10 days with the bike. You can read it here. [28/07/2005]

Wandering Winchester Way
Led by Bob West, this Saturday 6 August ride departs from central Winchester and will be exploring country lanes in this lovely chalk downland area of central Hampshire. Coffee and pub lunch stops en route. Open to Moultoneers, Bromptoneers or other small-wheeled folk. Meet at 10.00 for 10.30 departure. For details of parking and directions to start point which is a short distance from  Winchester Station, contact Zeffy or Linda Maayan on 07949924087 or email: maayansuk@yahoo.co.uk [27/07/2005]

Dahon Jetstream P8/Rohloff hub update
The report on this bike and the Rohloff hub has now been updated after another 120Km today. [21/07/2005]

Stolen Brompton
"Stolen from Great Suffolk St, London SE1 during the night of 19 July 2005 where it was left unlocked outside my house. 5-speed. Reconditioned with newish back wheel. Painted black with no 'Brompton' transfer on frame - originally red.  Paintwork scratched so that red frame visible esp near saddle.  Back carrier. My name (R Jordan) and telephone number are written on the frame in security pen (only visible under special light). If found please contact rjordan@serlecourt.co.uk." [21/07/2005]

An early folder?
While helping out at the excellent Black Country Living Museum earlier today, I came across a few very old cycling magazines, one of which contained the following advertisement:

The magazine was published on 11th May 1897 (though this particular page carries the date 1 May). What a pity there was no picture, and no mention of the machine in the body of the magazine. [20/07/2005]

Choosing a first folder in Canada
Chris Patten is new to folders, and he made a thoughtful study of the subject before making a purchase. As he lives in Canada, the choice of machines available was rather than different than it would be for those in the UK and the rest of Europe. You can read his report on how he went about choosing a suitable machine, and how he has been getting on with it since, here. [19/07/2005]

The Dahon Jetstream P8 and a Rohloff hub
The first stage of the report on the Dahon Jetstream P8, and the Rohloff hub which I've just had fitted to it, is now available. At this point there are no photos, but I'll be updating the report on a regular basis over the next few days and weeks. You can follow the report here. [19/07/2005]

An interesting weekend's cycling ... Swindon Smallwheels Ride, the Redditch 100Km, first impressions of a Rohloff 14-speed hub and the Dahon Jetstream P8 (or perhaps it should be SP14?) all in a few days!

A lot of subjects, and you will have to wait for more detailed reports on some of them! Dealing with the Dahon Jetstream and the Rohloff first, I got interested in trying a modern hub gear system a few weeks ago. At the time, my thoughts were focussed on the new Sturmey-Archer 8-speed, which, like many, I had been hoping to see in a Brompton by now. However, the earlier examples of this hub seem to have had a few problems, and the pictures on the Velovision web site of the way in which one failed were, to say the least, worrying. On top of that, a careful look at the ratios suggested they really would not suit me - the overall range is not bad, though well short of a Megarange derailleur and triple chainring, but the big gaps between not only the bottom two gears, but also, I guess inevitably, the top two as well, really would not work out for me. To get sensible lower two gears would result in a tolerable top gear, but a 7th gear which would be painfully low. The Shimano 8-speed would probably suit me better, but the overall range falls short of meeting all my needs (as does the the S-A). Inevitably, thoughts then turn to the Rohloff 14-speed. It's horrendously expensive, and from reports requires running in, and the lower 7 gears are much less efficient than the top 7, with 7th particularly  poor. Anyway, I decided to try one. First I thought of getting an SP Brompton with Rohloff, but after talking to Steve Parry, I was prompted to think of fitting a Rohloff to a 20 inch wheeled Dahon -  a simpler and cheaper option, and more suited to my needs. Next I thought of fitting the Rohloff to my 2004 Dahon Jetstream XP, and getting a 2005 version of this bike as an ultra-light day bike. Unfortunately, the 2005 XP isn't being brought into this country, and as I was unwilling to convert the existing XP without a direct replacement, I decided to get a 2005 model Jetstream P8 instead, with a view to converting that to a Rohloff. I got the bike about 3 weeks ago, and rode about 170Km on it, but for financial reasons the conversion to Rohloff wasn't planned to take place immediately. The bike is certainly much less refined than the 2004 XP, and the headset was impossibly tight when delivered, but although slackening it made it possible to rotate the steering, this seemed to result in slack in a rocking sense. At the Origami Ride at Malvern at the beginning of August, I mentioned the plan to convert the bike to a Rohloff to Steve Parry, and as he was very interested, I agreed to send the bike to him for conversion. Through the good offices of Chris Dent, I sent the bike (via Chris) on Tuesday 12th July, Steve received the bike and did the conversion on 13th, but was unhappy with the headset. I contacted Dahon's agents in the UK, and as a result they commendably quickly sent me the headset parts, and I met Chris and the bike at Swindon on 16th, where we tried to resolve the headset issue. We weren't entirely happy with the results, but I rode the bike with Chris and Mike Roberts that day. A very enjoyable ride, though very hot. What a pity it is that this excellent monthly ride is not better supported by the owners of small-wheelers. 

