Back in October I took a 300-mile trip from Heilbronn, Germany, down the Neckar valley to the Rhine, and thence downstream to Cologne. Almost all of this was on excellent, usually well sign-posted cycle paths.
The 38 German schoolchildren (13 years old) and 12 adults with whom I cycled were all satisfyingly gobsmacked when I unfolded my Brompton at the start, then touchingly concerned at whether I could make it on such small wheels, and quietly respectful when I out-climbed almost everybody on the first hill and was able to stay with even the fastest boys racing to catch up with their group after some minor hitch.
I’m a real fan of the Brompton — it gives so much flexibility since it will go on the bus or train with no fuss but gives performance very little reduced from an ordinary bike in 95% of situations.
Nowhere in Germany did I see any other Bromptons, and only a couple of Dahons (another type of folding bike, for those of you not in the know). Mind you, it is so easy to take bicycles on German local trains that perhaps the need for a folder is not so acute.
It’s a truism by now to say that almost everywhere on the Continent (or the Germanic languages bit anyway) cycle provision is vastly better than here. What’s more, car drivers seem to accept that cycles have a right on the road. But there’s also a culture where cyclists tend to observe the traffic regulations — they don’t consistently ride through red lights, for example. Check out www.stopatred.co.uk
