BIKES FOR MOTORHOMERS

[Pausim]

I don't have a problem spending my children's inheritance but if this is a concern the Brompton seems like a better long term investment.

 

[two]

Get a Brompton and you’ll know you’re getting a sound piece of engineering. If money’s a problem you could chance it with a cheap folder but you you may regret it later. Bromptons are compact, ride well, and last. I cannot speak for other folders as I’ve not owned one. On the other hand, the consequences won’t matter if it’s not used much. You could compromise, and buy a used one.

 

[Nik]

I don't have a problem spending my children's inheritance but if this is a concern the Brompton seems like a better long term investment.

Spend it all. All they are going to get is 100 grand between them anyway!

 

[wizzer59]

Get a Brompton and you’ll know you’re getting a sound piece of engineering. If money’s a problem you could chance it with a cheap folder but you you may regret it later. Bromptons are compact, ride well, and last. I cannot speak for other folders as I’ve not owned one. On the other hand, the consequences won’t matter if it’s not used much. You could compromise, and buy a used one.

Trouble is they are so well respected that you don't save that much by buying second hand, having said that, mine is the latest six speed 2017 model, with a hard and soft case, it had never been ridden, of eBay, £880 so it can be done I guess, and they are so worth it, stable as a rock and so easy to fold and unfold

 

[Deleted member 29692]

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

Get yourself a couple of hover boards

You can leave the bikes at home and free up loads of room in the garage

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[rosalan]

Not Chinese scrap iron but reasonably priced folding transport
We love them!

 

[MBoards]

Thanks to all for share valuable comments.....

 

[ludo]

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???

Yes they are worth it, absolutely!

 

[42208]

Brompton are clearly a class act, however, very small wheel size put me off, went for a folder with 20 inch wheels in the end, surprisingly good for tootling around. Tern D7, no yuppie value though I'm afraid, it has to be a Brompton for that.

 

[Minxy]

We 'succumbed' to the lure of Brompton earlier this year, having been severely teased by some other funsters and especially one who put up a photo of her pink one ... I just HAD to have one of those (I used to have a pink Smart car and it was the same shade so it was meant to be!).

We've had various bikes over the years and I have to say that the quality of the Brompton is far superior in every way to the rest, easy to fold/unfold (once you've remembers which bit to do first which after the first couple of goes you soon learn), very easy to store and they ARE good to ride too especially for pootling around as they are more manoeuvrable than a larger wheel bike, even a 20" one isn't as good. The smaller wheels don't actually make much difference compared to a 20" wheel one either due to the higher gearing/chain ring on a Brompton, they are also not so heavy so less effort needed anyway. Storing them is a breeze as they are so compact which was one of the main reasons we considered them in the first place, but had we known just how great they were to ride anyway we'd still have bought them even without needing something so compact.

I've put some inner tube over the centre 'Brompton' logo for 2 reasons, first it doesn't the advertise the fact of what they are and also means when lifting them when they'er folded I have a 'non-slip' grip. We were looking to insure them separately but as with all such policies they aren't cheap, however this year I put them on our home insurance which from memory cost less than £20 for the pair for full replacement value!

Oh, lastly, I got ours off Ebay - someone had a pair of 2016 unused ones (due to family illness), a black and a pink (of course!) and got them both for only a little bit more than just one would have cost new. Well chuffed.

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[Feltwell]

It's worth bearing in mind that if, like mine, they are to be stuffed in a garage with umpteen other things they will inevitably get a bit scratched over time - most used folding bikes seem to come with marks on the frame, for a reason I guess!

Bromptons / Bickertons are very nice but pricey, even through they hold their value I thought it was just too much to justify for the amount I'd use them. However cheap Chinese folding bikes are rubbish, as others have said.

I found a good mid-ground was Dahon - I picked up a used Speed 7 for £120, new they're around £350. I think it's a great bike, well made and designed, I doubt as good as Brompton / Bickerton but I find it nice to ride. Very adaptable to rider size, at 6'2" and erm, rather a lot of stones I find it good to ride, so does Mrs F though at 5'4" and a lot less stones!

We needed 2 and I couldn't find a second one, so I picked up a used Probike Enfold Lite. It's OK, not too heavy with an alloy frame, but clearly not as well made as the Dahon and it's geometry doesn't suit tall people - so OK for Mrs F to ride but not me - and I found it flexed a bit under my mass, which the Dahon does not.

