These Gearbox Folding Bikes Will Blow Your Mind (Custom Bromptons!)

[@Cyclingabout]

I hope you liked this video! Which upgrades would make a Brompton especially appealing to you? The gearbox drivetrain, belt drive, larger diameter wheels, bigger frame sizing or disc brakes? 🤔😎😊

[@qzrnuiqntp]

Well, in my opinion it's difficult to upgrade such a bike like a Brompton, as it is dedicated to a specific use. Perhaps the Brompton can be a little bigger and heavier for tall people, but obviously the smaller and less strong ones will still enjoy the lighter and smaller version. In that perspective, all the "upgrades" I would enjoy put together turn the Brompton into something else, the bike I may use, but certainly not many current users of a Brompton bike would. I would enjoy a smart gearbox like the Kindernay VII, not a belt drive because I'm fond of "oval" chainrings, but much bigger wheels and tyres. High quality steel or titanium frame. And I would not buy a new bike that is not sold tubeless. In fact, I just want my perfect city bike to be easier to carry. But this is not the basic Brompton concept... Anyway, that would and certainly will be so great to have a wide range of different bikes fitting many different uses and people.

[@sonigo]

I'd be particularly interested in a belt drive and gearbox drivetrain. Will be curious to see if Brompton adopts any of those in the future. I recently received a Helix folding bike with 24" wheels and an Alfine drive train. The folded size is quite compact and tide quality is much closer to a full sized bike. I'd love to get your opinion on it in a future video.

[@Goodman-4525]

I absolutely dispise the fact that Brompton are just sitting on their palms raking in the cash from a 50 year old design. The constant use of proprietary parts or outdated standards when I know they have the R&D to implement modern QR standards is just absolutely maddening

[@jonabub]

@@Goodman-4525 That's not the reason at all. The reason is the tight window that they try to fit in, size-wise and because everything is necessarily backwards-compatible. That's what made it a great bike in the first place. Where parts of other manufacturers didn't hinder the folding size or other functions they implemented them. Many of the changes displayed here will permanently take away the compatibility or folding size.

[@kam_iko]

brompton says that a belt drive is “not possible”, as folding the bike bends the belt, which is not recommended by the (belt) manufacturer 🤦‍♂️

[@fredecks4641]

I tour on a Bike Friday that I built up myself with belt drive and Rohloff (4 continents so far). I love that I can pack the bike into a suitcase to avoid airline fees. I've always been envious of Brompton's super-tiny folded size, but I chose Bike Friday for the standard components throughout. The wheel dropouts are standard (100/135mm). The bottom bracket is standard. The brake bosses are standard. The headset is standard. I can buy just the frame (as I did), and build it up with exactly the componentry I want (as I did), to create the exact bike I want and love. If Brompton used standard dropout widths, brake mounts, headsets, etc., I'd be all over it. I'm jealous of how tiny they fold, but I've got my Bike Friday built precisely the way I love it!

[@pantaraxia]

Which BF? I had a Tikit for a few months and sold it. It compared unfavorably with my Brompton: same wheel size but much bulkier when folded, and the handlebar post flexed annoyingly.

[@markg1531]

@@pantaraxiaMe too. I was very happy to replace my two BFs with Bromptons. I like them much better.

[@mplsmark222]

I’ve got a Bike Friday and have never owned a Brompton. I marvel at the folding of the Brompton. Such amazing product design and engineering. To me, there are too many compromises in the setup and one size fits all idea of the Brompton, doesn’t work for me. Plus, all that Brompton parts and accessories seem to be priced at a hefty premium. I wish the BF had a quicker fold, like the Brompton, but that will never happen. For the way I use the bike, it’s BF for me. If I lived in London or New York City, I’d probably choose the Brompton or a clone. The Brompton is a true folding bike, the BF, is a bike that can fold, to me, there is a difference,.

[@captbeardy]

Given that Brompton have struggled for avery many years to keep up with demand, there is little incentive for them to increase the range of options and they know that those,that have the desire for improvements the aftermarket builders already exist. The main reasons for the eye watering costs are Brompton continued commitment to their London based manufacturing, many other companies would and do move their manufacturing overseas as soon they become successful. On top of this, as stated above, they sell everything they can make, so the evidence would suggest that their market is not price sensitive. BTW, The titanium frame set has been available for a number of years.

[@MrJofArnold]

The thing about them insisting on building London is incorrect. They are building a new factory in Ashford and the T is made in Sheffield

[@chrishowell5718]

@@MrJofArnold The point about London is that they haven't moved manufacturing *overseas*, as many manufacturers do. Moving to Ashford hardly refutes that. Sheffield is also still in the UK.

[@jamesmitchell2041]

The titanium forks and rear triangle have been available for a number of years, the main frame has not. Unless you are referring to the aftermarket knockoffs?

[@112chapters3]

Id assume you work for BBC as you thinm London means UK

[@chrishowell5718]

@@112chapters3 if you want to conflate moving from London to a purpose-built factory in Kent (and outsourcing Ti fabrication to a specialist facility in Sheffield) with moving manufacturing to the Far East then that's fine. To me though that speaks of a more London-centric mindset than saying that moving to Kent is still locally-produced.

[@bikelove9039]

Great review of Brompton aftermarket upgrades. I run a bicycle repair shop a few doors along from Ben @ Kinetic’s and l love seeing the work he does with Brompton’s in making them a more usable bicycle, in fact the silver one with the massive 16 x3 inch tyres has a set of my Loveguards on it. Without people like Ben and Vincent making products the bicycle market world would be a bit boring.