For Sunday 17th, I had planned to ride the Brevet Populaire 100Km from Redditch, billed as 'undemanding'. A look at a map seemed to indicated that, despite the official description, there were quite a lot of contour lines, so my first plan, which was to ride three BPs in three weekends on three different Moultons (fx8 and an old APB for the first 2, and the old AM7 on this last one) was shelved, and I had been thinking of using the best Audax folder, the Airnimal Chameleon, this time. However, with the P8 (or should it now be an SP14?) available, I decided I MUST use the new bike and see how it performed. A full report on both the Dahon Jetstream P8 and the Rohloff will follow in the not too distant future, but, as it is generally agreed that the Rohloff needs 1000 miles or more of running in, don't hold your breath. As far as the ride goes, the description was very accurate, and the route was brilliantly chosen, so that although the map showed contour lines, there were very few serious hills (I think I only remember two, and both were short), though a few gentle, longer climbs. 5t was a hot day - tolerable up to about 12:30, but, like the Upton Magna ride the previous weekend, very hot, with almost no cooling breeze, after that. The route sheet was about average - a few concerns, and I went 1Km off course before correcting the error, but no serious problems. Apart from the map holder I had fitted working loose, I had no problems. Despite some remaining concerns about the headset, nothing was perceptible in normal riding. The suspension felt quite stiff, but was good for a ride of this kind, absorbing shocks, but not absorbing riding effort. The hub was great in the the top 7 gears, but was pretty horrendous in the lower 7; people who have these hubs assure me they improve with running in, which takes 1000 miles plus, but at present my advice would be that if you are looking purely for a fast, audax-only bike, a double or triple ring derailleur system is likelier to be better (the Airnimal Chameleon in this form remains my first choice), but if you intend to use a Rohloff, like me, for more general use, then it is worth considering not only the top and bottom gears when choosing the overall gear range, but also where the 7-8 change will occur; you wan the bottom 7 ratios only to come into play when reasonably serious climbing is involved, which will probably mean sacrificing something at the high end, a view also expressed on the web site of SJS Cycles, who are Rohloff enthusiasts.

I hope to have more on the Rohloff, and the P8/SP14, after riding the bike a bit more, and at least completing running in of the gears. [18/07/2005]

Discovering Brompton
James Langdon is new to Bromptons, but is evidently completely converted. He got his first, and L3, not long before the new lightweight models were launched, and has now added one of the new models. You can read his interesting comments on the bikes, especially the new lightweight, here on the web pages. [13/07/2005]

Two weekends, two 100Km rides
For a change, the latest two 100Km Brevet Populaires I've done have been on Moultons - a fairly recent Pashley Moulton fx8 (with double chainring and 11-34 9-speed cassette) and a very early APB (with 3x7 gearing). In view of the choice of bike, the (very brief) report on these rides can be found in the news section of the Moulton Bicycle Club web site. [13/07/2005]

Stolen - green Brompton
Traditional Green Brompton stolen from Wardour Street, London W1 - 16:00hrs on 05/07/2005. Three-speed Sturmley-Archer hub, extended seatpost. Distinguishing features - Stubby Bar Ends, handlebar brace, black bell, black vented saddle, red & silver 'Wellgo' SPD pedals, red 'Wellgo' sticker on frame and 'cyclecare - bike shop' sticker on frame. Information/reward: simon.smith.06@bbc.co.uk. [06/07/2005]

Can a camel outpace a Brompton?
Read Andrew Hague's thoughts on this interesting idea in a new article here on our web pages! [04/07/2005]

