# Brompton in window



## Tripster (22 Feb 2021)

Walking up to hospital to meet wife today and take her some lunch. In the window at Leisure Lakes bikes where 2 Bromptons. A S6L superlight in House red and a Tempest blue one folded. Very surprised as never had stock on website for months and months and little stock anywhere in country. Think they where both £1900.


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## Milkfloat (22 Feb 2021)

Tripster said:


> Walking up to hospital to meet wife today and take her some lunch. In the window at Leisure Lakes bikes where 2 Bromptons. A S6L superlight in House red and a Tempest blue one folded. Very surprised as never had stock on website for months and months and little stock anywhere in country. Think they where both £1900.


I am showing my age - last time I looked at buying one they were about £500.


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## Tripster (22 Feb 2021)

Milkfloat said:


> I am showing my age - last time I looked at buying one they were about £500.


I like them and admit to wanting one of the Chpt3 but yes they are pricey. I think one day I will get one just for fun but second hand. Just a surprise to see two in window. Not there last week and store stock looked depleted. I think with battery lighting its a smidge over £2k for a Super light. Well if anyone wants a new Brommie Superlight they are awaiting new owners !!!


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## PeteXXX (22 Feb 2021)

🎶 How much is that Brommie in the window 🎶


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## Cycleops (22 Feb 2021)

With people working from home these must be worrying times for Brompton.
Look out for offers you can't refuse.


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## Tripster (22 Feb 2021)

Cycleops said:


> With people working from home these must be worrying times for Brompton.
> Look out for offers you can't refuse.


Not so sure about that but maybe


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## Gunk (22 Feb 2021)

Cycleops said:


> With people working from home these must be worrying times for Brompton.



I agree as a concept, it now looks very last century, however they have reinvented themselves as a desirable cool brand, I don’t think sales will suffer. 

I don’t need one, but I’ve still got one in the corner of the garage.


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## l4dva (22 Feb 2021)

I've been very tempted to buy a superlight, the more I look into them the more I'm convinced I need one. My commute into London will involve a over ground train when we move house. I "think" I'm ok with the crazy price tag, however if I'm paying c.£2k I want to make sure I get the colour combo that I really want and the stock colours I'm not overly keen on. A chpt3 bike would be awesome (apart from the price premium) but it sounds like you would have be very luckily to buy one directly from brompton when ever they get released.


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## Kell (23 Feb 2021)

I genuinely don't see the point of the 'Superlight'.

I get the principle of a lighter bike being better (both riding it and carrying it), but in this case, I don't think it makes enough of a difference to justify the additional price.

My commute also involves an overground to London and I wheel mine along the platforms and only fold when I'm at the train door. The exception being that at my outlying station, I have to take it up and over a footbridge, so I hang the seat on my shoulder and carry it that way.

I think I'm supposed to fold it and carry it, but no one's stopped me in over four years.

I don't think it's the weight that's necessarily the problem, but how it forces you to carry it. When it's folded you have to walk with your arm out to the side ever so slightly. This is what causes the fatigue in my experience. When I take it down the stairs, I leave it unfolded and carry it by the maintube. It's so much better balanced and easier to carry that way.


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## T4tomo (23 Feb 2021)

Milkfloat said:


> I am showing my age - last time I looked at buying one they were about £500.


My Superlight SL3 purchased in 2005 was £982. (but cost me much less due to being in the early cycle to work rules)

Agree the "superlight" is diminishing returns, quite a lot of cash to lose, what is it, 1.5kg? The titanium is supposed to smooth out the ride a bit, and looks nice. I think it was 250-300 premium on all steel back then and no doubt more now.


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## mickle (23 Feb 2021)

I regret selling all three of my Bromptons. Especially the ti one.


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## Tenkaykev (23 Feb 2021)

Maybe it's an age thing. I worked in Engineering all my working life and probably didn't realise that compared to people in less physical jobs, I was quite strong. In my 70's now and retired for about 8 years I do notice the difference between my M6L and my CHPT3 when picking them up and carrying them. Perhaps it's a "threshold" thing in that the lighter bike is just within my comfort limit and the regular one is above it.
I do find the C3 a smoother ride, I've fitted Conti's to my M6 which ride better than the Marathon + that i'd fitted originally. There's the initial issue of adapting to the S bars when coming from the more upright M bars, but after 10 minutes I don't really notice it.


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## Kell (23 Feb 2021)

T4tomo said:


> My Superlight SL3 purchased in 2005 was £982. (but cost me much less due to being in the early cycle to work rules)
> 
> Agree the "superlight" is diminishing returns, quite a lot of cash to lose, what is it, 1.5kg? The titanium is supposed to smooth out the ride a bit, and looks nice. I think it was 250-300 premium on all steel back then and no doubt more now.



