Saved by a Foldie!

Cycling with a Brompton on one shoulder!

It was raining cats and dogs this morning, very untypical of the lovely Spring days we have been enjoying here in Perth. Jem could not cycle to school obviously and I had to drive him there.

Problem was I had to pick him up at 330pm but my car was somehow unavailable. The missus had taken mom to Burswood and the grand dame had a winning streak. That was great for them but I got stuck. How to get Jem home from school?

As I mull over the situation, a brain wave came to me. Why not carry the ultra compact Brompton in the bag on my shoulder and cycle to school? So that I did, and it was surprisingly quite manageable. Jem was quite shock to see me grinning under the tree with 2 bikes!

We rode home happily together thanks to the compactness and versatility of the Brompton. You can say the situation was saved by a foldie.

Pic fm Folding Society UK

When you don't join the Fold...

I was driving today for a family lunch when I saw this Ford Falcon with a trailer, transporting his regular-sized bike. The first thing that came to my mind was all the trouble the driver had to do to transport ONE bike.

If only he had join the fold, life would be much easier for him. This is how I do it, and with room for 3 or even 4 foldies in one car!

My Brompton & Dahon Helios folded and ready to go places...

A "Holy" Foldy

With a population of 1.4 billion people, the smart money will want to penetrate the vast China market, foldy manufacturers included. Imagine if you had 0.1% of such a market? This works out to be over 1 million foldies you can sell! Dahon has been in there for sometime and a friend who went to Beijing came back with a very cute foldie called the Dahon Dove.

Those familiar with Dahon will know they had an entry level model for kids and women called the Sweet Pea. I think this is the replacement model and it looks like a minature version of their famed MU series. It sits on 14 wheels and is a single speed. Its also only 7.9kg! This must be the perfect "spare" foldie for enthusiasts to just potter down to the shops and for casual and easy riding.

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Its white paintwork makes it look really cute too and if you look carefully, it has a decal of a small dove. For Christians, this is indeed very symbolic as it represents the Holy Spirit. I can see mass orders from churches for this model!

Best of all, Dan bought it for only abt US$200. I'll take 10, thank you.

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Mark 1:9-11 (The Message)

At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. The moment he came out of the water, he saw the sky split open and God's Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on him. Along with the Spirit, a voice: "You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life."

For downhill junkies, like me...

Pic fm CGOAB Northern Thailand

One of the joys of cycling is freewheeling downhills, particularly long and steep descents. My good friend Chris recently send me his youtube upload of a spectacular ride down Mae Salong to Chiang Rai, Thailand on his Surly LHT touring bike. I don't know how he videoed it so well and I hope he didn't do it one hand style.

Some of my best downhill experiences so far are in Laos and Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. I hope to try Northern Thailand one day real soon!


Fasten your helmet and enjoy...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWaT0xCmokI

Just another Friday

Packing materials galore... safe and sound

The epitome of thoughtfulness

I was so impressed with how Green Gear Company handled the slight crack on my old tikit that it gave me the much needed nudge to order another of their great foldies.

My needs are simple - I want a foldie that I can ride around the world. It must be reliable and uses standard parts (easy to repair/replace), have triple chain rings for those steep climbs, wider tires to handle the off beaten path, mudguards and have front and rear racks to hold 4 panniers. It must also offer a comfortable riding position that can be adjusted from time to time as I have a bad back, gives me a precise ride and firm handling, thus no broken/split frame for me and must fit into a suitcase for easy travelling. I hate paying airline surcharges!

My research for that illusive foldie ended up here - The Bike Friday Pocket Expedition. It boasts a higher BB for better ground clearance and has everything I want, plus more. It comes standard with a Thudbuster seat suspension and is offered in stealthy Black. My dearest wife lugged it back for me from Washington DC last week (I owe her big time) and it arrived safe and sound in Singapore. It was a pleasure too to deal with Walter at BF who was a great help and a joy to deal with (my 2nd time).

I can't wait to go to Singapore in Dec to ride the Expedition. A trip to Langkawi, West Malaysia is already in the pipeline. Meanwhile, time seems to drag and its just another Friday here in Perth...

My heartfelt thanks to Buddy Chris for these great pics and for babysitting my new child.

More business travellers with bicycles

Lurking through Bike Forums, I came across an article dated 19 Oct 09 from NY Times. It reported that recently, more business travellers bring along their full size bikes or rent bikes when they go overseas for their meetings. Cycling is claimed to be the quickest cure for jet lag and a bit of cycling sharpens and freshens a person for that high power demands of work.

However, those bringing full size bikes are facing huge air travel charges and its not easy to get a good rental bike from the hotel one stays in. We already know this is the forte of foldies and I was very glad to read this in the article...

For a business trip to Hawaii in March, it would have cost $450 to fly his bicycle from Virginia. He said he recently bought a folding bike that fits into a regular suitcase. “It’s really the only thing that allows me to keep riding,” he said.

I'm not sure what foldie he bought but I do this all the time with my different foldies when I travel. Good to know that more people are discovering the joy of travelling with foldies!

Tech Talk - Valves

One of the drawbacks of a non-standardised global bicycle system is different standards applied across bike manufacturers. This is especially seen in the tyre valve stems where there are at least 3 types - Schrader, Dunlop and Presta.

If you own several bicycles and thus possibly have to live with different valves, this can be a pain as you either have to keep switching the pump adaptor or carry an adaptor permanently in your wallet (I do this!).

So lets start with the most common valve first - the Schrader also known as the automobile type valve. It was invented in 1891 (yes, that long ago) by an American called August Schrader. It is the most widely used valve even outside the bicycle industry where it is common in aircon and refrigeration applications. It is usually found on thicker rim bicycles as it is 21/64" in size. By far the easiest valve to live with for me, as any petrol station air pump will do the job. Also because it is very common, its easy to buy tubes with Schrader valves especially in third world countries and is my choice for touring. It is also arguably more robust.

That said, the Dunlop or Woods valve (patented 1888) is reported as still popular among third world countries especially in China or some parts of Europe. Its was invented by a Scotsman C.H. Woods. Its a very rare valve where I come from and I've seen them only on Flying Pigeon Chinese bikes in Singapore but surprisingly, Schwalbe website claims its the most common worldwide!


I don't know why but when it comes to Presta valves, they seem to be sexy and held in high esteem. This is probably because they are used strictly in racing bikes or roadies and more expensive bikes, as their narrow rims demand the smaller sized Presta. They are also easier to pump as there is no spring pressure valve unlike the Schrader type. They usually also have a lock nut to prevent the tube from slipping/shifting in the rim. Purists would claim they are more aerodynamic.

Its main disadvantage is because the hole in the rim is so small, only a Presta valve tube can be used making it extremely challenging when it comes to fixing a puncture while cycling in Angkor Wat, Cambodia and running out of tubes! Of course, you can always travel with a file like my buddy Chris when he tours.

And yes, both Presta and Schrader valves are capable of managing high pressures... don't let anyone tell you different though Presta seem to hold air for a longer period of time.

I reckon the world would be an easier place if there is only one valve, be it Schrader or Presta!