The Brompton World Championship (BWC) is a uniquely whimsical yet competitive cycling event well-known to Brompton foldable bicycle owners and fans. One of the race's most famous quirks is its dress code which has to reflect the heritage of the event: riders are required to wear a jacket, shirt and tie (or equivalent) — a nod to their many fans who commute to work on Brompton foldies. 

So when our friend and long-time patron, Ms. Lee, got into the BWC, we thought how cool it would be if she raced in a cheongsam! And so she did — in a custom-made batik cheongsam with a bicycle motif and a bright cyan hue that matches her Brompton bike (photo above)

Her Tong Tong cheongsam brought her lots of compliments (including attention from these suave gentlemen)! "I got loads of compliments on the dress... both online from friends, and also strangers on the street and at BWC," said an amused Ms. Lee, who works in the public sector.

But, how did she manage to ride a bike in a (typically tight-fitting) cheongsam? The "secret" lay in its ingenious construction: 

By all appearances, Ms. Lee's dress looks like any other form-fitting cheongsam (above, left). However, behind the scenes, the bottom of her "dress" is actually a comfy pair of bermuda shorts sown to a front dress flap! (above, right). Ms. Lee's cheongsam had been specially customised to give her a full range of motion and enable ease of pedalling :-) 

With this special Tong Tong dress, Ms. Lee found that "riding was no different from wearing regular shorts." However, nothing's perfect, and we still have room to improve on our design. "Going to the restroom (especially the porta potties at the event venue) was still a pain!" laughed Ms. Lee.

Ms. Lee's customised Tong Tong togs allowed her to race at speed!

Do you have a story about your Tong Tong outfit to share with us too? Just follow our Instagram and tag us (@tongtongfriendshipstore and #tongtongfriendshipstore) in your posts!