Here's why Bromptons are the best folding bikes!

If you have questions about Bromptons or want to see more content about them let me know in the comments 👇🏼
Getting a Brompton truly changed my life! The possibilities it opens up are inspiring. That bus stop that's a little too far to walk? It's a 5 minute ride! That transfer you sometimes miss? Skip it and ride the rest of the way.
I'll probably make another short video or two about the features of Bromptons, and the logistics of flying with one. Other cool stuff includes never locking the bike, bags that clip onto the front carrier block, the built in bike pump, and the MANY aftermarket upgrades.
Got my ‪@bromptonbicycle‬ from ‪@CurbsideCycle‬ in Toronto via mail! I'm not sponsored or anything lol, I still make just about zero dollars from this project (thanks to my patron supporter 😁)

[@fensterputzernuernberg]

It ia fantastic bicycle.... If you live in a city with many appartments or use the train daily.. It is trully a fantastic way to get somewhere. You can keep your bike in your appartment safe from theft and the weather. Grab it ... unfold it .. ride it..... It also rides Great .. Smaller wheels make it easier to climb hills.

[@user-en1dn1we5l]

Why not a monowheel?

[@MarlonCalfoforo]

I have a copy brompton called 3sixty. it is currently 6 years old and still runs just smooth as new

[@JohnDoe-yh9gi]

Add caster wheels and you're set

[@civetricamoto]

Awesome Video Mate

[@kirtisbakalarczyk4876]

I love my brompton!

[@freedomformen2548]

I ride my brompton for 18 years allreddy 👍😀

[@JoshuaHelms-eq7sw]

I put the new swytch kit on my brompton and bought 2 of the big batteries it's the best small transportation a truck driver could want.

[@williambarringer6513]

I want to be able to ride it while it’s folded up

[@themeatspot5020]

Lol

[@Eckus]

Me too 😅

[@TuanNguyen-tq1lx]

so you want a unicycle

[@drill_fiend1097]

Only thing that would make Brompton perfect is belt drive option. If I am in constrained urban space with no garden hose and single bathroom, I don't want frequent maintenance for chain either. The next best thing is getting 3-speed IGH option. Even if it uses chain, not shifting the chain means less maintenance needed for chain.

[@rdnax5775562]

Also stability and safety of the back wheel, probably due to 16" (and my slight overweight) are far from perfect... nonetheless I surprisingly mastered gravel, sand and extremely uneven terrains with it (almost as an MTB 😂😅).

[@HkFinn83]

The Brompton is The Clash. The other folding bikes are Blink 182.

[@IthliniEllyanSenah]

They are amazing

[@anbuzero367]

You just sold me a brompton. I'm going to buy one right now

[@rdnax5775562]

.. Well it definitely needs the extra pack girder with the extra rollers to be rolled folded and even so probably still not for all terrains... but there another trick as well: ride it or roll it unfolded as much as possible...

[@Rudyjosephjr]

Am ridin C line fire coral Brompton. Used it for commute to work and home. Avg abt 17miles thru and fro.

[@evanstonbalce9588]

The price is not nice but the bike is

[@Funkteon]

Yeah, they're massively overpriced at this point in their product lifecycle. I understand such pricing when a product is a very new innovation as the manufacturing process is still growing in capacity, but Brompton have been pumping out these tri-fold models for (almost) 50 years since Andrew Ritchie invented the design in 1975. You can bet your bottom dollar that most of the models cost less than $800 USD in parts and labour these days, even with the production still being in-house at Greenford, West London. Yet they have the cheek to charge well over $2,000 USD for their simplest models, and up to $6,000 USD for their titanium frame model. Being a person who works a LOT with titamium, I absolutely KNOW that the bike has less than $500 USD worth of titanium in it's construction. Their componentry is also sub-standard as well, even though a LOT of it is proprietary and cannot be replaced with generic high quality parts. Brompton are basically the Apple of the folding bike world. They have a customer base of cashed-up middle-class city-dwelling men who choose to spend secondhand car money on a bicycle made up of a few hundred bucks worth of parts and labour.

