My long-term review of Brompton folding bike - pros and cons and what makes it so special

[@earlbee3196]

The Swiss Army knife of bikes, I❤my c line.

[@staskucherenko]

That’s a pretty awesome analogy, with both versatility and whole folding / unfolding business in one shot :)

[@earlbee3196]

@@staskucherenko your review was absolutely 100% on point.

[@staskucherenko]

@@earlbee3196 thanks a lot :)

[@olivercmit]

The titanium T line is expensive for sure, but it's literally my favorite thing I've ever purchased. Very very recommend.

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks for sharing :) May I ask you - did you notice any major differences in terms of bike handling or cycling experience, other then the weight and less vibration from full-titanium body in T-line? I've read that 30+ components has been improved or adapted on T-lines, very curious how does it affect the ride after all :)

[@philippecasteleyn9327]

Could the T line be a reason not to buy the electric ?

[@paulinev.2657]

Bonjour from France 🇫🇷😀 I used to be scared to ride a bike in the city but no more with the Brompton. Maybe because of the small wheels ? 😂 Seriously, it is more maneuverable, brakes quickly and the balance is perfect. If one day you want to take your Brompton in Paris, don’t hesitate, go for it ! Since the pandemic we have so many cycle paths, it’s wonderful and perfect for the size of the capital.

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks for sharing, I heard lots of positive reviews about cycling in Paris and France in general, so it is definitely in my priority list of places to cycle in :) And on the point of being scared of cycling in the city - I had very similar story to be honest. I didn’t cycle all that much before buying my first Brompton, and even when I got it - I was only comfortable with cycling in parks and other places without traffic. However, it helped to build a bit more courage and experience to start hitting the road at some point. Also agree with your point on Brompton’s nimbleness, fast stopping and acceleration being helpful. Plus with the whole foldability thing - you are far less likely to be stuck with your bike on the road if smth unexpected happens, compared to non-foldable bike, and additional piece of mind never hurts ))

[@paulinev.2657]

@@staskucherenko Oh thanks for your reply ! The State also covers 40% of the price of the bicycle to encourage us to use it to go to work ^^ Everywhere else French people of all ages love cycling and our roads are of excellent quality, even in remote areas :)

[@staskucherenko]

@@paulinev.2657 sounds extremely tempting :)

[@radak1]

Hi from New York. You did not mention the A line (named B75 when I got it) The most basic and inexpensive line. I bought mine in NYC during the worst of the Pandemic. When bought I added front luggage mount. Replaced crap pedals with folding pedal. Bought a Brompton front bag. Later added a brooks saddle to make it a proper English bike. No better bike for urban use although riding on cobblestone streets of lower Manhattan is not recommended (just walk) I have the luxury of having another bike for long rides. There’s no need to get a more expensive brompton. The A will leave you 100% satisfied.

[@staskucherenko]

Hi Radak, very cool, thanks for sharing! My bad indeed, thanks for flagging. Very good idea on grabbing A line and adding only those bits you need, like it a lot! The resulting bike will be as functional as regular C-Line but at least few hundred pounds cheaper. For some bizzarre reason I haven’t seen too many A-lines in Brompton shops in London, they should definitely showcase them more!

[@Yoshua-Robinson]

@@staskucherenkothat is because A Line Bromptons can only be bought directly in the Brompton online shop not by resellers.

[@staskucherenko]

@@Yoshua-Robinson interesting, was not aware of that, thanks for sharing! I am curious what might be Brompton’s reasoning behind that

[@Yoshua-Robinson]

@@staskucherenko selling direct to customer means more money for Brompton as it does not have to share profits with resellers.

[@MylesHSG]

By the time you upgraded the a line to be suitable you may as well buy the c line

[@TheLicewine]

