It’s easy to poke fun at Brompton Man, with his practical attire and holier-than-thou attitude – but his bike remains one of the most impressive on the road, writes Andrew Critchlow
Left: Andrew Critchlow tests a Brompton folding bike. Right: Hugh Bonneville as Ian Fletcher
Our roads are increasingly home to various tribes of bike rider. You’ve heard all about the Mamils (Middle Aged Men In Lycra) who thunder along the A23 on their way to work on £12,000 racing bikes; and you’ve probably noticed the Single Gear Hipsters, a younger strain of rider whose rolled-up right jean leg revolves furiously around a fixed crank somewhere near Hoxton.
But there’s one tribe that has hitherto snuck under the radar.
Brompton Man has been travelling with his foldaway bike on Britain’s roads and rails for decades. Every morning, he can be seen outside train stations, furiously unpacking his bike after a morning commute before disappearing into the distance, his feet whirling away like a hamster stuck on a circus wheel. And yet, unlike the Mamil and Single Gear Hipster, this figure of comedy has largely avoided ridicule.
Until now. Brompton Man was first deliciously parodied in the BBC’s excellent Olympic send-up 2012, where Hugh Bonneville’s well-intentioned executive Ian Fletcher was all fingers and cut thumbs with his prized Brompton, forever unable to make the bloody thing actually work.
And now we have a real-life embodiment of Fletcher – according to the Daily Mail at least, who this morning have cast BBC creative director Alan Yentob as the essence of Brompton Man. (I would be willing to bet that the corporation’s ‘swingometer’ man Jeremy Vine also has one tucked away somewhere in Broadcasting House.)
So just what makes Yentob and his ilk a true Brompton Man?
First off, there’s the bizarre uniform, which mixes one part office wear with one part luminous Gore Tex. Trouser clips come as standard.
Then there’s the look on his face. Because he rides a Brompton, Brompton Man is imbued with the self-righteous knowledge that although the folding bicycle looks absurd, he owns a true British design classic that puts function ahead of form. Can your flashy Pinarello be stored away in the cupboard under the stairs at home, his expression seems to ask.
He is, in other words, the James May of cycling. (And yes, May does ride a Brompton, in case you’re wondering.)
A Brompton S2L-X in its full glory
Brompton Man probably earns over £200,000 per year as a senior manager in a media company like the BBC, or by overseeing some politically correct department of a government-funded quango.
In meetings he often leaves colleagues baffled with mindless jargon such as getting “buy-in” or “core competency”. Possibly even more annoying is his capacity to drop into almost any conversation the fact that he can carry his Brompton on the packed train to Waterloo from Guildford at rush hour.
Brompton Man will leave his office door open to give the impression that he is willing to listen to anyone – but everyone knows that he really just wants you to see his folding bike stashed next to his desk instead of being chained alongside all the ‘normal’ bikes in the car park outside.
The Brompton does its contortionist’s act
Yes, Brompton Man really is a figure of mockery. And yet … I would happily own one of these made-in-England feats of engineering.
The truth is thatI was lucky enough to test a Brompton last year. With all my preformed prejudices hanging from my shoulders like the weight of a 12kg folding bike, I decked myself out in full Lycra and tried to clock a fast time around my local Box Hill circuit on one of the machines.
Guess what? It was superb – fast and yet reliable; nimble yet stable. I rode it at 17mph for an hour, climbing and descending hills en route – and never once felt that I was cycling something that could, in the space of a few quick snaps, fold into something that would fit into the bottom draw of my filing cabinet at work.
The classic Brompton sells for around £1,000 – although in recent years, the company, which is based in West London, has introduced jazzier, flashier models. Instead of showing the bike being pedalled by some media executive in a ill-fitting florescent cycling jacket, the marketing clip for the speedster models features an anonymous racer in tights, who spins away furiously.
You have been warned.
A glimpse of the future: Andrew Critchlow test rides a Brompton
from road.cc – whilst I welcome this it won’t really improve the day to day town and city commutes that cycling really needs….
