How are used Brompton prices..?

[wafter]

I quite fancy one on practical grounds but the prices of most used examples are a bit rich for my pockets. I recall reading that they'd seen a lot of price growth during the pandemic - are prices still elevated or are they coming down at all? I appreciate that they're probably a bit of a special case..

 

[steveindenmark]

Bromptons are always expensive for what they are. New Brompton prices keep going up which keeps second hand prices high.

 

[ChangFai]

Is there any decent alternatives to a Brompton out there?

 

[Cycleops]

Plenty of alternatives. Among the better ones are Airnimal, Bike Friday, Tern and Birdy. Depends on your requirements.

 

[CXRAndy]

I like the GoCycle, but it's electric also

 

[Tenkaykev]

Edinburgh Bike Co-Op had a few ex demo for sale a few days ago. a few hundred off new prices iirc.
I purchased my latest Brommie earlier this year when Evans were closing their shop outside Leeds Station and had a 20% off sale off everything including Brompton bicycles. We were up in Leeds visiting our daughter and I just happened to be passing the shop on the way to the Library. I saw the sign and popped in to ask if the 20% applied to Brompton bikes and he said yes. I pondered overnight and then went back the next day and purchased the model I was interested in. By that time there were about three other Bromptons that remained unsold, when I returned the following day to collect my bike they were all sold.

 

[wafter]

Cheers all. I'm definitely only looking at the used market as I could never justify the cost of a new one. I'm open to the idea of alternatives but tbh everything seems to be noticeably cheaper and inferior with it.

I'm not desperate (although am occasionally reminded of how useful one could potentially be) so will sit on my hands and see what the market does.

My gut tells me that they're perhaps less likely to have been subject to the same sort of leisure-led impulse buying that's driven sales of other types of bike during Covid, while I think most who have them buy with a clear purpose in mind. Also, if anything the current working climate is pushing people back to the office so this might be maintaining demand too.

 

[All uphill]

Ms AU and I share a Tern and find it good for our practical purposes. We can be confident of getting it on the train, putting it in the boot of a car, or taking it with us into buildings.

It's not as fashionable as a Brompton and is still big and awkward when folded, but we can't complain for £120 five years ago.

 

[steveindenmark]

Plenty of alternatives. Among the better ones are Airnimal, Bike Friday, Tern and Birdy. Depends on your requirements.

But none of those are cheap either. There is also Moulton. Which again are expensive. Dahon are good and are probably the cheapest.

 

[EltonFrog]

The Fragrant MrsP and I both recently bought Bromptons on a cycle to work scheme which saved us about 400 quid each, which may or may not be an option for you if you are gainfully employed within an organisation that subscribes to a CTW scheme.

However we nearly didn’t buy them because we very much liked the Decathlon folder, it was a lovely bike to ride and excellent value for money. In the end though, it was all about the fold, no other folding bike comes close.

It’s interesting to me that since buying the B I hadn’t used any of my other bikes in the last 860 miles of riding until last Wednesday ( when I used the Kingpin) then I was back on the B this weekend. It’s a bloody brilliant bike, and has exceeded my expectations. We did a mini tour on them in August using the train and the Bromptons, they fold out of the way, under seats, under tables in restaurants and pubs, out of the way in small hotel rooms.

I only know of one person who has owned a B who’s regretted it, he bought a really old one, ‘ upgraded’ various parts from AliExpress and it literally collapsed underneath him in front of me whilst out on a ride.
There are loads of B dealerships in Oxford, go and test ride one…it’s a slippery slope.

What I don’t understand is why folding bikes aren’t lighter when they’re folded.🤨

 

[Tenkaykev]

The Fragrant MrsP and I both recently bought Bromptons on a cycle to work scheme which saved us about 400 quid each, which may or may not be an option for you if you are gainfully employed within an organisation that subscribes to a CTW scheme.

However we nearly didn’t buy them because we very much liked the Decathlon folder, it was a lovely bike to ride and excellent value for money. In the end though, it was all about the fold, no other folding bike comes close.

It’s interesting to me that since buying the B I hadn’t used any of my other bikes in the last 860 miles of riding until last Wednesday ( when I used the Kingpin) then I was back on the B this weekend. It’s a bloody brilliant bike, and has exceeded my expectations. We did a mini tour on them in August using the train and the Bromptons, they fold out of the way, under seats, under tables in restaurants and pubs, out of the way in small hotel rooms.

I only know of one person who has owned a B who’s regretted it, he bought a really old one, ‘ upgraded’ various parts from AliExpress and it literally collapsed underneath him in front of me whilst out on a ride.
There are loads of B dealerships in Oxford, go and test ride one…it’s a slippery slope.

What I don’t understand is why folding bikes aren’t lighter when they’re folded.🤨

I'm half tempted to take a chance on one of the aftermarket racks that are available on Ali / Ebay / and Amazon. I fitted an official Brompton rack / mudguard to one of the fleet but ended up taking it off again as we rarely used the facility and it seemed very bottom heavy when swinging under for folding. I just want a more stable platform for wheeling around when in " shopping cart mode "

 

[berlinonaut]

they'd seen a lot of price growth during the pandemic - are prices still elevated or are they coming down at all?

Used Bromptons have always been expensive but skyrocketing during the pandemic. This effect has calmed down a little bit but to me it seems that they are still more expensive than usual but not as ludicrous as they used to be. At least based on ebay listings - but there are probably better places to buy a used Brompton. Also you have to know your stuff a little to avoid buying a really old bike overpriced or one with massive need for maintenance.

Bromptons are always expensive for what they are.

Most owners would not say so. They are not expensive for the value they deliver. You have been moaning about everything Brompton for years and years at every possible occation, still you own one whereas...

Plenty of alternatives. Among the better ones are Airnimal, Bike Friday, Tern and Birdy. Depends on your requirements.

...you don't own one, never have and I think you said you'd even never have ridden one. How come that feel competent to name alternatives if you don't even know the product they should be an alternative for? I do own an Airnimal, a Bike Friday, a Tern and have ridden a Birdy. None of them is an alternative to a Brompton though all of them are folders. They all have their advantages and disadvantages - the advantage of the Brompton are the fold, the ecosystem inc. luggage and the practicability. None of the named ones comes even close in even a single one of the disciplines.

 

[robjh]

I bought one on ebay recently, after watching a few sales to judge the current prices. For a good-quality 2nd hand Brompton, a few years old, I would say that £1000 is a good rule of thumb at the moment.

ps I was very happy with my purchase, though still getting used to Brompton peculiarities!

 

[tinywheels]

Is there any decent alternatives to a Brompton out there?

no
next question

 

[rogerzilla]

But none of those are cheap either. There is also Moulton. Which again are expensive. Dahon are good and are probably the cheapest.

Moultons don't fold. Most can be split into two halves but the two halves are large, unwieldy and non-self supporting. More for taking on holiday (in a car) than for commuting. The joke is that owners of separable Moultons never separate them.