[@52blackshadow]

Could you run over to Kinetics for me and ask them why they don't answer emails? And I am not the only one that is wondering.

[@freredaran]

A pinion gearbox Brompton with 18" wheels, 2" Big Apple tires and a belt drive: what an absolutely spot-on conclusion to this gorgeous video!

[@2Bikes4Adventure]

When going through impassable bike paths with our Brompton, we tell ourselves, Alee would like it here! Glad our channel was of assistance in the production of this great video.

[@Cyclingabout]

Thanks for *your* great videos! You guys are using some excellent visuals to convey pretty dense information. It's been fun to go through your channel to see how you break everything down. Keep it up!

[@NoZenith]

@2Bikes4Adventure 🤗 love you two!

[@christophggcyrus6861]

Pretty interesting - new for me. My favorite would be a Pinion Gearbox, the top-notch Schwalbe tires, disc-brakes, titanium frame. Belt train not to forget 😇

[@52blackshadow]

I want the same.

[@letsif]

This is the kind of video I've been waiting for. The small Brompton fold is the essence of design, the weight and cost of a standard Bromy being the main criticism. It is, after all an urban bike, and suits that purpose beautifully. These superior upgrades are for those who want the ultimate versatility regardless of cost. Belt drives and pinion gear are a very desirable upgrade for performance and practicality. The original Brompton isn't perfect, as you say, but suits most urban riders needs. Thanks for this excellent revue.

[@vizdrum9640]

Finally a sensible remark ! Imagine if Brompton started doing some of the modifications he suggests... the price ! He misses the point that if Bromptons are NOT more expensive it is specifically because they only have ONE STANDARD PRODUCT

[@danhoang6335]

My Brompton was upgraded with Kinetic's rear frame and Alfine 11-speed hub. It is a huge difference from the original 6-speed yet minimal penalty in weight and compactness.

[@damian6527]

How much did you pay for such upgrade?

[@qzrnuiqntp]

Very interesting!

[@thatchanguy]

Which Brompton line? C line?

[@52blackshadow]

Two years on...and you still can't get a setup like you have from the Brompton factory. Or any of these other modifications either.

[@dwizzyvid]

Cool to see Eerder Metaal futured here! I've met Vincent a few times when my sister had a Brompton shop, loved picking his brain.

[@robinrai4973]

I'm all for upgrades so long as it doesn't really compromise its folding size, that is the whole point of it afterall!

[@Goodman-4525]

I asked Eerdermetaal and he said he does want to make his rear triangle and forks more accessible and god I can't wait for him to do that.

[@ianji]

In London UK, there are restrictions on taking regular bikes on trains but folding bikes are allowed. I recalled that there was a wheel size limit for folding bikes but checking online it seems the limit is 20" so even the biggest wheels featured should be OK. There are probably a lot of lockers around that are just big enough for a regular Brompton so you might be stuck if you have a bigger one. My solution for going in to London during busy periods is a micro kick scooter (not electric). Half the weight of a standard Brompton and one fifth the price. I know it is not as quick as a bike and you miss out on rack and panniers, but it is much faster than walking for the same effort. At first I was having trouble scooting any significant distance but I quickly discovered that the key is to swap legs every five kicks, then I can keep going indefinitely and keep up with the slower cyclists.

[@alexgonzalez-davidson709]

As an avid cyclist who: a. Likes to be away from tarmac; b. Often has to travel (with the bike) on trains, buses, planes, etc.; c. enjoys cycling very steep hills; d. loves short bike touring - camping trips (3/4 days max); and e. commutes by bicycle; I am yet to come across a bicycle that serves all my needs. After watching this video, I guess that a Brompton with 18 inch wheels, 2 or so inch tires, and an internal gear hub could be a great balance between all of the above. It would be expensive (€4K at least) and a bit heavy but still better than my current set up, which is more than 2 (not cheap) bikes in several locations… Thanks either way Alan for yet another great video, can’t wait until you get to Northern Thailand and do one on the awesome Mae Hong Son loop, off road ideally. I do it several times a year and it just keeps getting better. 😊

[@dysphoricpeach]

thank you SO MUCH for making this video! i’ve been all over the internet trying to find info on this stuff, and it just popped up in my recommended! i couldn’t find anyone who had put a belt drive and custom igh on a brompton. and the wheel size stuff is something i needed that i hadn’t even thought about. i kinda hope bromptom doesn’t make this stuff, because if they do, they’ll make it egregiously expensive. what i /would/ like is a definitive place for all things aftermarket brompton, where i can know from others’ experiences the quality of certain aftermarket parts, their compatibility, and the trade offs that come with making a custom brompton

[@siffoine]

They have their perfect niche and brand. In that position the companies rarely benefit from expanding, at least on such a competitive market

[@marcalvarez4890]

Ask Kodak and Zerox how that business plan worked for them.

[@siffoine]

@@marcalvarez4890 To be fair, both of the products of theirs got completely replaced, so they had no choice but to try something else. They were also far from niche from the beginning. With Brompton it is a little different situation, I’m sure Brompton could invest in other varieties, but that would eat up the sales of their current offering and would probably offer very little in return.

[@sitoudien9816]

Evolve or die.

[@thetessellater9163]

@@marcalvarez4890 - Kodak was founded in 1888, and have entirely changed what they make over the years. Xerox, founded 1908, developed a product no-one else was making at the time, and still have very few subsequent competitors. Brompton are just one of the many folding bike makers, and one of thousands of bike makers, so not a very good comparison with the two companies you suggest, though I see your point.

[@SergeRychkov]

It's better to buy the cheapest A line Brompton (€995) and put a belt drive with Alfine 11 hub and disc brakes. C line (>€1435) and P line (>€2600) cost more for nothing in this case, since most of the expensive stuff will be replaced.

[@normawingo5116]

I hope Brompton comes out with super lite, larger wheel, and internal gear hub, that’s what I’d buy. Not interested in months of downtime doing aftermarket tho. Great video packed with info, as usual. Your videos are the ones I measure all other bike videos against. Much info and you have integrity. Thank you for spending time to help me.

I'm 195cm tall, and find the position on my Brompton to be quite comfy. I would not mind a lighter frame with a 12/9 pinion box, belt drive, and the better cushioned tires though. Those tiny tires to get stuck on even bad cobblestone. I've been meaning to get that upgrade for years. (I have the 18 speed on my travel bike and think that'd be overkill for the Brompton.)

[@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188]

I have had a Chinese copy of an English, triangle "folding bike" type with a belt drive, and besides feeling like a "slightly trained Jellyfish", the belt-drive wasn't that effective. Today I have a former Topmodel, a LighthweightH6LXBrompton 6 gear folding bike, besides with a titanium fork- and back triangle, also with some lighter titanium ad-ons, like a new seat post and a carbon handlebar. I have searched for a carbon stem post, but without any luck?

[@felixhaimson8921]

The Tern Verge S8i is also a good example of a folding bike that comes stock with a belt and gearbox drivetrain.

[@rdwilander]

I think the belt drive and larger ring is a great option as a rookie on this subject but less maintenance and more reliability/durability seems to make sense for most customers

[@nateums]

Love this, I own a wide range brompton, and have already modified it to 21 gear inches with just a chainring swap. I think these are the ultimate utilitarian bikes if you look at amount of volume they take. I hope brompton gives the option of a factory-made rear triangle and allows the customization options you listed. As far as taller riders, they'd have to also sell mid-frames that are larger... i really don't see how this will be so hard to implement.

[@po311737]

what Brompton actually do is changing the color and sell it for "special edition"

[@thomashosch930]

I really like my Brompton. It is expensive however they keep their value well. I put ergon grips on mine as my hands would go numb on longer rides. The new grips gives me another hand position and doesn't effect the fold. No longer have a problem with numbness. Mostly I use the Brompton for going to Church and grocery shopping. I can put it in a shopping cart and don't have to worry about it getting stolen. All my groceries for a week can fit in the bags. It's not my only bicycle. But I don't have a car so at least in my own eyes I can justify the cost. If I'm rebuilding, doing maintenance on a bike I just ride a different one. Really appreciate the information you have provided. Based on your recommendation my son got a Kona Sutra. It is a very good bike for the money. Love your videos of South and Central America. All the best to you.

[@markachternaam5207]

Alee, I have been following you for years, and never heard you talk about Bromptons before. Then I just bought a well used 2006 Brompton a few weeks ago and started rebuilding it this afternoon. After long evening hard work on the bike, I opened youtube and saw you dropped this video. Such a coincidence! Love riding the Brompton, but on day 1 of the rebuild I have to say it's peculiar bike to work on.

[@Cyclingabout]

Folding bikes are one of my interests, but less so since I became a full-time nomad. I've travelled across half a dozen countries with folding bikes!

[@posteroonie]

I'd like a 24" folder with 2" tires, belt drive, and an internal hub. If Brompton doesn't come out with a larger model I'll just let the after-market provide the whole bicycle. :)

[@jameshcox]

Thanks for this video. I'd always wondered why my average speed on the Brompton was 1km lower than on my 'normal' bike - maybe its the small wheel. Even so, larger wheel is not an upgrade I'll make.

[@whirving]

What timing! I've recently revived an old prototype bike. When I worked at Bike Friday I made the second of 2 prototype 16" wheeled beam suspension folders designed to fit in an airline carry on bag. Currently I am sourcing parts to get this belated project rolling. So far very few snags, I even put on Schwalbe's "Brompton" touring tire. It should be a fun bike, the rear wheel is currently built with an old Sachs 3x7 hub, but that may be an issue due to parts availability. It's actually a nice looking bike and fits me (I'm 5' 9") with room to spare. Brompton has really improved and is now one of the best folders made in my opinion. I would love to visit the factory!

[@fredgaine1330]

I've owned a Kinetics built Brompton for a couple years now. It has 11 internal gears, belt drive and disc brakes. Favourite toy ever: I like it more than my road bike and other folding bike combined! I'd like to be able to fit big tyres on it so I don't get a puncture every time I hit a bit of gravel, but it looks like the only option is to change wheel size...

[@meera6024]

Very good to hear about your positive experience with the Kinetics build. I’m looking so this exact same build, but with 18inch Big Apple tyres.

[@cjaus]

I think, that a gearbox with a felt drive will come soon. A new design with 20 inch wheels, gearbox and felt drive would attract many new customers and will also come in some years.

[@Simonliew81]

Very good and extensive coverage on modified brompton!

[@robertokeefe101]

Great video! Having interviewed recently with Brompton, I know for a fact that they are looking at the aftermarket market and innovating new products to meet customers needs and desires. They are not standing still, though I understand there is a lot of work needed to take a new product to mass production.

