Brompton: There's more to life than FTP and 53x11...

[fuzzalow]

In celebration of all things bike, I present you a view of a happy odd couple pairing in the world of bikes.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HtrAS8-4vHc/VTZ-B-thoZI/AAAAAAAAAzw/d1VxBLSVgSM/s640/DSC00917.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CJq-Ne8ZKs0/VTZ-LkTSoCI/AAAAAAAAAz4/8bK4_mx9DII/s640/DSC00918.JPG

NYC is not the most friendly bike city but it's getting better and it isn't all that bad really. I fold the Brompton and carry it into shops and stuff to do things I wanna do. I haven't been stopped, refused entry or been ejected from any establishment while carrying my folded up Brompton yet. Most view it more as a curiosity.

This is a great city with lots to like whilst on a bike although inattentiveness might get you squished - cabbies can get aggressive racing to nowhere and they are looking for their fare pickup instead of seeing pedestrians & bikes. Sometimes the food delivery guys are running the wrong way against traffic. Doesn't detract from smelling the flowers on a beautiful spring day even in NYC. On a bike anywhere south of 14th Street there are changes that can be seen and felt on the complexion of the city. Bikes used as far as the prevalence and use of bikes to get around, run errands and function as a part of life apart from the corrosive assault of car culture. That happening of more bikes is truly a welcome evolution.

The world looks better on two wheels.

[rwsaunders]

Jolly good show, Fuzz.

[weisan]

Low pal, is it just me or the English language just become a tab more polished and actually sounds better when they ended up in your hands, not just bikes.

[OtayBW]

Low pal, is it just me or the English language just become a tab more polished and actually sounds better when they ended up in your hands, not just bikes.
I don't know: the third from the last sentence seems a little 'iffy' (I am diagramming it as we speak....). :cool:

The Brompton certainly seems interesting.
Q: Without a stem how do you adjust the length/reach on the Brompton?
Q2: What is the range of gearing on that thing? I mean, for city commuting, etc., you're good. Can you get one of these things that's adaptable to longer rides over diverse terrain?

Thx.

[FlashUNC]

The most fun bike I rode at NAHBS a couple years back. And it wasn't even really close. Probably the perfect city bike.

[goonster]

Can you get one of these things that's adaptable to longer rides over diverse terrain?

Yes.

https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6190/6101269433_0188efab45_b.jpg
(not mine)

Reach is adjusted by rotating the "M" bars back and forth, and hand positions are added with bar-ends.

As someone who has ridden brevets fixed, I don't think gearing range is necessarily crucial to longer rides. What does take some getting used to on the Brompton is the steering geo, with essentially zero wheel flop.

[Jesper64]

A nice pair. I love how the seat height is exactly the same on both bikes.

[Mark McM]

Just curious, but how does the Brompton handle at high speed (such as descents)?

Much is made of the role of steering geometry, particularly the trail dimension, on stability and handling. From the photos, it appears that the Brompton has almost no trail at all.

[Ken Robb]

One of these days I'll have to take a photo of my bikefriday next to one of my "regular" bikes. FWIW bikefriday will make steerer tubes and stems in various sizes to help get bar position just right. This can be really nice for buyers of used bikes because they can change the "size" of an existing bike very easily at reasonable expense.
I bought my New World Tourist model from them as a "pre-loved" trade-in. When I ordered it they asked about my size/measurements and how I liked my bars. The bike arrived with perfect contact points. If someone else wanted lower bars I think it would be easy to cut the steerer down at home.
It looks like Bromptons fold into take-it-into-the store size faster than my friday. BF has a model called Tikit that is designed for quicker/easier folding but I think it gives up some of the "rides like a real bike" performance/versatility of other BF models.

[goonster]

Just curious, but how does the Brompton handle at high speed (such as descents)?
Surprisingly well. Stability is very good at higher speeds, and the faster you go, the more it wants to track straight.

The difference in steering feedback is more pronounced at lower speeds, and I can't track stand on it.

[Ray]

Second on all counts. Bromptons are wicked-cool and NYC is becoming more and more bike friendly seemingly every time I'm there.

I personally don't like the Brompton for longer rides. It's fine descending at speed, but at the more typical city speeds you tend to ride on them, they're pretty squirmy. It's the last bike in the world I'd ever attempt to ride no-hands. And generally, I'm pretty well sick of riding one by about 15 miles or so. That said, I remember reading a tour report of an old Brit who rode his 3 speed on the famed Lands End to John O'Groats ride from the south end to the north end of Great Britain. With a touring load! Not me, though!

It's perfect for hopping on a train and then riding at either end of the rail trip. Or just for minimal storage as a city bike. I have a six-speed, a SA 3-speed hub and two cog arrangement with a little binary derailure in back. I don't have as many uses for it as I did when I bought it, so it's sort of neglected, but I use it pretty much anytime we take one of our cars in for service. Although now that both of our cars are Honda Fits, even that may not be necessary, since I can get any of my other bikes in the back of those cars...

I should probably sell it, but I don't think I can bring myself to...

-Ray

[tumbler]

In celebration of all things bike, I present you a view of a happy odd couple pairing in the world of bikes.

NYC is not the most friendly bike city but it's getting better and it isn't all that bad really. I fold the Brompton and carry it into shops and stuff to do things I wanna do. I haven't been stopped, refused entry or been ejected from any establishment while carrying my folded up Brompton yet. Most view it more as a curiosity.

