# buying a Brompton



## Dirtyhanz (10 Dec 2014)

Hi all I am going to the bike shop tomorrow to have a look at a Brompton spoke to the guy on the phone and he has a demonstrater for me to look at he says that we just configure to what I want so what sort of equipment do you think is good I live in quit a hilly area so Iam going for the six speed not sure on which type of bars to go for and seems a lot of different colours you can have it painted what do we think it looks good in. Thanks for any advice


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## annedonnelly (10 Dec 2014)

Choosing the colour is the hardest part! Good luck!!

Mine is British Racing Green.


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## Cycleops (10 Dec 2014)

Red is the only colour for a bike, or maybe blue (metallic).


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## mustang1 (10 Dec 2014)

I test rode a brompton and quickly got used to its ride. Im not speaking from experience but having talked to several bro!pton owners they recommended the brompton front bag so get the attachment installed. Also the mudguards are useful and if you're tall then you might like to check the longer seat post but that also makes for a slightly less compact fold. If you want a firmer ride then get that block thingamajig installed, I'm a heavier rider so I would install that anyway.

I read the brompton book and if you like bike history then you might enjoy it too. One day I'll buy a brompton. Good luck with your choice! Oh, colours, I like that lacquer colour which was a £50 option when I first heard about it. I would probably go with dark blue or orange.


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## DTD (10 Dec 2014)

Had a go of a hire one from the Manchester Brompton Dock – it was a lot of fun to ride. It got me thinking of small wheel bikes and I got interested in Moultons – which don't fold and are really nothing like Bromptons to ride, but I ended up buying a Moulton anyway.

Colourwise – have a look and one will "speak to you" – I always seem to end up with blue or blue grey bikes, but that's just me.


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## Dirtyhanz (10 Dec 2014)

Thank you for quick replys I have got a couple of small wheeled bikes I have got a dahon curve d3 which looks like a lovely Bike but is way to twitchy and I have got a 1966 moulton standard which is just about the nicest Bike I have ever ridden and a lovely Raleigh twenty that rides very nice I am quite excited to see where the Brompton sits with these bikes


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## Pale Rider (10 Dec 2014)

Brommies can be twitchy, but as has been mentioned, a bit of luggage up front damps the steering nicely.

Lower gearing - which just means a smaller front ring - is a good idea, particularly as you mention hills.

Lower gears might let you get away with a three-speed, which is a good choice for a Brommie.

The six adds rear deraileur complications for not a huge increase in gear range.


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## CopperBrompton (11 Dec 2014)

Black is of course the Proper Colour.

Bear in mind you are not limited to Brompton's own gearing options. The 8-speed SA hub fits with slight persuasion, and there are also 11-speed and (if you really want to push to boat out) Rohloff options (I have the 8-speed).

Bars, you need to test-ride to see which suits you, but the M bar is the default choice.


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## Dirtyhanz (11 Dec 2014)

Order it white body black extremities 6 speed s type bars mudgards hub dynamo Brooks seat now just have to wait for it to come so excited it was like being a kid in a sweet shop


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## Dirtyhanz (11 Dec 2014)

And the mini o bag 
The excitement of a new Bike never dulls it is the best thing you can buy


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## Pale Rider (11 Dec 2014)

Dirtyhanz said:


> And the mini o bag
> The excitement of a new Bike never dulls it is the best thing you can buy



Sensible spec, should work a treat straight out of the box.

Speaking of which, keep the box if you have the space - very handy if you ever need to send the bike somewhere.


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## Sara_H (12 Dec 2014)

Dirtyhanz said:


> Hi all I am going to the bike shop tomorrow to have a look at a Brompton spoke to the guy on the phone and he has a demonstrater for me to look at he says that we just configure to what I want so what sort of equipment do you think is good I live in quit a hilly area so Iam going for the six speed not sure on which type of bars to go for and seems a lot of different colours you can have it painted what do we think it looks good in. Thanks for any advice


I've got an M6L with standard gearing. Like you I live in a hilly area. I've found that I manage most hills, but the really big steep hill I live at the top of is a challenge, so I am going to change to the lower gearing.
I have a luggage carrier on the front. I have a T bag bought second hand as its big and versatile. Hardly use it though, I mostly use to my Basil shoulder bag hanging from the saddle loops (which I've adapted to carry bags with pannier fixings by using heavy duty cable ties and a bungee).
I wish I'd had a rack, though a lot of bromptoneers say they aren't that useful. It may be a change I make in the future.


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## CopperBrompton (12 Dec 2014)

One of my Bromptons had a rack. I almost never used it, and now I have the T-Bag even those few exceptions wouldn't be needed, so I wouldn't bother, personally.


