Pendix e-bike conversion on a Brompton - any experience?

[TheCaller]

I am considering putting a Pendix e-bike conversion on a Brompton. I have tried this conversion, albeit on a much heavier bike & was impressed by it. I have also read a report by someone who has tried it on a Brompton & they were impressed by it too.

Has anyone on here had any experience with them?

They are popular in the Netherlands & Germany, often being fitted to traditional Dutch style bikes & to cargo bikes. They make a dedicated folding bike/Brompton kit, but don't appear to have made great inroads into the UK so far.

They are expensive, but on a par with other quality torque sensing kits.

 

[dash300]

I am considering putting a Pendix e-bike conversion on a Brompton. I have tried this conversion, albeit on a much heavier bike & was impressed by it. I have also read a report by someone who has tried it on a Brompton & they were impressed by it too.

Has anyone on here had any experience with them?

They are popular in the Netherlands & Germany, often being fitted to traditional Dutch style bikes & to cargo bikes. They make a dedicated folding bike/Brompton kit, but don't appear to have made great inroads into the UK so far.

They are expensive, but on a par with other quality torque sensing kits.

We have this https://www.swytchbike.com/p/swytch-ebike-conversion-kit-for-brompton/
Easy fit works well £600 a pop. Long delivery time however.

 

[Guigsy]

I've got a 'manual' Brompton and my wife has the electric. She really likes it and it does mean that we can cycle all over the place. The both just about squeeze into two lockers in the van with no room to spare.

When I've tried riding her bike, I always seemed to be at odds with the assistance, it was very on/off. You turn the cranks slowly and you pretty much get full power straight away. And if you spin the cranks at a reasonable cadence, it assumes you don't need any help. It kind of expects you to ride leisurely and provides full help. My wife thinks that's great, I'm not so keen. And one of the best bits about the Brompton is how well it carries stuff on its front mount, which is mostly ruined with their battery setup. But like I said, my wife's opinion is it's brilliant and she loves her Brommie.

I've not seen the Pendix system before. I like that it keeps the front mount free. I like the crank motor design more than wheel hub motors as it uses the gearing. Issues are that the motor adds about 5cm to the width at the pedals, which is quite a bit. It does look like the battery limits how low you can lower the seat when its folded too. And even the small battery one is 7kg (although I guess it replaces the crankset?).

For me, I can only just about squeeze my Brompton into the locker in my motorhome (no garage!). The extra size would be a showstopper. But probably less of an issue if you have more space.

 

[Andy MacD]

Another Swytch, got 40 miles out of battery.

 

[TheCaller]

When I've tried riding her bike, I always seemed to be at odds with the assistance, it was very on/off. You turn the cranks slowly and you pretty much get full power straight away. And if you spin the cranks at a reasonable cadence, it assumes you don't need any help. It kind of expects you to ride leisurely and provides full help. My wife thinks that's great, I'm not so keen. And one of the best bits about the Brompton is how well it carries stuff on its front mount, which is mostly ruined with their battery setup. But like I said, my wife's opinion is it's brilliant and she loves her Brommie.

Check that you have got the latest firmware installed. I have ridden the current Brompton Electric & they have made some improvements. I think it responds better to the torque sensor now. I agree about the battery position. There are a whole raft of front bag options for a manual Brommie, but only one practical one for the electric (the City bag).

I've not seen the Pendix system before. I like that it keeps the front mount free. I like the crank motor design more than wheel hub motors as it uses the gearing. Issues are that the motor adds about 5cm to the width at the pedals, which is quite a bit. It does look like the battery limits how low you can lower the seat when its folded too. And even the small battery one is 7kg (although I guess it replaces the crankset?).

For me, I can only just about squeeze my Brompton into the locker in my motorhome (no garage!). The extra size would be a showstopper. But probably less of an issue if you have more space.

I've got long legs, so 5cm further apart nearly 90cm from my bum isn't too much of an issue
The fact that you keep the flexibility of the front mount is a significant advantage. I know the bike I tried it on was quite heavy, but the power delivery of the Pendix was noticeably smoother than either the Brompton Electric or the ARCC conversion that I also tried (& which I preferred to the Brompton Electric). I agree about the benefit of applying the power at the crank.

