Brompton 2017 bikes new features
- Thread starter chris folder
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- brompton
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Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
Brompton need to get a new MD. Batteries need to catch up with motors and that's not happening at the moment. He'd better not be right about the future of pedal power or his company will come an almighty cropper. I'm sure he knows a one product company can't continue like that indefinitely no matter how successful they are.
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- Location
- London
Exactly.
More strength to Brompton.
I have a Dahon Speed Pro - the things I could tell you about that (including an admission from someone rather close to its production/speccing) - Dahon clearly changed the specs on bikes as they passed down the production line, forgetting some basics in the process.
My Brompton is from last century, is still going strong and may outlive me.
Kell
Veteran
- Location
- High Wycombe/London
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
Maybe not but it's certainly his responsibility to move the Brompton e bike forward and that means finding alternatives whether it's new better batteries or alternatives like fuel cells if he thinks people should 'kiss goodbye to pedal powered bicycles'.
Kell
Veteran
- Location
- High Wycombe/London
So who's going to be the first to upgrade their old ones then?
Kell
Veteran
- Location
- High Wycombe/London
This quote from Will Carleysmith suggests that that's their plan:
“What we’re going to release will be the most compact, the lightest, folding electric bike, and it will have the performance and power of the full size products that dominate the market.”
http://www.thememo.com/2016/09/19/b...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
the_mikey
Legendary Member
- Location
- South Gloucestershire
I don't know of any equal rival bike that can compete on price and size of the fold, if you consider that the bike is essentially designed for London, it pretty much goes wherever you can go in a form factor that won't (usually) get you thrown off a train. I couldn't do that with a Tern or a Dahon, and I wouldn't want to carry either of those up or down some stairs. You can have all the innovation in the world, but if it ceases to be practical it counts for nothing.
Flying Dodo
It'll soon be summer
As I've stated quite a few times on Brompton threads, it's massively over-engineered. The central beam can be drastically reduced in weight, and there's also weight savings to be made in the steerer tube and elsewhere without affecting backwards compatibility. Those would save at least 1.5kg and attract far more people who would struggle to routinely carry 10kg along platforms and onto trains.
I like your thinking there. I would certainly buy a re-engineered central beam and so would, I imagine, a lot of other B owners. The gears in the video are a mixed bag, in my view. I prefer the position of them under the grips so that it's easier to nudge them with your thumb, but I am not sure I want to nudge>nudge from 1 to 3 instead of whack>done as I do at the moment.
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
I think what we're failing to remember here is that Brompton is not a 'bike' company or better put not an 'enthusiast's bike' product, they facilitate transport across cities. I don't know if you watched the Google talk video in its entirety but Will Butler- Adams made the point that the Brompton was a bike you rode in your regular clothes without needing to put on some 'funny dress'. In this role it's superbly suited for the task. You can ride it in your work clothes, doesn't weigh too much and can easily slip under your desk or wherever. Of course people use it in other roles very successfully but this is not its intended market.
Sure Dahon, Tern and others are also making products to compete head to head with Brompton as city transport but they are also after the enthusiast market with bigger wheels and performance oriented kit. Weight and size is not so much of an issue as these people don't want to carry them on a bus or train or lug them up stairs, more likely they'll put them in the car boot, caravan or boat.
Brompton see the future as electric bikes mainly I think as its a growing market and they can maximise their profit so are happy to just tinker around with their current product without seeing the need to give it a major overhaul, after all sales are still holding up.
- Location
- London
The over engineering as you term it is something i like. Call me a daft patriot, but it rather makes me think of old phone boxes. I prefer to think of it as overbuilt. Ie, it will outlast many an over-engineered (as in value engineered) box of tricks.
And bromptons of course don't have to be carried far - that's what the wheels are for.
12boy
Guru
- Location
- Casper WY USA
There are many things that could be done to improve Bromptons as far as I am concerned, including disk brakes, a stem that would allow for a 1 1/8 inch threadless stem so it could be more adjustable and so one could change the handlebars without removing every thing on one side,more IGH options etc, but I really like the massive frame with its solid hinge that can be tightened without wearing out soft aluminum parts like most other folders.I think the weight is reasonable considering the longevity I expect from the bike and its ability to carry a lot of weight in the front. If it is heavy to pedal I can lose a few pounds. I expect to leave this bike to my offspring, as a matter of fact.
Flying Dodo
It'll soon be summer
Not all stations have lifts - some have long flights of stairs. I found carrying a Brompton very tiresome.
