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berlinonaut
Veteran
- Location
- Berlin Germany
It used to be around 1kg, ~100g of that due to the absence of the pump. Today it is rather 700-750g as there are no more ti-seatposts and no more ti-bolt on the folding pedal. In fact it is ti-fork and ti-rear-frame, "Ultralight" front wheel (with a way better hub than standard), aluminium headset of higher quality and ti mudguard stays.
Over the years the weight saving quoted by Brompton changed slightly multiple times and not always along with changes to the components. Ti was invented in 2005 with the ti-seapost being an option in the UK but standard in i.e. Germany. The ti-seatpost went in 2010, was replaced by an aluminium one and that went in 2011 and was replaced by the standard steel one. The "ultralight" front wheel i.e. was only invented in 2009, went in around 2013 on most bikes and was replaced by the standard hub but with DD-spokes, went fully a bit later (standard/DD now on all ti-bikes) and came back in around 2018 or 2019 and has been there since. In the beginning only Ti-bikes had the pentaclip (along with a lighter Fizik saddle) until in 2009 the pentaclip became standard on all bikes as did the new Brompton saddle (that replaced the Fizik as well).
So depending from the year and the model the weight saving might be higher or lower.
Her in Germany for the earliest models it was around 600€, went mad up to around 970€ a couple of years ago and is a tad lower again now.
Is it worth it? Yes and no. Less weight is recognizable and helpful. No corrosion on the ti parts is welcome. The price tag is very debatable in my opinion. I do own steel and ti Brommis and clearly prefer the ti-versions due to the weight saving.
T4tomo
Legendary Member
Ah I didn't realise the Ti seatpost has gone, Yes mine has that - why did it discontinue?
The only other thing that I've change over the years, other than replacing a rear mudguard that broke (yes they are essential!) was to upgrade the brake levers to the new type that came along at some point, which were much better, the old ones were functional but a bit pony.
D
Deleted member 26715
Guest
About 3 months ago?
I've just weighed my modded C3, as detailed above It now has aluminium mudguards and chain guard and I replaced the rear reflector with a combined reflector/USB rechargeable light, and fitted leather grips with contrast stitching, plus a KMC red/black chain. The bike now weighs 10.7kg
EDIT: It also now has a Ti seatpost.
berlinonaut
Veteran
- Location
- Berlin Germany
At that time Brompton had issues with reliable delivery of sufficient amounts of the seat posts from their supplier (I think in Russia) as well as prices going up. There had been a very tiny number of breaking seatposts as well as far as I know, but I don't think these were relevant for or cause of the decision. The idea was to use aluminium posts instead, gaining a roughly similar weight saving together with a cheaper price and more reliability regarding stock delivery from the supplier. This change happened in 2010, but after a very short while it turned out that the surface coating of the aluminium posts vanished quickly over time, leaving the seat posts in very ugly optics. Thus the aluminium posts were dished from the lineup after only one year or so and from thereon all Bromptons had the same steel posts, raising the weight of the ti-bikes.
Back then there were no 3rd party ti-posts or carbon posts (apart from the few Steve Parry built for some of his bikes and a small early series from an, I think, Brithish or Scottish small company, long out of production by now and I think also back in 2010). The first ones after 2010 came from Brompfication by Peter Griebel, who founded the company in 2010 or 2011 and they were for quite a long time the only suppliers of Ti-posts for the Brompton. There was an aluminium post from a french company, but it was quite heavy (and also long gone today) and another aluminium one popped up from Lightskon with integraded rear lights, still on the market today. It was only around 2016ish and later when the various Asian tuning parts companies established one after the other and only little later the various Chinese suppliers of cheap ti- and carbon posts and other tuning stuff hit the market and started to sell via ebay, aliexpress and alike, initially partly with a somewhat dubious quality of some of their posts. Today there is a plenthora of offerings in all price and quality regions and under various brands and as far as I can judge there is not always direct correlation between quality and price. The only European brand currently selling a ti-post is I think Jtek. Worth noting that only since a short while there are offerings for a telescopic ti-post again but at a ridiculously high price.
Archie_tect
De Skieven Architek... aka Penfold + Horace
- Location
- Northumberland
Can you weigh yourself- our bathroom scales are useless!
I spy a modded wire basket with Brompton mount 😎
i managed to hybridise my basket so it fits the Brommie and one of my wife’s road bikes with a Rixen and Kaul style basket from Wilko
Kell
Veteran
- Location
- High Wycombe/London
I had some luggage scales and was intrigued.
H6L Brompton is 12.9 kg.
My Triban 3 (cheap road bike) is 10.9kg
My Carbon Giant TCR is 9.35kg
I, on the other hand, am currently 100kg.
Last edited:
Kell
Veteran
- Location
- High Wycombe/London
Just for the record - I didn't weigh myself on the luggage scales.
Not sure I'd know where to put the hook for a start.
Not sure I'd know where to put the hook for a start.
tinywheels
Über Member
- Location
- South of hades
as a fat bastard I have little use of super light bikes. my main concern is getting my own excess weight off. That would enable me to climb better,and travel further and faster. In the meantime I will continue plodding on.