CYCLFEAST 2005
Less than a month to go until Cyclefeast - for more details see http://www.cyclefeast.com. [04/07/2005]

A folding recumbent
There aren't many folding recumbent bicycles or tricycles available, especially since Bike Friday discontinued the SatRDay. A welcome addition is the Radnabel mentioned in June issue of Velovision (Issue 18, page 35). There is some more information on the Radnabel web site at http://www.radnabel.de - in German. [29/06/2005]

The Upper Thames Trundle
Tony Hadland of The Moulton Bicycle Club organised a ride under the name "The Upper Thames Trundle" for 18th June, and as this coincided with a Swindon Smallwheels Ride date, and many Folder enthusiasts are Moultoneers as well, Swindon Smallwheels moved its ride to combine with The Trundle. The weather was superb that day - in fact perhaps almost too hot, so a leisurely pace and plenty of stops were very much in order. 21 people turned up for the ride, and as well as Moultons of most types, there were Bromptons and a Micro. Steve Parry had both his Bridegestone Moulton and Ferrari-red SP-Brompton, both with Rohloff hubs, hydraulic disc brakes and 16 inch wheels. Two Moultons were also sporting Sturmey-Archer 8-speed hubs. More details and pictures can be found on the news section of the MBC web site. [24/06/2005]

ERIC WATSON - MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY OF THE MOULTON BICYCLE CLUB
It was a great shock to receive the news that the MBC's Membership Secretary died suddenly on the morning of Monday 20th June. Our deepest sympathy is extended to his family.

We are working to update our web pages, but regrettably the process of identifying all the links is not straightforward. More information will be given here later, but in the meantime, if you wish to contact the club on any matter which would have been addressed to the Membership Secretary, please contact Mike Hessey, 44 Paganel Drive, Dudley, West Midlands DY1 4AY, Tel: 01384 256173, email membership@moultoneers.org.uk. [Updated 23/06/2005]

Cotswold Outing ride report
As promised, a longer report on the Cotswold Outing ride of Sunday 12th June is now available - you can read it here. [16/06/2005]

Swindon Smallwheels June Ride
The Swindon Smallwheels ride this month is NOT at Swindon - instead, the ride will be joining Tony Hadland's 'Upper Thames Trundle' a few miles further east. You can find more information about the 'Thames Trundle' on the Moulton Bicycle Club web site in the events section. [13/06/2005]

Two great rides in two days
Saturday 11th June saw the monthly Origami Ride start further north than usual, at Hucknall, near Nottingham. The location made it possible for David and Janette Edge to join us, though a few of the regulars could not get there due to the location or other engagements. Nevertheless, we had a respectable turn out with 11 riders - 8 Bromptons of various kinds, 2 Birdys and one conventional mountain bike. The Birmingham/Tamworth contingent (Paul Evans,  Dave Minter, Susan Barlow and myself) managed to sample the new Nottingham tram system as well as the train on the way there and back, and were most impressed. The ride took us through some very pleasant countryside, almost all off main roads, and indeed quite a lot of it off-road. Though some of the riding was off-road, the Bromptons coped adequately (even my SP with a Stelvio rear tyre), though it has to be said that of the folders the Birdys were the most suitable, and I think that Susan and I were glad of our SP suspension handebar stems. Many thanks go to the organiser, Jenny Palmer, for arranging such an enjoyable ride.

On Sunday 12th the Birmingham/Tamworth brigade were joined by Dick Hanson and Tony Hadland for the 100Km 'Cotswold Outing' Brevet Populaire. For this ride Dave switched from the previous day's Brompton to a single speed, fixed wheel, Moulton Stowaway (to make it more interesting), and Paul also switched to a Moulton - in this case a very early APB, converted to 3x7 gearing (the famous APB serial no 32). Dick was using a Moulton AM7, while Tony had his 451-wheeled APB with one of the latest Sturmey-Archer 8-speed hubs. Susan chose to use her regular Brompton, and I retained the SP-Brompton I had used on Saturday. Dave rode to the start to make the ride a bit longer (and we could not fit 3 bikes and 3 people into my Smart!).  As Susan and I drove up in the Smart, a number of people expressed surprise that we had managed to get a bike in it - when they realised there was not just one bike but two, they were even more taken aback!

