Day 364: Brompton Bros

24/07/2022

Saturday morning we were all feeling well after recovering from COVID-19. Thank you all for the kind messages. The day started off trying our best to tire Lachlan out in the morning before Eloise dashed off to Football Buzz with Dad. We were worried during the week that we may not feel up to it. Eloise slept with her football kit at the foot of her bed and was buzzing to head out the door.

The heatwave is officially over, Saturday was set to be a wet one, we can all rest in peace knowing global order had been restored. Eloise was happy that football was inside, she is more of a futsal-like operator. I think it is because she can kick it a lot further inside. She also yells “kick” when she kicks it, which is quite funny. That is also louder inside.

After a fun session, we came home to find Lachlan lazing about. Liam dropped off Eloise and then it was to the bike shop, his bike had finally been made!

Liam has joined the British hipsters and picked up a Brompton. For quite a while now, I have been interested in buying a Brompton. After many nights of research, we bumped into a lady on the Isle of Arran who was having a tremendous time. I also wanted to have a tremendous time so there was really only one way forward. I convinced myself I would ride to work whenever it is not icy or snowing. It is also a great way to explore, small enough to be taken on aircrafts and trains. I took the plunge ordering one from Brompton.com through a local store. We then just had to wait a couple of months for it to be hand brazed in London. I was actually pretty lucky timing-wise, a year ago bikes all throughout the UK were sold out during the pandemic. Manufacturers have only just started being able to get materials back in.

It is a bit culty, each year when there is not COVID-19 in the air, there is a Brompton Championship near Buckingham Palace where you can race your Brompton in office attire, another good reason to head south again.

Brompton Bicycle is a British manufacturer of folding bicycles based in Greenford, London. The Brompton folding bicycle and accessories are the company’s core product, noted for its self-supporting compact size when stored. All available models of the folding bicycle are based on the same hinged frame and 16-inch (35×349 mm) tyre size. Components are added, removed, or replaced by titanium parts to form the many variations. The modular design has remained fundamentally unchanged since the original patent was filed by Andrew Ritchie in 1979, with small details being refined by continual improvement. Ritchie was awarded the 2009 Prince Philip Designers Prize for work on the bicycle. Brompton is the largest volume bicycle manufacturer in Britain, producing approximately 50,000 bicycles each year

The kids were just as excited as Liam was, jumping up and down for a go. Worryingly they seem to be developing their Dad’s passion for gadgets and cool fun stuff. Lachlan David Bike Fensom was first. We all know how much Lachlan loves bikes. Before he could jump on we had to limit the second child effect by letting him put some cool stickers on his new, Eloise’s old, helmet. We won’t go into that story, admittedly a wee oversight.

Eloise did a quick back of the napkin M*y/I hand calc before she set about attaching Lachlan’s throne. We thought this would be perfect for getting deeper into the beautiful country parks and not riding on wet roads as you are about to see.

In the afternoon it was time for Lachlan’s nap, Eloise had other ideas though, there would be no snoozing today.

Earlier in the week, Super Mum had promised Eloise an ice cream once we were out of voluntary isolation. She had been such a great girl, looking after all of us. We thought she had forgotten, fat chance of that happening.

In the evening we were all still fascinated with the Brompton. Lachlan stands there for ages spinning the clamps and tinkering.

Nathan had very kindly loaned us Emily’s old bike while we are in the UK. We have started searching Marketplace to find another kid’s chair.

Today the weather was forecast to be even worse than yesterday. The clouds are fully loaded after that heatwave. We had to get out on the bikes before the weather came in. Eloise has suddenly become more confident, even gliding downhills. Although there is usually a bit of a squeal as she does not have brakes.

The Brompton Bros were having a tremendous time flying around the loch. The Brompton is quite highly geared to make up for the small 16″ wheels, it is freaky how much it feels like a regular bike, the steering is a tad on the twitchy side. I am going to have to be careful riding to work with the 16″ deep potholes on the roads too.

Lachlan was starting to fall asleep, not again. It was into the pram for Lachlan and without much of an invite, Eloise had already started climbing up into the Brompton throne.

In the afternoon, Super Mum and Eloise started making new clothes for all of Eloise’s babies as the rain came down hard.