Why I love my trusty Brompton :) (1 Viewer)

[Chockswahay]

Our Bromptons are great! We parked up by the Canal du Midi today in Capestang then jumped onto our bikes and cycled to Béziers.

Loooked at the Nine Locks and the Ord aqueduct then wandered around Bezier old quarter. On the way back stopped by a vineyard and bought 6 bottles of lovely wine, loaded up the back packs and cycled back to the van.

27 miles round trip, healthy excercise, no parking problems and wine tasting without the worry of driving.

Then back at the van fold them up, stick em in the garage, job done. No worry about racks or security.

They’re great

 

[Chockswahay]

Oops, forgot to add, nice free FLT style stopover too

 

[Caggsie1]

Love ours too, you had any look on the leccy ones?

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[The Lord Squid]

I'm a fan as well. Photo taken earlier this week in a bar in Interlaken, Switzerland.

 

[Chockswahay]

Love ours too, you had any look on the leccy ones?

That would be cheating

 

[Chockswahay]

I'm a fan as well. Photo taken earlier this week in a bar in Interlaken, Switzerland.

Nice! I like the super sexy saddles We’re still on the original 13 yr old foam ones!

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[Parrot Face]

Agree had mine for about 15 years , however prefer the mountain bikes for long rides.

 

[WonkyBass]

We’ve had electric Bromptons for a couple of months now. Great fun. Took a while to adapt to them from a regular ebike as Brompton handling is different and the electric power delivery while good but not as smooth and powerful as our other (also road-legal) pedelecs (BH Easymotion Neo City & Cross).

Hills don’t quite disappear in the same way but it may be that the first service will cure that. Horses for courses. Stowing them safely in bags in the garage gives greater peace of mind. Taking them on trains, ferries and into restaurant and keeping them with you are pluses. I got a train to the coast last week, cycled 18 miles along it and then caught the train home from there back home. A lot easier (switching platforms, sitting with the bike in a regular seat) than with the full sized bike. Not sure taking them on some of the looser, steeper tracks we use in Cornwall would be sensible. But overall great fun. Keep thinking up new little adventures as an excuse to unfold them and ride.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Our Bromptons are great! We parked up by the Canal du Midi today in Capestang then jumped onto our bikes and cycled to Béziers.

Loooked at the Nine Locks and the Ord aqueduct then wandered around Bezier old quarter. On the way back stopped by a vineyard and bought 6 bottles of lovely wine, loaded up the back packs and cycled back to the van.

27 miles round trip, healthy excercise, no parking problems and wine tasting without the worry of driving.

Then back at the van fold them up, stick em in the garage, job done. No worry about racks or security.

They’re great

View attachment 262561

We have 2 Bromptons as well and we also keep them inside the PVC under the rear lounge. They do take up all the space though as have to lie them on their sides.

Love ours too, you had any look on the leccy ones?

[/QUOTE]
Ours are both after market electric conversions. Twist grip throttles but I think we would be unlucky to be stopped as only pootle about.
Certainly one disadvantage is uncomfortable ride on continental cobbled streets and also rough tracks due to tiny wheels and also the brakes not great.

Best thing I have done is to replace the original foam saddle with a modern, ergonomic comfy non-slip one! Nice battery bag on front means no sweaty back packs!

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[Caggsie1]

We got Brooke’s saddles also. much kinder ride!

 

[nicholsong]

Would it be presumptive to assume nobody would ride a Brompton other than on a paved surface.

I have had folding bikes for years on my boat with bigger wheels than the Brompton and was not comfortable on other than paved surfaces.

I can understand they are very convenient for PVC stowage but we are fortunate to have a garage with enough height for my Dawes Galaxy with the saddle fully up - I ride in a proper efficient position for touring, i.e. full extension of leg at bottom of pedal travel.

Geoff

 

[Caggsie1]

Yes, they certainly are not off road bikes, or cobbles, or potholes. For taking on roads etc we can go some miles on them. The beauty is the fold. Hubby bought a folding bike that was a mess and awkward when folded as he felt they were too expensive, 5 years on he now has a brommie and loves it.

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[Caggsie1]

We have 2 Bromptons as well and we also keep them inside the PVC under the rear lounge. They do take up all the space though as have to lie them on their sides.

Ours are both after market electric conversions. Twist grip throttles but I think we would be unlucky to be stopped as only pootle about.
Certainly one disadvantage is uncomfortable ride on continental cobbled streets and also rough tracks due to tiny wheels and also the brakes not great.

