# what is it about a brommie!?



## lip03 (28 Mar 2012)

I need a folding bike for my commute to work as my train provider dosent see me unclipping my front wheel on my roadie enough!! 

Obviously I want a brommie but I just wondered WHAT! It is about one that makes me go gooey inside! Lol
I like other folders but every time I see a little brom I think hmm I could karate kick you off that bike and have it away! Hehe only kidding! 

Also second hand broms!? Relatively serviceable I presume!? But still not cheap!


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## TheDoctor (28 Mar 2012)

They do hold their value rather well do Brommies.
The thing I like about them is the fold. So compact, so stable when folded
And they're a pretty decent bike to ride, if a little twitchy. It's the only one in my stable I can't ride no-hands.


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## dellzeqq (29 Mar 2012)

second hand Brommies will vary, but

- hub gears do go from time to time
- the hinge action can wear and get a bit floppy
- bit by bit they're removing the silly nut fixings from the design, and an older Brommie might suffer from outdated and poorly designed fixings to the lights and rack
- the right (standard) pedals have improved (but not by much) and you may be looking at replacement
- the new Brompton saddle is a fine item, but an older one might not be so good

now, when set against the competition the Brompton is clearly not good value for money unless you take in to account this - if you keep it for a decade then you'll probably forget the £900 price tag, and if you sell it then you'll get most of your money back.


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## srw (29 Mar 2012)

I'll add - it's a steel frame, and if you're not careful some of the components can rust through. Not that that especially affects the resale value, though.


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## Brommyboy (29 Mar 2012)

One great thing about the Brompton is that nearly all changes are retro-installable. Parts do not keep getting redesigned and made obsolete, so spares remain available, even for the early models. They are still, after some 20 years, the best at folding and are more compact folded than most. The ride is reasonable to good. Cost is no higher than some of the better known competition but resale value remains high so they are a better investment. Most owners find that, if they should be restricted to just one cycle, then the Brompton will be the one to keep!


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## dellzeqq (29 Mar 2012)

and, however much I love my Colnago, you can't beat this for pulling power..


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## Crackle (29 Mar 2012)

It must just be me that thinks they look totally uncool, especially if you are wearing a suit and helmet, carrying a briefcase and rushing for your train, tie streaming and flapping behind you. Not that such considerations would stop me doing exactly the same if needed.

In contrast the bloke and his wife I see, flat cap and headscarf, riding a local shared path with their dog in tow, look right.


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## CopperBrompton (12 May 2012)

Oh, I'm the first to admit they look like clown bikes when you see someone riding past on one, but from the saddle they are just lovely bikes to ride and the fold, as everyone says, is unbeatable in both speed and compactness.


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## mickle (12 May 2012)

dellzeqq said:


> and, however much I love my Colnago, you can't beat this for pulling power..


On board shoulder massage. Nice.


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## CopperBrompton (12 May 2012)

mickle said:


> On board shoulder massage. Nice.


It's an option for the Titanium model only.


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## MontyVeda (12 May 2012)

I dunno what it is about a Brommie?... they look a bit daft, but also quite cool in a quirky way... the price tag is 'how much?' but my oh my i _really_ want one!!!


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## Poacher (12 May 2012)

Then get one!!! Hang the expense - as noted above, you're not going to lose much when it comes to selling.


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## Paul.G. (12 May 2012)

Not a brommie but a Dahon and yes i know some of you will reboke but I waited for an age to find a Mu UNO with rear coaster brake and wow, i just love it. Colnago Master, Colnago CT1 but somehow this little folder has won me over! Shame the 2012 model has done away with the coaster brake due to some silly EU rule which is why I waited so long to find a decent last years model


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## Becs (24 May 2012)

I don't see the attraction myself - I've just bought a Dawes Kingpin for a third (at least) the price of a Brompton and I'm not sure the "smaller when folded" thing is worth the extra money. The Kingpin is light, comfy (I'm 6ft tall) and is relatively quick in 7th gear (got it up to 24mph this morning according to cyclemeter, although it was a gentle downhill!). I've done about 70 miles on it since last saturday without an ounce of discomfort, even in the wallet department!


