Let's see your Brompton
Discussion
I blame this thread
The correct number of bicycles to own is always one more than you already have, so a B75 with basket and rear saddlebag has been purchased. 60 miles last weekend over two days and very impressed. Bought primarily for partial commute to work in good weather, and maybe with a bit of ‘go somewhere new in car or on train’ cycle touring when I don’t fancy taking one of the big bikes or space is at a premium.
Technically it’s the ‘budget’ Brompton but it doesn’t feel like it. Might get a few mods but very happy so far.
WJNB said:
I respect the enthusiasm of Brompton ownership & the bikes quality build so please excuse the question, Is there a budget alternative?
I'm aware it may weigh more, be less compact when folded & be of poorer quality but I'm on a budget of £500 rather than £1000. The bike will be occasionally used mainly on smooth surfaces, sometimes gravel but not rough cross country. Should be small enough folded to fit into boot of Mercedes SLK boot. Some I have already tried will not.
The much sneered at Halfords chain have a small selection but I get the impression that Evans is the proper place to go.
ps how easy are Brompton's stolen? Seems that a folded one can be quickly picked up & run off with. Can they be fitted with the motoring equivalent of a Tracker (tracking device)?
I used my Dahon Uno for over 5 years before upgrading to a Hummingbird I'm aware it may weigh more, be less compact when folded & be of poorer quality but I'm on a budget of £500 rather than £1000. The bike will be occasionally used mainly on smooth surfaces, sometimes gravel but not rough cross country. Should be small enough folded to fit into boot of Mercedes SLK boot. Some I have already tried will not.
The much sneered at Halfords chain have a small selection but I get the impression that Evans is the proper place to go.
ps how easy are Brompton's stolen? Seems that a folded one can be quickly picked up & run off with. Can they be fitted with the motoring equivalent of a Tracker (tracking device)?
hadenough! said:
WJNB said:
I respect the enthusiasm of Brompton ownership & the bikes quality build so please excuse the question, Is there a budget alternative?
I'm aware it may weigh more, be less compact when folded & be of poorer quality but I'm on a budget of £500 rather than £1000. The bike will be occasionally used mainly on smooth surfaces, sometimes gravel but not rough cross country. Should be small enough folded to fit into boot of Mercedes SLK boot. Some I have already tried will not.
The much sneered at Halfords chain have a small selection but I get the impression that Evans is the proper place to go.
ps how easy are Brompton's stolen? Seems that a folded one can be quickly picked up & run off with. Can they be fitted with the motoring equivalent of a Tracker (tracking device)?
I used my Dahon Uno for over 5 years before upgrading to a Hummingbird I'm aware it may weigh more, be less compact when folded & be of poorer quality but I'm on a budget of £500 rather than £1000. The bike will be occasionally used mainly on smooth surfaces, sometimes gravel but not rough cross country. Should be small enough folded to fit into boot of Mercedes SLK boot. Some I have already tried will not.
The much sneered at Halfords chain have a small selection but I get the impression that Evans is the proper place to go.
ps how easy are Brompton's stolen? Seems that a folded one can be quickly picked up & run off with. Can they be fitted with the motoring equivalent of a Tracker (tracking device)?
Their Build quality isn’t great. Eg gear shifters rattle, vintage gears & other parts. But a certain charm & fold well. Hold price too, dare I say appreciate in value after a year or two if purchased via a cycle ‘scheme’
I also have a Halfords Apollo Tuck. 20% of the price of a Brompton, 90% as good. No qualms about leaving locked up outside shops
Mine is a Tern A7, Tern are guys who left Dahon. Doesn't fold up that small put well put together. Listed at £470ish in most places, GoOutdoors had it at £415 with their discount card. Nationwide offered a 5% cash back if bought on their switch card.
They are 20" wheels which ride better but don't fold as small.
They are 20" wheels which ride better but don't fold as small.
Jimboka said:
I have a couple of Brompton. Believe me, Usain Bolt couldn’t pick one up & run off without being caught ... Probably less likely to get pinched as typically in house etc rather than shed.
