Lee

How did you first come across Brompton?

It all started with a bike ride with my mate and his son. We got on the tram to come home, and we got pulled over by the inspector. They said you can’t bring those bikes on here; you can only have folding ones. I had never even thought about bikes that fold. Not long after, I was in Harry Halls (Manchester bike shop), and they showed me the Bromptons. I loved them right away; honestly, I did. That was ten years ago, and I haven’t looked back.

What do you use yours for? 

Oh, everything. I am on it every day. I go to work, do my training for Iron Man, go and buy dog food. People don’t believe what you can do on one. I call them the Land Rover of bikes. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you like them at the start, you will love them forever. And they just keep going. I give mine some real stick. When I cycle on the canal system between Manchester and Macclesfield, other people are hopping off their mountain bikes and pushing them over the cobble bridges, and I am flying past with mine loaded up. 

Loaded up? 

Yeah, you would be amazed at what I carry on my bike: garden rakes, sweeping brushes, all of it. I put them on the rack and then run them down the frame. It’s like it’s designed for it. I have the basket on the front as well. My dog used to go in there when she was a puppy, but she’s too big now, so she runs alongside me. We go down trails and all sorts. She loves it. Her name is Brandy. She’s just great.  

Does your Brompton have a name? 

Ha, ha, no, it doesn’t. I haven’t named any of them, but I might do it after today! I’ve had three now, new and second-hand ones. I gave one to my daughter when she moved to London and one to my son.  It’s the best way to get around. Honestly, I could give you a list of people who have got into them because of me. One of my mates won’t go to Glastonbury without his, and another got a Brompton tattoo. He did that within a month of getting the bike! He started using it instead of his car, and it changed his life. You know, until you experience something different, you don’t realise how much stress driving can bring. When people say I will drop you off, I say no thanks. What would I want to do that for? I am free on my bike.  

Do you take your Brompton everywhere? 

I won’t go away without it. You will laugh, but I feel deprived if I don’t have it. I get bored. With a Brompton, you are never bored. ? I will be riding a Brompton until the day I die. I am sure of it. Last year, I took it to Italy and Croatia. I got the train to London and cycled to the O2 Arena to see Madonna.  And you know what? I always said three of the best weeks of my life were riding in the Alps, but then I went to Scotland on my own with my Brompton. I got off at the last train stop before John O Groats and cycled to Ullapool camping along the way, and that was some of the best days I have ever had. 

Do you like to do distances? 

I suppose I do, but I don’t think of myself as a cyclist because I feel like I enjoy myself. I ride at a gentle pace. I’m not in a rush. You know what, though, I can stay with groups of road cyclists when I want to. I do all my training for the Iron Man on it. It might have little wheels, but it’s surprising. Training is all about time on the saddle. I might ride gently, but I do a lot of it. Did you know the most travelled man in the world, Heinze Stucke, had a Brompton? When I saw that, I thought to myself, Germans are just amazing at engineering, and he chose a Brompton to do all that riding. It says something, doesn’t it? I think so, anyway.