Internal gear hubs are supposed to only change gears under no load, and can be damaged if you try to do so under load. Thats why the internal gear hub doesnt switch gears. But im sure someone else in the comments section has told him already.
That's true, but out of all the hub geared bikes I've tried the brompton shifts the worst, even with no load it doesn't shift well and only works reliably & quickly when back pedaling
I think this is the first time I see someone actually trashing a Brompton in a proper context. I always saw them as extremely flimsy but also the weight and portability is a huge bonus for me living in a 4th floor with no elevator.
you can buy used carbon bike for the price of that folding thing and it would be lighter, more versatile, easier to maintain, better looking (that’s subjective I guess) with updated geometry and possibly things like air forks if you decide to go for XC and not typical commuter
Do people honestly believe, that an influencer with 2,5 million followers buys a $ 2000 product to make a 15 minute advertising clip about it? If he isn't a total knob, they paid him at least $ 15000 for this.
3 year C-line owner, kitted out basically the same as in the video. For me, the "shopping cart" mode is the game-changer. I bike to a grocery store, half-fold it, clip my helmet to the basket, and wheel it right in. Fill it up, pay, unfold, and ride away. Nothing else like it. Best Black Friday purchase of my life (these models were 20% off that year).
Yeah, it really is great to be a mile down the road in the same time it takes to walk back to the car and drive out of the car park. And the best part is blowing people's minds that it actually unfolds into a functional bike.
@@colindevilbiss8621 That sounds awesome and not as useless as he made it sound. Sometimes I have no bag or backpack with me. Also nice, no need to worry about locking it up in lesser known areas
@@MrSmotrelkin hasn't happened so far. It looks basically like a weird shopping cart, and then I run it all through the checkout lane (typically but not always the self-check), and then I put the bag in the basket.
my dad bought one of these new in 2001 and he’s used it basically every day since commuting in london and oxford. Not sure how many of you are brits but these things are super super common in the uk and way less expensive
I love my Brompton (C-Line). It changed my life. I can take it into any public transportation vehicle (which here in Switzerland, we do have a lot of), no matter how cramped. I can make city trips completely spontanous, no reservation needed, and no extra fee. I ride to the train station (2.5 km), then take it on the train. In the office, it fits underneath my desk. On overnight trips, it fits into the tiniest of elevators, and I simply have it in my hotel room overnight. I did some longer tours with it (> 30 km), it's no problem. It's not a racing bike, it's not a mountain bike. But it is a great bike to ride, and with the 6 gears you can climb any hill and get up to speed as well. The shopping trolley mode is a nice gimmick but gets difficult if you load heavy items (the small wheels stop turning, instead you start to slide them onto the floor...) but is cool for small purchaces - but to me, it's more of a gimmick.
@@TheTyisawesome The bike functions excellently as a cart. I don't know why they would say it's a gimmick unless they have an issue with theirs. The best part is the cashier will ask if it's really a bike...so then you get to demonstrate how it graciously unfolds (while keeping your groceries upright) and then you can literally ride out of the store from the register and be a mile down the road before people have even gotten their vehicle out of the car park.
this will get buried but here goes nothing: The Brommy parts are not as proprietary as one would think. They play well with most standards you find in other steel bikes. The BB shell is 68mm BSA and takes any road crank. The brakes are just regular dual pivot calipers, again most road ones work. The handlebar clamp is 22.2 which is quite common still outside of downhill mtb. the headset is 1 1/8 threaded. Saddle rails are standard too. Everything that is proprietary on a Brompton is to enable the folding.
@@prophetzarquon1922 Yeah it is, but there are tons of aftermarket versions. Even to make it 7 speed external, to a less confusing shifting system (with some drawbacks of course) There's a huge modding community in Korea, Taiwan and Singapore.
@@prophetzarquon1922 yeah the 2speed is a funny mini deraileur which is proprietary. but honestly, if you got the leg power the 2 speed is not gonna add much more to than running it SS. The 3 speed is a normal Sturmey internal hub like on any other internal geared bike.
The hub gears work very reliably, you just need to let off the torque when shifting. It's just a little weirdzy you get used to pretty quick. I guess no one told him.
Yeah I built a bike with one of those classic stermy archers and torque is not your friend. Even with adjusted cable tension, I just stop pedalling and it's super smooth
Seth I’m pretty sure you’re close to my age. The fact that you’ll attempt anything at a bike park, on a foldable bike and in the rain…well sir you have my respect and admiration. You’ve gotten likes from me since I discovered your channel but you have a whole new level of respect from me now 👍
Bromptons are actually cheap. Buy one, save loads using it to multimode commute. Sell it for about what you originally paid. Cheapest bike you will ever own. Mine paid for itself within the first year I owned it, back in 2014. ...except I'm never selling it, 'cause I love it! Also you may have to stop peddling to change the SA hub gear but it means you can change gears whilst track standing at the lights. Which is nice.
Brompton has been attempting to move their production to my local town of Ashford, UK, in a purpose-built factory with no motor vehicle access (except delivery trucks) to promote active travel. Given that it's about 5 mins bike (on bike paths) from an international station that goes to London, and near the centre of town which uniquely for a small UK town is blessed with bike infrastructure, it's a brilliant idea. Guess what? The local council is resisting it at all costs, because they can't get past the idea of being reliant on a car. It's a crying shame and a local embarrassment, holding back millions of £of local investment and jobs for a few backwards-thinking naysayers.
I almost hope for one of those scenarios where nitwits require them to build parking & a road to it, then the company makes sure the road never gets used for automobiles & "parking" is a honeycomb-cobble greenspace plaza, just for the irony of it all.
oh man, I love this review. I've had the same Brompton for over 8 years, and apart from some basic maintenance (new chain, new brakepads, new tyres) it's been doing amazing. I'll often overtake everyone, with a top speed of just below 25mph (38kmh) and a gear ratio that allows me to go as easily uphill as it is to go really scarily fast, it's a dream to ride. Have flown with it, taken it by train, tram, bus, boat, bike (as luggage), biked on beaches, through forests, and even on the highway(by accident!). I don't see myself ever riding another bicycle ever again.
I wouldn't say my C line 2 speed is 'scarily fast' but it cruises in the high teens and that's enough, 24 mph with a decent tail wind, my l/weight steel racer is much faster.
5:50 funny how $2-5k is "hard to justify" for a commuter/errand runner/car replacement but most of the community doesn't bat an eye for a $2-5k toy like a full sus mtb 😆
Yeah, unfortunately, $2000 is "very good bike" territory, these days, not "OMG you spent how much". Really good bikes under $1500 are kinda special. My biggest concern is the proprietary 2× drivetrain parts, etc. I don't want any part of that; I'll take a standard derailleur & cassette please.
@@prophetzarquon1922 Only a problem if they fail and/or are very difficult to maintain or repair yourself. Doesn't appear to apply based on comments here.
@@prophetzarquon1922there are a lot of knockoff and alternative brompton parts out there. There’s even a guy in the UK who will the rear triangle with a custom one to allow for different hubs.
simple. MTB will not be stolen because you don't use it daily. Commute bike will. I had a folding ebike i got for 1.6k for a mere 2 months before it was stolen. So sad that because of this stupid problem i have to stick to really cheap bikes for commuting 😥 And no, as much as it seems appealing to bring the bike indoors all the time, i'm mostly not open to this because of how much dirt and water comes in along with it.
"They" say that every time you get on a Brompton it puts a smile on your face. That is 100% true for me. I've ridden my Brompton in South Korea, Hungary, the U.S., and soon, Latvia. It's the best material purchase I've made in my life. The community, the accessories, the quality of the riding experience, are all without equal. I quite simply love my Brompton.
Truly fantastic machines. I bought mine to go on Holiday in 2019 and its been on of my best purchases ever, it has now been on about 10 holidays with me, where I wouldn't have been able to bring a full sized 'real' bike
Not the video I was expecting but so happy to see it. I dont think people buy Brompton's because theyre quirky so much as because theyre ridiculously versatile. If you dont live in/commute to a city or need it for long-distance travel, get something else, but there's really nothing with the same combination of folding size, ease of transport while folded, longevity, resale value, ride quality (for its size), customer support, aftermarket parts, and cargo ability. In NYC, the difference between the Brompton and a typical 20-inch folder is night and day in terms of where you can bring the bike in with you.
@@Kimberly_Sparkles They're the perfect bike for any urban center/country with decent public transportation. Which makes them almost useless in most of the US sadly.
Full sized bikes get around the Denver area pretty well, but become a pain to bring indoors or stow underneath buses (never use front racks 💀), whereas stuff like a really compact folding bike or an EUC, manage to be more practical than an automobile, for most trips! Too bad there's _zero_ transit _or_ bike routes to nearby towns such as Evergreen, during the day; NIMBYism goes hard when fear of the other rears its head.
