Just look at this and try telling me I'm not too bloody cool for school...
d.
You look a bit like Bonn Scott rushing to his last AC/DC concert.
what is it about a brommie!?
- Thread starter lip03
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
You look a bit like Bonn Scott rushing to his last AC/DC concert.
subaqua
What’s the point
- Location
- Leytonstone
shureley Angus, nananananana ANGUS.
Yes you're right, Angus, my mistake.
subaqua
What’s the point
- Location
- Leytonstone
NP am off today, neighbours are out, have been out and done 20 miles and i think its time for some proper music played real loud.
Crankarm
Guru
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
OP if you need to ask, you don't understand.
Crankarm
Guru
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
and, however much I love my Colnago, you can't beat this for pulling power..
I wonder if they know each other .............................
Hey, it's simple in the economics department: I commute from Cambridge to London. If I were to drive from home (village outside Cambridge) to the station and park my car at the station then it would cost around £2.50 in fuel plus £7.80 to park for the day. PLUS £4 something for the Tube -- that's about £14 per day. Multiply that by 220 working days and it's £3,080 per year. I could buy THREE Bromptons for that EVERY YEAR (at today's prices)! My current/first Brommie cost £750 (before the prices went up) back in 2008 and I've done around 2,000 miles a year on it in all weathers.
Alternatively, I could buy a cheaper city bike, ride to the station and lock it up and then pay the £4 Tube fare every day -- that's £880 a year, which is about the same as a new Brompton (with extra bits) at current prices. My current B has lasted FOUR years and it looks like it's going to last at least another four -- that would be better than 24-times return on investment, which is okay.
And doing all this EXERCISE I am fitter than I have ever been -- I did the Dunwich Dynamo at the weekend without any specific training or long runs on my trusty Brompton (I don't have a "proper" road bike) in 8 hours start to finish, including stops, which I gather is quite quick. Much of the time I was able to keep up with "proper" cycling club riders and groups (uphills being my nemesis). And I still had legs to ride to/from stations to get back home again. 135 miles. And deep down I know that all those roadies are really quite envious of my Brompton -- it's certainly a talking point as we ride together! (although I wasn't talking much towards the end of the Dun Run)
But the thing I ABSOLUTELY LOVE about taking your own wheels is that you NEVER have to queue to get onto anything except the train (and if you time it right you don't actually need to queue for that either) -- and it is QUICKER than the Tube for the places I go to. And if you do break down, you can always take the bike in a cab or on a bus or on the tube, easily, to get home.
And i have NEVER been turned away with the bike -- I rarely lock it to anything, I usually just check it in at reception or take it with me and park it behind my seat or under the desk. That's not something that can be said for many folding bikes, which are somewhat cumbersome when folded.
Finally, there isn't a spare part for a Brompton that you can't get -- and many dealers hold a very good stock of spares so you don't even have to wait. I have had to replace the chain and the two rear sprockets several times, and my local bike shop always has some in stock -- just £16 for the chain and sprockets. I broke the mudguard -- that's on order and will arrive in due course; just the plastic bit, the bracketry gets re-used -- £14. I washed out on ice a couple of years ago and broke the frame in the bag on the front of the bike -- a new frame is just £20, rather than a new bag at £100 (I also broke the gear-selector chain and rode it as a single-speed -- actually a high/very-high two-speed -- until the part arrived).
And if you still need convincing ... without a Brompton, you aren't eligible to enter the Brompton World Championships
Alternatively, I could buy a cheaper city bike, ride to the station and lock it up and then pay the £4 Tube fare every day -- that's £880 a year, which is about the same as a new Brompton (with extra bits) at current prices. My current B has lasted FOUR years and it looks like it's going to last at least another four -- that would be better than 24-times return on investment, which is okay.