[@evanstonbalce9588]

@@Funkteon Brompton, the Aston Martin of foldable bikes

[@SIGNALacquired]

there are clones of brompton bikes, and they cost much less.

[@Funkteon]

@@SIGNALacquired Any notable brands?

[@edwardbianchi192]

I tried one when I was younger. It was to heavy for me to fold and carry around.

[@rogerwilliamson7161]

Heinz Stücke: You are right!

[@asacyclist]

Bagus sekali sepedanya... 👍🏼

[@MrJbowls]

Bike Friday makes the best folding bike in the world.

[@Derek_Antonio]

Yea right

[@radagastbrown9001]

​@@Derek_AntonioHe's right

[@Derek_Antonio]

@@radagastbrown9001 ok you can stick to your opinions

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

Bike Friday's r more of a disassemble bike than a folding bike.

[@pickler_pickler]

I've had a Brompton and a Zizzo for over 10 and 5 years, respectively. Both are great but zizzo is 1/8th the price. Everyone should try a folding bike.

[@evanstonbalce9588]

I happen to have two Zizzo bikes and they didn’t cost me over $500 each

[@pickler_pickler]

@@evanstonbalce9588 I paid $150 for mine. Worth every penny

[@milkysmokes2093]

They need to drop the price

[@evanstonbalce9588]

Agree, high quality doesn’t have to be expensive

[@necromax13]

@@evanstonbalce9588 they're not even that high quality anymore.

[@evanstonbalce9588]

@@necromax13How do you know? Do you own one of these bikes?

[@necromax13]

@@evanstonbalce9588 after the pandemic their build quality took a hit according to brompton nerds. They used to be the gold standard, they're now a boutique brand that refuses to build on their legacy.

[@Brandon-xp1ob]

I commend the folding design but I don't think I like the way the ride. Grabbed I only took one for a test ride but I always had a Tern folding bike. Fantastic ride quality but depending on the model will be slightly bigger than a broom when folded to much bigger. Just depends on the person. Both could be great choices

[@christinablair9215]

I was told by curbcycle not to ride the brompton in winter and that it would damage the bike…how is your bike holding up with winter rides?

[@cardependencyindex]

It's doing great! I rode it all through the winter last year and it's in fine shape again this year. Definitely any bike you ride in the winter is going to face more wear, which is why some people have beater bikes in the winter. But I find the brompton to be such a nice winter bike being that it's so low to the ground.

[@christinablair9215]

That’s so amazing! Would you be able to share what type of preparation or maintenance on the brompton before/ after or throughout the winter? I.e. weather proofing, cleaning, frequency of cleaning etc?

[@StefanRandall]

That’s ridiculous

[@user-en1dn1we5l]

Why not a monowheel?

[@ianchissy]

Too bad Brompton’s aggressive copyright enforcement in EU/NA has made this simple bike design cost almost as much as a used beater car…

[@IntasarnW]

European patent in this case - EP0026800 filed on 3 October 1979, granted on 30 May 1984 and expiring on 2 October 1999.

[@mikes3725]

what is your height bro?

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

You can still stroll around with a cheap dahon, & you don't need to unscrew anything that takes time & is tiring. Lastly, you can still use the rear rack or front rack when it's folded.

[@Moonrakerd]

I have both brompton and dahon and the vitesse is a better bike in many ways, faster to fold, bigger wheels, with about the same weight, a bit stronger frame, and the price is not even comparable

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

I've heard a lot of Brompton riders IRL, in videos & in the comments prefer the dahon more just because of the bigger BMX size wheels on the dahon vs the harsh 16" kid size wheels on the Brompton.

[@ih8myfriends]

That’s like a $300 seat post! Wtf?

[@Eckus]

You dont notice the small wheels because on tarmac is basicaly no rolling resistance. So small wheels are almost as evicent as big ones (on tarmac)

[@brainrottedindividual]

if you go slow, yeah. if you ride for sport, you will easily notice how bigger wheels are noticeably faster.

