Happy Bicycle Encounter on Father`s Day 2012

 On Father`s Day 2012, my son and I went on a bicycle tour in the Rhine valley near Königswinter.

We  met this happy group of fathers on a special fun  vehicle for a cycling group which is for rent in the Wied valley.  As they were just having a break for an ice-cream when we came by, they bought us our cones of ice-cream, too.
  They were from a local carnival association. Thank you, boys!

Here in Germany, the originally Christian holiday of Ascension Day has lost much of its religious value. By popular observance it has been changed into a Father`s Day, which is a day for men to join in such rough activities as drinking beer, possibly one glass more than is prudent, or going out for a sport or adventurous journey.

You may also go to my last year experience: For Father`s Day: My Brompton folding bike mounted on a Hercules W 2000 motor bike with sidecar - then cycling down from Margaretenhöhe to the Rhine in the Nature Park Siebengebirge at Königswinter near Bonn

Folding Bike Tour along the Rhine: Bonn-Koblenz-Bacherach

Bicycle trail along the Rhine, formerly a towing path, near Boppard

This posting will answer the question whether our two day  Brompton Folding Bike tour over 146 kilometers along the river Rhine from Bonn to Koblenz and Bacherach was a good experience.






Before going into details:  Why did I take my folder in the first place?  Why not a touring bike? 

Mural mosaic showing how Rhine ships used to be towed 

I have two simple reasons: first, travelling with my 7 year old son I wanted to be on a small wheeler similar to his children`s bike in order to be at an equal height with him, and second, the folding bike is practical and free of charge when riding the train back home after the two day trip.

View from the fortress of Ehrenbreitstein when a Rhine ship is turning into the river Moselle at the "Deutsches Eck" with a statue of Germany`s last emperor William II on a horse

We stayed in the youth hostels of Koblenz and  Bacherach, both located in castles that offer spectacular views over the Rhine. The service was very friendly, the rooms perfectly clean, the beds made upon arrival and the breakfast like in a three-star hotel. The price:
for example Ehrenbreitstein, Koblenz, one night in a two bed room, with breakfast,  one adult, one child, 26,50 Euro and 13,25  Euro respectively. (Prices year 2012 - annual membership necessary)

Having travelled the route on a folding bike I need to comment on how comfortable the trail is. To tell you the truth, I have mixed feelings about it.  The scenery along the river is beautiful, historic sights, castles and medieval buildings abound.   The bicycle lane, however, does not always stand up to the prestigious image of a river valley that boasts its listing as a UNESCO world cultural heritage.

On a gravel road before Koblenz my folder had a puncture (see also the posting of my first puncture) in the front wheel.  A friendly bike shop repaired it at the cost of 14.50 Euros.  
In some parts of the trail, the biking lane runs awfully close parallel to a busy road, and the railway line goes by immediately behind the road.  On such parts of the route, the noise is considerable. 
But there are also parts with wonderful sights and nice places to make a stop.  We lunched in a beer garden restaurant outside the city of Koblenz right after the last Rhine bridge.  I had a beer, my son a soft drink, I ate a meal that was served in a hot iron pan: fried potatoes with two eggs; my son had noodles with cheese.  Both meals were served with a bowl of mixed salad.  Total for both of us:  20,00 Euros. Link to the menue of Koblenzer Privatbrauerei Biergarten

Alltogether our two day trip was most enjoyable. The Brompton folder was quite practical, especially riding alongside my son on his children`s bike; an in the end on our way back on public transport. We would not hesitate to do the trip again, and I will go on using the Brompton on similar tours.

Entrance to Castle Stahleck, Youth Hostel in Bacherach

Youth Hostel  Burg Stahleck in Bacherach

View from the breakfast room of Burg Stahleck

In support of Greenpeace and their fight to stop the climate change

                                                  Photo by Konrad Miklitz, Bonn 2012

Today, on May 20, 20122, we  met our local Greenpeace activists in Bonn as they were collecting signatures for the protection of arctic nature and for stopping the climate change.
I told them that I am supporting their cause being a folding bike rider who is trying to travel ever more in an ecologically friendly way.

Night rides on Brompton folding bikes

One late night in May I rode my electric bike, which is not a Brompton, on my way home after a pleasant time with friends in a beer garden.  The special thrills of cycling the city at night have been experienced by many bikers.  No surprise that night rides are now part of our modern urban bicycle culture:


In LA a group of pedal aficionados with the website Midnight Ridazz say it "is an experience in sights, sounds, thrills, physical activity, and local economy that could never be replicated by a night out at (Sh)City Walk."


In Singapore, Kevin and Gwyn tell us in their nicely illustrated blog about a self organized night ride of Brompton riders, which drew 50 participants.


