Are Brompton's Fast?

Hi folks,

I commute 200km to the city once or twice a week to WFH at my Mum's house; drive, train and then a 10km bike ride. I had been thinking about buying a Brompton to ease the headache of attaching, then removing bike carriers, loading and unloading the bike etc and so on.

I then put it out of my head one morning when I saw the size of the wheels - I'll never do 10km on those I said. Then this morning, somebody got off the train just ahead of me with a Brompton and we both went the same direction for a couple of KM and he was fast.

I was only my old 'Kelly Viper' MTB and he stayed a head of me most of the time with fairly modest effort. It surprised me, perhaps 10KM on Brompton is doable?

Have I misjudged them?

Comments

  • That sounds like a perfectly doable distance for a Brompton. Speed is mainly to do with the rider. The only drawback to the small wheels is they aren't as comfortable over rough surfaces as a larger wheeled bike.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    Option b is something like an Airniml Chameleon - drop bars 105, proper riding position.

    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • Option b is a wee bit more than I wanted to spend :smile:
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644

    Option b is a wee bit more than I wanted to spend :smile:

    Think of it as a long term investment.

    Also think of the hassle you'll save on that 20km ride each way every day.....
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    Buy it. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it now. Buy it.

    you know it makes sense.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • Brompton are quick on the flat and slow on hilly terrain. I have done relatively flat commutes of over 10 miles at nearly 20 mph on a Brompton.
    The added bonus is that they barely lose any value over time... price of new keeps going up and second hand market is really strong.
    I suggest you go for the flat bar option (S)... 2 speed if it's flat, 3 if it's hilly... if it's really flat, then go for the single speed option, fewer things that can go wrong.

    https://www.strava.com/activities/2201023446
    left the forum March 2023
  • singleton
    singleton Posts: 2,523
    I think a Brompton would be fine for a 10km commute.
    https://road.cc/content/news/cyclist-completes-transcontinental-brompton-295395
  • N0bodyOfTheGoat
    N0bodyOfTheGoat Posts: 6,054
    edited September 2022
    If you want to buy a folding on a budget, look at the Carrera Intercity 9-speed, £450 with hydraulic brakes. Bit heavier than Brompton (13Kg), but that includes a kick stand you could remove to lose ~0.5Kg.

    Just remembered a review said it was ~12.5Kg and Halfords blurb did the fun bike a disservice.
    ================
    2020 Voodoo Marasa
    2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
    2016 Voodoo Wazoo
  • Make sure to try it before you buy. I didn't really enjoy the ride mostly due to the wheel size so I have now settled for a Decathlon folding jobbie for a 1/3 of the price. Wheels are 20" and feels less wobbly than the Brompton and does the job of folding up without being too heavy.
  • abishek_l said:

    Make sure to try it before you buy. I didn't really enjoy the ride mostly due to the wheel size so I have now settled for a Decathlon folding jobbie for a 1/3 of the price. Wheels are 20" and feels less wobbly than the Brompton and does the job of folding up without being too heavy.

    You get used to the 16 inch wheels very quickly and they allow you to slalom between obstacles much quicker than you would on a normal bike. What I would say is that the S bars give you a lot more stability over the narrower, taller handlebar options. The ride feels very safe, so much that I don’t wear a helmet… I can react much quicker to cars opening their doors, pedestrians jumping in front of you… it’s a really nice bike to commute on and it has the best fold of the lot

    left the forum March 2023
  • If you want to buy a folding on a budget, look at the Carrera Intercity 9-speed, £450 with hydraulic brakes. Bit heavier than Brompton (13Kg), but that includes a kick stand you could remove to lose ~0.5Kg.

    Just remembered a review said it was ~12.5Kg and Halfords blurb did the fun bike a disservice.

    For some odd reason, I have an irrational dislike of Carrera. Think it might be the Halfords association.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    Option C - the in lass have usdd their Dahons every day for the past 15 years snd nothing has gone wrong with them ever.

    Well reccomend

    https://eu.dahon.com/
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644

    If you want to buy a folding on a budget, look at the Carrera Intercity 9-speed, £450 with hydraulic brakes. Bit heavier than Brompton (13Kg), but that includes a kick stand you could remove to lose ~0.5Kg.

    Just remembered a review said it was ~12.5Kg and Halfords blurb did the fun bike a disservice.

