Another vote here for the S2L.. Light.. enough gear spread for everyday commute. Personal view really but I’ve always found the M type bars look very dated.

I N R A T S but was going to say M bars are high!

Just check your choice won’t limit you for what riding you may end up doing (you have probably thought this through too).

S bars definitely look better. But I found they were way too low for me (I’m 6’3 and using a telescopic seat post)

I’d definitely upgrade to marathons if I were you. Lowers the risk of a flat, and flats are hassle, particularly on the rear

6′ here and fine on s bars, but I am used to a road bike position.

Not found punctures to be an issue with std Brom tyres, YMMV.

S bars are about 1 inch too low for me at 6ft3, i dont notice on just short bursts but once relaxed in my stride i find i start wanting to raise the bars. Telescopic seat too.

6′ 5″ M bars work well for me. S bars felt very very wrong.

The old S bag is the worst of the ones we’ve got. Doesn’t hold much and opening is smaller than the base so you can’t get things, that it’s big enough to hold, into it.

IME, the C Bag is the one to go for.

Meh. T-bag here, you can get loads in.

Things to consider: the enormous weight, terrible ride and hideous unreliability.

In which case you won’t like one, so don’t get one

Meanwhile THOUSANDs of people really quite like them!

Go for the game bag, you’re worth it. The Tweed one looks particularly cool I think (I have the blue, mustard interior is particularly helpful)

I even had to buy a Vulpine jacket to make me feel properly attired for urban cycling 😀

the enormous weight, terrible ride and hideous unreliability

Okay, I’ll bite:

Weight – 10-12kg, maybe 13.5kg with all the bells and whistles, that’s not excessive for a commuting bike – or any bike come to that.

Terrible ride – I’ll give you half a point for that, it’s never going to feel the same to ride as a big-wheel bike. But it’s comfy and stable, and easy to get on and off.

Hideous unreliability – definitely not. I’ve been tinkering with Bromptons for more than 20 years, and they put up with more abuse than pretty much any other bike. Things do wear out, but they are very solid wee bikes.

I find my Brompton feels lighter when it’s in bike mode. Somehow feels heavier when it’s folded up. Even when lifted with one hand

Little wheels and no stem make them very ‘twitchy’, but I quite like sometimes. Also makes them amazingly manoeuvrable in traffic, more so than any other bike I have

Okay, I’ll bite:

Weight – 10-12kg, maybe 13.5kg with all the bells and whistles, that’s not excessive for a commuting bike – or any bike come to that.

Terrible ride – I’ll give you half a point for that, it’s never going to feel the same to ride as a big-wheel bike. But it’s comfy and stable, and easy to get on and off.

Hideous unreliability – definitely not. I’ve been tinkering with Bromptons for more than 20 years, and they put up with more abuse than pretty much any other bike. Things do wear out, but they are very solid wee bikes.

Suitable only for people who haul boat anchors for a living, they keep rides exciting by rattling out your fillings and handling more nervously than a turkey at Christmas. Then bits of it fall off and the hub gear disintegrates.

I think the same gearhub is used by other bikes, but troll away.

Once you stop looking at a Brompton as (or expect it to be) a normal bicycle, you’ll discover it is quite a useful little thing in its own right.

10 miles running errands around Reading today reminds me how brilliant my S2L is. And to think silly me was thinking of selling as it spends long periods in the under-stairs cupboard neglected and unloved like Harry Potter.

6’2″ so I do like the 45mm 620mm riser bars on the S stem. I found the flat bars too low.

I think the same gearhub is used by other bikes, but troll away.

Once you stop looking at a Brompton as (or expect it to be) a normal bicycle, you’ll discover it is quite a useful little thing in its own right.

I suppose it’s inevitable, that having spent so much in return for so little, owners are reluctant to acknowledge the obvious.

I’m teasing, just a bit. But we have one at work and it’s absolutely hideous.

