Product Showcase

  1. Riese & Müller Custom Builds

    Riese & Müller Load 75

    Riese & Müller offer a wide range of amazing electric bikes that are all built to order in Mühltal, Germany. While we at Perennial Cycle are focused on their smooth rolling, front loading cargo bikes, R & M have a full line of electric bikes available.
    Most of our R & M's are sold as custom configured builds. While this is a common way of doing things in Germany, it requires a little extra planning (and patience) for we Americans wanting to get one of these beauties : )
    Perennial Cycle orders Riese and Müller bikes to have available to sell, but the process, space and cost does not make it easy for us to consistently have them available (especially when you look at the myriad of options...).

    The process to get your very own customized R & M is to work with us to get a configured bike (to your spec), place the order with us by paying a 20% deposit at which time we study the build schedule to get an anticipated production date.

    If you want to look at the Riese & Müller configuration tool:
    Pick the model you want to configure here: https://www.r-m.de/en-us/bikes/

    Once you've chosen a specific model, click on it and scroll down the page to get a feel for the spec choices. At the bottom of the page you have the option to start making choices. This is how you start configuring a custom bike...

    You can start this process by calling or emailing:
    - with a description of what you'd like and how you are going to be using the bike. or
    - you can configure a bike from the R & M website and then send us the configuration to code (and we'll go through it with you on the phone, in person or via email).

    R & M maintains a production schedule that gives us dates for all their bike's production runs.
    Typically the bikes have a 10-12 week delivery time. This can be speeded a bit by paying extra for expedited shipping.

  2. Cateye AMPP Front Light for Brompton

    What could be better than the Cateye Volt400 Brompton Light? We think a Cateye AMPP 500, 800 & 1100! The AMPPs are brighter, have better side visibility and have an equally integrated fit on your Brommie.
    Yes, we have loved the Volt400 Brompton front light, but at Perennial Cycle we recommend 500 Lumen as the minimum brightness for night riding. 500 Lumen is a good level of brightness for being seen. If you will be relying on the light to shine a path with minimal streetlights, we'd recommend the 800 & 1100 so that you SEE the potholes before you ride through them.
    Perennial Cycle is an urban shop in Minneapolis with a lot of commuting cyclists as well as a lot of potholes. This gives us a lot of expertise at setting up lights for cyclists. Our expertise with brackets and unique setups had us thinking we could likely come up with some rechargeable light solutions that would be brighter that the Volt400 Brompton front light, yet be just as clean and unobtrusive a fit to our beloved Brompton Folding Bikes. After setting up a few of these for customers, we decided to make it available for more than our in-house customers.

    All 3 models of the AMPP for Brompton fit under a front bag & none interfere with the fold

    Specs for the AMPP Lights for Brompton:

    AMPP500: 500 Lumen: 1.5hrs/high, 250 Lumen: 3hrs/low, 50hrs/flash mode (33mm wide x 25mm tall x 100mm long)
    AMPP800: 800 Lumen: 1.5hrs/high, 200 Lumen: 4hrs/low, 30hrs/flash mode (32mm wide x 24mm tall x 102mm long)
    AMPP1100: 1100 Lumen: 1.5hrs/high, 400 Lumen: 4.5hrs/low, 50hrs/flash mode (48mm wide x 26mm tall x 135mm long)

    The Cateye AMPP lights make a great choice for Brompton Folding Bikes because of their compactness. No worries about interfering with your front bag. Also, all 3 versions have excellent side visibility and offer a variety of light modes. If your daily use is less than 1-1/2 hours you can run on high beam, but if you need to squeeze the most out of the light, blink mode will get you an impressive 30 or 50 hours.

    Extra:

    If you are using a Brompton saddle (either width), you should consider the Rapid Mini rear blinky light for Bromptons. It mounts very cleanly onto your saddle. We recommend having this on your bike, no matter what other lights you are using.

    Rapid Mini Saddle Light for Brompton
    We recommend the Rapid Mini Saddle light as it is a simple way to make yourself more visible out on the roads (always a good idea).

  3. Powerbanks & Dynamo Power

    Powerbanks & Dynamo

    Using dynamo charging units to keep your devices charged up on an extended race, event or tour gets a bit tricky as there are many variables at play.
    The simplest way to be sure you will be successful is to use your dynamo generated energy to power a power bank (battery). We had 2 customers that did the 2019 Paris-Brest Paris (1200K!) and both of them used the Power Pack II to charge their GPS & phones with success.
    One of the tricky parts of using dynamo energy with devices is the constant fluctuation in power output. Many electronic devices lock onto a small trickle of power and do not take in more power when it becomes available. This leads to NOT charging the device. Some devices re-assess and take in higher levels of power when it becomes available (my iPhones have always seemed ok at this), but not all. So the only sure bet is to use a power bank that is designed to adjust intake as it is available. Not all (in fact few) power banks can handle this power management.
    The Cinq5 Power Pack II as well as Goalzero Power Banks have been specifically designed not only to accept an ever-changing flow of power, but also are capable of acting as a pass-through. This means that the power bank can be used to charge a device at the same time that it is being charged.

