Brompton Toolkit

I bought a Brompton Toolkit some weeks ago.

It is compact, and all tools appear to be high quality. It is very cleverly designed with each tool fits nicely, and the whole tool kit even fits inside of the bike frame.

On top of everything, it looks clean and beautiful.

先日、ブロンプトンのツールキットを買いました。

よく考えられたデザインで、出先でのパンク修理に必要なツールが全て小さなケースの中に収まっています。

黒とクロームの銀がマッチして、とてもカッコいいです。

Brompton's logo is printed on the casing

The kit comes with tools needed for puncture repair including a patch

15 mm socket wrench, ratchet handle for hex tools and tyre levers

Tyre levers also work as spanners

It comes with a set of Allen keys and screw drivers

The tool kit fits inside of the top tube

Replacing a tyre tube on Brompton

It is ironic or synchronistic, whatever it is.  I just got a spare tube for my Brompton, and an old tube went. 

I removed the leaky tube, and I found out that the rubber was cut at the base of a tube valve.  I am guessing that the valve must have been pushed back and forth too much when I was pumping up the tyre with a hand pump.

I replaced the original tube with one from SCHWALBE, and hopefully this won't develop the same problem down the track.

この前、タイヤのスペアーチューブを買ったと思ったら、タイヤがパンク。しかもバルブとチューブ本体の接合部分が裂けてしまって修理不可能。ハンドポンプで空気を入れている時にバルブに横から負荷が掛かったのかもしれません。

Bromptonのオリジナルのチューブと比べて、新しいSCHWALBE社製チューブは、バルブの作りが良さそう。これなら同じ様な問題は起こり難いかもしれません。

This is an original tube which came with the bike

A new valve looks stronger

Gone fishing on my bike

I was thinking to go to see my friend on my Brompton on Saturday, but the storm was coming through, so I gave up that idea.

The weather turned out to be great today, so I went fishing on my bike this time.  It was nice to cycle along the river in a lovely weather. In terms of fishing, I got one decent bream which I unfortunately drooped before I managed to take photo (so, I have uploaded a photo of a small bream that I got on Friday instead).

土曜日は、自転車に乗って友達に会いに行こうかと考えていたのですが、天気は、午後から雷雨という予報だったのでサイクリングは止めにしました（予報の通り、３時くらいから空が真っ黒になって雨が降り出しました）。

日曜の今日は、快晴。という事で自転車に乗って家の近くの川へ。釣りの方は、写真を撮る前に逃げられた３４センチくらいのクロダイが一匹。金曜日の夕方は、ベイトが沢山いて魚の反応も良かったのですが、どうやら土曜日の雨でベイトはどこかに移動してしまったようです。

A small bream I got on Friday

a tyre tube and tools I bought the other day

On my bike on Saturaday morning

For exercise and reducing my carbon footprint, I have been fishing on my bike on the weekend morning.

I pack my morning tea, rod, and fishing vest in the bag, and cycle along the river. It is actually much nicer to cycle on the bank than driving a car. I also find things like flower on the side of the road which I could miss other wise, if I was on my car.

I haven't been much further than being around our house yet, but I think I might do a day trip to fish other places once the weather gets cooler in Autumn.


エクササイズとエコの為に、週末の朝の釣りは、自転車で行く事にしています。ロッドとベストとコーヒー、紅茶の入った魔法瓶とおやつを自転車の前のバッグに入れて、キコキコと川沿いを自転車で行きます。正直、自転車は良いです。自転車だと朝の空気が気持ちいいですし、ベイトの群れなんかが泳いでいても、車なら素通りですが、自転車なら止まって動きを観察できます。

ちなみに、転けたら竹竿は一発でサヨナラでしょうね。ロッドケースに入れる事も出来るのですが、ポイントからポイントへ移動の度に、竿をケースから出し入れするのが面倒なんで、リールもフライも付けたまま半分にしてそのままバッグに刺しています。

今の所は、近所周りが行動範囲ですが、一ヶ月もして涼しくなれば、ランチなどを積んで他の釣り場へデイトリップもしたいと思います。

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

Brompton rear sprocket

We get south westerly in the afternoon around here, and to get river from my house, I have to cycle against wind. It can often get quite windy, and it is not easy for a bike with such small wheels and only 3 choices of gears.

So, I have changed a rear sprocket on my brompton from 13T to 14T. It says that this lowers the gear by 7%. I don't know what that really means in terms of the reality, but I did a test drive the other day, and it felt like it was bit easier to travel into the gusty afternoon wind.

I don't think this is still not enough to go up on hills though. Fortunately there are not many hills around Perth, but if I was taking the bike to a trout fishing trip to NZ or any mountain streams, I would have to deal with hills.

I guess, to turn my bike into a hill climber, I will have to change a front chain ring to a smaller one (50T to 44T), but it costs $80 plus all new tools to do the job. In comparison, the rear sprocket cost me only $5. So for now, I will stick with a cheaper solution.

Brompton folding bicycle

My fishing friend told me that fish were biting around lunch time last week, so I was curious to find out how it would be like this weekend. However, by the time we finished a coffee break around 11:00, it was already getting too hot.

So I stayed home to work on my new bicycle this afternoon instead.　It is a neat folding bike from England, and I am thinking to use it for my next fishing trip.

今朝は、久々に釣りに行ったのですが、一釣りして、コーヒーブレイクを終えた頃になると、暑くなりだしたので、さっさと帰って新しい自転車をいじる事にしました。

ブロンプトンと言うイギリスのフォールディング・バイクです。折り畳むと、とても小さくなります。

フィッシングトリップ仕様に金曜日に買って来たオプションの荷台を付ける事にしました。チャリンコ屋のおじさんは、「２時間の作業だ」と言っていましたが、なんの事はない、１時間で完了です。

Canon EF 24mm f2.8