Madness I tell you

[simon.r]

ooo, I do like that a lot.

My gripe with bromptons is the, to my mind, daft gearing set up. If only the rear triangle was wide enough for sensible Shimano affline hub gears (or even Roloff), or alternatively a 9 speed freehub. The 2 x 3 arragement, whilst it does work, is a bit pants really and the plastic derailleur mech is plain nasty.

I can see where you're coming from, but I've found that 2 x 3 arrangement soon becomes intuitive. Agreed that the plastic mech is a bit cheap, but it's working fine so far and I've not read any reports of it failing.

Kinetics in Glasgow offer replacement rear triangles for Alfine and Rohloff: http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/folding-bikes/brompton/brompton-rear-triangle/

 

[Jason]

I get folding bikes (own one and enjoy it), The Brompton doesn't tick any boxes for me, as it doesn't ride very well if your a tall or fat (or both) man. I really wanted to like em on a test ride, but alas, my frame didn't suit it's proportions ... oh and the price of them is extortionate

 

[simon.r]

I get folding bikes (own one and enjoy it), The Brompton doesn't tick any boxes for me, as it doesn't ride very well if your a tall or fat (or both) man. I really wanted to like em on a test ride, but alas, my frame didn't suit it's proportions ... oh and the price of them is extortionate

Each to their own. It maybe just the stage of my cycling life, but I really have fallen big time for Bromptons. I've owned a couple of folders in the past - Giant Halfway and Dahon Speed Pro - and ridden a Birdy for a while. And MrsR has a Dahon Vitessse, which I've obviously tried out!

I'm 6'2". With the telescopic post, the H type and the pentaclip reversed the position works for me.

 

[Blue Hills]

Ah the dahon speed pro, don't get me started on that smonr

 

[simon.r]

Ah the dahon speed pro, don't get me started on that smonr

Do tell. My recollections are that it was very flexy front to back, but otherwise ok. Had a 3x7 gear system if memory serves.

 

[srw]

I get folding bikes (own one and enjoy it), The Brompton doesn't tick any boxes for me, as it doesn't ride very well if your a tall or fat (or both) man.

As a (reasonably) tall and (certainly) fat man I disagree. It rides extremely well.

 

[srw]

Oh really? As a 6' *mumbles* stone man I beg to differ....

Can you ride it no hands?

(I don't want to admit that I can't ride any of my bikes no hands - and that's because my core stability isn't what it might be.)

 

[chriscross1966]

I get folding bikes (own one and enjoy it), The Brompton doesn't tick any boxes for me, as it doesn't ride very well if your a tall or fat (or both) man. I really wanted to like em on a test ride, but alas, my frame didn't suit it's proportions ... oh and the price of them is extortionate

The price is what you pay for a bike where most everything is made for them and your LBS can get bits for a 20+ year old bike "...by the weekend probably, Monday latest....".... Try that with a Dahon

 

[chriscross1966]

I can see where you're coming from, but I've found that 2 x 3 arrangement soon becomes intuitive. Agreed that the plastic mech is a bit cheap, but it's working fine so far and I've not read any reports of it failing.

Kinetics in Glasgow offer replacement rear triangles for Alfine and Rohloff: http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/folding-bikes/brompton/brompton-rear-triangle/

Vostok make a titanium wide-hub rear triangle and I replaced my Kinetics one with one.. I like the lack of weight (it is very noticeable given that it is unsprung) tho on my carbon and titanium 11-speed it makes the rear end match the front.. Everything is light except the hubs, an Alfine on the back and a SON dynamo on the front running in carbon rims...

 

[MacB]

Vostok make a titanium wide-hub rear triangle and I replaced my Kinetics one with one.. I like the lack of weight (it is very noticeable given that it is unsprung) tho on my carbon and titanium 11-speed it makes the rear end match the front.. Everything is light except the hubs, an Alfine on the back and a SON dynamo on the front running in carbon rims...

Is there much difference between the steel Kinetics triangle and the Ti Vostok one?

 

[Jason]

Oh really? As a 6' *mumbles* stone man I beg to differ....

yeah,each to his own. Wonderful thing about bikes is they are like people : different

 

[chriscross1966]

Is there much difference between the steel Kinetics triangle and the Ti Vostok one?

They are both very well made, the Vostok comes with an optional chain tensioner that is a lot better than stock and not stupidly priced. They both took a while to arrive, the Kinetics cos Ben is sometimes too busy on other things to make triangles, the Vostok because I was buying one of the first ones made off an Indiegogo funding campaign, and I've never seen a crowd funded project complete on originally proposed date, I believe they are from stock now so might be quicker. The Vostok is a lot lighter, it also comes with a dropout adapter to run derailleurs should you want to.

 

[chriscross1966]

Kinetics do an integrated rack, which looks good.

Yes, I was tempted by it, but in the end I went with an H+H Q-rack in titanium, it weighs next to nothing and takes the full-size racsack happily.

 

[MacB]

What appeals about the integrated rack is that it removes fixings, obviously, but can also be used for mudguard attachment doing away with stays.

 

[CanucksTraveller]