I have a Ridea adapter and I had a Color+ kickstand and neither has been of Brompton quality. In terms of value, of what you get per price, both have been ridiculous. I did not try Multi-S, as there are multiple brands and, over time, I found that expanding over brand range and budget spent, did not make things any better. The overall experience has been of reaching to a wider range of clueless designers who seem, nonetheless, to find an applauding audience, as this exchange suggests.
Disk brakes on a folding bike
- Thread starter CEBEP
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I have a Ridea adapter and I had a Color+ kickstand and neither has been of Brompton quality. In terms of value, of what you get per price, both have been ridiculous. I did not try Multi-S, as there are multiple brands and, over time, I found that expanding over brand range and budget spent, did not make things any better. The overall experience has been of reaching to a wider range of clueless designers who seem, nonetheless, to find an applauding audience, as this exchange suggests.
Schwinnsta
Senior Member
- Location
- New Orleans, LA USA
The T and P models seem post Ritchie to me. Am I wrong on this? Do you count those as innovative?
tinywheels
Über Member
- Location
- South of hades
please can we move on
the plethora of aftermarket parts,superior in quality and design to brompton is undeniable. unless your cave has no tv reception nor Internet.
no one stated the parts had to be folding bike specifically nor cheaper prices than brompton original.
I suggest naysayers need to venture out more often
the plethora of aftermarket parts,superior in quality and design to brompton is undeniable. unless your cave has no tv reception nor Internet.
no one stated the parts had to be folding bike specifically nor cheaper prices than brompton original.
I suggest naysayers need to venture out more often
Attachments
I have presumably one of the most functional Bromptons on the planet, achieved through multiple modifications. All Brompton or folding bike specific parts that went on the bike, in the course of expanding its functionality, either came off or were heavily modified as they could not be otherwise used. I.e., I think I can speak some authority. Internet can do various things to various people. I don't take spreading misinformation lightly.
tinywheels
Über Member
- Location
- South of hades
oh boy, someone has issues.
when buying bits for your bike it's buyer beware.
However with a bit of research and chatting to your mates, an informed decision can be made.
Meanwhile here on planet earth, if something seems too cheap to be true, it's probably worth giving it a miss.
The brompton is a perfectly acceptable bike out of the box. Some people like to faff about and stick bits on them. Manufacturers know this, hence the aftermarket bits.
Brompton are filling a gap with their new wunderwaffen.
Myself, I think a good product is let down by some cheapy components.
That is what prompted me to write to brompton.
They failed to provide the required bits, so I went elsewhere.
when buying bits for your bike it's buyer beware.
However with a bit of research and chatting to your mates, an informed decision can be made.
Meanwhile here on planet earth, if something seems too cheap to be true, it's probably worth giving it a miss.
The brompton is a perfectly acceptable bike out of the box. Some people like to faff about and stick bits on them. Manufacturers know this, hence the aftermarket bits.
Brompton are filling a gap with their new wunderwaffen.
Myself, I think a good product is let down by some cheapy components.
That is what prompted me to write to brompton.
They failed to provide the required bits, so I went elsewhere.
I wanted to expand Brompton's functionality and read positive opinions, such as hinted here. Notably, no product can be everything to everyone. After the first couple of mishaps, I thought it was bad luck, but as this continued I started developing a broader perspective both at the manufacturing of the folding bike aftermarket parts and opinions on them. Yes, sure one needs to be careful about opinions on anything, but the folding bike and particularly Brompton owner community exhibits a peculiar subculture.
As to other sentiments expressed in this thread, the advice of one of mentors to their mentees was "Do not read too much" meaning that the reading should not hamper the gaining one's own experiences by getting hands dirty.
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
tinywheels
Über Member
- Location
- South of hades
I suspect your wrong.
one of the first things brompton riders do is upgrade the awful little wheels that are fitted for rolling. Swiftly followed by the equally grim folding handles. Plus the nasty grips.
I won't bang on about the other upgrades possible.
So an eight mile a day commute plus regular long distance jaunts don't make a cyclist! OK, I must do better.