So we've got these 2 in the garage and the 3 kids bikes on the rack on the back now!

 

[42208]

https://www.t3.com/news/brompton-bike-review

If you still need convincing

 

[Minxy]

It's worth bearing in mind that if, like mine, they are to be stuffed in a garage with umpteen other things they will inevitably get a bit scratched over time - most used folding bikes seem to come with marks on the frame, for a reason I guess!

Depends if you put them in a bag or use covers, I got some covers off Ebay made specifically to go over the Bromptons so that the little wheels on them can still be used to push them in/out, they work a treat and are very easy to put on and take off. I think I paid about £16 each for them.

 

[Blue Knight]

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

I can't add anything further so this thread so all I want to say is that I like the red Pan in your avatar

 

[Feltwell]

Depends if you put them in a bag or use covers, I got some covers off Ebay made specifically to go over the Bromptons so that the little wheels on them can still be used to push them in/out, they work a treat and are very easy to put on and take off. I think I paid about £16 each for them.

Nice idea, but alas for me my garage is *so* stuffed that gaps in the folded bikes are used for storing bits in!

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[Minxy]

Nice idea, but alas for me my garage is *so* stuffed that gaps in the folded bikes are used for storing bits in!

Ah but the Bromptons take up less space than any other folding bike so you'd have spare space for your bits!

 

[Ridgeway]

What about an electric Brompton.....

https://www.brompton.com/brompton-g...Electric-Reservation-Deposit/c-24/c-77/p-2897

 

[Feltwell]

Ah but the Bromptons take up less space than any other folding bike so you'd have spare space for your bits!

Nah, the garage has what Mrs F would call "handbag syndrome".

It's full of stuff, too full. So you take some of it out, or get a bigger garage. But miraculously within a very short timeframe it's just as full as it was before.......

Feltwell's 1st law - the amount of crap expands to fill the available space!

 

[two]

What about an electric Brompton.....

https://www.brompton.com/brompton-g...Electric-Reservation-Deposit/c-24/c-77/p-2897

In my view, the drive should be to the rear wheel, rather than the front. I'd look for a different solution if needing an electric bike.

 

[Ridgeway]

In my view, the drive should be to the rear wheel, rather than the front. I'd look for a different solution if needing an electric bike.

Bet our car is FWD, although it's certainly different on a bike.

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[DL42846]

We have been thinking of getting a couple of folding bikes. My thinking is how often our we likely to use them. How likely are they to get nicked. The Brompton's sound very nice, good reviews but they are very expensive for what they are. And would be attractive to thieves.
If we are only going to use them for the odd ride down to the village to buy bread and shopping and having to leave them outside the shop I would go for something cheap and cheerful. If I was going to use the bike as a daily commute in London where I would have a safe parking spot for it then I would want something maybe like a Brompton. £150 for a occasional folding bike V £ 1000 to 2000 for a Brompton occasional use and to be left outside shops. No contest in my mind.

 

[Clickem]

Bet our car is FWD, although it's certainly different on a bike.

FWD car has the engine and gearbox over the driving wheels. RWD bike has my bum (weight) over the driving wheel

 

[Feltwell]

We have been thinking of getting a couple of folding bikes. My thinking is how often our we likely to use them. How likely are they to get nicked. The Brompton's sound very nice, good reviews but they are very expensive for what they are. And would be attractive to thieves.
If we are only going to use them for the odd ride down to the village to buy bread and shopping and having to leave them outside the shop I would go for something cheap and cheerful. If I was going to use the bike as a daily commute in London where I would have a safe parking spot for it then I would want something maybe like a Brompton. £150 for a occasional folding bike V £ 1000 to 2000 for a Brompton occasional use and to be left outside shops. No contest in my mind.

£150 for a half-decent used one, like the Dahon I've got that would have been circa £300-£400 new, is even better I think. I reckon I'd get what I paid for it if I sold it tomorrow. The difference in quality between it and our other folder, which is a cheapie (although not the cheapest...) is noticeable and makes a difference to how good it is to ride. Like you, it's the odd ride out and getting shopping for us.

If you're seriously into your cycling then it's a different ball game of course. And if you picked up a good used Bickerton/Brompton, I'm sure you'd get what you paid for it if you sold it on, and the initial outlay is then more justifiable.