I got a Brompton for my wife... And ride it myself all the time. Absolutely worth the price. Ingenious little bikes. Charming brand. Great ride quality. It excels in an urban environment and in synergy with public transportation, but does really well for bike tours as well. They are expensive, but here's what they offer that competitors don't: 1) a 7year warranty 2) available original replacement parts for decades old models. If there's a downside to them, it's definitely that they are hard to work on. I'm very comfortable working on a regular bike, I'd always bring our Brompton to a store.
Awesome! My wife & I just got Brompton and we’re loving them. One thing not a lot of people seem to mention when talking about the price is that they’re made in England. Like, 80% or something of the bike is actually made in London and that adds a lot of labour cost to anything. It’s debatable whether that’s any better, obviously lots of super high end bikes are made in Taiwan, it’s not like the British are inherently better at making things, but it’s certainly a factor in the cost.
Definitely not better at making things, but the higher cost of labour means that more robust QA is a relatively smaller proportion of costs, so is likely to be included - after all, if they were a lot more expensive, but also just as prone to duds as a Chinese knock-off, no-one would buy them.
I agree, although China has got some good factories that are a higher standard, there are some that make their parts out of tissue paper. Being British mostly you know you're going to get quality parts at a higher standard.
As someone without a car in an European city I kinda like the concept. My regular bike is often in the way in the train and it doesn't make sense to take it shopping - that just might get it stolen. It's folding a lot better than other bikes I have seen and if it holds it worth a lot it might be a nice investment.
I love that you are doing these videos on and promoting these active transit bikes like the Brompton and cargo bikes. Some of those r/brompton touring/gravel bike Brompton setups are dope AF! 😂
£5 for 24 hours is a good deal; if rental bikes covering a decent area were available here in Denver for that price, I'd actually use them instead of my own.
Change the tires for Continental Contact Urbans. They improve the rolling resistance tremendously, provide lots of grip in the wet and dry and are very puncture resistant! Phenomenal tires!
Yep, the Schwalbe Marathons are great for puncture protection (note: not the Marathon Racer) but the Urbans are almost as good and much more comfortable. They're the most recent tires designed specifically for the Brompton, so they have the most air volume and can be run at (slightly) lower pressures.
I'd go with the Schwalbe One if you want lower rolling resistance. I have found though that the Marathon roll much better at higher pressure. I was convinced they were terrible before trying it as a last resort but actually they're not too bad all things considered (still not as nice as the Ones though).
The hardest Continental compound wears too easily for my liking; I'll gladly spend a little more cash, for more than twice the mileage, so long as I'm not drifting out yet!
The mesh in my tyres (Schwalbe Marathon) were what broke after several years of use with my 1990s r&m Birdy... That foldable has a similar feel to a Brompton and you go round turns very smoothly... I always wondered if the sideways pressure was what ripped them?
For hub gears, you simply stop pedalling and change gear. Older Bromptons didn't come with the latch by the seatpost. They are enormously popular in certain cities in the UK, particularly London - where a lot of people commute from outside of the city to work inside of it. They are fairly reliable - mine is 30 years old, and while some components have failed, mostly its remained intact. Fill the tubes with slime - fixing a puncture is not for the faint of heart.
Highly recommend checking out some of the other puncture sealants, FlatOut is great, and the bottle of Stan's I got with a set of rims states it's good for in tubes as well
Depends on the gear hub and the specific transition, shimano hubs require to stop applying force for an instant on some transitions and others enter directly. Also, Slime saved me today from a NASTY puncture from a screw.
I did not expect to see a Brompton bike on this channel! Love it! I am a proud Brompton owner and this bike is a little machine. Exceptional for multimodal transport, I toured across the state of New York on it (self supported and fully loaded), and also use it for urban rides AND shopping. If I could only keep one bike, this would be the one.
Cool to see you talk about the Brompton! For the Sturmey-Archer internal gear hub, you need to either stop pedaling to shift gears, or temporarily lighten your pedal stroke as you shift.
I’ve loved the heck out of my Brompton. It’s easily my favorite bike over my race gravel bike, MTB, road bike etc. I ride it 3-4 days a week to work 10-18 miles each way. I don’t take especially good care of it and just treat it like my beater commuter (minimal chain lube, wash it every month or two, etc). It’s been totally fine. I actually laid the bike down on a 30+ mph decent when I hit some black ice and the bike didn’t even notice. Aside from dealing with corrosion prevention in the UK wet weather, it’s really about my perfect bike. I travel with it too!
The Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub is an absolute design classic. There is a simple barrel adjuster for fine adjustment of cable tension. You change gear with no load on the pedals and it just snicks across. Middle gear (2 of 3) is a direct drive, so minimum internal friction. Top gear is middle + 33% and bottom gear (1 of 3) is middle less 25%. I rode the 3 speed Brompton recently and they had chosen just the right chainring and sprocket combination to put the middle gear exactly where I wanted it, leaving 3rd for downhill and 1st for uphill. Simple.
I never heard of Brompton bicycles in the US, but saw them everywhere when I moved to Korea! I now own and love one and am part of a passionate Brompton club here. It seems like more Brompton stores are opening up in the US and hopefully videos like this introduce more people to this weird little bike so it gains some traction in American cities!
I own a Brompton, and I love this bike too. The ride quality is super nimble, no flex in frame, and super easy to fold. I’ve put this in the overhead compartment on southwest and jet blue (I have an extra long seat post I have to take out while I sit waiting for the flight to make it work). Been on trains with it too. It’s also fun to be part of a group of cyclists who really love their bikes. Loved this video. As a daily cyclist I love to see reviews on neat bikes. Priority also has a cool folder. Awesome video, keep em coming, definitely one of the best cyclist channels on CZcams!
I have a 24 year old Brompton M3L that I still ride daily. It has been on every continent and often does rides of 100km +. And yes, Sturmey Archer hubs are largely indestructible, but you normally don’t shift under load (freewheel or backpedal for a second and shift). Also, imagine what would have happened if you knocked the read shifter on a 7 speed tern… no more riding. Bromptons are great bikes! Rock solid and very versatile.
When I finally had a reason to buy a Brompton and got my own, I realised I should have got one much much earlier. It is still with me. It is such a great bike. It is wrong to think of it as just a good ‘folding’ bike. It is a very good bike, full stop. I love the ride and I enjoy having accessories for it. I have added the rack, bag, suspension spring block, Brooks saddle and ergo grips etc. It is now 10 years old and going strong.
They are super common in Barcelona. Sat having breakfast at a café and counted the ones going past; gave up after 20 in less than 10 minutes. Well everyone lives in the city in 6 to 7 storey buildings and no space in the flats so the fact that they fold up small is important - and they go on the train much easier than a regular bike - even the TGV/AVE to Paris which doesn't take regular bikes!
I really wish you had mentioned the Brompton World Championships where people race Bromptons. Is there any other brand which has its own manufacturer sponsored racing series? Spandex is also not allowed, a lot of people wear work clothes (in line with the commuting theme). GCN's Si raced in it this year and got second place (see video: Can "Simon Win The Brompton World Championship 2024?"). It's a cool event that looks like a lot of fun. I own many bikes and there is something special about it. If I had to give up every bike except one, I would keep my Brompton because the super compact fold and being able to take the bicycle with me everywhere is a game changer. When I drive into the city, I can keep the bike in the car trunk, park the car, and then switch to the bicycle to avoid traffic and finding parking. Lastly, you are supposed to stop pedaling before switching the 3 speed hub gear. In fact, if you change the gears too much while under load, it will eventually damage it.
Thank you Seth for another great video! I forced myself to become less car-needy a few years back when I had to start commuting from San Francisco to Fremont for work. I tried all types of bicycles to bridge the 16 miles I needed between work and home that wasn't covered by BART. I had a non-folder Klein mountain bike that I removed the suspension fork and added street tires. It was fine but I hated dealing with locking it up or leaving it unattended in another train section where I wasn't sitting. I then moved to a Dahon and enjoyed the foldability but it wasn't in the same class of a Brompton's elegant and quick solution. I ended up talking with quite a few folks on the train that had Bromptons and they had them for many, many years and still works like a charm. They take them into stores and restaurants no problem because they get so small. If you live in an urban environment and take public transportation the Brompton would be worth every penny. They also give you great peace of mind since you never need to lock it up. I ended up going the personal electric vehicle route and currently use electric unicycles to get around the urban environment. However, I would definitely consider a Brompton if I went back to bicycle mix-modal transportation. If you are an urban, mixed-modal commuter the Brompton is a worthy investment. Like you said if you ever get desperate to get the money back you barely lose anything selling them used.
I appreciate the ultimate efficiency of an Electric UniCycle; having the least drag of any powered vehicle type, is a _big_ deal... I just don't want to dislocate my collarbone anymore, & so highly functional folding bikes are of direct interest to me! (I'm also on the lookout for a high box truck to convert as an RV, because I've got family & friends spread out across the countryside at this point.)
That stair hop at 6:57. so good haha. I always forget that you have some good trials skills. still struggling my way through basic trials bike control and back hops.
I'm 45, been riding all my life, & would still struggle to side-hop up stairs like a ladder climb, that way. I wouldn't even attempt the park tricks! Kudos indeed.
Ha, this is sweet, I didn't expect to ever see a Brompton on the channel! I've got two, a 2016 6 speed and a 2021 2 speed my wife rides. The 6 speed I bought for multimodal transit in London, UK and it came with me when I moved to Vancouver, BC and it fits in great here too. I prefer fewer gears and minimal accessories on these - the geared hub adds a kg in weight alone which makes a big difference when you are hauling it through a subway station or apartment building. With that said, this one needs a new saddle out of Seth's famous parts bin lol. Fun Brompton facts - you can fit four of these side by side in sedan trunk, and they also fit airplane overhead luggage bins.
I live in London, UK. There's plenty of Brompton bikes here, and they're suprisingly good! There's even a good (but really expensive) third party MTB kit for it.
I absolutely love my 3-speed Brompton. I spent two and a half years doing home visits as a case manager and I just had an absolute blast on it. I honestly just look for opportunities to use it.
@@feve6071 the main problem if you go too big with this stuff (fattie tyres, 20in rims etc) is you lose some or all of the foldability of the bike. I think i've seen versions that do manage to at least maintain some of the portability/foldability for a big gain in other areas (e.g. the comfort of fat tyres)
Sturmey Archer IGH’s will never shift when you put downward pressure on the peddle. You can only shift them when there is no torque going to the peddle. So you can either shift when coasting or shift in the upstroke. There is nothing wrong with yours, that is how they are built. I have a five speed. It’s a great hub.
Yes!! Been waiting for Seth to ride a Brompton. I have been traveling with a Brompton on a boat where space is a premium. I ride mine like my MTB. Little jumps and curbs are such fun. Seth is spot on, you can ride your Brompton pretty hard and get away with it. Looking forward to seeing some Seth travel videos on his new folder.
Recently bought my first folding bicycle. Its an Esperia Genny in turquoise with white mudguards. I feel so manly riding it! I cannot tell you how much fun I've been having taking it out on longer (10+km) rides. Because of the tiny wheels you gotta pedal like mad to make it go any speed and by the end you feel like you've covered twice the distance! 😂
The sturmey will shift if you just reduce pedal pressure a bit. You can almost pre-select if you get good at this, pre loading a gear and using your feet to time the shift. I have a 1968 Raleigh RSW with a sturmey AW gear hub. It gets oiled every few months, it will never break. I have another bike with an 84 year old Sturmey. I gave it a strip down and it just needed grease in the cones/ bearings and a clean where old oil had left dried residue. It still works. If you use the sturmey properly it will never break. The Brompton derailleur will wear the two cogs if you don’t keep them meticulously clean, I rode a Brompton around London for a year’s commuting and nothing else went wrong. It will also out drag almost any other bike off the traffic lights if piloted by somebody who is used to BMX gate starts. Neither of my Bromptons had the catch that stops it folding, must be a USA product liability measure. If things were going to get lairy, I’d put a big zip tie on it.
I own a C line since 2021 and I fell in love with the bicycle. It’s great for commuting, grocery shopping, and simply just going somewhere with. Yes, unfortunately not every place can you bring the bicycle inside. I believe it’s worth the price if you can replace your car with something more tiny like this bicycle, and if you are not bothered by weather or massive hills.
I love my Brompton, I take it on MTB camp trips, collect fire wood, ride to the market grocery shopping (without the hassle of breaking down camp to drive my truck camper.) I take it on our yacht trips on the Aegean Sea, easy to stow in the engine room, and great to ride around Greece and Turkey while docked. .I take on the planes, subways, and buses. I am in Whistler right now and have it with me to run errands, grocery shop etc. I wouldn’t want to risk my MTB bikes getting stolen and the Brompton has the bags up front and the luggage rack. Tons of room for shopping . It is a real fun, practical bike with a ton of functional features. Seth, I hope you enjoy it! Cheers 🎉🎉!
I bought one in 2012 and it's been worth every penny. I've hit pump tracks and jumps, commuted, bike packed, and flown with it as a carry on (gate checked) because it's the only bike that can fit through the X-ray machine. And it'll never get stolen because you can take it anywhere indoors. 12 years on and it's still my favorite bike.
We have his-n-hers Bromptons and we love them. I initially bought a Tern, but quickly realised that I needed to bite the bullet and get the foldin’ money out and get a Brompton. It’ll take any abuse I can throw at it. Thanks Seth for spreading the word. 😊👍🏻👍🏻
I 😮💨 a little when the Brompton wheels left the ground 😂 Probably the first times i seen a Brompton being treated like a BMX haha 😂 just passed the new bike phase for me with a Cline
It's always strange to me, that neither of the main wheels work to just roll on while folded. It seems rare for _any_ folding bike to roll on its wheels when folded; could someone name one that does?
I collect vintage folding bikes and non folders with small wheels, but I've never had a Brompton. However I do have a Moulton; the first bike ever with full suspension back in 1963
Bromptons are pretty perfect for use in London where they were invented. Cycle to work, easily bring it in, take it back on the tube if you don't wanna cycle in the rain or plans change. It's pretty great! I just dislike the look of it
@@sandydennylives1392As you get used to the usefulness and sheer design excellence of the Brompton, its looks begin to look purposeful and "normal." In the end, conventional bikes start to appear lumbering and distinctly oversize.
@@effyleven I've had one for nearly 2 years. No complaints, except having to pump up the tires every 24 hours. I have a racing bike when I need more speed and distance.
Thanks Seth. You do the kinds of reviews that I want to watch. There's no dead air or lengthy repetitive diatribe. Just great shots of how we would look at it if we were standing right there with you. I learned 26 inch bike skills as a 4 foot something youngster in the 1960's on a women's frame with a Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub. It wasn't even a new bike. Sturmey Archer must be doing it right because they have been doing it for a long time.
Interesting Brompton fact: The IKEA Dimpa bag fits a Brompton perfectly, quite inexpensive, too. And yeah, ease up/stop pedaling when shifting the Sturmey! I own a six speed Brommy Superlight-titanium fork and rear triangle, plus added a Brooks titanium rail saddle-and I love it. Also-Brompton just came out with a twelve speed! Aaaand...I swapped in a 44 tooth front chainring for the standard 54 on my six speed🙌
My commute takes me and my Brompton to a transit center with a skate park right next to it. I always wondered what the bike could do, and if those hinges could take the strain. Thanks for showing us what it can do. Doing things the Brompton wasn't designed for, on a Brompton, is firmly within the Brompton tradition.
For those of us that appreciate practical engineering Brompton is the greatest thing on two wheels! It folds quickly and unfolds twice as fast. The ride is smooth. The only problem for me is a nasty plant called a "Goat Head". Imagine a small seed pod with a 3mm spike sticking out. These little buggers deflate high pressure tires in under 2 minutes. (Brompton recommends 100psi). The front wheel is easily removed and the tube can be replaced in about 15 min. The rear wheel is a bit more tricky. I've had my Brompton Folder for over 10 years now. Given it's durability I consider the $1400 a worthwhile investment. If you want to really stand out, you might want to investigate Britains other unique 2 wheel creation the Moulton. It doesn't fold but does break into two 1:06 parts for space saving transport. Life is too short to let name calling party poopers discourage us from taking pleasure in artwork or clever engineering.
I swear by a double helping of nice thick tube sealant, to eliminate goat-head issues. Literally zero, that way. I recently discovered that some of the same tires & tread patterns I'd been riding, were available in a low-pressure tire... (32 PSI max instead of 60, on the same tread & compound!) A vaguely suspension-bridge style weave design in the sidewalls, allows them to be thinner without distending. That thinner sidewall exerts less drag when compressed by rolling, but _it also gets fewer flats!_ I hadn't anticipated the lower pressure & more supple tire, rolling over without puncture, more often, but it makes sense in retrospect. I'm super pleased with the improved performance & reliability, & will gladly spend more to select low pressure tires whenever possible, from now on. More efficient, more comfortable, _and_ fewer flats? Yes please!
At 11:02 Seth, that “I gotta do something with this bike” mentality is what broke your clavicle at Berm Creek! I love the sketch antics, but in the rain too? Keep yourself intact for you and your family (and us!). Keep up the great work though!!