Excellent review, my friend. Well balanced, well structured- well done. I have to confess that I own 8 bikes, but my 14 year old Brompton is my go to bike. The main reason is versatility. Plans change, weather changes and while I wish to commute every single day the Brompton easily allows me to adjust. Hop in a taxi, bus, metro, train - never had an issue. No place to lock your bike outside of a restaurant or supermarket? They will always find a space for a folded Brompton. Maintenance is easy and I always carry the transparent Ikea bag, so your Brompton can be as dirty as hell - no problem no worries. An extra perk is the compliments you get. When the gravel bike person catches up with me at the traffic light "man, where is your motor?", because people often can't believe how fast my non-electric Brompton can go. Many of the downsides your rightfully mention are issues as you get used to a Brompton. The potholes, the leaning inward in a round about yup, I have been there. Signaling with your arms with only 1 hand on the handlebar requires practice. Tram tracks should be properly crossed...in the end, its very simple: When you know your bike requirement profile, any bike could be your best fit, including a Brompton. When you fall in love with a Brompton, you will master any requirement. How do you fall in love with a Brompton? Buy one...I know, cheesy advice....lol. Cheers, Chris

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks a lot for your kind words :) And would absolutely mirror every single word from your comment! Pretty much every downside of Brompton can be managed and deflected with some planning, experience and determination :) On signalling - I more or less got used to do it with one hand on a handlebar, but one thing I am still struggling with is eating / drinking while on the bike, did you crack it by any chance? Like, when I see people casually taking a sip from their water bottles while cycling on a regular bike, or grabbing an energy bar from their backpockets - I envy them quite a bit :) Stopping on the curb for a quick recharge is almost always not a big deal, but I am curious whether I should push my acrobatics on a bike a bit more :) or whether it is ultimatelly a fool's errand. And also, if you don't mind me asking - out of 8 bikes you own (which is pretty impressive btw), what is your 2nd favourite after Brompton, or 2nd that beings most perks on top of what Brompton has to offer? I am contemplating whether I should actually try doing very long sportives, like RideLondon 100m on a regular road bike rather than on my P-line, but I am still on the fence about it.

[@TheLicewine]

@staskucherenko I hope to not disappoint you. I used to do competitive triathlon, so I have a road bike. I lived in Switzerland, so I have a fully, a hard tail and non suspension mountain bike. Btw, I am not a rich guy and I earned all my bikes the hard way. Then, I bought my beloved Brompton in 2010. Then, I was able to pick up a single speed and an e-Brompton. My most recent acquisition was a tern 12 speed, probably my worst buying decision, but it is still a folding bike. When I move, I like to move hard. Lol.

[@staskucherenko]

@@TheLicewine got it, very cool, thanks for sharing :)

[@drlukewhite]

Great video. I'm a big Brompton fan, but there's one 'con' that I'd add here. Though they are fantastic in that you can usually bring them indoors so avoid bike theft, if you do have to leave the bike outside regularly, then they are very much targeted by bike thieves.

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks for your comment :) That's actually a very valid point, thanks for flagging! With both price, portability, high reselling value and easily recognisable design, Bromptons are pretty much a priority target for all sorts of bike thieves. So exactly as you mentioned - if you absolutely have to leave your Brompton outside, it is probably facing higher risk of being stolen vs almost any other bike. I've read some quite horrible stories online of people being attacked, with their Brompton being targeted, pretty much in the middle of the day in the center of London. It is probably especially relevant for T-lines, given how expensive they are.

[@nauxsi]

Plus they are a recognisable name.

[@williamlane7160]

The bottom line is you dont leave your Brompton outside, period.

[@earlbee3196]

This is probably the best review of the Brompton in the world thus far. 🚴‍♂️✔️

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks a lot for your kind words, glad you liked it :)

[@pentacleman1000]

I see a couple of people in the comments with my same complaints. You mentioned the price, but not how that makes it a target for theft. So I basically say… if I can’t bring it in with me, I don’t go. I don’t even bring a lock with me most of the time. If it can’t come with me, I don’t go. Which kind of limits where I can go. The other thing was the micro-bumps that you get with the small wheels. That took some getting used to. Otherwise, I like it just fine. I used to ride to work, where I could bring it in and tuck it into a corner. And if it was raining when I left, I could just carry it onto the bus. I’d like to try bringing it on a long trip some day.

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks for your comment, that’s a very good point on theft indeed. Combination of being expensive, foldable and having good reselling value makes Brompton a perfect target for thieves indeed. I fully share your perspective on locking Brompton outside - I desperately try not to do it, in one or two cases when I absolutely had to - I was worrying about my bike quite a lot. And by definition, good lock will be a) heavy, so going against the whole idea of Brompton’s portability and nimbleness, b) standard fittings to attach it to bike’s frame won’t work well with Brompton either. The good thing that situations where you can’t bring Brompton inside are very-very rare, but the point still stands.