Especially as I think part of that weight saving is a 'pump delete'. So whatever the pump weighs plus the brackets.

Maybe it's just 'Superlight' is a bit of a misnomer for me - when you think of cars that are given the SuperLeggera moniker. 

But I guess Brompton SlightlyLighter doesn't have the same ring.


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## Tenkaykev (23 Feb 2021)

Kell said:


> Especially as I think part of that weight saving is a 'pump delete'. So whatever the pump weighs plus the brackets.
> 
> Maybe it's just 'Superlight' is a bit of a misnomer for me - when you think of cars that are given the SuperLeggera moniker.
> 
> But I guess Brompton SlightlyLighter doesn't have the same ring.


I did peer down the rabbit hole of various “blingtanium” aftermarket offerings. I was placing an order with SJS anyway, so splashed out a fiver for a 7mm Ti handlebar fixing bolt. That was because Ti one was black to match the bike ( and a massive 3g lighter than the original )


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## Gunk (23 Feb 2021)

I’ve just bought a digital crane scale so I can weigh all my bikes (I know it’s a bit tragic) it’ll be interesting to see what the Brommie weighs in at.


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## Tenkaykev (23 Feb 2021)

10.3 kg is the listed weight for the 2019 version.
I’ve added customised ally mudguards with Ti stays . I’ll weigh it tomorrow


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## berlinonaut (24 Feb 2021)

T4tomo said:


> Agree the "superlight" is diminishing returns, quite a lot of cash to lose, what is it, 1.5kg?


It used to be around 1kg, ~100g of that due to the absence of the pump. Today it is rather 700-750g as there are no more ti-seatposts and no more ti-bolt on the folding pedal. In fact it is ti-fork and ti-rear-frame, "Ultralight" front wheel (with a way better hub than standard), aluminium headset of higher quality and ti mudguard stays.
Over the years the weight saving quoted by Brompton changed slightly multiple times and not always along with changes to the components. Ti was invented in 2005 with the ti-seapost being an option in the UK but standard in i.e. Germany. The ti-seatpost went in 2010, was replaced by an aluminium one and that went in 2011 and was replaced by the standard steel one. The "ultralight" front wheel i.e. was only invented in 2009, went in around 2013 on most bikes and was replaced by the standard hub but with DD-spokes, went fully a bit later (standard/DD now on all ti-bikes) and came back in around 2018 or 2019 and has been there since. In the beginning only Ti-bikes had the pentaclip (along with a lighter Fizik saddle) until in 2009 the pentaclip became standard on all bikes as did the new Brompton saddle (that replaced the Fizik as well).
So depending from the year and the model the weight saving might be higher or lower.


T4tomo said:


> I think it was 250-300 premium on all steel back then and no doubt more now.


Her in Germany for the earliest models it was around 600€, went mad up to around 970€ a couple of years ago and is a tad lower again now.

Is it worth it? Yes and no. Less weight is recognizable and helpful. No corrosion on the ti parts is welcome. The price tag is very debatable in my opinion. I do own steel and ti Brommis and clearly prefer the ti-versions due to the weight saving.


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## cougie uk (24 Feb 2021)

The Chpt3 doesn't have mudguard on it - which to me defeats the object of a Brompton.


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## T4tomo (24 Feb 2021)

berlinonaut said:


> It used to be around 1kg, ~100g of that due to the absence of the pump. Today it is rather 700-750g as there are no more ti-seatposts and no more ti-bolt on the folding pedal. In fact it is ti-fork and ti-rear-frame, "Ultralight" front wheel (with a way better hub than standard), aluminium headset of higher quality and ti mudguard stays.


Ah I didn't realise the Ti seatpost has gone, Yes mine has that - why did it discontinue?
The only other thing that I've change over the years, other than replacing a rear mudguard that broke (yes they are essential!) was to upgrade the brake levers to the new type that came along at some point, which were much better, the old ones were functional but a bit pony.


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## Phaeton (24 Feb 2021)

Milkfloat said:


> I am showing my age - last time I looked at buying one they were about £500.


About 3 months ago?


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## Tenkaykev (24 Feb 2021)

Tenkaykev said:


> 10.3 kg is the listed weight for the 2019 version.
> I’ve added customised ally mudguards with Ti stays . I’ll weigh it tomorrow



I've just weighed my modded C3, as detailed above It now has aluminium mudguards and chain guard and I replaced the rear reflector with a combined reflector/USB rechargeable light, and fitted leather grips with contrast stitching, plus a KMC red/black chain. The bike now weighs 10.7kg
EDIT: It also now has a Ti seatpost.


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## berlinonaut (24 Feb 2021)

T4tomo said:


> Ah I didn't realise the Ti seatpost has gone, Yes mine has that - why did it discontinue?


