Which Brompton?

[andygates]

Work have started a cyclescheme at last.  This is my one chance at getting a Brommie to replace Lance (the fixie folder abomination). 

Now, all I know about Brommies is that they've got the uber-fold and they can do Dunwich.  The role I have in mind for this machine is primarily the vanbike: the folder in my camper so that when I drive places I can park up and use the bike for errands instead of having to drive off again.  So, primarily, it's a shopper: normal clothes, some modest luggage, range of up to 10 miles.

O Wise Ones, what can you recommend?

[rogerzilla]

Having done a bit of research, the S-type has the best riding position.  S2L is about £600, S2L-X with titanium bits is more like £1000.

Unless you're a midget, you'll need the longer seatpost option.  They claim the standard one is OK for a six-footer, but only if they're a six-footer with a 32" inside leg 

Check Bromptons are actually available on the scheme before signing up (see the "Can you really beat a Brompton?" thread).

[Charlotte]

If I were to be buying a new Brommie (mine came as is, second hand from ACF) then it would be thus:

Flat bar, two speed, with the lightweight Ti bits in "natural lacquered" colour so you can see the metal and the pretty brazed joints.  Brompton only pick the ones with the prettiest braze jobs for this finish, y'know...

Don't bother with the SON, 'cos it's heavy and unnecessary for a city bike.  Just fit some weeny little blinkies or do what my bike had done and permanently attach some Cateyes.  Also, don't get a rack, 'cos they're crap.  Go for the front block and one of the funky new courier style bags.  Like roger says, the extended seatpost is a must.  They do a Ti one, apparently...

Get the racing slick tyres and the fabric cover for taking on the train/plane when you want it to look like luggage, not a folding bike.  Buy some Brompton-specific roller skate wheels off eBay for the rolley-wheels at the back, 'cos the plastic one aren't up to much.

You should be able to get all that for under a grand.

[delthebike]

Having recently acquired an M6R, functional shopper, with the front touring pannier it is better, and day rider, I am now looking forward to the day when I also have an S2L/L-X.
Despite what Charlotte says the rack is fine, but becomes a nuisance having to unload it to fold it.

[токамак]

Charlotte's got it in one! I myself have a two speed S type in the raw lacquer finish and I love it. I opted for the rear rack and it's a total waste of space - I tried to use it in earnest once with a small bag, but whatever way I tried to arrange it my heels kept hitting the bag, very frustrating!

[andygates]

Hmm... food for thought.  My initial hankering would be the S-type, 6-speed, racing tyres, long post.  No Ti bits, that's outside my budget.  Lighting as Charlotte suggests; the wheely-mod sounds good too.

You all seem to like the 2-speed.  Is it a really wide range?  I'm kinda keen to keep it all hubly and enclosed...

Raw lacquer does sound sexy.  Always wanted one of those, for the starkness.

[токамак]

the 2 speed it perfect - actually makes a significant difference and gives you a gear for all occasions!

[edit] you can specify with Bromton what ratios you want too - so as a stronger rider you can get higher gearing

[edit] the raw lacquer is ultimate bling - the brazing is gold

[Charlotte]

Well, whichever bike you go for, you're going to have a chain tensioner/dérailleur, right?  May as well have that doing your gear changing.

I like the 3 speed hub that I have but it's noisy, inefficient and probably quite heavy.  The only advantage is the traditionally useful hub gear thang where you can change down whilst stationary.  But with the two speed, you just have to click down before you stop.  I'd spec it with about 72" for the big gear and about 58" for the little'un.  What more do you need?

[Ian H]

Strange that. I'm 6', ride a 23" frame, and find the standard Brompton seatpost fine. It's on full extension, mind.

Agreed, the rack will only take very small items, and you can't do the park-fold with it loaded.

Ms R keeps eying the Ti ones, but hasn't committed herself yet. She wants lots of gears, though I'd fancy one or two speeds.

[rogerzilla]

50 x 14 and 50 x 12 give a reasonable cruising and hurrying gear, if not a climbing gear.  Can you fit a 12T on a Brompton?

I'm not sure you can climb easily on a Brommie; the handlebars twist (although the S-type should be better) and, as someone who gets rear brake rub and ghost front changes on a conventional bike, I'm going to seriously twist that dinky rear triangle if I stand up.

[andygates]

Ah well, if I can spec ratios that makes all the difference.  I'd forgotten that the tensioner was going to be there anyway.  72/58 sounds peachy to me too (ah, those fixie legs).

Ian, what's your inside leg and shoe-size? 

[Flying_Monkey]

Either 2-speed or 6. Don't go for the 3-speed SA hub was the advice I was given. I would have gone for the S-type too, but my wife is used to sit-up and beg bike and prefers the upright position offered by the M-type.

[токамак]

When I say 2 speed I mean the one that gives you 6 gears in total - 3 in hub, 2 sprockets

[Charlotte]

50 x 14 and 50 x 12 give a reasonable cruising and hurrying gear, if not a climbing gear.  Can you fit a 12T on a Brompton?