[@curiouspenguin6887]

Hah! Theft deterrence is exactly why I got the Brompton. I'm done with worrying about a bike locked up outside. I tell people the same thing: if an establishment won't let me bring it in, I go somewhere else. 😅

[@staskucherenko]

@@curiouspenguin6887 that’s a good way to frame it :) On this note - I remember seeing a post on Will Butler-Adam’s (Brompton’s CEO) twitter, where smbd told him that even though some restaurants don’t allow Bromptons inside, this person went to Bread Street Cafe by Gordon Ramsay, they were perfectly fine with the bike and even offered to keep it stored with a tag, so it can be collected upon leaving the establishment :) so brownie points to Gordon Ramsay I guess :)

[@gordonmculloch4904]

It’s such a handy bike. I love the fact that I can put it in the car or take it on the train and go exploring with it. 👍

[@FOXMAN09]

​​@@curiouspenguin6887

[@igorbolev1553]

Very well structured review, really top level. Keep it up mate!❤❤❤

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks a lot, Igor! Appreciate your feedback a lot :)

[@davebaker4620]

Have a Brompton M6R and and electric M6R love them both Two things to mention When wheeling in the Supermarket just fold up the handlebars and push in front of you with the handlebars Full puncture repair is possible with the rear wheel in the folded position Either front or back wheel Much more stable than with the bike upside down as I see most people do 😊

[@staskucherenko]

Great points, thanks for sharing, Dave! Also pushed the bike via handlebars while folded, super stable and convenient indeed! Didn’t try to do puncture repair while folded, but also makes sense to me.

[@derekperkins7343]

That was very comprehensive and even handed. Well done.

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks a lot, Derek, glad you liked it :)

[@Davidesrajohn]

I already got a Brompton, but still very much enjoyed the video (subscribed!) -- I can only imagine how useful and fun it would be in a city like London.

[@staskucherenko]

Hi David, thanks a lot for your feedback! Fully with you, Brompton is super helpful in London, and probably in other similar cities - the city is not super hilly, has reasonable cycling infrastructure, moderate weather and it is big enough for multimodal logic to work well. Based on my observations, it is possible to more or less catch up with the bus on Brompton (with bus being faster on the road of course, but bike largely catching up while bus is stationary on the stop), so it can be almost as fast as public transport in many situations. It can be a bit intimidation though, with all the traffic and occasional complex junctions, but I would still say it is rather manageable in vast majority of cases.

[@ticnatz]

I have never had a Brompton. I pick up my first tomorrow. P-Line electro. Can't wait....

[@staskucherenko]

Exciting news, thanks for sharing! All the best with your new bike :)

[@olgalykholobova988]

Great video, Stas! It is easy to see that you love your Brompton very much 😄

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks a lot! Indeed, love my P-Line very much :)

[@harrypressman2]

One of the best and honest review of the beloved bromptons. We to have the M6L's and have enjoyed them for the last 2 1/2 years, but have found on our recent overseas trip, they are just too heavy and cumbersome to handle. We have on order, two T-Lines and can hardly wait for their delivery.

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks a lot for your feedback, Harry! All the best with you new T-Lines, sounds super exciting! :)

[@sharonshaw2352]

I laughed out loud when you mentioned that the small wheels and the subsequent problem with taking a hand off the handlebar--I was watching this video just AFTER I had finally ordered a phone mount for my bike because I was tired of almost falling off whenever I had to try to look at my watch to see what time it was as I raced to catch the evening train home after work (there's basically only 1 usable train : (

[@staskucherenko]

Hi Sharon, thanks for your comment, got a very similar experience couple of times. Even manipulating the phone sitting on a phone mount while on the bike took some time to learn, but definitely miles easier and more secure than any of the alternatives!

[@sharonshaw2352]

@@staskucherenko Used it for the first time today. SO much better!

[@Thecyclingbusdriver]

Nice video my friend 👍 I'm thinking about getting a brompton and your video has helped me in terms of knowing what to expect

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks for your comment :) glad it was helpful!