The most user friendly Brompton I owned was a 2 gear as it was light and all you needed and because of the simplicity of the drive train you could do all this chucking around the place - better. I paid about £300 inc the rail fare to Liverpool and sold it for the same money. I felt inspired to chuck it around because it was light and felt like I jolly well should as an inspirational 2nd hand bike.
It is NOT necessary to stop pedalling to change the hub gears. It never has been necessary. But it IS important to take the *pressure* off them... that is, keep them spinning but in a NO LOAD condition. Note: This is exactly the same technique as commonly applied to dérailleur gears, meaning hub and dérailleur gears of a Brompton can be changed at the SAME TIME, if you wish. I do it all the time. The difference is, hub gears CAN be changed when you are stationary, but again, there must not be any real weight on the pedals as you affect the change.
I'm sure you've been told many times already but you are shifting the Sturmey Archer incorrectly. Like many gear hubs, when shifting down, you can't be pedaling. However when shifting up it's fine to pedal. In terms of reliability, the Sturmey Archer is bulletproof. It's probably the most reliable part of the bike. I've seen hubs from the 70's still going strong. The 2 speed derailleur is also really reliable, because it's so simple. You may need to give it a clean every now and then, but generally when servicing these we never need to make adjustments. The new 4 speed derailleur that Brompton have brought out, which is also proprietary, is a different story however. The Brompton was born in London, a place where the compact fold is required for the underground and really has no competitor. Your model is the more expensive 6-speed, but you can get entry level models with fewer gears for £1100, which is a bargain when you consider what it allows you to do, which is something no other bike can offer. Also, they hold their value so well because they have such great reliability, but also because, unlike most products these days, the majority of people aren't paying the money for the way it looks, they're paying for what it allows them to do - it's a tool. And the best-in-class tools always carry a heavy price tag.
Have an early 3 speed Brompton. Managed to blow out one of the rear rims cycling to work one day and not fall off but come to a controlled halt! Love your skills. A good addition to a bicycle collection.
All I can think of is the Mr B song Paper Plates where he says "this song is not about my Brompton" then uses the word Brompton as his backing vocals on loop. Take a drink every time you say Brompton! Lol
If Seth wants to try a double suspension folder with disc brakes, he should give a Birdy a whirl. 18" rather than 16" wheels, options for derailleur gears, and a monococque frame. It doesn't fold as neatly or quite as small as a Brompton, though they are still small enough to take as hand luggage on UK trains without booking them in to one of a limited number of bike spaces.
I love brompton's! I ride 1.5 miles to the train station and then another mile at the other end to the office and the same home and it's just such a nice vibe!
I did a photo shoot for Brompton years ago while in the midst of a shoulder rehab. I made the Brompton reps from UK heads spin off when I took the luxury model off road in the Marin Headlands. Photos are somewhere on instagram. Stoked to see Brompton is embracing the more rugged sides of cycling with the new gravelish model.
I just purchased my second Brompton, a P Line with 4 speeds. My original M6R was giving away to my nephew as birthday gift after using it for over 6 years. For moving the Brompton in a supermarket with tight corners, I recommend to install two omni wheels for easy movement.
This bike has an amazing vibe. The look accessories are so cool. I'd be scared about getting it stolen though, and I don't want to bring a bike with me into every building that I enter, especially if my wheels got wet or muddy. Granted, the rack with the little wheels seems to help with that.
The “unchanged” aspect is really appealing, hence why I like older steel bikes and older components so much. I’ve also NEVER seen anyone else use a Mous phone mount and case so I’m glad to see there’s someone else using one!
Where I see these use a lot are people who live on boats or those with smaller airplanes. In both those cases it is totally worth it to have something mobile to get you around at your destination but that packs down small. Also in both cases those type of people aren't too worried about the price.
coming from a small mechanic when you have a built in hub transmission you should shift while not pedalling i have one on my pegas strada and if you get experienced enough you can kinda revmatch
Another great video! I now own the second Brompton bike. Unfortunately, I sold my previous bike during COVID, when I thought I will never go back to the office. I bought my current (used 6 speed) for the last mile from the train to the office. It’s a great little bike that does it all, especially in the city. It’s totally worth the money!
Loved my 3 gear Brompton. Perfect for London. Hides under desks at work, restaurant tables and easily stowed on trains. Took me ages before I realised it rode multitudes better without changes of clothes, lunch, water bottle, laptop..etc in the bag above the front wheel.. who knew?
Brompton has the smallest footprint for a folding bike PERIOD That and that alone will give you GREAT peace of mind !! .......The one thing you should not do is ride a Brompton or any small radius wheel ( 16 inch and smaller ) off a kerb or profile because that is the way to get a puncture very easily... The Brompton is PERFECT for any city with apartments or where you ride a lot to fetch groceries , buy things . visit doctors or for any purpose etc etc etc .. The whole point is your bike will not get stolen or will you have to worry if it has been stolen when you have it at your side always. Yes Brompton is brilliant for New York , London , Paris etc ! And it rides GREAT ! You will love it if you are very active in the city and want to save time . You not only get fit you save money on taxi fees , bus , subway and quite often than not you get to your destination quicker than a car BONUS is you do not need to look for somewhere to PArk which in itself can be a very stressful thing in big cities !
Hey, who's that guy pulling 360's on a folding bike, in the skate park, while raining? Oh, it's Seth. It's ok.
270s at best
@@timseguine2 still, I wouldn't be riding that bike at all, for fear of getting beat up
He’s a big busting Brompton boi
Yeah, and doing it while wearing jeans and work boots
The poor pedestrians watching someone zoom by doing tricks on a Brompton lol
Internal gear hubs are supposed to only change gears under no load, and can be damaged if you try to do so under load. Thats why the internal gear hub doesnt switch gears.
But im sure someone else in the comments section has told him already.
I had a Sturmey-Archer 3 speed hub in my bike as a kid and was visibly wincing at the abuse of the gear lever!
Too bad - Shimano Nexus 8 system allows switshing under load (as well as no load), so I would expect Brompton to have at least similar performance...
Nope, it's very common to have to not be under load @@dozzaz
That's true, but out of all the hub geared bikes I've tried the brompton shifts the worst, even with no load it doesn't shift well and only works reliably & quickly when back pedaling
@@waity5856You are supposed to back pedal slightly when changing gear on a Sturmey Archer - it is designed to operate that way.
Hope you noticed your puncture patch fly out when you pulled apart the tool kit.
I made a similar comment about that @7:33
**bump* because it could suck if they _didn't_ notice!
Ooooh, I was too busy looking at another type of fly.
$50 patch
@@couchx8809ha ha, probably 😂
I think this is the first time I see someone actually trashing a Brompton in a proper context. I always saw them as extremely flimsy but also the weight and portability is a huge bonus for me living in a 4th floor with no elevator.
4th floor is nothing bruh
I'm living on 8th and always carrying my 12kg unfoldable Author. I dont see any problems with that.
They’re honestly pretty heavy.
you can buy used carbon bike for the price of that folding thing and it would be lighter, more versatile, easier to maintain, better looking (that’s subjective I guess) with updated geometry and possibly things like air forks if you decide to go for XC and not typical commuter
@@madeitsupreme_9104 Cool, does it fold?
Seths in his 'buy the most expensive model of a weird kind of bike' era and I love it
And then the "Lets try and break it!" at the end of each video.
Dude realised that CZcams monies refill your wallet lol 😂😂😂
He bought the cheaper (cheapest?) model of the most expensive brand though. He even says the titanium model is 5 grand.
Except this Brompton is nowhere near the top of line model
Do people honestly believe, that an influencer with 2,5 million followers buys a $ 2000 product to make a 15 minute advertising clip about it? If he isn't a total knob, they paid him at least $ 15000 for this.
3 year C-line owner, kitted out basically the same as in the video. For me, the "shopping cart" mode is the game-changer. I bike to a grocery store, half-fold it, clip my helmet to the basket, and wheel it right in. Fill it up, pay, unfold, and ride away. Nothing else like it. Best Black Friday purchase of my life (these models were 20% off that year).
Yeah, it really is great to be a mile down the road in the same time it takes to walk back to the car and drive out of the car park. And the best part is blowing people's minds that it actually unfolds into a functional bike.
@@colindevilbiss8621 That sounds awesome and not as useless as he made it sound. Sometimes I have no bag or backpack with me. Also nice, no need to worry about locking it up in lesser known areas
Does the security ever look weird at you for loading groceries up your bike?
@@MrSmotrelkin hasn't happened so far. It looks basically like a weird shopping cart, and then I run it all through the checkout lane (typically but not always the self-check), and then I put the bag in the basket.
I often bring a full sized (XL) full-suspension ebike into stores with me, & the most comment I've gotten, is "Hey, nice bike."
my dad bought one of these new in 2001 and he’s used it basically every day since commuting in london and oxford. Not sure how many of you are brits but these things are super super common in the uk and way less expensive
Yep mine was £400 in 2014 second hand. The US prices are insane.