At that time Brompton had issues with reliable delivery of sufficient amounts of the seat posts from their supplier (I think in Russia) as well as prices going up. There had been a very tiny number of breaking seatposts as well as far as I know, but I don't think these were relevant for or cause of the decision. The idea was to use aluminium posts instead, gaining a roughly similar weight saving together with a cheaper price and more reliability regarding stock delivery from the supplier. This change happened in 2010, but after a very short while it turned out that the surface coating of the aluminium posts vanished quickly over time, leaving the seat posts in very ugly optics. Thus the aluminium posts were dished from the lineup after only one year or so and from thereon all Bromptons had the same steel posts, raising the weight of the ti-bikes.
Back then there were no 3rd party ti-posts or carbon posts (apart from the few Steve Parry built for some of his bikes and a small early series from an, I think, Brithish or Scottish small company, long out of production by now and I think also back in 2010). The first ones after 2010 came from Brompfication by Peter Griebel, who founded the company in 2010 or 2011 and they were for quite a long time the only suppliers of Ti-posts for the Brompton. There was an aluminium post from a french company, but it was quite heavy (and also long gone today) and another aluminium one popped up from Lightskon with integraded rear lights, still on the market today. It was only around 2016ish and later when the various Asian tuning parts companies established one after the other and only little later the various Chinese suppliers of cheap ti- and carbon posts and other tuning stuff hit the market and started to sell via ebay, aliexpress and alike, initially partly with a somewhat dubious quality of some of their posts. Today there is a plenthora of offerings in all price and quality regions and under various brands and as far as I can judge there is not always direct correlation between quality and price. The only European brand currently selling a ti-post is I think Jtek. Worth noting that only since a short while there are offerings for a telescopic ti-post again but at a ridiculously high price.


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## Archie_tect (24 Feb 2021)

Gunk said:


> I’ve just bought a digital crane scale so I can weigh all my bikes (I know it’s a bit tragic) it’ll be interesting to see what the Brommie weighs in at.


Can you weigh yourself- our bathroom scales are useless!


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## Gunk (25 Feb 2021)

Tenkaykev said:


> I've just weighed my modded C3, as detailed above It now has aluminium mudguards and chain guard and I replaced the rear reflector with a combined reflector/USB rechargeable light, and fitted leather grips with contrast stitching, plus a KMC red/black chain. The bike now weighs 10.7kg
> EDIT: It also now has a Ti seatpost.
> 
> View attachment 575493



My 1995 M3L weighs in at 11.9kgs


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## Tenkaykev (25 Feb 2021)

Gunk said:


> My 1995 M3L weighs in at 11.9kgs
> 
> View attachment 575744


I spy a modded wire basket with Brompton mount 😎


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## Gunk (25 Feb 2021)

Tenkaykev said:


> I spy a modded wire basket with Brompton mount 😎



It’s been on for a while now, it’s mod worth doing.


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## Tenkaykev (25 Feb 2021)

Gunk said:


> It’s been on for a while now, it’s mod worth doing.
> 
> View attachment 575810
> 
> ...



i managed to hybridise my basket so it fits the Brommie and one of my wife’s road bikes with a Rixen and Kaul style basket from Wilko


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## Kell (3 Mar 2021)

Gunk said:


> I’ve just bought a digital crane scale so I can weigh all my bikes (I know it’s a bit tragic) it’ll be interesting to see what the Brommie weighs in at.



I had some luggage scales and was intrigued.

H6L Brompton is 12.9 kg.
My Triban 3 (cheap road bike) is 10.9kg
My Carbon Giant TCR is 9.35kg

I, on the other hand, am currently 100kg.


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## Kell (4 Mar 2021)

Just for the record - I didn't weigh myself on the luggage scales. 

Not sure I'd know where to put the hook for a start.


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## tinywheels (20 Apr 2021)

as a fat bastard I have little use of super light bikes. my main concern is getting my own excess weight off. That would enable me to climb better,and travel further and faster. In the meantime I will continue plodding on.


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## mitchibob (29 Apr 2021)

tinywheels said:


> . my main concern is getting my own excess weight off. That would enable me to climb better,and travel further and faster. In the meantime I will continue plodding on.



I'm fully with you... there's plenty more I can remove from my own bodyweight healthily before forking out on anything particularly more lightweight on bike components becomes value for money on the W/kg saving scale. I justify the titanium seatpost mostly due to possibly reading on here that it'd help smooth things after going for super-firm suspension (plus, it was pretty cheap), not just that it's a good 300g lighter than original and pentaclip. Still, there's more kilos to be lost elsewhere for me, and even cheaper than that seatpost (why is beer so good?)


