Why Bromptons now suck even more
The bicycle manufacturing industry, like the car industry, has diversified a little in the last 10 years or so, and the fold-up bicycle is to the former what the SUV is to the latter. Bromptons have been the benchmark of this niche since forever, but the bike pictured above would easily relegate them to the bargain bin if it were to see production. For the moment, it's just a concept bike, designed for Cannondale Europe by Philippe Holthuizen and Rodrigo Clavel, two design students studying at the Elisava design school here in Barcelona. The Cannondale Jack Knife is so called for the way it folds up, and it features a no-mess, low-maintenance hydraulic drive system, which would obviously have appeal to to the commuting hoards.
The idea of a fold-up appeals as I've had two bikes stolen here in BCN - the first was my prized Cannondale Badboy, my trusty steed for nearly 3 years of bicycle couriering in Dublin before I headed over here. However, I wouln't be caught dead on a Brompton as I reckon cycling one must be about as much fun as working out on a spinning bike in a suit.
Funnily, these days in BCN you see lots of fold-ups left un-folded and tied to lamp posts with two locks!!!
En fin. Sin comentarios.
posted by purefunction at 1:43 AM
5 Comments:
Saw a sweet Canondale at the viewing for the Garda auction of nicked bikes on Kevin Street recently, but when I popped back to secure my bargain, there were about 300 scruffy students queuing for bidding tickets. The bastards.
Scruffy Students: 1 (Canondale)
Copernicus: Nil
So said scruffy student buys a nicked bike, leaves it tied to some post in UCD or some other hell hole 3rd level place, has it stolen, returns to Kevin Street to queue for another, and so on....like I said: sin comentarios!
A new Cannondale is a worthwhile investment, anyway, as the frame is guaranteed for life - not that you'd be putting it through much stress commuting around Dublin, though.
Not close to a Brompton. The fully folded dream bike is clunky and large. I toss my 15 second-fold Brompton into the overhead compartment on any jet and fly. There's no way this cool-looking, but ungainly folder, is going to match that. The history of bicycling (even quad, tri and uni) is littered with folders that folded. It's not as easy as it seems.
I accept your point, Albert. I think my dislike of the Brompton owes to the huge number of cheap imitations to be gotten these days for £60 and 20 newspaper tokens! I must find out what the dimensions of the Jack Knife are. For me foldability is really a security thing, not a convenience one, so I'd have no problem with it not being as compact as a Brompton when folded. But credit where credit's due: the Brompton is not going to be challenged by the Jack Knife in the convenience stakes.
Thanks for your comment.
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