I find myself looking at Bromptons

I thought I’d never look at a small wheeled bike again after being forced to ride one in my teens

Is there something wrong with me? Can it be treated?

Pray it away

They are kinda fun tbh! Get yourself a second hand one so you can scratch the itch without losing any money 🙂

At the end of the day, it’s just one of these for people with more money than sense…

I want it to take on the train when I travel about with work. I do most journeys I can by train and I think I may be able to do more if I had an easy bike option

It may just be a reaction to getting stuck on the m1 earlier this week and having a day from hell

😕

I dont know how to break this to you but you might be middle aged
TBH if i used the train I would have one.

I wish it was Bromptons – I’ve been day dreaming about Orange 5s

Junkyard – it’s not my age I’m worried about more my dilapidated neck. Minimising driving is good and the Bromptons, being very upright is good for me too.

I’m actually young to have such a duff neck 😉

Is there something wrong with me? Can it be treated?

Have you started a blog? If you have its already too late

I’d like a Brompton too but the prices are beyond ridiculous. I borrowed one for a bit and I couldn’t believe people spent so much money on one, heavy, slow, weird riding position etc. I was in fear of getting a rear puncture as you needed an engineering degree to get the back wheel out. It did fold up quite small but the quality of components on it was dire, I’d expect better on a £200 Carrera.

Can you run them tubeless??

It did fold up quite small but the quality of components on it was dire

May I present what I built this week? Rohloff hub, titanium rear frame, titanium forks, titanium bars and seatpost, titanium and carbon rack, carbon saddle, titanium bottom bracket, SON hub lighting. Total weight 12kg.

Just don’t ask the price 😉

This is fun TBH.

It’s a whole different world- trying to get my head around the naming of them is enough. So far I think I know I need one with a 6 in the name.

I went through the build app thing on the brompton site (just for research purposes!) And it came up with an bike – but didn’t give it a ‘name’.

Then you look on eBay and it’s all M1R P3S – I don’t really have a clue how they are labelled

Bromptons patent expired recently so there are loads more clones coming on the market at a cheaper price.

It’s a whole different world- trying to get my head around the naming of them is enough. So far I think I know I need one with a 6 in the name

M1R P3S 

That looks like two different bikes.

M = normal handlebars
P = ‘butterfly’ touring handlebars
S = ‘sports’ handlebars- ie lower position.

The number is the gears- singlespeed, 2 speed (derailleur), 3 speed (sturmey archer) 6 speed (sturmey archer + derailleur)

The final letter refers to whether or not it has mudguards, rack etc

Actually you may be pleased to know that they now offer an ‘H’ bar, which is more upright

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brompton_Bicycle#Models

Yes the models each have 3 letters, but they don’t include any details of the frame material or that is the forks or rear triangles.

gold plated?!

Meh, I’ve done copper and nickel. Brompton copied me with the nickel idea 😉

Yes the models each have 3 letters, but they don’t include any details of the frame material or that is the forks or rear triangles.

The mainframe is always steel. The forks and rear triangle are usually steel, but if they’re titanium then there’s an X suffix – e.g. M3L-X.

Bromptons patent expired recently so there are loads more clones coming on the market at a cheaper price.

A while ago, actually. They still have a registered design, though – so will go after anything that looks too much like a Brompton. I’ve seen a few clones, some are dreadful, some aren’t bad, but the not-bad ones approach the genuine Brompton price.

Got a link to some examples ?

Have you started a blog? If you have its already too late

heh heh, this made me LOL

I used one of these for getting from Liverpool Street – waterloo for a good while. It was a great folder.

Mine was silver without the suspension seatpost.

I don’t think the big S do them anymore.

The appeal of the brompton is the compact fold, which would make it easier to take with me on busy trains, most others seem a bit tricker to carry when folded etc

Do it

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G62gRmdIBY0[/video]

^ brilliant

Found this which is lighter but not as compact – and true to the saying less is definitely more 6.5kg – £3.5k!!!

I’ve used my Brompton twice this week

Example 1 – Cycle to work, c.10 miles, cycle to meet a mate after work for dinner, fold bike and leave it next to table, cycle back to tube station after meal and then get tube home

Example 2 – Tube part way to work, cycle the rest of the way (wearing a suit, don’t want to get sweaty), fold back and take it into meeting, cycle to work after and leave it by my desk, cycle to dinner in the evening. Dinner is at City Social in Tower 42, take bike 25 floors up in the lift and leave it in the cloakroom/cupboard, pick up bike on way out and cycle part way home – was being lazy

Without a Brommie I’d have been on the tube the whole time for all that stuff. The little clown bike gets a lot of use for stuff like that, it’s an excellent little thing and highly recommended!

It’ll never replace the fun rides on a proper size bike, but it’s still good!

I have an M3L (M bars, 3 gears, mudguards)

I’d like a Brompton too but the prices are beyond ridiculous

Buy a used Mezzo, fold as small, ride better. Less cachet. Lighter.

Other folders are available. I’ve had three including a Brompton and an original Airframe (you’ll have to look hard to find on of those!)

2nd hand value on Bromptons is good, a lot less good on most others, including clones.

In that clonc video the guy on the red one that spins the bars doesn’t have brakes I think…

I knew I was getting old when I told the lad at the bike shop I’d come to collect my Bronson. He thought I said Brompton

an original Airframe (you’ll have to look hard to find on of those!)

Ooh, they were very clever.

So I did it! Managed to get one in a colour I liked with the extras and gears that I wanted from eBay. A few years ago but still in the Evans box as the guys said his wife obviously just bought it to put in the shed

Baby pink Brompton!

I need to change the very stuck in place rear pivot bushes and axle thing. Both bolts have been trashed by a previous owner.

I’m after tips for reaming out the new bushes as much as anything ?

Fetching colour 8)

It is a new addition to my collection of pink bikes that includes a pink scandal and a magenta stooge – this one looks the most girly

Looks lovely! Nice one! 🙂

A quick watch of W1a must help with the Brompton habit….

Ben mine was an original mk 1 Airframe number 87. Flex was a feature not a bug, and no bike I’ve ever ridden flexed like it. It was, however, very light. They reissued an updated version with better hinges, but it never took off. It didn’t fold very small either!

Brompton S2LX is probably what I want next, (had a six speed mk 2 for a long time), but I’d like sub nine kilos. I’m a big fan of the Mezzo, and think it rides better than the Brompton, personally.