roley poley
Veteran
- Location
- leeds
nice link to SA there... would be interested in a picture of the other side of the bike to see the outlet of the rear hub axle also the trigger shifts to confirm our ideas
Brompton - Need help to identify
- Thread starter Omar
- Start date
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rogerzilla
Legendary Member
Worth about £300. Can be modernised or converted to a 3 speed if you wish.
Worth a bit more than that, I paid £350 for mine which was in very similar condition and have spent about the same again on it. You’d probably get around £400 for yours now, you can’t get hold of them.
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- Location
- London
I thought the six speed only came in very late 90s - after sturmey archer was bought/stripped and, denied regular access to the 5 speed hub, brompton had to pause production of the 5 speed and redesign the back end to take an alternative hub?
I bought a 5 speed, strangely enough in Nottingham just a hop from the sturmey archer factory, only a few weeks before it became obsolete.
But still a great bike.
Darius_Jedburgh
Veteran
I had a 5 speed SA, not on a Brompton, and that had two levers. Was a total PIA to get working properly.
- Location
- London
Mine has only one lever.
I think it's called the sprinter.
Mine was one of the later sprinters - seem to remember that an earlier one was more problematical than mine.
I love it - no derailleur, have been up mountains with it. You have to take a certain care with it.
A pity there is no longer a 5 or 6 speed without a derailleur I think.
Blame the money manipulators.
roley poley
Veteran
- Location
- leeds
The options you have on gears has come a long way.Kinetics in Glasgow do an 8 speed SA wheel (X-RF8(W) 325% range that slips straight in with no modifications required for £395 all kit included, operated by one twist shifter !! Looking down the back of the sofa now for loose change... I am content with another chainwheel bolted on the existing one as I am a tight Yorkshireman
Luckily I live on the flat, 3 speed is fine for me!
berlinonaut
Veteran
- Location
- Berlin Germany
Only a fool would pay that. A 92 Brompton differs massively even from your mid-nineties model. Starting with the five-star hub and not ending with the 1" steerer column and the unusual bar size. As I always mention: Bromptons look similar over the years on first look but there are changes every year. Typically the younger bike is the better one. A 92 is so far off today's standards and even from late nineties standards that a resonable buyer will pay a lower price, the more as spareparts are no longer available for fork, frame and hub.
And - as you say: You payed 350 and spent another 350 on it and still have a mid nineties model. What Brompton would you get for 700? In the Uk I'd assume for 700 you'd end up with a Brompton younger than 2010 or maybe even than 2013 in good nick, not needing additional investments or repair. Now imagine the same bill with a Brompton that is even further back one evolutionaly step - what's the better deal? The old clunker or it's younger silbling?
2002
The sprinter was the successor of the 5/2 (or five star) hub and invented on the Brompton in April 1994.
rogerzilla
Legendary Member
I saw this model on a commission sale in the local Brompton dealer for £250 a few years ago. Would have bought it but I already had two at the time!
We know it’s not worth £400 @berlinonaut but these are crazy times in the used bike world.
You are right I could have bought a much newer, serviceable Brompton for same price, but where is the fun in that? I prefer do my own thing even if it’s not the most economical route to take.
You are right I could have bought a much newer, serviceable Brompton for same price, but where is the fun in that? I prefer do my own thing even if it’s not the most economical route to take.
berlinonaut
Veteran
- Location
- Berlin Germany
That's a good reason (and I my eyes the only valid reason) to go that route. Here in Germany, where Bromptons are more expensive than in the uk, I tend to say: For a good used Brompton you'll have to spend around 1000€. Either for a proper bike in good shape or for a cheaper bike plus upgrade parts and repair. Typically the proper bike is the better deal. To test this a friend and me each did an experiment. One was to buy an as-new and barely ridden late nineties MK2 and upgrade it to modern standards within reason. Ended up at 600€ for the bike and 600€ in parts, not counting the work. The other was to buy a relatively modern but very used Brompton and bring it in the condition to make it an as cheap-as-possible but very reliable every-day bike. I managed to grab a 2010 M6RD for 500€ (really cheap over here, barely ever happens) that looked well used and a bit mistreated but generally in working order. Spend another 500€ in parts and endet up with a good, reliable bike but less way good and in way less shiny shape than a used 1000€ Brompton would have been. And needs further investment in not too distant future (rims). So I'd say claim proved. Spend around a 1000€ and buy the younger bike in better nick.
It's frightening how quickly the costs start to add up, being new to Bromptons I thought a quick service and some bits and bobs would sort it out, little did I know what would be involved, although I'm really pleased with the finished bike and I use it far more than I thought I would, I personally like the older original, patinated frame with some newer updated components, for me it's the best of both worlds!
The chap at Brilliant Bikes told me that most £500 Ebay Brompton's need a couple of hundred pounds spending on them.
The chap at Brilliant Bikes told me that most £500 Ebay Brompton's need a couple of hundred pounds spending on them.
mitchibob
Über Member
- Location
- Treorchy, Wales
The comment about incremental improvements over the years is very certainly true. I don't think I've ridden a Brompton that was much over about 10 years old so far, all well maintained, but just the small differences between oldest I've ridden, and even just between the 2016 models and 2018 models that I own, are very noticeable when riding, and not all improvements are easily applied to older models, no matter how similar they all look.
A girl I work with has a brand new 2 Speed Brompton. We’ve ridden each other bikes and it is interesting to compare. Although mine has been completely rebuilt and all the headset, wheel and BB bearings have been stripped and replaced mine does feel like a much older bike, it could be that the rear triangle pivots are far more worn. but hers just felt much tighter, quieter and more modern. However as mine has 2018 onwards brakes fitted, they felt identical on both bikes, in fact she preferred my Shimano levers.