I didn’t think my S2L-X was so very expensive, but I use it pretty much most days and its usefulness outweighs some of its other handling foibles and deep wooden-ness of the marathon+ tyres.
Mine has been very reliable in every other way though, except until the rims become heavily worn after 5 years of riding it most days.

But we have one at work and it’s absolutely hideous

You’re missing something. Maybe it’s been badly mistreated by people who didn’t treat it like their own bike.

Once you stop looking at a Brompton as (or expect it to be) a normal bicycle, you’ll discover it is quite a useful little thing in its own right.

Exactly. It’s probably the most useful bike I own. As a bike in the city, not having to lock it and leave it makes it so much more convenient. The same goes visiting friends – no-one objects to a pair of folded bromptons in their hall but a couple of full size bikes are often an issue.

You’re missing something. Maybe it’s been badly mistreated by people who didn’t treat it like their own bike.

You misunderstand me: there’s nothing actually “wrong” with it, and it’s serviced by a local Brompton specialist. That hasn’t made it any less hideous to ride.

Exactly. It’s probably the most useful bike I own. As a bike in the city, not having to lock it and leave it makes it so much more convenient.

I have a choice: ride and lock a proper bike, or ride and fold a Brompton. Proper bike every time.

I have a choice: ride and lock a proper bike, or ride and fold a Brompton. Proper bike every time.

I have the same choice for going to work and its Brompton every time. If I bring a “big-wheeled bike” into the garage then it’ll get damaged by those who don;t care, if I leave it locked up outside it won’t likely be there in its entirety when I want to go home, my Brompton is under my desk, I know where it is, when I gohome at about 7pm tonight I just have to unfold it, put the front bag on and cycle off.

I have a choice: ride and lock a proper bike, or ride and fold a Brompton. Proper bike every time.

I’m guessing the big bike’s not yours either, so if it’s stolen or damaged it’s not your problem?

If I’ve got secure off street parking at both ends of the trip the full size bike usually wins out for me. If not then it’s usually the brompton.

Secret is to wheel it and fold at last minute rather than carry it folded on the platform, my rims are worn too but it is 6 years old. Paid for itself many times over i love mine.

On a tangent, as Brompfication hinge clamps were mentioned on the previous page: according to the home page, the founder/owner has closed down the business, so if you “need” these you might want to look for the remaining stock.

kojak tyres made mine handle a whole lot better – and no punctures!

Update!

Having settled on a custom order for a racing green S2L, I am actually now the proud owner of an “off-the-shelf” spec black M3L. It’s a 2017 model, which gets a new gear shifter.

My Cyclescheme voucher took a few weeks longer than expected and, meanwhile, I have been doing a lot of trips by train for work. I didn’t think the custom colour was going to be worth another 8-week wait – so took a bike from stock.

I collected the bike at 7:30pm on Monday night – and was using it in anger at 6am the following morning. By that time, it had already given me 30 minutes more in bed, because I could cycle to the station rather than walk (it was a 2-day trip and I don’t like leaving a bike at Bristol Temple Meads overnight).

Honestly, it’s made the biggest impact of any bike-related thing I’ve bought in over 20 years. I may be getting a bit excited, but I do think that only getting my first MTB back when I was 14 compares.

I’ve used it on 10 individual trips in Bristol and central London this week, including 6 train journeys and a total of about 30 miles. I absolutely loved taking some routes along some of central London’s quiet streets, seeing the sites and riding London’s actually semi-decent-in-places cycling infrastructure. (I’ve been using the Cyclestreets mapping to guide me).

Today alone, I’ve cycled through Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, seen Big Ben etc. Perhaps the novelty will wear off, but it’s a completely new way to see things and there’s no way that I’m going to be using the Underground again. I just makes me happy. 🙂

My other bikes are all custom, so I expect I may change a few bits – but I’m glad I actually got a 3-speeder and the M-bars fit me better than the S-bars I tried.

Anyway – it’s a fabulous bit of kit… and thanks for all the advice on this thread.

