Rise of the Brompton 

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it's a great bike, but dance partner? ;-)

two “o’s” representing the two wheels?

I got an email from Brompton and I think it means Brompton members can see for free. Log in or register to find out

Yes; the 1 hour long documentary is available on GCN+

Subscribed on GCN+, yet still the only Brompton video visible is this one at 2mins duration. What's going on here folks?

lol!!!

Belt drive cannot be used on a swing-under rear wheel folder. It would stress-crack the belt, which is not designed to be folded back on itself. You have to be very careful with belts. Just putting them on wrongly for a moment can ruin 'em.

@@effyleven My point is: seamless gear-shifting Bosch-style is inherently better. I don't care how Brompton solves it - but do it. If there's a will, then there's a way. Hopefully competition stiffens to a point that Brompton is forced to respond. Doing things voluntary in advance would perhaps asking for too much.

I have the six-speed and I rather like the quirky gears but it would be nice not to have a dirty chain.

@Tim Falkiner Because of the way it folds, the Brompton needs to have the flexibility of a chain more than most bikes. I agree that the 3-speed hub with a simple 2-speed derailleur is a very clever way to get six speeds on such a small-wheeled bike. Again, it's technical reasons. With most of the gears INSIDE the spokes, the wheel does not have to be significantly dished, therefore the strength of the rear wheel is pretty much the same as the front one. Not dishing the rear wheel too much is the main reason there are only 4 (low profile) derailleur sprockets on the new lightweight T-line.

Strongly disagree. For me the best part of the Brompton is how they've resisted these unnecessary "advancements." It's a perfect design that anyone could do maintenance on. I would be extremely disappointed if they caved to industry pressure and moved on to disc brakes or belt drive. At the end of the day, if you've got the legs and the basic mechanical knowledge, then this is a perfectly designed product that needs no changes.

Yup. That is what happened to me as well. It seems it works for most?

@@occidentalexplorer1125 Thank you for the reply. I was starting to wonder my phone has something wrong? And my account had a problem? 😱I am glad to know it wasn't only me.

It's paid content buy GCN. If you pay, you'll see the full 10.

@@tajulislam1522 Thank you! I understand now! 🙋🏻‍♀️

@@xavier4396 neither found a dealer in taiwan who made it for me custom with chris king headset and suncord carbon wheel s

@@boredalchemist what dealer?

I want full version too! 😭

Tell your leader to stop killing innocent people first.

I thought I was the only one thinking that!!! I ordered a B75 as my first ever Brompton because everything else was out of stock (I had a budget of $1600 & wanted to get a ML6). The B75’s are now out of stock the last time I checked the website.

There's a story than the inventor had experience with (Bag a) Bickerton but was frustrated at what he saw were it's shortcomings so started developing the Brompton. Some of the early Brompton prototypes had similar handlebars to the Bickerton. My parents had Bickertons when I was very young, I was fascinated by them.

@@Rob-cv3vh I had one in the early 2000s and it was a bit like riding jelly. Now got one of their more recent offerings and it is much more like a conventional bike in feel and I commuted with it for 2 years. Not as good as a Brompton, doubtless, but it was all I could afford and it did the job more than adequately.

The full documentary is on GCN+

I believe a company made a carbon clone of the Brompton. Brian on the RU-vid channel “ibikeunfolded” took it for a test ride.

Just need to wait at this point. Good thing about the pandemic bike explosion is that the clones were everywhere with people modding the clones as well. Which caused the factories to make various new models. I’ve seen a disc brake , tiagra 10 speed for 850usd. You can even find 20” versions. I’d assume they will eventually trickle to brompton. The p and t lines were definite responses to clones available.

They should make an aero Brompton right lol

The high price is because of the labour cost. It is made in UK. Probably european and western where the currency is high, so no problem for them to sell it. For low currency country, especially in Asia the "Veblen Good" takeover. they buy Brompton as luxury symbol (social psychology or trend), not for transportation. The replica probably made in China, obviously it will not enter europe and western. Conclusion, Brompton still make money from the old design because of the Veblen Good. However it is better for Brompton to innovate. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good

360 you mean.?

