Getting bored with a 45 minute walk across London each morning so thinking of getting a bike for the commute. Are Bromptons a good solution now bikes are not allowed on trains?
Also, watching the bike fashions in London, do they do a fixie Brompton with cut down bars and a single brake?
Bromptons are nice in that they fold dead small, and are british and are a bit cool. however, every fecker has one.
I ride a mezzo, which doesn't fold as small, but definately rides nicer. also designed by jon whyte, so there's even a tenuous mtb connection there. best get to a shop and try them out - I found bromptons a little twitchy, and components not that nice. but that's just me.
yep, both my wife & I have 3-speed Bromptons, they're ace for London, highly recommended 
Don't think you can get a fixie version, though I guess you could jimmie something up if you really wanted to 
Just been on their website - HOW MUCH! you could get a proper bike for the price of one of their Ti models.
buy 2nd hand off Gumtree, that's what we did (made sure the seller had receipts etc to avoid bad karma!). Picked ours up for £250 and £320 each (one is newer than the other).
My mates the world champion on a Brompton...
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/345946/heras-beaten-in-brompton-world-champs.html
Are Bromptons a good solution now bikes are not allowed on trains?
Also, watching the bike fashions in London, do they do a fixie Brompton with cut down bars and a single brake?
Great bikes. Perfect for what they do. If a tad weighty.
Thurman
(21st at the Brompton World Championships last year :O)
I've got one and it makes London village very small indeed.
Highly recommended. Yes, they are not cheap, but it's a good bit of kit (once you've put some proper grips on, standard ones are pooey poo poo)
There is definitely a Brompton on FGG. I have a 2-speed, which is nice and light and unfussed (it has 2 sprockets and a very rudimentary derailleur/tensioner), with the S-type (I think?) straight handlebar. It was a present. My wife tried the Brompton and the Mezzo, concluded the Mezzo rode better but got the Brompton so I could enter the Brompton World Championships if I wanted to. Not a bad call. 
Bromptons fold down very small but are expensive and don't ride very well compared to some other folders. I find the flex from the bars alarming, and the first time I hopped off a kerb, I realised that there's nothing to stop the back end of the frame dropping down! So, err, don't hop off kerbs. 
Having said all that, for short rides to train stations I don't think they can be beaten.
there's nothing to stop the back end of the frame dropping down!
There's supposed to be a catch fitted to prevent that happening. And so you can pick the bike up without it folding.
@ransos - bromptons now have a catch on the rear swingarm that you can choose to engage or not to prevent that problem - kerb hopping can now be done with only the fear of the bars snapping!
Ok - the communal Brompton in our office is ancient, I hadn't realised that they'd fixed this problem. Our one also has the old sturmey archer 5 speed hub that explodes every 50 miles. It also has the habit of not engaging properly when you pull out of junctions, which is a pant filling experience.
Been having similar thoughts myself - ie getting a Brompton and doing less walking.
Anyone know a good place to get one s/h? I guess ebay and gumtree and the obvious places - anywhere else?
Cheers,
Nick
It's only recent Bromptons that have a catch which prevents the bike folding when you "get air".
I suppose you could always half fold one in mid air then flick it back out, call it a trick if you will.
SJS cycles sell the 'catch' to stop the back dropping. Think it was around a fiver.
dahon bikes are ok too.
I demoed a Brompton at Bike Radar Live, I was surprised at how solid it felt –I was expecting it to feel a bit more flimsy. Although I might be looking on it overly fondly as it was highly entertaining trying to chase roadies around Donington race track on a folding bike. Possibly one of the most surreal moments I had over the weekend…
I’d like one, mainly so I could commute to work without worrying about my bike being nicked.
Get a Bike Friday tikit
http://www.bikefriday.com/2009
Folding up -> http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6258424344919645414&q=tikit
Unfolding -> http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7593127050659555664&q=tikit
Think the clip is called a penta clip (don't quote me), I have ridden our demo one and its not horrendous sort of way better than something like it should feel to a cyclist. If you want horrendous try and get hold of a Bickerton and a packet of nappies!!
Nick on a Brompton - LOL
Heckler to Brompton that's some going...
nah, a pentaclip is the thing you need if you want to attach a non standard saddle.
wait until rudeboy get to this thread and gives you a right bollocking for not admiring the greatest city on earth...
I take it you have a job
hoora
I spent a while looking at folders for commuting and couldn't see where the money was going in a new brompton - considered a dahon but ended up with a really nice trek f600 (don't make them anymore though)
check out j e james as they have a good range of folders - last year they had a demo hon solo limited edition single speed from dahon - think it's probably gone now though
I have a brompton s6l in pink and black. I bought it because my commute to gatwick was part train and part cycle and it was the ideal solution. Yes dahons are cheaper but do not fold down so small. It was quite heavy to lift (maybe I'm just a wuss) but I worked out a way of being able to wheel it arounf clapham junction whilst folded. After the initial shock of how twitcy it was, once you crank it up it rides rather well - wouldn't like to do 20miles on it though. I had the clip put on the back so that it connected but as I understand it these are standard on the new frames. I live about 2 miles from the brompton factory and went in there once - it is rather interesting especially seeing the myriad of coloured bikes lined up on racks in the factory - shame you cannot buy direct from them. Unfortunately since a freelander hit my SO when he was riding to work on it, it is a bit of a write-off - still waiting to get the insurance money (hint to someone). One tip - don't get the dynamo that fits onto the back wheel - it is useless.
I've got a 6 speed brompton - that I upgraded from 3 speed. great bike, got it when I lived in london and used to bomb around the city on it.
since moving north - had a job in edinburgh for a bit so it came on the train every day - Dundas street, the cobbles, 25mph in a suit made for some exciting riding !
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