In Agen, France, Denis Caraire has uploaded a video on youtube featuring a funny  Brompton rider who is acting like a DJ.  Watch our for the illuminated saddle post of his folder.  Apart from the fun, evidently an impressive safety feature at night. Night Ride with Brompton DJ in Agen .

Bicycle Tires: Which brand?

The question of which bicycle tire, which model and which brand to choose will arise once you experience a puncture during your ride as it happened to me last year. (Flat Tire: Brompton pssss)

The other day I came across a video on youtube featuring the visit of a group of internationally known mountain bike athletes at the Continental tire factory in Korbach.  This city near Kassel happens to be the town where I was born and where I grew up.  I remember my jobbing at the Korbach tire plant when I was a college student.  I know there are hard working and ingenious people in that factory. No wonder,  Continental tires have become famous for their good quality and outstanding performance. (Handmade in Germany!)  Oh, I`ve got to hold my horses, I am not an advertiser.  I just wanted to call your attention to a video. Click here and enjoy: Bicycle athletes visiting the Continental Tire Factory in Kobarch

Bicycle friends in India

Many years ago I travelled in India. Surfing, I found the Indian cyclists network which I joined. I also found that some people in this 
network are interested in folding bikes.


                             
                                                              Visit Indian Cyclists Network

Would you buy it again?

I have been asked about my folding bike:  Would you buy it again?  After that list of yours summarizing technical issues of one year of riding the Brompton?
My answer is a straightforward "Yes".   I would definitely buy the Brompton again.  It is comfortable, folds so small, smaller than any other comparable folder, and it is so practical in modern urban transport.
Yesterday I rode it from my car, which I had parked outside the city center, to see the dentist.  Folded up, I put it in the elevator and went up three stories to the doctor`s office.  Never before had a patient of his arrived before him with a bicycle in his hands.

I missed my train but my folding bike Brompton helped me out

My evening date was at a pizza restaurant in town.  Living in a suburb 8 km from the city centre, my plan was to park the car on parking lot for commuters in Hangelar and  take the city train (line 66) to Bonn.
Seconds before arriving at the car park, the train came and left me frustrated behind.
The next train would go half an hour later, precisely at the time of my date in the restaurant.
I decided to ride my Brompton folder which I was carrying as usual in the trunk of my car. 
The rest of the story is evident:  I pedalled 7 kilometers to Bonn, where I found my place in the restaurant and  put my  Brompton unobtrusively under the table. I had enjoyed a nice ride in this  early spring evening and I had made it to my date,  hungry for a tasty pizza.

My Brompton Folder: One Year Summary of Technical Problems

A bit of pecking

I have been riding my Brompton folding bike for over a year now.  During  this time I have written in this blog  about my experiences with the bike.  As any reader will know, my Brompton folder has been a lot of fun, especially because I have been able to expand my circle of riding activities by carrying the Brompton in my car and by taking it along on public transport.
It seems,  everybody who is writing  about his Brompton bike experiences is only full of praise.  In this posting, however, I will tell you of my list of technical problems.  As I have had a number of good bicycles  in my life, I had expected that the Brompton, being a bike of a great reputation, would give me at least one full year of reliable service without a single problem.  Far from that.  This is my list of complaints:
a)   Plastic snatch broken. It catches the handle bar when   
      the bike is folded up.
b)   Plastic hook on front wheel broken twice.  The hook comes to ´
      sit on the frame when the bike is folded.
c)  Metal fender of front wheel broken twice.
d)  Back wheel out of balance, spokes needed to be tightened by a 
     mechanic
e)  Flat tire (back wheel); the mechanics did not detect any obvious
     cause.
f)  Gears needed readjustment by a mechanic.
g)  Roller casters on the back of frame and small rollers on rear
     rack are not quite functional.  Poor plastic material, one roller is 
     broken to this day.
h)  Rubber mud flap of back wheel got lost.
i)   Drive chain guard broken twice. Its plastic material is not doing
     the job well enough.
Now, call me a madman, but I still like the little folder.  Yet at the same time I am wondering what kind of first year riding experiences the owners of a Birdy folding bike can report.  The Birdy, in case you don`t know about it, is a folding bike with a suspension system,which does not fold as small as the Brompton, but which may boast its German engineering quality.
In case you want to read more: In previous posts I have already talked about most of the issues.
Folding, Riding, Fixing
Brompton psssss...

Folding Bike Friends like Origami

Folding,  folding - Origami

I, Miranda [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0
(www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) 

Origami (jap. 折り纸,  oru = to fold + kami = paper) is the art of paper folding. No surprise, the Japanese word for folding bike is ori-tatami jitensha. (see also my blog entry about folding bike pictures worldwide)
Are you like me a folding bike friend, whose craze for stowing away and having the bike ready for use in a whiff makes any origami design look interesting?  Here is an unusual folding bike design: