Janet-Joy Wilson is one of a few official Brompton Ambassadors in North America. In 2024, Janet-Joy moved back to Toronto from New York City. Living in New York was always her dream, but the job offered little empowerment. For the return trip back, Janet-Joy decided to make it human powered. Taking the Empire State Trail up the Hudson and down the Erie Canal, Janet-Joy rode her Brompton folding bike the entire stretch back. Now, that’s human empowerment! We interviewed Janet after she returned to discuss her tour, her Brompton bike, and the importance of breakfast sandwiches when bike touring.
How did you first find Brompton and what was your original use?
My origin story began in the winter of 2017 with a date. His name was Ken and he had a few bicycles (like I did!) and one of his was a Brompton. The first time we met, it was on College Street for drinks, his bicycle was folded, under the table, and an order was placed while I was still looking for a spot to lock my bike up to and hoping it would be there afterwards. In the process of getting to know him, I learned about this incredible bicycle.
Later we happened to be in NYC at the same time for conferences and added days to cycle the city. Ken landed at LGA with his Brompton. He unfolded and was at the hotel while I was still waiting for a taxi. Later while cycling in Central Park, he was zooming ahead while I on a rented bicycle watched others in awe at his speed. He went on yearly trips to places with big hills. While waiting for the ferry to go to Governors Island, there was a couple in front of us with Bromptons! I saw my future where both of us could fold and go anywhere. We even went to a Brompton store in the East Village (no longer there) and I was gobsmacked.
Months later, I went shopping for my own and purchased a Brompton H6L in ‘Stardust Black’, thanks to Eric and Timm at Curbside Cycle [Timm and Eric are now co-owners of PEDAAL]. Am I still dating Ken? No. Do I still have my Brompton and go everywhere with it? Yes!!
Most people buy a Brompton for commuting, but you rode from NYC! On one hand, how would you rate the Brompton for commuting, and on the other, how would you rate it for this tour that you just completed?
While living in Toronto, I did not use my Brompton for commuting only because I had another bicycle and a winter bike for my 30km roundtrip. The downtown building I worked in had very anti-bike security guys – even for a folded one – and the elevator ride to the 14th floor seemed perilous under their watchful eyes.
When I moved to New York City, I originally thought I’d use CitiBike for commuting. In 2022 my neighbourhood in Flatbush did not have any docks so I purchased a Brompton at The Junction in Manhattan for my short commute (8km roundtrip). It was the best decision ever! I had freedom, saved money & time as transit was okay but took longer than cycling, and never had to worry about my own bike being stolen while working in DUMBO nor at my apartment.
When I made my purchase, I was advised by the Junction’s Store Manager to download the MeetUp app and join Brompton New York. They said there were a lot of social rides. That February I joined a ride from Central Park to the Bronx Brewery and my conduit to community was launched! My rating for Brompton is 10+
What did you carry on this tour? Did you camp? Stay in Hotels? Glamp? Tell us more!
I used my Brompton Market Basket which is light yet holds a lot! I packed my clothes into two small waterproof cubes. Around this I stuffed my rain gear, extra food, and spare tubes. Why didn’t I camp? Well, I had just gone backcountry canoe tripping in northern Ontario and my gear is too heavy for a bicycle let alone it was in Toronto and I had flown back to NYC.
I stayed in AirBNBs and one time I had to stay in a hotel as choice was limited. I did glamp!! It was a farm with fancy canvas tents next to a stream in the woods. It was remote so they provided lots of food that I grazed on while I relaxed into a big comfy bed for two nights. Weather influenced my accommodation choices as Cyclone Debbie after effects made its way up to NY state with extreme weather warnings. When I heard flash flooding that’s when I just stayed put. Cycling next to the Erie Canal with limited exits to safety didn’t seem like a good idea to ride.
What made you do this tour?
Determination.
I quit my NYC job in May due to an extremely toxic environment. One of my friends in the City said, “now, you can have a ‘hot girl’ summer!” I did that for June as I already had lots of bike weekends planned. But when you have a NYC apartment and no income, hot girl summer has to be short! I divested myself of apartment stuff in July, flew back as planned to Toronto for an annual backcountry canoe trip, and then drove 32 hours to and from NYC to bring back some stuff. A week later was my return flight to NYC. During all this planning plus back & forth on planes and automobiles I thought – I want to return to Toronto using my own power.
Additionally, this was an opportunity to ‘cycle through my thoughts’ and transition back to Canada. It turned into a therapeutic journey as I had to rebuild my confidence. Choosing one’s path albeit on the well-marked Empire State Trail, provided an empowering adventure. The wonderful benefit of a Brompton is that it is an automatic conversation starter. Cycling the Empire State Trail on a Brompton meant even more questions! I loved meeting new people along the way and trusting that sixth sense.
I should note that I did not look like I was on an epic journey of 750 miles across New York state. I wore a dress (it was August and HOT) with bike shorts beneath, one market bag on the front of my Brompton, and a small handlebar bag. That’s it. It was easy to travel light as I was not camping but I still required rain gear (oh it rained!), bike tools (oh I had flats!), sunscreen (miles of open trail), and 2 litres of water (hydration is key!).
It looks like thirty Bromptoneers led you out of NYC, that’s incredible! Tell us more about your Brompton NYC crew, how many they number and what makes them special.
Oh gosh! When I started speaking out loud my idea to ride The Empire State Trail to Buffalo and then on to Toronto – all my friends said “of course you are.” Dana, my closest NYC friend, asked if I’d like a ‘farewell 40 mile ride’ planned that would launch me. As well, she wondered if I wanted further company for a few days as she had some vacation time she could use.
