Riding through Manhattan on a Brompton. Just imagining it makes me smile. After all, I’ll be riding my Brompton through places like Soho and Central Park, making it a truly rosy Manhattan experience. I’ve bought a few guidebooks like ‘100 Things to Do in Manhattan,’ and I even got a new denim jacket. I’ve also downloaded some Netflix shows on my iPad to watch on the plane. I’m all set and ready to go.

One day, I suddenly realized something. By the way, how will this Brompton be transported overseas?

Within the country, as long as it’s in a bike bag, it can be safely transported. However, when I Googled ‘Brompton overseas transport,’ I found that everyone uses sturdy hard cases. There were some brave souls transported it in a bike bag, but a few had their clamps bent.

As I continued to Google, I found out that there are special suitcases designed for Bromptons. I remembered seeing one at a Brompton specialty store. The price exceeds 40,000 yen. It’s quite an expense. I’d probably only use it once a year, so it’s hard to justify the purchase.

Then, the Brompton goddess smiled upon me.
There was a rental option available.

It seems there’s a shop called ILrental that mainly rents suitcases. They have stock available, and the price is reasonable, even if you rent it for a week, it’s only a few thousand yen.
I applied right away. Shortly after, I received an email from the contact person.

Dear Customer,
Thank you for choosing ILrental.
Regarding your recent order for the B&W folding bicycle case for Brompton, please note that it may not fit custom-modified bicycles. We kindly ask you to double-check the dimensions to ensure compatibility.
Thank you very much.

Indeed, if the suitcase arrives and the Brompton doesn’t fit, I’ll have to think about the next steps, and there’s a risk I might not make it to New York on time. I quickly measured the Brompton with a tape measure and replied.

Mine is fully standard; no modifications.
I roughly measured it:
585mm × 575mm × 270mm
Will this fit?

Shortly after, I received a reply.

Mr. Kawase,
We have measured the internal dimensions of our bike case. It measures approximately 625mm × 610mm × 280mm (including sponge), so it should be fine, I believe. Please consider this.
ILrental

ILrental

What thoughtfulness. Konosuke Matsushita once said, “Business is about giving impression,” and I was deeply moved. It reminds me that business is about people.

With that in mind, the suitcase arrived two days before departure.
The Brompton fit perfectly. It was just the right size.

Now there’s nothing to worry about.

On the day of departure, we loaded the travel suitcase and the Brompton suitcase into the car and headed to the airport. With wheels attached, moving around was a breeze.

At the check-in counter, when I mentioned that the suitcase contained a bicycle, they briefly inspected the contents but surprisingly, I was able to check it in quite easily. I asked them to handle it with care, and they assured me that in New York, they would handle it personally rather than sending it through the roundtable system.

Thus, I set off on my first overseas journey with the Brompton, unaware that immediately afterward, I would encounter an earth-shattering event.

To be continued in the next installment.

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Profile

Daisaku Kawase
He is a Free Producer, the Representative of Days Co., Ltd, Global Ride Communication Director.
Born in Aichi Prefecture. With 16 years of road cycling experience, he loves scenic rides. He squeezes in rides between work and travels all over Japan with his bike. His beloved bike is a Trek. After working as a producer on programs like “Ariyoshi no Okane Hakken Totsugeki! Kaneo-kun,” “Oyasumi Japan Nemuiine,” and “Asaichi” at NHK, he became independent in 2022. In addition to producing programs, he also handles project production for government and corporate clients.

Post Date：2024.06.28