Brompton Bicycle

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.

In 2013 we set a goal of adding all of our in-stock Brompton folding bikes to our website. Once they'd been added, we set a second goal: to keep the listings accurate as 1 bike is sold and another arrives. All that means that today, you can go to PerennialCycle.com and browse our in-stock Brompton selection knowing that the bikes you see are bikes we have ready for in-store pick-up or shipping to your door.

We've sorted our Brompton folding bikes models by handlebar type, so you can shop for an S-Type, M-Type, or H-Type with the right gearing for your needs and the color of your dreams. You'll also see a special section for our in-stock Ti Brompton Superlights. If you're interested in a P-Type handlebar or don't see the bike you're looking for available, call us at 612-827-8000 and we'll be happy to help you with a B-Spoke order.

As you browse through each handlebar type, you'll see a variety of different combinations of gearing and color options. From the short description for each bike you can gather quite a bit of information. As an example, a listing for an M2L in Black and Turkish Green looks like this: "M2L [Black & Turkish Green]." M is of course the handlebar type, 2 tells us it's a 2-speed, and L indicates the bike has mudguards but no rack. Black, listed first is the color of the bike's main frame. The bikes extremities are Turkish Green, the second color indicated. For a listing with only one color mentioned, the main frame and the extremities are the same color.

Clicking on the listing for an individual bike, it's possible to see more details about the bike's gearing. It might say "standard," or "12% reduced." For single speeds and 2-speeds, you'll always see "standard," as we order all of our 1- and 2-speed bikes this way. For 3-speeds, you'll see a mix of standard and lowered gearing. In the case of 6-speeds, you'll see mostly lowered gearing and a handful of bikes with standard gearing. After riding Brompton folding bikes and helping customers through hundreds of test-rides, we've come to see that -12% lowered gearing is the ideal set-up on the 6-speed for the majority of riders. As of 2013, we began ordering many of our 3-speeds with the same idea in mind. Prior to 2014, lowered (or reduced) and raised gearing incurred an extra charge. Fortunately, that's no longer the case. Now you can choose the right gearing ratio for your Brompton without worrying about an added expense.

What's the difference between lowered and standard gearing? All Brompton 6-speeds have a Brompton Wide Range (BWR) Sturmey Archer hub on the rear wheel and all come set up with the same rear sprocket set. The physical difference between bikes with standard and lowered gearing is in the front chainring attached to the crank. A 6-speed with standard gearing has a 50-tooth chainring, while a 6-speed with lowered gearing has a 44-tooth chainring. Practically speaking, that means the every gear on the bike with a 44T ring requires less effort on your part when pedaling. That means you'll climb hills more easily on a bike with reduced gearing. And, the average rider will be more likely to use the full-range (even the hardest gear) on a 6-speed bike with reduced gearing. If you're one for crunching gear ratios, you can find Brompton's chart here.

Once you've decided on a particular bike, here are the remaining details to keep in mind:

Seat Height

You can choose from one of three seatposts for your Brompton. For an inseam over 84cm/33", we suggest an extended or telescopic seatpost. The latter is best for an inseam over 90cm/35", or for taller riders wishing to minimize the height of the folded bike.

Saddle

Several options are available to select within your bike's listing, including the brightly colored Brompton Rail Saddles. If you'd like to order a saddle other than one listed here, simply add it to your shopping cart separately. If you select an alternative saddle (e.g. a Brooks saddle other than the B17 Special in Antique Brown), you may note in the comments section with your order whether or not you'd like to have the standard black Brompton Rail Saddle as well. If you choose a Brooks saddle, we recommend a rain cover for all-weather riders and the Brooks Maintenance kit or a stand-alone tin of Proofide.

Tires

We order all of our Brompton folding bikes with the company's standard Kevlar tire. It's light-weight and offers good flat protection. For an upgrade fee, we are able to send your Brompton with 1) Schwalbe Marathon tires 2) Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires 3) standard Schwalbe Kojak tires or 4) folding Schwalbe Kojak tires. Please call us at 612-827-8000 or make a note in the comments section with your order if you'd prefer we swap out the standard Kevlar tires for one of these upgrades.

Rear Suspension

Two levels of resistance are available, to suit body weight and riding style. We recommend Firm suspension for most riders, and anyone weighing over 80kg (175+ lbs) and those who value responsiveness above comfort. If you prefer a softer ride, are a lighter person or if you ride and pedal particularly smoothly, you may opt for Standard suspension.

Lighting

We order a percentage of our Brompton folding bikes with Shimano Hub Dynamos and the accompanying front and rear lights each year. The majority of our bikes arrive to our door with reflectors only in front and back. We are, however, happy to add a dynamo lighting system to any in-stock bike. We stock both the Shimano and the SON hub systems and a variety of dynamo lights. Note that pricing here may vary from the B-Spoke order form as factory-installed systems are offered at a lower price than the sum of the parts in our store. We do offer free labor when installing dynamo lighting or battery lights on any new Brompton. Still, for the greatest savings on a dynamo system with Brompton's stock headlights and taillights, it's best to B-spoke order your Brompton.

