Folding bikes

As a follow-up to our earlier post about Brompton's new color palette, we'd like you to be the first to know that we're now accepting 2015 B-Spoke Orders. Orders placed this week will begin shipping from England the week of December 12, just in time for the holidays. Per usual, Brompton will be closed from 27 December through 2 January. Orders taken after the first of the year will resume shipping the week of January 9, 2015.

A 20% deposit is all that's required to get your B-Spoke order in the queue. What are you waiting for? Start building your dream Brompton with the newly updated Brompton Bike Builder!

Clock-wise from top left: Berry Crush, Cherry Blossom, Tempest Blue, Lime Green, Lagoon Blue

Ivory

There's been a whiff of fall in the air this week! Here at the Shopcast, we've been talking Back to School; tomorrow marks the start of the Minnesota State Fair; and the Brompton World Championship (BWC) came to a close on Sunday—capping off Summer 2012, which began for us in earnest with the Brompton US Championship & Open Streets here in Minneapolis on June 10. We were proud to send two Minnesota-based US Champions to the BWC, and we were ecstatic to learn how well both Susan and Wallace did at Blenheim Palace this past Sunday. We hope you'll enjoy these photos from the Brompton World Championship 2012 and stories of the event, as told by Susan and Wallace themselves.

It was a magical day at Blenheim Palace on Sunday. We got there early and the place was buzzing. Tons of people and a big expo all set up and everybody jazzed. There was a small photo shoot with various Nat'l Champs — it was fun to chat and meet Japanese, Korean, Austrian, Mexican and Swedish racers. We were in and out of London a few times on the train during rush hour and and the number of Bromptons was amazing! —Wallace

I ended up wearing the linen US flag handkerchief that [Best-Dressed Judge] John Meegan from Top Shelf gave to me on my helmet instead of in the pocket and people cheered for "The American." That was Fun! —Susan

The day was so hot and sunny that they made a special ruling that jackets were not required. I had a good race [Wallace is being modest here, he came in 15th WOW! out of hundreds of racers]! There were 700+ racers in 6 waves, 2 laps on narrow roads, 22 minutes flat out. It was a combination of a sprint, time trial and road race on narrow, winding, rolling course around a 300 year old palace. —Wallace

England was fantastic. As for the race results, here's how I did: I won 1st place female for the Sprint and I also got 1st place female for the "Brompton Treble"!  The Brompton Treble means having the best average time out of those who participated in all 3 events: biking the Marathon's 26.2 miles, the World Championship's 9 miles, and the Sprint's 300 meters. The prize for the "Brompton Treble" was a trophy of a Brompton crankset and pedals; it looks quite solid and it's super cute. I also got a free night at Stokes Place (which looks like a palace!)... We'll have to use it when we return for the Brompton Race next year! I can't wait! —Susan

Way to go, Susan & Wallace! We can't wait for next year, either! You can read more about the Brompton World Championship 2012 on in Brompton's BWC recap and see the full results here. Don't miss the full album of photos on Brompton's Facebook page.

All images © Anna Batchelor for Brompton Bicycle Ltd.

So you've custom-ordered your Brompton and you've settled on a front-luggage solution—be it the Folding Basket, the T-Bag, the S-Bag, or another option. Maybe you've even considered the B&W hardcase for traveling with your Brommie. You're good to go when it comes to commuting to work, heading out to the grocery, and hopping on a plane. But what about when you're just grabbing drinks or a coffee with friends? Sure, you could carry a bag or stash your phone, keys & wallet in your jeans. But, if you're like me, you might not want to bother with a shoulder bag, however small, and you might not have any pockets in the skirt or dress you're wearing. That's where Po Campo's Six Corners Wristlet & Handlebar Bag comes in.

As Emily demonstrates in the video below, the Six Corners Handlebar Bag is petite yet roomy and within view while you ride, and plays just as well with Brompton's handlebars as it has with Civia or Linus in previous editions of the Shopcast. And, like the easy carrier block mount you're used to with your Brompton bags, Po Campo's handlebar bag is made to clip on and off quickly when you're locking up your Brompton and want to take your valuables with you. Best of all, and especially important for any Brompton owner, Po Campo's little handlebar bag won't interfere with the bike's fold if you're bringing the whole package in with you at your destination.

(And gentlemen, before you excuse yourselves for a replay of our folding competition on YouTube, note the stylish, unassuming tones of the Umber Handlebar Bag. Just consider the screaming teal interior part of what gives you speed when you're down in aero on your S- or M-bar.)

Ahem. Back to the bag at hand. One of the best things about the Six Corners Wristlet is that it's not just a handbag. It's a wristlet, yes. It's also a purse when you clip the handle at either end, or a clutch with the handle removed altogether. There's even a hands-free option if you happen to be sporting a belt: the back of every one of these beauties is outfitted with two convenient loops through which to slip a belt, so long as it's not ultra-wide.

Aesthetically, what really makes the Brompton + Po Campo combo hit it out of the park is the way the Po Campo patterns sing alongside Brompton's many color-personalities. You can pair Fanfare with Sage for the tone-on-tone look above or match up the complementary Feathers with Brompton's Arctic Blue. Rounding out the trio is Umber, a great neutral that will ride well with any Brompton—hers or his. And, though they likely won't be around long, we also have a few of Po Campo's now discontinued laminated-cotton "Bicycles" wristlets remaining. They pair well with matching white, turkish green & raw lacquer handlebars and contrast nicely with Brompton's warm hues of yellow, orange, and red. Get 'em before they're gone!

See you later this week for another of our new features, "At the Market."

We ended the weekend with coat-tails flying at the Brompton US Championship • 2012. Thank you to all who helped make this event a race to remember: Open Streets Minneapolis, Brompton Bicycles Ltd, Best-dressed judge John Meegan and everyone at Top Shelf, Aaron from Minneapolis Musette for his scintillating play-by-play commentary, Mayor RT Rybak, Brooks, Twin Six, Schwalbe, Banjo Brothers, and Nutcase.

Most of all, thank you to this year's participants and to those who helped cheer the racers on as we kicked-off Open Streets 2012 in style. Read on for the race results and links to the coverage of the race around the web.

Women's Division:

• 1st Place — Susan Todzy
• 2nd Place — Megan Turak
• 3rd Place — Sophie Breen
• Best-Dressed — Susan Todzy

Men's Division:

• 1st Place — Wallace Alexander
• 2nd Place — Pedro Becquer
• 3rd Place — Spencer Morse
• Best-Dressed — Spencer Morse

Championship coverage around the web:

• Top finishers Wallace and Pedro neck-and-neck in the Pioneer Press
• Participant Mark Skoine in his homemade Union-Jack helmet in the Pioneer Press 
• Chris Eidem shares a break-down of the race from the rider's perspective on his blog "Fat Boy Biking"
• Read *near* all-around-champion Spencer Morse's race recap at his blog "Why I Ride"
• Cycle Twin Cities put together a great recap of the event earlier this week, including video and photos
• Urban Velo's Scott Klocksin sums up the race with a video of the starting sprint and brief commentary
• See more pictures and add your own in the shop's BUSC2012 Flickr group
• Watch the shop staff's pre-race Brompton alley cat here

Photos by Perennial Cycle staff Martha Garcés & Kat McCarthy © Perennial Cycle, 2012