A bike designer used all his expertise to take a race victory as the inaugural City of London Nocturne hit the City streets. Shaun Pirie won the Brompton Folding Bike Race, beating off a host of other riders on the commuter-friendly cycle that also included unfolding and folding the bike to start and end the race.
Pirie, from Guildford, has an inside scoop on how to get the best out of a Brompton thanks to his day job as a senior design engineer at the company but the 31-year-old insisted it made it no easier in his efforts to beat off the competition.
“It feels a bit surreal, I wasn’t expecting to win,” he said. “I love that course. It was amazing out there. The crowd was huge.
“I race Bromptons regularly and work on the Brompton design team in London, so I guess I’ve got a bit of an inside track in terms of how the bike works. That definitely helps, especially at the start, but it still hurt a lot. It was a really interesting race. The Nocturne became a big goal because the Brompton World Championship was postponed.
“I knew this was a great event, and racing in the City of London is pretty special. The location is amazing, and there’s so much going on; from the penny farthing race to watching the pros as well.”
Putney-based Pirie is a regular cyclist for the Clapham Chasers but will always jump at the chance to race a Brompton.
“I raced the Brompton World Championships last year and came 10th, which I was really pleased with. Alec Briggs showed his class in that race, but they’re always super fun events; unique bikes and a great atmosphere.
“I also race criteriums and road races, so I mix it up, but if there’s a Brompton race, I’ll always try to be there. It’s something a bit different and really enjoyable.”
The Brompton race was part of a wide-ranging programme of events as part of the new City of London Nocturne. The two-day event was headlined by the men’s and women’s elite criterium races but the day was filled with other events including a penny farthing race and several Guinness World Record attempts.
The weekend began on Friday with a charity pro-am in aid of a new children’s cancer centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital and three-time Olympic champion Ed Clancy was thrilled to be part of the new City of London Nocturne.
“This event has been away for a while, so it’s great to see this new event created,” he said.
“It’s been created with a lot of effort from organisers and support from the City of London. I hope it’s well received by both the public and the cycling community so it can continue.
“Events like this are incredibly important for domestic road racing. It’s not just about the elite races, things like the family ride are just as important.”
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