    We do a lot of dynamo lighting setups at Perennial Cycle. We have customers using dynamo power to light up their way home from work, keep them well light and fully charged on massive road rides, heading into the woods bike camping or cross country touring.
    Lights for dynamo are pretty straight-forward and info can be found HERE.

    Personally I've used the Plug III as well as the Igaro D2 Pro R2 to charge a few different iPhones over the years with great success, but how successful you are at charging a device with dynamo charger will depend on the amount of daylight you have (dynamo chargers do not charge AND run your lights), the device you are charging and the speed you ride at.
    If you have time, it is best to do a fair bit of testing.

  4. Rechargeable Front Lights for Brompton Folding Bikes

    Night Shot

    While we are huge dynamo lighting fans at Perennial, we understand that it's not always the right choice. USB rechargeable lights are very impressive thanks to advances in battery & LED technology. If your Brompton is going to be used for transportation, whether you are riding in your home turf, or you are traveling, lights are a must for riding at night. And who wants to be limited to riding during daylight hours).

    Here are some options that we sell to Brompton customers

    Cateye Volt400 for Brompton

    Cateye Volt400 for Brompton
    The Volt400 comes with a bracket that positions the light very cleanly above your front wheel. This kit is fully compatible with all Brompton front bags.
    While we like this light for it's tidy fit on the bike and it's ability to make sure you are seen in traffic, it's not bright enough for all conditions.
    Its biggest shortfall is availability. If we have it in stock and you like it, don't waste time getting it in your hand as it is challenging for Brompton (and us) to keep it in stock.

    • • • •

    Cateye AMPP for Brompton

    Cateye AMPP for Brompton
    The AMPP for Brompton fits the light nicely under the front bags and above the front wheel.
    The options of 500, 800 or 1100 lumens make this headlight very appealing to anyone needing to increase their visibility as well as spreading a brighter, broader light in front of them. Like the Volt400, the AMPP series is USB rechargeable.


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    Busch & Muller Ixon Core
    The Ixon Core is our only rechargeable with a mirrored beam that shines the road with a nicely spread pattern yet doesn't shine in the eyes of oncoming riders and drivers.
    A handlebar bracket mounts to the bars and the light slides on and off this bracket. The Brompton can be folded with the light still attached to the bars (all types), though the folded package will be a touch wider until you remove the light from its bracket.


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    Light & Motion Urban 500
    The Urban 500 is a light with great optics and at full power it can guide you through unlit streets. In more lit conditions you can dial back the power and use less battery consuming power settings.
    The super grippy mounting strap is easy to wrap the light onto the bars and hold the light securely enough to the bars to hold steady beam on the bumpy trails. Mind you, it's plenty stretchy to have some give if you bump it hard.


    • • • •

    NightRider Swift 300
    At 82 grams with 5 light modes and a run time from 2 all the way to 27 hours, this economical rechargeable light gives a lot of bang for not so many bucks. The Swift 300 is also very compact, so whether your Brommie is folded or unfolded, the light is not going to cause any problems.


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    NightRider Lumina Micro 650
    The Micro 650 is a bit larger than the Swift 300, but still a nice tidy package that fits very well on all the Brompton handlebars. A good and strong light with a great beam pattern to keep you comfortable pedaling even on the downhills.


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    Light & Motion Vis 360 Pro
    This helmet light can be your one light, or it can complement lights on your bike. The Vis 360 Pro includes a front light, rear light and mounting hardware to easily set it up on your helmet. The USB rechargeable battery is integrated into the rear light. I like this light because it allows me to point it directly at drivers so I can know if they see me (or not).
    Also it puts the light as high as possible which will help with visibility of all drivers.


    • • • •

    We have used a wide variety of lights with our Bromptons over the years. We certainly appreciate the Volt400 with its Brompton mount, but we also recognize that while mounting a USB rechargeable light to the handlebar isn't quite as clean, it is equally useful when it comes to shining the road ahead. The Cateye AMPP series is a welcome addition and with it's 3 models, you should be able to match the brightness needed for your riding conditions.


    BTW: If you are using a Brompton saddle (either width), you should consider the Rapid Mini rear blinky light for Bromptons. It mounts very cleanly onto your saddle. We recommend having this on your bike, no matter what other lights you are using.

    Cateye Rapid Mini for Brompton

    Rapid Mini Saddle Light for Brompton
    We recommend the Rapid Mini Saddle light as it is a simple way to make yourself more visible out on the roads (always a good idea).