AM and I went to a wedding reception in Weymouth over the holidays which meant that we had to get the train from Bradford-on-Avon to Weymouth which is a journey that only the brave take with bicycles. Anyone who has done this journey by bike will know that sometimes you are refused entry onto that particular train. This happened to us last year when we ended up getting a taxi to Yeovil which cost £70.
We decided to try folding bikes as I've had my Moulton for a couple of years now and AM can borrow Edgar's Brompton. The journey went smoothly with bikes being disassembled and reassembled accordingly.
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| Constructing the Moulton takes 5 minutes - The Brompton takes seconds |
The Brompton was a bit of a special with 5 speed hub gear coupled with a Shlumpf 2 speed bottom bracket making 10 gears. The Brompton fold takes seconds however for the uninitiated, its ingenious origami styled magic trick that takes some thinking. The Moulton is a game of two halves which takes one bolt and a set of cable breakers to achieve a bicycle.
The wedding reception went well helped by an endless supply of cocktails and champagne.
After the main event we travelled to Southampton for a family visit. This consisted of getting the train to Wareham and then cycling to Poole, Bournmouth, Christchurch, New Forest and then getting the replacement bus service from Brockenhurst to Southampton. Our folding bikes were accepted on all the services. The cycle along the sea front was car free if a little crowded but the New Forest was sublime. Please note avoid the main roads in his area because they are narrow and busy beyond belief.
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| New Forest - The only danger is the horses |
The replacement bus service at Brockenhurst accepted our folding bikes which were placed on the seats and as no conductor was available, we had a free ride into Southampton.