Best thing I have done is to replace the original foam saddle with a modern, ergonomic comfy non-slip one! Nice battery bag on front means no sweaty back packs!

View attachment 262659[/QUOTE]
Where did you get the mod done? I am aware of a place in York. We’re at the Baltic Wharf for Xmas, was it done inBristol? What was the cost too please.

 

[The Lord Squid]

Would it be presumptive to assume nobody would ride a Brompton other than on a paved surface.
Geoff

We've ridden ours in the past fortnight on steep gravel tracks in Switzerland and on the cobbles of Bruges and down steps. I usually have a beer when in Bruges at the Brompton dealer there. The hills of San Marino defeated us however, but that's more down to my lack of fitness.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Ours are both after market electric conversions. Twist grip throttles but I think we would be unlucky to be stopped as only pootle about.
Certainly one disadvantage is uncomfortable ride on continental cobbled streets and also rough tracks due to tiny wheels and also the brakes not great.

Best thing I have done is to replace the original foam saddle with a modern, ergonomic comfy non-slip one! Nice battery bag on front means no sweaty back packs!

View attachment 262659

Where did you get the mod done? I am aware of a place in York. We’re at the Baltic Wharf for Xmas, was it done inBristol? What was the cost too please.[/QUOTE]
Yes done in Bristol. I purchased each Brompton from EBay around £400 each and went to Electric Bike Company in Redland Road. Currently seems to be £750 plus £100 fitting.
https://www.electricbikesales.co.uk/Sparticle-Electric-Brompton-System
We have lead acid battery pack which is quite heavy but I like the stability feel of the extra weight low down on front wheel. It would be better with a lithium battery though if available now. I have my daughter’s full size Dutch style electric pedelec bike here in shed but I still take my Brompton out in preference as I find the bigger bike just too heavy. If cycling round campsites etc, that is not too far and on the flat,we can just unfold the bike and not put on the battery bag and it is like riding a normal unconverted bike.

Do at least visit the shop, you can take out their demonstration bike for a ride and Redland Road is off Blackboy Hill so a good test on the surrounding roads.
You could also come and say hello to us and see ours.

There is a bike shop near us which has a version where the lithium battery just clips straight on the Brompton bag holder which is nice but I think you have to buy the bike complete as new.

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[Caggsie1]

Thanks for the quick response @Riverbankannie, looking on the website it doesn’t indicate time/range of the batteries, how long do yours last/ range?

Just found it!

 

[Chockswahay]

Would it be presumptive to assume nobody would ride a Brompton other than on a paved surface.

I have had folding bikes for years on my boat with bigger wheels than the Brompton and was not comfortable on other than paved surfaces.

I can understand they are very convenient for PVC stowage but we are fortunate to have a garage with enough height for my Dawes Galaxy with the saddle fully up - I ride in a proper efficient position for touring, i.e. full extension of leg at bottom of pedal travel.

Geoff

Geoff, they are the BEST at folding of all the folders out there. As for saddle height I am 6ft 2in and I use the Brompton telescopic extension post so no problems with reach.

They are a bit uncomfortable on cobbled roads so we walk those sections but otherwise good for gravel and firm soil.

When they were made for us we had the gears lowered by 18% at the factory so hills are quite doable. This means top speed limited to 18mph otherwise nuts cadence!

They are good for 50 miles a day (for us)

We do have Specialized Crosstrails for touring but to be honest we quite prefer the practicality and convenience of the Bromptons when out with the van

 

[Riverbankannie]

Thanks for the quick response @Riverbankannie, looking on the website it doesn’t indicate time/range of the batteries, how long do yours last/ range?

Just found it!

We’ve not managed to reach the limits of the range as we are both getting on a bit and we don’t cycle a lot at home so our bodies limit our range.
One good thing about the throttle is that there is no need to pedal if you want to give your knees a rest!
We don’t need to charge them every time we use them, we don’t have an inverter so only charge when on EHU which is only every few days.

I think the max we would do is 10 mile round trip but I use the power a lot even on the flat because my knees are too sore to keep going for long periods, hubby only uses his for hills.
So I charge more often, hubby only once or twice per holiday.

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[Chockswahay]

Just done the Sommières to Caveirac Voie Verte and back , 40k in 1 hr 55 feeling quite good about that

Anyway, just as we packed them away it occurred to me to show how we carry them

The box is from Ikea. It is a tight fit but it does keep all the dust and dirt in one place.