[@stefan_brix]

Very good video with a really wide overview of alle the options available for Bromptons. One of my Bromptons is a Big-Apple-Rohloff-Conversion with new fork and new rear triangle from Kinetics. I just wanted to have a Brompton with Rohloff and the Big Apple 50-305 Tires are more or less just an "experiment". The bike runs really good and the tires offer greater comfort and greater "control" on rougher ground. But they are significantly smaller in outer diameter than the standard 35-349. That means the "Big Apple-Option" has two drawbacks: 1. It compromises the drive train, because you have to use the crazy 13 teeth sprocket (which lead to an even wider chainline with the Rohloff!) or you choose a crazy big chain wheel in the front with 58 teeth (what I do) and a 15 teeth sprocket. 2. A new fork with 100 mm width and disc brake is mandatory which makes the bike another 26 mm wider (in addition to the 23 mm of the rear triangle). Yeah, that does not sound much, but it often makes the difference if the folded bike will fit between to seats on a train or any other "place for luggage". The Rohloff drivetrain is great of course, but it adds a lot of weight to the bike. The rear triangle from Kinetics (I bought one with integrated rack) is nearly perfect, but the pedals can no longer moved freely, during the foldings process, so you have to think about a correct position before folding. This is because of the 135 mm width, but mainly because of the disc brake. I use my Brompton regularly during business-trips by train (mostly german ICE), where it must be folded as small as possible to fit into the (way to small!) luggage-places. On the other hand I am riding up to 25 km per day in hilly, sometimes rougher terrain, which requires a better drivetrain than the original Bromptons have (all my Bromptons have mudguards (extended, with real rubber flaps) and dynamo-light of course). My overall experience is: All Bromptons come with poor drivetrains and the original Brompton is really hard to optimize. 1. The best thing would be a internal geared hub of high quality that fit in the small 112 mm spacing of the rear triangel. A compromise could be a custom made rear triangel with 135 mm spacing, but without(!) disc brakes, I think it would be possible to rotate the pedals freely, when folded. 2. A belt drive would be great 3. Maybe hydraulic rim brakes ...

[@gvp999999]

7:14 What's left of the original bike on this? For what it's costing you may as well be getting a custom bike made to start with.

[@vanderslagmulders]

only adding incremental improvements and leaving the rest to the aftermarket is a pretty smart move that has worked really well. Although the full titanium version and now the 12 gears version are pretty radical by their standards, and i love what they did there.

[@rosserobertolli]

Nice video! I really like the brompton races :D We did do some testing with velomobiles with tire width and came to the conclusion that wider tires have less rolling resistance than narrower ones (with an increase in drag on normal bikes, but not on velomobiles). I think that's also partly the reason why road bikes are going up in width. If you think about it, a tire at a certain pressure will always have the same (flat, therefore deformed) contact patch with the road. A narrow tire will have a longer patch (and thus deeper in the center and more elongation/contraction/rubbing lengthwise) and a wider tire will have a wider patch with less deformation and resistance since it's already wider and deeper.

[@datalaforge]

I owned a Brompton for a few years as my only bike/vehicle and I loved it. It was an M6R with a dynamo. If I were to do it again, I'd get a S1L and just use a battery powered light setup. No rack needed, I'd just get a front bag.

[@entltyq]

People should really report on Helix titanium folding bicycles. Versatile, well built, but very expensive. They are also Electric-ready.

[@orenaofer]

Definitely want to see more reports about the Helix!

[@jonabub]

I don't think they should ever change anything that's giving up on the backwards compatibility of the bromptons. In my opinion that's what makes brompton the greates bikes in the world, period. They already fit almost anyone, they hold up a lifetime and they are extremely price-stable because of their resell-value. That said, and as long as they would always keep their old and small models available, there is some combinations i could imagine: Smaller diameter, wider tires, longer rear triangle and longer travel of the rear suspension plus front suspension and front motor would be a fun sand ride. Slightly larger diameter as a road bike, but with aero bags in the front and read (UCI rules don't matter anyhow, so embrace it). Slightly larger and MTB-configuration but with a bit more suspension than Eerder-Metals version. I certainly want the recumbent version back that the woman who offered the enhances size Brompton also developed. But this time with a motor option and belt drive option. A cheap starter version of a brompton. A tool to get newbies hooked for a cheap price that allows for loads of upgrades. A brompton tandem that folds into two. A brompton long john that folds into two parts, a cart and the folded brompton. And certainly a brompton tall bike that can be seperated into two bikes. In an ideal world all of the above would offer any gearing available and have disc brakes. But tbh, usual brakes work fine if tuned correctly. But all those dreams aside: Bromptons are the most perfect compromise if you could only have one bike. Before anyone complains: I know, the rule is n+1 and therefore Bromptons should just be the first bike you get when you're a kid as they grow with you and can always go with you. (And i would have strongly disagreed with that before i owned one out of necessity for my commute.) Great overview though and for further research i can recommend bromptonauten.de

[@giz7138]

Brompton are building a new factory at Ashford. This is obviously part of a plan to expand production, hopefully they will also mean a wider range of models and perhaps even some degree of customisation. I'd love a belt drive Brompton. My current commuter bike has a Shimano 8-speed hub, Gates belt-drive and hydraulic discs - I'd love a Bromtpn with similar spec because it really is the ideal city bike spec.

[@alexmorgan3435]

Not just city bike, but touring, expedition, mtb, any where there is dirt muck wet and grime a belt beats a primitive Flinstone's derailleur drive train. End of.

[@atomicsmith]

Man that pinion gearbox looks so 'right' on the Brompton.

