Cheap Bromptons

[Barry Chuckle]

Thanks for all the replies, I managed to find a couple of new C Line Explores with 15% of list so I bought them and collected earlier today. I've had some nice bikes in my time and I was very impressed with the way they rode when I tried them earlier, much more solid than I expected.
I did consider buying the VW bike rack, but I've read that quite a few are getting stolen often with the bikes they're holding too! I also have a rear boot awning which I want to use that the rack would cause problems with.
@chockswahay your comment is absolutely bob on, the Cali is about compromise and that's what I'm looking forwards to when I get mine. You need to prioritise what is important for you to carry around and then use your Tetris skills packing them into your van! I'm hoping they'll be an invaluable addition to my Cali, but just like van, Bromptons seem to be the very best of their type and also like the Cali if they don't work for me I can get most of my outlay back as they seem to be selling secondhand for around 80% of their original cost.....

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Thanks for all the replies, I managed to find a couple of new C Line Explores with 15% of list so I bought them and collected earlier today. I've had some nice bikes in my time and I was very impressed with the way they rode when I tried them earlier, much more solid than I expected.
I did consider buying the VW bike rack, but I've read that quite a few are getting stolen often with the bikes they're holding too! I also have a rear boot awning which I want to use that the rack would cause problems with.
@chockswahay your comment is absolutely bob on, the Cali is about compromise and that's what I'm looking forwards to when I get mine. You need to prioritise what is important for you to carry around and then use your Tetris skills packing them into your van! I'm hoping they'll be an invaluable addition to my Cali, but just like van, Bromptons seem to be the very best of their type and also like the Cali if they don't work for me I can get most of my outlay back as they seem to be selling secondhand for around 80% of their original cost.....

A determined thief will just smash a window instead, and will most likely cause damage to the van interior trying to get the bike out.

 

[Barry Chuckle]

A determined thief will just smash a window instead, and will most likely cause damage to the van interior trying to get the bike out.

You have a point, however my thinking is a thief isn't going to know the bikes are inside the Cali and the likelihood is most of the time we're not in the van we'll be out on the Bromptons. From what I'm reading some people are taking the bike racks alone and also I feel they alert anyone you have bikes.

But of course if someone breaks in opportunistically they could take them but that could also be said for other items such as laptops ipads, powerbanks etc which are much more likely to be left in the vehicle unattended.

 

[chockswahay]

A determined thief will just smash a window instead, and will most likely cause damage to the van interior trying to get the bike out.

Haha…… see #17

 

[chockswahay]

Thanks for all the replies, I managed to find a couple of new C Line Explores with 15% of list so I bought them and collected earlier today. I've had some nice bikes in my time and I was very impressed with the way they rode when I tried them earlier, much more solid than I expected.
I did consider buying the VW bike rack, but I've read that quite a few are getting stolen often with the bikes they're holding too! I also have a rear boot awning which I want to use that the rack would cause problems with.
@chockswahay your comment is absolutely bob on, the Cali is about compromise and that's what I'm looking forwards to when I get mine. You need to prioritise what is important for you to carry around and then use your Tetris skills packing them into your van! I'm hoping they'll be an invaluable addition to my Cali, but just like van, Bromptons seem to be the very best of their type and also like the Cali if they don't work for me I can get most of my outlay back as they seem to be selling secondhand for around 80% of their original cost.....

Good man! Me? Jealous? hell yeah ……………

 

[Rololux]

Everyone has a different way of using their van, depending on their needs. We carry 2 sets of golf clubs, 2 golf trolleys AND 2 Bromptons. We do not use the lower bed though, so that’s our particular compromise. Works for us.

 

[barry]

Look up Swytch conversions. They do a variety but I think they do one for a Brompton; basically an aftermarket (and decent) e-bike conversion kit. The smallest one will just give 10 miles of assistance, but if it's just to get you up a few hills than that's sufficient and the battery on that one I think is about the size of a mobile 'phone!

Edit: not had direct experience of them, but I know someone who has fitted one to his bike and he loves it.

My next door neighbour (a long-time road cyclist who still has his frames from 50 years ago) has a brompton and put on a swytch conversion "to see what it was like". I've borrowed it on a number of occasions and I agree, RnR, it would solve a number of my coastal problems . MMmmm ......

 

[Magic Bus]

A determined thief will just smash a window instead, and will most likely cause damage to the van interior trying to get the bike out.