Cyclists in Scotland will be able to enjoy a radical extension of the country’s walking and cycle routes thanks to a £25 million cash injection that will create 500 miles of new routes over the next five years. It’s all part of ambitious plans by Scottish Natural Heritage, Sustrans and Scottish Canals to get Scotland more active, and will see 30 new long distance routes created and numerous others updated and resurfaced. The Dundee Green Circular, along with routes including Crook of Devon and Kinross, Lochearnhead to Crieff and a new Fife Pilgrim Way from Culross and North Queensferry to St Andrews will be among the first to be looked at. Others include a Great Trossachs Path — between Callander and Inversnaid — a Hebridean Way on Harris and Lewis and the full-length “Pilgrim’s Way” across Scotland between St Andrews and Iona. All the cycle ways will conform to high European-style standards, and will be funded by a mix of public and private partnership. Planning Secretary Alex Neil told The Courier: “Scotland’s extensive network of long-distance routes, national cycleways and canal towpaths is already much loved and well used. “Encouraging more people to enjoy the natural environment is important for the environment, tourism and boosting the economy — that’s why the National Long Distance Cycling and Walking Network is designated as a national development in Scotland’s National Planning Framework. “The plan will extend the network of connected, accessible paths and tracks for visitors of all ages and abilities to walk and cycle, encouraging even more people and visitors to enjoy the outdoors and to become more active.” Ian Ross, chairman of Scottish Natural Heritage, added: “We want to make sure that the network offers something for everyone, with rural routes offering peace and quiet, great views and the chance to get close to nature; paths between settlements to help local people commute away from traffic; high-spec surfaces in places for people in wheelchairs and cyclists, and more varied paths for walkers, mountain bikers and horse riders. “The most important thing is to give people the chance to access and enjoy the outdoors close to where they live — irrespective of their age or mobility. “On the back of that, we hope that people will embrace healthier, more active and sustainable lifestyles.” Earlier this month we reported how a new report from Cycling Scotland shows a 32 per cent increase in cycling in Scotland between 2003 and 2013. However, with it still only representing 0.75 per cent of total traffic volume, there is a strong belief that much more needs to be done. The report covers a range of topics, including estimated levels of cycling, cycle commuting, cycling to school and road safety. The proportion of those cycling to work at least ‘regularly’ is now 5.6 per cent for Scotland as a whole with the highest levels seen in Edinburgh (12.2%), Moray (10.3%) and Argyll & Bute (9.1%). In 2013, five per cent of children indicated that they normally cycle to primary school with levels highest in Highland (10.7%), East Lothian (9.5%) and Stirling (9.2%). However, just 0.9 per cent of children cycle to secondary school nationwide. Cycling as a main mode of travel in Scotland was estimated at just one per cent in 2013, while the volume of cycling traffic was 329 million vehicle kilometres travelled, a 32 per cent increase on 2003’s 249 million kilometres. This represented growth from 0.59 per cent to 0.75 per cent. Late last year Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown unveiledA Long Term Vision for Active Travel in Scotland 2030 with its aim of encouraging more people to walk and cycle for everyday shorter journeys has been welcomed, critics are questioning whether enough is being done to achieve that. Brown explained: “This vision sets out how we hope Scotland will look in 2030 if more people are walking and cycling for short, everyday journeys allowing us to reap the benefits of active travel. “It goes without saying that cycling and walking benefits the individual by improving their physical health, but also their mental health, and keeps their transport costs down whilst also benefiting the environment by reducing greenhouse gases and pollutants.” The document depicts a future Scotland in which people are walking or cycling for the majority of shorter journeys. Main roads into town centres all have either segregated cycling provision or high quality direct, safe and pleasant alternatives; pedestrian and cycle paths are in place; and rural and suburban minor roads have low speed limits. Transport is integrated and there is a culture of active travel. However, critics have questioned whether enough is being done to make these dreams a reality. Speaking to The Scotsman, Colin Howden, Director of Sustainable transport lobby group Transform Scotland, said: “A long-term vision for walking and cycling is all very well but what we actually need is action now, not at some vague time off into the future. “What we do know is the Scottish Government’s investment in active travel falls in this year’s budget despite the overall transport budget again rising. Some short-term action to tackle that situation would be more helpful than platitudes about long-term priorities.” We’ve also reported on how campaigners have told Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) that there is “no way” that a target of 10 per cent of journeys in the country being made by bicycle by 2020 will be achieved while spending remains at its current levels. They have also called for more transparency over the country’s active travel budget. MSPs sitting on Holyrood’s transport committee warned the Scottish Government more than four years ago that without adequate funding, the target won’t be met
That 10 per cent target was reiterated in last year’s updated Cycle Action Plan for Scotland (CAPS).
Now, an inquiry into the Scottish Government’s budget by the infrastructure and capital investment committee has been told by campaigners Pedal on Parliament, who want 10 per cent of the country’s £2 billion transport budget dedicated to cycling, that the target is beyond reach at current levels of spend.
It’s fair to say that the internet is full of opinion. When it comes to cyclists much of that opinion, as far as I can tell, seems to be on the verge of rage.
Cyclists are dangerous. Cyclists are untrustworthy. Cyclists should not be allowed on the road. Cyclists should pay road tax. There are a lot of angry people out there who do not like cyclists. Not…one…bit!