I'm not sure you can climb easily on a Brommie; the handlebars twist (although the S-type should be better) and, as someone who gets rear brake rub and ghost front changes on a conventional bike, I'm going to seriously twist that dinky rear triangle if I stand up.

I can climb out of the saddle no problem.  With the U shaped bars an' everything 

I was on the Sunday ride at the CTC conference in Belfast, riding along with Kevin Mayne and as we left the Sustrans path and headed for the hills, he said "ah, we're leaving Brompton territory now, you know".

Red rag to a bull or what?  I challenged him to a sprint up the next hill and he lost.

Badly 

[TimO]

Mine's a T3, so pre-dates the current models, and I didn't have a choice of getting a two-speed at the time, it was three speed or six speed.  I decided that having the dérailleur with the hub was unnecessary, especially since to use the entire range in turn, you have to alternate between changing the hub, and changing both!  If I bought one now, I may go with something like Charlotte suggested, just using the one ratio for pulling away, and when pulling stupidly heavy loads on the trailer.

I used to use my Ex's Brompton which didn't have an extended seatpost, and it was OK for short distances (a mile or two), but when I bought my own I thought it would be a good idea to get that additional distance, and it's a lot more comfortable.  I'm 6'3" with about a 32" inside leg.

I've got the rear carrier and hardly ever use it, the front luggage block is more useful, I could do without the carrier, but not the luggage block!  Likewise, it's dead easy to fit some LED lights for emergencies, rather than rely on the dynamo.  Mine died after six months, and rather than faff about with findind the dis in the wiring, I just binned it and went over to battery lights permanently.

[rogerzilla]

The Brompton SON is beautiful though...

[Ian H]

Ian, what's your inside leg and shoe-size? 

Should I be giving out my vital statistics in public?

32" and 9½ to 10 depending.

[Charlotte]

Likewise, it's dead easy to fit some LED lights for emergencies, rather than rely on the dynamo.  Mine died after six months, and rather than faff about with findind the dis in the wiring, I just binned it and went over to battery lights permanently.

That's true - definitely never get the bottle dynamo, Andy.  I've never heard a good word said about it.

[Riggers]

Why do people not mention Airnimals whenever folders are, er, mentioned type thing?

[токамак]

Why do people not mention Airnimals whenever folders are, er, mentioned type thing?

There's a thread for that HERE. An Airnimal is a bit of a different beast, great as they are, they're not so good for practical folding and storing etc.

[Wowbagger]

I find the luggage rack on my T6 perfectly functional other than, as Del says, when you want to fold it. You have to unload it first. It also has the bungees built in so you can't lose them.

[andygates]

That's true - definitely never get the bottle dynamo, Andy.  I've never heard a good word said about it.

For occasional use, a bottle dynamo is useless - too low and unless it's regularly used, it'll rust up.  Been there, done that.

Why do people not mention Airnimals whenever folders are, er, mentioned type thing?

'cos i wanna Brompton.  Nothing else folds so nicely.  And it's a design classic.

Ian, what's your inside leg and shoe-size? 

Should I be giving out my vital statistics in public?

32" and 9½ to 10 depending.

Same as me.  I'll have to test-ride a regular post. 

[duncan]

I have to join in with this one really

I would go for:

The front luggage - as for many other people I have trouble with my heels hitting anything that is on the rear rack. I have a rear rack at the moment, and I've used it about three times in 4 years of Bromptoning, and it's always a pain.

Handlebars: I wouldn't go for the S. I find them too low, and you can't fit all the standard front luggage options. I've tried the P, and found I didn't much like how far my hands were from the brakes when descending hills. So for me, the good old-fashioned M type bars. I would get bar ends though. After quite a lot of research I went for Cane Creek ones, and they are great.

I am 5'10", and I had to replace my extended seatpost with a telescopic one. The extended one would have been fine around town, but was half a centimetre shorter than I wanted for audaxes. This also has the advantage that the bike folds smaller than with the extended post. I can't imagine how anyone of 6 foot could cope with the normal seatpost unless they had very tiny legs.

Lights: I love my SON dynamo, but if I started again I'd just use LED battery lights.

Gears: I started with a T6, and upgraded it by adding a Schlumpf Speed Drive. I doubt you'll want to bother with that. For just riding around town and stuff I rarely left the top two gears when it was a T6, so I'd probably go with the no hub option.

[duncan]

One more thing...

Tyres: I don't know what it's like with Stelvios, but fixing punctures on a Brompton is generally a nightmare. My solution to this is to use Schwalbe Marathon's and try to have as few punctures as possible. I guess there is a possibility that it's easier to get the Stelvios on and off without puncuring the tube. Does anyone have any experience of this?

[Ian H]

One more thing...

Tyres: I don't know what it's like with Stelvios, but fixing punctures on a Brompton is generally a nightmare. My solution to this is to use Schwalbe Marathon's and try to have as few punctures as possible. I guess there is a possibility that it's easier to get the Stelvios on and off without puncuring the tube. Does anyone have any experience of this?

I put Marathons on ours. They weren't a problem to fit. Never punctured.