Hey y'all,
I'm new to cycling and wanted to buy a folding bike to take with me to oversea trips to Japan and Europe. I live in Australia so new bromptons are pretty expensive.
I found this second-hand one going for $1,399.
The owner says it's 2015 model and is a C class with slight difference it has a Sturmey Archer 3 speed gearing.
Is $1,399 too much for this and are there any issues I should look out for on buying 2nd-hand bromptons?
Cheers
by HelloSenpaiFeed
3 Comments
Coming from the US, even taking exchange rates into account, that sounds like a lot. It’s nearly 10 years old.
With the old style shifters, no rack, no lights, etc, it’s most compatible with the A-Line (1722 aud of inverted from 1150 USD, brand new).
It’s cute, but I’d seriously look at competitive options unless you’ve seen it in-person and it is MINT.
not worth it IMO. a brand new A-Line, same 3 speed with 2+5 years warranty can be had for around €1100 in Europe. plus if you can work it out with the shop, u can get (partially) the sales tax upon exiting the last airport in EU which amount in total around €200, depending on which country in Europe u plan of buying.
pls take not that at this time of writing, UK doesnt offer any tax refund program for tourists therefore the savings above doesnt apply.
It’s a reasonable price for a 9 year old 3 speed. My 9 year old M3L (equivalent of what’s in your photos) was A$2145 when new.
However after 9 years of experience I can say a 3 speed is a drag (in every sense). A 6 speed will be a lot more useful for touring and more value for what you spend.
Finally the images show original tyres, also 9 years old. Good news is it probably hasn’t been used much. Bad news is they are the first things you would need to replace – especially if you intend to tour with it.
It also has ezwheels fitted (small wheels with bearings on the rear triangle) which is great if you are in shopping trolley mode. But you would want to swap these out for the original wheels when you travel – hopefully the owner still has these, or you should be able to source them from your local Brompton Junction. The problem with travelling with ezwheels is that they transfer any shock or force directly to your rear triangle. Whereas the original wheels are designed to absorb force and shatter when travelling. You swap them over when you arrive at your destination – it takes a minute.