And doing all this EXERCISE I am fitter than I have ever been -- I did the Dunwich Dynamo at the weekend without any specific training or long runs on my trusty Brompton (I don't have a "proper" road bike) in 8 hours start to finish, including stops, which I gather is quite quick. Much of the time I was able to keep up with "proper" cycling club riders and groups (uphills being my nemesis). And I still had legs to ride to/from stations to get back home again. 135 miles. And deep down I know that all those roadies are really quite envious of my Brompton -- it's certainly a talking point as we ride together! (although I wasn't talking much towards the end of the Dun Run)
But the thing I ABSOLUTELY LOVE about taking your own wheels is that you NEVER have to queue to get onto anything except the train (and if you time it right you don't actually need to queue for that either) -- and it is QUICKER than the Tube for the places I go to. And if you do break down, you can always take the bike in a cab or on a bus or on the tube, easily, to get home.
And i have NEVER been turned away with the bike -- I rarely lock it to anything, I usually just check it in at reception or take it with me and park it behind my seat or under the desk. That's not something that can be said for many folding bikes, which are somewhat cumbersome when folded.
Finally, there isn't a spare part for a Brompton that you can't get -- and many dealers hold a very good stock of spares so you don't even have to wait. I have had to replace the chain and the two rear sprockets several times, and my local bike shop always has some in stock -- just £16 for the chain and sprockets. I broke the mudguard -- that's on order and will arrive in due course; just the plastic bit, the bracketry gets re-used -- £14. I washed out on ice a couple of years ago and broke the frame in the bag on the front of the bike -- a new frame is just £20, rather than a new bag at £100 (I also broke the gear-selector chain and rode it as a single-speed -- actually a high/very-high two-speed -- until the part arrived).
And if you still need convincing ... without a Brompton, you aren't eligible to enter the Brompton World Championships
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
Brompton. A bike you can ride in a kilt. End of.
- Location
- The TerrorVortex
Twanger
Über Member
- Location
- Crystal Palace, London
My Dahon Vitesse folded on me in New Bond Street and I never rode it again. The Bromptom I have now has been going for three years. Spare parts are reasonably cheap. Easy to maintain and set up. Ten minutes maintenance a week stops serious breakdowns (well, that's probably true of all bikes).
Pedals suck. But that doesn't bother me as I changed them for cages with clips and straps both sides (and it still fits behind the seats on southern trains). You can put clipless if you like. .........
Pedals suck. But that doesn't bother me as I changed them for cages with clips and straps both sides (and it still fits behind the seats on southern trains). You can put clipless if you like. .........
CopperBrompton
Bicycle: a means of transport between cake-stops
- Location
- London
A friend brought a Dahon against my advice. Had it for about three weeks before buying a Brompton to replace it. :-)
seadragonpisces
Über Member
- Location
- Benington, Herts.
I can understand why people would buy one but I couldnt live with the tiny wheels and I prefer my bikes to look a bit more aggressive/sporty. No offense to anyone of course, just my own insignificant view.
When I get my Reach built up from the frameset to a complete bike in the next week or so I am sure people will look at it and shake their head, so I am steadying myself for the onslaught I know is coming :-)
When I get my Reach built up from the frameset to a complete bike in the next week or so I am sure people will look at it and shake their head, so I am steadying myself for the onslaught I know is coming :-)
CopperBrompton
Bicycle: a means of transport between cake-stops
- Location
- London
Most Bromptons are ridden in the city. Small wheels = rapid acceleration, which is just what you need with constant traffic lights.
The views against small wheels are mistaken: when Moulton introduced their first racing cycle which broke records, it had a 17" wheel. Most cycles with a 20" wheel have road tyres, not the BMX type, and these usually measure just 18". So, the Brompton tyre of 16" is barely smaller! My Brommies have managed up to 100+ miles in under 10 hours; maximum speed reached several times is 39 mph. I have used them on hard off road surfaces and the only difficulty has been in soft ground. Many recumbent cycles are now using these smaller wheels, too.
