Originally Posted by
Ozonation
I'm rethinking the
luggage rack. I was convinced that it wasn't necessary; now, I'm not so sure. I went to sort some items and saw my camera bags. Hmmm, forgotten about those.
A rack would be useful for strapping a tripod and other miscellaneous items. I'd carry the more fragile items up front or strapped to me, but I could see tying down a bag of camera items that are "less fragile". And I have to admit, I take a pretty big lunch with me on a daily basis: thermos, lots of fruit, microwave container. The front bag would be pretty much full with my daily work bag (laptop, files, etc.).
I think I've narrowed down the colours though. I've realized that no one colour combination really strikes me as a "must have/that's so me" scheme. I intend to get a brown Brooks saddle regardless.
1.
Racing green frame with black extremities. Practical, I like the racing green, not sure about the two tone look though; a bit "dark" overall - maybe a sage green with black would have had more contrast?
2.
All black. Classic, never really in style, never really out of style. My wife thinks it's not bad, but looks too severe overall. I have a lot of black already - wouldn't mind something a bit more youthful looking.
3.
All racing green. My first choice originally, then I saw one in person. Nice, but not quite the impact I thought it might have. Perhaps it will look a bit too dated or conventional later on?
4.
All sage green. Hmmm... wasn't even on my list in the first place, but I saw a good photo and it's quite sharp. It's grown on me a bit; would be a reasonable complement to my current colour palette of bags and clothes. My wife (who has better taste than me) thinks this is best overall.
I also considered the raw lacquer, but I'm not sure. Photos can be very inaccurate, but the tone seems to range from grey all the way to a bronze-green. Not sure I really want that.
I'm also thinking I should swap up to the
Schwabe Marathon tires instead of the stock Bromptons.
Lastly, trying to decide on a
front bag. I'm debating whether it is worth getting the folding basket so that I can shove my current work bag in, or to get something more purpose built, like the C-bag or the T-bag.
And I've seen a ton of comments on
transporting the Brompton as checked luggage. What's the consensus these days? Hard shell? Soft b-bag?
Finally, what do people do about
lighting? I've read that the dynamos are not the best sometimes. Has anybody bought separate LED lighting that works well and can be left on within the folded bike?
The Brompton rack is a little bit on the short side to effectively carrying anything long like a tripod. I suppose if your tripod is a Manfrotto 190 or a light Slik, you could probably strap it, but anything heavier than that I would suggest again a trailer for the job. For camera equipment, I suggest wrapping the lens and camera in bubble wrap individually for transport if you decide to carry some of them in the bag. Unlike a car or a big wheeled bike, the Brompton's smaller wheel transmit shock and bumps much more readily and viciously than a 26" or 700c bike. I had the bayonet mount of a lens bent once as well as on the DSLR because it got jostled inside the bag without bubble wrap on my Dahon. With my trailer, the equipment now sits inside a foam protected padding bag. While the Brompton has a rear shock, it only serves to dampen vibration to the rider. Unless you have something like a Nikon D3100 or Canon EOS Rebel, more advanced digital are heavier. Not sure you'll want to carry 10lbs or so gear with you riding on a folder either.
Raw Lacquer is nice seen in person. I would choose that if green isn't available. Green is nice as well.
Marathon tires; definitely a good swap.
As checked luggage, you definitely want to use a hardshell case. There are cases with soft shell cases that people are getting their bikes damaged; mainly on the rear triangle near the rear derailleur. I have a hardshell case for my Dahon.
LED vs dynamo lighting.. ( I owned both so perhaps I can give some opinion).
Dynamo lighting is typically rated around 2.4W and is bright enough in well lit places. Not too bad in really dark areas. Typically, you will notice a drag when it's on. The convenience is that, it's always there so you don't forget. Another advantage is when you tour or ride century in the dark. You don't need to worry about batteries when you're touring in places where there isn't a Radio Shack around for a 100 miles or so.
The downside is that, dynamo lighting isn't meant for fast riding at night. The coverage and the throw distance is so short that you can't see clearly what's in front of your from far away, because they have low lumens. Plus it's heavy, at least the dynamo on the wheel. For the amount of light they put out vs weight, dynamo lighting I think is just not the best.
Contrast that to the latest and brightest LED lights (I have both of the best which puts out more than 400 lumens), they are super light and super bright! Cars actually yield to you because they couldn't figure out if you are a car or a cyclist, especially with the 400 and up lumens LED. They are not meant for long rides, cause typically they last around 2 to 3 hrs on high and maybe 5 to 6 hrs on medium. Still, it's a lot brighter and a longer throw than dynamos. But you need to remove them when you park your bike. Those lights these days are so small you can stick it in your pocket no problem. I actually no longer use a dynamo. I had a Schmidt dynamo light btw.
Plus the dynamo light needs a special halogen bulb designed specifically for a bike to give you the light coverage and throw plus long life span. And they are hard to find and don't last as long as LED which don't burn out or at least too easily!