[@davec1179]

Great, honest video. I was going to buy a Brompton last month but then realised I only wanted a folding bike to fit in the boot of my car and not in a train or plane so I bought a Dahon Vitesse with a 7speed Nexus hub gear instead for half the price of a Brompton and the 20” wheels more stable

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks for your comment. Congrats on your Dahon purchase! How is your experience cycling on Dahon btw? Very curious to know how different or similar it is versus Brompton. And also - I fully subscribe to your argument in favour of Dahon, makes a lot of sense to me.

[@matztertaler2777]

I own a Dahon Mariner 8 , o like the gears for speed driving, but the smallest gear for Hill climbing is not small enough. It nearly is not possible to climb a Hill. For the flat City, the bike is perfekt. Folds in seconds. Runs like a big one.

[@staskucherenko]

@@matztertaler2777 very cool, thanks for sharing, heard lots of positive reviews on Dahons as well

[@norfolkchas]

This is a great review - thank you so much! As a fairly recent Brompton owner I agree with almost all of what you say. I've ridden mine on potholed country roads and dirt tracks, and I don't really find it less comfortable than my hybrid. Hill climbing doesn't have to do with wheel size, only with gearing. I think the stock 50T chainring is too big for many purposes; a 44T works well for me, and a 39T is even better for hills. To do a sportive or other long ride on a Brompton IMO you need a very good reason for not using a standard bike. And while the Brompton is great if you have a specific destination like an office or a restaurant, pottering round the city is more difficult than with a standard bike if you don't want to chain it up outside, yet don't want to be folding and unfolding every couple of minutes and dragging it into random shops.

[@staskucherenko]

Hi, thank you very much for your comment! I actually didn’t think about the chainring at all, only focusing my attention on the size of the sprocket. Smaller chainring will indeed help with hill climbing, though with the cost of speed reduction / more pedalling needed to cover the same distance. So thanks a lot for pointing that out! Regarding sportives - I am fully with you, doing them with a regular road bike is probably going to be much more manageable experience. And as you rightly mentioned - you should have a very good reason to justify doing them on Brompton. In my specific case - I live in a flat with no garden and no reasonable bike parking solution close enough, that is shielded from the elements. So foldable bike is pretty much an only option for me to have the bike available enough to cycle often. And given that I spend good amount of time every week on my Brompton anyways and don’t have easy access to regular bike to train often enough - doing a sportive on my Brompton is just another thing that it unlocks. On the point of pottering around the city - that’s also a fair point, thanks for flagging. If you need to cycle from point A to B and you can stick around point B with some secure place to leave you bike in-house - Brompton is great, if you need to do many small trips here and there - folding and unfolding it 50 times per day will probably be annoying at best. I would argue however, that this is also the case with parking and locking a regular bike outside. It probably takes similar amount of time to lock your bike securely vs folding it, and from my own experience dragging Brompton around when folded or half folded is not that problematic, given that you can roll it around rather than just carrying it. So this kind of multi-destinational travel will probably be annoying both on regular and foldable bike, but for different reasons.

[@norfolkchas]

@@staskucherenko You tick all the boxes for a target Brompton owner! All the very best for your adventures.

[@staskucherenko]

@@norfolkchas lol, indeed :) Thanks a lot, wishing you the same :)

[@UrsaJeager]

being a brompton owner in the US, its wild to see a public transit statement that specifically allows folding bikes. I'm usually at the mercy of whatever bus driver/flight/station attendant is there who's never seen a foldable bike before when I take my bike on public transit. Rejection without exception is pretty rare, but it does happen, so I hope we see statements like that of the TFL stateside soon!

[@staskucherenko]

@@UrsaJeager hi Luke, thanks for sharing, fully with you! One positive thing about the US though in this context - when I was doing some research on flying with Brompton - it was interesting to learn that pretty much no airlines in Europe would allow Brompton is cabin baggage / overhead locker, while many people had told me that it works fine in the US. Also, when I was in Philly - there were plenty of people cycling, but probably more recreationally / as a sport, rather than as a mode of transport.

[@VictoriaKucherenko-v8l]

Stas, thanks for the detailed review. Great video!

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks a lot :)

[@BrownPeterAnthony]

Great review Stas, whats not to like about the bike..the compact size when travelling and storing. The not so good and was never intended for, long trips. Although the wheels roll well you get every feel back like riding on wooden wheels . 6 oddly spaces gears and levers that stick half the time is the other down side compared to the asian trifold bikes which run much better systems and quality components. I found the mk1 better than the current m4 I have in many ways but that's a long story for another day.

