Portapedal visit (December 2013)

I went up to Portapedal earlier this month to pick up the revised Brompton toolkit tire levers, say hi to my friends Donna and Al, and check out any new stuff that they've got.

Donna and Al from Portapedal

There were a couple of cool things in the store.  They have received the new Brooks Cambium saddles.  These saddles are made of rubber and cotton, and actually look and feel awesome.

Portapedal also has one of the last limited edition Moulton 60 bicycles (only 191 of them were made).  These beautiful bikes have as stainless steel frame that is silver brazed and incorporate Moulton's legendary suspension.  The bike is already sold and will be shipped soon.

Limited edition Moulton 60

That's it for now!

Review: Aardvark Seat Cover

Today I'm writing a review of the Aardvark seat cover (black, standard size) bought from Rivendell Bikes.  The link is here for the seat cover, however since Rivendell is a small company they don't carry a huge stock of these and something else (equivalent or better) may replace it.  Or they could just stop carrying them for business reasons.  The covers costs $11.

Ok, this may not be the most exciting review ever, but I think this piece of gear will actually come in handy for me quite often.  A vast majority of the time I would ride with out the cover, but here are a few instances in which I would use it:

• When it's raining (duh).
• If I had to lock up my bike outside, I can kind of hide the Brooks saddle with the cover and not make the Brompton stand out as much so it won't get messed with.  I know I've caught myself noticing Brooks saddles whenever I'm walking by a bunch of bikes.
• When I'm jamming the Brompton into tight spaces (full trunks/boots, the B&W hard case, etc.).  I know I've done some damage to my Brooks already (see photo below) which could have been prevented with the cover on.   

Aardvark Seat Cover in package

Seat cover on its own

Made in the Richmond, Utah, USA

Damage on the right rear of the Brooks B17 saddle.

Side view of seat cover installed.

Rear view of seat cover installed.

Initial impressions:
The cover material seems like a light weight neoprene fabric (wet suit stuff), which makes sense as a waterproof material.  The fit is perfect for the Brooks B17.

The cover weighed 0.8 oz (22.7 grams) on my kitchen scale (not that weight should be much of a consideration for this item).  It's not really bulky, but the shape of the cover also prevents it from rolling it up super tight.

Riding with the cover:
You will probably notice a difference when riding with the seat cover.  The first thing you notice with the cover is that there's a lot more grip on the seat.  With the Brooks I'm used to sliding around a bit to get comfortable or to raise out of the seat for tight turning or dismounting.  Kinda feels like riding with a wedgie, if that makes any sense.

I also noticed that it's quite a bit warmer in the seat area with the cover than without, which may be a nice feature at cold temperatures.

Conclusion:
So far I think this was a decent buy (for $11), but not really something I would use all the time though.  I will primarily be using it to protect my Brooks when I jam it in my car or have to lock up the B outside.  Maybe I'll ride with it if it's super cold.  Or if there is an unexpected rainstorm.  Basically as a nice little insurance item to protect my already beat-up Brooks.

Yo Colorado! - Part 1

While I was jealous of those who were participating in the Brompton World Championship, I had to make do with the US Pro Challenge in Colorado.  This trip will be written in two or three parts, since there's a bunch of photos I'd like to put up.

I made use of my recently acquired B&W hard case and brought the Brompton along.  As I had mentioned before, I had to take off my Brooks saddle, which I wrapped in my riding shorts for protection.

I also covered the folding pedal with an old sock to prevent it from scratching the frame (again).

Here's the case loaded up...

When I arrived in Denver, everything was still intact.

One day my buddy Saul Mora (head honcho for iOS app developer Magical Panda) and I rode from Highland Ranch to downtown Denver, which was something like 25 miles one-way.  Here's some pics from that excursion:

Bicycle stairway to heaven!  We don't see these in Tucson!

Surprisingly, it takes more effort to wheel a bike down the stairs than up it.

Cuernavaca Park, right in the middle of downtown Denver!

Saul sucking some water.

Cherry Creek Reservoir

Cold filtered!

I must say that I am impressed with the hundreds of miles of bike paths in Colorado that are detached from car traffic.  It was a wonderful experience to cycle without having to constantly worry about being hit by cars.  I think I rode about 120 miles during my trip.  Also, no goatheads to worry about (although my Flat Attack would have probably taken care of them)!

Part 2 coming soon!

Departure

So I'm packed up with my B (with an old sock covering the folding pedal) along with a riding short (with which I wrapped my Brooks saddle), spare tube, some patches, a 5mm Allen wrench and a 15mm wrench / tire lever, all in the B&W. At the baggage check-in the case weighed in at 47.5 pounds. I had a couple of pounds to spare!










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Location:S Airport Dr,Tucson,United States

Out and About

I took the B out this morning.  First, I rode to breakfast at my favorite place, Poco & Mom's (green chile sauce to live for).  This place is typically packed for breakfast, so space is at a premium.  I was eating alone today, so I was able to pack the B under my table and by C-bag in the open seat.

After breakfast I went to Target (a department store for those outside of the US) to pick up a few things.  When I arrived, I was able to pack the B into the shopping cart while I was picking up my items.

Even though it was a pretty warm day, I gotta say it was pretty nice not driving the car around today.  It was a lazy Sunday, so I was able to take my time getting around.

So I've put about 50 miles on the bike since I've gotten it.  Here are some observations I've made:

• The Brooks saddle is definitely starting to break in.  It's happening a little sooner than I've anticipated, so it is a happy surprise.
• The Brompton luggage system is worth the price of admission.  It's so nice to not have to carry your bag on your back, especially on a hot uncomfortable day like today.
• The SON hub dynamo give great piece of mind.  The beam lights up the road rather well, and it's great peace of mind since most of my commutes will be before dawn or after dusk.  Not having to worry about batteries rocks.
• I'm a couple of MPH slower than on my road bike.  I think this is due to the type of tire I'm using (Schwalbe Marathons with Flat Attack injected) rather than the wheel size or gearing.  I could also be out of riding shape.