Not trying to start a fight.....but
- Thread starter Javelin301
- Start date
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Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
I'd largely agree to be fair. I love the fold, it really is something to behold, but a single story will only take you so far on the after-dinner circuit. You need a few more tricks up your sleeve to really succeed.
Not only that, I weigh well in excess of the max capacity and as a result they flop and flex underneath me alarmingly. Its more like riding a cross trainer than a bicycle. Those small wheels are not at all confidence in ducing, and the brakes are a woeful joke in 2023.
My ID9 on 451 wheels rides so, so, so much better, is solid as a rock, and while the fold is crude in comparison (its a Tern clone) it too fits in a train luggage rack, under a train seat, even between my knees. And hydraulic discs to boot.
I want to believe, I really do, but...
Not only that, I weigh well in excess of the max capacity and as a result they flop and flex underneath me alarmingly. Its more like riding a cross trainer than a bicycle. Those small wheels are not at all confidence in ducing, and the brakes are a woeful joke in 2023.
My ID9 on 451 wheels rides so, so, so much better, is solid as a rock, and while the fold is crude in comparison (its a Tern clone) it too fits in a train luggage rack, under a train seat, even between my knees. And hydraulic discs to boot.
I want to believe, I really do, but...
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
To cut to the chase, the author says: So why have I fallen out of love with my Brompton? Well, I could blame the ridiculously small wheels, which make turning any further than 15 degrees quietly terrifying, for fear the wobbly little things will slip out from under you. Or the fact that, faced with anything other than the most minuscule hill, the gears are unable to match the terrain. But the real reason is that I’m terrified it’s going to get nicked.
Leave aside the fact that my 6 speed Brompton gears are good enough for me on most (if not all) hills. The problem of bikes getting nicked doesn't just apply to Bromptons. It's true of all bikes, including crappy old beaters. The only kind of bike where that isn't a problem is hire bikes like the Santander ones in London or those Lime ones that people love to leave in big heaps blocking the pavement.
Travelling on the train I keep my Brompton either at my feet or locked to a luggage rack (I think that's against the railway roolz) and I still have to keep checking on it every 15 seconds. I stopped commuting on it when I started working at a place that wouldn't let me put it under my desk, even though they had good secure bike parking. So I get where the author is coming from.
Leave aside the fact that my 6 speed Brompton gears are good enough for me on most (if not all) hills. The problem of bikes getting nicked doesn't just apply to Bromptons. It's true of all bikes, including crappy old beaters. The only kind of bike where that isn't a problem is hire bikes like the Santander ones in London or those Lime ones that people love to leave in big heaps blocking the pavement.
Travelling on the train I keep my Brompton either at my feet or locked to a luggage rack (I think that's against the railway roolz) and I still have to keep checking on it every 15 seconds. I stopped commuting on it when I started working at a place that wouldn't let me put it under my desk, even though they had good secure bike parking. So I get where the author is coming from.
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a.twiddler
Veteran
Before the Brompton evangelists pile in, I would say that the points that the writer brings up are valid, but then he knew about them before he bought the bike didn't he? The Brompton is a pretty unique contraption, the point of its existence is the ability to fold small enough to fit on a bus or train with strict limits as luggage, yet give a tolerable riding experience. I find the ride perfectly fine, but I've had small wheelers before. As such, the vast majority of owners are not necessarily dyed in the wool cyclists. We might scoff at his inability to fix a puncture, or to realise that gearing can be changed, or even that Brompton offer variations in gear ratios off the shelf. As with cars, you could buy a less nickable folder. Folding bikes seem to be less interesting to thieves, unless they have "Brompton" written on them. Even 20" folders have a variation in ride quality between brands. I was lucky in my last folder, the Viking Safari, that it rode surprisingly well for a cheap bike, and I've had other folders that didn't ride so well. The price for that peace of mind is that it doesn't fold or carry so well, so if you get into conflict getting a Brompton into a cafe or shop, good luck with the alternative. Even the Brompton is a hefty lump to carry about. If you're not an average size, getting something that folds that is strong enough if you are extra large, or that is light enough to carry if you're small, poses extra problems. If you live somewhere that has a transport service with a more relaxed view on folding bikes eg anything with 20" wheels or less is OK, you can get by with an alternative to a Brompton. If you just need a bike that you can get into a car, there is loads of choice. Often though, finding a folder that suits your needs is the luck of the draw. The Brompton is the nuclear option if you need certainty that you will be able to get it on public transport with no quibbles. And despite what the writer of the article says, it's perfectly rideable just as a bike if you go somewhere that doesn't need you to fold it, even though I have other bikes better suited to particular purposes.