    For some odd reason, I have an irrational dislike of Carrera. Think it might be the Halfords association.
    we suppose you have an irrational dislike of Boardmans as well then?
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • RayKinsella
    RayKinsella Posts: 54
    edited September 2022
    abishek_l said:

    Make sure to try it before you buy.

    My thought exactly and I'd love to, but where do you rent a folding bicycle :-)

    I was thinking about buying second hand instead. A Montague Boston . has come up second hand locally and I am thinking its probably worth the €150-ish the seller is looking for it. It is doesn't have gears only a "flip-flop" hub. so I might get caught on hills, and there are a few hills.

    Other than that you are talking about picking up a Dawes, Brompton or Decathlon to get something decent. There is alot of unbranded junk out there at the moment.
  • Hi folks,

    I commute 200km to the city once or twice a week to WFH at my Mum's house; drive, train and then a 10km bike ride. I had been thinking about buying a Brompton to ease the headache of attaching, then removing bike carriers, loading and unloading the bike etc and so on.

    I then put it out of my head one morning when I saw the size of the wheels - I'll never do 10km on those I said. Then this morning, somebody got off the train just ahead of me with a Brompton and we both went the same direction for a couple of KM and he was fast.

    I was only my old 'Kelly Viper' MTB and he stayed a head of me most of the time with fairly modest effort. It surprised me, perhaps 10KM on Brompton is doable?

    Have I misjudged them?

    I’ve had two Bromptons and I think they would suit this commute really well. My first was a 3 speed M model which was fine. I sold it after 3 years for exactly the same price I paid for it ( they hold their value really well). I wanted the six speed as I live in a hilly part of Hampshire - looking back I should have paid the bit extra for a six speed first time round as just means easier to get up the hills as a greater range.I got a black edition which are even more desirable.
    Other advantages are the ability to fold easily and take it into the office/ home rather than running the risk of locking up outside. ( I even take mine into the supermarket).
    They’re great fun, fold so easily, manoeuvrable and nippy! as others have said. I’ve kept up with a fair few roadies….
    and if it doesn’t work out you’ll still sell for good money.
    Enjoy!
  • andyrr
    andyrr Posts: 1,823
    MattFalle said:

    Option C - the in lass have usdd their Dahons every day for the past 15 years snd nothing has gone wrong with them ever.

    Well reccomend

    https://eu.dahon.com/

    Who the heck does your typing for you - your cat or dog, or is it because you wear your army issue boots for typing ?
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    edited September 2022
    andyrr said:

    MattFalle said:

    Option C - the in lass have usdd their Dahons every day for the past 15 years snd nothing has gone wrong with them ever.

    Well reccomend

    https://eu.dahon.com/

    Who the heck does your typing for you - your cat or dog, or is it because you wear your army issue boots for typing ?
    😃😃😃😃😃😃💯💯💯💯💯💯 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 mega penne 👍👍👍
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • abishek_l said:

    Make sure to try it before you buy.

    My thought exactly and I'd love to, but where do you rent a folding bicycle :-)

    I was thinking about buying second hand instead. A Montague Boston . has come up second hand locally and I am thinking its probably worth the €150-ish the seller is looking for it. It is doesn't have gears only a "flip-flop" hub. so I might get caught on hills, and there are a few hills.

    Other than that you are talking about picking up a Dawes, Brompton or Decathlon to get something decent. There is alot of unbranded junk out there at the moment.
    Evans used to let you try it out, which is what I did but evidently not for long enough to get a good feel for it. I got the Decathlon because at that price point it was worth the punt after comparing it to the other around that price bracket.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,811
    There are a lot of Brompton rental points around London suburban stations, not sure about other parts of the country. You can probably find detailed information on the Brompton website
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,556
    andyrr said:

    MattFalle said:

    Option C - the in lass have usdd their Dahons every day for the past 15 years snd nothing has gone wrong with them ever.

