Can anyone recommend a cheaper alternative to Brompton?

davmaggs

A question from a colleague today (as I am known to be the commuter nut). He wants to get a folding bike, but is reluctant to repeat the mistakes of others here who went out and bought really expensive bikes as some kind of incentive to force themselves to actually stick with commuting, and he is sensibly wanting to start out small.

I'm out of touch on what brands of folding bikes are good or bad, I certainly remember that at one time the cheap Chinese versions really weren't worth getting. Brompton prices have left the starter budget now, so can anyone recommend an entry level machine? Not BSO, but it doesn't have to last a decade either or hold value*

Decathlon entry level ones start at about £150, and they seem to be a firm that is fair on warranty returns. Are they a no no?



*the logic is that the saving on public transport means that even if it's written off after 6 months of solid use it will not have cost anything. And, if it has been used that much then it proves that it is worth buying a good machine.

j_mcd

South-West trains do a Brompton rental service for £1.50 a day (or something along those lines) so if he uses them he could try out the bike and available routes.

No idea if other train companies do this though.

wgwarburton

The most common alternative around my way is a Dahon.

Weight should be considered, as you have to carry the thing-ideally in one hand- when it's folded, and bear in mind that a folding bike that is slow to fold or bulky afterwards misses the point....

Cheers,
W.

spasypaddy

some train companies dont let dahons on during rush hour.

there are cheap alternatives to a brompton but they are nowhere near as good as a brompton. nowhere.

el_presidente

I bought the cheapest Tern in the line up in an Evans sale for £300. I've changed the saddle, swapped the tyres for Schwalbe Marathon+ and replaced the chain and freewheel. I'm very happy with it, I do 16 miles a day on it without a problem. I have tried a Brompton and I much prefer my Tern, it has a slightly longer position and the larger wheels make it feel more stable. The fold is quicker than a Brompton and although the overall folded size is larger it is still suitably compact.

EDIT I have been using it daily for over a year and still very happy with it.

el_presidente

This is the one that I have - £279 now! Definitely recommended.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/tern/link-c7-2013-folding-bike-ec032585

rolf_f

el_presidente wrote:

The fold is quicker than a Brompton and although the overall folded size is larger it is still suitably compact.

But presumably not usefully quicker - it always seems blink and you miss it when you see practiced people folding Bromptons (usually as I look enviously on whilst swearing at a works Dahon that refuses to fold into a space small enough to fit in a space shuttle loading bay).

And then there is the magical Brompton unfold......

el_presidente

Rolf F wrote:

el_presidente wrote:

The fold is quicker than a Brompton and although the overall folded size is larger it is still suitably compact.

But presumably not usefully quicker - it always seems blink and you miss it when you see practiced people folding Bromptons (usually as I look enviously on whilst swearing at a works Dahon that refuses to fold into a space small enough to fit in a space shuttle loading bay).

And then there is the magical Brompton unfold......

Well the Tern has 3 quick releases and you're done. None of this faffing around with doing up screws. It could definitely be useful if you are racing a Bromptonist for the last folded-bike-shaped space in a crowded carriage....

el_presidente

PS I also removed the kickstand (ugh) and swapped the pedals for SPDs.

Agent57

Fastest I managed to fold my Brompton was 15 seconds. Mostly took a bit longer when I was under the pressure of someone with a stopwatch though.

mroli

spasypaddy wrote:

some train companies dont let dahons on during rush hour.

Who are these dude?

I have a Dahon MuSL and it is a smart bit of kit. Quick, light, easy to fold but the real clincher really is that NOTHING can touch the Brompton fold. It is also made in the UK (Chiswick) and whilst I love my Dahon - there is a little itch in my heart that won't be satisfied until I buy a Brompton.

Your mate should suck it up and buy the Brompton. It helps a great UK company (although they seem to do pretty well) - and if he decides he hates it, he will lose a lot less money due to the robust market for 2nd hand Bromptons than if he buys a piece of crud foldie that he ends up throwing away.

Or buy a Dahon/Tern/Mezzo etc as they're fine.

t4tomo

the Terns look decent enough and definately good value for their cheaper range. Quite heavy though vs a Brommie. If commute involves going on a crowded train then a Brommie is the one to go for as its fold is so much better than any other.

tgotb

One thought: Bromptons hold their value extremely well; sufficiently well that I heard about someone getting one on Cycle2Work and subsequently selling it at a small profit. So if the colleague can afford to get one on Cycle2Work, the fact that he should be able to get his money back if it doesn't work out might make a difference.

DrLex

t4tomo wrote:

[...]Quite heavy though vs a Brommie. [...]

All folding bikes seem to weigh more than I expected. I may be in the market for one, as I could be required to have a company car again, and I'd like to have the flexibility of a bike in the boot. Any birdy or airnimal owners care to chip in, as ride quality will be more important than foldability & practicality of train stowage?

On_What

I am selling my Dahon - all complete let me know

destructimo

From my experience with my reference point being a rigid alu framed MTB with semi slicks:

As rubbish winter was approaching I wanted a bike to fold up and stick in the boot of the car for those days when I need the car or the weather was rubbish in the morning but might brighten up later in the day for a quick ride.

I looked at the decathlon cheapos and almost got one until I noticed that the saddle couldn't be raised high enough for me (6'2). The only model that did go high enough was £270 odd but still the hinges and locking mechanisms weren't anything like the quality of the Tern bikes I was also considering.

I went to Evans to have a proper look at the Tern bikes and settled on the Link P9 which they had in the shop complete with full mudguards and a luggage rack for a reasonable price, about £450 from memory was what was negotiated.

It folds very quick and fairly small and stands up on it's own folded. It's also not too heavy even with the rack and guards (much lighter than my MTB).

To ride the steering is a bit odd at first with the little wheels but doesn't take long to get used to and the little wheels are quite handy when manoeuvring in tight spaces. It is really comfortable and the seat can be set at the proper height for me with plenty to spare. There is no give or squeakyness to it anywhere but the bike is a little more compliant than the MTB so the ride is actually better. And the best bit on the flat and downhill it is actually faster than my MTB. I just couldn't climb very quickly on it because of the shorter 170mm cranks fitted to the Tern.

I've addressed this by fitting an SRAM 175mm crankset with a driveline 56T chainring and chainguard with an angletech GPX bottom bracket. Now it is considerably faster downhill and on the flat than my MTB and climbs hills properly. That added another £100 or so to the bikes cost but I wanted to see what was possible.

Now the Tern is my main bike as it's just better. Also it's great fun to overtake far more serious cyclists on your shopping bike in trainers, jeans and a fleece


Cheers





Clive