My TRICE is a fantastic bike, and I do get away with taking it on off-peak trains, but not even I would attempt it in the rush-hour. A folding bike is the only solution then.

There are folding bicycles that are pleasant to ride. There are folding bicycles that fold down into a very small space. And there are folding bicycles which fold quickly & easily.

If you want all three, however, there is only one choice: a Brompton. It has a solid (if quick-steering) ride, and gearing that will climb hills while allowing reasonably-paced riding on the flat. It folds into a size which fits onto a luggage-rack or between the seats of a commuter train. And folding and unfolding takes less than 20 seconds.

It is also a practical shopping-bike, with an optional 22-litre bag that clips on & off in literally two seconds.

A major concern with an expensive bike is the risk of theft. Bromptons offer no such worries as you don't ever have to leave it outside. Just fold it up and take it in with you: offices, shops, banks - even restaurant cloakrooms.

The bike isn't especially light, weighing around 13kg, but then it doesn't really need to be: for any distance longer than 100 metres, you just unfold it and wheel it.

It terms of ridability, small wheel sizes and reduced wheel-bases do of course impose some limitations. The ride is pretty hard, thanks to a pretty solid rubber suspension, and the steering is quite quick. But you quickly get used to it, and it feels solid and stable even at speed. For a two-month contract on client premises, I cycled 13 miles a day on one, and it's very comfortable for that sort of distance.