12boy
Guru
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- Casper WY USA
I can stand on the pedals with my Brompty and I pull on the bars as well. When grinding up a grade l also like to pull up as push down which works pretty well with SPDs.
That'll teach me to generalise!I can stand on the pedals with my Brompty and I pull on the bars as well. When grinding up a grade l also like to pull up as push down which works pretty well with SPDs.
I should also point out that the guy in the video was riding a Brompton, not a Bike Friday Pocket Rocket (or it's siblings), an Airnimal Chameleon or Joey or the Berds Folder. The majority of folding bikes are not represented by any of these bikes, though you only have to mention "folder" and the owners of Bromptons, particularly, fill these pages with their replies. It is good to have replies, but let me just put in a word for the apparently disparaged owners of "budget folders" whose experiences are just as valid as anyone else's. Yes! They can climb!
Mine was/is 3 x 8 and perfectly capable of climbing out of the saddle, although I'm not, these days. As I had to give up 2 wheels in 2008 my wife rode it for a while and loved how easy it was to ride, compared to her Dawes Discovery.which version is that? How many speeds?
Mine is the 3x7 - pic below.
I've also cycled the 5 speed brommie to that place.
Both no problems at all.
View attachment 618763
It wasn't a single speed but a two speed.It looks as if the Brompton was mostly disadvantaged by the flat/downhill bits due to its single speed.
I am not sure to which suspension block you relate. The early ones up do 2007 were bouncy (but could easily be tweaked). From 2008 until 2016 there were the coned ones where you could choose between normal and hard. For most grown up male European riders "hard" was the better choice. Since 2017 there is just one suspension block avail. from factory (apart from special ones on the CHPT3, the B75 and now the P-Line) which is in between the former normal and hard ones. With these I've nothing to complain about. The JK one is still harder.He'd have had an easier time with bar ends and a very firm rear suspension block like the JK one. An out-of-the-box M-type with flat pedals and bouncy rear block would struggle.
The classic M handle bars are clearly less stiff than S (and the traditional P ones are even worse). The M/H bars since 2017 are way better. Still a tad less stiff than S bars but totally acceptable in my eyes. Also, it probably makes a difference if you do a race up a hill and then you are done or if you climb a hill during a tour. With the first option you can use all your power for a short distance, thus you may live with getting out of the saddle and spending all you can give. With the latter you have to sorrowfully deal with your power, so low gears and also low speed are the better way to go and getting off and push is totally valid.I've never ridden my B up anything really steep. Probably only 8% or 10% is the max I've gone up. I'm not sure, maybe steeper short stretches. I find it does get rather flexy when I stand on the pedals. I have M handlebars if that's at all relevant. Also it doesn't quite have the low gears that my grown-up bike has. I'm happy to get off and push.
Done this more than once. Survived and one time even got a T-shirt. No issues at all.Uphill I guess no big problem. 50mph downhills on a Brompton would be a different matter all together