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks a lot for your comment, Peter! Good point on feedback, every road imperfection feels close and personal on the bike, especially with rough tyres like my Marathon Pluses. Ergon handlebars help quite a lot, I would say they can dissipate good 20-30% of shock and vibration (provided it is on the reasonable level), plus there are also saddle models with integrated suspension, I saw Brooks doing couple of them. They are quite expensive and heavy though. Same with speeds - 4 speeds on P Line are even more restrictive vs 6 speeds on C line. Brompton has recently launched 12-speed drivetrain, which should increase the range of speed options pretty much 3-fold, but I didn’t have a chance to test it yet. MK1 is one of the older models, right? I didn’t hear about it, with standard Brompton’s naming convention being height - gears - rack, but very curious to learn more :)

[@BrownPeterAnthony]

@@staskucherenko, Yes the Mk1 was the first bikes produced. We brought a couple as we have a yacht and they were more solid a ride than the bickerton at the time. Rust finally finished them and we replaced with mk4's and now we have Dahon mariner's which is much better and lighter for our purpose, brompton are wonderful and will always be fondly remembered. Steve Perry did great mods to the brompton, check out his work and his first "Ti" tri-fold frame.

[@Zen_Not_Zen]

@@staskucherenko I swapped Marathon + for Continental Urban. The continentals are great in town but pretty disastrous on gravel or muddy lanes. As you know, Marathons are tricky to get on and off (The Tyre monkey makes it easier). For me, they are a better all-rounder.

[@staskucherenko]

@@Zen_Not_Zen I would probably agree, I had Continental Urban before and they are very nice all-rounder. I love Maraphon Plus to be honest, but they are super rough and also transmit all the vibration directly into the hands. But after I had couple of punctures over couple of months with my Continentals, the experience of changing the tyre on the go or sacrificing most of my training session was so miserable, that it completely swayed me towards Marathon Plus. Very fair point on replacing them however, I’ve used quite some elbow grease to install them, and doing it on the go would be even more fun I guess :) I am pretty sure that without metal tyre levers from Brompton toolkit I would snap a pair or two of regular plastic levers :) And thanks for the reference on Tyre Monkey, I didn’t know about it and sounds like a good addition to bike toolkit!

[@Zen_Not_Zen]

@@staskucherenko EDIT! I should have said Tyre Glider ! ... kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJy3mYGaq71gbs0

[@binjones]

I have a CHPT3 v3. My wife has a H6R, we travel with them all over the country as they are easy to pack into our EV and away we go. All bikes have maintenance, you accept it when you buy any type of bike. As for price, I’m willing to pay more for hand made bikes from the UK, versus mass produced out of Asia. People are paid real wages and we get real quality.

[@staskucherenko]

@@binjones Hi Dennis, thanks for sharing! Sounds very cool, that’s pretty much my plan as well, already got my older daughter on 2 wheels, yesterday just tested Burley Bee as an option to bring my younger daughter with me while cycling (works wonders btw, very happy with it so far), and plan to pull my wife into it this summer, starting with Brompton Bike Hire and then getting another Brompton for her full time :) On price and maintenance - 100% with you, Brompton is indeed quite an expensive bike, but I see what this price is paid for and I would argue it is rather justified, exactly as you have said (at least based on the value that the bike delivers to cyclists like you and me). All the best with your and your wife’s cycling adventures :)

[@TomDesGarcon]

Just the review I was looking for - I'm sold!

[@staskucherenko]

@@TomDesGarcon thanks for your feedback )) all the best with your Brompton adventures ))

[@danaildimitrov8864]

Greatly structures overview. Incredibly informative. 🙌🏻

[@staskucherenko]

@@danaildimitrov8864 thanks a lot for your feedback, Danail, glad the video was helpful :)

[@zappzack]

Great video, thanks for sharing. I love my Brommie! Your section on multi-modal travel is spot on this is one of the best selling points for someone who loves cycling but lives in a large city. Fantastically engineered bike and fun to ride.

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks for your feedback, 100% with you!

