why are brompton bikes so expensive?

biker0910
biker0910 Posts: 31
edited August 2016 in Commuting general
I used to use my road bike but I have no space to store it so I have to go for a folding bicycle. For some reason Brompton bikes are really popular but they are also very expensive. I've looked at the specs but they don't seem to be much better in terms of components and the weight is pretty much the same as the cheaper tern and other folding bikes. Why are bromptons so popular? Which folding bike should I go for?

Comments

  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Hand made in the UK and with very high resale value (which offsets a lot of the initial cost). Popularity also influenced by a much smaller, and more elegantly designed fold than the competitors (eg apparently they are the only folders allowed to be taken on the London underground). We have a couple of Dahon folders at work - they are very annoying to fold; particularly when you are trying to fold one and you see someone with a Brompton do it like it is a magic trick!

    The Brompton will take up less space in your place when folded than the usual alternatives.
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  • biker0910
    biker0910 Posts: 31
    Aren't the tyres a complete nightmare to change if you get a puncture on the Bromptons though?
  • Bike Radar
    Bike Radar Posts: 11
    A puncture is no harder to fix on a Brompton than any other bike.
  • ThanksBye
    ThanksBye Posts: 519
    Bike Radar wrote:
    A puncture is no harder to fix on a Brompton than any other bike.

    False, the majority of bromptons use internal geared rear hubs, these require the indicator chain being unscrewed and therefore changing the gear indexing.

    Due to this most bromptons will come with puncture resistant tyres.

    And as rolf said they are the best folders out there, I would highly recommend them over the likes of Dahon and Tern (pretty much the same company)
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  • IanLD
    IanLD Posts: 423
    I'm quite happy with my Tern Verge P18 and how it rides. Fold it to go in the boot and keep in the house, but haven't needed to on the trains.

    Haven't ridden a Brompton, but not sure how it would cope with some of the bumpier sections of my ride on the Clyde walkway.

    I got the Tern at a substantial discount from Evans at the new year. Price was well below any Brompton and with 18 gears it is much closer to my hybrid in terms of gearing.

    If you can test a few out that would probably be best, but I must admit that the Tern instantly felt a nice bike and I'd recommend one.
  • Simon.Thornton
    Simon.Thornton Posts: 3
    You pays your money/ you takes your choice. I love my Brompton - but a Tern at 1/3rd the price from Evans is arguably as good especially if you carry it in an Ikea blue shopping bag to avoid getting chain oil on your clothes. Much of it's down to brand association - I'll give a more extreme example - Audi A1 or Skoda Fabia - in that comparison - they are the same car underneath ..... but would you buy the Skoda at half the price ? Just make sure gear ratios suit you - Evans stock both brands so go ask them.
  • dilemna
    dilemna Posts: 2,187
    If you have to ask you don't understand.
    Life is like a roll of toilet paper; long and useful, but always ends at the wrong moment. Anon.
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  • jomoj
    jomoj Posts: 777
    had a Dahon for a bit and traded it up for a Brompton which I kept for a year then sold. I preferred the ride of the Dahon - it was a bit roomier and I preferred the larger wheels but the fold and build quality wasn't close to the Brompton. On the other hand the Brompton is well engineered and folds well but I just didnt enjoy riding it even for short distances, found it too cramped and it scared the crap out of me on steep hills in the wet (which were an unavoidable part of my commute) This may have been more psychological than anything but it just felt twitchy and flexible.

    I know some people love their Bromptons, I can understand it but we just didn't gel and I sold it for only a marginal loss a year later. I reinvested the money in a bike that I commute the whole way rather than bike/train/biking it and am happier doing so.

    So to answer the original question: Because they are built in the UK, because they are well built and because spares backup is excellent, because nothing else folds as small or as neatly. If that's worth it to you then go for it, otherwise you may prefer one of the many Dahon or rebadged Dahon bikes out their for less cash.

