BIKES FOR MOTORHOMERS (1 Viewer)

[BGB]

Thinking of buying a pair of BROMPTON folding cycles for occasional use in the MOHO. Dont want anything racy or want to ride enduro dirt tracks, just a pootle to a village or down a canal path..QUESTION; BROMPTONS are expensive but fold up quite neatly, are they worth it???

 

[busby]

Thinking of buying a pair of BROMPTON folding cycles for occasional use in the MOHO. Dont want anything racy or want to ride enduro dirt tracks, just a pootle to a village or down a canal path..QUESTION; BROMPTONS are expensive but fold up quite neatly, are they worth it???

Think with cycles you get what you pay for within reason,,BUSBY.

 

[magicsurfbus]

BROMPTONS are expensive but fold up quite neatly, are they worth it???

You're not kidding about expensive. I picked up a folding bike with a RRP of £200+ at a local auction for only £50. Not feather light but it folds up enough to easily fit in the back of a Fiat Panda.

Why pay silly money?

Whilst I understand the appeal of putting bikes in the MH boot as opposed to using a rack, there are far cheaper options that will do virtually the same thing as a Brompton.

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[Augusta08]

Brompton's are am excellent choice, they are British engineering done well. Go 4 it!

 

[Cal54]

I understand the Brompton are fantastic bikes but what you have to ask yourself is, does your anticipated use warrant the cost. There are loads of folding bike models on the market, some rubbish and some good ones. At the end of the day it is entirely your choice.

 

[funflair]

If you buy a Brompton you can always sell it on whenever you wish, if you buy a cheap folder because it's cheap but not quite as good you just have a cheap folder that won't be worth much at all when you are finished, the way Bromptons sell on the used market you can't fall off, not literally of course.

Martin

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[funflair]

These are good bikes http://airnimal.eu/products/chameleon/performance-sport/#.WQOS_-t4WrU not as easy to fold as a Brompton but a better and more serious ride, and if you thought a Brompton was expensive!!

Martin

 

[Don Quixote]

We had 2 x Brompton's for a 5 years when we lived in London. When it came to selling them we lost 100 quid per bike, so worth the money on the resale market.
We have moved on a little and use battery powered bikes ( gave as many members as we could a go last year at Thetford ) which we would recommend to one and all even just to pootle to a village or down a canal path. There is just something about being helped along on a bike.......
At the end of the day you pay once for good quality or twice for lesser quality.

 

[Jaws]

Or buy a cheap one, get some Brompton stickers made up and no bugger will tell the difference until they get up close and personal

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[GWAYGWAY]

These are good bikes http://airnimal.eu/products/chameleon/performance-sport/#.WQOS_-t4WrU not as easy to fold as a Brompton but a better and more serious ride, and if you thought a Brompton was expensive!!

Martin

'KIN 'ELL the price of that is bit steep isn't it. Bromptons are bad but that is ************ you could buy TWO electric ones for that much. To carry a bike in the van you want cheap and cheerful but light one, also not a downfall if it gets knicked.

 

[Chris51]

Get a cheap /good quality one wont be as attractive to the tea -leafs as a Brompton and does the same job at a fraction of the cost.

 

[funflair]

'KIN 'ELL the price of that is bit steep isn't it. Bromptons are bad but that is ************ you could buy TWO electric ones for that much. To carry a bike in the van you want cheap and cheerful but light one, also not a downfall if it gets knicked.

Proper derailleur gears though and rides like a proper bike but packs into a suitcase 24 inches by 24 inches with all your clothes for 2 weeks around the outside. Front wheel goes in the lid.

Martin

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[Kingham]

........To carry a bike in the van you want cheap and cheerful but light one, also not a downfall if it gets knicked.

Which leads nicely on to the next issue, even with a quality lock, you daren't let an expensive bike out of your sight, which is a bit restrictive if you want to explore on foot once you've cycled to your destination.

 

[Chris51]

Which leads nicely on to the next issue, even with a quality lock, you daren't let an expensive bike out of your sight, which is a bit restrictive if you want to explore on foot once you've cycled to your destination.

If you lock it they nick parts off a dear one.

 

[funflair]

Which leads nicely on to the next issue, even with a quality lock, you daren't let an expensive bike out of your sight, which is a bit restrictive if you want to explore on foot once you've cycled to your destination.

Just lock up in a prominent place and hope for the best. Usually we are on the Tandem and that is a bit big to stick under your arm and might look a bit out of place riding away on your own.

Martin

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[busby]

We had 2 x Brompton's for a 5 years when we lived in London. When it came to selling them we lost 100 quid per bike, so worth the money on the resale market.
We have moved on a little and use battery powered bikes ( gave as many members as we could a go last year at Thetford ) which we would recommend to one and all even just to pootle to a village or down a canal path. There is just something about being helped along on a bike.......
At the end of the day you pay once for good quality or twice for lesser quality.

