Review: Dual function pedals from Impalapro

 

 So I have always ridden with SPD pedals for many years and I honestly cant ride without them, the confidence they give me knowing my foot position is not going to change and general comfort level is amazing. So with the “N+1” I decided to get some SPD pedals but also needed to get something that my other half can use without having to change pedals or have SPD shoes.

Review: MTB Cycling SPD Shoes from FOTGROY

So my old MTB cycling shoes have been wearing out for the past year or so but never saw anything I liked. While searching on Amazon it came across these. I wasn’t so sure about the sizing as I’ve heard sizing with cycling shoes can be an issue but just got the biggest men’s size and took a leap of faith.

Review: EBUYFIRE ultra Bright Smart Bike Tail Light

• The Legend & N+1 needed some backup rear lights and I opted for this little find on Amazon.
  
  
  

Review: Brompton BumbleBee C Line Special Edition

Over the years the I have had a very close relationship with Brompton Bicycles. 

When I first saw the adverts for the then new BumbleBee Brompton initially I was surprised and honoured. I commented on it with “ I feel a disturbance in the force!” Which resulted in many likes & comments.

I can almost imagine the meeting at Brompton HQ:

“We had The Legend here a many years ago. We took DNA samples and has been on ice ever since. Cloning technology has come along way since that time.”

“Is it safe? Is it Ethical ?”

“Let’s do it!”

Yeah I know my sense of humour can be odd at times..

In late February 2023 I got a message though instagram from none other the Creative Director at Brompton Bicycle. At first I was very sceptical that it was a real message but I confirmed the message was genuine. I think at first I was thinking they where offering me to be put on the waiting list to buy the special edition but to my surprise it was confirmed that Brompton where just going to send me one.

After confirming the specs of the Brompton BumbleBee C Line we (The Legend & I) had a new addiction to the family. N+1 (temp name maybe) will probably be a perfect day ride bike (No rain).

• Mid bar
• BWR 6 speed
• Mudguards  

Nothing to fancy but I wish I went for the Electric version. It did take awhile to get to me cause as fast as Brompton could make them, people were buying them.

First Impressions:

It feels a lot lighter than The Legend. Probably different techniques in making it over the years so making it stronger and lighter in the process. Cause its lighter it feels abit more nimble.

Review: Belkin IQ Wireless Charging Pad

A good while ago I got myself an iPhone 8+ a HUGE upgrade from my tiny iPhone 5C

The iPhone 8+ can be charged via USB port or with a charging pad. I'm always breaking the USB cords for charging so I thought this time end I'd spring for the charging pad this time round.

I saw the Belkin IQ Wireless Charging Pad and thought I'd have a go seeing as buying a new USB cable for my iPhone 8+ is pretty expensive these days, for a good quality one. For £30 thats like 3 apple cables, maybe less.

It comes with a USB cable to power it and that's pretty much it. I've used it for about 2 weeks now and from what i can tell it charges the same rate as the cable maybe even faster. It even charges though my case so i don't even have to remove it to charge

The only niggle I have with is is that the phone has to be perfect in position for it to charge sometimes. Just a different way to charge your IQ enabled device


till the next ride, bee safe.....

Review: Shimano MT34 Mountain Biking Shoes

So after a number of years with my current clipless shoes Specialized  BG Tahoe shoes I felt the need to get a new pair.

Wanted to get pretty much the same kind of design so I looked into my local Decathlon Sports store and found these Shimano MT34 Mountain Biking Shoes

Bought these from Decathlon as they where pretty much the same kinda of design as my old Specialized  BG Tahoe shoes

• TRACTION - EVA midsole and rubber sole for comfort when walking.
• BREATHABILITY - Areas with breathable fabric.
• FIT - This shoe provides good support with its lace-up tightening system.
• FITTING COMFORT - Specially-designed inner volume for better comfort and support.
• LIGHTWEIGHT - 378 g in size 7.
• RIGIDITY - Fibreglass sole reinforced with polyamide for greater rigidity.
• COMPATIBILITY - Compatible with SPD cleats (not included)

I've been using these since the middle of November 2018 on my commute rides. I have to say they feel pretty damn solid and feel hard wearing.

The only thing I may have a problem with is the clipless mounting system.

As you can see before the mounting plate is in there is a big hole in the bottom of the shoe. At the time of writing I haven't walked or ridden in the rain yet to see if they are still waterproof after the clips been mounted. If not what I may do is put some kind of sealant around the inside where the metal plate mounts to make it waterproof.

There is a metal plate that goes in the inside of the shoe and the clip part that you see screws in and tightens up pretty good but also adjustable. In time ofcourse I will probably get some yellow laces like the last pair.

till the next ride, bee safe.....

Water Bottle solution by Monkii

After the Rapha Nocturne 2017 event last weekend I was contacted by http://www.cyclemiles.co.uk/ who have been a fan of the legend for awhile.

They asked if I would do a review on their Monkii Clip and Monkii V Cage.

