O Tukso Layuan Mo Ako

Oh my God, Brompton just launched its newest luggage collection. I'm such a sucker for Brompton products. I first got a folding basket. Then when the T-Bag became available, I snagged that one too. Later, I picked me up one of them Mini-O Bags. 

And now this! A new line of Brompton luggage!!!

They have a new line called 'Modern'. There's a tote bag, a roll top shoulder bag, a regular shoulder bag, and a saddle pouch. Of these, I fell in love with the brown waxed cotton roll top shoulder bag (shown above). It retails for £100 (or PhP6,650.00).

Brompton kept their 'Classic' line, but made minor improvements, and introduced new color trims and finishes. They also still have their 'Premium' line, but I didn't even care to browse them because they're all prohibitively expensive!

I'm really setting my sights on that brown waxed cotton roll top shoulder bag. Damn you, Will Butler Adams!

Brompton Game Bag

I'm a sucker for anything Brompton. I have the Brompton Took Kit. For bags, I started with the Brompton Folding Basket. Then I traded that for a Brompton T Bag. Later on, I also got myself the Brompton Ortleib Mini-O Bag. So when Brompton came out with the Game Bag recently, it got me excited. And who wouldn't be? It's a nice looking bag that attaches to my front carrier block!

But the price. Naman! US$400! Sure, it's hand-made, using quality materials, in England, but come on! That's the price of a decent Dahon folding bike already. $200 pwede pa sana.

I'm a Brompton fan, but the Game Bag is too rich for my blood. 

Brompton is finally coming to the Philippines

After years of having to travel abroad just to procure Brompton parts and accessories, the UK-made folding bicycle is finally coming to the Philippines! The guys at Buzzwheel Marketing Corp. recently snagged the local distributorship and will soon supply the following bike dealers with Bromptons, spare parts and accessories:

Quezon City:
Iron Bike
Cool stuff 168

Makati:
BPM
Bike Town Cyclery

Pasay:
Paulinas (Cartimar)
Paulinas (MOA) [coming soon]

Alabang:
Grantrail Cycle

Marikina:
John Wilkie

For more information, visit the company's FB page at www.facebook.com/bromptonphilippines.

Hay salamat, di na kelangan pumunta pa ng Hong Kong o Singapore para bumili ng spare parts, bags, saddles, carriers, fenders at iba pang accessories.

Video: Vincita B-132B Brompton Transport Bag

Here in South East Asia, we're lucky to have Vincita in Thailand to produce an affordable alternative to Brompton's more expensive B-bag Soft Travel Case. Check out my product review of the B-132B Transport Bag from last year. 

Here is Vincita's new video featuring their soft travel case for the Brompton. Visit the company's website at www.vincita.co.th for international orders.

Brompton Toolkit

This entry is delayed by more than four months since I got the Brompton Toolkit early this year. My apologies for this late post.

The Brompton Toolkit

In the past I carried my tools in the nylon saddle bag which came with the Brompton cover. As convenient as it is, the saddle bag did not fit well with the elegant design of a folded Brompton. To be honest, that bag was ugly.

So I was delighted when Brompton announce that it was coming out with a toolkit that fit inside the bike's main frame. How awesome was that?! So, just for the sake of having a toolkit concealable within the bike, I had to get one. Never mind if dozens of users complained about the flimsiness of the tire levers, nothing was going to stop me from owning this work of art.

As luck would have it a fellow BCP member bought extra from the U.S. He raffled them off in one of our rides last February. Unfortunately, I did not win the right to buy it. But fortunately, one of the winners noticed my disappointment and he offered his place. (Thanks, Eric!) I bought it for PhP 4,000 (approx. US$95.00). Nycewheels sells it for US$79.00.

The toolkit comes with the basic tools a cyclist needs: patches, sand paper, and a ratchet handle with phillips & flat head screwdrivers, as well as allen wrenches. I've used the screwdriver to install my rear light and the allen wrench to adjust my Brooks saddle.

The ratchet handle doubles as a socket wrench. Useful when you want to unscrew a wheel nut.

Finally, the toolkit comes with tire levers. Now I haven't had a flat since I bought the toolkit so I haven't used them, but there are reports and complaints that these levers are easily breakable. In fact according to Nycewheels, Brompton acknowledge this flaw and has suspended the sale of the toolkit until the company can strengthen the design of the tire lever. Anyway, the tire levers looked flimsy from the get-go. I wouldn't have used them if I had to. 

I still like the toolkit. I get to use the wrenches and the screwdrivers, so it's still useful to me. Plus, the design! It's beautiful! I don't regret buying this.