This is a great city with lots to like whilst on a bike although inattentiveness might get you squished - cabbies can get aggressive racing to nowhere and they are looking for their fare pickup instead of seeing pedestrians & bikes. Sometimes the food delivery guys are running the wrong way against traffic. Doesn't detract from smelling the flowers on a beautiful spring day even in NYC. On a bike anywhere south of 14th Street there are changes that can be seen and felt on the complexion of the city. Bikes used as far as the prevalence and use of bikes to get around, run errands and function as a part of life apart from the corrosive assault of car culture. That happening of more bikes is truly a welcome evolution.

The world looks better on two wheels.

Love this. My Brompton hangs out with my Lynskey all the time (also in NYC). They are good buddies, but can get a little competitive at times.

I agree 100% about the changes in the city. It's no Amersterdam, but is slowly improving in both infrastructure and mindset. Here's a shot of mine under my desk. Give me a shout if you see us out there.

[fuzzalow]

I don't know: the third from the last sentence seems a little 'iffy' (I am diagramming it as we speak....). :cool

Ruh, row! Here come the grammar police! None of my posts get sent to a editor before publication, they are all words spontaneously up chucked from a malformed consciousness. Then again, it's just a post and we're just talkin' here...

Just curious, but how does the Brompton handle at high speed (such as descents)?

Much is made of the role of steering geometry, particularly the trail dimension, on stability and handling. From the photos, it appears that the Brompton has almost no trail at all.

How big a hill can I find in Manhattan? Harlem Hill, the downhill on Riverside Drive into 110th St.? No problem on stability in hills. Frankly, I'd guess the bike is ridden with a light touch on the bars as should any bike be ridden anyway, right? And if you do that, there should never be a problem irrespective as to steering geometry. The bars are not a weight bearing platform but if they are used as such that results in a twitchy handling bike.

The Brompton is ridden as its own unique mechanical contrivance. I approach it that way rather than as a folding replica of my existing road position and bike handling characteristics. In this instance, the driving motivation isn't anything to do with the bike and the activity of biking - it is what the bike brings to augment the things that I wanna do. Live a life and sometimes there's a bike convenient and nearby. That's a Brompton.

[Nags&Ducs]

Completely agree with you Fuzzy! I've always loved races road bikes, but I've recently become enameled with classic-styled city bikes and folders. Especially the likes of Pashleys and Bromptons.

Hope you don't mind if I show off mine and my wife's Brompies. I've had mine for a couple of months, and my wife just got hers the other day. Mine is the raw. Just put the O-bag on it to imagine what it'll look like when we do city touring.

[Nags&Ducs]

With the O-bag by Ortlieb.

[dem]

Well if we're doling out Brompton love..

Funny story.. used to do a lunch ride up a local climb (San Bruno - site of NYD hillclimb) and one of the guys who rode was complaining the reason he was slow is he didn't have a $5000 bicycle. So I rode my Brompton one day instead. Same result. :)

http://www.haphazard.com/bikes/brompton_med.jpg

[fuzzalow]

Here's a shot of mine under my desk. Give me a shout if you see us out there.
Of course you will get a shout out with your Bianchi Celeste-esque Brompton. Shouldn't be too hard to miss seeing that.

Question for you: How useful do you find the rear rack accessory? I was on the fence about it but I think I shoulda got one although I think it would be more useful with a net to hold things on rather than the elastic strap thingy.

Completely agree with you Fuzzy! I've always loved races road bikes, but I've recently become enameled with classic-styled city bikes and folders. Especially the likes of Pashleys and Bromptons.

Hope you don't mind if I show off mine and my wife's Brompies. I've had mine for a couple of months, and my wife just got hers the other day. Mine is the raw. Just put the O-bag on it to imagine what it'll look like when we do city touring.

No problem, bring it on! This is a bike that deserves a space with the Paceline forum, it already has a cult following world-wide so the cognoscenti here will not be denied. What little I have already witnessed of the entire Brompton scene is that it is more a celebration of a lifestyle in freedom & mobility than the standard church, row and pew of sport cycling. A very different head. There is a special interest group of Brompton-heads that meet up here in town for rides to wherever - I might look into doing that.

I was riding down Second Avenue this evening and heard some woman at the crosswalk comment sarcastically that I would go "a mile a minute" on that bike. I guess she thought the tiny wheels on the Brompton were comical. Gotta smell the roses my dear and you gotta go where you wanna go, do whatcha' wanna do...

[Ray]

I was riding down Second Avenue this evening and heard some woman at the crosswalk comment sarcastically that I would go "a mile a minute" on that bike. I guess she thought the tiny wheels on the Brompton were comical. Gotta smell the roses my dear and you gotta go where you wanna go, do whatcha' wanna do...
My wife refers to my Brompton as my "clown bike" because of the tiny wheels. :cool:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7243/7019329445_8a073143a0_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/bGgU6t)Brompton (https://flic.kr/p/bGgU6t) by ramboorider1 (https://www.flickr.com/people/20889767@N05/), on Flickr

-Ray

[Fatty]

What is FTP ?

[BobbyJones]

Here's a repost of my unboxing pic from 3 years ago.