Above: The group before Dick left with the main bunch, and before Dave arrived, having riden from Tamworth; left to right, Paul on the 3x7 APB, Dick with his AM7, Susan with the Brompton, Tony with the APB and Fred with the infernal combustion engine. Below: The first control - Dick had sprinted on ahead: he and Dave didn't actually meet on this ride, so, unless I resort to dubious practise with Photoshop, we need two photos to have all the (foldsoc) participants in the event  pictured (and cunning choice of camera angle to almost eliminate a lycra-clad rider of a conventional bike in the background of the second photo)!

The bikes all performed admirably, and Paul deserves special praise, as this was the first BP he had done, and he was using an unfamiliar bike. We must also thank the organisers of the event - this was exceptionally well organised, and with a really good route, even by the usual high standards of Audax UK events.

After the event we changed the transport arrangements, and the Smart managed to accept both the SP-Brompton and a Moulton APB, though the front part of the APB travelled in the front seat space instead of a passenger.

I'll probably produce a rather longer report on this ride in the next few days. [13/06/2005]

Longer rides
With another 100Km ride due this weekend - 6 folder enthusiasts are planning to take part in the Cotswold Outing Brevet Populaire from Cheswick Green - I realise that I haven't got around to writing up the Elgar's Wheeltrack ride which I did a few weeks back, so here, belatedly, is a very brief report. [07/06/2005]

Cyclefeast 2005
Cyclefeast is a new event being held for the first time from 3 to 8 August this year, so there are now just 2 months to go. If you haven't booked for the event already, don't delay. For full details, see the Cyclefeast web site at http://www.cyclefeast.com. [03/06/2005]

Upgrading a Brompton to 14-speed Rohloff hub gears and V-brakes
Regular readers will be well aware of the superb SP folders made by Steve Parry, which are (mostly) based on Brompton frames. Steve's favoured mod at present is to fit the 14-speed Rohloff hub gear and disc brakes. Users of this mighty, but admittedly expensive, hub gear system seem very enthusiastic about it. However, Steve is not the only one to have managed to fit a Rohloff to a Brompton, as enthusiast Andrew Hague describes here on our web pages. Please be aware that the modification is extremely complicated, and requires considerable knowledge, skills and equipment that most of us do not have. If you like the idea of the Rohloff in what is essentially a Brompton frame, and with better gears, approaching Steve Parry to buy an SP to that specification is the route most of us will take. [03/06/2005]

June Origami Ride
This month's regular Origami Ride will be taking place a bit further north than usual, so those of you who have wanted to join us, but have in the past considered our meetings are a bit too far to the south, may be able to come along this time. We are meeting on Saturday 11th June at Hucknall railway station, near Nottingham, from about 10:30am for a ride starting at 11:00. Regulars, and those living further to the south, can of course take advantage of the opportunity to see some different countryside. We look forward to seeing you on 11th. [03/06/2005]

Stolen - Birdy Blue P80001825
Stolen - R&M Birdy Blue (model circa 2000) Frame Number P80001825 on 12th May from outside Oxford Brookes University Gipsy Lane Campus. Please contact Tim Jones at senojmit@hotmail.com or telephone 0776 4482646 or contact Cowley Road Police Station Oxford quoting reference BG9263041/05. [01/06/2005]

Brompton models and options
As we mentioned a couple of days ago, details of the new Brompton model range and the new options are very hard to come by. Happily, Kinetics now have the full range of bikes listed on their web site, and on top of this there is an 'a la carte' form showing all the options available if you want to order a bike to your own specification, complete with prices. Many thanks to Martin Giddings for bringing this to our attention. You can find the Kinetics web site at http://www.kinetics.org.uk. [26/05/2005]

Dahon Matrix test report update
At one time Dahons were not very common here in the UK, but over the last 2-3 years they have become much more popular, and indeed their owners are amongst our most regular contributors. We have a number of test reports on Dahons on the web pages, as well as a special interest section for Dahon owners. Geoff Dabbs has just sent us an update on his experiences with the Dahon Matrix, and this has now been added to his original report. [26/05/2005]

Choosing and using a Di Blasi
Although Di Blasi has been making folders for very many years, we don't hear a lot about them, at least here in the UK. Enthusiastic owner Robert Martin seeks to correct that situation with a report on his new machine, which you can read here on our web pages. Many thanks to Robert for this report - we are always delighted to receive information from owners, especially in the case of the less common makes and models. [26/05/2005]

