Social Ride

August 2025 – ride report from the rear

Posted on by helenhmk

Wow – the turn out for this ride was definitely one for the books. 18 people turned up for the loop around Adelaide City. While the weather was slightly overcast, the temperature was predicted to be 22, which made conditions perfect for cycling.

We met outside Craft Robot brewery. Once the initial line up and photos were done, we were off. This ride’s popular colours were racing green x 5, coral x 4, and dark blue x 4. The route was described as a ride in two parts. The first half was cycling through the parklands and looping back to the centre of Adelaide. Then it progressed to the second half, visiting all the back lanes you never knew existed.

The ride started winding through the back streets. Before we even made it to the west parklands within the first 1km, we had already missed a turn. But hey it’s a Brompton ride, so odds on that occurring were high. Cycling through the parklands is always a delight. The paths were wide. The smooth downhill made it more enjoyable. It enabled coasting past the skate park and cricket oval. There were minimal numbers of pedestrians.

We crossed over Port Road by lights, always thankful when we make it in one group. Once into Bonython Park, we were back in the territory of higher pedestrian traffic and thinner paths. There is always the potential for altercation with individuals going in the opposite direction. So it’s important to keep your eyes in front :), and greeting people as you cycle by.

We stopped briefly after walking across the Torrens Weir and took photos of bikes parked on the coloured numbered squares. I think you will agree when looking at the photos. It was certainly a great idea. Sam, thank you for the suggestion.

Cycling alongside of the River Torrens near the centre of Adelaide is full of little short sharp hills. These hills are perfect for walking up when you miss changing your gearing at the right time. It’s so easy to do. As we were cruising past the Botanical Gardens, many people noticed someone appearing to take photos of us. But didn’t think about it too much until it happened a second time near the Japanese Garden. Later we learnt the photographer/filmer was Ingo’s wife, as he shared the videos on the private FB group. They are certainly a delight to watch – thanks so much, they are a fabulous memory of the ride.

After another minor photo stop, and another wrong turn we finally made it to Tiba Espresso for a coffee. Smart people selected a freshly made muffin (fresh out the oven 9:30 weekdays) paired with a coffee. The combination was perfect, and as a lover of coffee I acknowledge I’m biased.

From here we were truly in the second part of the ride. The twists and turns took us past a variety of cottages. These ranged from those classed as renovators’ delight to modern cottages. Just when you thought we had been through enough twists and turns, we emerged from the side streets. We were thrown out into the parklands and back on gravel. We used the parklands circuit route to quickly return to the back lanes. Around this time, someone remarked, ‘we must be near the end soon’. Instead, we headed in the opposite direction. ‘Yep, it’s definitely a Kym ride’. And indeed it was. Close to the end, a small dedicated group at the back lost sight of the front group. We took an extra block loop to get to the Crafty Robot. This just meant we had slightly more KM’s than the rest.

In the end we all rewarded ourselves on completing the ride with pizza and their favourite beverage. Everyone seemed impressed with their choice. Bánh mi pizza tasted exactly as you would expect. The margarita with the extra chili honey sauce was pretty impressive.

As we were leaving Crafty Robot, a person approached us to ask about the bikes. She mentioned she had seen the group cycle through the parklands. She was super impressed! Just shows you – you never know who you might influence.

Thanks to everyone who came out today. If today was your first Brompton ride, we hope you enjoyed the experience and you consider joining us again.

Restaurant mentioned in conversation at the back:

  • Wasai (Field Street)
  • Kokoni (Compton Street)

While we were riding in Adelaide one of the Adelaide Bromptoneers was riding his Brompton in London. It looks like Richard is enjoying some good weather and seeing the Brompton sites.

Ride Report – July 2025 Social Ride

Posted on by kymdt

We received a kind text from Dave at Treadly Bike Shop on the Monday before the ride. He offered to lend us a Brompton G-Line demo bike. We picked that bike up on Saturday. We were determined to get some mud on it that afternoon. We also did a few other important tests.

Q: How many Brompton G-Lines could you fit in the back of a Subaru Impreza (without folding the seats down)? A: One

Q: Does the Brompton G-Line fit the Ikea Kallax? A: Almost – the demo had an extended seat pole which was good for the tall riders – but it meant that the seat doesn’t quite fit in the Ikea Kallax.

Q: Is the Brompton G-Line a good bike to go to the Sunday Farmer’s Market? A: Certainly. The only variation we made was to remove the toolkit so we could lock the bike up.

The most important test, however, was shortly to arrive with the July 2025 Social Ride. The G-Line would be would be passed around amongst the Adelaide Bromptoneers to try out on our 20km circuit through suburban streets and river valleys!

Adelaide Bromptoneers responded well to one of the warmest and driest days this winter. Fifteen Bromptoneers started their journey from The Suburban Brew in Glynde. We cycled through the eastern suburbs to reach the first stop at Treadly Bike Shop. We admired all of the Brompton gear in Treadly Bike Shop’s window.

Just after Treadly Bike Shop a motorist (who I think was a Brompton owner) asked about our rides. Fortunately, we had one of our new posts cards at hand and passed it through the open car window. Perhaps we will have another Bromptoneer join the fold for the August ride?

We were in need of nutrition and hydration. While we did pass near another microbrewery – they fortunately were not open yet! We continued on passing by St Peter’s Town Hall and the Chinese Consulate (we did smile for the cameras) on our way to our second stop at Marbella Cafe Locale in Royston Park.

We were at the half way point. The route diverted towards the River Torrens and Lochiel Park for some beautiful verdant landscape. We were too preoccupied with the enjoyable ride through this area to take photos. So we’ve included some photos from our the test ride (which was a little wetter) featuring Helen’s red bike. If you have got some photos, let us know and we can update this ride report with them.

Finally, after the climbing in and out of the Torrens Valley we followed fourth creek towards the ultimate goal – beer and BBQ at the Suburban Brew in Glynde. The company, beer and BBQ were fantastic and it was certainly helped along by pleasant weather. We used the outdoor area to share the convivial atmosphere with our Bromptons that had served us so well. Some extra colour and sound were provided by some local hot rods.

The conclusion from the Adelaide Bromptoneers is that the G-Line is a very competent bike. While some Bromptoneers preferred their own Brompton – others could easily see themselves riding one. The G-Line isn’t for everyone – but it is an important part of the Brompton line up. It gives potential Brompton owners a choice – just in the same way as electrification gave a choice. All kinds of Bromptons and their Bromptoneers are welcome at Adelaide Bromptoneering.

On Monday morning after the Social Ride, but before returning the G-Line to Treadly Bike Shop, I took it for ride on some the Adelaide Parklands’ dirt trails. It showed itself to be a stable and very competent bike on dirt. In early June, I rode from Adelaide to Burra on parts of the Mawson Trail. I have no doubt that the G-Line would have handled that trip perfectly.

If you’d like to do The Suburban Brew in Glynde ride again (or for the first time), then the July 2025 social ride post has the necessary details and links to GPX files etc.