Will heed your advice when i am old enough..i am worried that once i use an electric i will loose the ability to pedal again,,BUSBY

 

[teddybear]

Have electric bikes, if you use the low setting you still get the exercise, but, it helps take the strain off.And you still have the higher setting for those hills.Or if you want to can ride with battery turned off

 

[Hellski]

My wife and I went with the intention of purchasing a couple of Brompton's but were shown the alternatives. We ended up buying both bikes for the price of one Brompton Really pleased with the quality and great to ride on most surfaces.

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[sciac2001]

Proper derailleur gears though and rides like a proper bike but packs into a suitcase 24 inches by 24 inches with all your clothes for 2 weeks around the outside. Front wheel goes in the lid.

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Martin

I want one! I want one! I want one!

 

[funflair]

I want one! I want one! I want one!

It's not that difficult, when we bought ours they were based in a small unit on an industrial estate on the outskirts of Cambridge, I had seen the design evolving over a few years at York CTC rally and eventually decided after we had booked a week in Turkey that I fancied taking a pair of these with us so we had to make a mad dash to their place to pick two up.

Of course I had to use mine as a bit of a development mule so carbon chainrings, carbon try spoke and carbon rack that packs flat in the bottom of the case.

Martin

 

[davidathomas42]

This is what I use. It sits behind the passenger seat so as to not get in the way of anything. Does 22mph and goes up 25% gradient hills with a range upto 12miles.

Maybe not so good for the more vintage motorhomers But if you can balance well it's sooooooooo much fun and extreamly practical.

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[Deleted member 29692]

'KIN 'ELL the price of that is bit steep isn't it. Bromptons are bad but that is ************ you could buy TWO electric ones for that much. To carry a bike in the van you want cheap and cheerful but light one, also not a downfall if it gets knicked.

You'd struggle to buy one half decent electric bike for that.

You're quite correct that ideally for a motorhome you want light but lightweight and cheap and cheerful don't go together in bike terms.

Normally cheap and cheerful means badly made Chinese scrap iron that weighs more than your motorhome.

 

[MillieMoocher]

I guess Brommies are expensive to start with but as has been said should you ever need to get some cash, they do sell well.

In my opinion yes you can buy cheaper folding bikes, but I kind of think that I prefer to buy the best I can justifiably afford and hope that by doing that I only buy once.

Also admit to being a bit of a brand snob, I'd not be happy with a Hudle but am with an iPad if you see what I mean.

@funflair really love the look of that bike but I would be a bit put off by having to bolt the pedals back on once unpacked. But overall looks a less compromised bike than the Brompton.

Re security, the beauty of the Brommies is that you don't have to leave them anywhere, literally folds and unfolds in 30 seconds or less (think that proficient users are well under 10 seconds). When folded they can be carried into pub/cafe/put in supermarket trolley and so on. It's what we do anyway!

Never leave them out on site unattended, they fold so easily that they live in the locked garage and are as safe as anything else we take in the MH.

So back to the OP about are they worth the money - can't really say, bit like hard to say whether a £50k Merc is worth the extra £30k over a Ford. Essentially do the same thing but...

 

[GWAYGWAY]

You'd struggle to buy one half decent electric bike for that.

You're quite correct that ideally for a motorhome you want light but lightweight and cheap and cheerful don't go together in bike terms.
The price said £2099 for the standard one so it a bit too pricey, I would think you would get a very good electric bike for half that price.

Normally cheap and cheerful means badly made Chinese scrap iron that weighs more than your motorhome.

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[Deleted member 29692]

You can't. You need to be budgeting £2k for a half decent entry level ebike.

Any less and you're straying dangerously close the realm of Chinese scrap iron.

 

[Littlewheels]

We had two Brompton purchased New but they didn't suit us as we like to do quite a few miles and it became hard work,when we sold the on EBay my wife's was a special edition and actually made more than we paid for it and the one I had lost about £100.

The point being if you don't like them you can move them on without problem and any significant loss, I don't think any other brand would offer such a result.

 

[BGB]

THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE INPUT, REALLY VALID COMMENTS, WISH I KNEW WHAT TO DO NEXT!!!!!

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[Don Quixote]

THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE INPUT, REALLY VALID COMMENTS, WISH I KNEW WHAT TO DO NEXT!!!!!

That's easy............................. ON YOUR BIKE......

 

[wizzer59]

Proper derailleur gears though and rides like a proper bike but packs into a suitcase 24 inches by 24 inches with all your clothes for 2 weeks around the outside. Front wheel goes in the lid.

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Martin

Nice, but on my Brompton I could be at the pub and had 2 pints by the time you have that thing up and running

 

[funflair]

Nice, but on my Brompton I could be at the pub and had 2 pints by the time you have that thing up and running

For sure, in the motorhome we just use the Tandem or Mountain bikes, the Airnimals are good if you want to fly somewhere.

Trouble is now we have just bought a scooter as well as don't know how I am going to find room in the MH garage for them all

Martin

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