Monkii V Cages

From what I can tell it looks like the Monkii Clip has had a design update.

The clip itself is pretty simple design and even simpler to attach to the handle bar stem of your Brompton.

Monkii Clip

The clip has rubber pads to protect the paint work of the stem and allen key bolts to tighten so its very secure once installed. I would still put some tape protection on the stem anyway as you can never have too much protection on the paint work for the legend.

Now the actual cage itself that can hold different sizes of bottles cause of the velcro and rubber grip. When the bottle is in its pretty hard for it to fall out, so pretty damn secure.

Monkii Cage

Monkii Cage

I got to say I'm liking this Monkii system for holding the water bottle, its solid and I have yet to hear of the bottle popping out as I know a few of my cycling buddies also have this system.

monkii clip B – Brompton – For monkii cage, monkii mono, or monkii V wedge £17.95

monkii V cage bicycle bottle cage (Black, Bright Pink, White, Purple) £17.95

monkii cage bicycle bottle cage (Orange, Black, Pink, Pea Green, White) £17.95

Thanks to http://www.cyclemiles.co.uk/ for sending me the Monkii system for me to review, I also hear that they are very big fans of the legend. Well who isn't? :D


till the next ride, bee safe.....

Review: The "Bee" Travel Bag

Well many of you know how much the Legend & I love black and yellow.

An idea came to me one day when I saw people commenting that to travel on the EuroStar as you have to carry your Brompton in a travel bag of some kind due to the rules. Well I could easily get a IKEA bag which is the perfect size or an official Brompton Travel Bag but you know the legend, he always wants to be understated. *shakes head*

So I asked the very good and talented friend Valeria Lopes (Valeria's Bike Accessories) to see what we could come up with for the Legend.

What can I say Valeria came up with this....

Yeah your eyes are not playing tricks on you but yes a black and yellow striped travel bag for BBB.

As always the build quality is second to none and its made from the same tough wearing material with the other black and yellow items she has made for us. This also had a nice inner lining and very well stitched zip and handles.

Strong Zip goes 3/4 of the way round

Long handles for easy over the shoulder carrying

In we go

I wasn't sure on just looking if BBB would fit as he has clipless pedals and cow horn handle bars which make his profile a little wider than a normal Brompton but I didn't need to worry as BBB fit in just right and zipped up perfectly.

Snug as a bug

All packed & ready to go

The tough material made carrying BBB over my shoulder really easy. Even my clipless pedals or cow horn handlebars didn't poke me in the back and with the long shoulder straps made it probably the easiest and nicest way to  carry BBB.

The mark of quality & that personal touch.

I'm VERY pleased with how this came out and forever grateful to Valeria's Bike Accessories for turning an idea into reality.

So then folks if you're thinking of something for your Brompton that's a little special or an idea that's popped into your head but don't have skills to make it a reality I can't recommend Valeria's Bike Accessories enough to help you do just that.

Now I seriously can't wait to go travelling with the Legend to show of his custom travel bag. >:D


till the next ride, bee safe.....

Review: Vincita’s B203B "Office Bag City"

Another Brompton Bag Vincita sent me for review was the B203B Office Bag City for the Brompton.

Vincita’s B203B "Office Bag City"

Features

• Padded compartment for laptop
• Organizer compartment
• Two large safety reflective spots on both sides
• Removable shoulder strap
• Quick release mounting
• Raincover include

Dimension

• Width 36 cm
• Depth 14 cm
• Height 33 cm
• Volume 16 L
• Weight 2.1 kg

Pretty tough wearing material in person and feels it could handle just about anything thrown at it.

Removable shoulder strap

Big chunky shoulder strap so it can be  carried over your shoulder without any problems at all & is pretty comfy even with a load.

I do like the way the mounting plate can be covered with same material and the velcro sticks pretty well in place once in place. When not in use it hides away inside the zip compartment just above it.

Metal mounting plate

Mounting plate covered

Not the only way to be carried with this handy handle.

On the inside there are lots of little compartments to store all your office type items as well as a laptop.

My 15" Wide screen laptop doesn't fit inside the designed laptop compartment of the bag unfortunately. Maybe a non widescreen version would fit though. So bare that in mind if your needing to carry a widescreen laptop.

Wide screen laptop too wide

But does fit inside the main compartment though.

Wide screen laptop will fit in main compartment

Real World Testing:

Used the "Office Bag" at the Brompton World Championships 2015 back in August which managed to carry all my cameras, water-bottle & my now infamous black and yellow jacket.

Vincita B203B @ BWC2015

One thing I did find when the bag was heavy is that it touched the top of my SON Edelux II LED. Same problem I had with the Vincita Mini Front Bag I reviewed earlier in this blog.

Mounting plate

Overall its a good bag, well constructed & an alternative to the Brompton O Bag. Price is much less than an O Bag too which could be an issue with some. Plenty of space for your paperwork as well your laptop so long its not a widescreen.