If you're interested in a headlight other than the B&M Lyt (standard for the Shimano hub) or the B&M Cyo (standard for the SON hub), or a taillight other than the standard Brompton dynamo rear light, you may either place your order by phone or choose "reflectors only" and add the necessary parts to your order one-by-one. You'll need to add a front dynamo wheel (Shimano or SON) and a Hub Dynamo/LED wiring loom to your order along with the lights of your choice and a Hub Dynamo/LED wire form bracket.

Should you be shopping for more powerful battery lighting in lieu of a dynamo system, you may consider pairing the Brompton rear battery light with a rechargeable front light from Light and Motion's Urban series. Simply choose "reflectors only" and add the lights of your choice to your cart separately. We'll install the Brompton rear battery light for you and include the headlight in the box with your Brompton.

Front Luggage & Accessories

Choose a front carrier block alone or opt for a bag set (a front carrier block + the bag of your choice). You will see a few options in our list not included on Brompton's B-Spoke order form. Learn more about the Carradice City Folder here. Or, view of the Carradice Stockport here.

If there are other parts and accessories (e.g. a rear rack or non-standard pedals) you'd like to add to your order, simply add them to your cart as you would with any other order at PerennialCycle.com.

Shipping

Our standard shipping charge on Brompton folding bikes is $40 per bike. Choose "folding bicycle" under other options at checkout. Check our homepage or sign up for our newsletter for information about shipping promotions throughout the year.

We'll install parts like the Front Carrier Block or Eazy Wheels for your convenience prior to shipping and include items such a Carradice Saddle Bag inside the box with your bike as space allows. For larger accessories like Brompton's B Bag, we may package your bike and the chosen accessories in separate boxes under one tracking number. If you're ordering a Brompton Travel Suitcase, we'll ship your bike inside the case in one box.

We welcome your questions by phone or email. If you're in the neighborhood, come on in for a test-ride any time.

Registration for the Brompton US Championship • 2013 has been open almost a month now, and—as you can see above—the competition is all over the map. We are glad to see that many of the Minnesota-based competitors who took part in last year's race have chosen to return and that so many others from across the country have decided to make the trip to join us here in Minneapolis.

Many of you have told us you've already begun your training programs: ranging from getting out on your Brompton to practicing your Windsor.

If you don't yet see your home city city on the map, we have good news for you... there are still a handful of FREE T-shirts remaining when you use the special coupon code available at bromptonuschampionship.com.

We can't wait to see all of you at the starting line on June 23!

p.s. If you're not yet a Brompton owner, you might be interested to know that the wait time for special orders is just 5 weeks as of April 29, 2013. So, not only will your Brommie be here in time for race day, you'll even have time to get a bit of training in ahead of time.

The speedy, yet durable Schwalbe Kojak now is available in a 16" x 1-1/4" (ISO 32-349mm) tire to fit Brompton folding bikes! The Kojak is a bald high pressure tire with a puncture resistant layer (kevlar belt). This will no doubt be a popular tire on Brommies as many are using them to go some distance and the Kojak can do that oh, so well.

While the 16 x 1-3/8" (37-349mm) Schwalbe Marathon Tire will continue to be the most durable, longest lasting 16" tire on the market, the Schwalbe Kojak will no doubt prove to be nearly as durable with a more performance oriented edge. At a 1-1/4" with a pressure rating of 115psi the Kojak will add a bit of speed to any Brompton. A supple sidewall gives the Kojak a nice feel on the road (not as harsh as you'd expect for a 115 psi tire). Both the folding and non-folding have a nice, supple feel. Though the folding model is more supple.

Available in both a folding and non-folding models. The folding version is a bit lighter weight with a kevlar bead and higher threads per inch, while the non-folding version costs a bit less. The higher thread count on the folding model makes for a more supple and lighter casing. We measured the tire on a stock Brompton rim and the tire measured 30mm wide and 26mm tall. See all of our 16" (349mm) tires here. All our 349 tires will fit a Brompton except for the Greenspeed Scorchers (a little too chubby for the Brompton Frames).

Here are some details on the 16" Kojak:

SIZE: ISO 32-349 mm (16 x 1-1/4 in.)
PRESSURE: 115 psi
WEIGHT: 175 grams, or 230 grams for the non-folding
BEAD: Foldable Kevlar or Wire Bead
CONSTRUCTION: RaceGuard; 67 tpi, or 50 tpi on non-folding
Website Links: Folding Kojak here, Non-Folding Kojak here

Schwalbe was out in front of the pack several years back with a number of tires specifically designed for recumbent bikes and now we meet them again at the corner of the folding bike market. It's always good to meet old friends in new places.