Buying a new lightweight Brompton
Readers may be wondering why we have not yet provided more details on the range and options available for the new lightweight Bromptons. The reason is that we are still awaiting information and pictures from Brompton. In the meantime, all is made much clearer by an article kindly provided by Folding Society member Mike Smithson, who has recently ordered one. You can read his article HERE. We hope that when Mike has his new Brompton we may get a report from him on how it performs. Many thanks to Mike for providing the article. If anyone else has further information on the new Bromptons (or any other folders), do please let us know. [24/05/2005]

Airnimal Rhino News
Reports on the Airnimal Rhino (full suspension folder intended mainly for off-road use, with 20in 406 wheels) are quite rare, so James Mildenhall's web log about his machine is very welcome. You can access it here. [19/05/2005]

A new tyre for AM Moultons
Marco Schutt has send some information about a new 17in tyre for AM Moultons. The manufacturer is IRC, and the tyre is apparently already available in Japan, and is expected to reach the UK in due course. Information is rather limited, but it appears to be a high-performance road tyre, with very low rolling resistance, put possibly not as robust. It will also be fairly expensive. We will provide more information here if/when we get it. If it performs like the IRC Roadlite which I had in 451 form on my Pocket Rocket, it will be very good  - this was the most free-runnin g tyre I have ever used, and was also pretty good in terms of wear, resistance to punctures and handling light off-road riding. [12/05/2005]

Moulton Bicycle Club web site problems
It seems that the MBC web pages are not available at present via the older web site address - http://www.moultoneers.net. The more recent site address, http://www.moultoneers.org.uk, has been reset to point to another service provider. We hope to get the original site operational again, but we do suggest that you use the newer address (ie the .org.uk one), as this can more readily be altered if there are problems. Moving temporarily to another isp location does mean that it is quite possible that some links etc will not operate as they should until the problem has been fixed - apologies for this. [05/05/2005]

Origami Ride on 14th May/Birdy Special, and Vintage Bicycle Day at the BCLM on 15th
It's still over a week until our next Origami Ride, which starts this month from out 'home' base of Meriden. However, I'm reminding readers a bit earlier than I might otherwise, and including it on the home page, because we have designated this particular ride as a 'Birdy Special'. Of course, anyone is welcome to come, with any bike (including non-folders), but we are hoping for a particularly large number of Birdys. When we last had a Birdy Special ride, a couple of years ago, we got an excellent turnout. Origami regulars who are on the mailing list will get more details in the usual way in a few days time, but the important facts are - meet at The Tearooms in Meriden from about 10:30am for a ride starting at 11:00. We usually ride about 20-25 miles, at a pace to suit the slowest rider. More information can be found on the Origami Ride web site at http://www.foldsoc.co.uk/origami/index.html.

I see that there is a Vintage Bicycle Day at the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley the next day, Sunday 15th, for those who are interested (unlikely to be any folding cycles there though). I expect I shall go, as it's very easy for me to get there, and also I'm a Friend of the BCLM. For more information about the BCLM (though the events section is not up to date, and there is nothing about this event there) visit http://www.bclm.co.uk. Incidentally, there is apparently also a gathering of organ grinders in period costume at the BCLM that weekend as well. [03/05/2005]

Exploding tyres - or What spares do you carry on a ride?
I'm afraid the folder I used yesterday did not acquit itself very well. The journey by train and bike to the university was pretty uneventful - the guard on the Virgin train was most interested in the bike, though: he was familiar with Bromptons, but not with this folder. As I was able to get away very early, and the weather was superb, I decided to take the long route home, taking a ride out to Kingsbury Water Park, and then back to Birmingham International station. This was a most enjoyable ride, though the chain came off 4 times in (or was it 5 - I lost count) in about 50 miles; this is always a problem with this bike, and the frequency is often even worse on the dreadful Coventry urban roads, though usually not quite this bad on longer rides. The train was delayed at Birmingham International waiting for a delayed Virgin train to pass, and the result was that we were able to see the Wolverhampton train departing from New Street just as we arrived. In view of this I decided to ride the towpath to Tipton (another frustrated traveller opted for the tram). Half way on this section of the ride there was a loud explosion, and the front tyre went down instantly. I suppose I might consider myself fortunate, as I was going slowly, I did not end up in the canal, and I was close to the train line, unlike earlier in the ride. An investigation showed a huge split in the tube and tyre, the latter making a replacement of the tube (I had 2 spares) irrelevant. I was about half way between Smethwick Galton Bridge and Sandwell & Dudley, so had to walk on to Sandwell, inevitably arriving just after a train to Tipton had left, so there was a half-hour wait for the next train. Then it was a 1.5 mile walk home pushing the bike. I suppose I might add that this completely messed up my arrangements for the rest of the day, which left me even less happy.