Was I gobsmacked? YES!!
I had ridden the Empire State Trail along the Hudson Valley Greenway Trail and further up to Brewster and beyond so I did not feel required to begin on a route I’d ridden many many times. The launch group on August 4th included friends I’d met from my first Brompton New York ride in February 2022 to people who signed up on MeetUp for their first ride with brand new Bromptons! We met at Grand Central Station, a start for our many daily & weekend rides, and rode the train to Brewster. From there we cycled some incredible trails to Poughkeepsie with lunch at a restaurant that had space for all 30 Bromptons in their back room. Bikes mean business as we devoured huge plates of food!
We finished for a group photo on the Bridge Over The Hudson in Poughkeepsie and thankfully their return train to Manhattan was due shortly so the goodbye was short otherwise I would have been a weepy mess! I still had miles to go for a first night in New Paltz.
You said you’ve had a breakfast sandwich every day of this tour. Can you call out the restaurants and who was your fave?
My Brompton is powered by me therefore food was really important on days when I was biking 80 miles in the rain &/or humidity. My days were broken into 20-mile segments which meant I either stopped & snacked on prepacked food or tried to find a great spot for a Second Breakfast. The Breakfast Sandwich on the menu was usually egg, cheese, and bacon! This was da best fuel for my journey and became a quest. Here is my Top 3:
Peace Love Coffee, Jordan, NY. Just off the trail and had been recommended by fellow travellers a day or two earlier. Why so good? Homemade biscuit (& other choices). Awesome bacon. So many choices of cheese. Best cuppa coffee. Sara, the owner, was welcoming, fun, generous, and more! Her cafe was gorgeous, comfortable, easy to put my Brompton under the table next to the window. This spot was beloved by the community!
The Bakery, New Paltz, NY. In a sweet little town on the Trail. It’s not called THE Bakery for being shabby. Everything was homemade.This was my FIRST Breakfast Sandwich on the road and it really set the bar HIGH! The large homemade bagel, crispy bacon (yum!!), and a delicate egg was outstanding. They had the sweetest backyard patio which all added to deliciousness.
Grinds Café & Sweet Shoppe, Brockport, NY. I almost didn’t stop here as it was a mile or two off the trail and up a hill and I was so tired, hot, and didn’t want to go off trail. BUT thankfully I decided to detour because there were zero food options ahead. I had their Café Way on a croissant which had egg, cheddar cheese, & bacon + lettuce, tomato, red onion, with mayo. It was excellent! I purchased giant cookies to go after using their large & clean washroom (always a must!) while I relaxed in their cool (much needed) spacious eat in space.
Had to add this 4th and Final Breakfast Sandwich – a pitch perfect 2nd Breakfast after I rode from Grimsby to Burlington – at JC’s Hot Bagels in Burlington, ON! It was a great location near the GO Station as friends were meeting me to ride the last miles. When I arrived, I wondered IF I had made a poor decision because it was within a mall and the patio was in the parking lot. BUT then I saw the lineup and knew I had found a local legend. Jack and Joseph Chami, two of seven Lebanese siblings, opened JC’s Hot Bagels on March 13, 1995. Their famous Bacon (thick cut) & Egg (scrambled) sandwich on a Bagel is legendary but then I added everything to it – lettuce, tomato, avocado, and the kitchen sink. People stopped to look at the size of my sandwich – it had to be a foot tall! – rather than my Brompton which was unusual.
How did you become the Brompton ambassador? What is a Brompton ambassador?
As soon as I purchased my Brompton at The Junction in NYC, I joined MeetUp and went on my first social ride from Central Park to the Bronx Brewery. Along the way I met key people from Brompton and the community. As soon as I mentioned The Reading Line and my years of producing rides, I was asked to be a Ride Leader. I waited until July of that year to produce one of my signature Book Rides albeit very simple as that month had a Heat Wave! From then on, my confidence and knowledge of the city expanded and I was set up as an Organizer on Meetup. It was early in 2024 that the Ambassador / Ride Leader program was formalized and training was required.
What rides did you do around NYC and Toronto? What is your proudest or best ride so far?
One of the most attended rides in NYC that I produced was celebrating The Reading Line’s 10th Anniversary on June 1, 2024 which was also the beginning of Pride Month. I programmed two local debut authors incorporating a ride along the Hudson Greenway across the Brooklyn Bridge to Red Hook in Brooklyn and finished at Vanderbilt Open Streets. I included speakers from a local community newspaper in Battery Park City, The Nonbinarian Book Bike in Brooklyn, a visit to BonBonCandy for sweets to get up the hills in Park Slope, and the Chair of Vanderbilt BIA. Books were available for sale from the queer bookstore Hive Minds Books. I am proud of this ride for the variety of elements including: cultural entertainment, educational, and supportive of the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
In Toronto, I’m proud of the BrompTOberfest rides. I was inspired by the NYC annual ride. In 2023 our inaugural ride was a tour to three German architects’ work in the downtown ending with Berlin Street Food in Kensington Market. In 2024 I led people to three German artists’ work in midtown with a finish of Donairs in the Grange Park. What I love about this kind of bike tour is introducing locations in our city that even long-time residents have never noticed!
Any more travel plans with your Brompton? What’s the dream trip?
Any more travel plans with your Brompton? What’s the dream trip? As I cycled along the Empire State Trail, I was dreaming of The Champlain Trail section from Montreal south to Albany but a lot of it is on the road which is not that much fun nor safe! Definite plans in 2025 include: Germany and France with my Brompton NYC friends in April!! And, I can’t wait to make some Brompton Montreal friends at Le Tour de l’Île de Montréal in June.