Dropped by Flying Ball in Hong Kong

I was in Hong Kong the past weekend for holiday, and I passed by Flying Ball bike shop over at Lai Chi Kok. I wanted to buy a Brompton Tool Kit. Unfortunately, they were out of stock. : (

I asked if they had stock last week or the week before that. The guy at the counter said they've been out of stock for more than a month, and they don't know when the next batch will come in.

Sigh. I guess, that's that.

Anyway, so as not to waste my visit, I bought spare inner tubes (HK$40.00/each).

LBS: R.O.X.

R.O.X. (short for Recreational Outdoor Exchange) is supposedly the biggest outdoor shop in South East Asia. It has stuff for camping, running, backpacking, and other kinds of adventure travel. It carries brands like The North Face, Columbia, Salomon, Keen and Mountain Hardwear. Nevertheless, I'm featuring R.O.X. on my blog as an LBS because it has one whole floor dedicated to bicycles, including folding bikes.

R.O.X. has a lot of bikes. They have mountain bikes and road bikes like any LBS. But they also carry non-conventional bikes like beach cruisers, tandems, high-end commuters, children's bikes, and yes, folding bikes. For the latter, they carry Giant and Dahon.

If you find it difficult to find and get to my local bike shops like BTC, Sabak, Lifecycle and Tryon, then R.O.X. is for you. It is located right smack in the center of Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. It's Building 1 of Bonifacio High Street. You CANNOT miss it.

Of course since R.O.X. is in a prime location expect to pay more. Unlike in an LBS where you can haggle with the owner to get a 10% or 20% discount, you cannot do the same in R.O.X. Also, although R.O.X. has a resident bike mechanic, don't expect your bike to be fully serviced like at an LBS.

Still, I frequent R.O.X. because sometimes it has bike related products that my LBS does not have like Giant and Trek parts & accessories, and Columbia and Habagat clothes & shoes.

Vincita SL01 Leather Saddle

I was fortunate enough to receive a special Christmas present from the folks over at Vincita in Thailand. They sent me the SL01 Sport Leather Saddle!

It's a pretty neat leather saddle. The SL01 closely resembles the Brooks B-17. I must say, at first touch the saddle feels a bit tough and hard. But I guess, after applying Proofide and a few kilometers riding on it, it'll eventually soften up. I have to confess, though, I haven't actually ridden on it. I'm too lazy to replace the existing saddle on my Brompton. Maybe first thing in 2013, as one of my new year's resolutions! Hahaha! It is cheaper than the Brooks B-17, I can tell you that. It retails for only THB 2,590.00 (or US$84.00 / PHP3,450.00).

The SL01 came with its own rain cover. When not in use, it folds into this small pouch, which will fit a standard size saddle bag. Cool.

I'll share my full review of this product as soon as I've tested it. In the meantime, Happy Holidays, everyone!

Review: Vincita B-500B Brompton Cover

My Brompton Cover had seen better days. It has a lot of holes due to wear and tear. It has gotten so bad that I had to cover the holes up with duct tape so they wouldn't worsen.

I really had to replace them.

Enter Vincita's B-500B folding bike cover! It does the same thing as the Brompton's--only much better and cheaper.

The cover comes with its own bag, which you can attach to your saddle. Like the Brompton Cover, the Vincita B-500B is made of sturdy nylon material and protects your bike from dust and water. It's black which means you can use it to conceal the bike and confidently bring it with you inside restaurants, banks and shopping malls.

There are two things why I like this cover compared to the original. First, at its bottom, Mr. Yingsak and his team replaced the extremely irritating nylon cord with a velcro strap. It does the same job of securing the bottom, and looks cleaner as well.

Second, the B-500B's pouch is integrated in the cover itself. It's sown on the inside of the cover. How neat is that?!

Did I mention that it's cheaper? While the Brompton Cover retails for $45.00 over at NYCeWheels, it's only $17.00 at Vincita.

Review: Ortlieb Mini O-Bag

I told myself not to buy another bag for my Brompton (I already have the T Bag), but an opportunity came up that I could not refuse. My pal Abel bought a white Ortlieb Mini O-Bag that he later decided not to use, so he posted it on our group's facebook page. It's white. And it's an Ortlieb. How can I not get it?

Now I know my friend Diane already has a own review of this product. It's pretty extensive. But just the same, here's mine.

The Mini O-Bag is the Brompton version of the Ortlieb Ultimate 5 Classic handlebar bag. It is made of a PVC-coated polyester cover making it waterproof. No need for a separate rain cover like the T-Bag. As for capacity, well, it pales in comparison to the T-Bag's 21 liters, but the Mini O-Bag's 7 liters provides enough space for the essentials.

