The Folders

Bike Description: Just another way of referring to a folding bike, our "folders" are two British-made Bromptons, a sturdy steel-frame model called the M-type with 16" wheels and U-shaped handlebars. We bought the folders for mobile versatility after we sold our second vehicle. Our primary car is a Mini Cooper, so we wanted to make sure that we had bikes that could fit in the car, and the Bromptons can fit in the backseat, or the trunk, or the removable rooftop storage box. We can take bikes to far-away places we go, ride the folders when we need to get picked up later in a car, conveniently collapse them on public transportation, and even tote them along as cargo on one of our larger bikes! One of the cool things about the Bromptons is that they are a one-size-fits-all, easily adjustable to any rider height, so our two bikes are interchangeable (except for color). We'll have to get one for Alton once he is tall enough.

Main Rider(s): Andy & Katie

Kid carrying options: The Tyke Toter, which consists of a small, flat seat attached to a metal tube that clamps onto the seatpost of an adult bike and cantilevers out between the bike rider's legs. Andy made an additional vertical support that attaches between the Toter and the top tube of the Brompton to boost its stability and weight rating.

Cargo carrying options: A Brompton-specific bag (their Touring Bag, aka the T-bag) that clamps onto the front of the bike frame, so that the weight of your bag's load is on the frame of the bike, not its handlebars. The bikes also have rear racks with built-in bungee cords, which fold right up along with the bike. We use large backpacking packs to rest on the racks when we take longer trips with these.
Gearing: Six-speed internal hub

Most noteworthy trips: Andy took his Brompton aboard an Amtrak train, bound for Seattle for a birthday celebration of one of our close friends. He disembarked at the Seattle Union Station, and rode to our friend's house for a weekend of fun; it was the first time either of us had taken a folding bike on the train to use as transport at our destination. Katie's longest trip on the Brompton was riding to a Saturday afternoon elective class at massage school, about a 20-mile trip up and down a few good hills. We have big plans to take the folding bikes traveling and on camping trips in Summer 2012--stay tuned!
Return to Katie's Family's Bikes...