About 10k miles later of all weather use, the only maintenance i've really done is replace 2 tires (Marathons), 2 sets of brake pads, 1 chain, 1 chain set, idler wheels and a suspension block. Oh, and a handful of flats. It's a little rough around the edges, but its still the bike of choice for my 25 mile daily RT commute.

Mines been weekend camp touring, on 80 mile group rides, on trains, ferries, "chinatown" buses, up mountains, on single track, dates in the park, and in and out of more taxi trunks, hatchbacks, movie theaters, supermarkets, restaurants and bars than I can count. I still haven't flown with it though.

Besides being incredibly practical for my lifestyle, its just fun to ride! Never fails to put a smile on my face. If I could only have one bike and was a more casual rider, the Brompton would be it

I was looking for a recent photo, but the only ones I have all have friends riding it. They're all smiling too.

http://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=94716&stc=1&d=1336018805

[pdmtong]

If I ever commute by train or move into SF, yea, I am all over Brompton,

Fuzz has got the hot set up!

[weaponsgrade]

Here's mine. Yes, that it is a King headset and a Moots Ti bar. I also made an upgrade to the stock steel post. The outer "seat post" is an aluminum tube that I cut out from a cracked aluminum frame. The inner "seat post" is the clamp from a Ringle seat post that was also cracked. I want to do something with the cranks next.

[fuzzalow]

What is FTP ?

Functional threshold power. The maximum wattage an athlete can sustain for 60 minutes. An important measure of fitness capability and a benchmark for gauging training program effectiveness. Athletes work an entire season towards improving this number/result.

The thread title alludes to just riding a bike for not the purpose of athletic obsession and speed but as just to ride a bike. Which is not to say there isn't racing in a Bromptons-only style competition. Bromptons are their own cult bike and eco system.

I would like to mod and tinker with my Brompton as most cycling buffs would. Gotta figure out how to get Campagnolo parts onto this bike.

[tumbler]

Of course you will get a shout out with your Bianchi Celeste-esque Brompton. Shouldn't be too hard to miss seeing that.

Question for you: How useful do you find the rear rack accessory? I was on the fence about it but I think I shoulda got one although I think it would be more useful with a net to hold things on rather than the elastic strap thingy.


Very useful. I use it on a weekly basis, usually dropping off packages at UPS/USPS, or occasionally strapping a briefcase to it. I have fit a TON of stuff on that thing, to the point where it looked like Santa's sleigh was rolling down Madison Avenue. The elastic straps do a pretty good job for me. I occasionally carry an extra bungee when I'm hauling something big, but the standard ones work well for 90% of what I carry. I wouldn't be surprised if someone makes a net attachment for the Brompton as well.

[christian]

I would like to mod and tinker with my Brompton as most cycling buffs would. Gotta figure out how to get Campagnolo parts onto this bike.

Record Pista chainset
Record front hub
Record head set
Euclid or (my preference) Centaur OR levers
Campagnolo cap

I am running out of ideas...

[christian]

Somebody already done the first:

http://bicitermini.com/b/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/201307124.jpg

[shovelhd]

Blasphemy.

[veggieburger]

The issue I always had with my Bike Fridays was the rattles. so many tiny parts, it seemed I was always wrenching on something or another after every ride (esp headset).

Same situation with the Bromptons, or little maintenance needed?

[BobbyJones]

See my post above... (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=1745524&postcount=20)

The issue I always had with my Bike Fridays was the rattles. so many tiny parts, it seemed I was always wrenching on something or another after every ride (esp headset).

Same situation with the Bromptons, or little maintenance needed?

[tumbler]

The issue I always had with my Bike Fridays was the rattles. so many tiny parts, it seemed I was always wrenching on something or another after every ride (esp headset).

Same situation with the Bromptons, or little maintenance needed?

I would say very little maintenance is needed. I ride mine every day on some pretty rough roads and the only thing I do is check the tire pressure every few weeks. The right shifter is plastic and makes a little noise over rough pavement, but functions perfectly so I just leave it alone.

[ptourkin]

They are great for wheelies at Ciclavia:

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p250/cecilhayduke/IMG957722.jpg

i also love having a bike that I can adjust for anyone to ride. With they dyno and lights, a visitor can just jump on and go out for a beer.

[Nags&Ducs]

Here's mine. Yes, that it is a King headset and a Moots Ti bar. I also made an upgrade to the stock steel post. The outer "seat post" is an aluminum tube that I cut out from a cracked aluminum frame. The inner "seat post" is the clamp from a Ringle seat post that was also cracked. I want to do something with the cranks next.

Speaking of customization, I would love to one day do a full blown customized Brompie. Would start off with a ti Brompie clone like such:http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.1-c.w137712-5666838243.2.o6U1ke&id=43546402016

Then use chi-chi and lightweight parts like King headset, Moots Ti h-bar, custom wheels, etc.

[Nags&Ducs]

Well if we're doling out Brompton love..

Funny story.. used to do a lunch ride up a local climb (San Bruno - site of NYD hillclimb) and one of the guys who rode was complaining the reason he was slow is he didn't have a $5000 bicycle. So I rode my Brompton one day instead. Same result. :)

http://www.haphazard.com/bikes/brompton_med.jpg

How did you get a Celeste Brompie? Did they offer it at one time? The closest one in today's colors is Turkish a Green, but it's a very very light Celeste at best.