Here you can see the Mini O-Bag can fit a shirt, arm sleeves, an eco bag, an innertube, saddle cover, cycle cap, front light, fibre flare light, a multi-tool, wallet and sunglasses. I can even squeeze in some power bars, an apple and my rain jacket if I wanted to. Like I said, enough room for a whole day long bike ride.

The Mini O-Bag attaches to the front carrier block just like any Brompton bag. But, it opens from its back for easy access from the handlebar.

I can imagine using the Mini O-Bag for quick trips to the supermarket--use it as a mini-shopping cart like this.

Look at that. The white Mini O Bag perfectly matches my white Brompton! How could I have not bought it?! Incidentally, the Mini O-Bag retails for $143.00 on NyceWheels. As of the moment, it only comes in two colors (Blue and White).

Video: Brompton Tool Kit

Can't wait for the Brompton tool kit to come to Asia.

Knog Boomer Rechargeable Front LED Light

Recently bought a Knog Boomer USB Front Light (right)

I needed to replace my years old battery powered Cateye front light. But this time I wanted something that was rechargeable. I didn't care much about that I could see the road with it at night, no. What was more important for me was that I could be seen by others. So I wasn't interested with those powerful 200-300 lumen front lights, which are expensive by the way. I was out to look for a 100 lumen or less rechargeable front light for my Brompton.

My research on the net got me to narrow the choices down to the Blackburn Super Flea (or Flea) and the Knog Boomer. Both are less than 100 lumens (Super Flea at 80 and Boomer at 55) and rechargeable (via USB).

After comparing the two, based on user reviews and actual inspection, I decided to get the Knog Boomer. Here's why:

1. The Mount. While the Boomer uses its own stretchable silicone casing to attach to the handlebar, the Flea uses a velcro strap. Now I don't know about you but in my opinion velcro straps aren't effective grips on bikes, with all the rattling and all.They tend to loosen and come off.

2. The USB plug. The problem with the Flea is that it cannot charge directly to a computer. It comes with a separate USB plug that the light has to attach on to be able to charge. That attachment is tiny and could easily be lost by the owner. On the other hand, the Boomer's USB plug is on the light itself. All you need to do is remove the silicone casing and plug the Boomer to your computer's USB port. 

The Boomer in its box.

Silicone casing on the left. The LED light with USB on the right.

Just insert the LED light into the silicone casing and voila!

I tested the Boomer one night and it suits me fine. The LED light is bright enough for me to be seen by motorists and other commuters.

If you like the Flea, it is available in Velocity over at Cartimar and Sabak Makati along Pasong Tamo Ext. The Super Flea is 80 lumens and retails at around P1,800.00 while the Flea is 40 lumens and sells for around P1,000.00. The Super Flea only comes in one color, silver. The Flea comes in a range of colors including black, white, silver, red and blue.

If you're interested with the Boomer USB, I got mine at Bike King in Bonifacio High Street. It is 55 lumens and cost me P1,300.00. The silicon casing comes in black, blue, red, white and translucent colors.

The NEW and IMPROVED B-132 Bag

The nice folks over at Vincita recently sent me a newer and improved B-132 Transport Bag for my Brompton (Officially, its called "B-132B"). It is basically a smaller version of the original. 

Height shorter by 2 inches (5cm)

If you recall, back in September 2011, I wrote a review on the B-132. I said it was a bit roomy, such that the bike is not secured in place and might wobble during transit. Also, the old bag was also big. At 24 x 24 x 14, it is a tad bulky to pull around. I suggested then for Vincita to cut an inch or so to provide a better fit.


Length is shorter by 2 inces (5cm)

Well, whadduyuh-know, Mr. Yingsak and his team listened to us and came out with the B-132B early this year. At 22 x 22 x 12, it offers a snugger fit of the Brompton folding bike. It is now perfect. Thanks, Vincita!

Width shortened by 2 inches (5cm)

Notice the snugger, tighter fit.

Aside from that, Vincita also improved the zipper of the bag by placing a cover to protect it.

The B-132B is noticeably smaller than the B-132 that you can actually put the former inside the latter and still close the zipper.


The B-132B inside the B-132, like a joey in a mommy kangaroo's pouch.

The 2 bags side by side--the B-132B on the left, the B-132 on the right.

Aside from the two improvements, everything else is the same. Same foam padding; same water-resistent nylon cover; same roller wheels; and same straps.