@@DarrenBurgess1989it sounds like it’s cheaper to buy a good used one in the uk and pay the seller to shop it to the USA lol
Maybe visit Britain on holiday, buy one used and bring it back in the overhead or checked in a case.
They're super common in London, Cambridge and Oxford. Much less so in the rest of the country.
the used market is still quite strong in the UK. Even an old knackered Brommy goes for like 400£
I love my Brompton (C-Line). It changed my life.
I can take it into any public transportation vehicle (which here in Switzerland, we do have a lot of), no matter how cramped.
I can make city trips completely spontanous, no reservation needed, and no extra fee.
I ride to the train station (2.5 km), then take it on the train. In the office, it fits underneath my desk.
On overnight trips, it fits into the tiniest of elevators, and I simply have it in my hotel room overnight.
I did some longer tours with it (> 30 km), it's no problem. It's not a racing bike, it's not a mountain bike. But it is a great bike to ride,
and with the 6 gears you can climb any hill and get up to speed as well.
The shopping trolley mode is a nice gimmick but gets difficult if you load heavy items (the small wheels stop turning, instead you start to slide them onto the floor...)
but is cool for small purchaces - but to me, it's more of a gimmick.
I stuck a set of £6 rollerblade wheels on to replace the tiny ones and it's solved that sticking problem entirely.
@@emmetbroaders I got ones that light up like little kid shoes. You can roll them with your feet as you pedal and have an underglow. Silly and fun.
Do you carry the bike around like a backpack or luggage?
Dang I really wanted it for the cart... Haha
@@TheTyisawesome The bike functions excellently as a cart. I don't know why they would say it's a gimmick unless they have an issue with theirs. The best part is the cashier will ask if it's really a bike...so then you get to demonstrate how it graciously unfolds (while keeping your groceries upright) and then you can literally ride out of the store from the register and be a mile down the road before people have even gotten their vehicle out of the car park.
this will get buried but here goes nothing: The Brommy parts are not as proprietary as one would think. They play well with most standards you find in other steel bikes.
The BB shell is 68mm BSA and takes any road crank. The brakes are just regular dual pivot calipers, again most road ones work. The handlebar clamp is 22.2 which is quite common still outside of downhill mtb. the headset is 1 1/8 threaded. Saddle rails are standard too. Everything that is proprietary on a Brompton is to enable the folding.
Thanks for this info!
The 2-speed derailleur system is one of the things proprietary to Brompton, correct?
the bar clamp is 25.4 actually .
@@prophetzarquon1922 Yeah it is, but there are tons of aftermarket versions. Even to make it 7 speed external, to a less confusing shifting system (with some drawbacks of course)
There's a huge modding community in Korea, Taiwan and Singapore.
@@prophetzarquon1922 yeah the 2speed is a funny mini deraileur which is proprietary. but honestly, if you got the leg power the 2 speed is not gonna add much more to than running it SS. The 3 speed is a normal Sturmey internal hub like on any other internal geared bike.
@@bill7853 yeah sorry I meant to convey that it is the regular clamp standard that most 1 inch threaded stems use.
BMX roots stay with you forever.
Your street skills are still solid.
The hub gears work very reliably, you just need to let off the torque when shifting. It's just a little weirdzy you get used to pretty quick. I guess no one told him.
Yeah once I adjusted the cable it worked a lot better.
@@SethsBikeHacks Indeed gear hubs do not like to be shifted under load. They can even be damaged by it.
Yeah, because it's like a little manual gearbox in there so you gotta "press the clutch"
Jump a Bromton, equals no one ever before!
Yeah I built a bike with one of those classic stermy archers and torque is not your friend. Even with adjusted cable tension, I just stop pedalling and it's super smooth
Seth I’m pretty sure you’re close to my age. The fact that you’ll attempt anything at a bike park, on a foldable bike and in the rain…well sir you have my respect and admiration. You’ve gotten likes from me since I discovered your channel but you have a whole new level of respect from me now 👍
Bromptons are actually cheap. Buy one, save loads using it to multimode commute. Sell it for about what you originally paid. Cheapest bike you will ever own.
Mine paid for itself within the first year I owned it, back in 2014. ...except I'm never selling it, 'cause I love it!
Also you may have to stop peddling to change the SA hub gear but it means you can change gears whilst track standing at the lights. Which is nice.
Brompton has been attempting to move their production to my local town of Ashford, UK, in a purpose-built factory with no motor vehicle access (except delivery trucks) to promote active travel. Given that it's about 5 mins bike (on bike paths) from an international station that goes to London, and near the centre of town which uniquely for a small UK town is blessed with bike infrastructure, it's a brilliant idea. Guess what? The local council is resisting it at all costs, because they can't get past the idea of being reliant on a car. It's a crying shame and a local embarrassment, holding back millions of £of local investment and jobs for a few backwards-thinking naysayers.
It doesn't help matters that Ashford is a strong Reform seat.
@@RHTeebsare you thinking of Ashfield?
I almost hope for one of those scenarios where nitwits require them to build parking & a road to it, then the company makes sure the road never gets used for automobiles & "parking" is a honeycomb-cobble greenspace plaza, just for the irony of it all.
That would be great! I suspect Bromptons would be much cheaper if not for the factory-in-London tax.
You should let Sam Pilgrim take it on a test ride 😄
Didn't he die?
@@rodolfoo3015 what no
@@rodolfoo3015 imagine not taking the 5 seconds to google it before posting that 💀
@@rodolfoo3015 nope
"Crack a monny"
oh man, I love this review. I've had the same Brompton for over 8 years, and apart from some basic maintenance (new chain, new brakepads, new tyres) it's been doing amazing. I'll often overtake everyone, with a top speed of just below 25mph (38kmh) and a gear ratio that allows me to go as easily uphill as it is to go really scarily fast, it's a dream to ride.
Have flown with it, taken it by train, tram, bus, boat, bike (as luggage), biked on beaches, through forests, and even on the highway(by accident!). I don't see myself ever riding another bicycle ever again.
i can't even do 25km/h average. respect.
I wouldn't say my C line 2 speed is 'scarily fast' but it cruises in the high teens and that's enough, 24 mph with a decent tail wind, my l/weight steel racer is much faster.
@@swisscorn lol dont be fool , its leg powered
5:50 funny how $2-5k is "hard to justify" for a commuter/errand runner/car replacement but most of the community doesn't bat an eye for a $2-5k toy like a full sus mtb 😆
Yeah, unfortunately, $2000 is "very good bike" territory, these days, not "OMG you spent how much". Really good bikes under $1500 are kinda special.
My biggest concern is the proprietary 2× drivetrain parts, etc. I don't want any part of that; I'll take a standard derailleur & cassette please.
@@prophetzarquon1922 Only a problem if they fail and/or are very difficult to maintain or repair yourself. Doesn't appear to apply based on comments here.
@@prophetzarquon1922there are a lot of knockoff and alternative brompton parts out there. There’s even a guy in the UK who will the rear triangle with a custom one to allow for different hubs.
simple. MTB will not be stolen because you don't use it daily. Commute bike will. I had a folding ebike i got for 1.6k for a mere 2 months before it was stolen. So sad that because of this stupid problem i have to stick to really cheap bikes for commuting 😥
And no, as much as it seems appealing to bring the bike indoors all the time, i'm mostly not open to this because of how much dirt and water comes in along with it.
Bike shop owner here, I have 4 Bromptons and man I LOVE THEM.
"They" say that every time you get on a Brompton it puts a smile on your face. That is 100% true for me. I've ridden my Brompton in South Korea, Hungary, the U.S., and soon, Latvia. It's the best material purchase I've made in my life. The community, the accessories, the quality of the riding experience, are all without equal. I quite simply love my Brompton.
Perfect travel companion.
Truly fantastic machines. I bought mine to go on Holiday in 2019 and its been on of my best purchases ever, it has now been on about 10 holidays with me, where I wouldn't have been able to bring a full sized 'real' bike
When you travel, do you document the bike and pay the surcharge?
Not the video I was expecting but so happy to see it. I dont think people buy Brompton's because theyre quirky so much as because theyre ridiculously versatile.
If you dont live in/commute to a city or need it for long-distance travel, get something else, but there's really nothing with the same combination of folding size, ease of transport while folded, longevity, resale value, ride quality (for its size), customer support, aftermarket parts, and cargo ability.
In NYC, the difference between the Brompton and a typical 20-inch folder is night and day in terms of where you can bring the bike in with you.
Made for London, perfect for any major urban center. My bike of choice in NYC.
@@Kimberly_Sparkles They're the perfect bike for any urban center/country with decent public transportation. Which makes them almost useless in most of the US sadly.
