Today's cycle

The Brompton is the foldable one, right?

I can see that you need that for the train, but doesn't it come with performance sacrifices for that foldability?

I don’t suppose performance is a huge concern for a mile and a half. What’s that? Eight minutes — maybe ten into the wind?

Wouldn't you be able to get a full size bike in the back of a Berlingo or Roomster? Isn't that the point of having a Popemobile?

The Berlingo swallows mountain or touring bikes whole, albeit more easily with handlebars turned parallel to the top tube. Remove offside rear seat and two bikes stowed upright in 'English Fashion' (ie facing in opposite directions) with chains on inside of package are just fine. Was default when away with caravan until last summer when Mrs B acquired a Brompton of her own. Roomster's loadspace is a tad too short for a full size bike.

Over distance I'm using it at moment not even a road bike would offer any time still less comfort/convenience gain over the Brompton. Furthermore the latter folds then travels up to third floor in lift and stows under my desk.

There would be places I could leave a full size bike but it would be in way of other people and it'd be a s*d to get up to my floor.

Had a bit of fun at Llandegla yesterday. I've spent a few winter nights fettling and restoring my old Pacific mountain bike. It's the oldest one I have at least 30 years old. Never could bring myself to chuck it out, mainly because it holds so many good memories.

It has been on a rack in my garage for more than 20 years and has only been ridden very occasionally in that time, for no real reason at all other than to remember how it felt.

Anyway, like I said, I've been tinkering with it over the winter, and it has been more or less rebuilt with new axles, bottom bracket, chain rings, rear cassette, new cables, new brake blocks etc etc. Add in a pair of Kenda Kinetic tyres for winter grip, and it was absolutely in top form. I deliberately haven't tidied up the bashed and scratched steel frame and it has a pleasing tatty patina and patches of surface rust that in no way disguises its age.

To the casual observer it looks more like something that you'd see poking out of a skip than a usable bike ( but appearances can be deceptive ! )

So, yesterday I took it to Llandegla, a fairly full on mountain biking venue where the received opinion is that you'll die if you don't have the latest and most expensive kit.

Much to my wife's chagrin, I also dressed in totally unsuitable clothing, jeans, jumper, a wax jacket and a flat cap to add to the air of incongruity.

Then, I hit the black runs !

Now, that might sound like folly, but bear in mind that 30 years ago, that bike was pretty much state of the art, and has certainly tackled equally difficult terrain and indeed more in the past, so it wasn't really. Lack of any suspension, rim brakes and a fairly hefty steel frame were a bit of a limitation of course, but it acquitted itself very well.

For me though the best bit was looks of disbelief on the faces of the millennials on their carbon fibre techno rockets as this old geezer on a clunker came bowling past them on some of the more challenging downhill sections !

On a serious note, it served to remind me that you can have fun on anything really, provided it's set up properly.

That was sort of the point ! I did even think of adding a wicker basket to the front, but in the end refrained. I couldn't think of a way of securing a baguette in it.