This was a Schwalbe Stelvio tyre, 406 (20 inch) size, running at 110psi (rated for 120psi) - I had checked the pressure only the evening before. Both the tyre and tube (also a Schwalbe, specifically intended for this tyre) are now scrap, and had done less than 1000 miles. I'm not very pleased with Schwalbe at present - when checking my Moulton Stowaway for the Jubilee Ride last weekend (see below) I found the barely used front tube had an air leak in the valve, which removal of the valve core showed to be due to a very damaged internal seating. To look on the bright side, I have now taken the valve core from the scrap 406 tube and fitted it to the 16 inch version, so at least that should be useable.

Had this fault occurred during the Kingsbury leg of my ride, I would have had a VERY long walk indeed - always supposing that the failure hadn't resulted in an accident which meant that I could not walk at all. Anyway, assuming that there was no accident, is it practical to carry spares to allow you to recover from this sort of incident? Regular readers will know that earlier this year I was rendered completely immobile by a simple puncture (many thanks again to Phil Griffiths for coming out in his car to rescue me) - I had a spare tube and puncture repair outfit, but the pump failed. I now carry 2 pumps, but this did not help this time. Now I do sometimes carry a spare tyre on a Brevet, and on our Midlands Group weekend rides we usually take a spare tyre to be 'shared' amongst us, but carrying a spare tyre on a regular basis is, at the very least, an inconvenience. I guess that in the case of Stelvios, though, I will now carry a spare tyre as a routine matter in future. But it isn't necessarily only high-performance, light, tyres like the Stelvio which might fail in this way - a recent Origami Ride was enlivened by the explosion of 2 Brompton tyres (on the same bike), and later another bike of the same (new) production batch also suffered a tyre explosion. All these failures immobilised the bike. So, it's not necessarily just a problem related to weight/rolling resistance fanatics like myself who opt for high-performance, but fragile, tyres. At least with the Stelvio it is possible to get folding versions, so that it is more feasible to carry a spare. 

The Brompton tyre failure (not my bike) was apparently related to a problem with the machinery used to fit the tyre at the factory - now fixed. Other tyre issues I've experienced myself relatively recently include:

• The exploding Stelvio and Schwalbe tube - 406/20 inch version
• Faulty valve core on a 16 inch Schwalbe tube
• Failure in side wall of a 16 inch Primo Comet tyre, plus excessive vulnerability of this tyre to cuts, sufficient to result in scrapping of the tyre prematurely. It also lacks grip in the wet (much worse than the Stelvio in this respect both in dry and wet conditions), but rolls superbly, better I think (subjectively) than the Stelvio.
• Excessive apparent wear and fraying of the sidewalls of 406/20 inch Continental GP tyres. The appearance was worrying, and the tyres were replaced rather early, though no actual failure.
• 2 faulty Continental narrow 406/20inch tubes - 'just' a serious leakage of air from the valves, apparently around the mounting thread, which was rectified by sealing the mounting better.

[30/04/2005]

The Veteran-Cycle Club Golden Jubilee Memorial Ride
The V-CC Memorial Ride is always one of the highlights of my cycling year, and this year was no exception. Folders were rather under-represented this year - in fact I didn't see a single one - but Moultons (separable and non-separable) were present in higher numbers than in recent years. You can read an illustrated report here. [25/04/2005]

Stolen - Charcoal Moulton APB Frame Number: APB 3838 LR
Componentry:
Wheels DV16.
Handlebars: Easton EA70
Stem: ITM Black 
Headset: Shimano 105
Gears: Sachs 3x7
Brakes: Shimano XT
Pedals: Grey / smoke alloy with clips.
Security: DataTag
Oddities: Front suspension grommet on rear suspension ball.
Bike stolen on Lambs Conduit Street on 21 April 05, London.
Please contact Mark Greene (mark@msg67.demon.co.uk) or Holborn Police with
details (and quoting ref: 2314752/05) [22/04/2005]

Brompton 2005 range prices, and an 8-speed Airframe
I see that the A to B price guide on their web site, at http://www.atob.org.uk/price_tag.html, has a lot more information on prices of the new Brompton models.