[@elmofluffycat]

Price is ridicolous, might unaffordable for general people with income 100 dollar a month

[@MultiPsycho2]

Lacros is a way better brand. Need to try that one. 😉

[@YouKayTen]

What tyres are you using them on ice!!!??? 🥶🥶🥶🥶

[@cardependencyindex]

Schwalbe winter tyres, 14". They're studded, super stable on the ice!

[@MUSAAFER612]

Folding bikes need tickets for Train and bu an airline?

[@EnglishmanInLdn]

😊

[@lilaccilla]

if only folding bikes had comfortable swing back handle bars . I need them to sit up straight . Too old to lean forward ! Why cant the dutch come up with a good one?

[@cardependencyindex]

There is an option to have a "high" type handlebar that offers a much more upright position for Bromptons.

[@tinmantwentyone9282]

I can buy a new motorcycle with the price of a brompton.

[@KeVIn-pm7pu]

and why would you do that?

[@cash4everblasfemie]

Yeah it must be nice paying for benzin, oil and other parts that you need to change from time to time

[@JackBirdbath]

How many wet blankets can you buy for that price?

[@korelly]

Or you can even buy a used car for the same cost.

[@chetanuniyal3428]

@@KeVIn-pm7pu don't get me wrong this is an amazing piece of engineering. but that price point is simply unacceptable for a bicycle outside a select few European countries.

[@DINO_DRAWS]

What’s the height limit on these bikes?

[@cardependencyindex]

Brompton offers 3 different seatposts, standard, extended, and telescopic. All the seatposts accommodate a huge range in height though; I'm 5' 10" and I use a standard seatpost, which can accommodate someone as short as 4' 7". They also offer 3 handlebar types, including a "high" handlebar option for taller riders. I like the mid-riser handlebar, but in this video you can see the straight handlebar.

[@DINO_DRAWS]

@@cardependencyindex thanks for answering

[@ralph29203]

where did you get your foldie?? I'm from toronto I want to buy this type of bike but i can't find anywhere.

[@cardependencyindex]

Toronto sells them locally, I got mine from Curbside Cycle in Toronto! However they are also sold at Dumoulin in Montreal and BikeBike in Calgary. Curbside has a price match policy so if you find a lower price elsewhere bring it to them!

[@ralph29203]

@@cardependencyindex okay thank you so much!!

[@blu3F]

Is there any country in which these bikes are cheaper?

[@cardependencyindex]

Couldn't say! But you know, there is always the option of buying a used one. I've seen some great deals on ebay, and I've met at least one person who successfully bought one on ebay for an excellent price. The great thing about these bikes is they're one size fits all (unless you're super tall, in which case you may have to replace the seatpost).

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

You can get a Chinese one with upgraded disc brakes for half the price. Used Bromptons are still super expensive over the years I've been looking.

[@greenerick]

I own a Brompton P line, but I would not claim that they are the best folding bikes available in 2024. There are many excellent folding bikes emerging from Asia that offer better value and improved folding mechanisms. It was an interesting video nonetheless.

[@von1477]

such as?

[@stevenbissett]

I have a folding bike abd hardly ever fold it.

[@prabhatkumar845]

Is this chargeable battery system ? How much price ?

[@cardependencyindex]

It's not an electric bike. It costs around ~$1800 USD.

[@salad_gold_rancher]

Don't the gear ratios make up for the inefficiency of small wheels?

[@cardependencyindex]

Not quite! 2bikes4adventure has an excellent few videos about this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGqboIRtjdRoo6s

[@salad_gold_rancher]

@@cardependencyindex translation, "theoretically yes, practically no." Good video.

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

It depends how smooth the ground is.

[@salad_gold_rancher]

@@Eduardo_Espinoza what I got from the video that they linked before is, there's only so many gears they pack into the cassette. So, there's limits. Although, if you wanted to treat it as a theoretical problem, the gearing would be equivalent.

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

Ya, u wud have to put a fat tire in the rear & put a bigger chainring, maybe even tiny cranks, but than again without front suspension & with small wheels it could be a recipe for disaster. Unlike the similar Birdy platform. On my stock Dahon 20", I could keep up & nudge out for a bit against my friend's 2nd hand stock governed motorized 4 stroke beach cruiser, i don't remember his gearing, this was maybe a decade ago by now. @@salad_gold_rancher

[@hannahgilan8504]

If only they were not so expensive...

