Planet Brompton

Mit dem Brompton als digitaler Nomade unterwegs

Monats Archiv: Mai 2021

A city tour Dresden with a Brompton

Winter is over, the Brompton was in the inspection but Corona is still holding us back from longer tours at the moment.
From Berlin it’s about 2 hours by train and you’re in Dresden.
So we had a plan for a day trip.

Exploring Dresden and its surroundings with the Brompton folding bike.

It is the end of April and we hope the winter season is almost over.
The Brompton has suffered during the winter time. All the snow, slush, salt and gravel have left their mark on the bicycle.
Now, for the Dresden Trip, it was the perfect reason to do some maintenance work on the bicycle.
What you should have recently checked on your bicycle you find more informations within this article: How to take care of your bicycle!

Early in the Morning

Our train arrived at 8am at the train station in Dresden. Still, the city is sleeping. Of course, it is Sunday morning.
Our first stopp: getting a coffee and some fantastic vegetarian bred in the coffeeshop Oswaldz. Most important: they have some real great coffee to start the tour 🙂

We planed the tour with Komoot.
We are always impressed by this software, which lets us find new ways even within well known city, like Berlin.
We planned the tour as pedestrians, not cyclists. So the software also guides us through small alleys and against the one-way streets.
We discover a really exciting city with more than old stones and widely known sights.
Of course we pass the „Frauenkirche“, the „Dresden Zwinger“, the „Semperoper“ , the Cathedral and the „Residenzschloss“. We saw the „Goldene Reiter“, the „Fürstenzug“, but we also easily reached the German Hygiene Museum, the Botanical Garden, the „Große Garten“ and the bridge „Blaue Wunder“, crossing the River Elbe.

We cycled a leisurely 43km that day with a lunch break at a small Chinese takeaway and by 5pm we were back on the train on the way back to Berlin.

For sure, you would not have done such a trip by foot, but there was something more special. We did not only explore the Highlights, we wandered through small streets, discovered the places where the people live who make up this city live. In contrast to the old core with all the highlights, you can feel life in here. Dresden is a living, changing city. A city where people have something to say. You can learn what that is, for example, through the language of the walls on the houses, through streetart.

A city worth to be visited

Dresden has blossomed and continues to grow into a lively, fresh city.
Dresden promotes itself as a location for science and business.
So take your folding bike, go to Dresden and discover the city.
Dresden is green (when spring has finally arrived 🙂 ), Dresden is streetart, Dresden is innovation, Dresden is history.

15. Mai 2021 Reisebericht

Do Germans love their bicycle?

Unfortunately, we are still rather stuck with the saying: Germans love their cars!
They clean, polish and spend huge amounts of money and time on inspections and maintenance. This changes, but still, when the automotive industry says: now it is time to spend money on an inspection, they will. Being afraid about the loss of value.

Do we need to check a bicycle?

Of course! Here is no bicycle that doesn’t need regular checks and renewals as well.
Wear and tear depends primarily on the conditions of use.
Fixed maintenance intervals, e.g. once a year, make sense if you tend to ride less. Flexible maintenance intervals are due if you drive more than average and if the conditions of use are extreme.
Does this sound familiar?
If you are one of those who are still struggling with your car, then it will.
I’m often asked how often you should do maintenance on a bicycle. And there you have the answer: more often than most people think.
At least once a year.

What you can do for your bicycle

Basic cleaning
Visual inspection
Lubrication
Bowden cables
Brakes
Pedals
Bottom bracket
Steering
Rims
Tyres
Light
Chain check


Of course, you can do all this by yourself, especially the „Basic cleaning“ but for the technical check at least, once a year, you should prefer a specialist. He can make a checkup and let you know what he would suggest to be done.

How you can expect more riding pleasure!

When the gears work smoothly again, the chain no longer rattles, nothing squeaks or cracks and the seatpost no longer slips down when riding. Which, by the way, looks pretty silly.
More safety when the brakes do their job, the tyres still have tread, the lights don’t go out every time you hit a cobblestone road.
New grips are due from time to time. Yes, this is also a wearing part in most cases.

Dear German Brompton riders, love your Brompton at least as much as your car, wash it, take care of it and bring it to inspections. You will get so much more pleasure out of it.
The Germans love their car! In the future it would be nice to say about us: Germans love their bicycles!

Of course, it is still a used bicycle, not a brand new one. But I also love it for all its little flaws and quirks.

Last but not least!

Please, check the tyre pressure regularly.
On a Brompton it is so much more fun, so much easier to cycle when you have the right air pressure in the tyres.
Mostly, it rolls best at 6.5 or 7 bar. But ask your Brompton Dealer, it depends on the kind of tyre.

We did a day city tour through Dresden and I was glad to have looked through my Brompton completely before.
No rattling, no shaking, the brakes perfect, the gears very smooth.
What a nice day Ride: City Tour Dresden!

14. Mai 2021 Ausrüstung, Brompton