[fuzzalow]

The issue I always had with my Bike Fridays was the rattles. so many tiny parts, it seemed I was always wrenching on something or another after every ride (esp headset).

Same situation with the Bromptons, or little maintenance needed?

Brompton makes one of the finest, if not the finest, folding bikes in the world. Since owning the bike the only bolt that has needed attention is the 10mm bolt on the seatpost quick release lever. That bolt needs a half turn every month or so to keep the seatpillar clamp tight enough. Rock solid.

As quoted from this article in Bloomberg Business on Brompton: The Cult of Brompton Folding Bikes (http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-04-03/the-cult-of-brompton-folding-bikes)“The fold is a compromise,” Butler-Adams says. “Everything else must not be a compromise.”The Brompton was intended and designed as a premium product. A bike company guided by and managed by engineers as opposed to accountants. If they have cut any corners on their bikes I can't readily find the flaw. A world leading product designed and manufactured in the UK. And also priced accordingly, which for what they are, I will gladly pay.

Ol' Blighty can still manage the stiff upper lip to make a world class product. A difficult choice to make in contravention to the conventional path of least resistance & cheapest manufacturing. Golly good because any time a choice is made to chase the cheap, everything associated with that process loses a little soul.

[goonster]

Record front hub

Brompton front hub is 74mm OLD.

Phil Wood makes one . . .

[93legendti]

One of these days I'll have to take a photo of my bikefriday next to one of my "regular" bikes. FWIW bikefriday will make steerer tubes and stems in various sizes to help get bar position just right. This can be really nice for buyers of used bikes because they can change the "size" of an existing bike very easily at reasonable expense.
I bought my New World Tourist model from them as a "pre-loved" trade-in. When I ordered it they asked about my size/measurements and how I liked my bars. The bike arrived with perfect contact points. If someone else wanted lower bars I think it would be easy to cut the steerer down at home.
It looks like Bromptons fold into take-it-into-the store size faster than my friday. BF has a model called Tikit that is designed for quicker/easier folding but I think it gives up some of the "rides like a real bike" performance/versatility of other BF models.
I have 2 Bike Friday's (PR and PR Pro) and also owned a Tikit and a Pocket Crusoe. Sub 20 ibs, quick fold, drop bars, D/A 7800, Made in USA. I've had mine around the world, steep mountain climbs, and on fast group rides. Can be a commuter as well. Brompton is great at what it does, BF does more.

[OtayBW]

Bringing this up again:

What kind of gearing package do all of you owners like? Single speed? 2? 3? 6?...and why? I'm getting ready for a move and expect to do some fair amount of train commuting with a Brompton (or similar) ride to work from the station. Don't expect to be doing a lot of traveling with it, so I'm thinking single speed. Am I missing out on anything going that way?

Thanks.

[charliedid]

I ride the "shop" test ride bike all the time. I will own one this season for sure.

6 speed for me.

[Ray]

Brompton is great at what it does, BF does more.
Having owned both, I've often compared them by saying that Bike Friday is a good bike that folds well enough, while the Brompton is a great folder that also rides pretty well. For a vacation bike with longer rides and touring in mind, I'd rather have a Bike Friday, for sure. Although I'd more rather an S&S bike there. But the Bike Friday is not even remotely in the same league as a Brompton for quick folding. I've pulled up to a rail station on mine as the train was coming to a stop (where there were only a few other people waiting, so the train wasn't gonna be there long) and EASILY had it folded in time to walk on with the other folks. It's about a 15 second affair when I'm not doing it a lot, maybe closer to 10 when I my muscle memory is engaged. A Bike Friday takes me a few minutes to really break down and have ready to stick in the back of a car and it's not neatly carry-able enough for a bus or train IMHO.

My Brompton is six-speed. There are times I haven't needed more than three, but enough times I have that I'm glad to have all six...

-Ray

[fuzzalow]

Gearing on my Brompton is 6-speed.

As most cycling enthusiasts are already facile with 10 & 11 speed cogs at the cassette, whatever number of gears can be squeezed into a Brompton will easily find a use. Whichever gears has not been the limiting factor on this bike for me, it is more down to rubber soled shoes like Quoddy moccasins on simple rat trap pedals.

The internal 3-speed hub has wide jumps to the ratio changes, the 2-speed d�railleur a much smaller jump. So to run up or down with the smallest jumps in gear ratio will always require a double shift.

[OtayBW]

^
^^
^^^
6-speed, huh? Wouldn't have guessed that, but I've got a shop/dealer fairly close. I'll have to check 'em out. Thanks.

[jamesutiopia]

Wife loves her Brompton. It works very well for areas served by Caltrain in bay area (super flat), and it goes (with all the other Bromptons) on the luggage car, so she can avoid the bike car circus.

It's way better engineered than most custom bikes I've owned, but the elastomer suspension ensures that it will never do well under pedaling pressure if you are a masher. Good-enough (but not actually very good) fit and a small number of gears definitely encourage mashing, even in riders who normally spin.

I am periodically tempted to put a Rohloff (and custom rear end) on it and ride up to Skyline...

[NHAero]

The regular Bike Fridays are travel bikes rather than folders (have owned two). I'd like to hear a comparison of BF's folder, the Tikit, vs. the Brompton. The Tikit is a Rob English design, looks like a very fast fold but haven't seen in person.