WHERE’S THE BLOODY “LIKE!” BUTTON, EH?

WHERE IS IT?

🙂

Wise move on the gearing.

Love my Brompton although it doesn’t get the use it so much nowadays. Cycling five miles up two steep hills after a 3.5 hour commute back from London in the Welsh winter weather is just too much when you only want to get home asap.

Belatedly, I will offer the following advice. Put some kind of antipuncture gunk in the tubes. Learn to take off the rear wheel. Seriously, it is a real ball ache compared to other bikes. Ditto removing tyres. There is a knack – especially for marathon ones. Once you’ve done this, you’ll realise why I suggest antipuncture gunk.

I do have the rack, but agree with others on its general usefulness. It has proved its worth for large objects – I’ve had firewood & a microwave on the back of mine.

A tip about carrying stuff. Standard carrier bags of shopping over the handle bars work surprisingly well. They will hang low and in my experience actually stablised the handling.

Glad you’re loving it. I love mine too… worst thing are punctures. Gunk is a good idea.. I have fitted swalbe kojak tyres which roll well and are pretty resistant to punctures, but eventually tiny bits of glass work through the rubber and the Kevlar and puncture the inner tube. Getting the rear wheel off and then the tyre is a super ball-ache. That when you wished you’d gunked up!

Anyway enjoy… I think the best upgrades are a spring loaded clamp set for the fold I got mine from brompfication. Stops you faffung around and they have a lock nut in the inside so you can’t lose them. And a 3 speed grip shifter. Shifts better and looks loads better. Decent grips for my white knuckle mtb hands and a Ti seatpost good too.

Might be too late, but if you haven’t bought a bag yet have a look at Demano bags specifically for Brompton use. Well finished, very durable, something different and sensible price.

I bought an S-bag and I’ve been impressed with it so far.

I do need to spend a little more time looking at the mechanical side of things: I’m a home bike mechanic, so all these new bits excite me! I’ve already needed to adjust the Sturmey Archer hub after the chain adjuster fell out and I’m not convinced I understand it.

I’m sure getting the wheels off will help.

@ransos I do get your point of view. On the surface, the Brompton is very expensive for something that’s been well designed, but generally uses indifferent to poor components. Even designwise there are some changes eg improving the aforementioned backwheel removal which would improve the experience hugely. It feels like a typically British solution because of this.

The ride is also quirky, but in my opinion – fun.

Overall, it’s probably better to think of the Brompton as less of a bike, but more of a niche transport solution. If you have a commute that suits it, it does the job very well indeed. If I could only have one bike in my life – it might very well be a Brompton for all of its faults. The flexibility and fun factor counts for a lot.

Couple of tips from me – if you have young kids consider getting an IT chair, it’s unbelievable fun heading with the kids on it (and a very different experience to having them on the back of another bike). I actually added the handlebar brace to my S bars to give the kids somewhere better to hold onto (and warmer, the bars are cold!)

Learn to adjust the little threaded screw that adjusts the indexing of the gears, mine comes loose every now and then

Keep the tyres topped up with air, I find they need more topping up than my other bikes

Little lights front and rear are good, lots of options though but you should probably leave them on the bike all the time. I use Alpkit Tau lights

Be prepared to talk to a few randoms or get admiring/odd looks. I’ve had more conversations with strangers on/with/about my clown bike than all my other bikes combined

Keep the tyres topped up with air, I find they need more topping up than my other bikes

Makes a big difference. High pressure and low volume means they drop pressure quickly

Be prepared to talk to a few randoms or get admiring/odd looks. I’ve had more conversations with strangers on/with/about my clown bike than all my other bikes combined

Agreed in full!

More smiles than miles.

Other brompton riders are really friendly and usually ask weird questions like what gears are you running, or is that just me…thats outside london. In london theres so many noones ever said anything.

When folded i put mine in supermkt trolley and do the shopping. Pretty much guarantee someone will ask where the bikes are, ie, they think i ve just bought it in the shop.