An Account of the San Francisco Summer Folder Ride Saturday, May 20, 2000

It was a perfect sunny day for our ride I thought as I loaded my Brompton into my Chevrolet Suburban for a 40 mile drive to our starting point on San Francisco's waterfront. My car was left in a somewhat rough industrial area and I hoped it would be intact on my return. Yes it was a perfect day! The three-mile or so cycle trip along the City waterfront to Pier 41 to our meeting place was as usual very interesting. There were many tourists, cyclists, horse drawn carriages, 3 wheeled bicycle taxis, and even a few dancers, hawkers and show freaks from jugglers to posers with clothes and skin and everything else in view painted either silver or gold and too the ubiquitous red haired cocks combed punkers. Most were working and entertaining to make a little money.

Exuberance rules on the San Francisco Summer Folder Ride

On arrival I spotted Jay Gaerlan. He is a 20 inch wheel bike frame builder and accountant in SF. Today he had a shiny all aluminum bare metal Dahon. He buys the frames only and does modifications before adding all high end rims, hubs, Shimano 105cranks, suspension forks and other up-graded components including expensive deraileur workings front and rear and Schwalbe hi-pressure Marathon tires. It was a sharp bike. I took a short ride and found it impressive. Larry Sharpe was on hand too. He does a superb job operating the server for www.Bromptonbike.com, and he handles the Bromptontalk Internet mail list. At departure time we went aboard the Sausilito ferry, and at the last minute a Moulton and two Bromptons showed up to join us. It was a pleasant half-hour voyage on San Francisco Bay to Sausilito, and as we docked we saw a gaggle of another 15 or so of the "folding" crowd gathered around our organizer, Tom Vogt. My guess would be we were 70% Bromptons with a few Moultons, Dahons, a Friday and even a home made folder. After a bit of socializing and explanations from leader Tom, we were on our way for the 20-mile summer tour. The bike paths were excellent and we passed several parks, lagoons and followed routes along San Francisco Bay with wonderful views of city and country hills on this perfect clear day. All went well except for a flat. Tom rescued this disconsolate soul.

Dwight Freund, a college computer professor who owns two Bromptons had brought his English Brompton and his Neobike Brompton which he had left in his car. The Neobike had a failed rear triangle hinge assembly. Dwight and I rode to his car to examine the damage and I offered to try a repair in my shop later. After this inspection, Dwight and I rejoined the folder group of some 20 riders for continuation of a most pleasant ride.

Dwight Freund holds his nose. Possibly an expression of concern about his Neobike Brompton from Taiwan

Tom Vogt, who was accompanied by his beautiful girlfriend Susanne, always organizes for our group very picturesque and interesting rides. However, we had an incident that was, I believe, outside his published program! Approaching our destination a bit of an interruption on the bike path occurred when an irate walker decided to shove Tim Schyuler off his Moulton as Tim approached to pass him. Tim went flying off his Moulton into the bushes. This sort of thing doesn't generally appeal to Tim, and this occasion proved to be no exception. He untangled himself from his Moulton and came out with fists flying at the walking hooligan as though Dr. Alex's dignity had been directly and personally insulted, and he must defend it. He was met with similar vigor from his adversary. Several good blows were landed until our local folder club's UN peace-keeping committee separated the combatants. Tim was, I think, actually a bit embarrassed by the unfortunate incident. With the heat off for a few minutes and tough remarks pretty well played out etc., the ride eventually resumed. Little wheels were spinning again below sounds of talk and laughter about the recent happening.

Tom Vogt with his charming friend Sussane

Several miles later we filtered into the village of Tiburon and mingled our way through hundreds of other visiting tourists to this popular seaside town. We settled on a beautiful green lawn park space and ordered ample lunches from nearby watering holes. Of course continual Brompton bike demonstrations, comparisons and conversations were going on. Even a spouting whale was sighted several times. We all hoped it would find its way out of San Francisco Bay.

About this time, Ultimate Folding Bike man Len Rubin showed up with his latest Super Brompton. The unique development on show this day was his collapsible adjustable handle bar system, which can be safely (he says) adjusted on the fly with a brake type lever. Len apparently now has worldwide rights to this item and is just waiting to stumble across $10,000 so that he can have mass production begin. The system was light and most impressive and expensive. He will sell one of the few in existence for $1,200 each. His Brompton also has 1" Sun alloy rims with 18 spokes per wheel and Primo 1" tires with light weight presta valved tubes, titanium cranks with three titanium chain wheels, titanium chain, and several other titanium nuts and bolts. The rear deraileur has 9 sprockets yielding 27 gears. The back driving wheel is set into a completely new nicely fabricated rear frame triangle, which accommodates the new rear wheel, hub and the 9-sprocket cassette. He claims a 19lb Brompton for $3,000 to $5,000 is his end result. For a moment Len looked like a USA visit by one of the famous Weymouth Cone Heads, with his Hollywood "hi tech" sun glasses, wild biking jersey and his newly shaved head that glistened in the sunlight. For your further review here is Len's Internet website address: http://www.ufbusa.com. Len's bottom line statement: "$135,000 has been spent on development and production is just a few weeks away".

Len Rubin's Brompton rear frame member and his 27 speed gear system

A young couple visiting from Singapore also joined our group with their folding "muscle" bikes called the Airnimal. A well made machine with expensive componentry. For further information about their machine sees the Airnimal web site at:
http://www.airnimal.com/airnimal.html.

Our guest from Singapore stands proudly behind his folded Airnimal bike. It was a passing aquaintance where we only got a website address and not his name!

After a time the call was made to saddle up for the return trip to Sausilito, and suddenly the group disappeared in a dash for home. As I was still recovering from broken elbow bones in a fall from my 52" high-wheeled bicycle, I opted to take a ferry to San Francisco that was leaving from only 20 paces distant from our lunch spot. It was a pleasant voyage to San Francisco during which I wrote this account of our day on folders.

A Day later I called to ask Tom Vogt how the ride finished up, and here is his quote:

"In true Folder Culture form it was a memorable ride! Susanne thought the crew to be quite colorful and had a great time.

No excitement on the return ride other than all of us getting a great laugh at Len's expense when he hit a steep hill and, despite his two-score plus gears, ended up miss-shifting and walking it up the hill! I think even Susanne passed him."

That's life on folders! cw