Full sized bikes get around the Denver area pretty well, but become a pain to bring indoors or stow underneath buses (never use front racks 💀), whereas stuff like a really compact folding bike or an EUC, manage to be more practical than an automobile, for most trips!
Too bad there's _zero_ transit _or_ bike routes to nearby towns such as Evergreen, during the day; NIMBYism goes hard when fear of the other rears its head.
@@Paco15151they are easy to fit in cars though too. A lot of people in the US have to drive somewhere to bike anyways.
I used to sell and work on a lot of Bromptons. Solid, and a wonderful company too.
They're great! Our rep in Boston was one of the better brand reps I've worked with in the industry.
I got a Brompton for my wife... And ride it myself all the time. Absolutely worth the price. Ingenious little bikes. Charming brand. Great ride quality. It excels in an urban environment and in synergy with public transportation, but does really well for bike tours as well. They are expensive, but here's what they offer that competitors don't: 1) a 7year warranty 2) available original replacement parts for decades old models.
If there's a downside to them, it's definitely that they are hard to work on. I'm very comfortable working on a regular bike, I'd always bring our Brompton to a store.
If we're talking about competitors that manufacture their own frame in house, Bike Friday has a 10 year frame warranty
Awesome! My wife & I just got Brompton and we’re loving them. One thing not a lot of people seem to mention when talking about the price is that they’re made in England. Like, 80% or something of the bike is actually made in London and that adds a lot of labour cost to anything. It’s debatable whether that’s any better, obviously lots of super high end bikes are made in Taiwan, it’s not like the British are inherently better at making things, but it’s certainly a factor in the cost.
Definitely not better at making things, but the higher cost of labour means that more robust QA is a relatively smaller proportion of costs, so is likely to be included - after all, if they were a lot more expensive, but also just as prone to duds as a Chinese knock-off, no-one would buy them.
I agree, although China has got some good factories that are a higher standard, there are some that make their parts out of tissue paper. Being British mostly you know you're going to get quality parts at a higher standard.
As someone without a car in an European city I kinda like the concept. My regular bike is often in the way in the train and it doesn't make sense to take it shopping - that just might get it stolen. It's folding a lot better than other bikes I have seen and if it holds it worth a lot it might be a nice investment.
Your right; stolen previous bikes is a universal main reason for buying mine.
I love that you are doing these videos on and promoting these active transit bikes like the Brompton and cargo bikes. Some of those r/brompton touring/gravel bike Brompton setups are dope AF! 😂
You can also rent Bromptons daily in the UK. It's £5 for 24 hours. You pick them up from Brompton lockers situated around some points in UK cities.
Did this on my last visit, it's great.
£5 for 24 hours is a good deal; if rental bikes covering a decent area were available here in Denver for that price, I'd actually use them instead of my own.
Change the tires for Continental Contact Urbans. They improve the rolling resistance tremendously, provide lots of grip in the wet and dry and are very puncture resistant! Phenomenal tires!
Yep, the Schwalbe Marathons are great for puncture protection (note: not the Marathon Racer) but the Urbans are almost as good and much more comfortable. They're the most recent tires designed specifically for the Brompton, so they have the most air volume and can be run at (slightly) lower pressures.
I'd go with the Schwalbe One if you want lower rolling resistance. I have found though that the Marathon roll much better at higher pressure.
I was convinced they were terrible before trying it as a last resort but actually they're not too bad all things considered (still not as nice as the Ones though).
The hardest Continental compound wears too easily for my liking; I'll gladly spend a little more cash, for more than twice the mileage, so long as I'm not drifting out yet!
The mesh in my tyres (Schwalbe Marathon) were what broke after several years of use with my 1990s r&m Birdy...
That foldable has a similar feel to a Brompton and you go round turns very smoothly... I always wondered if the sideways pressure was what ripped them?
For hub gears, you simply stop pedalling and change gear. Older Bromptons didn't come with the latch by the seatpost. They are enormously popular in certain cities in the UK, particularly London - where a lot of people commute from outside of the city to work inside of it. They are fairly reliable - mine is 30 years old, and while some components have failed, mostly its remained intact. Fill the tubes with slime - fixing a puncture is not for the faint of heart.
Highly recommend checking out some of the other puncture sealants, FlatOut is great, and the bottle of Stan's I got with a set of rims states it's good for in tubes as well
Depends on the gear hub and the specific transition, shimano hubs require to stop applying force for an instant on some transitions and others enter directly.
Also, Slime saved me today from a NASTY puncture from a screw.
+1 for sealant
I did not expect to see a Brompton bike on this channel! Love it! I am a proud Brompton owner and this bike is a little machine. Exceptional for multimodal transport, I toured across the state of New York on it (self supported and fully loaded), and also use it for urban rides AND shopping. If I could only keep one bike, this would be the one.
Cool to see you talk about the Brompton! For the Sturmey-Archer internal gear hub, you need to either stop pedaling to shift gears, or temporarily lighten your pedal stroke as you shift.
I’ve loved the heck out of my Brompton. It’s easily my favorite bike over my race gravel bike, MTB, road bike etc. I ride it 3-4 days a week to work 10-18 miles each way. I don’t take especially good care of it and just treat it like my beater commuter (minimal chain lube, wash it every month or two, etc). It’s been totally fine. I actually laid the bike down on a 30+ mph decent when I hit some black ice and the bike didn’t even notice. Aside from dealing with corrosion prevention in the UK wet weather, it’s really about my perfect bike. I travel with it too!
The Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub is an absolute design classic. There is a simple barrel adjuster for fine adjustment of cable tension. You change gear with no load on the pedals and it just snicks across. Middle gear (2 of 3) is a direct drive, so minimum internal friction. Top gear is middle + 33% and bottom gear (1 of 3) is middle less 25%. I rode the 3 speed Brompton recently and they had chosen just the right chainring and sprocket combination to put the middle gear exactly where I wanted it, leaving 3rd for downhill and 1st for uphill. Simple.
I never heard of Brompton bicycles in the US, but saw them everywhere when I moved to Korea! I now own and love one and am part of a passionate Brompton club here. It seems like more Brompton stores are opening up in the US and hopefully videos like this introduce more people to this weird little bike so it gains some traction in American cities!
Fancy seeing you here! Brompton is a small community for sure in the global bike scale, but man they make up for it in passion.
I own a Brompton, and I love this bike too. The ride quality is super nimble, no flex in frame, and super easy to fold. I’ve put this in the overhead compartment on southwest and jet blue (I have an extra long seat post I have to take out while I sit waiting for the flight to make it work). Been on trains with it too. It’s also fun to be part of a group of cyclists who really love their bikes. Loved this video. As a daily cyclist I love to see reviews on neat bikes. Priority also has a cool folder. Awesome video, keep em coming, definitely one of the best cyclist channels on CZcams!
I have a 24 year old Brompton M3L that I still ride daily. It has been on every continent and often does rides of 100km +. And yes, Sturmey Archer hubs are largely indestructible, but you normally don’t shift under load (freewheel or backpedal for a second and shift). Also, imagine what would have happened if you knocked the read shifter on a 7 speed tern… no more riding. Bromptons are great bikes! Rock solid and very versatile.
When I finally had a reason to buy a Brompton and got my own, I realised I should have got one much much earlier. It is still with me. It is such a great bike. It is wrong to think of it as just a good ‘folding’ bike. It is a very good bike, full stop. I love the ride and I enjoy having accessories for it. I have added the rack, bag, suspension spring block, Brooks saddle and ergo grips etc. It is now 10 years old and going strong.
They are super common in Barcelona. Sat having breakfast at a café and counted the ones going past; gave up after 20 in less than 10 minutes. Well everyone lives in the city in 6 to 7 storey buildings and no space in the flats so the fact that they fold up small is important - and they go on the train much easier than a regular bike - even the TGV/AVE to Paris which doesn't take regular bikes!
I really wish you had mentioned the Brompton World Championships where people race Bromptons. Is there any other brand which has its own manufacturer sponsored racing series? Spandex is also not allowed, a lot of people wear work clothes (in line with the commuting theme). GCN's Si raced in it this year and got second place (see video: Can "Simon Win The Brompton World Championship 2024?"). It's a cool event that looks like a lot of fun.
I own many bikes and there is something special about it. If I had to give up every bike except one, I would keep my Brompton because the super compact fold and being able to take the bicycle with me everywhere is a game changer. When I drive into the city, I can keep the bike in the car trunk, park the car, and then switch to the bicycle to avoid traffic and finding parking.
Lastly, you are supposed to stop pedaling before switching the 3 speed hub gear. In fact, if you change the gears too much while under load, it will eventually damage it.
Thank you Seth for another great video! I forced myself to become less car-needy a few years back when I had to start commuting from San Francisco to Fremont for work. I tried all types of bicycles to bridge the 16 miles I needed between work and home that wasn't covered by BART. I had a non-folder Klein mountain bike that I removed the suspension fork and added street tires. It was fine but I hated dealing with locking it up or leaving it unattended in another train section where I wasn't sitting.
