After taking the advice of the cognoscenti on this forum, I sold on my old Brompton L5 to make way for a new model. Things I wanted to change were chiefly the gears - a decent range with a reasonable low; and secondly a better riding position - I found the old Brompton a bit upright for my tastes.
Serious thought was given to the alternatives - chiefly the Dahon Mu and Speed clans - but ultimately discounted when I discovered how much larger than the Brompton the folded package was. I ended up settling for a Brompton S6L.
In Brompton speak, this is the flat bars, six speed gearing, no rack. I wasn't going to wait around for weeks for a non-standard paint scheme so ended up going for a black mainframe and red extremities - the reverse of my old Brompton. I also went for the reduced gearing option as I'm a bit of a spinner anyway and there are lots of steep hills around where I live.
Firstly the paint - Brompton have gone for a new matt finish that is reminscent of late 80s Marin mountain bikes. I think it looks good in black and red - not so sure that I'd like the other colours in a matt finish. It doesn't seem quite as thick as the old Brompton's shiny gloss coat.
The new machine is quite a revelation. It looks altogether sleeker than its predecessor, the flat bars giving it a more puposeful stance compared to the M-type bars. It even feels lighter, though I doubt there is much more than a few grams in it. The BWR hub looks very dinky compared to the old S-A Sprinter - though this could (and probably is) my imagination. The new saddle with integrated handgrip does make moving the folded bike around a bit easier. I've not decided whether the rear frame clip is a good idea or not - I'm used to quick folding the bike by lifting up the saddle and flipping the wheel under and so keep having to remember to reach down instead to release the catch - half the time so far I leave it in its unlatched position. It's quite nice not to have the folding pedal gouging lumps out of the paintwork, as the older one always threatened to do so. And there's what looks like a decent pump lurking in the rear triangle, instead of the ineffective thing on my old bike which looked like it came off a 1970s shopper.
The greater length of the frame is immediately obvious when you sit on the bike, and the lower and further forward handlebars improve the position for me considerably. I've fitted Cane Creek Ergo grips for an extra hand position - very comfortable, but does make riding on the bars rather cramped with several inadvertent bell rings or gear changes as a result.
The bike feels much more solid than its predecessor with none of the shakes or rattles of the L5. That does mean also that there's a bit more vibration from the front wheel, but after a few miles this ceased to be a problem.
A few miles have also suggested that the saddle will probably be changed in the near future - a bit too flat and squared off for my tastes. Definitely better than the plastic mattress saddle that came with my old L5, but that was swapped for a much more comfortable Terry which will probably see a second tour of duty on the new bike. The alloy seatpost is apparently lighter than the old chromed steel one but seems just as rigid - none of the suspension effect that I have hear that the titanium version gives. The Pentaclip has one unforseen advantage - one allen key is all that's needed to whip the saddle off. Useful if you have a car with a very small boot...
Even the mudguards are better, with a small mudflap on the rear to stop you getting covered in grime. I had to make my own one for the old bike out of a Fairy Liquid bottle.
The S6L has dual pivot brakes front and rear - my old L5 had upgraded dual pivot front and single pivot rear. Braking on the new bike compared to the old (at least at this stage) is like throwing out the anchors and coming to an instant stop.
The gearing is a revelation compared to the Sprinter 5 speed hub. Changes on the hub are quick and smooth. The derailleur works like a dream. Bottom and top gears are usable - compared to the 5 speed where first gear felt that it was absorbing all your effort. It's an even better hill climber because the stiffness of the handlebars and stem allow you to put in more effort. I had thought of swapping the odd-looking levers for twist grips but having used them I wouldn't bother. Shifting up and down through the gears needs a couple of simultaneous left and right hand changes and the levers are perfect for this. My only complaint would be that on rough tarmac the right hand shifter rattles and buzzes.
My bike (from C H White) came with Brompton Kevlar tyres fitted as standard. Not quite as fast as the Primo Comets on my last Brompton, perhaps. I still have the Comets and might yet refit them.
C H White also provided free a carry bag - I thought this would be a cheap thin nylon affair but in fact it turned out to be a robust zip up bag that swallows the Brompton snugly with room for a few odds and ends. It's a bit bigger than the Brompton cover and would need to be strapped to a front bag rather than stuffed in the standard saddlebag.
I heard various conflicting views about bags and the S-type bars. Whilst Brompton say that you can only use the S-bag, this is not strictly true. My original Brompton pannier fits fine. The main problem is not the bag fouling the brake levers, as I had thought, but the forward reach of the handlebars meaning that there is little room for the brake and gear cables that run down the front of the handlebar stem. So far I've not had much a problem. Over-fill the bag and you could run into difficulties with the brake levers, but I don't think I'll be shelling out for a S-bag just yet (though it admittedly does look a lot better).
I think I've probably ridden as far in the last couple of weeks on my S6L as I did in the last year on my L5. Whilst there's perhaps a novelty factor, it's simply a much more pleasant machine to ride. It certainly feels faster and more efficient. Add front suspension (like a Pantour hub), and it could be a mini folding Moulton. It feels solid and together in a way that the L5 never did. And Brompton seem to have improved the standard of their components to give a much more "quality" feel than was the case with their older bikes. The only obvious exception to this is the rear cones to support the bike when folded - they still rattle and they still catch my heels, and my feet aren't that big!
Although there are people who will do 100 mile rides on their Bromptons, I won't be reaching for mine to do the same - but I do have the advantage of better tools for that job. But as a purposeful bike you can take anywhere and do some serious miles on if you want to/need to, sneak into Tescos or hide under your desk at work, I reckon the new Brompton is pretty competitive with the opposition.
