Hey everyone! I recently bought this 2006 Brompton M3E for $300 and wanted to get some opinions from people who know Bromptons better than I do.
The bike has a noticeable amount of exterior rust and needed more work than I initially expected. One tire was flat, so the inner tube had to be replaced. It also needed a new chain, brake work, a drivetrain cleaning, and a general service.
Because I don’t have much experience working on bikes (and especially considering the bike’s age) I didn’t feel comfortable doing the repairs myself. I took it to a shop, and the service and repairs will likely cost around $200, bringing my total investment to roughly $500.
Considering its age, features, rust, and the repairs it needed, was $300 still a reasonable purchase price, or should I have negotiated lower?
I’m also wondering whether spending more might have been the better value. I’ve seen renewed Brompton A Lines selling for around $1,170, so for a little over twice my total cost, I could have gotten a much newer, professionally renewed bike with fewer unknowns.
Would that have been the more sensible option, or is this M3E still a decent deal at around $500 all-in?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
by Radiant_Table_9778
10 Comments
Depends on how much you enjoy wrenching on the bike and what your plans are. If you were planning to swap the wheels and brakes and everything already then the frame itself is probably worth what you paid.
Congrats, you got a great deal. I do not see a worrying amount of rust, and the things you listed are normal. I would have bought it for this much even though I already have one. Use it a lot!
Even if you spent $250 on service that’s a really, really great deal.
That’s a great deal, I don’t even want to tell you how much I spent on my 2003 a line in Los Angeles.
It is an ok price given the age and condition. At the end of the day it is a 20 year old bike. At some point I wouldn’t trust my life on the frame as a daily commuter.
I have 3 Bromptons, my signal red 2003 is my favourite. It’s like the difference between a 70s Italian car and an 80s Italian car. The older one is purer and looks great, the later has bits of plastic and more fuss. My 2003 is also pretty light.
I think for the price you did well, enjoy the rides and post pictures 🙋🏻♂️
Yes
100% good deal
That’s a steal I would say… if you use it daily/weekly.
About the rust, there might be just surface rust. From the pictures, it seems it’s all nuts and bolts, or a part here and there that you can replace over time chealply or just restore it (in case of nuts and bolts probably).
A line is fine if you REALLY don’t need gears, like you live in a completely flat city. Around me, I need the six gears mine has.
Also it’s a great way to learn how to care for your bike. For any bike you’ll have to buy a set of tools to do your own maintenance, so that cancels out. And it’s a good thing that if you screws up, it’s nothing valuable-brand new.
Lastly, if you’re just commuting, waxing the chain is the best hassle-free, maintenance once you do it the first time, and you’ll never have to bother with dealing with dirty oils once a month.