£1,895 Is the latest Brompton collab ready for adventure?
Matt Baird
Weight 12.2kg (one size) Frame & Fork Hand-brazed steel Gears Brompton wide-range 6-speed drivetrain: internal hub gear and 50t chainring with integrated chainguard Brakes Brompton dual-pivot callipers Wheels Double-wall rim, 28 spokes Finishing kit Brooks C17 Cambium saddle, Schwalbe Marathon Racer 349x35c tyres, Brompton pedals (left-hand folding), mudguards, reflectors, waterproof backpack and pouch
Discovery is always late, the saying goes. And that certainly applied to my 2023, which saw two of my great loves – cycling and music – dominated by 1979, the year Brompton filed its first patent and The Replacements formed in Minneapolis. While a dysfunctional rock band and the ultimate in cycling practicality might seem unlikely bedfellows, both got under my skin to provide a surge of unbridled joy and a skip in my mid-forties stride each time I eyed their glistening steel frame and shiny vinyl disc last year and now into 2024.
Like that long-since disbanded cult group, Brompton was a bike that I didn’t knew I needed or wanted until I tried it. I already owned the holy trinity of a road bike, gravel ride and MTB, while a commute lacking public transport and a home in one of the UK’s hilliest cities aren’t regular Brompton fodder. And yet, since a friend lent me a Brompton C Line Explore to convert me to the folding cause, it’s become my most-used bike, giving me an injection of independence after 15 years of trundling on the same local routes.
When it began
Riding a Brompton felt like my cycling journey had started again. The first 25km was ticked-off. Then a 50km ride. Next stop the (Brompton) World Championships, which are rumoured to take place in Manchester in September. I could jump on any bus or mainline train without facing the consistently futile attempt to book a bike space on the latter; reap the rewards of proper mudguards, built-in lights and an upright riding position on the commute (which also helps my creaking spine); or go for a pint in Bristol without worrying about my bike being nicked (it’s under the table).
What I also discovered late was how much darn fun they are to ride, with the nimble yet stable handling making both urban and rural riding a blast, something our columnist Ned Boulting regularly celebrates. But with a design that, quite understandably, given the unrivalled ingenuity and elegance of the cupboard-friendly Brompton fold (56cm high x 58cm long x 27cm wide), hasn’t altered massive
