Ti Brompton worth the premium?

[Kell]

I really don't think an S type Brompton without a front bag is any less aero than a road bike, at least if there is no front bag. I feel more secure on mine when there are heavy sideways gusts as well. Even with a flat bar it is possible to bend over quite a bit. My speed limitations come from lack of high gearing, since my current set up is 58/38 chain rings and 12/16 sprockets only yields about 77 gear inches. I guess the puny engine has something to do with it as well.

It's not the bike itself. It's the riding position.

I know, because I've ridden my (cheap) road bike over some of the same routes that I've ridden the Brompton, that even on a £100 Road Bike, I'm a good 3mph quicker over the same roads.

Some of that will be down to larger wheels riding the bumps a little better, but most is down to aero. I've ridden the same route on my old Dahon - 26" wheels, but flat bars and I'm on par over most distances on my Brompton.

 

[Kell]

lots of 'missing the point' here, the point of a Ti brompton isnt to decrease weight for riding, its to decrease it for carrying........ If youve ever had to carry one for any distance (and I do fairly regularly if a train gets cancelled and I have to divert to the tube network) then 1 or 2 kg less would be a godsend..

It's a good point.

But while it's true that any weight saving would be more advantageous in the situations you describe, Bromptons were never really designed to be carried for any sort of distance. They were designed to be folded small and stored.

If you really want something light to carry, buy a Hummingbird.

If you've got £3,750 lying about that is.

 

[kais01]

there is really no compelling reason to buy a ti-brompton, but as i stated above its more fun of a bike.

but for the ladies in our family that last kilo of a bike may make more of a difference, and i have chosen to buy them 2-sp ti without racks.

for myself i commute wintertime with a t5 with 44/305 tyres, its something like 12.7 kg. no problem biking it, but getting it up the stairs to the second floor of the commuter train is more of a shore than with my 9.4 kg 2sp commuter. not enough difference though to make me getting another ti for the winter.

as for riding position i use 60-70 mm risers angled forward about 45 degrees mounted on an old model m stem. of course my racer is faster, but only by a few kmh.

 

[12boy]

View attachment 464735 View attachment 464736 there is really no compelling reason to buy a ti-brompton, but as i stated above its more fun of a bike.

but for the ladies in our family that last kilo of a bike may make more of a difference, and i have chosen to buy them 2-sp ti without racks.

for myself i commute wintertime with a t5 with 44/305 tyres, its something like 12.7 kg. no problem biking it, but getting it up the stairs to the second floor of the commuter train is more of a shore than with my 9.4 kg 2sp commuter. not enough difference though to make me getting another ti for the winter.

as for riding position i use 60-70 mm risers angled forward about 45 degrees mounted on an old model m stem. of course my racer is faster, but only by a few kmh.

What is the crank arm/chain ring set up on the Ti bike? How do those 44/305 tires ride? I wonder if the larger tire diameter works out to a wheel diameter about the same as the regular Brompton 37/349? Any brake changes for the 305s?

 

[kais01]

on the two-speed i have a 69t chainwheel and regular 16/12 on the rear wheel. so not for hilly areas, have a different brommie for that. but use this as a no-fuss commuter when i know where i'm going. i have gone 90 km distance at 29 kmh on it. this bike is a great joy.

cranks are campa 172.5 on a square taper ti bb.

the winter bike is an old 90s t5 with a carbon seat post and lower handlebars. top gear is around 90, about the same as the two-speed. tyres are michelin diabolo 44/305 and these have proven to have unexpectedly good grip on snow and ice, which is a sure thing about four months where i live. so i almost do not use my other brompton with carbide studded schwalbes anymore. main reason for this is the michelins roll so much better. good enough to once while commuting accompany a fellow biker half an hour on his rando. only this guy had made pbp under 50h. i think he was quite surprised how well my bike went.

to accomodate the wheels brakes with longer reach were fitted, and also had to sand a bit of the outer tyre knobs.