Cheap Brompton front bags

[berlinonaut]

A little bit of digging about the bag brought interesting results. The bag @Joffey bought via the ebay-link @Kell found looks like it's made from plastic / foil:

So, a bag update:

View attachment 681808

The first picture in the auction https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175496123985 looks a little bit more friendly regarding the materials:

but another one shows the plastic more clearly:

However: What's interesting is, that it is made by a company called "Rhinowalk" (or at least labeled).
The companies hompage is https://rhinowalk-brand.com/ and their marketing claim is "more cheaper". They do have a list of all their bags on their homepage, but not the one in question.

They do however have another domain where they advertise and sell the bag for 35$ https://rhinowalk.com/en-de/products/brompton-handlebar-bag-with-adapter

This second domain is also linked in a youtube video about the bag (where it again does not look like plastic at all):

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndFvHKHVC0A


The model of the bag is "Rhinowalk RK9107" and if google for that name you'll find a number of shops selling it (as cheap as 17€: https://www.sunsky-online.com/p/TBD...l-Bicycle-Bag-with-Rain-Cover-Matt-Green-.htm). Personally I think this is to cheap for the work and materials involved, let alone the development and design of the bag - but Rhinowalk comes from China.

The first one of the Rhinowalk domains has in their imprint:
Company Name: Hangzhou Frozen Pear Technology Co., Ltd.
Company Address: Room 201, North Building, 11 Building, Hangzhou Xintiandi Business Center, Xiacheng District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province
Company email: jeff.world1988@gmail.com

whereas the second one has:
Company: Hangzhou Xibu Technology Co., Ltd.
Add : NO.1779 XIANGBIN ROAD, WENYAN STREET, XIAO SHAN DISTRICT,HANGZHOU CITY, ZHEJIANG PROVINCE
B2B International business: sales@rhinowalk.com
Retail order issue: shop@rhinowalk.com

So two Rhinowalks, both in the same city, same brand owned by two different companies, one of which seems just to have one single room along with a gmail-address. Welcome to China.

What I really find interesting is the pretty clever and complex design of the bag with the possibility of size adjustment. This picture comes from the ebay auction (and does again not look like plastic ;-)):

Now have a look at the bikegang shop and a bag they sell from a brand called Niyol for GBP47:

https://bikegang.ecwid.com/Brompton...erial-MiniO-Mini-O-bag-Alternative-p539885622

According to them it comes from Korea:

Brand: Niyol
Country/Region of Manufacture: South Korea
Origin: South Korea
Item location: Taiwan
Status: In stock
Payment: Paypal, Credit cards
Ship to:: World wide
Weight: 700 g

Looks once more as if in China shameless cloning has happend by stealing other people's designs, manufactoring it cheaply and flooding the market with a cheap price... Or the other way round. I heavily doubt that these two have been independently developed.

 

[tinywheels]

the niyol one looks rather nice.

 

[Joffey]

the niyol one looks rather nice.

Yes it does! I wish I had found that!

 

[Time Waster]

We all grasp the false economy argument but if you only have £40 to spend you can't spend £80 to avoid spending £40 in 2 years!

How about 40 quid every 6 years and so far 2 years and counting on paramo that's just been cleaned and reproofed. It looks much closer to new after that. Surprised how worn it looked before that but how refreshed it is now. Even the fabric feels softer and slinkier than ever! Worth paying attention to paramo maintenance recommendations!

So false economy at 40 quid over 6 years plus? That's less than 3 pence a day based on 6 years at 48 weeks a year and 5 days a week. I probably owned it for longer and used it more too.

More expensive doesn't equate to longevity neither. I've had expensive hiking boots fail I just over a year. I've had trainers at £60 last longer over the same hills plus leisure use between walks. I've experienced disappointment with expensive too. It's a much about buying quality which comes in many price points.

 

[berlinonaut]

It's a much about buying quality which comes in many price points.

True - but you did not ask for a quality Brompton bag but for the cheapest 20l Brompton bag possible (which was exactly my point of criticism)...

What's the cheapest Brompton bag about 20 litres for front block?

Which was answered.

How about 40 quid every 6 years and so far 2 years and counting on paramo that's just been cleaned and reproofed.

Good to hear, but the comments were based on the information you gave and this was:

Mine gets used 5 days a week 48 weeks a year or not far off it. My expensive waterproof jacket is looking decidedly worn at my lower back area after using my rucksack for these two years. So probably a good idea for me even if not needed for the op.

 

[Origamist]

I converted an Altura Grid Travel Bag with an S Frame and zip ties. Cost about 40 quid with the frame. It's 20L, has lots of compartments and a reflective front. Not the prettiest if you look at the back, but complements my nickel frame.

I have now upgraded my DIY bag and have a Chrome Vega brief case (15L) and a 23cm x 16.5cm frame that slips very snugly into the trolley sleeve. I am happy with this arrangement as the Chrome bag is excellent quality, converts into a rucksack, does not require zip ties, is relatively lightweight and is a great day/overnight bag.

Comments regarding its similarity to a Dell laptop bag from c.2007 will be ignored😄

 

[Gunk]

I'd rather look for the intended purpose first than asking for cheap as the first priority. What does a cheap solution help if it is not fit for purpose?
Also you could ask yourself: If you consider a genuine Brompton bag expensive and another bag cheap - what distinguishes the two apart from the price?

I agree, the genuine bags are without doubt the best option, I picked up a basket bag brand new, never used with a pump recently off the bay of dreams for only £50.

 

[404 Not Found Anywhere]

You did very well there, I was pleased with mine at £55 BNWT.

 

[mitchibob]

Hello, new Brompton owner here. Wondering if there are any cheap bags that attach to the clip above the wheel at the front? Seen a few links on here but they are now expired. Not wanting something massive, just something that will fit wallet, phone and a couple of bottles of beer etc.

Cheers

Well, is that a couple bottles of beer, or I'm on my way to local beer shop to get "a couple bottles of beer"? What size are these bottles? Sounds like the rest of the stuff could be in a pocket, but lets get to important details.

Think I've got about a dozen or so 500ml bottles in a T-Bag (now Large Borough Bag) before now. Local beer shop now has more cans, plus uphill, rather than downhill ride back home, so certainly weigh up shopping basket a little differently to when it was downhill. When it was downhill, more worried about whether luggage block could take it. With uphill ride back from beer shop, more about whether I can take it.

 

[tinywheels]

Well, is that a couple bottles of beer, or I'm on my way to local beer shop to get "a couple bottles of beer"? What size are these bottles? Sounds like the rest of the stuff could be in a pocket, but lets get to important details.

Think I've got about a dozen or so 500ml bottles in a T-Bag (now Large Borough Bag) before now. Local beer shop now has more cans, plus uphill, rather than downhill ride back home, so certainly weigh up shopping basket a little differently to when it was downhill. When it was downhill, more worried about whether luggage block could take it. With uphill ride back from beer shop, more about whether I can take it.

You could stop and drink some at various points, this would help reduce weight.

 

[berlinonaut]

You could stop and drink some at various points, this would help reduce weight.

On the other hand many would say: Stopping drinking would help to reduce weight, at least if we talk about beer.

 

[mitchibob]

You could stop and drink some at various points, this would help reduce weight.

Less reward beers at the end in that case! Need to get priorities correct.

 

[PaulRoberts]

Hello, new Brompton owner here. Wondering if there are any cheap bags that attach to the clip above the wheel at the front? Seen a few links on here but they are now expired. Not wanting something massive, just something that will fit wallet, phone and a couple of bottles of beer etc.

Cheers

look on aliexpress there are loads.