Perennial Favorites

Anyone who has stopped into our shop on Hennepin Avenue (or browsed our website, for that matter) knows for a fact that we absolutely love bicycle bags. We have bags to fit just about any bike, and our selection of Brompton-specific bags is especially formidable. So we were thrilled to find out that Souma, a tiny company operating out of the Czech Republic, is making a handlebar bag that's unlike any the ones we were already stocking. We knew we had to get them in the store!

There are many handlebar bags that could be used on a Brompton, but nearly all of them fit weirdly, or get in the way somehow, or simply flop awkwardly onto the concrete when you're folding the bike. These Souma bags, on the other hand, perfectly fill the unused space in the middle of your M- or H-type Brompton handlebars. They're easy to mount up with four leather straps and four heavy duty snaps. They don't flop around or interfere with the fold, and they keep your essentials within easy reach. A snap closure keeps your stuff inside when the bike is folded and the bag is upside down. It's a design that we've never seen before, and as soon as we saw it we wondered why the heck nobody had thought of it until now.

Handmade in Brno, Czech Republic from full-grain leather, Souma bags are available in two versions to fit either your pre-2017 or current model M/H bar (for those who don't know, Brompton modified the shape of the M/H handlebar back in 2017 - see photos for clarification). The 2017 version is slightly smaller to fit the updated handlebar, and comes in three colors: Topaz (which matches Brooks "Honey" saddles), Brown, and Black. Folks with pre-2017 bikes can choose a brown or black bag.

If you need color suggestions: Topaz looks especially nice with softer colors like grey and turkish green. Brown looks excellent on our nickel edition bikes. When in doubt, black looks good with everything (but we like it especially well with bright colors such as red or lime). Like any quality leather good, your Souma bag will acquire a unique and beautiful patina with time and use, so buy it, use it, and love it and know that you're only making it look cooler. Click here to check out Souma bags on our website.

Brompton CHPT 3 w/American Classic Pro Paired Front Wheel

Brompton Bikes are a favorite here at Perennial Cycle. We pretty much love everything about them. The things we don’t love, we improve. The front wheel is a great example. If you have a standard front wheel on your Brompton, then you have a hub that is not meeting the quality of the rest of your bike. It passes as OK, at best.

Standard Brompton Front Hubs

I try not to be snobbish about bike parts as that can be a very deep hole to jump down, and for the most part I am very clear-headed about these things. I really doubt many would challenge me when I point out the front hub as a weak spot in the components on a Brompton.

Our Pro Wheels solve this problem. The Pro Wheels for Brompton are built in-house with either Phil Wood or American Classic hubs. Both these hubs are manufactured to the highest standards. DT Swiss spokes and Velocity Dyad (previous named Aeroheat) rims are used so that the end result is a lovely, yet long lasting premium front wheel for your Brompton Folding Bike.
The Phil Wood hubs are world renowned for their ever beautiful and bomb-proof designs. Phil Wood manufactures in the US to the absolute highest standards. A wheel built up with a Phil Wood hub is going to be the envy of any bike nerd.
American Classic is a company known for high quality, smooth hubs that keep a very close eye on weight. The American Classic Micro hub is designed to handle the stresses of a paired spoke pattern without allowing those stresses to throw off the smooth-running stainless cartridge bearings. This hub is a minimalist’s dream.

We hand build the American Classic Micro hub into a beautiful paired spoke wheel for your Brompton. Our American Classic Pro Paired Front Wheel is a very lusty wheel at an ultra-light weight. This would be a great fit for any bike, especially if you dream of racing (and winning) the Brompton World Championship.

The Three versions of Phil Wood Pro Wheels

We use Phil Wood Hubs to build paired spoke wheels in addition to two different straight radial wheels. If you dream of touring with a T-Bag overstuffed with camping gear, you will love the Phil Wood Pro 28. It will handle your load and your miles with ease. The Phil Wood Pro 14 and Pro Paired are plenty durable for the typical commuter’s load. The Pro 14 would be a bit more durable than the Pro Paired, but you'll be able to ride hard and ride far with either of these options.

Links:
All Pro Front Wheels for Brompton

Phil Wood Pro 14 Front Wheel for Brompton

Phil Wood Pro 28 Front Wheel for Brompton

Phil Wood Pro Paired Front Wheel for Brompton

American Classic Pro Paired Front Wheel for Brompton

--

As a side note, between mid-2013 and 2015 there were a number of Superlight Bromptons sold without Superlight wheels. Brompton had trouble sourcing the Superlight hub, so these bikes came with a wheel built with fancy spokes and the same hub and rim as the standard model bikes. These bikes are great candidates for a front wheel upgrade. You have a beautiful titanium bike with a hub that looks and feels like it belongs in the 80’s. The Pro Wheels are clearly what we at Perennial Cycle think would be your best choice, but a Brompton Superlight Wheel would at least get you up to stock for those bikes.

Wondering if your Superlight Brompton has a Superlight front wheel? If your front wheel is attached with axle nuts it is not a Superlight wheel. The Superlight Wheel by Brompton is secured to the fork with an allen head skewer.

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss building up a wheel that you are not seeing on our website, feel free to contact Perennial Cycle.

We have many lights to choose from at Perennial Cycle as we like the idea of being seen on the road. When it comes to keeping it light and simple, the Cateye Rapid Mini has you covered. We have brighter and/or longer running lights available, but this current shop favorite is simple and minimalistic. At just 2 inches in length and 3/4 inches wide it is easy to throw in a pocket when locking your bike up.

The Standard Rapid Mini comes with a tool-free seatpost mount and a USB charging chord.
The Brompton specific Rapid Mini comes with a Brompton saddle mounting bracket.
Late in 2016 Brompton Bikes started coming with a slight modification to their saddles. On the underside of the saddle they made a mount that is there specifically to fit a little bracket for the Cateye Rapid Mini light.

Cateye also makes a separate saddle rail mount that is compatible with the Rapid Mini, so you can easily switch your light from bike to bike.

Cool Video below 

Want to be more comfortable on your bike?

Invest in your points of contact; saddle, GRIPS and pedals. You will bike farther, have more fun, and be in less pain at the end of the day. Ergonomics is at the core of Ergon. Their products are all about understanding how people engage with their bikes.

Ergon introduced their original winged grip in 2004, helping to eliminate numb hands, aching fingers and tired forearms. Now they have a wide variety of grips designed specifically around a particular riding style, handlebar and rider position. The grips are compatible with almost any bicycle, from downhill and touring, to xc racing and folding commuters. Most of the grips are available in two sizes, small and large, with options to mate perfectly with your bike.
Sometimes too many choices can be overwhelming, so if you have questions about what might be right for you, don’t hesitate to call, or even better, come on down and check them out in person and on a bike.
Basically if your handlebars are swept back, the GC1's are going to be what you're after and straight bars have a wide world of choices.

All the materials Ergon uses are tested for toxicity and meet the highest German government safety standards. Their products go through extensive deterioration and life-span tests, including a 4 year environmental exposure simulation, as well as abuse from the some of the world’s top athletes and are backed with a 2 year warranty.

Notable Picks: