This Little Clubman Went To Market...

All photography by Ian James.

Three weeks on with the Clubman Urban and it's become my main commuting bike... something which has taken me by surprise. This doesn't mean Frankie has been banished to the back of the cupboard forever (never!), but it's become an unexpected addictive joy riding the Fixed Gear to the office. I finally had a chance this weekend with The Boy to take it out further than my working commute with a Saturday cycle to one of my favourite spots in London, Maltby Street.

My route to Maltby and back is a 11 mile round trip - one that I regularly ride along the CS3 through Limehouse to Tower Gateway, turning onto Tower Bridge Approach and then weaving into the Market.

The weight of the bike on this route made a huge difference. Being much lighter than what I'm used to, it wasn't as much of a struggle cycling up the Canning Town Flyover & and some other steeper (for me anyway) climbs of the route. Of course with every climb there must be a descent... something which I'm learning to get better at on the Clubman. It's still feels very "flighty" when coming downhill, even when in the highest gear so taking my time doing this while getting used to the change of bike seems to work better.

Arriving after our 5.5 mile ride, it was time to chow-down on some of the delicious treats on offer...

Our foodie-fuel stops for the day were @CornishGrill at Maltby Street, where the lovely Matt made sure we were suitably fed, and Little Bird London Gin for a cheeky little Negroni...

No food-shopping happened this Saturday being on the Clubman: when it comes to storage, this isn't the same as the Princess due to the lack of Pannier facilities. I'm still investigating the possibility of more storage space with larger Saddle / Handlebar Bags (and finding the best messenger bag or rucksack) but as this was just a flying visit to the Market, this was the perfect bike for me to get there & back home. When it came to my handbag for the day (because lets face it, I don't go anywhere without one), I used my Cyclodelic Saddle Bag - attaching it to the handlebars!

There will be more to come on the Clubman... especially seeing how it handles with the change of season which is hitting London now...

Further photography can be viewed in this flickr set by Ian James.