Their Build quality isn’t great. Eg gear shifters rattle, vintage gears & other parts. But a certain charm & fold well. Hold price too, dare I say appreciate in value after a year or two if purchased via a cycle ‘scheme’
I also have a Halfords Apollo Tuck. 20% of the price of a Brompton, 90% as good. No qualms about leaving locked up outside shops
I partially disagree with you on the build quality statement. Their frames are powder coated inside and out and that is still a fairly unique for a bicycle. Mine will be 5 years old this July and has racked up approximately 10k miles in that time and its on rear wheel+hub number two. First one lasted 7k which isn't bad really and I've had two front wheels (Bearings go and aren't service items. Chain ring was changed at 7k and it had a chain and sprocket every year regardless of mileage. Their Build quality isn’t great. Eg gear shifters rattle, vintage gears & other parts. But a certain charm & fold well. Hold price too, dare I say appreciate in value after a year or two if purchased via a cycle ‘scheme’
I also have a Halfords Apollo Tuck. 20% of the price of a Brompton, 90% as good. No qualms about leaving locked up outside shops
I personally think that's pretty good considering its hardly washed and has the chain lubed once every three weeks or so and is used every working day of the week regardless of weather (Exception being snow). OK, I should have applied frame protector strips when it was new so its rubbed back to bare metal in places but I'm meh about that. Its a work horse and a very good one. Vastly superior to the Tern that I had before which had a new frame fitted under warranty after it cracked at the join.
Whilst the Terns/Dahons are cheaper and do ride better than a Brompton, their fold is very very poor in comparison and they take up much more space on a train and don't really stand self supported either. I sold my Tern when it fell over on a train and marked a chap's suit. I know several people who gave up using Terns after a few months because they were such a pain when folded....I was one of them!
donfisher said:
That looks great. How are the pedals? I went with the pretty much identical MKS EZY in the end as I wanted a pair of platforms and SPDs and was too impatient to do any proper research on the compatability of the QR system. Those look good and are considerably better value.
So far so good.They are much smaller than the original pedals but the teeth dig into the shoes better so grip is improved.
Left-hand pedal has a handy quick release if you need the bike to be extra compact
I was looking to swap the hinge plates to something either asymetric or magnetic, or both, so they hold striaght when unfolding.
Found these: They're a lot of pennies for some scruffy plastic bits but you can keep the original plates which are much cheaper than the aftermarket ones - or you could print your own if you've got a printer I guess.
http://ezclamp.co.uk/
Found these: They're a lot of pennies for some scruffy plastic bits but you can keep the original plates which are much cheaper than the aftermarket ones - or you could print your own if you've got a printer I guess.
http://ezclamp.co.uk/
I have access to a new cycle scheme voucher. 3k limit, around 50% saving (no fee to extend etc in my scheme). I quite fancy S6 super light.
I called my local Brompton dealer who take the voucher, bought a couple through them before
Lead time / 28 weeks !
I may order one anyway, but a hell of a wait !
I called my local Brompton dealer who take the voucher, bought a couple through them before
Lead time / 28 weeks !
I may order one anyway, but a hell of a wait !
AJLintern said:
Perhaps a consequence of their strong second hand value is that they become desirable to the undesirables... and their portability makes pinching them that much easier.
The amount of niave people who chain a Brompton to a bike rack is unreal around Manchester. The whole point of the bike is you fold it up and take it with you. If a shop says no I used to go elsewhere but never had that issue.
It's candy to a thief.
How will e scooters effect folding bike sales when they take a grip/commuting proper restarts?
donfisher said:
I was looking to swap the hinge plates to something either asymetric or magnetic, or both, so they hold striaght when unfolding.
Found these: They're a lot of pennies for some scruffy plastic bits but you can keep the original plates which are much cheaper than the aftermarket ones - or you could print your own if you've got a printer I guess.
http://ezclamp.co.uk/
I’ve got those. They work really well.Found these: They're a lot of pennies for some scruffy plastic bits but you can keep the original plates which are much cheaper than the aftermarket ones - or you could print your own if you've got a printer I guess.
http://ezclamp.co.uk/
Hugo Stiglitz said:
The whole point of the bike is you fold it up and take it with you. If a shop says no I used to go elsewhere but never had that issue.
Just realised I’m coming up to a year with my Brompton. Only regret is that I didn’t buy one years ago...One of many surprises with it is how it almost becomes “invisible” when folded - I used to be a bit self conscious taking it into pubs or cafes but realised pretty quickly that people really don’t notice or care - they really don’t give it a second look.
I certainly wouldn’t leave mine locked where I couldn’t keep an eye on it - especially after seeing the lead time for a replacement...
Hugo Stiglitz said:
AJLintern said:
Perhaps a consequence of their strong second hand value is that they become desirable to the undesirables... and their portability makes pinching them that much easier.
The amount of niave people who chain a Brompton to a bike rack is unreal around Manchester. The whole point of the bike is you fold it up and take it with you. If a shop says no I used to go elsewhere but never had that issue.
It's candy to a thief.
How will e scooters effect folding bike sales when they take a grip/commuting proper restarts?
On Ebay, used ones cost more than I paid new
Eg my little used 2017 s3 in raw lacquer, around 1k then. I paid half that via cyclescheme. I’d get 1k for it used now
Good to register Bromptons here:-
https://www.brompton.com/bike-registration
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 27th August 08:00
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