Brompton bikes

[thesuper]

Hi all, I am thinking of buying a Brompton folding bike thru my employers "cycle to work scheme", which gets me about 30% off the price, still bloody steep tho! I work/live/travel in London so the arigami style folding appeals to me. I know some of you guys have folding bikes and Bromptons in particular. The one I'm thinking of is the P6R. Any  owner opinions and reviews on their real world use, performance, reliability etc would be greatly appreciated before I take the plunge. Cheers, Rob

[Zed]

 never had one but love moultons  you need mike    im sure he will pop up soon   

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Hello

Yep I've got a P6R and it's a cracking bike The rides great, it's been reliable   and robust enough to have been used everyday on all surfaces and in all weathers

It's been one of my best ever purchases and I'd buy one again tomorrow given the chance.

[Zed]

Hello

Yep I've got a P6R and it's a cracking bike The rides great, it's been reliable   and robust enough to have been used everyday on all surfaces and in all weathers

It's been one of my best ever purchases and I'd buy one again tomorrow given the chance.

I thought this was the model mike had 

[thesuper]

Hello

Yep I've got a P6R and it's a cracking bike The rides great, it's been reliable   and robust enough to have been used everyday on all surfaces and in all weathers

It's been one of my best ever purchases and I'd buy one again tomorrow given the chance.

Well you cant say fairer than that. How old is your one Mike? Are the new style handlebars comfy? Anything you would change on it? Are the 6 gears enough in everyday riding? Tell me more buddy, its an expensive bit of kit and I want to be sure its right for me before I pull the trigger,thanks mate. By the way, I'm 5ft 10in and 17 stone, will it take it? Rob

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Mine's a 2010, and I've found it comfy

The gearing is a bit of an issue sometimes in that low's not very low, and high's not all that high (35-99 gear inches if I remember rightly) so you can be a bit stuck for the right gear when going up bloody steep inclines with a load on board, and likewise you can end up spinning a bit when going down hill (the range is better than almost all folders under £1200 though  ), but in everyday use you wouldn't have a problem, and besides you can have the gears raised or lowered by 12% should you need it, but I'd say you'd be fine given how flat most of London is

I'm 6'2'' with a severely buggered bike and I've been fine when it comes to reach ect, and only 11 stone, so it might be worth you dropping a line to Brompton just to check you'd be safely within there weight limits, which I'd imagine you would be, as the frame and hinges are substantial bit's of good ole steel

The luggage options for the bike are great, and stops you having to wear a rucksack which can be a right pain in the rear when it's a warm day imo

If you can, try before you buy, as some people who've come from large wheeled bikes do find them a bit flighty at first, as the steering is a bit quick, but that's just perfect around town And besides I've done over 40mph down hill on mine with no stability issues

End of the day Brompton have a massive following, and with bloody good reason imo I've had two Dahon's and they were nowt but trouble, and needed constant fettling to keep them working correctly. I've done nothing but fix 1 puncture, and routine maintanence on mine, it's been that reliable. It really is a quality product + plus they really hold there price on the used market, that's why I ended up plumping for a new one

Hope this helps mate

[ryan1835]

i was about to recommend dahons as a brand too  oh well!

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

The last one I bought was in 2006 so they may have improved, and there's a new importer so you may well be able to get spares now, rather than wait 10 weeks like o had too!

Now that Dahon split into two companies (Tern) they may be better.

I'll stick with my Brommie though

[thesuper]

Mike, thanks for all thi info mate, helped a great deal  Good general knowledge there. I will be going to my local Evans to give them a try. I'm pretty convinced tho! Rob

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

If you can get it from someone else of possible, I didn't get the best of help from them when i had warrantee issues with my Dahon

[thesuper]

Wont be getting it from them, just giong there to try them out. Whent yesterday and tried several Bromptons, the p6r and a h3l which has higher bars better for me. The knowledgable chap there reccomends the 3 gear models for general use, said 6 gears only really useful if using it for touring/long distance use. What do you think Mike? I like the idea of 6 gears, better to have them and not use them than the other way around! They are pretty fast to ride cos they are so light and "quick" steering too, I was quite amazed actualy. Defo be getting one now. But which one, decisions,decisions. I like the H type higher bars better.Not sure I need a rear rack tho,its the gearing thats got me wondering. H6l, higher bars, no rear rack or dynamo lights, 6 gears, hmm!