[@Rick--A-F]

Riding a Brompton on the flat, or down hill is great fun thanks to it's sharp steering. Riding up hill isn't so much fun though which is why I sold mine as I live in a hilly area and just wanted to try one out.

[@jmanuelforero3850]

Great video. Still need to explore the ebike options for Bromptons. There are 3-4 options with the battery located in different areas, from the handlebar to within the rear hub motor itself. Look forward to seeing a video like that.

[@radlphil]

Another well made and informative video. Thx! I've been riding bromptons since 2001. I still own one with a 1" fork. It flexes more than my new one. I was actually very positively surprised by your video, because I just felt a need to have a more versatile Brompton and I just started with some research. This input from you helps a lot! Thx! For me personal I would prefer a brompton with rohloff or kinderney hub, belt drive, disc breaks and 18x20 inch wheels. Wonder what that project would cost?

[@david78212]

I applaud Brompton for keeping their London based manufacturing. I completely dislike the Chinese "ripping" off the design and making their own brand of "Brompton". I've looked at them and there really isn't much difference in price to justify buying a cheap Chinese knockoff bike. The base model is maybe $200 cheaper and the "options" add to the price very rapidly. I would, honestly, rather pay the extra price and get the support from Brompton as opposed to a company that I'm going to have to try to work with for months IF!!! they stand behind their product at all. I am going to buy a Brompton when I move onto my sailboat full time... spring/summer 2023. I'm not paying $1800 to get out of my lease.

[@SanFranDan]

I have a 20" folding Dahon from 2013 which has a factory-installed NuVinci (Enviolo) transmission. It's been flawless and maintenance free for 9 years and... I dunno, but a lot of miles. I love it, though I didn't know I was losing ~10% of my exertion to inefficiencies until about a year ago. The bike was a bust, as it cost more and was heavier than otherwise comparable models. Dahon only offered it for 2 years, and only sold about 100. Even with my beloved NuVinci/Enviolo transmission, my top-of-the-range Dahon was less expensive than the least expensive single speed Brompton.

[@ru54623]

For touring, Kinetics do a lovely front pannier rack that fits on the front block and will fit 2 front rollers perfectly, it also has a water bottle cage mount in the middle, very well made piece of kit, i wouldn't be without it.

[@threedot141]

Nice video! I see you have lots of shots of the Birdy folding bike there too. I have both, and the Birdy works well on rougher surfaces.

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

Yes, birdies are great! You don't have that frame joint too!

[@mramg6038]

Love my cycle to work scheme electric Brompton. Highly recommend it. And forget aftermarket tyres, the OGs are perfect! I use it on dirt tracks and roads and have no issues.

[@Punkyrooster6]

Awesome video! I was about to sell my Brompton but this may add new life.

[@hattyfarbuckle]

About 4 years ago I picked up a lightly used Dahon Cadenza steel framed folder with 24inch wheels and Alfine8 gearing. It's a much better combination for me than even 20inch wheels [my daughters Dahon]. All I've added are 1.25 width Schwalbe Marathon Tyres and removable pedals to narrow it slightly folded, also hopefully make it a less enticing theft as it can't be ridden away. Yes it's bigger folded and heavier than a steel Brompton but almost feels like a small MTB and I only wanted to be able to fit it folded in a small car behind the rear seats and be able to scoot about when away from home. Helix have taken this layout to another level [and cost] in titanium and would be my preferred folder choice if I was inclined to pay Brompton titanium prices.

[@sharkmentality9717]

I have a 20" ti minivelo with Rohloff. I also added a Schlumpf mtn drive. Works well when searching for campsites and steap hills

[@robenglish416]

We have two Bromptons in the family, one with 3 and one with 6 gears. I find the 6-speed finicky and would love an internal hub gear like alpine 8 or 11 and a carbon belt drive since I don’t clean my bike good enough (according to my mechanic). A better rear rack system and wider tires up to at least 2” or 40-47 mm.

[@Mo-mu4er]

Totally agree; the no-maintenance belt drive + Alfine hub would be perfect for a travel bike, where you're also more likely to be wearing regular clothes and don't want to stress about chain lube/grease.

[@ryhold]

Loads of Birdies in this video. Fantastic folding bike. 😊

[@DM-ve8vb]

For all you people complaining about the price, don’t buy one! I love my Brompton. I ride it to JFK airport to go to work. I am a pilot and fly to Europe mostly. I take the Brompton with me on trips to Copenhagen, Malaga, Barcelona, Paris, and other places. There is no way that I would consider any other folding bike as the Brompton is incredibly well engineered. The bike rides like a proper road bike once one gets used to the quick steering.

[@SantoRedentor]

Do you have a yellow Brompton with s titanium fork? I might have ridden with in Barcelona. I once met an American pilot woman here who joined a road bike ride. She kept up with the group the whole ride with her Brompton :D. She flew Delta of I'm not mistaken. I was greatly impressed to be honest.

[@robertdavey2660]

Just like i love my Birdy Rohloff with disc brakes, dual suspension and easy fold- price doesn't come into it :)

[@alexmorgan3435]

@@robertdavey2660 A Brompton's folding is far far superior to that of a Birdy. You're deluded if you think it is better.

[@robertdavey2660]

@@alexmorgan3435 Definitely agree with you there but that's NOT why i bought and still own a Birdy. I bought a Birdy (even though it's easy to fold) because it's one of the world's best folding bikes for bicycle touring being far, far, far better than a brompton , modified or not! There will all ways be compromises when it comes to small wheeled folding bikes to be functional in bike touring. Bike Friday get around this by allowing the case the bike comes in to be turned into a trailer towed by the bike. blah,blah,blah!