A lot of notable personages from the cycling world were at the Brompton launch event, including Mike Burrows, Mark Bickerton of Cyclemotion, the UK distributors of Dahon, Grahame Herbert of Airframe, Richard Loke of Airnimal, David and Jane Henshaw of A to B (plus son Alexander, who has grown a lot since I last saw him), Peter Eland of Velovision and lots of dealers - particular thanks to Phil Wray of Harwood Cycles for his detailed briefing of the afternoon events, and Phil Carney of Peddlers of Worcester for the cup of coffee (I did promise him a plug here in return!!!). The surprise absence was Gary Lovell - I have subsequently heard that he is in China, but I'm not sure that this is an excuse for failing to attend such an important event! In talking to Grahame Herbert, he enthused over the new Sturmey-Archer 8-speed hub, which is now apparently available on the Airframe (though not yet mentioned on their web site). A subsequent call to Avon Valley Cyclery confirmed that the reference on their web site to a 7-speed Nexus is not correct, and that the 8-speed Sturmey is now being fitted. [21/04/2005]

A to B Issue 47 - tests of the new Bromptons and the Mezzo
Issue 47 of A to B is due to be posted to subscribers on 21st April, and contains test reports on the new Bromptons, and also the new Mezzo in 4-speed form. I expect there will be some more information on the Brompton model range and options as well. I am sure that most readers of these pages already subscribe to A to B - you can find out more about this excellent publication (no connection!) at http://www.atob.org.uk. I'm eagerly awaiting my copy to get some impressions of how the changes perform on the road (and train!). [21/04/2005]

The 2005 Bromptons - how accurate were our predictions?
A few days before the launch I discussed what changes I thought were desirable and likely (not necessarily the same thing - you can re-read this here. So how good were my predictions? Well, I was right on the fact that there is no 8-speed, that there would be weight reductions through the use of some titanium assemblies (but not the main frame), and that single and 2-speed versions would be launched. I also got it right on the handlebar options. The things I thought wouldn't happen also turned out to be right - no improved mudguard clearances, and no hook to retain the rear triangle when lifting the unfolded bike. Incidentally, on this last point, a member pointed out that Spa Cycles have just such a hook available for £4 (plus what seems a slightly excessive £2 postage and packing). It's a very useful item, but unfortunately it doesn't fit my old (serial number in the 2000's) T5 - it's just a shade too wide, which is a great disappointment. I could probably get it in if I filed away part of the frame (not a very essential part), but while it is seasy to remove material from the frame, it is impossible to put it back, so it's something I avoid doing). Of course there were some things I did not get right in the predictions, but by and large I think I got quite close. [21/04/2005]

Brompton 2005 Model Range Launch
(Photos now added)
When Brompton sent out invitations a few weeks ago for an event in London to launch their 2005 model range, there was great excitement. Brompton have never held such an event before (they did have an event to celebrate the opening of their new factory, but this was not linked to product changes). There has been intense speculation since then as to what new models and changes might be forthcoming. Brompton have been very effective at maintaining secrecy regarding what was to be expected, and only those working for Brompton seem to have been in the know. At last the launch event has been held, and we know the basics of what the new range involves.

Firstly I should explain that I was invited to the evening party - many thanks, Brompton - but although bikes were on display and some features were expalined, there was no detailed technical information on the range available. Apparently dealers had a much more detailed briefing earlier, which included the various models and options. Several commented to me that the range is now very complicated, so I think there is some excuse for the fact that I am hazy at this stage about precisely what models are available. As the situation becomes clearer, more details will be published here.

The key points, as I understand it, are:

1. The announcements relate to new ADDITIONAL models and options - the basic bikes remain more or less as they were, and will continue to represent most of the sales.

2. The new models and options are aimed at enthusiasts and/or those with a larger budget. Of course, Folding Society members are generally enthusiasts (though not necessarily equipped with a larger budget!), so the announcements are of great interest.