[Zed]

If it was me i would got for 6spd as you should get some more low and high gears, makes a more efficient machine 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I'd get 6spd's everytime, as you could well need them with hill's and headwinds, or if you fancy venturing further afield

[thesuper]

Agreed, 6spd gives more flexibility for future uses. Hopefuly as I get fitter and more into it, I'll be going further afield on it.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Just need to pick a colour now mate

A small carradice saddle bag works well with Brommies too and saves wearing a rucksack and getting
Sweaty

[ryan1835]

Agreed, 6spd gives more flexibility for future uses. Hopefuly as I get fitter and more into it, I'll be going further afield on it.

if you want to eventually go further afield, is there any reason why you aren't interested in a full sized bike?

[Zed]

Agreed, 6spd gives more flexibility for future uses. Hopefuly as I get fitter and more into it, I'll be going further afield on it.

if you want to eventually go further afield, is there any reason why you aren't interested in a full sized bike?

It is a full sized bike ryan  just little wheels and folds up    some folk tour on these bikes, i would on a moulton if i had one 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

A folder does give the option of true multi-modal travel though, and without incuring extra costs (some rail networks insist you pay for taking full sized bikes on the train )   

I've done 60 mile rides on my Brommie prior to screwing my back up with no probs, even in hilly Kent

Besides they do ride just like regular bikes imo

If you get the chance mate, try one

[dks]

How to build a Brompton bike from start to finish

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/good-news/9482165/How-to-build-a-Brompton-bike-from-start-to-finish.html

[thesuper]

Sorry chaps, been away for a few days. Colour? Deffo black Mike. Ryan as others have said, it is a full sized bike, but I know what you mean mate. I live and work in London, so need to tote it about on public transport at times. Plus storing it at home, space is at a premium, "full sized" aint going to fit! Been there, tried that! All in all the Brommie fits the bill all round, with some inevitable compromises.

[Waterlander]

How does Moulton compare to Brompton??

[Zed]

How does Moulton compare to Brompton??

brompton are a folding bike as was moulton and i think the original of this type, i love ther space frame and they make a great touring bike for packing onto a plane or coach due to small wheels and can be taken apart, brompton is a great choice for inner city commuting as quick to fold up, but ive wanted a moulton for a long time but still well out of my price range,

http://www.moultonbicycles.co.uk/index.html

[Waterlander]

So on a Moulton frame you get a better riding experience, but the Brompton frame is more practical because it folds easier? I suspect the Moultons are not cheap from the look of it..

[Zed]

So on a Moulton frame you get a better riding experience, but the Brompton frame is more practical because it folds easier? I suspect the Moultons are not cheap from the look of it..

Bromptons are ideal for most situations but very handy inner city, moultons are expensive,but them bromptons are not cheap,moultons are pretty cool though  i would buy one of there touring models if i had the money, right need lotto win this weekend, must be my turn 

[thesuper]

I looked at that link......blimey, I thought Bromptons were expensive! What am I getting myself into? Hope this doesnt turn into a collecting addiction like MT's

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

How does Moulton compare to Brompton??

Mr Moulton proved the concept of small wheels on a bicycle so there probably wouldn't of been a Brompton without him 

Having said that, Moultons are available as separable bicycles, as the concept was aimed at car drivers, as opposed to commuters, so they lack the ease of use that a true folder has

Moultons are fantastic bicycles though, and can do everything a regular bicycle does, and usually better, and in greater comfort

But for multi-mode transport there's nothing better than the Bromptom imo

[Waterlander]

All clear, thanks

[thesuper]

Well I finally got to order my Brompton folding bike, went for the H6R, 6gears with a rear rack, at the frightening cost of £950  still, can't wait to get it,and wait is what I will be doing plenty of as it's a 8 to 12 week wait! That was a stroke of luck tho, as nearly everywhere else I asked told me they wouldn't be getting any supplies from brompton till March next year! Demand far outstrips supply apparently.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

That does have the good knock on effect of keeping the used prices high

Glad there's gonna be another Bromptoneer on here

[thesuper]

Bromptoneer...... I like that! Pretty exclusive club at nearly a grand a pop. Did u have to wait for yours Mike?  I took a test ride on a P6R like yours, really liked it, but the slightly higher bars on the H suit me better. I'm like a kid waiting for Xmas!