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## smutchin (24 May 2012)

Crackle said:


> It must just be me that thinks they look totally uncool, especially if you are wearing a suit and helmet, carrying a briefcase and rushing for your train, tie streaming and flapping behind you.



Just look at this and try telling me I'm not too bloody cool for school...






d.


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## Crackle (25 May 2012)

smutchin said:


> Just look at this and try telling me I'm not too bloody cool for school...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
You look a bit like Bonn Scott rushing to his last AC/DC concert.


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## subaqua (25 May 2012)

Crackle said:


> You look a bit like Bonn Scott rushing to his last AC/DC concert.


shureley Angus, nananananana ANGUS.


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## Crackle (25 May 2012)

subaqua said:


> shureley Angus, nananananana ANGUS.


Yes you're right, Angus, my mistake.


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## subaqua (25 May 2012)

Crackle said:


> Yes you're right, Angus, my mistake.


 
NP am off today, neighbours are out, have been out and done 20 miles and i think its time for some proper music played real loud.


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## Crankarm (27 May 2012)

OP if you need to ask, you don't understand.


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## Crankarm (27 May 2012)

dellzeqq said:


> and, however much I love my Colnago, you can't beat this for pulling power..


 
I wonder if they know each other .............................


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## wilkyboy (4 Jul 2012)

Hey, it's simple in the economics department: I commute from Cambridge to London. If I were to drive from home (village outside Cambridge) to the station and park my car at the station then it would cost around £2.50 in fuel plus £7.80 to park for the day. PLUS £4 something for the Tube -- that's about £14 per day. Multiply that by 220 working days and it's £3,080 per year. I could buy THREE Bromptons for that EVERY YEAR (at today's prices)! My current/first Brommie cost £750 (before the prices went up) back in 2008 and I've done around 2,000 miles a year on it in all weathers.

Alternatively, I could buy a cheaper city bike, ride to the station and lock it up and then pay the £4 Tube fare every day -- that's £880 a year, which is about the same as a new Brompton (with extra bits) at current prices. My current B has lasted FOUR years and it looks like it's going to last at least another four -- that would be better than 24-times return on investment, which is okay.

And doing all this EXERCISE I am fitter than I have ever been -- I did the Dunwich Dynamo at the weekend without any specific training or long runs on my trusty Brompton (I don't have a "proper" road bike) in 8 hours start to finish, including stops, which I gather is quite quick. Much of the time I was able to keep up with "proper" cycling club riders and groups (uphills being my nemesis). And I still had legs to ride to/from stations to get back home again. 135 miles. And deep down I know that all those roadies are really quite envious of my Brompton -- it's certainly a talking point as we ride together! (although I wasn't talking much towards the end of the Dun Run)

But the thing I ABSOLUTELY LOVE about taking your own wheels is that you NEVER have to queue to get onto anything except the train (and if you time it right you don't actually need to queue for that either) -- and it is QUICKER than the Tube for the places I go to. And if you do break down, you can always take the bike in a cab or on a bus or on the tube, easily, to get home.

And i have NEVER been turned away with the bike -- I rarely lock it to anything, I usually just check it in at reception or take it with me and park it behind my seat or under the desk. That's not something that can be said for many folding bikes, which are somewhat cumbersome when folded.

Finally, there isn't a spare part for a Brompton that you can't get -- and many dealers hold a very good stock of spares so you don't even have to wait. I have had to replace the chain and the two rear sprockets several times, and my local bike shop always has some in stock -- just £16 for the chain and sprockets. I broke the mudguard -- that's on order and will arrive in due course; just the plastic bit, the bracketry gets re-used -- £14. I washed out on ice a couple of years ago and broke the frame in the bag on the front of the bike -- a new frame is just £20, rather than a new bag at £100 (I also broke the gear-selector chain and rode it as a single-speed -- actually a high/very-high two-speed -- until the part arrived).

And if you still need convincing ... without a Brompton, you aren't eligible to enter the Brompton World Championships


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## GrumpyGregry (4 Jul 2012)

Brompton. A bike you can ride in a kilt. End of.