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
Says a cyclist. That’s why you’re on here. The vast majority of owners aren’t bothered about that stuff. Brompton know that. I rest my case.
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berlinonaut
Veteran
- Location
- Berlin Germany
"Bromton riders" do that? really? Out of 100 more less actual Bromptons, how many have fitted 3rd party wheels? How many of those who changed them did change them for bigger ones? How many because of better rolling needs? How many because of bling? I suspect a tiny fraction changed and almost none for functional reasons based on own experiences.
As you speak of "awful little wheels": Is it possible that you did not recognize that Brompton has changed the standard roller wheels already back in 2015 - seven years ago? Is it posiible that you did not recognize that since the early 2000s the "easy wheels" were available directly from Brompton as an upgrade? Are you one of those, who, based on 20 year old experiences, today actively talks people into "upgrading to easy wheels" in ignorance that the actual wheels exist in the first hand and - depending on what aspects are important to you - are either better than the easy wheels or at least almost as good?
I do own a bunch of Bromptons. One has folding handles that differ from standard - Eerdermetal ones. They were on the bike when I bought it used (and they are indeed better than factory standard). I do barely see 3rd party handles on the street and the people that have changed to 3rd party handles (apart from the Eerder ones) have done it for the optics - typically they even say they handle worse, but they look better.
That's true.
Would be interesting. I have the suspicion that if back then when approaching Brompton with your idea of a tuning department they may not have liked your attitude and communication style but way more important: What you have in mind may be a market (and Brompton serve it themselves - they do have a small amount of "blingy" upgrade parts including handles since I think last year) but it it not at all relevant for the mission of the company which is about changing urban transport. So maybe you were too early, maybe you were too nasty, maybe your concept was not convincing to them, maybe your vision was not their vision.
If it was such a great idea: Why didn't you start your own business then and produce that kind of stuff? I you were right back then you would be a rich man by now...
I don’t know what Brompton changed 7 years ago, but on my 2021 models stock small wheels were total crap. Small plastic crap without bearings. I changed mines for original Brompton ones, but once you plan to change them it doesn’t matter what you will change them to. What matters is original wheels that comes with Brompton is crap. Then everyone is deciding for themselves which wheels to choose, Brompton’s Eazy wheels or third party ones if they want to pay alot less for same functionality. I’m pretty sure those who have rear racks, majority out of 100 owners would upgrade the wheels unless they’re mot a masochists.
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
It amazes me that companies practise this petty price cutting on parts especially when producing a premium product like a Brompton. How much does it save them fitting a poor quality item instead of something worthy of the brand. I don't know, a few quid? Over the thousands they produce I'm sure it's a substantial amount of savings but the harm it does the brand is immense when customers find they're having to replace poor fittings. I guess they have to keep the investors happy.
I hope your day job keeps you far from any engineering as those on the receiving end could be in some peril. Presumably, this is the case as you have a technician carry out even simple tasks for you. We are for years users of previous and now current Brompton roller wheels and I am unaware of any aftermarket better in that functionality. In design, you build layers where the outer layers are weaker, cheaper and easier to replace than the inner. Their fragility protects the more expensive, harder to replace items such as the rear triangle or rack. Otherwise, in spite of multiple specialized parts, Brompton keeps the price of the whole bike and of the replacement parts low by making parts as good as needed and not over-engineering. If you want gold-plated pedals, you are free to install them, just do not blame Brompton for not including them in the originally priced bike.
Well, actually I am an engineer and understand how Brompton Eazy wheels are designed and why they need to be placed the way they are placed on the rear rack. It doesn’t make stock roller wheels any better, they are still garbage. Considering your superior engineering skills, I’d hate to brake it to you, that a wheel that you are supposed to roll the bike with extra weight on is supposed to have a thingy called bearing. Not metal to plastic friction design. And the only reason why Brompton don’t install them stock is to charge you £24 a pare or 2x if you have a rear rack.
I didn’t get your attempt of humor with gold plated pedals, but my MKS Allways ones are absolutely superior and mich more comfortable than stock pedals.
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