Although when I say the internet is full, strictly speaking it’s not, and mores the pity really, because just when you think you’ve heard it all there seems to be room for more lunatic fringe opinion.
Watching the birth of fat bikes in the mountain bike industry has been nothing short of breath taking. Drawing from personal experience, this fat-tired wonder opened up a lot more trails as well as placing big grins on our faces. Before fat bikes we had been riding our mountain bikes year-round, putting on the studded tires when the snow started to accumulate and whipping them back off again as the ice melted in the spring spring. About three winters ago, a wide tread mark kept beating us to the trails and part way through the season, we finally spotted the culprit: a Surly Pugsley Black Ops.
A month or so later, Freewheel Cycle Jasper had a fat bike demo day. Happily for us, there weren’t a lot of people trying them. We ended up testing the fat bikes on an old rutted dirt road, the bike park, a frozen lake, the town walking path, and off path through the virgin snow. We became absolutely hooked on the idea of riding these in the winter versus what we were doing at the time. The rest of the season saw us driving 80 kilometers to rent Freewheel’s fat bikes, when the conditions in our town were counter productive to riding skinny (our studded mountain bikes). That was 2012. The fall of 2013 we had the opportunity to purchase a pair of Surly Pugsleys. We’ve had them out on all kinds of trails in Alberta and British Columbia.
Sales of fat bikes were through the roof that year and with the explosion of fat bike owners came a multitude of fat bike pages on Facebook. I belong to three group pages; two are are- specific while the third is literally comprised of riders from around the world! For those curious fat bike followers, the pages are: Jasper Fat Biking (Jasper, AB), Fat Fockers (Kamloops, BC) and Fat Bikes (world). These are three entirely different pages as well as groups of riders riders. While just a few of us post on the Jasper page, the Kamloops Fockers are a large number of enthusiastic fat bikers, with a core group who get out with snowshoes–and a groomer when needed–to keep the trails rideable. Members of the Fat Fockers update statuses on trail conditions, post trail expansion ideas with community involvement, and upload a number of great photos.
The Fat Bike page is an entity of its own. Being member #150 (+/-), I have watched the group grow to almost 6,500 members worldwide. The topics vary from what fat bike should I buy, what winter clothes and boots do you recommend, what GPS is best, what studded tires, how about night lights, all the way to the most controversial one, “Once You Go Fat, You’ll Never Go Back!” That topic tends to raise the hackles in different ways, depending on the rider.
Some riders are steadfast in their belief that fat bikes are the wave of the future and that we can wave good-bye to normal mountain bikes. And the evidence seemed to be in the interest and sales. Retailers in some areas couldn’t keep up with the demand, with Surly, Salsa, and Konas being produced for Canada. The industry was taken completely by surprise and mountain bike makers jumped on the bandwagon. This past year saw well known names in North America, like Trek, Specialized, and Norco, introduce their versions of a fat bike.
With this new wave of bikes came the redesigning of accessories to fit fat bikes and their riders’ needs, depending on where they rode. This included items such as panniers, racks, frame bags, lights, fenders, and attachments for carrying any number of items. These versatile bikes were covering all kinds of territory.
That also brings up the often unseen point in the debate, “are fat bikes a trend or not?” Where and when are fat bikes being ridden and how does that affect the market in a given area? For most of Canada and a chunk of the USA, winter has a lengthy grip. Personally, we bought the fat bikes primarily to ride in the winter.
Fat bikes are proving, however, that they aren’t just a bike to ride in the winter… and if you do a search on fat bikes, you’ll find that some of them, originally, weren’t even intended to be winter bikes. Hundreds of photos of fat bikes in almost every country can be found on the internet, proving how they are being used as travel bikes and work horses. You can even find videos on YouTube of freestyling, touring, and even hunting on fat bikes. It is amazing what some of these riders are doing with fat bikes!
Since I try not to use a motorized vehicle at all when at home, I will use either of my bikes depending on how much time I have. The looks I get and the curiosity of non-riders when I do a solo ride on my fattie to the library or to get bread make the fat bike a fun training bike in the summer. My husband will only ride his fatti in the winter as he loves his Santa Cruz Carbon Blur for the rest of the year.
Is fat biking just a trend? I don’t think so, but I also don’t think they will entirely take over the biking market.
Your Turn: Do you see the fat bike craze slowing down anytime soon? Why or why not?
Sandra Pelley hails from Hinton, Alberta. She rides year-round and favors full suspension mountain bikes and fat bikes over road bikes. She and her husband travel all over western North America to ride their mountain bikes, and her bucket list includes a Women’s Only Weekend at Ray’s Indoor MTB Park in Ohio, Finale Ligure in Spain, France, Kingdom Trails in Vermont, and the Trestle Bike Park in Colorado, to name a few.
