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Commuting at -25º always has people questioning your sanity. Every day this week has been a sanity test (I failed) and today was the big warm up to above zero (it was 1º above). I've been thinking about what I'd consider the most valuable piece of equipment when commuting in those temps... While I love my long johns, choppers, and wide-ranging wool, poly, fleece and wind shell layers, it's really all about lights. Face it, getting run over by a bus at 6am at -25º would be pretty disastrous and Mom is not going to ask the ambulance driver if my toes were cold.
Dynamo lighting is a big focus here at the shop and one of the reasons for that is that commuters rely upon their lights to survive. With dynamo lighting you don't need to wonder if your batteries are at full strength — spinning the front wheel is what powers the light. Good stuff!
Be sure and check out our dynamo display bike the next time you're in the shop:
It’s a simple, yet fully functional bag that allows you to tote your Brompton wherever your feet will take you. Of the bag options for Brompton, this is the most compact if the full coverage bags. It’s also the lightest bag option that comes with a shoulder strap.
Like the Brompton Cover and Saddle Bag, it quickly packs into a small bag that easily mounts to your saddle rails (or handlebars if you prefer). The Brompton Transport Bag zips fully open which means loading your Brompton is a breeze. There are two handles and a shoulder strap for easy portability, and the empty bag folds up nicely to slip into its saddle bag. Like all of Radical Design’s bags, it is made of DuPont Rip-Stop Cordura and uses continuous coil YKK zippers.
Radical Design has been making great bags in Holland since 1990. They use top quality materials, and employ stitching methods meant to last a lifetime. Radical Design makes bags for recumbents, bags for bicycle trailers, backpacks for hikers, and surprisingly the sell all the materials they use in their bags separately, right down to the zippers and foam, so you can fix and patch your old bag or try your hand at making your own. As a company they also take a holistic view regarding the health and safety of not only their workers but the workers of their suppliers as well, and values like honesty and quality over cost. Companies like Radical Design are few and far between; people that stay true and adhere to the K.I.S.S. method, Keep It Simple, Stupid.
The secret's out! All Banjo Brothers- and Minnehaha-brand items, including panniers, backpacks, small bags, and clothing items, are part of our SPOOKY 25%-off Sale now through Thursday, October 31 at Perennial Cycle. To celebrate the final day of these (so good they're spooky) deals, Banjo Brothers co-founders Mike and Eric will be stopping by the shop from 4–6 p.m. for treats and tricks in their best Banjo Brothers attire this Halloween. But first, here's a little introduction...
It all started one crisp morning in 2003, at a Minneapolis coffee shop where Mike and Eric famously decided to take the leap and start a new business all their own. They knew they wanted to go into business together and they had a name — The Banjo Brothers. The spark for just what that business would be was a trip to a local bike shop. Looking over the available bags, Mike and Eric knew they could put something together that would be both more affordable and of better quality that what they saw available: bags they'd be proud to stand behind. Today, we all know Banjo Bags to be just that. As they say: Tough. Practical. Affordable. When it comes to Banjo Brothers (and their sister-company Minnehaha Bag Co.) products, it's all about the value.
Beyond the bags, there's plenty more to love about the team behind them. Mike and Eric and the entire Banjo Brothers staff are great patrons of the Minneapolis cycling community, contributing to these (and many more) organizations & events this year:
Powderhorn 24
Almanzo 100
All City Chamionships
Track or Treat
Babes in Bikeland
Cirque du So Gay
Wellstone Bike Club
ScardeyCat
MPLS Bike Love
MPLS Bike Polo (Championships)
Open Streets MPLS
Brompton US Championship
Tiny Bikeshop Concerts
#30 Days of Biking
Dirty Benjamin
So, this coming Thursday, October 31, make Perennial Cycle a stop on your trick-or-treating to meet Mike & Eric, the faces behind locally-designed Banjo and Minnehaha bags. In addition to a chance to meet Banjo Mike and Banjo Eric, we'll be passing out treats & have activities for you and the family, PLUS a raffle with great prizes. Get your picture taken with Mike and Eric, enjoy some sweets, and grab a sweet deal on a bag or two. While you're here, enter to win one of these great prizes:
See you there!
Ever since becoming a Brompton dealer, we have seen great value in superlight models and have always made them available to customers as a part of our Brompton inventory. You may have heard them referred to as "Titanium Bromptons," "Ti Bromptons," "Superlights" as above, or "X-Models." All of these refer to the same product — Brompton's superlight frame option. At the start of this year we received several superlight bikes in various configurations, including all three of our standard handlebar types and a variety of colors.
