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My Brompton is my most used bike and the one I have spent the most money on recently, albeit it is not even remotely pimped. 5 years is nothing, I bought mine 5 years ago second hand and the guy I bought it through, a Brompton specialist, described it as a pretty old one then. Hence the need to spend a bit to replace worn parts/update over the last five years.
Ben, are there any caliper alternatives to the Brompton dual pivots? Or will I just have to pay their price if I want to upgrade?
Whats the best one to go for?
Brompton: best at folding, quick and compact
Airnimal: high performance, big-wheel feel, more faff to dismantle and fold
Birdy: best of both IMO - full sus alu frame, folds almost as small as a Brompton, has normal brakes and gearing
Ben, are there any caliper alternatives to the Brompton dual pivots? Or will I just have to pay their price if I want to upgrade?
Not really - problem is that the Brompton calipers are upside-down with the cable coming up from underneath, so they're not standard.
Thanks for that, thought that was the case as I hadn't found anything when I briefly researched it.
I didn’t/don’t really need a folder either but I am now on my 3rd, my Brommie S6L coming next month. It was a close call as I found my Dahon Jetstream P8 too heavy and I have a bad back .
I am sure I wont regret my choice but this morning I saw online that the place I have ordered my saddle from has a couple of Bike Friday’s in stock.
Normally these are a 4 month wait while they get built in Oregon, US, so I am a bit gutted as the price on these is pretty good, albeit for being a year or so old but these are quality bikes (not top of the range ones but still a Bike Friday).
Anyway decision made, too late now.
Just speccing my replacement brommie now at the moment. Will be a S3 to replace an M6
Colours, colours, colours......
Try this link if you are tying to decide on the various colour options available. It didnt help me since the bike I am getting only comes in Orange/Blue but if I got another Brompton I will definitely look at it again
http://site.nycewheels.com/Brompton/Interactive/brompton_interactive.html
Ben, are there any caliper alternatives to the Brompton dual pivots? Or will I just have to pay their price if I want to upgrade?
Mine has Campagnolo Centaur callipers, needs frame mods to fit though.
Mine has Campagnolo Centaur callipers, needs frame mods to fit though.
Because of the drop? Did you reverse the cable pull, or have you routed the cables differently?
I've also fitted v-brakes, as with the red/blue Rohloff bike up there...
Had to move the brake bridge because of the drop, cables run the standard way without problem.
Ben, howabout the Campag lateral pull TT brakes? I've not looked at the tech documents but they might be an interesting option
Possibly - there's also the TRP ones, which look to have a deeper drop which is good.
The rear cable direction is wrong, not sure if that can be changed, not a deal-breaker if not.
saw this in the window of cycle surgery earlier on, thought of this thread!
[img] 
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so wrong it almost starts to be right, but in fact ends up being just completely wrong!
That is just howfin.
here's a business idea for anyone keen on Brompton
aftermarket Brompton replacement parts manufactured in CNC machined aluminium alloy and carbon fibre
I am specifically thinking of the gear shifter, chain tensioner and other proprietary parts
I understand why they are made from plastics, but they feel so cheap...
some quality wheels would also be a great upgrade
I remember a store manager at Evans with a black painted, tricked out Brompton running custom Profile BMX hubs laced to 16" BMX rims
The 3-speed shifter can be replaced by other things - there are nicer 3-speed hub gear shifters about. And that shifter is the ugliest - the 2-speed shifter is nicer.
Or (apart from my Rohloff) I've also been fitting 8-speed hubs with twist or Rapidfire shifters.
.
solarider - MemberBrompton make a great bike, but the components are pretty basic for .
Now rides, fits and functions better, and ready for commuting in Hong Kong when we move over in a few weeks.
Good luck with the commuting in Hong Kong , bit mad for my liking but some nice rides out on Lantau Island and the NT .Enjoy
no matter how hard you pimp it, it won't be as good as a Birdy...
You could fit 2 Bromptons in the same space as 1 Birdy. It's all about the fold.
every thread on STW which mentions Bromptons eventualy attracts a bid of Birdy trolling....thats probably due to the lack of threads about Birdy's...... wonder why.......
Birdys are rarer, and don't have that whole hipster London fashion thing going on. They're better all-round bikes, though.
By that I mean if you just want a bike that folds, get a Brompton. If you want a bike with up to 24 gears, decent brakes, full suspension and to carry four panniers yet still fold pretty small, get a Birdy.
You could fit 2 Bromptons in the same space as 1 Birdy. It's all about the fold.
One-and-a-half, maybe - A folded Birdy is the same height and width as a folded Brompton, and about 8" longer.
If you want a bike with up to [s]24[/s] gears, decent brakes, full suspension and to carry [s]four[/s] panniers yet still fold pretty small, get a [s]Birdy[/s] Dahon Jetstream
Dahons are nice bikes - just make sure you stock up on spares because they're very hard to find later. One reason I stopped selling them - it got embarrassing when hinges and catches wore out after a couple of years and no-one had replacements because the design had changed (again).