Hi everyone
Need your opinions again. I wanted to buy a used C-explore in a good condition but the seller sold it already. So I decided to consider buying a new Brompton
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No possibility for to testdrive them! The only possibility to get it – buying online.
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I consider it as a lifetime purchase (read – investment. In quality, convenience)
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I have a fixed gear, which I like a lot. But I use it primarily for cardio/fitness rides. Here's the link
https://imgur.com/a/RKHprYZ -
Despite the short frame I've fitted it very good: no knee pains, no back pains, no neck pains etc. I prefer riding on the drops with my back almost parallel to the ground
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I live in a flat (bridges and short slopes) city. But (!) very windy. When I had a Strida I could not ride against even light to light/moderate wind. And always had a back pain + knees. Even a Brooks saddle could not help
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Why a folding? I like the concept. I liked a no-seen- at home -Strida. And I do not need another full sized bike in my flat
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Riding style and purpose for a foldie
A), short rides (1 -1,5 hr ride).
B) – not as fast as on a fixie. Primarily in the evening, just instead of walking, to have some relax.
C) – to visit some friends, remote shopping (for one person living alone)
D) Not for commuting!
E) only on good paths in dry weather
I'm: male, 57 yo, 178 cm, 60 to 61 kg. Excellent flexibility (palms on the floor with the knees locked).
Inseam – 84/85 cm. Which seat post??????? Standard + reversed Pentaclip? Or extended????
What I'm considering (budget wise):
"A line" – very budget friendly but a very stripped bike. Good bike to add what I really need later. Noisy and less efficient IGH?
"C line" – Urban -Having a fixed gear, 2 speeds bike looks as a no-problem bike
The main concern – riding against winds…?!!!
The second concern – S or M handle bars? The S bar looks ok but it's a flat bar with the only one type of gripping (nimble hands as a consequence). M bars? Not too stright sitting for winds (but their shape allows to lean forward)???
"C line" Explore – I like it but hardly I need 6 speeds, I don't plan to travel or long rides (more than 1,5 hrs).
Sounds as I need 2 speed … M bars. Right? But winds……..
Sorry for such a long post. I had to write in details bcos no chance for test drives
by AleGrisci
4 Comments
if u can accept the fact that there is no way you can be really aero on Brompton, it makes the decision making a lot easier.
M sounds like the bar u need, except that u gonna suffer a bit against headwind. u can try to tuck in but the geometry of brompton is really not meant for getting aero. HOWEVER as an owner of fleets of 90s MTB and gravel bike, i found S bar P-Line perfect for my use; trolley carting while shopping, short ride maximum 8km in the city, eork commute on nice days and occasional tourings (50-70kms on weekend, 2-4 hours ride out) on mostly flat roads. i have no issue with back pain, wrist or whatsoever body part despite the so-called sporty riding position of S model.
fyi s-bar stem has a bit more reach vs M/H so perhaps this help me to dial in my riding position on my bike
If you like a lower position, S-bar is the way to go. Because the bar is flat, there is more effective width to add accessories. You can put on ergonomic grips. You can opt for grips that have a bar ends and that gives you an extra hand position which is really comfortable (see Ergon GP3). Alternatively, you can also add grips that provide an inner hand position. There are a couple of them, Spirgrips and also SQLabs Innerbarends. Both mount to the handlebars inside of the grip area. (see [SPIRGRIPS + CARBON Inner grips Installation on the Brompton Bicycle (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kSnAsJaxbM) for a video about Spirgrips). I opted for the SQLabs 411 V2 grips which are more affordably priced. I really like this position when cruising and you can still activate the brake levers with your hands on the grips.
With the M-bar, you will be very limited in the ability to change to different grips, regular bar ends or innerbarends because the width of the grips is limited to exactly 130mm due to the brake levers needed some space and the curve of the handlebar. I mounted SQLabs Innerbarends but I had to cut down the grips to fit it. On the S-bar, you have a lot more mounting area to accommodate extra hardware.
For your other questions, I might consider getting a 4 speed P line which gives you choice gearing in the middle range. It should give you some leeway and more flexibility to fine tune your cadence for tail and headwindows
If you put bar horns on the end of the handlebar you can get to a quite decent puppy paws position as long as you lock the elbows to the horns. (6‘6“ here on H bars) you can also angle the M and H bars quite a little bit forward or rearwards without compromising on the fold.
On decent Danish and Dutch bike lanes with a little bit of bravery a nice average speed is possible. On broken British tarmac, well not the best idea, but same goes for Aerobars on TT bikes.
As you plan a lifetime purchase in a flat country and drive fast, consider a 4 speed P line for the roadbike feeling.
Ive got 3 speed C line and love it, gear range is perfectly sufficient for everything that life throws at you and i enjoy the simplicity for commuting. I wanted the S handle bars but ended up with M and haven’t thought much about it since, you can duck pretty low on them, ive also master an aero position with my elbows on the gribs (probably not the safest) 😂 but feel fast and can happily blast along at 30kph