Any Brompton owners here?

BugsBunny
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Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2014 9:06 pm

Any Brompton owners here?

Postby BugsBunny » Wed Jun 27, 2018 7:08 pm

Any Bromptons owners here?

ddoohickey
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Re: Any Brompton owners here?

Postby ddoohickey » Thu Jun 28, 2018 1:29 pm

Yep. Have a 2015 P6L (old shifters) and there’s a 2016 P6L (newest shifters) in the household as well. Use as daily commuters in all weathers and have done some limited multi-modal cycle touring with trains, buses, planes, etc too.

BugsBunny
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Re: Any Brompton owners here?

Postby BugsBunny » Fri Jun 29, 2018 11:41 am

Doesn't seem all that popular in Oz - or at least on this forum. Here in Hong Kong its quite the opposite - I guess namely due to the small houses, which fits quite nicely with the compact Bromptons.

What sort of gearing do you use on your tours? Presumably with hilly terrain?

Bugs

redned
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Re: Any Brompton owners here?

Postby redned » Fri Jun 29, 2018 6:27 pm

I'm interested in folding-bike touring as well.
We have done four overseas (and one Tasmania) trip taking our MTBs as touring bikes.
Recently going to France I couldn't work out how to get in and out of CDG airport in Paris and get to Brittany with a boxed or unboxed bike.
We ended up hiring bikes, which worked out pretty well, but I would prefer my own.
That lead me to thinking of folding bikes.
I am probably leaning towards something with bigger wheels than Bromptons though, like the Tern Eclipse 18 but they are very expensive!

zebee
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Re: Any Brompton owners here?

Postby zebee » Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:24 pm

I've had an M6 with home-made rack for years. Love it. I mostly use it for train/bus but it has been known to sit on the pillion seat of the motorcycle so I can take said motorcycle to my mechanic then ride the 3km to the nearest train station to get home.

They are expensive in Oz terms, I get a lot of interest and a lot of horror when people find out that a 6 speed with luggage is going to be over 2 grand. Serious cyclists consider that midrange but most serious cyclists don't see Bromptons as serious bikes. Non-cyclists see the potential but the next remark is always "you can get a car for that".

"Yeah, but I can't take that on the train can I"

I didn't realise how much I would use the thing when I got it, but it's absolutely embedded in my life now.

ddoohickey
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Re: Any Brompton owners here?

Postby ddoohickey » Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:10 pm

We bought our Brompton for ride-train-ride commuting, which is where they really come into their own. They are also very convenient for car-ride commutes or car trips away. Most Australian homes have much better bike storage options than in Europe, like London, where the bikes were designed.

As far as gearing, we have the standard 6 gear setup - wide range hub and the standard chainring. For commuting in Canberra (a reasonably flat route), I usually sit in the middle two gears, rarely getting into the top or bottom hub gears and almost never into the extremities. For touring, I’ve thought about getting the smaller chainring for the Brompton for really steep hills, but touring on the Brompton is usually lightweight (to make the multi-modal bit easier). We don't have racks and use only a front bag on the carrier block. We tackle hilly places at a leisurely rate and stick to quiet roads, bike paths and the like. Something with bigger wheels would definitely be a priority for less formed roads and smaller gears for bigger hills ! A Bike Friday might be a compromise worth exploring - slightly larger wheels, designed to disassemble/fold for travel and a bigger range of gearing options.

The challenge with taking the Bromptons on planes is what to do with the hard cases we have at the end of the plane journey. If we store them then we have to return to the same point at the end of the trip, which can limit the range of trips. If we don't use them, we're concerned how the bikes might fare with luggage handlers ... and how repairs etc. might derail a trip.

zebee
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Re: Any Brompton owners here?

Postby zebee » Sat Jun 30, 2018 8:08 pm

So far the B hasn't had problems on planes. I use a soft case. Remove the hinge plates, pedals, seat, rack, pad the sharp bits like seatpost and hinges. The trick with planes is to make the whole package baggage-handler friendly: packed tightly so it doesn't snag and with easy to see and grab straps.

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BromptonCory
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Location: Melbourne, AU
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Re: Any Brompton owners here?

Postby BromptonCory » Wed Apr 10, 2019 4:07 pm

Yep.

Have a fully-loaded M6L (dyno, Brooks, etc) I've commuted on for 3+ yrs and more recently an S2L-X for shorter/faster trips.
(I also sell them, but happy to just answer questions in here).

I never thought I'd be riding a folding bike daily, but here I am. I love the ride, but also appreciate the fold and adaptability it gives you (as mentioned above). Generally I ride 100% of the way, in any weather, but the fact that I can hook up with the family, or jump a tram (I'm in Melbourne) etc is brilliant.

I've done a few interstates with the cardboard box they come in, and last July/Aug I did London with a B-bag (soft case). All good.

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Pax
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Location: Sunshine Coast, Qld

Re: Any Brompton owners here?

Postby Pax » Wed May 08, 2019 10:15 pm

Yep, Brompton M6, combined with the Bus and Train is my multi-modal commuter (morning = bike to bus, bus to train, bike to office....then repeat in reverse direction in the afternoon).

Been doing it for about 4 years...maybe nearly 5 (?) and I love it

greg hill
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Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2019 9:37 pm

Re: Any Brompton owners here?