For 2013, we also added a third bike to our demo lineup: an S2L-X that was later transformed into an even lighter S2E-X when Luke travelled to England for the Brompton World Championship. Several of you have test-ridden our new demo and all agree: the S2 is a very zippy Brommie! With more and more Brompton riders gaining interest in Brompton racing, Superlight Bromptons are more popular than ever. Of course when it's not race day, one of the superlight's main advantages is not in riding it but in the moments you need to carry it. Going up a flight of stairs or through the airport with your Brompton in tow is all that much easier with a superlight bike.
But just what makes a Brompton Superlight so very super? And just how light is it? You'll find the answers to those questions and more below.
The following components on a Brompton Superlight or "X" model differ from a standard Steel Brompton. These changes combined contribute to a weight savings of 1.63 pounds (.74 kg) on any given Brompton.
1 - Aluminum Headset
2 - Xtra-Light Front Hub (not only lighter than Brompton's standard front hub, this is a sealed cartridge bearing hub, a big step up from their standard cup and cone hub) built into the front wheel, along with butted spokes for additional weight savings***
3 - Titanium Front Fork
4 - Titanium Front Mudguard Stays
5 - Titanium Rear Frame
6 - Titanium Rear Mudguard Stays
7 - No pump is supplied with a Superlight bike
Two key parts: the Main Frame including the stem riser (both painted) and the seatpost.
While not as stiff as steel, titanium is equally strong and weighs about 50% less, all of which adds up to mean that Titanium has the highest strength-to-weight ration of any metal. Brompton has long seen its advantages, as has our favorite touring rack manufacturer, Tubus.
Titanium has excellent resistance to corrosion; it won't rust. This makes it a great choice for all-weather riders and those who bike in areas where roads are salted in the cold months.
Because of its corrosion resistance, titanium doesn't need to be painted — and, we might add, the silvery-grey color of the raw metal is very attractive.
As a West London-based manufacturer, Brompton has one more thing in coming with the metal we call "Ti" for short: both have English roots! Titanium was first discovered in Cornwall, in South West England, in 1791 by William Gregor.
While it is usually possible to B-Spoke (custom-) order a Superlight Brompton, as of September 2, 2013, Brompton is not taking any new orders for Superlight bikes. (Should that change, we'll post an update here.) Many of our stock-superlights have already gone out the door, but we still have Brompton Superlights available for purchase. You can see a selection of our in-stock Superlight Bromptons here. Except where noted, all of the bikes listed on our website are in-stock and ready to ship to your door. Each has a front wheel built with the Brompton Xtra-Light Front Hub.
Standard reflectors and battery lights are lighter than a dynamo lighting system
Single-speeds, 2-speeds, and 3-speeds will be lighter than 6-speeds
E-Version bikes without mudguards will be slightly lighter than L-Version bikes
E-Version and L-Version bikes will be lighter than R-Version bikes fitted with a rear rack
Standard or Extended Seatposts are lighter than a Telescopic Seatpost
Brompton Kevlar tires and Schwalbe Kojaks save weight over Schwalbe Marathon tires
The S Type is lighter than the M, H, or P Type
Standard rollers marginally save weight over Eazy Wheels
Saddles, in order of lightest to heaviest: B Saddle < B17 S Special < B17 Special
Some Brompton owners choose to retro-fit superlight parts, like the Xtra Light Front Wheel, to an all-steel Brompton
Carry only the necessities in your Brompton luggage
Ride your Brompton every day!
If you're interested in purchasing (or simply test riding) a Ti-Brompton, stop in any time or order online now. We ship Brompton bikes on a regular basis to U.S.-based Brompton enthusiasts and Brompton fans abroad. Shipping in the continental USA is just $35-40. International shipping quotes are available upon request.
***Since the publication of this post, Brompton has had some stocking issues with the Superlight front hub. As a result, not every Ti bike will ship with a Superlight front hub. To compensate, Brompton (and we at Perennial Cycle) has reduced the price of all bikes that ship without a Superlight front hub. These bikes will still feature butted spokes in their wheel builds but will use the standard Brompton front hub, unless a dynamo hub is fitted. If you are interested in ordering a specific in-stock Brompton and are curious about what type of front hub it features, please call us at 612-827-8000.
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