dimrub
Über Member
I've been a proud owner of a Brompton for 20 years now - first a 3-gear model, then 6-gear, both M-type handlebar, both racing green. Recently I've purchased a Ti gravel bike, and the thought of a Ti Brompton started taking form in my mind. I've consulted my buddy Gemini, and here's what we came up with in terms of an overall vision:
Aside from the strange training wheels (?!) it's a pretty accurate depiction of what I had in mind:
- A Brompton-compatible all-titanium frame
- Color scheme: silver frame and rims, golden accents (including hinges, clamps and chain), brown sidewalls, saddle and grips
- External gears (1x7: 54T front, 11-32T back)
- Mudguards - yes, rack - no
- A front bag block and a vertical bag (some kind of nice looking rucksack for a laptop)
- Components: mostly H&H (shifter, brake levers, rear mech, chainring), calipers by Litepro I think, wheels by Litepro, tires - Continental Urban Contact, TPU tubes.
Looking at various sites, it quickly became apparent that Bona Bikes are my guys. I contacted them over WhatsApp, initially asking a price offer for the frame. Eventually I realized that it would be much easier if they put together and shipped the whole bike. We've agreed on a spec and a price, and about a week later I had the actual photos:
It's still in transit: from China it went east rather than west, and is now in Korea. Once it gets here, I plan to wax the chain, move the Ti front block from my old Brompton, install the lights, a triangle bag with a few essentials for on the road repairs, and that's it, my ultimate commuter is ready.
Actually, no, I forgot one thing. Naturally, it is going to arrive in all its Ti nakedness, stickerless. I decided that it won't do, and also that it will not be reasonable to put a Brompton sticker on it. So here's what will go on it.
Yes, that is correct. I'm going to call her Blington, unironically and unapologetically. And here's my question to y'all. My wife thinks this is bad taste. I think, well, otherwise. What do you think?
P.S. While the bike was being built, I asked Vanessa the Bona Bikes representative to send me some photos of the process. I got a video shot by their mechanic, in which he puts the drivetrain components on the floor in front of him, while saying something in Mandarin. I don't know the language, so I asked Gemini to translate. Here's what I got:
Aside from the strange training wheels (?!) it's a pretty accurate depiction of what I had in mind:
- A Brompton-compatible all-titanium frame
- Color scheme: silver frame and rims, golden accents (including hinges, clamps and chain), brown sidewalls, saddle and grips
- External gears (1x7: 54T front, 11-32T back)
- Mudguards - yes, rack - no
- A front bag block and a vertical bag (some kind of nice looking rucksack for a laptop)
- Components: mostly H&H (shifter, brake levers, rear mech, chainring), calipers by Litepro I think, wheels by Litepro, tires - Continental Urban Contact, TPU tubes.
Looking at various sites, it quickly became apparent that Bona Bikes are my guys. I contacted them over WhatsApp, initially asking a price offer for the frame. Eventually I realized that it would be much easier if they put together and shipped the whole bike. We've agreed on a spec and a price, and about a week later I had the actual photos:
It's still in transit: from China it went east rather than west, and is now in Korea. Once it gets here, I plan to wax the chain, move the Ti front block from my old Brompton, install the lights, a triangle bag with a few essentials for on the road repairs, and that's it, my ultimate commuter is ready.
Actually, no, I forgot one thing. Naturally, it is going to arrive in all its Ti nakedness, stickerless. I decided that it won't do, and also that it will not be reasonable to put a Brompton sticker on it. So here's what will go on it.
Yes, that is correct. I'm going to call her Blington, unironically and unapologetically. And here's my question to y'all. My wife thinks this is bad taste. I think, well, otherwise. What do you think?
P.S. While the bike was being built, I asked Vanessa the Bona Bikes representative to send me some photos of the process. I got a video shot by their mechanic, in which he puts the drivetrain components on the floor in front of him, while saying something in Mandarin. I don't know the language, so I asked Gemini to translate. Here's what I got:
Video Summary
The video shows a person pointing at a collection of high-end, aftermarket bicycle components still in their plastic packaging on a tiled floor. The person counts the items one by one and then reveals the total price, expressing a mix of shock and self-deprecation at how much money they just spent on these small parts.Transcript
| Time | Chinese (Simplified) | Pinyin | English Translation |
| 0:00 - 0:08 | 这, 这, 这, 这, 这... | Zhè, zhè, zhè, zhè, zhè... | This, this, this, this, this... |
| 0:09 | 五千块。 | Wǔ qiān kuài. | Five thousand bucks [RMB]. |
| 0:10 | 我也他妈的服了我自己。 | Wǒ yě tā mā de fú le wǒ zì jǐ. | I’m f***ing speechless at myself. |
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). I totally agree: Brompton are very conservative with their design. It has its benefits, but also drawbacks.