[tumbler]

Mine is 6 speed as well. I only use 2 speeds on my commute, but have used the rest on a few occasions. If I was purchasing one now, I might consider a 2 speed for simplicity.

[ptourkin]

Wife loves her Brompton. It works very well for areas served by Caltrain in bay area (super flat), and it goes (with all the other Bromptons) on the luggage car, so she can avoid the bike car circus.

It's way better engineered than most custom bikes I've owned, but the elastomer suspension ensures that it will never do well under pedaling pressure if you are a masher. Good-enough (but not actually very good) fit and a small number of gears definitely encourage mashing, even in riders who normally spin.

I am periodically tempted to put a Rohloff (and custom rear end) on it and ride up to Skyline...

I have the -12% reduced gearing 6 speed and there's nothing I can't climb with it. A Rohloff would be overkill.

[Ray]

The internal 3-speed hub has wide jumps to the ratio changes, the 2-speed d�railleur a much smaller jump. So to run up or down with the smallest jumps in gear ratio will always require a double shift.

I think of my Brompton 6-speed as my modern half-step bike. :cool:

On windy rides where I need all six gears, every shift is a double shift.

-Ray

[weaponsgrade]

I have the three-speed internal with the reduced gearing option. It's been fine for my maybe 8 mile commute that includes flats and a few hills (6% grade). That said, my recommendation, based on your roads, is to get either the single, double, or six speed. The three-speed hub is a heavy and expensive upgrade. The six-speed is achieved by having two cogs on a three-speed hub and a derailleur. So, if you're going with the three-speed, you've already accepted the big weight and cost and going to the six-speed isn't that much more.

[OtayBW]

Tried a couple of Bromptons today with a couple of impressions, FWIW:

-- As expected, really nice engineering and foldable design - really well done.

-- For my purposes, I could easily be very happy with either a fixed, 2, or 3 speed; 6 is just more than I need for what I plan to do with it.

-- Seemed like this thing had a lot of wheel flop, in that (at least at low speed) it oversteered quite a lot - e.g., small steering effort would cause this thing to fall right into a turn requiring a kind of twitchy correction. I don't know what the trail is on these things, but it sure seemed like a lot. I don't know - you look at it and it looks like it has almost no trail....I could get used to it, but it was a bit of a surprise.

Still for a short commute, it could be the way to go.

[Ken Robb]

The regular Bike Fridays are travel bikes rather than folders (have owned two). I'd like to hear a comparison of BF's folder, the Tikit, vs. the Brompton. The Tikit is a Rob English design, looks like a very fast fold but haven't seen in person.
I guess that bikefriday still has a short video showing how to fold a tikit. I saw one in person and it's easy/fast.

My bf has 3 speed Sachs hub and 7 cog cassette for the widest overall range of any of my bikes. I like having gears for all occasions but I think I could be pretty happy with 7-9 cogs without the triple hub on most rides.

[fuzzalow]

-- Seemed like this thing had a lot of wheel flop, in that (at least at low speed) it oversteered quite a lot - e.g., small steering effort would cause this thing to fall right into a turn requiring a kind of twitchy correction. I don't know what the trail is on these things, but it sure seemed like a lot. I don't know - you look at it and it looks like it has almost no trail....I could get used to it, but it was a bit of a surprise.

Yes, Brompton steering is very fast although calling it twitchy is more a quality of how the rider steers the bike then something about the front end geometry. Nice light touch is all you need. I don't think it is possible to ride a Brompton no-hands-on-the-bars. This quick steering is perfect for weaving through, between and alongside city traffic and street obstacles.

Normal road bike steering feels comically slow after time on a Brompton. Those first 5 minutes are always a hoot - from steering an F1 car to steering the Nimitz.

[charliedid]

Tried a couple of Bromptons today with a couple of impressions, FWIW:

-- As expected, really nice engineering and foldable design - really well done.

-- For my purposes, I could easily be very happy with either a fixed, 2, or 3 speed; 6 is just more than I need for what I plan to do with it.

-- Seemed like this thing had a lot of wheel flop, in that (at least at low speed) it oversteered quite a lot - e.g., small steering effort would cause this thing to fall right into a turn requiring a kind of twitchy correction. I don't know what the trail is on these things, but it sure seemed like a lot. I don't know - you look at it and it looks like it has almost no trail....I could get used to it, but it was a bit of a surprise.

Still for a short commute, it could be the way to go.

You get used to the steering...plus it rides much better with a bag up front and a little weight. Even a Krypto chain lock and the D-Bag helps.

[tumbler]

You definitely get used to it. It felt funny for all of 5 minutes and then my mind/body adapted and everything was fine. It's actually nice at low speed and in traffic jams. I frequently slip between stopped cars on my commute so I can maneuver around traffic jams or ride on whichever side of the street has more room. The ability to make swift turns in tight spaces is pretty nice for a city commute.