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## tinywheels (20 Jul 2021)

still hauling my lardy ass all over East Sussex, Eastbourne pit stop then back to Hastings. Save weight, nah,load up on cake n coffee say I.


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## ExBrit (20 Jul 2021)

Tenkaykev said:


> I've just weighed my modded C3, as detailed above It now has aluminium mudguards and chain guard and I replaced the rear reflector with a combined reflector/USB rechargeable light, and fitted leather grips with contrast stitching, plus a KMC red/black chain. The bike now weighs 10.7kg
> EDIT: It also now has a Ti seatpost.
> 
> View attachment 575493


Supernice


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## CharlieB (28 Aug 2021)

I bought a superlight S1E-X some years ago, 30% out of wanting a second less heavy version of the S6L I already had, 30% out of curiosity, 30% out of wanting a summer commuter and 10% from the N+1 thingy.
The first two things I noticed immediately was hugely improved comfort, and secondly, did it shift or what?
It was at that point I decided I wanted to do a working project to see how light I could get a Brompton to be.
Over the years, most components and almost every bolt and nut has been changed for a ti equivalent. I also experimented with different chainsets, but found nothing lighter than the standard Brompton version that actually worked.
I get a little frustrated when I see Ti Bromptons that've been dynamo'ed, 6-speeded, racked and mudguarded to bu##ery, as for me it defeats the object.
It weighs 8.9kg and is an absolute joy to ride. It flies off the lights, and normal commute average speed through N. London back streets is usually 14-15mph, compared to 12-13mph on the 6 speed.
I'm going to try to post some pictures on 'Let's See Your Folding Bike' now.


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## Fab Foodie (28 Aug 2021)

CharlieB said:


> I bought a superlight S1E-X some years ago, 30% out of wanting a second less heavy version of the S6L I already had, 30% out of curiosity, 30% out of wanting a summer commuter and 10% from the N+1 thingy.
> The first two things I noticed immediately was hugely improved comfort, and secondly, did it shift or what?
> It was at that point I decided I wanted to do a working project to see how light I could get a Brompton to be.
> Over the years, most components and almost every bolt and nut has been changed for a ti equivalent. I also experimented with different chainsets, but found nothing lighter than the standard Brompton version that actually worked.
> ...


Interestingly, Steve owner of Warlands in Botley, a proper bike shop and long time Brompton dealer reckons Ti is only worth it for touring where it adds notably to the ride comfort. These days the weight difference between an S2E with or without Ti is bugger all and new generation tyres help a lot with comfort too.


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## Tenkaykev (28 Aug 2021)

Fab Foodie said:


> Interestingly, Steve owner of Warlands in Botley, a proper bike shop and long time Brompton dealer reckons Ti is only worth it for touring where it adds notably to the ride comfort. These days the weight difference between an S2E with or without Ti is bugger all and new generation tyres help a lot with comfort too.


I’m not a “ proper “ cyclist in that it’s only in the last few years that I’ve taken it up. That means that I can’t compare riding my Brommie with riding a conventional road bike, but I can compare riding my M6R with riding my CHPT3. I love them both and find there’s more difference in the feel of the bikes than simply looking at the comparative weights might suggest. Having read about the difficulty of fixing a rear tyre puncture I was a bit paranoid and fitted M+ tyres on my M6. This was my only bike at the time and I really enjoyed riding it. Last year I swapped the M+ tyres for Continental Urbans, and I feel they do make for a considerable improvement in ride quality.


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## 12boy (28 Aug 2021)

Mine weighs 25 lbs. I have a leather saddle and Ergons and 2 way SPD/flat pedals. I put some Marathon Racers on it, and it feels pretty perky to me. I ride it for joy and exercise and it is my favorite of my bikes. I have always wondered why they are not made of Chromo steel which could probably save as much weight as Ti extremities, at much less cost.


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## Ming the Merciless (28 Aug 2021)

Milkfloat said:


> I am showing my age - last time I looked at buying one they were about £500.



2019


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## Fab Foodie (28 Aug 2021)

Tenkaykev said:


> I’m not a “ proper “ cyclist in that it’s only in the last few years that I’ve taken it up. That means that I can’t compare riding my Brommie with riding a conventional road bike, but I can compare riding my M6R with riding my CHPT3. I love them both and find there’s more difference in the feel of the bikes than simply looking at the comparative weights might suggest. Having read about the difficulty of fixing a rear tyre puncture I was a bit paranoid and fitted M+ tyres on my M6. This was my only bike at the time and I really enjoyed riding it. Last year I swapped the M+ tyres for Continental Urbans, and I feel they do make for a considerable improvement in ride quality.


The S2E on Conti urban contacts is a very different animal to my S6R with SON and M+. chalk and cheese! The stripped-back 2 speed is a hoot!


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