If they are out of sight (below the parcel shelf) they wouldn’t even know you’ve got a Brompton on board.

 

[toeknee]

Given that space is always at a premium in a Cali, and two bromptons in the boot will take up a lot of that space the bike rack does have advantages. Plus you are probably looking at over 2k for 2 bromptons. You could get two decent full size bikes and a rack for less than that.

I dont recommend the 3 speed brompton. Its only got a slighter wider gear ratio that the 2 speed but incurs the extra weight of the internal rear hub. I'd recommend 6 speed for anything other than pancake flat which has much wider range of gears to get you up the steeper roads.

 

[Simbo]

We have had 2 Brommies for 17 years now. They are 3 speed but we had the gearing lowered at the factory by 18 % which makes inclines easier but limits top speed to around 16 mph (unless pedalling really fast!). At the time we also specced the folding pedals. They have been fantastically reliable and we have done thousands of miles on them. For me the seat is too low as standard so I bought the seat extension post which made a massive difference to effort/fatigue.

So, here’s the thing…… the wheels are small and the tyre pressures high, so bumpy roads are not well suited. They can cope with fine gravel paths but not soft ground or really ‘trail’ type tracks. They are very agile and can nip through small gaps and spaces that bigger standard bikes can not. They are highly desirable so never (never!) leave them out of your sight when out and about unless you have an amazing thief proof lock and chain….. (we just fold them up and take them into a shop/pub/cafe whatever with us. They are light enough to cycle and carry when need to (over styles, crossing fences etc)

Regarding folding……they are the fastest and easiest to fold bikes out there….. this encourages you to fold them every time (takes about 15 seconds).

We fit ours in the boot of the Cali under the rear shelf with no need to raise the shelf …… they are a tight ‘jigsaw’ type of fit but with practice works well. The only downside to carrying them is that they do of course take up a lot of boot space. Having said that we always carry ours all year round…. they are so convenient when parking out of town and just nipping down to the shops etc.

Would we be without them?…………. NO!

Would we change them? ………… we have been tempted to go for the 6 speed latest models and do flirt with the idea, however the ones we have are so good and the money was spent long ago….. so not in a rush to change.

Can you cycle far on them? depends on personal fitness I suppose….. we tend to think nothing of 10 to 20 miles and have done 50 in a day.

By the way we do have a pair of Specialised Crosstrails (700mm wheels) with 27 gears…… they are great and better suited to trail riding or longer distances however to be honest we still prefer to ride the Bromptons almost every time because they are such fun and easy to us.

And……. you don’t have all the grief of carrying a bike rack ………. Result!

Bottom line? ……… buy them! you won’t regret it and if you do the secondhand values are safer and higher than any other secondhand folding bike…….. actually so much so that buying secondhand won’t save a lot of money.

Enjoy!

I had a 3 speed. I converted it to 6 speed. I much prefer the spread and gaps between the gears. If you are reasonably handy at bike mechanics it's not too difficult to do and it's cheaper than buying a new bike!

 

[davesnell]

Not wanting to muddy your thinking…. But we looked at Bromptons as we wanted 2 folding e bikes that would fit on top of the back shelf in our California. In the end we opted for 2 MiRider ones. Reasons. The Brompton is more of a city bike and most riding from campsites is a mix of off road and road. Pedals fold and they have a storage bag. Half the price of Brompton electric and better design as a folding e bike. British built as well. We’ve used them on several trips away this summer and were very pleased with them.

 

[bissettmark]

6 speed Bromptons all the way.
We spent 2 months in France this summer and carried the bikes on a rear bike carrier.
I did explore stashinv them inside the vehicle, but found that they took too much room and unless you‘re really careful, there are lots of sharp edges etc, some oily bits & dirt, so you could end up damaging the inside of your van.
We folded the bikes to half-mast, so they didn’t exceed the height of the van.
They're fairly heavy, so opening the tailgate and accessing the rear between campsites was a 2-person task. The tailgate wouldn’t stay up with both bikes on the carrier.
They make great washing lines as well

 

[RichardH]

The A Line is also only 3 speed, which is fine if your a fit cyclist of just riding in flat areas, but for ultimate flexibility I would suggest spending a little more and getting 6 speed models