I am extremely happy with this new version. Thank you again Mr. Yingsak and Vincita for listening to your customers. : )

Cateye Reflex Auto Tail Light

A few days ago, Allan of BCP posted on our Facebook page the Cateye Reflex Auto Tail Light LD570. He installed it on his Brompton and I thought I had to do the same as well. You see, the Reflex Auto is not your ordinary tail light/reflector. The cool thing about it is that it has optic and motion sensors! This means the Reflex Auto can determine when its dark and the bike is in motion, and will then turn itself on. If its neither, then the Reflex Auto will turn itself off after 50 seconds. Galing, 'no?  

The Reflex Auto sells for PhP 1,200.00 (US$28.00) at Tryon bike shop in Makati. I got mine last weekend. The package comes with 2 AAA dry cells, 2 seat post mounts and a rack mount. I chose to use the rack mount.

The Brompton's stock Cateye Reflector

First, I removed the stock reflector of my Brompton's rear rack with a wrench. Afterwards, I screwed on the Reflex Auto's black plastic mount. It felt a bit flimsy--like the thread will loosen after some time. I wish Cateye used a sturdier material for the mount.

Anyway, when that was done, I snapped on the Reflex Auto and locked it in with the small lockscrew that came with it in the package.

Bird's Eye View

My new tail light fits perfectly on the rear rack. In fact, the Reflex Auto looked like it came with the Brompton straight from the factory.

I folded the Brompton just to check if I positioned the tail light too low and therefore made it touch the floor. Mabuti naman at hindi. Glad that it didn't. 

The Reflex Auto hovers a few centimeters above the ground in the Brompton's folded state.

I can't wait to use the Reflex Auto in one of my afternoon bike commutes. With this tail light installed, I no longer need to stop in the middle of the road just to turn it on. When it gets dark, the Reflex Auto will automatically light up. And when I get home and park it, it will turn off by itself. I tested this last Sunday and it works! Here's a video from Cateye featuring the Reflex Auto Tail Light LD570 in action.

BCP Leather Accessories

My friend Eugene and his buddy Roel sold me this leather accessory set for my Brompton. The pack includes matching mudflaps for the front and rear fenders, frame cover and keychain. For all 4 pieces, I paid just PhP 1,050.00 (US$25.00). They come in a wide variety of colors (brown, dark brown, red, among others), but I chose the standard black to match my black Brooks B-17 saddle.

Of the 4, I've only attach the frame cover. My stock mudflaps are still fine, so these new ones I'll store as replacements. It wasn't hard to install the cover. I used the metal tweezer of my swiss army knife to insert the leather string through the holes. I was done in 10 minutes.

The black leather frame cover looks nice. When the Brompton is folded, it protects the frame from possible scratches when it comes in contact with the rear tire. It's also easier to carry the bike with the cover because the latter provides a better grip of the frame.

I'm satisfied with my purchase. Will definitely use the mudflaps when the stock ones tear or otherwise get destroyed.

Alternative Bags for the Brompton (Demano)

These Demano bags are an alternative to the Brompton stock front bags (A-type, C-type, S-type and T-type). They're made in Spain and are available over at nycewheels.com.

They are pretty expensive though ($175!). I think my friend Nitya of Yadu Store can fabricate a local version at a fraction of the price.

Paging Nitya! :D

Just when you think you have everything...

Ariel's Brompfication Hinge Clamp Set

When I bought the replacement EZ wheels for my rack and the rubber bung for my seatpost last March in Flying Ball, I thought that would be the end to my Brompton upgrades. And for brief time that was that.

Until I saw my friend Ariel's Brompton. He had the Brompfication Hinge Clamp Set. The Brompfication Clamps perform way better than the stock set because the former do not rotate when unscrewed.

Let me explain. The stock hinge clamps, when screwed, lock the hinges of the Brompton (both on the handlebar post and the main frame). No problem there. But when you unscrew the hinges so that you can fold the bike they become loose and rotate all over the place. And then when you want to fold the bike, you have to position the clamps properly before before you turn the lever bolt. Sometimes, this gets irritating.

With the Brompfication Hinge Clamp Set this problem goes away. An internal spring pushes the clamp away; a locknut prevents it to come loose; and the clamp is designed not to rotate. With the Brompfication Hinge Clamp Set on, folding a Brompton becomes seamless.

I must have it.

Even if it costs 55.80 Euros (PhP 3,000.00)!

Have to save money for this...

Sigh... and the upgrading continues... Damn you, Ariel!!!  

Other upgrades on Ariel's Brompton include a Kamoya suspension and Brompfication Eazy Wheels.