Brompton CHPT3 V4

When we were young… I could easily say I have no idea where all the time has gone but that would be a lie. I’ve used almost every cent of it wisely playing and enjoying this beautiful world I live in. The last two years have been an absolute blur of excitement. They have also been the end of an era for me. Change is a good thing and that’s where I’m headed now. I’ve happily given up so much of what has made me tick over the last 35 years. When I decided to quit camping a friend mentioned that they felt sorry for me and my decision.

In 2021 I camped over 150 nights, more than most people have in their lifetime. I’ve passed into a new dimension and I’m taking my simple ways with me. Credit card touring over fully loaded bike touring. Eco travel and glamping over stealth camping, poaching, and rucksackin’ it. Day sailing over cruising and yes I bought the best day sailor on earth. It also happens to be a great condo on the water in paradise. All my bikes in the last 10 years have been built for going slowly. The V4 is my fast bike. As fast as a middle-aged ass can pedal at least. I’m designing it for up to 100-mile days with less than 7.5lbs of cargo not including food or water. I’m going places and the V4 is taking me there.

The first thing I noticed about the V4 is that it’s light – really light. Sadly it’s almost a full pound heavier than advertised by Brompton. It’s been my experience that it costs about $1000.00 a pound to lighten these bikes. I’ve weighed the bike every way under the sun and it comes out to 21.4lbs plus the 23 grams I added for my Spur cycles bell. The customizations will be slow and deliberate, you can’t rush these things. I’ve come a long way from my beautiful Radar Orange Brompton that started all this. The new bike is also 7 pounds lighter.

There is no right or wrong way to do it as long as you show up. We’re saving and scheming for a semi-rad adventure. I just got back from my first ride. I honestly didn’t think the new bike could ride any better than the old. Boy was I wrong. The gearing is perfect for my intended purpose. It falls way short of the six-speed, both high and low, but I don’t care. It’s perfectly suited for where I live and how I ride. You feel the lightness. She rides like a twitchy racehorse. I’ll have to break her but that’s what time in the saddle is for.

I’ve already removed a whopping 136 grams. I’m well on my way to being a master gram weenie. Perhaps I’ll add a bit of weight this week by adding a water bottle and some tools. It came with the cutest frame bag ever. You’ll have to wait and see that another time as it’s so small I’ve already lost it. It’s been 7 years since my fancy French spaniel went to the field in the sky. Not a single day has passed that I haven’t missed her. She loved chasing my bike for hours on end. I say chasing but she was always the leader. On today’s ride she was what came to mind climbing that first hill. It hit me in that moment. This bike feels fancy and French so I’ve named her Chloe after the love of my life. I have 7 volumes of news to share, most of it old by now but I’ve got another ride in me. Cheers!