[fuzzalow]

Updated picture of my reworked Brompton. The bulk of the work was to change the fit & position in the bike as much as was attainable given the constraints intrinsic to the demands of a folding bicycle. The riding position isn't perfect but it is all that could be done with what was available.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ykFSYu7BIsU/Vdjbg8rvARI/AAAAAAAABNg/VjPkGQYFc54/s640-Ic42/dsc01003a.jpg

There must be something novel or cool about how people see this bike. There is almost not a day when somebody on a bike, a pedestrian at a crosswalk, even a food delivery guy on an e-bike, doesn't have something positive to say about this bike! They want to know what it costs (I always lie) and where something like this comes from (I always tell them it is British and made outside of London). Stupendous!

People are receptive to bikes and the people that ride them more than one might guess. Riding a Brompton appears to make me one of them as opposed to me being one of the roadie-them, when I am when I'm not me being me on a Brompton.

[OtayBW]

^Either those are tiny garage door panels, or you've got a saddle setback on the order of, what...6+ in? How did the ride change? What did you achieve?

[fuzzalow]

^Either those are tiny garage door panels, or you've got a saddle setback on the order of, what...6+ in? How did the ride change? What did you achieve?

Oh yeah, whole lotta setback. 175mm saddle setback from the BB. This is just a number and should not be accorded any significance other than it is a number that is used with other numbers to indicate something. All this setback number means is that there was rotation of the rider geometry aft-wards around the bottombracket.

The effect in doing this modification is to achieve a much greater closing of the hip angle in riding this bike over the "sit up n' beg" posture of an upright bicycle position. Sure, I could adapt to a new pedal stroke just for the Brompton but I didn't want to make that compromise. I wanted the comfort, balance, power and souplesse in riding a Brompton in a similar EuroPro fashion as I would ride a Eriksen, Pegoretti or any sporting bicycle.

As far as the change to the ride, Brompton rides likes its own animal anyway based on the quickness of its steering geometry and wheel size. It rides just fine. Even from a static weight basis, all the rider weight is still forwards from the rear axle. And in riding, most of the weight is down through the pedal cranks and bottombracket - it takes a fair amount of wattage to keep a Brompton moving!

[OtayBW]

...

The effect in doing this modification is to achieve a much greater closing of the hip angle in riding this bike over the "sit up n' beg" posture of an upright bicycle position. Sure, I could adapt to a new pedal stroke just for the Brompton but I didn't want to make that compromise. I wanted the comfort, balance, power and souplesse in riding a Brompton in a similar EuroPro fashion as I would ride a Eriksen, Pegoretti or any sporting bicycle.

As far as the change to the ride, Brompton rides likes its own animal anyway based on the quickness of its steering geometry and wheel size. It rides just fine. Even from a static weight basis, all the rider weight is still forwards from the rear axle. And in riding, most of the weight is down through the pedal cranks and bottombracket - it takes a fair amount of wattage to keep a Brompton moving!
As twitchy as I've found the Bromptons to be with almost no trail (admittedly, it's just not my cup of tea...), I can see your point in wanting to move to the aft and to unweight the front end. Whether or not your retrofit can approach the comfort, balance, power - and yes - suppleness of an Eriksen or Pegoretti, however, is pretty much a huge stretch (no pun intended...) for me. Good luck with it if it works for you, though.

[fuzzalow]

Thanks. There is no way I'd ever attempt to ride a Brompton no-hands. In an early bonehead move, I face-planted myself on this thing at 5mph folding the front wheel over - flop - crash - ouch! Literally taking one on the chin! Duh!

It rides as close to Euro-Pro as I could get it. I get a nice light touch on the bars, it tracks stable, straight and true. It rides OK. Several months now and it's all good.

[fuzzalow]

Updated for what is a finished Brompton. Almost two years duking it out through midtown gridlock with this contraption and still livin' to talk about it.

My frugalness had insisted on reusing an old NiteRider Digital from the ancient past. A homemade battery pack of 13 nickel-manganese C-cells fueled the NiteRider LED rear flasher and, when the halogen (HALOGEN!) front light was turned on, about 2 hours of run time! Just enough juice to get me far enough away from home after dark to get me lots of time to get killed with no lights on while riding all the way back home!

So the Brompton has been upgraded for modern LED lighting from Dinotte. XML-2 headlight and the Daytime Red Taillight. Anything to skew to odds towards greater visibility and survivability in Manhattan traffic. Although I don't consider Manhattan the riskiest of traffic to ride in because the traffic density rarely gives a driver enough time to text or use a smart phone. Cabbies cutting/short stopping for fares is something else.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nZh26kf9W4M/V17d5srVz7I/AAAAAAAABUk/TuC0k0JYeiclZFSf7Uxn06mYJ8w3FmB6wCCo/s720/DSC01044.JPG

Also installed a Sugino single chainring crankset to allow me to spin 175 crankarms. This is as close as I'm gonna get to making a Brompton ride EuroPro like my roadbike.

[velofinds]

OP, were you doing CP laps this morning?

[fuzzalow]

OP, were you doing CP laps this morning?

On some mornings, yes. On this particular Monday morning, no. Um, what bike was I riding? ;)

[velofinds]

Thought I might have seen the Eriksen, but now that I think of it, it might have been a Lynskey. A helmetless rider also (and I remembered your "Euro-pro" comment in an earlier thread), so I attempted to piece one and one together, but apparently not. Carry on :)

[fuzzalow]

Thought I might have seen the Eriksen, but now that I think of it, it might have been a Lynskey. A helmetless rider also (and I remembered your "Euro-pro" comment in an earlier thread), so I attempted to piece one and one together, but apparently not. Carry on :)

Hmmm, lidless? Check. Ti-silver bike? Check. Maybe rides the long 'n' low? Check. Whaddaminute! Was he souplesse but slow? No? Decent speed huh? Nah, then can't be me. The word speed isn't in my vocabulary.