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
True, it’s a one trick pony and very expensive. It’s marmite but very good at its intended purpose. The problem for most on a cycling forum it’s not bike for cyclists, it’s for commuters, which is why there’s only one model and the brakes are poor, no need to change them as they work okay around town and it still sells. The only major mods Brompton do is to make it lighter for which you’ll pay dear.
The one major problem for owners as the writer says is that every bike comes an indelible invitation to every scum bag and drug addict, ‘Steal me’.
The one major problem for owners as the writer says is that every bike comes an indelible invitation to every scum bag and drug addict, ‘Steal me’.
rogerzilla
Legendary Member
It's a valid point. I have a pimped one with the Ti forks and rear end and I can't let it out of my sight when out of the house, which limits its usefulness. I have a more normal S6L which is slightly less attractive to scrotes, but not by much.
I've never tried taking a B into a supermarket, but I would anticipate a long and weary argument with a jobsworth security operative on minimum wage. Then I'd have become one of THOSE people.
I've never tried taking a B into a supermarket, but I would anticipate a long and weary argument with a jobsworth security operative on minimum wage. Then I'd have become one of THOSE people.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
I've been into supermarkets with no probs.
I did once go into a shop and was greeted with a sarcastic "Can't you leave that thing outside? We have provided bike racks, you know". The shop in question? Evans Cycles.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
I take my larger folder in. No arguments. Small supermarkets are fine as it's smaller than a mini trolley. Larger ones, it goes in a trolley. If I ever was refused, I'd just ride to a rival store. The only shop ever to refuse to let me put it bagged in their trolley was Lakeland. Daffodils.
derrick
The Glue that binds us together.
- Location
- On the edge of London
Spot on. i do like the idea of a Brompton though.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
I'm the same. My folder was relatively inexpensive compared to a Bromoton, but I've still eyeing it like Daddy Bear on the train. Apart from getting attached to my bikes it's an 8 mile walk from the station to my house!
My standard heuristic is if it's an opinion piece in the Spectator then i'm not going to read it- but in this case I did read it. One of the reasons I sold mine was because of bike share schemes- why lug it to Paris when I can use Velib'* and then be free of the thing? But I also miss it for reasons I hadn't anticipated, it was a great loaner bike- with the extended seatpost it would fit most people. It would fit in a trailer too. I had some great long-ish rides around the Champagne region while staying with Ms P's friends- it was a great bike to take on holiday.
*I bought mine in 2005, Velib' launched two years later
*I bought mine in 2005, Velib' launched two years later
oldwheels
Legendary Member
- Location
- Isle of Mull
I have taken a folded Brompton into supermarkets in the trolley where I put my shopping with no problems.
Kell
Veteran
- Location
- High Wycombe/London
I did it once and despite the fact that the bike was in the trolley, I loaded up items in the trolley as if I had the car.
It was only as I was approaching the checkouts that I suddenly realised I had no way to carry all the shopping home and promptly went and stuck most of it back on the shelves.
It was only as I was approaching the checkouts that I suddenly realised I had no way to carry all the shopping home and promptly went and stuck most of it back on the shelves.
Kell
Veteran
- Location
- High Wycombe/London
I have mine folded up by the door, but I stand over it. I rarely take a seat when I have the bike.
presta
Guru
I have no Brompton, or any experience of them, but I see his point about security.
I've never felt comfortable leaving my bike unattended, and consequentially it never has been left for longer than the few minutes it takes to go in a shop and buy some groceries. I often wondered how good a theft deterrent its size was, being as there's only a small fraction of the population big enough to ride it, but I don't regard my bike as trivial to replace if it got stolen, as it's full of obsolete and custom-made bits. The pannier contents are there for anyone who can be bothered to unzip them too, I totted up the value of the luggage and I think it was about £700 22 years ago, when the bike itself cost about £500.
I've never felt comfortable leaving my bike unattended, and consequentially it never has been left for longer than the few minutes it takes to go in a shop and buy some groceries. I often wondered how good a theft deterrent its size was, being as there's only a small fraction of the population big enough to ride it, but I don't regard my bike as trivial to replace if it got stolen, as it's full of obsolete and custom-made bits. The pannier contents are there for anyone who can be bothered to unzip them too, I totted up the value of the luggage and I think it was about £700 22 years ago, when the bike itself cost about £500.
