I'll just get to it – I'll do a "full review" later, I just wanted to share some thoughts on my C-line after a couple of weeks:
- The weight isn't an issue for me. I'm 42, in reasonable shape, and don't do that much multi-modal. I live in Madrid, by the way. Glad I went C over P for price reasons.
- Got used to the "twitchiness" in a day or so. Now I really like how it rides and controls.
- I end up using it more than my Grizl, for day-to-day. The comfort of having the ability to just fold and hop on the metro while out and about is nice, even if I've only done it twice!
- Don't love the grips, will replace soon.
- I like the Vincita [sp?] bag, but may get a Brompton one for a bit of travel I have planned.
- Already bought the superlight pedals to replace the folders, but haven't gotten around to installing – the stock ones are on there good, so I need to dig out the long allen key to get them off. I just wanted plastic, the metal ones don't inspire confidence to me.
- The shifting took a little getting used to, but now I like it, after a mod…
- I did swap the 50t chainring to a 44t, and that made all the difference for comfort on the mild climbs around Madrid. I only removed two links, when I think I was supposed to remove four, but I'll get around to fixing that soon.
- Doing the install was a tad annoying – getting the chain back through the derailleur was finicky, and I had some issues with the stock chainring nuts slipping that I eventually solved through stubbornness. Other than that the swap was "easy".
- The 44t isn't a massive change, but it does make IHB2 more generally useful in an urban environment, especially in a city without universal bike lanes. Lots of stop-and-go.
- IHB1 "grinds" a little, which is disconcerting. You can really feel the inefficiency of it on climbs. That being said, IHB3 doesn't feel that way nearly as much, and IHB2 doesn't at all. I don't think there is anything "wrong" with it, just down to how IHB's work, but it is noticeable.
- I did ~70km around the city the other day, went great, no issues.
- I love being able to take it into shops/restaurants without worrying about having to find a place to lock it up. That's a major issue here in Madrid.
- I got used to the saddle, it is fine. I was going to replace, but I like it better than I thought I would.
- I'm glad I went for M over the H a shop was trying to sell me on. The geometry feels quite nice.
- Also glad I didn't go for the dynamo – I'd feel the drag, I'm 99% sure, and any more drag would start to feel sluggish. Have some Exposure lights coming to have for night excursions, a big deal in the Spanish summers.
- One thing that has me a little worried is the rim brakes – I end up on a lot of long [mild] downhills, and I worry about wear on the rims and heat issues, especially when it gets up to 40C in the summer…
- Generally, I love the bike. Love the finish (yes, I've applied tape to rub spots), love the bag mount, love the ease of folding and use, and so on.
- The best way I can describe it, for the uninitiated, is "toy-like", but not in the sense of it "feels like a toy" – more the sense of "you want to play with it", or "you feel like you're getting away with something using it". Riding the Brommy engenders a certain childlike joy that a "serious" bike doesn't. Which makes it invaluable!
That's about all my stream-of-consciousness can handle for now.
One last thought – I think I'm going to pick up a [supplemental] G-line sometime soon, to use for my partner on train trips around the country (yes, the G fits on AVE). I also want the disk brakes for some specific personal uses – coming back from El Escorial was a bit dodgy in places, long downhills.
I'll do a full review and thoughts with a bit more experience. Hope this helps people considering a Brompton, though!
by dented42ford