The 7kg compares reasonably well with both the Brompton Electric & the ARCC conversion. ARCC is the lightest (& the lowest Wh) & the Pendix is the heaviest, but not by much. The weight is all central too, so should have very little effect on the handling - although having said that, Bromptons often handle better with a bit of extra weight over the front wheel.

The videos I've seen don't appear to show any significant problem with lowering the seatpost. In the places I anticipate putting it, an inch up or down wouldn't cause a problem.

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[Guigsy]

Check that you have got the latest firmware installed. I have ridden the current Brompton Electric & they have made some improvements. I think it responds better to the torque sensor now. I agree about the battery position. There are a whole raft of front bag options for a manual Brommie, but only one practical one for the electric (the City bag).

Yeah, I should do. It's one of the earliest they produced and it's not ever been in for a service. I think it's also got a recall on it too.

I agree about the weight. Bromptons aren't light to begin with. I commuted with mine for a couple of years and lugging it up and down train station steps wasn't my favourite part of the day. The Brompton Electric makes it a bit more cumbersome with the weight in the front wheel, waggling about.

But it all depends on how you use it. I'm a keen cyclist and my manual Brompton has been hammered for work for years, those electric solutions don't do much for me. My wife thinks her eBrompton is the bees knees. Horses for courses.

 

[pj650]

I had the firmware update done on my Brompton Electric done and it made a big difference to the power delivery. Much smoother.
Two weeks ago I had the modified battery connection clip fitted, along with the new front mudguard stay.
The bike is three years old. All modifications have been done free of charge.

 

[TheCaller]

I had the firmware update done on my Brompton Electric done and it made a big difference to the power delivery. Much smoother.
Two weeks ago I had the modified battery connection clip fitted, along with the new front mudguard stay.
The bike is three years old. All modifications have been done free of charge.

That's good to know. Was that by a dealer local to you?

Guigsy I'm sure you would see a noticeable improvement from a firmware update. Not only is the power delivery smoother, but one area where Brompton now seem to be ahead is in evening out the torque sensor response to pressure on the left & right pedals. Most torque sensors only respond to pressure on the left pedal, which is the wrong side if you are setting off from the lights in the UK, because you would naturally put your left foot down (on the curb if near enough) & push off with your right foot on the pedal. So no immediate assistance. I assume those cycling on the right hand side of the road lead off with their left foot first.

Brompton haven't fully evened it out, but there does seem to be some response to right foot pressure on the current version, while other torque sensing systems I tried were almost totally left foot only sensing.

 

[pj650]

That's good to know. Was that by a dealer local to you?

The upgrades were done at Arragon Cycles in Penrith even though I didn’t buy the bike from them. They weren’t Brompton Electric dealers at the time so I bought from Edinburgh Cycles.
Any accredited Brompton Electric dealer will do the upgrades for you. They just claim the labour charge from Brompton.
I haven’t noticed any difference in pressure between the left or right hand side pedals even before the upgrades were done, but I have it serviced each year and firmware upgrades had been done twice.
Thankfully I don’t have to trail to Edinburgh any more for warranty work. Penrith is only 35 minutes away from home….far better

 

[TheCaller]

One thing I forgot to mention when we were discussing the relative merits of the different systems is that the Pendix motor is not geared, so none of the annoying whine that the others produce. It is almost totally silent, which together with the very smooth power delivery, makes if feet just like a manual bike, but with a following wind.

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[LesW]

One thing I forgot to mention when we were discussing the relative merits of the different systems is that the Pendix motor is not geared, so none of the annoying whine that the others produce. It is almost totally silent, which together with the very smooth power delivery, makes if feet just like a manual bike, but with a following wind.

Not wishing to hijack an interesting thread, but our Bafang conversions are exactly as you describe.

 

[Guigsy]

Not wishing to hijack an interesting thread, but our Bafang conversions are exactly as you describe.

I'm not sure a Bangfang kit will fit on a Brompton.

 

[Camdoon]

Another Swytcher.
Good back up service and registering the guarantee allows them to ensure you have fitted properly.
We have the twist grip to allow you to up the power and you have to make sure you do not up the rating to above UK allowed speeds.