The term “fell” is an often used Northern England expression for hill or mountain. It is presumed that Shepherds were probably the first ever fell runners with the earliest documented accounts of running in the fells dating back to the 11th Century. By the 19th century organised fell runs began taking place in Cumbria in the United Kingdom. Locals raced each other up and down hills and a sport was born.
In “Of Fells and Hills” we travel with American Writer, Photographer and Trail Runner, Rickey Gates, to the UK to explore and discover the history, culture and legends of the ancient practise of Fell Running.
Watch BMX rider Gregor Laucht gamble with gravity on the Felt DD 30.
The “Double Dare” video features German BMX/dirt jump rider Gregor Laucht riding the Felt DD 30 on the ski slopes in Switzerland. Filmed in January 2015, the village of Braunwald provides the perfect playground to test the limits of the DD 30 in mint powder conditions, demonstrating the full range of fat bike capabilities.
How far can you push a fatbike? Pretty far if you’re BMX pro Gregor Laucht. Watch Gregor take the Felt Double Double 30 to the powdery streets and slopes of Braunwald, Switzerland.
After using my XTR spds for quite some time the spindle sheared and there was no way to repair it.
But it was a known issue and Shimano through the distributor and the LBS have replaced it free of charge with a new set. Now that is how companies should operate – I always get XTR as they are normally low maintenance …… and now I am a lifelong buyer …..
http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/stig…
Scott Chapin & Steve Peat.
Scott works at the Santa Cruz Factory and races cyclocross bikes.
Steve races downhill and uses cyclocross bikes for training.
In Scott’s world, every ride can be a World Championships. In Steve’s
world, every training ride adds up to a World Championship.
Elbow to elbow, the two took the all-new Santa Cruz Stigmata on a tour of
Yorkshire, England during a particularly nasty mid-winter storm.
There is so much to love here – my ideal would be ti fat bike Rolloff Gates drive with dynamo front hub to power lights ….
Our tall guy with a camera, Brad Quartuccio, reports once more from the NAHBS show. A couple of years it seems all the builders were making $10,000 townie bikes to show off their craft. This time it’s the turn of the fat bike. (Click on the pics to make them extra biggerer). Looking at some of these, you’d think that California was Frozen2, (er – frozen too, but can you see what we did there? Badum-tish)
Peacock Groove
Based in one of the coldest big cities in the United States, Peacock Groove is well versed in fat bikes and cold weather riding. If you want to ride in Minneapolis, you’re going to have to deal with some snow — there’s a reason the modern fat bike was more or less “invented” by the bike industry in and around Minneapolis. Erik Noren is one of the most talented builders around, with the creativity and finish work other wish they could harness so succinctly. This fat bike featuring color shifting paint, a Rohloff hub, and enough rack and bottle mounts to get plenty dangerous is no exception. Minneapolis, Minnesota. www.facebook.com/peacockgroove
Reeb Cycles
Oscar Blues Brewing started its own brand back in 2011, and in the years since, Reeb Cycles has established itself as a favorite Colorado-based builder. Along with a RockShox Bluto fork and red Gates Carbon Drive, this titanium fat bike features a built in Pinion gearbox, eliminating most external sources of drivetrain failure. While some fat bikes are meant to plod along on soft surfaces, this one is clearly meant to go fast, and go anywhere — note the upright position and dropper post. Longmont, Colorado. www.reebcycles.com
Retrotec Cycles
This Retrotec fat bike is the personal bike of builder Curtis Inglis, and was judged the Best Mountain Bike of NAHBS 2015. Curtis is the modern master of American cruiser-like frame construction fit for current use, and year after year brings out show favorites. Note the segmented fork and seatstay construction, and final prototype Paul Components disc brake calipers,190mm wide hub and matching thru-axle QR. Napa, California. www.ingliscycles.com
Wiseman Frameworks
David Wiseman is the rare mountain bike builder still choosing classic brazed steel construction throughout. Done well, brazed frames look seamless like carbon, yet the tubes remain classically proportioned. This fat bike features internal front triangle cable routing, and impeccable paint finishing.
Naperville, Illinois. www.wisemanframeworks.com
Left: Andrew Critchlow tests a Brompton folding bike. Right: Hugh Bonneville as Ian FletcherA Brompton S2L-X in its full glory
The Brompton does its contortionist’s act
A glimpse of the future: Andrew Critchlow test rides a Brompton
Kite*Surf*Bike*Rambling 