3. The new S range name is linked with the use of titanium for the extremeties, but NOT the main frame. Apparently tests confirmed that a titanium main frame significantly reduced the stiffness of the bike, so steel is retained for that. However, the super lightweight S range has titanium rear triangle, front forks and seat tube.  A weight reduction of 2Kg (around 4 pounds) is claimed, though I'm not sure if this is comparing exactly equivalent standard and super-lightweight models. But there is no doubt that if you lift the equivalent steel and titanium parts, the latter are much, much lighter. The titanium forks are also reported to give a better ride.

4. The P model(s?) are more aimed at tourists.

5. From a range of 5 models, the model range has been expanded to be almost infinite, as apparently you can order virtually any combination of features and fittings - little wonder that I found it confusing, and dealers were rather concerend too. Obviously this is likely to mean that unless you want one of the standard modles (in effect, the existing/old range), you will probably have to order it specially, and wait for it to be built. It sounds rather a nightmare for dealers, and quite a challenge for Brompton and their planning system. Of course this only affects the new models - the majority of customers, who buy from the old standard range, should not be directly affected.

6. There will be a new 2-speed model, with a Brompton design/specification hub which takes two sprockets and operates like the derailleur part of the current 6-speed; there  will also be a single speed. In super light form, these are incredibly light, and for a fast, flat commute would be superb - a bit expensive and a bit limited though for more general use.

7. There is no other news on gearing - a disappointment for those hoping for an 8-speed. The information I have (unofficially from other sources) is that the Sturmey-Archer 8-speed is still not considered by some some in the trade to be quite ready to go into standard production bikes, and given that Brompton are extremely careful to test anything before launching it on customers, I think that it is not surprising that there is no 8-speed yet. I am sure that Brompton are aware of the problem of the gear range of their bikes, and are working to solve this, but we will have to wait a while for this.

8. A new optional more stylish saddle, significantly incorporating a much more positive mounting clamp.

9. An option hub dynamo - I don't have a price, but a dealer commented that it is expensive.

10. New colours - I must say I was not terribly taken with most of these - see the market note below though.

11. A new frame logo with the name Brompton in much smaller, evenly spaced, letters, inside an oval. I wasn't particularly taken with this either, but it isn't something that worries me.

12. A choice of handlebars - the existing design, a completely flat, ultra-light one (mainly for the super lightweight models, and a very novle new design which incorporates two horizontal sections, with the controls on the upper one. This looks very odd, but could be very effective, offering a high and low riding position, a bit like having drops.

13. A new front bag - smaller and not as tall as the current version - this is really for use with the flat bars, as with these the handle of the standard bag interferes with steering.

14. One of the sample bikes was fitted with the Schwalbe Stelvio Light tyre - this would be useful on super light machines as it both reduces weight and reduces rolling resistance.

15. I don't have detailed price information, but the most expensive super lightweight is reported to cost £1225.

16. Availability - it is apparently hoped to start shipping the new models before the end of May, though this is still to be confirmed.

17. Brompton have a well-established market, but it is probably mainly male, and over 30. They wish to appeal more to both younger, and female, buyers.

The layout and presentation of the bikes at the London Transport Museum was visually attractive, but dreadful photographically. I will post a few rough photos tomorrow (Thursday 21st), but I hope to have some better pictures from Brompton themselves very soon, and will then put these on the web page.

Some very quick reactions - I may revise these after more time to think about it:

1. The basic Brompton remains more or less unchanged (no bad thing!!) - these changes are for enthusiasts only, and will be a small proportion of sales.

2. Brompton have created a horribly complicated range of models and options, which must surely make life difficult for dealers (except that of course the average punter will only be interested in the more standard existing models anyway), and indeed for their own manufacturing team.

3. The weight reductions are very worthwhile.

4. The other changes, particularly handlebar options, are also very useful improvements for enthusiasts.

I'm very attracted by the new lightweight models (it's well known that I am obsessive about weight!). However, at the moment finances don't permit it (for some as yet unexplained reason, the university has not paid me for two months). Also, though I understand and accept the reason for not solving the problem yet, I really would like a wider gear range. Now, if SP would do a relatively basic mod to a super-lightweight to give an 8-speed 11-34 Megarange derailleur (no other exotic mods please), perhaps with the option of a double chainring, we really would be getting close to the ideal.