So here are my choices for the replacement. I have a cheap folder (two in fact) rather like those that are advertised on eBay regularly. Central hinge fold, 20" wheels, aluminium frame, 6 speed derailleur gears. I bought them on a recent holiday to Spain, because it cost the same as hiring bikes for a week, plus I was intrigued to see if cheap folders were really THAT bad, and I wanted something that folded smaller than my 20, so it could come with me in my little Ford Fiesta without occupying the whole bootspace. It's not that bad, but I can't get the seatpost high enough for full extension, and it's quite undergeared. It's fine for short trips when out and about in the car, but that 8 miles across London doesn't fill me with anticipation, and although I've bought a rack to fit it, I suspect that the already squirrelly handling won't respond well to a generously loaded Ortlieb Office Bag 2 perched on the top of it. No pics of these yet I'm afraid.
Option 2 is my tourer. On the downside, it doesn't fold, and I'd have to be a bit more careful with the wheels when hopping curbs etc, but on the upside, it's ready to go. All I'd need to do is stick the Ortlieb adapter on the rack, and I'm off.
Option 3 is the all weather urban assault bike I've been building. I was building it single speed, with an old steel frame I had, and then I chanced into possession of a pair of wheels built on SA 5 speed hub, with drum brakes. With nice wide rims, and chunky Marathon style tyres (might even be Marathons) this thing is as tough as old boots, the hub gears and drum brakes should cope well with abuse and bad weather, and it's ugly enough that people probably won't want to steal it. Counting against it, however, is that it keeps blowing rear tubes, and I can't find the problem. It's gone through two during the build process, which means I've yet to even get to setting the gears up right. Even when I do cure that, I'd rather take it on a few rides locally before I trust it in London when I'm in a rush to be somewhere.
I suspect the solution to my conundrum is simply to use the tourer for now, get the urban assault into fettle asap, and shift to that.....
My tourer:
The Urban Assault (it's progressed from here, but you get the idea.....)