[@cardependencyindex]

True! But it's a lot cheaper than even just 1 year of car ownership.

[@ryancherry1017]

You can get an A line, which are cheaper, but I believe they are worth it. They are so well designed and engineered and hold their value. It's my favorite bike in the stable.

[@cardependencyindex]

@@ryancherry1017 Absolutely! These bikes are known for keeping forever. I've seen several Bromptons that are over 10 years old that are practically indistinguishable from new ones.

[@EntropiaOrganizada]

@@cardependencyindex Mine! 10 years and counting. The price was also an issue for me at the time but I can say that it's a bicycle that you can use a large part of the year, totally replaced the car on short trips and in city rides (in my case, all that takes less than 10 kmts/5 milles) and that it is beautiful, comfortable to use everyday. And it's a bicycle that you can carry with you that minimizes the risk of robbery (I get a folding bicycle after two bicycles were stolen in the center of my city). The first folding bike that I get wasn't a Brompton (It was a Tern Link-D8, also a very good bike), but Brompton is different (don't want to say better). Still have the Tern, but the Brompton is the one that I use.

[@feeip7272]

​@@cardependencyindexreally depends on how you use it. If you use it almost everyday like me, Brompton's reliability and easily maintenance definitely worth its price. While a leisure user you have plenty of other bike choice

[@ZianlaoPlay]

titanium version would be make sense. It weighs less than 8 kg. More than that is prone to give up carrying folding bike. 😅😅😅

[@ianferguson3543]

wheels too small. We bought 20" folders

[@brainrottedindividual]

bromptons would be cool if they wouldn't be so expensive and not everyone riding a brompton would try to make me feel stupid because i'm not willing to pay 3k for a foldable bike that's slow and to me not really fun to ride nor ergonomic. also i would hate to carry my bike around with me all the time. just get an actual good lock. 9/10 bikes are just chained up with dollar store cable locks, no wonder these bikes get stolen all the time. i could gnaw through those cables in a minute.

[@ih8myfriends]

They’re great but there are comparable alternatives provided by every major manufacturer, and they’re half the price.

[@alluneedislove7460]

No bike is worth this price point. But I’m glad you could afford it for yourself.

[@TheOliverluck]

swift folder are fantastic bikes too!

[@DimitraB.]

Όχι είναι ακριβό!

[@georgevavoulis4758]

Cost way too much

[@pattycookie2011]

The price is a total RIP OFF!

[@hankcuccina5260]

A practical but odd looking bike though.

[@MezmerKaiser725]

Sadly out of affordability for me 😢

[@jeffdege4786]

I simply can't deal with a bike unless it's really a bike. My Montague has 26" wheels.

[@shawnkay5462]

These are over $1k lol

[@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188]

As a bike it is horrible, but for its purpose and fold, it is the best!

[@bocaiionn]

Much bigher and very expensive than other models. Îs just marketing

[@bartsshorts]

bromptons look too silly

[@EazyRyder08]

they ugly too 🤣

[@HidgRa]

strida is better )))

[@thekenthouse6428]

If you're coming off a unicycle maybe

[@LiquidKittens]

A kid shouted "ILLUMINATI BIKE" at me riding mine

[@charliemopic470]

You personify the problem with KZbin. Bias. I've owned Bromptons. They are fucking heavy. They are twitchy. They are needlessly expensive. The new trigger gears are a backwards step compared to the easy top-mounted gears. They are difficult to push when folded with the saddle extended - an obvious design flaw.

[@cardependencyindex]

Lol, a little melodramatic, don't you think? It should go without saying, but this is like, my opinion, y'know. And yours is yours. But perhaps you're a completely objective, bias-free robot. It should also go without saying that Bromptons have advantages and disadvantages when compared with other folding bikes. It's true that they're heavy (the C-line, anyway); I even state this plainly in the video. I think it's an honest review.

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

Ya, I know this isn't paid promotional content, but this felt like an Ad. This is also valuable information from a former(?) Brompton rider & feels a lil more genuine.