Postby greg hill » Tue Dec 10, 2019 1:43 am

redned wrote:
Fri Jun 29, 2018 6:27 pm
I'm interested in folding-bike touring as well.
We have done four overseas (and one Tasmania) trip taking our MTBs as touring bikes.
Recently going to France I couldn't work out how to get in and out of CDG airport in Paris and get to Brittany with a boxed or unboxed bike.
We ended up hiring bikes, which worked out pretty well, but I would prefer my own.
That lead me to thinking of folding bikes.
I am probably leaning towards something with bigger wheels than Bromptons though, like the Tern Eclipse 18 but they are very expensive!
From Greg In Rockingham Perth, I ride a Brompton. I have owned 3 and looking to order my 4th. I have toured on them all. Mostly overseas. I just did London to Wales and back in June 2018 on my H6R. Flawless bike. Got on slow puncture in a tyre, nothing else.
Looking to tour from Paris to southern France next year. The Bromptons travel well with most airlines. Qantas and affiliates are great. No extra charges. Packed into roughly a 76cm suitcase sized package. Half the size of a normal bike box.
Weirdly avoid Air France at all cost or it will cost. For a bike loving nation that airline likes to charge bike lovers.
I have flown into Heathrow twice. No problem. Also Amsterdam no issues. I have a hotel booking and pre-arrange a hotel courtesy bus pick up. I unpack at the hotel, not the airport as most others do. It is more leisurely.
With the Brompton T-Bag and their rear rack bag the bike turns into a very capable long distance tourer. I spent over six weeks on my old M3R crossing Europe, rode every day. Two flat tyres and one pedal failure, but it was damaged. The bike itself was brilliant. After a month it felt like part of my body. They are that good.
Comfortable city bike and capable leisurely tourer. You will be travelling a little slower than other bikes, maybe 10% to 15%, but if you are not in a hurry it is not an issue. It is OK on harder packed dirt roads, just not the really rough stuff. I have cycled heaps of good well used forest trails in France and Germany. Hundreds of kilometres. Not super comfortable but OK. You really appreciate the bitumen afterwards.
Bromptons are not cheap but you get super rugged well made practical bike with superb engineering. Quality bike and quality fitting with a solid feel give great confidence to undertake a 1,000k+ tour. You just would not get that on a Kmart level bike.
Hope that is helpful, Greg

greg hill
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Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2019 9:37 pm

Re: Any Brompton owners here?

Postby greg hill » Tue Dec 10, 2019 2:14 am

ddoohickey wrote:
Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:10 pm
We bought our Brompton for ride-train-ride commuting, which is where they really come into their own. They are also very convenient for car-ride commutes or car trips away. Most Australian homes have much better bike storage options than in Europe, like London, where the bikes were designed.

As far as gearing, we have the standard 6 gear setup - wide range hub and the standard chainring. For commuting in Canberra (a reasonably flat route), I usually sit in the middle two gears, rarely getting into the top or bottom hub gears and almost never into the extremities. For touring, I’ve thought about getting the smaller chainring for the Brompton for really steep hills, but touring on the Brompton is usually lightweight (to make the multi-modal bit easier). We don't have racks and use only a front bag on the carrier block. We tackle hilly places at a leisurely rate and stick to quiet roads, bike paths and the like. Something with bigger wheels would definitely be a priority for less formed roads and smaller gears for bigger hills ! A Bike Friday might be a compromise worth exploring - slightly larger wheels, designed to disassemble/fold for travel and a bigger range of gearing options.

The challenge with taking the Bromptons on planes is what to do with the hard cases we have at the end of the plane journey. If we store them then we have to return to the same point at the end of the trip, which can limit the range of trips. If we don't use them, we're concerned how the bikes might fare with luggage handlers ... and how repairs etc. might derail a trip.
From Greg in Rockingham, Perth. I travel and tour on Bromptons overseas and I agree the issue of the packing cases is problematic.
I have used the Brompton B bag twice. Once I paid to put it in storage in London (Big Yellow Storage at Hounslow near Heathrow). But it was a pain. The compulsory insurance made it unviable as it turned out. I have carried a lighter padded bag for a whole tour. Also a pain
but minor and not as impractical as I thought. 3 of my last 4 tours were circular or return tours, flying in and out of the same airport.
Not one hotel I contacted would store for more than a 2 or 3 days. Even if you offer to pay.
I always carry at least one IKEA Dimpa bag and I think my next trip it will be the Dimpa, extremely well padded. You are possible aware a Dimpa bag at $5.95 AUD perfectly fits a Brompton. Also in all my soft and semi-soft travel bags I put in extra cardboard padding. Heaps. Everywhere. Cheap, light and it works. Last trip I used Corflute from Bunnings. It is a type of plasticised cardboard. It was pretty good. The other option which would certainly work is to arrange with a another bike shop at your end destination to pick up another standard bike box. They usually give them away of sell for a few dollars. I take lots of gaffer tape. A full roll or two. It is useful for everything and will bind up any packaging box, or even a travel case that is feeling the strain.
I have never used a hard case. Too expensive, and too way difficult to store.
I am a complete Brompton fanatic and would not consider airline travel and touring with anything else. Because it works.
I have lots more thoughts and tips on this issue. Hope this is somewhat helpful.
Also I have just ordered and will be soon fitting a 44 tooth main chain ring to my H6R to modify it for the -12% gearing.
The standard gearing was good enough most of the time, but I want to be better prepared for climbing next trip.
Regards, Greg

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