Is it just me that doesn't like the Brompton?

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Pale Rider

Legendary Member
I'll ask for that when I order it in that case.

Just to reinforce the lower gearing suggestion.

I think Bromptons are not designed for high cadence riding, but even spinning relatively slowly the lower gears give plenty of speed at the top end.
 

TheDoctor

Europe Endless
Moderator
Location
The TerrorVortex
This. Even going down mountains you don't really *need* a 99inch top gear.
 
OP
OP
C

colmac2000

Regular
Decided to hang on to it and see if it grows on me. I haven't ridden it again since the first time though - been on the Tern.
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
I rode mine around in very windy Denmark yesterday (Bilund) and nearly needed the reduced gearing to keep it moving on the flat! At one point into the wind up a reasonable slope a stealth peloton of Danish roadies suddenly engulfed me .... I accelerated and clung to their wheels for a while* And got some much needed shelter!
The return leg was top gear all the way back to the ranch. :-)



*about 50 metres ....
 
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Kempston

Active Member
Decided to hang on to it and see if it grows on me. I haven't ridden it again since the first time though - been on the Tern.

Yup. Ride it enough and you might eventually force yourself to be convinced that it was worth the additional premium and that it was money well spent. It appears to be a common theme with Brompton owners. ;)
 
I'm not sure if this has been said upthread by someone else but: I'm not a fan of Bromptons, so I didn't buy one.

(Didn't like the ride, but also didn't like the bike and how common it was. This was 7 years ago. They are everywhere now.)

Edit: Of course, it I'd got a Brompton maybe this wouldn't have happened. Probably not, but only because it's unlikely I'd have put 15,000km on a Brompton. Also, I would not be leaving a Brompton outside a supermarket, so I probably would have walked; too close to be arsed faffing around with carrying it in the supermarket.
 
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Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
I'm not sure if this has been said upthread by someone else but: I'm not a fan of Bromptons, so I didn't buy one.

(Didn't like the ride, but also didn't like the bike and how common it was. This was 7 years ago. They are everywhere now.)
yeah even i got one mister ....
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
I rode mine around in very windy Denmark yesterday (Bilund).

The home of Lego, if I recall.

Hard to link that to a Brompton, but I suppose they are both brilliantly successful world class products.
 

Kempston

Active Member
Whats not to like about a Brompton..Its only the price...but then it is a big sting..
If you dont like brompton and its only price that matters surely these must be the cheapest folding bikes you can get
https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/search/filter/hybrid-bikes/type/any/module/shopcategory/page/1

Any potential folding bike customer needs to find a sensible balance between cost, material quality, build quality, fold and overall ride quality. Spending £120 on a folding bike doesn't really make any more sense than spending £1200+ on a Brompaton without doing research into the alternatives. It's almost inevitable that there will be quality issues at that price.
 

StuAff

Silencing his legs regularly
Location
Portsmouth
17.5kg? What's the frame made of- U-235? Even the old hybrid I used to have was a lot lighter than that. Chutney (admittedly a high-end folder with new price to match) comes in at about 10 kg, with pedals. Well, it's a whole 11 kg now it's got a rack on- and that's with a DualDrive hub and 27 gears. I doubt 'quality issues' begin to cover that thing.....
 

CharlieB

Junior Walker and the Allstars
17.5kg? What's the frame made of- U-235? Even the old hybrid I used to have was a lot lighter than that. Chutney (admittedly a high-end folder with new price to match) comes in at about 10 kg, with pedals. Well, it's a whole 11 kg now it's got a rack on- and that's with a DualDrive hub and 27 gears. I doubt 'quality issues' begin to cover that thing.....
No, @StuAff, they definitely said it was a lightweight frame.
Must be the osmium wheels.


Now one of the more scientific among us will come online to tell me osmium is unstable or something …
 
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