We use two of the other half size Ikea boxes in front of the bikes along with one of those ones that normally go under a bed.

All works quite well really. Needed in a small space

 

[The Lord Squid]

My panel van has fixed settees/single beds/double bed in the rear so no garage. I strap one bike between the seats and the other behind the passenger seat. When travelling by myself my bike goes in the passenger footwell. Makes it a little difficult at péages but there is enough time to get out through the driver's door, walk round and pay and drive off.

 

[Chockswahay]

So then, Uzès to Pont du Gard and back........

That’s just over 100 miles in the last 5 days

Bromptons ......

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[Conal]

Had two Bromptons but my wife was finding the journey back (from wherever we went) hard on her arthritic knees so joined the queue for an electric Brompton. Picked this up a month ago and went to Rutland Water to try it out. The weather the day we chose was very windy, curtesy of storm Ali, and the electric Brompton was great when cycling into a headwind. As others have said, the small thin wheels make cycling on rough ground a bit scary.

I noticed that others have converted bikes and we considered one, but Brompton bought out their version so we went with that. It folds as well as the non-electric, and fits the same cover. It is significantly heavier but still manageable. The only problem is that the battery modes (lights and drive power) are controlled from the top of the battery which is quite a way below the handlebars. My wife finds it impossible to reach down and change the settings whilst cycling, so finds this arrangement inflexible. Brompton are bringing out an iPhone app so, with her phone attached to the handlebars, this will solve the problem.

 

[Caggsie1]

For those with the electrics, what timescales/ mileage are you getting?

 

[Minxy]

We have 2 Bromptons, mine's a M3L in shocking pink and hubby has a black M3R, we changed the seats for 'big bum' ones from Ebay and they are soooooooooooo comfy ... like sitting on a lovely padded chair ... no sore or numb bumbs now!

We bought them second hand (unused) and mine had the standard seat post which is fine but hubby's had the longer one and, despite him having long legs, he found that he didn't need the extra length it gave as the standard one was more than sufficient, it also made storing it under the bed in the camper awkward as it caught on the bed transverse support bar so we recently bought another standard post one to replace it ... anyone want to buy a long one???

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[Conal]

Caggsie 1

We bought the smaller battery and battery bag for my wife’s electric Brompton as we aren’t planning to go on long rides and wanted the least weight. She has the six gear version.

The longest distance travelled so far is 22 miles, mainly flat, using no power or power mode 2 for most of the time, and this used about 2/3rds of the battery power. In my opinion a fitter younger person would easily be able to travel 40 miles on one battery charge.

The Bike comes in 2 or 6 gear models and I feel the 6 gear model gives more opportunities to reduce the need for battery power. All legal electric bikes are limited to 15mph in assist mode and, to be honest, it is not the most comfortable bike to travel at speeds exceeding this. The 22 mile ride was cycled mostly at this speed along the A13 into and out of London on a quiet Sunday morning.

Hope this helps.

As an aside, the reason we bought Bromptons was to avoid having bikes stored on our rear bike rack as we have read of thefts. These folding bikes fit nicely into our AT Delaware “garage”.

Conal

 

[Guigsy]

To resurrect this thread...

I've had a Brompton M6L (non electric) for about a year. I was using it for commuting, doing the last few miles to/from the train station. They are amazing little beasts, it's not a floppy energy sapping lump like other folding bikes I tried. It's definitely got small dog syndrome, it sees a big bike and just has to chase it down! On my commute, I regularly bothering quite a few lycra clad types on their race bikes.

One of the arguments for getting the Brompton was that it folds up so small that it slots into a gap in the 'garage' (under the transverse bed at the back of the van). Open the rear doors and the bike pops out. Actually there's room for 2...

We've just come back from 6 weeks touring Spain. My wife isn't that bike fit and I knew she wouldn't be tempted to go anywhere near a hill, so I got her a Brompton Electric for her birthday just before we left. It was bit of a gamble, but it's been amazing. I can ride at pretty much my normal cruising speed and she can keep up. The electric has really good assist on pull-away, so she's even confident enough to use it in traffic as you never feel you'll get swamped by a slow start at lights. It meant we could park up at cheap/free sites on the outskirts of cities and bike in, so it added loads of flexibility... plus, she really enjoyed it! As an added bonus, I love the looks you get when you open the back of a 5.4m PVC and magically produce two odd looking bikes and ride off in the space of 2 minutes.

