Thinking of investing in a Brompton but wanted to know, what do you find about it that makes it better than a normal bike? Would you recommend it over a bike or electric bike?
by GaryCanCarry
Thinking of investing in a Brompton but wanted to know, what do you find about it that makes it better than a normal bike? Would you recommend it over a bike or electric bike?
by GaryCanCarry
12 Comments
If you need a foldable bike than a Brompton should be your choice. If you don’t need to fold the bike for the commute or because of storage options, than you should get a regular bike.
what I’ve noticed coming from an e-bike. I used it as a commuter and felt I wasn’t using it enough and spent more time figuring out how to live with it. the brompton fits in better with riding the train, bus, or just to the store and back. it’s just far easier to live with. I also had a gocycle and it wasn’t compact enough to matter.
It’s certainly not better (in most ways) than a normal bike. It does however open up opportunities to ride in places you may not usually go and they’re incredibly portable. Also as to recommending it that entirely depends on your usage and the types of terrain you’ll be riding it on.
The take it anywhere aspect of it.
Storage. The shed out back of my house is too awkward (and rammed full of shite) to get a bike in and out of readily. Brommie sits quietly just inside the front door, always waiting for a spin.
it’s simple,
– the Brompton stores away easily. Great for urban dwellers who live in an apartment,
– can be brought in with you instead of locking it outside (has a “shopping cart mode” where you can roll it and hold groceries) [https://youtu.be/4tVqTV_eS58?si=8io2bkwhxr5ZixXC&t=223](https://youtu.be/4tVqTV_eS58?si=8io2bkwhxr5ZixXC&t=223)
– allows last mile usages (take a car, train, bus and then cycle the rest of the way). I keep mine in the car and it allows me to park where there is free/convenient/available parking, and then ride to where I need to be.
(here is a common usage: [multi-modal transport in Germany](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndtWBXp2SrI))
For these reasons alone, it’s a far more useful bicycle than a regular bicycle. If I had to own only ONE bike, the Brompton is what I would own.
If you don’t see yourself doing any of the above things, then a regular bike is superior and cheaper.
Compared to other folding bikes, the way the Brompton folds is far superior, it has a nicer compact shape, folds in seconds, and is much easier to transport (notice how the dirty drivetrain/chain is not exposed when it is folded)
I have both. To me, even the t line doesn’t replace a decent traditional bike. I take my trek out for the 2 hour plus rides that I try to do weekly and use my brompton for the short trips. Where the brompton excels is the portability and storage factors. I’m able to store my bikes in the garage but I can store my brompton inside the house and take it out without much effort. I’ve also had a Dahon mariner and while still compact, brompton folding is the best in my opinion. Brompton are expensive though but I got my start buying used before I fully committed to a t line. They are great bikes and I would highly recommend if money isn’t an issue.
So I picked up a used Brompton about a year ago because I wanted a bike that I could travel with (after doing a bike tour attached to a work trip where I ended up in Seattle with my touring bike for a week — flying across the country with the touring bike was awful, but having the bike was amazing).
The things that surprised me about it:
1. It mostly rides like a normal bike. The long wheelbase and suspension block make it feel pretty normal.
2. Being able to put it into shopping cart mode means it’s now my grocery getter.
3. This winter I did a lot of hybrid bike-bus travel when the weather was awful. All the busses have bike racks here, but it’s a lot easier to just carry a folded bike on board than toss a bike on the front.
4. Being able to “just call an Uber” — the ability for the bike to fit into the trunk of a car without fuss meant that when I broke down in a random city earlier this year, I just called an Uber back to my hotel. No fuss. I’ve also had times when someone is giving me a ride partway or whatnot: you can put the bike in a car without taking wheels off, or the person having a rack or whatever.
can take mine and the wifes brompton in the boot of my hatchback and know they are out of sight 🙂
I ride my cargo bike much more.
The brompton once in a few weeks.
I don’t have a car nor drivers lisence though.
I currenlty have an electric (which is faster than the stronger bosch powered cargo bike) but the carry weight and having to fold it at least partly to have it stand freely, are some of the things that often make me choose the cargo bike or even walk.
Size & foldability for multi-modal commuting, at the expense of ride comfort over anything that isn’t smooth pavement.
I personally feel e-bromptons are masters of none. They’re much heavier, which takes away the portability strength of the brand. They also have lower weight capacity than regular bromptons. It takes away the core strength of an e-bike, being able to haul more shit with motor assist.
In terms of value, I find a p-line 4 speed to be the sweet spot for daily use, or a g-line if you want to go further distances. T-line is of course incredible but that is an extreme luxury good. I would constantly worry about it being stolen.
If you live in an urban area, if you live in a small apartment without much space or secure bike parking, if your bike trips are typically 5 miles or less, and/or if they may includ3 a leg via train, bus, or car, a Brompton is a superb bike. The more of those factors that are true for you, the more likely it will be better for you than a conventional bike.
The rapid, compact fold that keeps the greasy bits inside is unmatched.
I have both a Brompton and a conventional bike, and my Brompton gets WAY more use for practical transportation trips because I never have to lock it up and I have the flexibility to always bring it sensors any car or transit vehicle.