I bought a Brompton because I don’t trust the quality of the clones. However, I have heard some things about two of the clone companies and their bikes look great. We’ll see how they fair in the next 10 years.

Flipping the front wheel of the birdy can be quite cranky…. 9 out of 10 people will end up gripping the wheel to fold-in or unfold-out… very unhygienic I must say

The Brompton is smaller folded and is easier to roll forth once folded because it has smart little wheels . That is why I choose Brompton in the end. All the other folded bikes are a hassle to transport once folded.

Isn't it made in Taiwan and also a much more complicated bike with suspension and all the reliability issues that causes. I personally don't think the Birdy is a particular good folding bike but I accept the small wheels of the Brompton are a compromise and 20" is better for many people which is a better solution to comfort I feel than the Birdy overall.

The thing about Brompton is … it is a shopping cart bicycle… a lovely cart I must say.

You're right, I've ridden one. But my Independent Fabrication is even better to ride than a Birdy. However I can take my Brompton to places I can't take anything else because it folds up so small. If I'm going to compromise I want it to be worth it. A Birdy feels like going halfway.

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@@commentariat and by expensive i mean the just charge more. and by prowoke policy i mean they hire a workforce of nonnative uk residents. how can a person get behind a company like that?

@@chrisprice5806 They charge what they think people will pay. I happen to think FELT and Specialized bikes are overpriced. Are they? I dunno-they are, for me and my needs. But I think a Brompton is fairly priced for my needs, given the portability and reliability it offers me, and the role it plays in my daily life in a big city. I know that there are cheaper Taiwanese and Korean clones-that's OK too, because the more people on bikes, the better it is. I can afford a Brompton, but don't expect everyone to be able to afford one. Re. "wokepolicy"-I don't know what to tell you. Will you stop shopping at Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury's, and Asda? Because the last I checked, they too had many of your dreaded "nonnative UK residents!!!" The HORROR! Everyone working at Brompton, I'm sure, is authorized to work in the UK-they're following the post-Brexit law.

@@commentariat yeah they sell across the globe and have a small fraction of the output for the demand they can tap into and charge like you said, a premium, for their bikes. [instead of relocating to somewhere like texas and losing 'brand identity'.] i think i saw a rainbow in their facility in some footage. i agree with you and dont get me wrong, i dont have a problem with any people but its the effort to construct a culture by these few who didnt actually get a democratic 'yea' for their helping, like i said, make a society. People? many people are fine with me (but dont we try not to be fools?) moultons are even worse/better. if i got one it'd have the schlumpf crank/BB and a thumb shifter for the rear mech:) for my next bike maybe. ohh,, according to rothschild familly library the one guy who ran germany is actually a rothschild himself because his mother worked as a nanny for a R home where a 30-something was the biological father of him. it was wcw vs nwo and the product was land aquizition and probably a bunch of other loot. its like a theater watching world events

@@chrisprice5806 First, I can't believe that a simple rainbow set you off like this-it's just a rainbow. People have a right to put up signs at their place of work. My office has a poster of a Picasso show, a poster of Bellini's St Francis painting (I'm not Christian), and a photo of my late mother. Other colleagues have crosses, crescent moons, rainbows, BLM stickers, etc. etc.-it's freedom of speech. Second, I doubt it'll be cheaper to make the bike in Texas. But Texas was a curious choice of location for you, given that just last month a car/truck driver deliberately rammed into six bikers in Waller, TX as a prank, and then the local police tried to cover it up. Third, Moultons are great, but not for me since they don't fold. Finally, I don't quite know what to say to you re. your "Rothschilds are ruling the world!" digression. It's like you started with a thought and then sort of went off the rails there: how did you even start with Brompton pricing/hiring issues and end up with-presumably, since you're very vague there-the Nazis????

Bears no relation to my experience of this bike. It has been my only mode of transport for 18 years and counting...