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## Pale Rider (13 Dec 2014)

My Brommie has a rack.

It does make the bike sit a bit more stable in the half folded 'park' position.

I prefer a bag on the front, which the OP is getting, so I can't see the need for the rack.

Matter of opinion, of course.


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## TheDoctor (13 Dec 2014)

For what it's worth, I've hardly used the rack since getting a T-Bag.
And the 6 speed gearing is well worth having - a gear range of 33" - 100", as opposed to the 48" - 85" of a 3 speed. Well capable of touring, as long as you're not too fussed about speed and don't mind getting off to walk now and then. Here's mine in touring mode in Provence :-


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## StuartG (14 Dec 2014)

Page 2 and no mention yet of the most essential "accessory" - eazywheels. It is the solution to Adrian's challenge!

Plus would endorse lower gearing, front block and, if you are of the right shape, a Brooks saddle. I have a M3L and if I had the choice again it would be a M6L. But then it has gone up Welsh mountains and cross country tours so nothing to get too hung up about and imho less important than the smaller chainwheel. BTW real Brommie riders wouldn't dream of the faux pas of riding anything but black. As for those yellow bar ends - eeek!


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## Cycleops (14 Dec 2014)

User said:


> They don't magically get you up and down flights of stairs.


But then, what does?


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## StuartG (14 Dec 2014)

User said:


> They don't magically get you up and down flights of stairs.


Perhaps you need one of these Adrian?


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## Cycleops (14 Dec 2014)

StuartG said:


> Perhaps you need one of these Adrian?


Ah, but he's not carrying a Brompton!


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## jay clock (14 Dec 2014)

When I carry mine at stations I wheel it unfolded along platforms and carry it upstairs also unfolded. Much easier than carrying folded


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## jay clock (14 Dec 2014)

User said:


> Yeah but try explaing that to the gate line staff at some stations.


Never had a problem in London or South East. All stations I use permit full size bikes on the platform and through the gates (wide one). Cannot see why they would stop you, and even in London's busiest stations I have never even been glanced at when wheeling the Brompton


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## jay clock (14 Dec 2014)

User said:


> I wheeled mine through the gate and into the lift at Surrey Quays the other day, intending to fold it up in the lift. The gate bloke stood and held the door to watch me do this and deliver a lecture before he was finally prepared to let me go.


ok, but I was thinking of regular rail lines, and I think that line is TFL and part of the Underground. https://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/cycling-in-london/bikes-on-public-transport#on-this-page-3 If it was a time of day when full size bikes were not permitted then they might have had a case. But arsy though


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## TheDoctor (14 Dec 2014)

StuartG said:


> BTW real Brommie riders wouldn't dream of the faux pas of riding anything but black.


StuartG speaketh the sense 


StuartG said:


> As for those yellow bar ends - eeek!


 Bring it on, sunshine!!
The bar ends are actually a bronzy/gunmetal colour, and have adorned my touring bike for some 30 years. Since that bike is now retired, I thought it was only right that I let the bar ends carry on touring, so to speak.
I do have some black ones in a similar style, currently on the Decathlon folder. I could fit those, I suppose.


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## TheDoctor (14 Dec 2014)

jay clock said:


> Never had a problem in London or South East. All stations I use permit full size bikes on the platform and through the gates (wide one). Cannot see why they would stop you, and even in London's busiest stations I have never even been glanced at when wheeling the Brompton


Hmmm. I was made to fold my Brom, stick it in the bag, and carry it the full length of a TGV at the Gare de Lyon. They're quite surprisingly long trains.


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## jefmcg (14 Dec 2014)

I had a tyre explode outside bank station, so took my mezzo down to catch the DLR. They made me fold it at the barriers and it turns out it's a long walk; up and down stairs, the full length of a platform. Best part of a kilometre, I'd estimate. And it was a lot more hazardous bumping along (my mezzo doesn't roll easily) than it would have been wheeling it.


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## jay clock (14 Dec 2014)

TheDoctor said:


> Hmmm. I was made to fold my Brom, stick it in the bag, and carry it the full length of a TGV at the Gare de Lyon. They're quite surprisingly long trains.


The Gare de Lyon is in France, so I suspect the UK rules don't apply!


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## TheDoctor (14 Dec 2014)

Indeed it is, and indeed they don't!
Had a lovely time nonetheless.


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## Pale Rider (14 Dec 2014)

jefmcg said:


> I. They made me fold it at the barriers and it turns out it's a long walk; up and down stairs, the full length of a platform. Best part of a kilometre, I'd estimate.



Someone worked out walking overground from Hyde Park Corner tube station to Green Park tube station is a shorter walk than traipsing through the various tunnels at both stations to take the train.

One of the line changes at Green Park is a brute of a walk as well.


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