NtmBD

I've been using the Brompton hire bikes for a month or two, hiring for one or two days each week—and enjoyed the experience of riding the bikes but not that of dealing with the hire scheme's very flaky and slow IT systems. The obvious solution was to buy my own. But which? A few weeks ago I spent an hour or so test riding different models at the Covent Garden Brompton Junction shop.

The P line is basically identical to the C line when riding, and only marginally lighter to carry—not worth the higher cost, in my view. The two- and four-speed models don't deal well with hills—I'd rather have a three speed, if they still made them—and the twelve speed had annoyingly many gears to shift between with the derailleur—not great for stop-start urban riding, so six speeds seems like the right choice while I wait for them to reintroduce a 5 speed hub (or 8, that would be fine too!)

Then: What colour? Electric or not? New/refurbished on Cyclescheme, or second hand?

I don't much like the current C line colour options: black, green and blue are all fine but boring, with too little contrast between the frame and the black fittings; most of the rest are too dull, with only the yellow beit at all exciting. Too bad that "explorer orange" is G line only for now! And no red?? It's a pity one can no longer customise a frame with different colours for the main frame, front fork, rear triangle, and handlebar stem: some of the former combinations out there look great.

But black fittings? How will they look in a few years, when they've taken the knocks? Besides, I kind of like the traditional silver, at least for the handle bars, rims and cranks.

Preferring silver fittings and being aware that I might be changing jobs in the next year, so I decided to start by seeing what I could find second hand. I looked at a lot of bikes on eBay. A C line electric in fire coral with black fork and triangle caught my eye: such a beauty, and selling for a very reasonable £1300! And I may not need an electric bike now, but I'm old enough to know I will appreciate having the option in a few years time. Alas the limited selection of bags for the electric bikes caused me to hesitate and it got away. (Saw an all-over fire coral non-electric model, but that much colour was just too much for me.)

Many listings later this five year old M6L came along, listed as little-used, recently serviced and with new tyres. The price had been bid up a bit but it was low enough that I could put in a last-minute bid that would still come out cheaper than the best savings I could get buying it through work. And a few minutes later it was mine!

I went to collect it this morning. It is in excellent shape, although the drivetrain could use a clean and I had to adjust one of the cables to get it to shift to the smaller sprocket.

It will take a while to get used to having two shifters (and needing to use them), and I think I will miss the simplicity of the three-speed even if I appreciate having a slightly wider range (and slightly narrow spacings. (And I did have a little pang of jealousy when I found myself following another couple of Bromptons on the towpath and noted that they both had dynamo lighting.)

But I love the colour (the blue looks so much better contrasted against the silver fittings, IMHO) and the ride back along the Lee Valley was just the perfect way to start what I hope will be many years of happy ownership.

So: my first Brompton, and probably not my last…