I'll see some of you eventually out there. The Park isn't that big and sooner or later all the regulars, for their favored time slots, get seen and check in. Who hasn't ridden past the guy playing Hendrix or Piaf on a boom box during the afternoons?

[kevinvc]

There's a guy I've met who has ridden both Paris-Brest-Paris and London-Edinburgh-London on a loaded Bike Friday. He's a really interesting guy. Here's his blog (http://kentsbike.blogspot.com/2015/12/how-folding-bike-fits-your-life.html), which has links to the stories and photos of those 2 rides.

[weisan]

The world looks better on two wheels.

Yes they do, fuzz pal.

[gemship]

Yes they do, fuzz pal.

Are you feeling a little Brompton love? LOL.

[JAGI410]

My new Brompton arrives on Wednesday! But even that excitement wouldn't have made me bump up this old thread. What's up Weisan, you feeling frisky for a folder?

[fiamme red]

Now they've come out with an e-bike: http://www.cyclist.co.uk/commuting/5244/brompton-electric-bike-review.

[charliedid]

I'm very close to finally getting one.

Doesn't Weisan own one? Or maybe he has a Bike Friday.

[weisan]

sorry for the nostalgia, more like missing fuzz pal.

no, i never did own a brompton, a couple of BFs yes, but brompton no. I am hoping to correct that in the near future.:rolleyes::p

this video shows the different modifications others have made to their bromptons, very cool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HqzdBCR7CY

[moonhoo]

One of the many good things about the brompton is that both me (6’ tall) and my wife (5’ 2”) can ride it comfortably. It’s the best shareable bike you could get, imho.

[Ralph]

A lady who I have ridden with before (I know how fast she rides) got on my wheel recently riding a Brompton. This one was set up to go fast. Had a huge chainring, skinny tires, no generator hubs or fenders, etc. And she could almost tuck up under my seat she could draft so close on that thing.

I pulled her at about 22-23 for a few miles while we were catching up to a group, and she never fell back an inch. I know her well, have ridden with her for many years on regular road bikes, she is our local expert wheel builder, and she did not think this little bike held her speed back at all. Great bikes.

[Black Dog]

sorry for the nostalgia, more like missing fuzz pal.

no, i never did own a brompton, a couple of BFs yes, but brompton no. I am hoping to correct that in the near future.:rolleyes::p

this video shows the different modifications others have made to their bromptons, very cool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HqzdBCR7CY

Does anyone know what became of Fuzzalow?

[weisan]

Does anyone know what became of Fuzzalow?

fuzz pal is doing fine. just taking a break from the forum.

[mbrtool]

Always enjoyed Fuzz's posts

Ray

[gemship]

A lady who I have ridden with before (I know how fast she rides) got on my wheel recently riding a Brompton. This one was set up to go fast. Had a huge chainring, skinny tires, no generator hubs or fenders, etc. And she could almost tuck up under my seat she could draft so close on that thing.

I pulled her at about 22-23 for a few miles while we were catching up to a group, and she never fell back an inch. I know her well, have ridden with her for many years on regular road bikes, she is our local expert wheel builder, and she did not think this little bike held her speed back at all. Great bikes.

That sounds impressive when you consider Brompton's do have a disadvantage with smaller diameter wheels.

[veggieburger]

That Brompton seat post...does it bounce all over the place or is it super thick-walled? So crazy long!

[Ralph]

https://www.livestrong.com/article/142026-the-advantages-small-wheels-bicycle/

I wondered about the small wheels at speed. The lady riding the bike did not think small wheels held her back at all if just considering speed. Above seems to agree with her. I know conventional wisdom is they do.

The Brompton I am referring to was set up to go fast. The chainring was large enough to give it almost same effective gears as a 39/53 road bike. I enjoyed riding with the lady who owned it. She has many bikes. She also builds hi wheelers....owns a company called Victory Cycles in Orlando. They build and sell hi wheelers....all over the country, she makes every single part. Makes racing wheels for wheel chairs, etc. She can build anything. Check out the web site for Victory Cycles in Orlando.

[blakcloud]

I own a Brompton and it took me a long time to start liking it. First they ride like crap, twitchy, impossible to ride with no hands, small potholes are like craters for the 16" wheels and the bike is uncomfortable after about 45 minutes.

When I started commuting on it, my feeling for the bike changed. It is fast off the line, you can maneuver through traffic extremely well, it won't get stolen if you keep it with you all the time and you can even put studded tires on it for the winter, which I did.

Now I am glad I own one. It won't replace my Rivendell or my custom Winter bike being built but it is a nice compliment to those bikes.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3918/14869804794_b187209727_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oDZCUJ)

[bicycletricycle]

What’s FTP?

[charliedid]

What’s FTP?

Functional Threshold Power

File Transfer Protocol

F The Police

:-)

[bicycletricycle]

Sounds exhausting

Functional Threshold Power

File Transfer Protocol

F The Police

:-)

[charliedid]

Sounds exhausting

And how.