    Well reccomend

    https://eu.dahon.com/

    Who the heck does your typing for you - your cat or dog, or is it because you wear your army issue boots for typing ?
    Given how unable the Falles are to control their fingers on a keyboard, would you want them carrying out any form of surgery on you? B):#
    #scarythought
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,311
    edited September 2022
    Yes, you can hire a Brompton for a few hours to try it out...
    https://bromptonhire.com/our-locations/
    a few caveats
    1) When I tried it a few years back, the app was a bit clunky and the all experience quite frustrating, but I am sure it has improved since... we are talking 5 years ago.
    2) They are all the same bike, typically the M3L, so tall handlebars, 3 speed and mudguards. Bear in mind, the handling of the tall handlebars is quite different from the flat S type bars and in my opinion the latter is infinitely better. Anyone who wants to ride fast will go for the S type, as you can see in this race

    left the forum March 2023
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644

    andyrr said:

    MattFalle said:

    Option C - the in lass have usdd their Dahons every day for the past 15 years snd nothing has gone wrong with them ever.

    Well reccomend

    https://eu.dahon.com/

    Who the heck does your typing for you - your cat or dog, or is it because you wear your army issue boots for typing ?
    Given how unable the Falles are to control their fingers on a keyboard, would you want them carrying out any form of surgery on you? B):#
    #scarythought
    🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣💯💯💯💯💯
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • Yes, you can hire a Brompton for a few hours to try it out...
    https://bromptonhire.com/our-locations/
    a few caveats
    1) When I tried it a few years back, the app was a bit clunky and the all experience quite frustrating, but I am sure it has improved since... we are talking 5 years ago.
    2) They are all the same bike, typically the M3L, so tall handlebars, 3 speed and mudguards. Bear in mind, the handling of the tall handlebars is quite different from the flat S type bars and in my opinion the latter is infinitely better. Anyone who wants to ride fast will go for the S type, as you can see in this race

    I went for the M type handlebars for commuting as I wanted to be just that slightly more upright to be able to get a decent view of everything. Tested both extensively and ultimately comes down to personal preference. Would recommend trying out both, but do avoid the even taller handlebars ( H type or whatever they are called now) you can get as they do wobble. Brompton in Covent Garden even said this!
    I also like the fact that when my wife and I use the bikes for leisure we get a great view of everything. Brilliant bikes to stick in the back of the car and do a leisure ride… haven’t done enough on them this year due to lack of time : - (. It’s nice sometimes not to be head down!
  • richys
    richys Posts: 28
    Back when being in the office was ‘a thing’, I commuted 10k each way over what could euphemistically be called undulating terrain on my Brompton. Pretty quickly too (I always seemed to leave about 3-4 minutes too late to make it comfortably to the train on time!)

    Things to note to make your life easier:
    • I agree with Uno, the S type bars are definitely the ones to go for. Pair them with some Ergonomic GP2 grips with mini bar ends on them so you can get lower and a bit more aero — aero counts for a lot on an upright Brompton!
    • Schwalbe Kojak tyres are light and fast (and fairly p****** resistant
    • Make sure your seat post is the right length — too short and you’ll be much slower
    • The Brompton bag (fully loaded with work kit) transforms the handling. Far less twitchy and can deal with 30kph+ downhill sweepers!
    • Make sure your gearing is right for the terrain. I got the standard 3 speed but changed up the rear sprocket for one size up (14T, I think) to deal with the 10% hill out of my village
    • SPD pedals make fast cycling much easier, and don’t take up any extra space compared to the folded flat pedal — and tuck in nicely behind the tyre on the other side of the fold
    All told, I could do my hilly commute of a around 10k at an average of 23-27kph, maxing out at 50kph. So, very doable on a Brommie!
  • Good point about the seatpost... anything over 5'9" and I would go for the extended one...
    left the forum March 2023
  • So I bought a second Dahon knockoff, a Dahon assembled by Ridgeback. Here was my thinking, still unsure this mini bike thing is for me, can't rent one here AFAIK, worst case is I can probably sell it for near enough what paid for it.


  • Seeing this thread update has just made me wonder something...

    Can 20" folding bikes be setup and used easily on direct drive turbo trainers, like my Saris H3, besides needing a much larger riser block for the front wheel?
    ================
    2020 Voodoo Marasa
    2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
    2016 Voodoo Wazoo
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,311

    Seeing this thread update has just made me wonder something...

    Can 20" folding bikes be setup and used easily on direct drive turbo trainers, like my Saris H3, besides needing a much larger riser block for the front wheel?

    Might be clearance issues to the cranks/pedals due to the shorter distance.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.