I then moved to a Dahon and enjoyed the foldability but it wasn't in the same class of a Brompton's elegant and quick solution. I ended up talking with quite a few folks on the train that had Bromptons and they had them for many, many years and still works like a charm. They take them into stores and restaurants no problem because they get so small. If you live in an urban environment and take public transportation the Brompton would be worth every penny. They also give you great peace of mind since you never need to lock it up.
I ended up going the personal electric vehicle route and currently use electric unicycles to get around the urban environment. However, I would definitely consider a Brompton if I went back to bicycle mix-modal transportation. If you are an urban, mixed-modal commuter the Brompton is a worthy investment. Like you said if you ever get desperate to get the money back you barely lose anything selling them used.
I appreciate the ultimate efficiency of an Electric UniCycle; having the least drag of any powered vehicle type, is a _big_ deal...
I just don't want to dislocate my collarbone anymore, & so highly functional folding bikes are of direct interest to me!
(I'm also on the lookout for a high box truck to convert as an RV, because I've got family & friends spread out across the countryside at this point.)
That stair hop at 6:57. so good haha. I always forget that you have some good trials skills. still struggling my way through basic trials bike control and back hops.
I'm 45, been riding all my life, & would still struggle to side-hop up stairs like a ladder climb, that way.
I wouldn't even attempt the park tricks! Kudos indeed.
Ha, this is sweet, I didn't expect to ever see a Brompton on the channel! I've got two, a 2016 6 speed and a 2021 2 speed my wife rides. The 6 speed I bought for multimodal transit in London, UK and it came with me when I moved to Vancouver, BC and it fits in great here too. I prefer fewer gears and minimal accessories on these - the geared hub adds a kg in weight alone which makes a big difference when you are hauling it through a subway station or apartment building. With that said, this one needs a new saddle out of Seth's famous parts bin lol. Fun Brompton facts - you can fit four of these side by side in sedan trunk, and they also fit airplane overhead luggage bins.
Welcome to Vancouver. Never take your eyes off that bike in public. It'll disappear.
2:45 🤣🤣
I must admit, that folding process is extremely satisfying.
I live in London, UK. There's plenty of Brompton bikes here, and they're suprisingly good! There's even a good (but really expensive) third party MTB kit for it.
I absolutely love my 3-speed Brompton. I spent two and a half years doing home visits as a case manager and I just had an absolute blast on it. I honestly just look for opportunities to use it.
People specialise in delivering custom Bromptons with stuff like Rohloff hubs and different rims and tyres etc
there is a 20 inch tyre conversion kit that is absolute bananas.
@@feve6071 the main problem if you go too big with this stuff (fattie tyres, 20in rims etc) is you lose some or all of the foldability of the bike. I think i've seen versions that do manage to at least maintain some of the portability/foldability for a big gain in other areas (e.g. the comfort of fat tyres)
Sturmey Archer IGH’s will never shift when you put downward pressure on the peddle. You can only shift them when there is no torque going to the peddle. So you can either shift when coasting or shift in the upstroke. There is nothing wrong with yours, that is how they are built. I have a five speed. It’s a great hub.
Yes!! Been waiting for Seth to ride a Brompton. I have been traveling with a Brompton on a boat where space is a premium. I ride mine like my MTB. Little jumps and curbs are such fun. Seth is spot on, you can ride your Brompton pretty hard and get away with it. Looking forward to seeing some Seth travel videos on his new folder.
Sailboat or trawler? I'm a liveaboard too. Kinda wanna get one.
Recently bought my first folding bicycle. Its an Esperia Genny in turquoise with white mudguards. I feel so manly riding it! I cannot tell you how much fun I've been having taking it out on longer (10+km) rides. Because of the tiny wheels you gotta pedal like mad to make it go any speed and by the end you feel like you've covered twice the distance! 😂
I love these bike testing videos so incredibly much so much fun to watch.
The sturmey will shift if you just reduce pedal pressure a bit. You can almost pre-select if you get good at this, pre loading a gear and using your feet to time the shift. I have a 1968 Raleigh RSW with a sturmey AW gear hub. It gets oiled every few months, it will never break. I have another bike with an 84 year old Sturmey. I gave it a strip down and it just needed grease in the cones/ bearings and a clean where old oil had left dried residue. It still works. If you use the sturmey properly it will never break. The Brompton derailleur will wear the two cogs if you don’t keep them meticulously clean, I rode a Brompton around London for a year’s commuting and nothing else went wrong. It will also out drag almost any other bike off the traffic lights if piloted by somebody who is used to BMX gate starts. Neither of my Bromptons had the catch that stops it folding, must be a USA product liability measure. If things were going to get lairy, I’d put a big zip tie on it.
Flip the switch and back-pedal. Sturmey-Archer gearing is gold.
I own a C line since 2021 and I fell in love with the bicycle. It’s great for commuting, grocery shopping, and simply just going somewhere with. Yes, unfortunately not every place can you bring the bicycle inside. I believe it’s worth the price if you can replace your car with something more tiny like this bicycle, and if you are not bothered by weather or massive hills.
Brompton community clutches their pearls and gasps in awe as Seth abuses it in the streets and skatepark
I love my Brompton, I take it on MTB camp trips, collect fire wood, ride to the market grocery shopping (without the hassle of breaking down camp to drive my truck camper.) I take it on our yacht trips on the Aegean Sea, easy to stow in the engine room, and great to ride around Greece and Turkey while docked.
.I take on the planes, subways, and buses. I am in Whistler right now and have it with me to run errands, grocery shop etc. I wouldn’t want to risk my MTB bikes getting stolen and the Brompton has the bags up front and the luggage rack. Tons of room for shopping . It is a real fun, practical bike with a ton of functional features.
Seth, I hope you enjoy it! Cheers 🎉🎉!
5:27 "talking to redditors" is pretty far down my list of reasons why I want to buy a bike.
🤣
Which one will let me _avoid_ that, actually?
I bought one in 2012 and it's been worth every penny. I've hit pump tracks and jumps, commuted, bike packed, and flown with it as a carry on (gate checked) because it's the only bike that can fit through the X-ray machine. And it'll never get stolen because you can take it anywhere indoors.
12 years on and it's still my favorite bike.
We have his-n-hers Bromptons and we love them. I initially bought a Tern, but quickly realised that I needed to bite the bullet and get the foldin’ money out and get a Brompton. It’ll take any abuse I can throw at it.
Thanks Seth for spreading the word. 😊👍🏻👍🏻
I 😮💨 a little when the Brompton wheels left the ground 😂
Probably the first times i seen a Brompton being treated like a BMX haha 😂 just passed the new bike phase for me with a Cline
If you replace the little wheels on the rear rack with 72 mm rollerblade wheels, the bike rolls much more easily when in shopping cart mode.
It's always strange to me, that neither of the main wheels work to just roll on while folded. It seems rare for _any_ folding bike to roll on its wheels when folded; could someone name one that does?
I collect vintage folding bikes and non folders with small wheels, but I've never had a Brompton. However I do have a Moulton; the first bike ever with full suspension back in 1963
Bromptons are pretty perfect for use in London where they were invented. Cycle to work, easily bring it in, take it back on the tube if you don't wanna cycle in the rain or plans change. It's pretty great! I just dislike the look of it
It's grown on me.
@@sandydennylives1392As you get used to the usefulness and sheer design excellence of the Brompton, its looks begin to look purposeful and "normal." In the end, conventional bikes start to appear lumbering and distinctly oversize.
@@effyleven I've had one for nearly 2 years. No complaints, except having to pump up the tires every 24 hours. I have a racing bike when I need more speed and distance.
Thanks Seth. You do the kinds of reviews that I want to watch. There's no dead air or lengthy repetitive diatribe. Just great shots of how we would look at it if we were standing right there with you. I learned 26 inch bike skills as a 4 foot something youngster in the 1960's on a women's frame with a Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub. It wasn't even a new bike. Sturmey Archer must be doing it right because they have been doing it for a long time.
Brompton: "Here's a bullet proof bike. Enjoy!"
Seth: "Hold my beer..."
Interesting Brompton fact: The IKEA Dimpa bag fits a Brompton perfectly, quite inexpensive, too.
And yeah, ease up/stop pedaling when shifting the Sturmey!
I own a six speed Brommy Superlight-titanium fork and rear triangle, plus added a Brooks titanium rail saddle-and I love it.
Also-Brompton just came out with a twelve speed! Aaaand...I swapped in a 44 tooth front chainring for the standard 54 on my six speed🙌
2:48 you crashed?!
Seth buying and "stress-testing" weird bikes is essentially a staple of this channel at this point 😂
0:42 This is why we watch.
