Ah what fun you can have on a Brompton

t4tomo

I inadvertently out accelerated a chap in shorts, full gear, toe clips and flashy multi-geared road bike off the lights last night on my commute back through the west end.

Clearly not happy that some chap in a suit on a piddly Brommie had done this he then overtakes me, stood up out of the saddle, legs pumping furiously. I drop into his slip stream and pull up along side him at the next lights. when they go green I let him set off and tuck in behind as he furiouly pumps away expecting to drop me, but I guess as the rolling resitance of little wheels is quite low, I can match his initial acceleration and sit behind him again, never more than a yard off his wheel as we head to the next junction / lights

Repeat about 10 times as we head across town.

Funniest bit comes when we're stopped at the lights on a bit of two way cycle path on Torrington place a a boris bike and another Brommie come roud the outside and jump the queue to the front of the lights. I can see he's about to explode now.

They both shoot off on green, he overtake the Boris almost crashing in the process as someone is coming the other way and as I turn upto Euston he's still in furious pursuit of the other Brommie.

notsoblue

Epic!

You had him at 'toeclips' though

Cafewanda

Excellent. Bet he was in a foul mood when he got home

iPete

haha, if I see a Brommie on my tale I'm off!

Still, I'm in the hunt to buy one at the same time :twisted:

What gearing did you do this with?

Clever Pun

I absolutly love ditching a roadie on the brompton, always with a cheery "Morning"

t4tomo

I've got the larger front gear ring and a 3 speed SRAM hub. Set off in 2nd and nudge it upto top after a few turns.

Clank

Dammit, I have got to get the Brommie out again!*

Chapeau on the slipstreaming, Sir!


*especailly as I promised to do Blenheim this year!

flicksta

I have this every day, 50:12 on a Brompton gives pretty decent pace at a proper cadence. Wonderful example this morning - cruise past bloke on road bike. As I go past, I hear him change gear. I don't know for certain, but I think he's unhappy. Can't catch me on the flat, but goes past me as I spin out under the Warren Street underpass. I'm 10m behind him as we get the the lights at Great Portland Street, but they are already red. But oh no, that doesn't stop him, through he goes, both sets of red lights. Might as well have a great big sign round his neck that says 'biatch' on it.

Even more satisfying, catching him a mile and a half down the road at the Millennium Hilton where the road is nice and smooth towards Bishop's Bridge Road and Paddington. Didn't see him again.

snailracer

t4tomo wrote:

... I guess as the rolling resitance of little wheels is quite low, I can match his initial acceleration and sit behind him again, never more than a yard off his wheel as we head to the next junction / lights...

You can match his acceleration mainly because your small wheels give low gearing - everything else has only minor effects. My 20" wheel shopping bike also has fun acceleration.