[@FarFlungHeel]

Another option would simply be to buy a Bike Friday, which gives you various models in various sizes of road and trail folding bikes that can use any kind of road/mountain bike drivetrain (other than Pinion). I’m 6’5”/196cm and have nearly 20K comfortable touring & commuting kilometers on a BF that has 20” wheels, a frame size that is the equivalent of a 62cm top tube (and with a 130 stem) and a standard touring 3x9 drivetrain. Most of the BF models don’t fold as quickly and easily as a Brompton (though they do have one commuter model that does) but they’re far better equipped for touring or racing if that’s your thing, and they fold down well for travel in a standard size suitcase - mine has accumulated a lot of frequent flyer miles!

[@alexmorgan3435]

The fact that you are even trying to justify that a BF is better than a Brompton just shows you don't realise that the Brompton has the highest utility value of any folding bike because of it's unique folding mechanism. I would never ever buy any other folding bike as the fold compared to a Brompton is so inferior and not worth spending money on imho. I looked at and rode BF, Birdys, etc before I bought my Brompton and they were frankly rubbish.

[@FarFlungHeel]

@@alexmorgan3435 I did not assert that a BF is better than a Brompton. A BF was, though, a much better choice for me than a Brompton, and I provided some info about why in case that might be helpful to others. As pointed out in the video, Bromptons "one size fits all" approach doesn't fit well for those who are quite tall. I have ridden a Brompton and would never want to do so for more than a short commute. And that seems to me what they are designed for: they fold quickly and cleverly and are fine for short distances. They make great city bikes and there is good reason they are a popular choice for a city bike. I, however, was not focused on a "city bike", though I have used my BF for years of commuting in Tokyo. What I wanted was a road bike I could tour with in situations where exceeding 100KM in a day is routine, and that easily packed down for air travel. For that, and to have something to fit my height, the BF was a far better choice for me. For you and others, the Brompton may be the better choice. Vive la différence!

[@kayasper6081]

I am 6,6 inch tall and would be delighted by a model especially for taller riders, but neverthless I think the folded dimensions shouldn't be compromised for not any reason. The small package when folded is the main value of these excellent bikes and the most important reason to buy them. So in conclusion: keep them as small as possible when folded at any cost!

[@secretdaisy6484]

I know all about the Bromotons but wasn’t aware of the robust aftermarket. I don’t travel out of the country and I live in the Midwest of the US where mass transit consists of busses that if necessary I can mount a bike on the bus’ front rack. I don’t really care for the small wheels but all these changes including belt drive with Rohloff hub could change things. I’m still planning a coast to coast bike trip and then some cycling in Norway, Finland, Lapland and Sweden. Scandinavia has always fascinated me. I had my DNA 🧬 profile done and it turns out I have Norwegian heritage among other countries. I like to think of myself as a Viking. Thanks to one of your videos I’m saving up for a Tout Terrain for Scandinavia. I’ll be riding a Kona Sutra across the US. It should do the job well and I’ll be pulling a Bob style trailer to keep a lot of weight off the bike 🚲. Thanks for this video. I’ll be following up because I’m a techy. 👍☮️🌞🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️🏜🏕❤️

[@markg1531]

I have no problems with my stock Bromptons. I can fit two of them easily in the trunk of a subcompact car and they ride just fine.

[@ru54623]

If you want to cheaply lower the overall gearing of your brompton at little cost then SJS Cycles (UK) do a 110 BCD tapered crank which will allow down to a 33 tooth chainring, also, at the rear (for a 2 or 6 speed brompton) you can fit up to a 17t sprocket from a Shimano 7/8 speed cassette (choose a donor cassette that comes apart of course).

[@alexmorgan3435]

I think you would have to go with a much lower BCD crank ie 98 as I am using Brompton's std crank and the smallest front chain ring you can fit is a 38T if you can find one, but I already had a 39T Shimano Ultegra which I have fitted which lowers the gearing a lot compared to Brompton's way over geared spec with either a 50T or 44T front chain ring which are mental.

[@petinka721]

Fantastic bike!

[@inxlee]

Thanks for featuring my bike @2:23 @3:37 @3:43 😂

[@reeceholmes8546]

I think they will have to or they will struggle against up and coming competition, give the people what they want in 2022, that copper coloured frame in the vid looked amazing, thanks man

[@phatrickmoore]

cool bikes! and love the aftermarket action! I guess this is more possible since these bikes naturally disassemble. But a traditional bike is a single piece. Interesting :)

[@peterhehn9511]

I love my Brompton. Because there is a lack of Brompton "options" like wider tires, disc brakes, etc. I purchased a Ritchey Outback Break Away for adventure travel. Vastly superior in everyway except in a bigger package (travel case vs Brompton fold). Unfortunately Brompton has fallen on deaf ears regarding suggestions to make their bikes better suited for all terrain. Probably content on selling every single one of their 80,000 annual bikes. May have to look into the aftermarket to upgrade my Brompton.

[@imranr99]

Owning a Brompton is all about after market modifications! There's a lot that Brompton haven't done, carbon frames, disc brakes, belt drives, the internal hubs are too heavy, so they have done the right thing on the t line with external gears and derailleur.