    Finally re: the changing the inner tube problem - some people take the back wheel out, slip one or two inner tubes over the axle and put the wheel back in. You can then wrap and tape the tube around the stays so that if a puncture occurs you can swap the tube without taking the wheel out. Clever eh?
  • MichaelW
    MichaelW Posts: 2,164
    Do you need a folding bike or a flatpack one. The Cannondale Hooligan style of bike (and a few others) have bars that twist 90 degrees without affecting the headset.
    Brommies are ideal for crowded rail commuters but the expense is wasted if you don't need the ultra-compact folding size.
  • lostboysaint
    lostboysaint Posts: 4,250
    Just leave "brompton" out of the title and you have the real question.
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  • menthel
    menthel Posts: 2,484
    I sometimes steal the Wife's S3L and it is a hoot to ride. Well made, surprisingly quick off the mark and the fold is sublime. I find it kind of like riding a bmx again. I wouldn't want to do any great distance on one but for a short bike-train-bike commute it is great. Then again I had a friend to LEJOG on one- he nearly killed it but he made it!
    RIP commute...
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  • DougL
    DougL Posts: 47
    I have one. It's an S3L which cost me about £550 new three years ago - they have now gone up hugely in price. I have done an 8 mile commute on it but it's torture. They are heavy and in my opinion not such great quality, particularly the folding pedal. The folding mechanism is delightful though.
  • nigglenoo
    nigglenoo Posts: 177
    The B'Twin Tilt looks like an interesting budget alternative:

    Three speed chain drive £330: http://www.decathlon.co.uk/tilt-5-city- ... 02736.html

    Two speed auto belt drive £440: http://www.decathlon.co.uk/folding-bike ... 13950.html

    Both with built in LED battery lights!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4rw87FFST4

    EDIT or even a 7 spd hub gear, belt drive and hub dynamo lighting for £550: http://www.decathlon.co.uk/folding-bike ... 13950.html
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,312
    It's all hand made in London, that's why... considering the quality I don't think they are expensive to be honest
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  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    Go check out the Brompton shop in Covent Garden - it's tres chic.

    It is pricey but so are Oakleys, Rapha etc and it holds it's value.

    I'm still lusting after one even though I have no real need for one....
  • the_hundredth_idiot
    the_hundredth_idiot Posts: 813
    Hmm, noob joins today, first post is to revive a three year old thread and starts promoting a certain brand of bike ...

    I've got a Brompton and I was happy to pay a lot more for it than the equivalent Dahon. The Brompton fold is spot on (which is pretty much the most important part of a folding bike), it's robust (essential given it gets left on train luggage racks, rather than blocking the doors like certain other folding bikes), and it holds its value (which is helpful given my circumstances have changed so I'm selling my Brompton as soon as I find the time).
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  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,813
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    It's all hand made in London, that's why... considering the quality I don't think they are expensive to be honest
    This, and as mentioned above the resale is very good. A colleague went into a bike shop to buy some chain lube for his and was offered more than he paid for it as he has a limited edition one. So he's now considering buying a new one.
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  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    They were cheap when this thread was started. :lol:
  • veryslowtwitch
    veryslowtwitch Posts: 321
    In reply to OP the Bromptons seem expensive because almost everything has to be bespoke to accomodate the fold, not just the frame. The shifters and brake levers have to lie flat, the brakes and RD are pretty weird, they have odd mudguards with wheels and even the cables have to be cut within a couple of mm to fit correctly. About the only regular things are the tyres. And you can order pretty much any spec/colour.
    I see the thread is 3 years old but OP should still get one! They are only expensive if you can't afford one.
  • veryslowtwitch
    veryslowtwitch Posts: 321
    jomoj wrote:

    Finally re: the changing the inner tube problem - some people take the back wheel out, slip one or two inner tubes over the axle and put the wheel back in. You can then wrap and tape the tube around the stays so that if a puncture occurs you can swap the tube without taking the wheel out. Clever eh?

    Just read this again, seems cool. Can anyone post a pic?
  • tuanros
    tuanros Posts: 1
    I see many people recommend Dahon over Brompton. For example, this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94zohQsDqIA
    I'm considering between the two, should I get a used Brompton or a Dahon?
  • ponch10
    ponch10 Posts: 22
    Fenix wrote:
    Go check out the Brompton shop in Covent Garden - it's tres chic.

    It is pricey but so are Oakleys, Rapha etc and it holds it's value.

    I'm still lusting after one even though I have no real need for one....


    oakleys are made of cheap plastic?
  • Tashman
    Tashman Posts: 3,495
    interesting programme on the Beeb last night about how they manufacture these.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Tashman wrote:
    interesting programme on the Beeb last night about how they manufacture these.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... 4-bicycles
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    markhewitt1978 wrote:
    Tashman wrote:
    interesting programme on the Beeb last night about how they manufacture these.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... 4-bicycles

    I was fascinated to see how some of a Brompton uses older tech, but presumably because of the folding / collapsing mechanisms. Threaded headset for example.

    Was disappointed that we didn't get to see Greg Wallace dodging the rush-hour traffic on the bike he'd just built though...

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