For my 25th birthday (10th sept) my Dad gave me a Tomtom One V3 satellite navigation system, which is brilliant: first use it took me on a quicker route driving to Granny’s; and it has calculated a shorter route to Leith Hill (my new regular trip for mountain biking). Turning it on for the first time I had to choose a voice and I went with Jane. “Turn right in three hundred yards” and so forth, which Dad thought was hilarious and we now refer to the Tomtom as Jane.

Jane has, in a limited way, replaced Hannah.

For Dad’s birthday (15th sept) Hannah gave him a topical card: a hamster receiving a satellite navigation system present and attaching it to his bicycle (presumably because he does not drive a car as that would just be silly?).

Hannah described the card to me and finished with saying it is the kind of daft thing I would do. Well I thought it was an excellent idea – that would be very useful to help me find my way around London on my Brompton. A quick web search revealed a German-made handlebar mount for Jane (ebay was the cheapest at £13.99 including P&P).

Holding Jane to my Brompton showed that the gear and brake cables would be in the way for her to sit on the handlebar. However I recalled Brompton do a brace for the handlebar due to a 0.4% failure rate on the 2000 M-type model. I bought this from AVC for £8.95:

The brace and mount are not of compatible diameters. The first fudge I made was to insert some pipe insulation foam but after 24hrs that had ‘shrunk’ and so Jane was lolling all over the show.

The second fudge works. I tightly wrapped an old bicycle inner tube around the brace to achieve a suitable diameter for the mount.

I genuinely think that satnav enabled Brompton riding in London will be useful although I do concede that this venture was largely tempting for the eccentric and novel idea. Imagine a little origami bicycle, complete with satnav, pulling up beside your car at central London traffic lights. I think I am going to enjoy this.

A bonus is the surprisingly accurate speed reading on Jane, as concurred by my car speedometer (above about 15mph). I see that a comfortable pace for me on the flat is about 18mph (29Kmph). I was also able to see my terminal coasting speed on Bathwick Hill (as mentioned in my Brompton Review) is 33mph (53kmph). I don’t think I will chance it on the steeper and twisty neighbouring Widcombe Hill but why bother as surely I have to be one of the fastest recorded Brompton riders if not the fastest!

London Trip
I was hoping to report back on taking darling Jane to London on my Brompton but my weekends have not allowed a trip. However this will be rectified in a few weekends time.

Other News
I am entered into the Bath Half Marathon on Saturday 16th March 2008, long winter evening training runs here I come.