My commute takes me and my Brompton to a transit center with a skate park right next to it. I always wondered what the bike could do, and if those hinges could take the strain. Thanks for showing us what it can do. Doing things the Brompton wasn't designed for, on a Brompton, is firmly within the Brompton tradition.
Still waiting for a Sam Pilgrim Colab 😂
For those of us that appreciate practical engineering Brompton is the greatest thing on two wheels! It folds quickly and unfolds twice as fast. The ride is smooth.
The only problem for me is a nasty plant called a "Goat Head". Imagine a small seed pod with a 3mm spike sticking out. These little buggers deflate high pressure tires in under 2 minutes. (Brompton recommends 100psi). The front wheel is easily removed and the tube can be replaced in about 15 min. The rear wheel is a bit more tricky.
I've had my Brompton Folder for over 10 years now. Given it's durability I consider the $1400 a worthwhile investment.
If you want to really stand out, you might want to investigate Britains other unique 2 wheel creation the Moulton. It doesn't fold but does break into two 1:06 parts for space saving transport.
Life is too short to let name calling party poopers discourage us from taking pleasure in artwork or clever engineering.
I swear by a double helping of nice thick tube sealant, to eliminate goat-head issues. Literally zero, that way.
I recently discovered that some of the same tires & tread patterns I'd been riding, were available in a low-pressure tire... (32 PSI max instead of 60, on the same tread & compound!) A vaguely suspension-bridge style weave design in the sidewalls, allows them to be thinner without distending. That thinner sidewall exerts less drag when compressed by rolling, but _it also gets fewer flats!_
I hadn't anticipated the lower pressure & more supple tire, rolling over without puncture, more often, but it makes sense in retrospect.
I'm super pleased with the improved performance & reliability, & will gladly spend more to select low pressure tires whenever possible, from now on.
More efficient, more comfortable, _and_ fewer flats? Yes please!
There’s a very posh British man out there who lost all his tea and crumpets watching this video.
At 11:02 Seth, that “I gotta do something with this bike” mentality is what broke your clavicle at Berm Creek! I love the sketch antics, but in the rain too? Keep yourself intact for you and your family (and us!). Keep up the great work though!!
Best brompton test/review ever
The most user friendly Brompton I owned was a 2 gear as it was light and all you needed and because of the simplicity of the drive train you could do all this chucking around the place - better. I paid about £300 inc the rail fare to Liverpool and sold it for the same money. I felt inspired to chuck it around because it was light and felt like I jolly well should as an inspirational 2nd hand bike.
funny how a cop drove right by at 1:40 😂
My parents have one and while it is rarely used, my dad uses his e-Trekking bike the most, it's so fun. And small. And practical.
4:35 with an igh you normally want to shift while coasting, not when pedaling so exactly the other way round as youd do on a normal casette.
Yes, those internal gear hubs like the brompton has require now pressure on the gears to make a shift.
It is NOT necessary to stop pedalling to change the hub gears. It never has been necessary.
But it IS important to take the *pressure* off them... that is, keep them spinning but in a NO LOAD condition.
Note: This is exactly the same technique as commonly applied to dérailleur gears, meaning hub and dérailleur gears of a Brompton can be changed at the SAME TIME, if you wish. I do it all the time.
The difference is, hub gears CAN be changed when you are stationary, but again, there must not be any real weight on the pedals as you affect the change.
I'm sure you've been told many times already but you are shifting the Sturmey Archer incorrectly. Like many gear hubs, when shifting down, you can't be pedaling. However when shifting up it's fine to pedal. In terms of reliability, the Sturmey Archer is bulletproof. It's probably the most reliable part of the bike. I've seen hubs from the 70's still going strong. The 2 speed derailleur is also really reliable, because it's so simple. You may need to give it a clean every now and then, but generally when servicing these we never need to make adjustments. The new 4 speed derailleur that Brompton have brought out, which is also proprietary, is a different story however.
The Brompton was born in London, a place where the compact fold is required for the underground and really has no competitor. Your model is the more expensive 6-speed, but you can get entry level models with fewer gears for £1100, which is a bargain when you consider what it allows you to do, which is something no other bike can offer.
Also, they hold their value so well because they have such great reliability, but also because, unlike most products these days, the majority of people aren't paying the money for the way it looks, they're paying for what it allows them to do - it's a tool. And the best-in-class tools always carry a heavy price tag.
You have to admire Seth’s determination. Good call on calling it a day, we don’t need to see you on crutches again! Thx! (Not a Brampton owner) lol.
Have an early 3 speed Brompton. Managed to blow out one of the rear rims cycling to work one day and not fall off but come to a controlled halt! Love your skills. A good addition to a bicycle collection.
Cool video
All I can think of is the Mr B song Paper Plates where he says "this song is not about my Brompton" then uses the word Brompton as his backing vocals on loop. Take a drink every time you say Brompton! Lol
Brompton needs to put disc brakes on this bike
It's an optional feature, actually.
If Seth wants to try a double suspension folder with disc brakes, he should give a Birdy a whirl. 18" rather than 16" wheels, options for derailleur gears, and a monococque frame. It doesn't fold as neatly or quite as small as a Brompton, though they are still small enough to take as hand luggage on UK trains without booking them in to one of a limited number of bike spaces.
I love brompton's! I ride 1.5 miles to the train station and then another mile at the other end to the office and the same home and it's just such a nice vibe!
0:21 the way that front wheel is dragging it's gonna create a flat spot
Its not dragging its spinning freely. It rolls when it touches the floor.
A nearly new second hand one in the UK is 30% of the price in the states. My A line Titanium model cost me £285 on Ebay in mint condition 😂
__
The gears will outlast any of us. They just don’t change under load.
Precisely. Derailleurs are pedal-while-shifting--with IGH, you shift 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 pedal.
I did a photo shoot for Brompton years ago while in the midst of a shoulder rehab. I made the Brompton reps from UK heads spin off when I took the luxury model off road in the Marin Headlands. Photos are somewhere on instagram. Stoked to see Brompton is embracing the more rugged sides of cycling with the new gravelish model.
Video starts at 0:01
No way , thats insane
thanks
I just purchased my second Brompton, a P Line with 4 speeds. My original M6R was giving away to my nephew as birthday gift after using it for over 6 years. For moving the Brompton in a supermarket with tight corners, I recommend to install two omni wheels for easy movement.
This bike has an amazing vibe. The look accessories are so cool. I'd be scared about getting it stolen though, and I don't want to bring a bike with me into every building that I enter, especially if my wheels got wet or muddy. Granted, the rack with the little wheels seems to help with that.
The “unchanged” aspect is really appealing, hence why I like older steel bikes and older components so much.
I’ve also NEVER seen anyone else use a Mous phone mount and case so I’m glad to see there’s someone else using one!
Where I see these use a lot are people who live on boats or those with smaller airplanes. In both those cases it is totally worth it to have something mobile to get you around at your destination but that packs down small. Also in both cases those type of people aren't too worried about the price.
I drive to the train with my Brompton every day and ride it the last 3 miles after train ride to the office. I love my Brompton. Game changer.
coming from a small mechanic when you have a built in hub transmission you should shift while not pedalling i have one on my pegas strada and if you get experienced enough you can kinda revmatch
Another great video! I now own the second Brompton bike. Unfortunately, I sold my previous bike during COVID, when I thought I will never go back to the office. I bought my current (used 6 speed) for the last mile from the train to the office. It’s a great little bike that does it all, especially in the city. It’s totally worth the money!
The integration of suspension with the folding mechanism is so smart.
Hey seth I think you should bring back the flip bike series. I wasn't surprised when I saw you doing jumps and 360s on it keep on shredding 🤙
Loved my 3 gear Brompton. Perfect for London. Hides under desks at work, restaurant tables and easily stowed on trains. Took me ages before I realised it rode multitudes better without changes of clothes, lunch, water bottle, laptop..etc in the bag above the front wheel.. who knew?
Brompton has the smallest footprint for a folding bike PERIOD That and that alone will give you GREAT peace of mind !! .......The one thing you should not do is ride a Brompton or any small radius wheel ( 16 inch and smaller ) off a kerb or profile because that is the way to get a puncture very easily... The Brompton is PERFECT for any city with apartments or where you ride a lot to fetch groceries , buy things . visit doctors or for any purpose etc etc etc .. The whole point is your bike will not get stolen or will you have to worry if it has been stolen when you have it at your side always. Yes Brompton is brilliant for New York , London , Paris etc ! And it rides GREAT ! You will love it if you are very active in the city and want to save time . You not only get fit you save money on taxi fees , bus , subway and quite often than not you get to your destination quicker than a car BONUS is you do not need to look for somewhere to PArk which in itself can be a very stressful thing in big cities !