And if you are worried about how rugged the Brompton Electric is... I've abused it. Near one of the campsites there was a large hill with a castle on top. Only a couple of km away, but a 400m climb. It was only a dirt track to the top. While she chilled out back at the van, I took her bike to the top. For the top third, the rear wheel was spinning from my efforts standing up in first gear, and the electric motor was spinning the front. Coming down, the rear rim got so hot from braking that I burnt my finger when I checked it. The bike was fine. I was broken.
https://goo.gl/maps/QSZUecrbr1H2

While I was bored in Benidorm, I borrowed her bike and took it to the top of the hill. Only took 20 mins to get to the top.

 

[Caggsie1]

I’m glad this thread has been resurrected. I am serious thinking of forking out for an electric Brompton. I have a back issue which isn’t apparent when I ride, I have difficulty walking 100 metres on bad days. I have, as does hubby, the 6 gear manual brommies. We love them, yes rough ground can be a bit uncomfortable but like Minxy Girl changed the razor blades for Brooke’s saddles. They took a little while to break in!

I have been researching the leccy brommie and they suggest that we shouldn’t be using a low gear to get up hills as then the sensor isn’t too sure how to help. I don’t have one, yet, so this is just what I have watched on u tube.

I just want to become active again, but do struggle through back problems which has led to a severe lack of fitness, as back issues don’t really present themselves whilst cycling, I need to get out and about again.

Anyone else who can give a review based on experience of the Brompton electric, rather than a modified manual brommie(sorry), I’d be grateful. I’m concerned it’s still in its infancy and when I buy one, they’ll bring out exciting colours, and other mods based on feedback from existing owners. Having said that, we have the white and black manual versions, which incidentally the available colours anyway!

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[Ridgeway]

Anyway, just as we packed them away it occurred to me to show how we carry them

View attachment 262957

Love that picture, it sums up Bromptons in one pic !

My father still has an old Moulton Mynx in his garage, must be 40yrs old and still works well.

 

[Guigsy]

I'm an enthusiastic cyclist, I mountain bike at weekends as well as dual with road bikes while I'm on my (manual) Brommie. I've ridden Joolz's Electric Brompton a few times. It's got 3 power modes. Low doesn't seem to do an awful lot. High seems to want to assist most of the time and is fairly consistent. However, I think I tend to spin the pedals fairly quickly and the brains seem to think that means I don't need assistance... probably fair. I also tend to keep turning the pedals, just with no push when I want to slow down, but the brains can't tell what I want to do. For me, Medium assistance just gives bit of a boost on pull away, and then seems to be a bit unsure as to when to provide power. Going up really steep hills, High power mode works well. Medium can't make its mind up... And never try to track-stand! It'll suddenly pull away when you least expect it!

My wife's experience is very different. She hadn't ridden a bike in years. For her, her Electric Brompton works really well. She pedals at a fairly low cadence and free-wheels fairly frequently. The electronics seem to have no difficulty interpreting what she wants it to do. She tends to ride on Medium most of the time. She switches to High if she's tired or the hills are steep. Going back up the hill towards the top in Malaga, she complained that she was putting in some effort and getting sweaty... I was blowing a lung to keep up. We rode along the roads in Birmingham City centre after dark last night, that's how much confidence it has given her! She really enjoys riding it.

For me, I'm not that keen on the Electric Brompton for two reasons. It doesn't behave the way I'd want. I think I'd need the assistance to work based on strain/power I'm putting in, rather than just whether I'm turning the pedals. That's the way the really expensive systems work. Maybe if I rode it more, I'd learn and adapt? I also love the carrying capacity of my manual Brompton, and the battery takes some of that away. I'd have to wear a sweaty rucksack instead. Joolz on the other hand doesn't find either of these to be an issue. The motor works when she wants it to and the battery bag has enough space for a d-lock and she carries everything else in a handbag. Apparently it was "totes worth it".

 

[Caggsie1]

@Guigsy I think I’m in Joolz category, maybe loosely? I enjoy a ride but infrequently, more likely when away but now tend to take the car as I have a little difficulty walking the bike around towns. I tend to become unsteady when I try and get around obstacles or people on the bike I start to wobble and then seem to aim myself at the thing or person I am trying to avoid! I am capable of going for some miles on the flat or slight gradients, get off on steep hills, but that’s when I lose enthusiasm and it starts to become a chore. Hence the leccy model. I don’t want a large bike as I am very small in stature and I don’t feel dwarfed by the brommie. Oh and the fold is brill and the fit in the garage as they are the most we’ve ever paid for a bike

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