[weisan]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8qhrx0W0AAgGbA.jpg

[weisan]

,

[weisan]

https://www.brompton.com/~/media/Images/Core-Site-Content/Junctions/Brompton-Junction-Launch.jpg

[JAGI410]

All those Bromptons and I still don't see one like mine!

I love the "box" display for these things, it's a neat way to organize Bromptons for sale. All the Brooks saddles and fancy baggage options too. Way more exciting than looking at lycra and power meters ;)

[weisan]

All those Bromptons and I still don't see one like mine!

I love the "box" display for these things, it's a neat way to organize Bromptons for sale. All the Brooks saddles and fancy baggage options too. Way more exciting than looking at lycra and power meters ;)

I agree.

Manufactured: August 2005

http://alicehui.com/bike/Brompton/IMG_0504.jpg

http://alicehui.com/bike/Brompton/IMG_0503.jpg

http://alicehui.com/bike/Brompton/IMG_0498.jpg

http://alicehui.com/bike/Brompton/IMG_0501.jpg

.http://alicehui.com/bike/Brompton/IMG_0516.jpg

[weisan]

https://render.fineartamerica.com/images/rendered/default/print/5.125/8.000/break/images-medium-5/brompton-bicycle-andy-scullion.jpg

[JAGI410]

Mine arrived Wednesday. I love this thing! Such a nice ride. Gearing is perfect, and it's pretty quick. I'm glad I finally got one.

The service from Portapedalbike.com was amazing. I pulled it from the box and they put hang tag instructions on every unfolding step, plus tips on maintenance. They put some serious effort into making sure it got to me safely and I could enjoy it right out of the box. I'm glad I got a chance to visit with them when I was in Tempe a couple weeks ago. Great shop!

[weisan]

JAG pal, great color choice!

http://alicehui.com/bike/Brompton/brompton.gif

[weisan]

https://www.thehotbreakfast.com/media/uploads/andrew_ritchie.jpg

http://www.bikebrompton.com/img/brompton/bikebromptonL11.jpg

[charliedid]

Mine arrived Wednesday. I love this thing! Such a nice ride. Gearing is perfect, and it's pretty quick. I'm glad I finally got one.

The service from Portapedalbike.com was amazing. I pulled it from the box and they put hang tag instructions on every unfolding step, plus tips on maintenance. They put some serious effort into making sure it got to me safely and I could enjoy it right out of the box. I'm glad I got a chance to visit with them when I was in Tempe a couple weeks ago. Great shop!

Nice.

Gearing?

[JAGI410]

Nice.

Gearing?

It's the wide ratio 6 speed. 3 speed internal hub with 2 cogs. Not sure what the gear inches are but it feels good so far!

[charliedid]

It's the wide ratio 6 speed. 3 speed internal hub with 2 cogs. Not sure what the gear inches are but it feels good so far!

Yep

Good choice.

[Dave]

It's the wide ratio 6 speed. 3 speed internal hub with 2 cogs. Not sure what the gear inches are but it feels good so far!

33 to 100 gear inches

[charliedid]

takes care of that:p

[JAGI410]

Awesome!

[weisan]

http://alicehui.com/bike/Brompton/IMG_0522.jpg

[AngryScientist]

If I still did mixed modal commuting I would seriously consider one of these.

I do think bike shares have changed the landscape of cycling in a city a bit. For me, way less stressful and more convenient in the city to grab a bike share bike and dock it without the worry about having my own thousands of dollar bike and needing to keep an eye on it. These are definitely the right tool for some jobs though.

[weisan]

https://www.bikebiz.com/.image/t_share/MTUyMjU2MjI3MTg4NjE0NjQw/1-bdockjpeg.jpg

[weisan]

Brompton CEO talks at Google.

https://youtu.be/Lh4yStWFNvs

[weisan]

Added a water bottle cage at the front and a more functional bell.

http://alicehui.com/bike/Brompton/IMG_0632.jpg

[JAGI410]

Does it still fold with the cage there?

[weisan]

Does it still fold with the cage there?

No.

:D

I have turned it around, facing towards me, now it's fine.

[charliedid]

No.

:D

I have turned it around, facing towards me, now it's fine.

:p

[weisan]

http://alicehui.com/bike/Brompton/IMG_0637.jpg

[AngryScientist]

well, mine is not nearly as fancy or well built as a brompton, but my little citizen single-speedzster is a fun little bike, and the right call for when trains are involved. i've taken it to the city a bunch of times, and it beats walkin!

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kG2jGit3xb4/TtKxgQwyrxI/AAAAAAAAAP4/FFJpSLsAp-U/s1200/IMG_0190.JPG

[weisan]

That's okay angry, we accept you as you are. I like your built in bike stand. For the longest time, I couldn't figure out why in the world brompton won't include a bike stand as I had to lean it against something while I work on it...and then it finally occurred to me that THIS is their version of a bike stand :
:D
http://alicehui.com/bike/Brompton/IMG_0498.jpg

[weisan]

First time taking the brompton on the train. I don't know what's up with these bromptons, almost immediately I got two gentlemen came up to me and struck up conversations about them, and countless stares from many others notwithstanding. They are definitely a conversation piece.

http://alicehui.com/bike/Brompton/IMG_0715.jpg

http://alicehui.com/bike/Brompton/IMG_0714.jpg