LAKEPORT, Calif. – Avid cyclist and longtime Lakeport resident Richard Knoll has been selected to race in the 10th Brompton World Championships this summer in London.

A part of the Prudential Ride London Grand Prix Bike Event, the 10-mile Brompton World Championships final will take place at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1.

The race will follow a fast 1.3-mile loop around Central London’s St. James Park. 

“Five hundred and 75 bike racers from around the world will do eight laps in a criterium style race, on a course that starts on The Mall, to Horse Guards Road and Birdcage Walk, and then finishes directly facing Buckingham Palace. Pretty amazing location, for me it's an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and an experience that I'm so grateful to be able to be a part of,” he said.

So, what is a Brompton bike?

“A Brompton is a foldable bicycle used by many people who commute to work or travel,” Knoll explained. “I understand that it was originally called a subway bike. The Brompton foldable bike is manufactured in West London and is England’s largest bicycle manufacturer.  It’s named after the Brompton Oratory in London.” 

Knoll said all Bromptons have a similar design, but there are lots of different colors and components. 

“Mine is black with tiny 16-inch wheels, a really long seat post, a straight white handlebar with brake levers and a thumb shifter for the three internal hub gears,” he said.

Knoll has had his Brompton for two years, after finding it on Craigslist in San Francisco. “I have another foldable bike that my Dad gave me, much older and not as well made. I was looking for a well made, solid small bike that I could travel with occasionally. It's been to Hawaii twice. It folds up and fits into a suitcase.”

He admits that, at his size – 6 feet, 1 inch tall and 220 pounds – it’s a funny thing watching him ride around town on his Brompton.

Knoll said his wife, April, calls it his “clown bike,” which led to him naming it “Pennywise,” for the  scary, murderous clown in Stephen King's novel, “It.”

“I love it. It’s a fun bike to ride,” he said.

As for the Brompton World Championships, “This is a serious bike race, but what makes it fun, other than it being in London, is that the bike racers cannot wear any tight fitting Lycra,” Knoll said. “Most men wear dress slacks or shorts, a button-down shirt and tie, a cool blazer, dress socks and shoes. And the women racers often wear skirts, a blouse and blazer, and flats. Basically it’s about racing in street clothes, what you would wear to work.”

Follow Knoll as he trains and travels to London for the Brompton World Championships. Check out the Richard Knoll Consulting Web site blog at www.rkplans.com or The Travel Centers Web site at www.thetravelcenters.net .

For more about the Brompton bike and the “Bromptoneers,” visit www.brompton.com and follow the hashtags #mybrompton and #bromptonmafia on social media.