Let's See Your Folding Bike

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Brompton M6L 2018, few mods, 44T for this trip!

I'm not going to lie, it hurt! Should not have tried to ride across the wet cattle-grid at the bottom as nearly binned it right there. Had to stop to remove rain cape quarter way up to prevent boil in the bag. Mostly out of the saddle, otherwise front wheel keeps coming off the ground getting any power down. Need strong forearms to hang onto the brakes on the way down Wrynose.
I live 15 miles from lakes so very impressed with this on the Brompton. How did the little bike hold up ? How do you find the brompton and its build quality ?
 

Tenkaykev

Guru
Location
Poole
Chapeau sir 👍 I struggled on the short hill up to one of the local pubs, had to switch to a 44 tooth chainring before I could get all the way to the pub without dismounting.
I saw a YouTube video of some guy cycling up L'Alp D'Huez on a Brommie, and then cycling down again which looked a bit hairy!
 

mitchibob

Über Member
Location
Treorchy, Wales
What's your bottom gear?

44T chainring for this trip, so according to their chart, 29.1". Although, if I were doing the whole Fred route on it, I might want a 53/39 double chainring to make up time on the less hilly bits. They wont allow small wheeled or folding bikes on the actual Fred Whitton challenge though :-(
 
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mitchibob

Über Member
Location
Treorchy, Wales
Chapeau sir 👍 I struggled on the short hill up to one of the local pubs, had to switch to a 44 tooth chainring before I could get all the way to the pub without dismounting.
I saw a YouTube video of some guy cycling up L'Alp D'Huez on a Brommie, and then cycling down again which looked a bit hairy!

That's definitely a bucket list climb for me... not quite the same doing it on a Smart Turbo!
 

mitchibob

Über Member
Location
Treorchy, Wales
I live 15 miles from lakes so very impressed with this on the Brompton. How did the little bike hold up ? How do you find the brompton and its build quality ?

Brompton build quality has been excellent on the ones I have. The lakes probably isn't the worst I've put it through as I kept to the roads on this trip. Some of the National Cycle Network routes I've been on riding from London to Cardiff were really only suitable for mountain bikes I reckon, but the Brommie has done pretty well on them. I use komoot for route planning these days to avoid that though!
 

Gunk

Guru
Location
Oxford
Despite what the doubters say, they are a well built bike. looked after they'll last for ever.
 

berlinonaut

Veteran
Location
Berlin Germany
I wonder how the ride quality is imporved with the larger wheels?
It's a different world, but that is caused by a couple of factors together, not just the wheel size: 20", wide Big Apple tires, an immense rise wheel base (very loooong now), Rohloff hub, suspended grips etc. play together nicely and the result rides very different from a standard Brompton. Way less nippy or nervous, more a limousine than a sports car, very comfortable. In opposite to a Brompton it likes to go in a straight line (still cornering is not an issue). In general I liked the ride on it but personally I would not go this route - it rides very similar to a Bernds, the main difference is the folding mechanism and size and shape of the folded package. The "very big edition" Brompton is shorter in folded state but that's about it. As I do own a Bernds along with my Bromptons I'd have no need for the Bromptosaurus - it was a one off, built on special request for a tall rider (and has become a two off in the meantime). Amazing craftsmanship and fascinating, but a very expensive exercise. I was very happy to have the opportunity for a test ride on it.
 
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