The B-spoke builder tool on the Brompton website is excellent and provides a great way of viewing the final product if you are lucky enough to have the luxury of buying a new bicycle. Fortunately I was able to access the Ride2Work scheme, recently made available from my employer, which really helped to soften the blow of the relatively high cost.
The colour combination is quite personal. Initially I was going to opt for all black but found it a little boring and similar to the colour of previous bikes I owned - I fancied something different. When I was playing around with the colours on the builder tool the yellow and black really stood out.
For me the gearing was the toughest choice. My original thought was 2 or 3 gears - the simpler the better, although I probably needed something more than a singlespeed. My first experience of riding a Brompton was a 3-speed (rented from Brompton Dock - more on that later). The only concern I had was the hilly terrain around the South Downs where I live. I didn't want to regret my decision later if there were some of the larger hills (i.e. Ditchling, Devils Dyke etc.) that would have been out of my comfort zone on a 3-speed.
I got the chance of trying a couple more Brompton bicycles when I visited the new store in Covent Garden. When I rode the 6-speed I was amazed at the range of the gears, I really do feel I could make it up any of the big hills (to try in the New Year!). I also liked the faster race position of the straight 'S' type handlebars, which given my experience of riding race and aero TT bikes, felt more my natural. For similar reasons I went for the firmer suspension block and the slicker and lighter Kojak tyres.
The mudguards seem to make sense from the outset as did the decision to opt for the 'S' bag, especially for commuting and plans for longer distance adventures.
I will cover accessories like lights, pedals, tools, shoes etc. and possible future upgrades in later posts.
All getting very exciting!
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