6-speed would be nice but ours are only 3, as we couldn't afford anything more at the time. It's not advertised but, at the time of purchase, we were able to specify a lower bottom gear to make it easier to deal with the hills in our local Pennines and on our travels. If I remember correctly, it was just that gear, not all of them. 20 years later and now in our 70's we can still ride up most slopes, albeit not at racing speed. Bigger bikes are better for long distance, but we happily do up to 50km in a day on the Bromptons. We bought them for occasional use in London, because they are allowed on all trains, tubes and buses, but for the last 10+ years have taken them, upright, side-by-side, on the shelf in our Cali on all long trips, in preference to our larger bikes on a rack. That still leaves plenty of storage room, without entirely losing the rear view. They need covering, to protect other luggage. The official Brompton covers are very expensive and have frail zips that fail. Instead, we now use "London Craftwork Carrier Bags for Brompton Bicycle" (£12 each from Amazon). They look flimsy but are actually more robust.

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[Romandier]

I've decided that I'd rather buy a pair of Brompton bikes as opposed to buying the VW bike rack. I'm new to this brand but I know many Cali owners have them. I know there are plenty of other cheaper folding bikes but Brompton seem to be the very best in the folding market.

I'm probably after the entry level A-Line, but all the prices online seem to be the same, does anyone know if these get discounted from time to time?

Thanks in advance

In the UK you will be eligible for an allowance thro’ The Bike To Work Scheme (1 bike per person working) . It’s some help towards the cost of the very good Brompton.

 

[Blackbrogue1962]

In anticipation of our first Cali arriving in early 24, we’ve just bought 2 x Bromptons; and electric one for my wife and regular for me. As suggested in previous posts we’re finding them good fun and very useable.

 

[chockswahay]

6-speed would be nice but ours are only 3, as we couldn't afford anything more at the time. It's not advertised but, at the time of purchase, we were able to specify a lower bottom gear to make it easier to deal with the hills in our local Pennines and on our travels. If I remember correctly, it was just that gear, not all of them. 20 years later and now in our 70's we can still ride up most slopes, albeit not at racing speed. Bigger bikes are better for long distance, but we happily do up to 50km in a day on the Bromptons. We bought them for occasional use in London, because they are allowed on all trains, tubes and buses, but for the last 10+ years have taken them, upright, side-by-side, on the shelf in our Cali on all long trips, in preference to our larger bikes on a rack. That still leaves plenty of storage room, without entirely losing the rear view. They need covering, to protect other luggage. The official Brompton covers are very expensive and have frail zips that fail. Instead, we now use "London Craftwork Carrier Bags for Brompton Bicycle" (£12 each from Amazon). They look flimsy but are actually more robust. View attachment 115236

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We use these from Ikea

DIMPA storage bag, transparent, 65x22x65 cm - IKEA

DIMPA storage bag, transparent, 65x22x65 cm This durable and transparent bag holds everything from car tires and sports gear to seasonal clothing. It’s also easy to clean and simple to store since the bag folds completely flat when empty. Easy to clean – just wipe with a damp cloth.

www.ikea.com

Same thing?

 

[Justinitus]

We use these from Ikea

DIMPA storage bag, transparent, 65x22x65 cm - IKEA

DIMPA storage bag, transparent, 65x22x65 cm This durable and transparent bag holds everything from car tires and sports gear to seasonal clothing. It’s also easy to clean and simple to store since the bag folds completely flat when empty. Easy to clean – just wipe with a damp cloth.

www.ikea.com

Same thing?

Yes, exactly the same thing. I use the Dimpa bag and pop some foam pipe lagging over the exposed hinge clamps for a bit of added protection.

 

[Barry Chuckle]

@bissettmark
Loving the pics thanks ever so much for sharing, I'd have thought putting Bromptons on the back of the cycle rack defeats the object of having them?
I've got my Dimpa bags, unscrupulous sellers are selling them on Amazon as 'dedicated Brompton bags' and charging upwards of £25 for them! I'll also use the boxes they came in for a while to transport them in the car.

 

[OGII]

We have removable push on/ off pedals on our Bromptons. Makes the overall height when stored on their sides under the bench that bit lower. Plus 1 on the Dimpla bag recommendation.

I've got an old 5 speed and a B75. My wife a three speed. All good fun. Not convinced plummeting down alpine passes with the tiny brake blocks was sensible but it was amazing fun. Just needed a mirror to see how far behind my wife was.