And the winner is...

...the Brommie.

It probably wasn't the world's best comparison test. In spite of the fact that I told the shop I was flying to Brisbane specifically to visit their shop and check out those two models of bikes, they didn't have the other model to look at.

I needed to try a Pocket Companion or a New World Traveller for the Bike Friday, and all they had was a Tikit that was a size too small for me. Needless to stay, it did not stack up well against the Brompton they had in the shop.

Mind you, I was leaning towards the Brompton anyway. That fold is just the best fold out there. And the idea of not disassembling the bike appealed to me greatly.

Riding it around the streets near the shop (including deliberately going off the path and through some debris) was also reassuring. It was no more uncomfortable on rough sections of road that the bike I'm currently riding, and with a few tweaks to the saddle and handle-bar angles will probably fit better than the bike I'm currenly riding as well.

And, when you think about it, the only times I'll really need a bike capable of doing more "serious" off road stuff will be when I'm on a proper bike tour, and then I'll probably be able to rent a more suitable bike. This one is for taking with me when I go places, not for going cross-country.

Maybe the proper Bike Friday would have proven a better bike agains the Brommie if it had been available, and maybe one day I'll get the chance to try it and decide I must have it. For now, the Brommie was the best bike in the three bike shoot-out (I also tried a Dahon Vitesse), and it was a bike that made me smile. I tried it twice. The first time I liked it, the second time I really liked it.

It felt reliable, if that is a strange thing to say. Like I could get away with pushing things a bit without landing flat on my face. The other two bikes felt like I needed to be careful with them. I'm a big believer in the confidence-competence continuum, and I felt more confident on the Brompton.

So, "my" Brompton is probably about two weeks to a month away. I may be doing a few "I'm getting a new bike" happy dances in the intervening weeks. Just thought I should warn you.