[@belverticale]

I tour on a folding bike - it is NOT a Brompton but much better suited to the task - 22-inch wheels with regular Shimano MTB hubs and DT Swiss spokes (32 per wheel), Fnhon Monsoon frame with double folding tubes for strength and no creaks (rather than the Bromptons single tube), it takes a normal drive chain so I have a 20-speed Shimano Tiagra with a nice wide range, Tern folding bike rear rack, two large rear panniers, stem extender for comfort, normal MTB flat bars with bar ends, comfy padded touring saddle, puncture proof tyres and hydraulic disc brakes. It doesn't fold as small as a Brommie but folds small enough (it fits into the trunk of a sedan car...the ultimate test). It's as comfy touring on as my full size touring bike in fact and I do about 100km a day. My recommendation is that you can absolutely tour on a folding bike but don't go with a Brommie, go with something with bigger wheels and that takes a regular drive chain and buy all the components yourself so you can make it 100% touring friendly.

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

I've been thinking of getting one of those, was always suspicious of buying a custom looking bike for cheap, thought it was too good to be true deal

[@alexmorgan3435]

Bromptons are the best and most popular folding bike on the market for a reason. All the people who have bought them can't be wrong! The other also ran folders have so many compromises and their methods of folding are simply inferior. End of.

[@belverticale]

@@alexmorgan3435 yes the reason they are popular is urban commuting...at which they're great...not touring. Other folding bikes that take a conventional drive chain and larger wheels are more suited to touring...they just don't fold quite as small, which is not important within the context of touring.

[@Hobomountainwander]

Thanks for sharing the fold bike industry in Europe. Bike Friday is the United States equivalent. I just bought my bikepacking version.

[@gbickell]

I'm thinking of buying an electric Brompton but would love the wider 18 inch wheels - what do you suggest?

[@wingcreator]

Popular gear upgrades in Hong Kong are 4-Speed (Single sided, Like P / T-Line + also steel Brompton 6 speed mod down), 7-Speed (Single sided), 3x3 9-Speed (Smaller chainring 39 / 40T) + , and 3x3 + Double Chainset (e.g. 54 / 39T) = 18-Speed.

[@carnicer78]

I own 5 bikes and I have never felt the need to ride a brompton. However, I admire they pioneering the premium folding bike concept. This being said, I found this video was extremely interesting. I wonder if you will be hired as product manager for a large bike firm.

[@geriannroth449]

WOW what a mindboggling & informative video. I never knew so much advancements was made it the upgrading of the standard ole Brompton. But I wish you'd left the links to these manufacturers/ suppliers even though I'm sure they're phenomenally expensive.

[@Cyclingabout]

Thanks! I'm sure it will be quite easy for you to Google the names and check the pricing.

[@geriannroth449]

@@Cyclingabout guess so but are these after market upgrades available in the USA too?

[@satish8299]

Nice docu, and yes the Bromtons are the best, but very expensive, but indeed of they manage to make the wheel larger and one larger gear then i will buy one, if it is below the 3000 euro price.

[@MarkHarrisonBNE]

Yeah, nah. Brompton are incredibly conservative. I owned an M6 Brompton and rode it every working day for seven years on a mixed mode commute. I (mostly) loved it, but I hated the gear setup. I wrote to Brompton and asked them if they had considered some other grarbox alternative and the answer I got was (paraphrased for brevity) It ain’t broke so we’re not gonna fix it… Maybe you should buy something else?… So I did. I bought a Birdy with a Rohloff. It was still way cheaper than trying to accessorise a Brompton into something I could ride extended routes on.

[@razzahling8951]

which is incredibly frustrating! the founder of the company was an innovator that saw that folding bikes could be improved, and he made the brompton!

[@rydmerlin]

It should be noted that the possibility of compromising safety exists whenever you add an aftermarket part to any Brompton.

[@kongengorm3360]

Pair your brompton with a speed drive or for mountainous area a mountain drive. It is a gear hub that sits in the pedal socket and is operated with the foot.

[@karlkrieg858]

As a big brompton rider too (201cm) I'm good with mine it's a city bike and nothing else 😅, and as a bike mechanic and brompton salesman all I can say for the future, it's... going off-road with this bike will lead you to several changes of the rear hinge.. And at the cost of the operation, many should think about it 🤪 I agree with the fact that an alfine hub would be the best and easy upgrade brompton could do on their bike

[@winstonsmith8107]

They should as roads in the UK are not maintained - more rough terrain on roads plus deep pot holes making Brompton dangerous to ride in rainy condition. So you go through a puddle at speed to find out it's a deep pot hole. Extra heart pounding as you just manage to stay on.

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

That's why you need suspension like the birdy, not bigger tires, since mini motorcycles are used almost anywhere at higher speeds

[@cccpkingu]

Great video. A fixie belt one with softtail suspension and Lauf front fork would be wild.

[@southerntexashomestead5028]

Would love to see the ability to upgrade my existing Brompton to a beltdrive. I've seen Larger bikes with belt drive " Priority bikes" which are great, but want to keep the small folding frame as I use it when traveling on my sailboat. A larger bike will not work. I'll be watching for the aftermarket option of the belt drive for my Brompton. Thanks.

[@kengruz669]

Or, if you're starting from scratch, just go for the Tern Verge S8i, which is a folder, but rides much closer to a regular bike. It comes from the start with a Gates belt-drive and Shimano Alfine 8-speed IGH, Deore disc brakes, on-the-fly adjustable handlebar stem, 20" Schwalbe Big Apple tires, built-in generator lighting, fenders, and rear rack, and the ability to roll on its tires when folded. All for $2200.

[@clee6746]

A 18 to 20 inches wheel option will be a great feature to have.