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## TheDoctor (4 Jul 2012)

GregCollins said:


> Brompton. A bike you can ride in a kilt. End of.


 
Thank goodness it's not compulsory!!


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## Twanger (27 Jul 2012)

My Dahon Vitesse folded on me in New Bond Street and I never rode it again. The Bromptom I have now has been going for three years. Spare parts are reasonably cheap. Easy to maintain and set up. Ten minutes maintenance a week stops serious breakdowns (well, that's probably true of all bikes).

Pedals suck. But that doesn't bother me as I changed them for cages with clips and straps both sides (and it still fits behind the seats on southern trains). You can put clipless if you like. .........


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## Sca1ey (22 Aug 2012)

I'm taking delivery of mine on Friday, it's been a long 12 weeks since I ordered it; and thanks to the taxman I won't even have to pay full price for it.


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## CopperBrompton (22 Aug 2012)

A friend brought a Dahon against my advice. Had it for about three weeks before buying a Brompton to replace it. :-)


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## seadragonpisces (24 Aug 2012)

I can understand why people would buy one but I couldnt live with the tiny wheels and I prefer my bikes to look a bit more aggressive/sporty. No offense to anyone of course, just my own insignificant view.

When I get my Reach built up from the frameset to a complete bike in the next week or so I am sure people will look at it and shake their head, so I am steadying myself for the onslaught I know is coming :-)


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## CopperBrompton (24 Aug 2012)

Most Bromptons are ridden in the city. Small wheels = rapid acceleration, which is just what you need with constant traffic lights.


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## Brommyboy (25 Aug 2012)

The views against small wheels are mistaken: when Moulton introduced their first racing cycle which broke records, it had a 17" wheel. Most cycles with a 20" wheel have road tyres, not the BMX type, and these usually measure just 18". So, the Brompton tyre of 16" is barely smaller! My Brommies have managed up to 100+ miles in under 10 hours; maximum speed reached several times is 39 mph. I have used them on hard off road surfaces and the only difficulty has been in soft ground. Many recumbent cycles are now using these smaller wheels, too.


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## byegad (25 Aug 2012)

Brommyboy said:


> The views against small wheels are mistaken: when Moulton introduced their first racing cycle which broke records, it had a 17" wheel. Most cycles with a 20" wheel have road tyres, not the BMX type, and these usually measure just 18". So, the Brompton tyre of 16" is barely smaller! My Brommies have managed up to 100+ miles in under 10 hours; maximum speed reached several times is 39 mph. I have used them on hard off road surfaces and the only difficulty has been in soft ground. Many recumbent cycles are now using these smaller wheels, too.


 
The Moulton small wheel road bikes were very quickly banned by the UCI. They are that fast!


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## Crankarm (28 Aug 2012)

Brommyboy said:


> The views against small wheels are mistaken: when Moulton introduced their first racing cycle which broke records, it had a 17" wheel. Most cycles with a 20" wheel have road tyres, not the BMX type, and these usually measure just 18". So, the Brompton tyre of 16" is barely smaller! My Brommies have managed up to 100+ miles in under 10 hours; *maximum speed reached several times is 39 mph*. I have used them on hard off road surfaces and the only difficulty has been in soft ground. Many recumbent cycles are now using these smaller wheels, too.


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## byegad (28 Aug 2012)

seadragonpisces said:


> I can understand why people would buy one but I couldnt live with the tiny wheels and I prefer my bikes to look a bit more aggressive/sporty. No offense to anyone of course, just my own insignificant view.
> 
> When I get my Reach built up from the frameset to a complete bike in the next week or so I am sure people will look at it and shake their head, so I am steadying myself for the onslaught I know is coming :-)


 
This is what the Wheelmen said when the safety bicycle came out. 'Those tiny sub 30" wheels are slow and will never replace the majesty of the Ordinary.'


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## Yellow Fang (28 Aug 2012)

dellzeqq said:


> and, however much I love my Colnago, you can't beat this for pulling power..


 
I often wondered what the point of the rear rack was.


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