Can order  from  South Downs Distribution for UK/European Distribution

Direct link: Vincita B203B Office Bag City for £139.99  (at time of posting)

till the next ride, bee safe.....

Review: Sigma Brake Stop Light

I heard about this brake light though the London Brompton Club and thought I’d give it a go.

The tiny efficient BRAKELIGHT is suitable for all mechanical cable operated brakes. The product is equipped with a Good visible Red LED and is operated by the brake lever on the handlebar.Mounting of the BRAKELIGHT is done by an Hex screw clamping onto the inner cable of the rear brake.Fitment is possible to almost all cable operated brakes. 

The Sigma Brakelight illuminates when the bike's brake calipers close together, alerting anyone nearby that your bike is about to brake.

Unlike my rear dynamo light that only lights up when the front wheel slows down. This could be a good thing especially if you have other riders behind you and want to give them a little more warning that you are slowing down and the rear dynamo may not register the braking til its too late.

Sigma Brake Stop Light

It’s actually quiet small.

The light is water-resistant and is attached using an Allen key to the rear brake cable between the two brake calipers. It is compatible with any cable-activated mechanical rear brake. When the calipers are squeezed together while braking, the device acts like a switch completing a circuit which turns on the LED.

The Brompton brake calipers are a different design to most other bicycle brake systems as the cable doesn't enter from the top of the caliper but from the bottom. So to fit on a Brompton you have to install the Sigma Brakelight upside down to the instructions given.
I am unsure if the water resistance accounts for this so I may put some tape over what is now the top of the light to ensure water doesn't get in and causes a short circuit.

Installed and ready for action

Here is a short video of the brake light in action.

Link here: E Bikes Direct on eBay
Also comes in green, blue & black (£9.99) with 1 X CR2032 battery.

til the next ride, bee safe…..

Review: B017B Mini Front Bag for Brompton from Vincita

Vincita send me some of their bags to review for the Brompton.

First up is the B017B Mini Front Bag for the Brompton

Vincita B017B "Mini Front Bag"

"A stylish and fun bag designed especially for the Brompton. The main compartment is an ideal size for you to get around town. It comes with a concealable bracket (for Brompton front carrier block) and a removable shoulder strap for using when off bike. Rain cover is also included.
Available in 5 colours, red with white polka dot, black&white check, black spring, red spring and chocolate spring."

Dimensions

• Width 280 mm 

• Height 250 mm 

• Depth 125 mm

• Volume 8 L

This small front bag is good for short day rides where you won't be needing alot of items to carry. I could get my spare set of cycling glasses, charger pack, a few energy bars, wallet, keys etc.

It clips in with ease into the Brompton front block just like any other Brompton specific bag.
This bag isn't fully waterproof on its own but it comes with its waterproof/showerproof cover. I personally don't think this cover would be up to the job of a heavy down pour but should be enough for light showers. Also comes with a easy removable shoulder strap.

Waterproof/showerproof cover

There is a small inside pocket to put keys, money or credit cards with a nice zip to keep everything together.

Inner pocket

It also has a small outside pocket with a zip

Outer pocket

The mounting bracket on this front bag is made out of metal which means its not as bulky as the plastic ones on the Mini O Bag.

Luckily Vincita have thought about this & built in cover for the mount with this cool little flap which tucks into its own pocket.

Flap designed to cover metal mounting plate

This is useful for when you use the shoulder strap so you don't hurt yourself with the metal edges, even though they are not sharp they could still do some damage.

Mounting plated covered

The biggest differences I found when comparing to the Brompton "Mini O" Bag is that this opens at the front not like the Mini O Bag that opens from the rear. I found this a little tricky at first but didn't take long to get used to it and its snap buckle.

Felt smaller to me than the Brompton Mini  O bag but it could be the dimensions are slightly different.
Vincita B017B Dimension - 280w x 250h x 125d (weights in at 958grams)
Brompton Mini O Bag Dimensions – 280w x 270h x 180d (weights 776grams)

Took me awhile to get used to it opening this way, I've had my Mini O Bag so long it seems second nature for it to open towards me.

Real World Test:

Mounted when B folded

On a recent ride it seemed to cope quiet well. Only problem I found was that the bottom of the bag would rest on top of my SON Edelux II LED Headlight and actually turn the switch. I could adjust my headlight so it doesn't rest on the light or bend the metal mounting plate of the bag but something to look out for. So if you have a headlight mounted under the Brompton block do check to make sure the bag is not going to rub on it which would make steering difficult.

Resting on the SON Edelux II LED Headlight 

Where the headlight rubbed :(

Overall it's a decent front bag for your Brompton. Not fully waterproof like Brompton's Mini O Bag & comes in different colors and patterns.

Can order  from  South Downs Distribution for UK/European Distribution

Direct link: Vincita B017B Mini Front Bag for the Brompton for £100 (at time of posting)

till the next ride, bee safe.....