This bike is practical. It’s hand built in the UK. Its engineering is smart and robust. It’s ingenious.

And it’s likely to see me laughed at by school kids on the street.

It’s a Brompton.^[1]

These folding bikes are a work of art. They’re engineered to the highest quality and it’s design is second to none in it’s niche. For a compact folding bike, this is perfection.

The Brompton

To some. the Brompton looks like an old women’s shopping bike. To me, it looks like the ultimate cool in green transport for the urban wannabe hippy. Whenever I see an office monkey (hey, I’m an office monkey too, don’t be offended) using one of these I feel a sliver of hope for a less oil dependant society.

But school kids point and laugh. They ask if I can’t afford a real bike (they’d die laughing if I told them how much it actually cost).

This designers deserve all the plaudit’s they get. And they get a few^[2], the Brompton is considered by many to be the ultimate in affordable folding cycles. It has been designed for the commuter who wants to use a combination of public transport and cycles for their journey. It can be folded and unfolded in 20 seconds so you could cycle up to the bus stop and before the driver has had chance to open the doors be ready to board with your cycle packaged neatly for carrying. It’s green transport for the person who wants a door to door solution for their travel.

A great deal of thought has gone into every aspect of the bike, from the clever hinges and locks to the fixing of the folded bike. Small hooks and the dropping of the seat post keeps the bike locked in a folded position making it easy to carry.

Bromptons are built like tanks. They are a good solid bike and having small wheels are capable of carrying surprisingly heavy loads. The frame is reassuringly solid, even at it’s hinges. Everything about the bike feels strong and safe. Everything bar one thing. The handle bars on the M Type are made of an alloy to save weight and this feels a little less sturdy than the rest of the bike. However, it’s a very small criticism and it doesn’t feel too “light”

The folded Brompton

The folding left pedal

First Stage of unfolding

Second Stage of unfolding

Third Stage of unfolding

Finally, flick the rear wheel into place

The bike isn’t designed for the long journey, though one nutter cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats on one^[3]. A journey I found tough on a road bike!

I have used it for my first commute this morning purely because the weather wasn’t great and I didn’t fancy using my road bike. In fact, I’m hoping to use the Brompton as little as possible because it’s the back up plan for my commute when either the weather is too rough for a 20 mile commute, or I’m not feeling well enough for it.

So how have my test rides gone?

Well, it’s a little twitchy due to it’s small wheels but not too unstable, however care must be taken when looking behind, especially one handed. It has an upright riding position which to someone used to road and mountain bikes is a rather strange affair, though very comfortable.

It’s top speed is a rather relaxed pace, and screaming downhill I think it topped out at under 20 mph.

Climbing is tough because of the limited gearing (mine has 6 gears). You can change the gearing by changing the rear sprockets to match your riding style. Stronger riders might forgo the lower gears being happy to plough up hills for an extra bit of speed. Others might relinquish some speed to make the hills easier to climb. I think I’m happy with the standard configuration. I haven’t bought the bike to race and intend to plod around at a relaxed pace. I don’t want to work up a sweat on the bike and will be using it in place of some car journeys I currently make. So I want to cycle in normal clothes and not arrive smelling like the armpit of a sumo wrestler fresh from a sauna.

The bike has an extremely tight turning circle and it’s happy to be thrown into corners and traffic islands at relative speed without getting out of shape too much. Having a low Bottom Bracket means that when throwing the bike into a fast tight corner, pedalling is a no-no. The cranks are long enough to see the pedals hit the ground on their low point so keeping the inside pedal high on a turn would be good practice.

I have noticed that motorists seem to be a little more impatient with me on this bike compared to my experience on the road bike. Cars come in closer and are quicker to overtake when perhaps a little unsafe to do so. Riding to Bikeability^[4] standards and applying the theory of BIG^[5] are all the more important when riding a Brommie.

I don’t think the Brompton is the best all round bike. I don’t think it’s even the best all round folding bike. But it is the best compact folder for the commuter or rider that covers short distances and/or integrates their ride with public transport. Being low maintenance the bike and reliable it’s a great “everyday” bike for the local shop/pub/work run. However, no speed records are likely to be broken and it’s not great as a mile-eater.

For me, it’s perfect for the job it’s designed to do.

And it’s bloomin’ good fun to ride too.

Keep Pedallin'

Gazza.
August 2007

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