Bumpity bump!
I'm definitely doing this this month. What's the difference between the models and is there any reason that I should choose one over the other? All I know is that I need as much help as possible to get my fat backside up hills, impossible even on my road bike, and that a rack might be nice.Do these come as standard or extra?
Ta
Everything comes as an extra with a Brompton - they can be built exactly to your spec, but this will obviously take a little longer than buying one off the shelf.
You can specify your gears, as follows;
Single speed
Two speed (with derailleur)
Three speed (Sturmey Archer hub)
Six speed (derailleur & sturmey archer)
You can also spec higher of lower ratios on the gears, so you out to be able to find something that helps with the hills.
Beyond gears one of the other main differences are the handle bars, the S-type are straight and a little lower down, the M-Type are shaped a little like the top half of an 'H" and the H-Type are higher versions of the M-Type.
You can spec your own paint colour, or no paint at all and you can even go for parts in Titanium, if pockets allow.
If you are likely to be pulling it around folded the easy-wheels might be a good option. Also mudguards are recommended.
In an ideal world I would have specced mine very differently to what I bought, but I needed it quickly so had to buy off the shelf. If I had had the time, I would have bought a truly bespoke Brompton. That said, I do love mine and the freedom that it gives, mostly the ability to take it on the train for longer journeys and a little cycling at the other end. Also useful for trips to the pub