[@loneranger5928]

Great review, thank you 👍

[@seductive_Octopus]

I Stick with the OG 6 Speed and then just make it lighter. Its more then enough for me in the City. But a belt sounds awesome 😀 specially for Winter.

[@chrislowe6926]

Belt drive Brompton. That would be great - the standard gears and chain wear because they are lighter weight, and with all year round riding, get dirty in winter. Having a belt drive would be much better for super low maintenance. That would definitely attract me to replace my current Brompton.

[@alexmorgan3435]

Yup chains are high maintenance. Belts are much better.

[@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188]

A Brompton uses an ultra high pressure in the tyres, which disguises the small wheels a little, giving a slightly better roll on a flat surface. And it gave rise to a lot of horribly riding folding bikes, with only one hinge in the middle (As also my Electric Makita, folding bike, which uses two 18 volt tool batteries as helping power, to be graduated. But it is a "heavy" bike to use. And it only folds with a hinge in the middle, and the stem post folds down!).

[@dougfromsoanierana]

Anyone considering a Brompton also should look closely at Bike Friday in Eugene OR. Their bikes have a wider range of gearing and have many of the options from the factory that Brompton does not provide today - especially different frame sizes.

[@lonestarlaurel]

Like many others, I’m all for upgrades as long as the fold is not compromised. I long for a widER, tire but not a fatty, to ride some trails. Waiting in a queue for a Swytch kit. (Also for some $ to turn up - want the lightest build).

[@josh33172]

Well there's a saying...."Innovate or die" With current tech and other companies willing to embrace it, I'd say they have no choice.

[@pashakdescilly7517]

You might be interested to know that the 16" x 1 3/8" tyres of the Brompton date back to the first Moulton bicycles of 1963-75 ish. I am 6 foot tall, and wish my 1991 T5 was a bit longer in the frame. My main adaption is to fit a chopped mountain bike flat bar to the standard steering stem. It's great for fast riding but a bit too low for cruising

[@hobocyclist]

Love the Dutch mods But have to wonder why?,, ok so the best upgrade would be 20” wheel but then your brompton wont fold small so eliminates the point of brompton. Obviously 20” fb with 2.25 or 1.8-2.0 tyres with deraileur shimano or similar is best for touring, but use generic alu or steel frame fb from China you will save €5000, i like the brompton but why is the frame so good? Is it with it? Great video mate this is excellent original content 🔥

[@dewexdewex]

I've been riding Bromptons for over 20 years in London. There has been an accelerated road surface quality decline here over this time and the impact this has had on both the bikes I ride and my lower back forced me to abandon pedal power for electric through a conversion kit from Grin. While electric power does nothing for the roughness of roads, it takes away he effort of having to pedal over them. As many developed countries slide into recession, the money available for road maintenance will further decrease, as will road quality. With this in mind, fat tyre or larger wheel diameters will become more of a necessity. The video does not discuss front suspension systems like the Birdy type Earl's fork. This is another avenue Brompton should explore. They're still great bikes.

[@R0H00]

I was literally looking for these kind of suggestive and informative videos for lightweight, folding ebikes and then Google recommended this video. what I don't like about Bromtons ebikes is their battery placement. Would you mind to make another video on their custom battery placement ideas or entirely new forks on their folding ebikes?

[@alexmorgan3435]

Ebikes are for the lazy squad. Buy a proper motorcycle.

[@alexmorgan3435]

@@R0H00 By definition having a dirty motor and battery pushing you along, you are riding a moped/motorcycle so are lazy. If you are not lazy then buy a bike without a motor and battery. If you want to move you have to pedal without assistance from a motor. End of.

[@kentwydell9322]

@@alexmorgan3435 You are very judgemental. Some riders are elderly or have health problems. Others live in very hilly areas. Electric assist is a boon to such people - myself included. In the UK the vast majority of electric bikes are pedelecs that have to be peddled to receive any assistance - and that cuts out at around 15mph. Hardly a moped/motorcycle which would need to be taxed and insured, would not be able to ride on cycle paths and would not be suitable for taking on public transport like a Brompton.

[@alexmorgan3435]

​@@kentwydell9322 Yada yada. Heard all these lame excuses from the Lazy Squad before. But in reality very few who ride them are indeed suffering from a disability or impairment whatsoever. The only thing the people I have seen riding these mopeds are suffering from is huge laziness and lethergy and just wanting to cheat. Most of them are in rude health bombing along at insane speeds. At best they are menace and at worse lethal. These bikes should be banned or be treated as motorcycles which is what they are requiring insurance, MOT and tax plus for riders to wear a BS marked helmet and be limited to riding them ONLY on the roads not on footpaths or cycle tracks/trails. End of.

[@LePetitBrompton]

Very good video. Thanks ❤

[@prapoj1980]

brompton good folding bike but it can use as touring folding bike ?

[@ant6354]

Love this style of video

[@imagines9688]

how does it work folding up with a belt drive?

[@fraserp2377]

Really interesting video. I like my Brompton in almost every way, but I do sometimes wish the wheels/tyre choices were different. 35-349 is not ideal for poor city roads. It would be great if they could work in clearance for 45 - 50mm tyres and the tyre manufacturers jumped on board.

[@Seniram666]

Another advantage of disc brakes that I had never considered with a Brompton is the heat generated when braking on long down hills. James Houston has had some issues in the TCR this year with inner tubes overheating in the alps

[@stevelindley2041]

This is true. But what James was doing was a bit extreme.

[@2scoops624]

2 cyclingabout videos in a week!? It must be my birthday!