Tried out some Bromptons today to figure out whether I should get a standard model or go B spoke. Settled on M bars, firm suspension and extended seat post. However, I was amazed at how high the standard 3 speed gearing felt. I went home to do some maths and worked out that the 3 gears I use most on my main 27 speed commuter/touring bike are 38, 60 and 78 inches. This leads me to ask the following:

a) am I a big jess? (Yes!)
b) can you really compare gear inches calculated for Bromptons and big wheeled bikes?
c) looks like the -18% 3 speed might meet my needs (39-69 inches). Is this a popular option for other Brompton riders?

Thanks all in advance for your help. Let the jesting begin.

It depends where you live. I use mine (firm sus and flat bars) mostly around London when I’m in there and I find the gearing fine. I guess if you are somewhere hillier then the first gear might be a bit too high?

and yes gear inches (the distance for one crank revolution) are gear inches irrespective of wheel size so you can compare them.

Cheers for the reply. And thanks for not confirming question a 😉

I think mine is an 18% reduction and I fit category a).

Rich.

When I ordered mine I asked the shop if I should reduce the gears. They told me not to be a jessy. I live in saddleworth and it’s fine. I’d miss the top speed around Manchester if I reduced the gearing.

Rear cogs are really easy to change , I rode mine for a while then reduced the gearing slightly by swapping the cog for one with an extra tooth. And yes I’m a big jessy but I did tour Holland on mine and needed it for the hills 😀

Three speed here. Hilly in the morning en route to the south station, then across London. Perfect.

I previously worked in Edinburgh’s biggest Brompton dealer.

We all found the std gearing a little high, and almost all the bikes we sold were reduced. Mine is also.

Bear in mind its a slower bike than a regular one, and its a nightmare out of the saddle – making lower gears even more sensible.

Changing sprockets may be less flexible.

Where are you going to be using it? FWIW, around London I found the 2-speed gearing to be far more suitable. (..and it’s lighter too.)