Can you really beat a Brompton?

[rogerzilla]

I'll have to measure up.  I know an MTB wheel with a knobbly tyre goes in deflated, so there's a good 24" x 24" space, but the depth is a little hard to fathom (pun intended) because of the spare wheel sitting in the corner (it's under the boot floor in a Mk2).  However, there is a deepish well in the middle.

[Sigurd Mudtracker]

The problem with mine is one of width, rather than depth - or rather, I can't get it into the boot far enough to check the depth!  It might work by removing the saddle, though that's not really what I'd want to be doing on a regular basis.

[rogerzilla]

What's a good going rate for a s/h L3?  It would be nice to have something to take on holiday (I used to squash a disassembled track bike in the car, but that's no longer possible as the girls need the legroom!) and I do occasionally find myself riding to work and driving back with the bike in the back of a hire car, which tends to wreck mudguards quickly.  N+1...

[Wowbagger]

The frank answer to the original question has to be "No."

I've managed 30+ miles in the day on one with no ill-effects, the luggage carrying is excellent, the handling is a bit iffy, but probably no more so than any small-wheel machine. Mrs. Wow and I each have one, and they get used in preference to full-sized machines for certain purposes, notably when we don't want to leave a bike outside somewhere or other.

Of course, if I commuted by train it would be used every day.

[mr endon]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Lsrg2hX85u8&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Lsrg2hX85u8&rel=1</a>
'Nuff said?

[rogerzilla]

Well, it has been ordered - M6L in Turkish green...  and the best bit is that it looks like we can get on the Cyclescheme

I should have thought of that.  As a penal rate taxpayer, an S2L is only about £360; an M6L a bit cheaper  You can't easily get a secondhand one for that.

[CathH]

Woe, woe, woe..... After a long wait, my workplace has finally implemented a Cycle To Work scheme..... with Halfords.  They won't deal with Brompton.

Wailey wailey wailey.

[rogerzilla]

That's unfortunate, because they claim they can source anything.

[Charlotte]

Woe, woe, woe..... After a long wait, my workplace has finally implemented a Cycle To Work scheme..... with Halfords.  They won't deal with Brompton.

Wailey wailey wailey.

That's pish.  Persevere - keep speaking to someone more senior until they relent and get you a Brompton.  I'm sure others have.

FWIW, after my recent trip to NYC, I'd not want any other folder.  The little Brommie was just the doggies dangly bits 

[rogerzilla]

I wonder if it's the other way round - Brompton don't want their bikes sold by Halfrauds?

My employer uses Halfrauds for Bike4Work, although it's also a 1 January-31 December scheme so I can't take advantage of it at the moment and they may change supplier next year - who knows?

A £600 bike for £354 is a pretty good deal, though.

[andygates]

Good enough to wake me up, as we've just started a cyclescheme!  Time for a "which Brommie" thread elsewhere.

[Frenchie]

What's a good going rate for a s/h L3?  It would be nice to have something to take on holiday (I used to squash a disassembled track bike in the car, but that's no longer possible as the girls need the legroom!) and I do occasionally find myself riding to work and driving back with the bike in the back of a hire car, which tends to wreck mudguards quickly.  N+1...

This is one of the usages of my Helios too... And I still think the answer to the original question "Yes, definitely!" Sorry! 

[TimO]

My employer uses Halfords for their Cycle2Work scheme, and there is a long list of companies who you can buy bikes through, who aren't normal Halfords bicycle suppliers, and which used to include Bromptons.  For example, I bought an On-One Pompino through them, and you certainly can't normally get a Pomp from Halfords.

Our website say that you should call "08700 660511" to check what suppliers are available (of course, things may have changed since I used it 6 months or so back).

[rogerzilla]

This looks promising:

Andrew's Blog: Halfords and the Cycle to work scheme

He has a way with words 

[Ian H]

I'll guarantee the reason Halfords and Brompton don't get on is that Brompton won't discount - after all they sell everything they can produce at the moment without discounting..

[rogerzilla]

Wasn't an L3 about £300 only a few years ago?  Now the M3L is £540 at most places.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Wasn't an L3 about £300 only a few years ago?  Now the M3L is £540 at most places.

Close to 400 GBP (under or over) early in the decade AFAIR.

[CathH]

Hurrah, thanks for the tips people, I shall start a "We Want Bromptons" movement.  There's already three of us.  If there's anything I'm good at, it's worrying at an issue until people either want to shoot themselves or solve it to make me go away. 

[rogerzilla]

If you have to buy one with real money, the CTC shop does the S2L for £495 (10% discount) to members.  Only from stock and only in black though, it seems.

A nicer version with Stelvio tyres and a Fizik saddle is £544.50.

Edit: but it might be worth paying the extra 10% to avoid giving Evans Cycles money 

[CathH]

You were right - Halfords have just informed me that I can choose whatever Brommie dealer I want.  I will be spending tomorrow mostly riding Bromptons courtesy of Cycleworks and then putting in a quote request for my superlight darling.

I will be a One Bike Woman no more.

[Fi]

Why a Brompton Cath?

[CathH]

Hi Fi!  (geddit?)

The thing that I like the most about cycling is the amount of things that I get to see.  I'm a cycle-explorer.  I've been thinking for a long time that what I would love to do is to take the bus/train/coach to interesting places (Bath, for example) and explore them thoroughly.  I can't think of a better way to do that than by bike.  Being a green and new cyclist, I thought that travelling off-peak via train would be an easy affair logistically, but not a bit of it.

There's no way that I'm going to be able to afford the type of Brompton that I want in the normal scheme of things (I'm speccing up a superlight with dynamo and clear finish - booootful!) and I think I need to get ready for the coming necessity of using bike/public transport with more frequency.

[rogerzilla]

The weight difference between the superlight and the standard, when you have one in each hand (I did) is pretty minimal, especially if you specify a Ti seatpost on the standard.  Cynics might suggest that the absence of a pump on the superlight accounts for a lot of what weight difference there is 

[Otto]

Yes You can beat a Brompton with a nice chunk of 4 by 2 our a short length of scafold pipe

[rogerzilla]

These things are made of sturdy British steel and will fart in the general direction of your scaffold pipe.