Bobbin Bicycles

I went to Bobbin Bicycle shop on Tuesday after work. They now have a lovely store in Angel full of traditional upright bikes. The last time I went they were in a basement in Clerkenwell, not too far away. You had to ring for an appointment so that someone could meet you for the sale. They didn’t have any baskets for the Brompton, I subsequently got one from Velorution. Now I have the Trek for my local journeys I wanted a proper basket for the front.

Getting the Trek from South London to North London during the weekday wasn’t too much of a problem as my work appointment was in the afternoon and I could travel on the train into Charing Cross outside the designated commuter travel times when no bikes other than folding bikes like the Brompton can travel. Then it was weaving my way through traffic from Fleet Street up to Angel via Holborn. I notice that I am less confident on the Trek than when I am cycling on the Brompton. The Brompton has a faster response time which is handy when you are cycling in areas when you are not used to the traffic flow. I had a Brompton cyclist whiz past me reminding me how of fast a Brompton can go when necessary.

My hands were really cold when I got to Bobbin and I didn’t want to stay long, but the staff were truly welcoming and friendly. They have a room full of baskets of all types including a covered Little Red Riding Hood type. Basket heaven! However the Trek is a hybrid and they are a little bit more difficult to fit. I brought the Trek into the shop and we tried out the various baskets until I found my perfect match. My basket clips on and off and I can use it as an additional bag. I also got a new bell. They had boxes full of bells and horns.

As for the bikes they looked beautiful and the prices were very reasonable. If I didn’t live on or around hills and if I didn’t have to carry my bikes upstairs to get into my home I would have gone for a three speed traditional bike as my second bike. Still I do love my Trek T30 Navigator and whoever designed it was taking their references from traditional upright bikes. With the basket on the front the Trek looked at home in the Bobbin shop.

My rating for Bobbin Bicycles is now a 9. The shop is a feast for the eyes. They spent time with me ensuring that what I wanted matched my needs and they did the fitting for free. I would have stayed longer to look at the various panniers and other bags but I had more shopping to do in Oxford Street.

Now I understand why I see so many cyclists in the Islington area, they are buying from Bobbin.