[@AvantiVictoireRao-bq1bj]

Good on you for your honestly, Wish the media had half the perspective for any view they published. Thanks

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks a lot for your feedback :)

[@fujajo2761]

New sub here! I would love to own a Brompton one day. I will have to save up. I have a foldable bike but it's a bit too heavy and not as easy to store. I slowly building my confidence on the busy roads of Manchester but I will get there soon. Thank you, very informative and straight to the point.

[@staskucherenko]

@@fujajo2761 Hi Fuja Jo, thanks a lot for your comment and subscription :) Glad the video was helpful. Very cool that you are trying to cycle on the road, I also did the same, starting from local parks, then - quiet residential streets in the morning / on the weekend, moving to closed roads sportives, and smth like a month ago - gradually shifting to commuting with my bike, which requires a bit of effort and prep but it’s totally worth it! So I think you are on the right track, keep it up and all the best with your cycling adventures:)

[@fujajo2761]

@@staskucherenko thank you. ❤️

[@salahaddin2009]

Try before you buy . They can be rented Out for a month . I’ll do the same . I do a 30 mile round trip on the decathlon folding bike and it’s been ok . Had to upgrade the saddle and addded a phone mount only

[@staskucherenko]

@@salahaddin2009 good point, thanks for flagging. There is indeed renting service for Bromptons with a dedicated app, tried it couple of times, works pretty well, and even cheaper than regular public bike rentals

[@martindobisky8000]

Great video!! Greetings from Argentina!!

[@staskucherenko]

Thank you very much, Martin :)

[@rodmeisterful]

Excellent summary, thanks.

[@staskucherenko]

@@rodmeisterful thanks a lot for your feedback, glad it was helpful! :)

[@harvardfacebook7372]

Thank you Stas, a very honest and in depth review.

[@staskucherenko]

@@harvardfacebook7372 thanks for your comment, glad the video was helpful!

[@snipsdraper7537]

Visiting BC Canada this eeek on my brompton...great bike lanes all over the city and thru Stanley park

[@staskucherenko]

Sounds super exciting, thanks for sharing! :)

[@xosece]

great video! The thing that keeps me from getting a folding bike, aside from not being rich to have a lot of bikes, is that I wonder how does it fare to ride hills, 'cos there are a lot of steep hills in the mountainous region I live. I don't like in the UK but any similar folding bike should do, but again, I am not sure if they are for me if the gearing is limited to go uphill. My dream folding bike would be one that could be fast on the flat and downhill and great to ascend hills too. But I am not sure it exists, I've never had a folding bike

[@staskucherenko]

@@xosece thanks a lot for your comment :) Hills is indeed a tricky bit on the folding bike, I wouldn’t say it’s too bad, but can definitely push the heart rate quite a bit. Two potential solutions I guess is either to extend the range of gearing - there is now 12-gear P-line available, with both more range for faster gears and slower ones, that should help with hills, plan to upgrade my classic 4-speed P-line into 12-gears at some point. Another option is to try electric Brompton. It is even more expensive unfortunately, but helps with hills quite a bit, plus good for commuting overall if there is no shower available at the destination.

[@amardeep8784]

check out hornback bikes from india.

[@staskucherenko]

@ thanks for sharing, they look pretty cool indeed ))

[@kayasper6081]

There are yet quite some videos around about Brompton and I've seen a good chunk of them. But yours surely added new interesting insights, very well done. Thanks!

[@staskucherenko]

Thank you very much for your feedback! :)

[@billhemingway5558]

#5 Small Wheels section perfectly describes the challenges of riding 16" inch wheels, but i love my P-line it's so much fun.

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks for your feedback :) And 100% with you, for me the benefits from 16” wheels far exceed the downsides from it. Let’s see what I will have to say about on a 100m ride it in a month from now, but I am still hopeful ))

[@guidelineuk4876]

Great review good luck on your bike ride🚲😎👍

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks a lot :)

[@guidelineuk4876]

@@staskucherenko your welcome :-)

[@Ken-m8j]

Great insights. You have convinced me to get one brompton

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks :) Welcome to the fold, as they say :)

[@Ken-m8j]

@staskucherenko thanks mate. Joining the fold for the new adventure with my brompton.

[@josephmutua1603]

Waaooo thanks for the motivation reason of buying bicycle great 👍🎉❤ am speechless words

[@staskucherenko]

@@josephmutua1603 thanks a lot :)

[@imishanin]

Love your bike

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks :)

[@rrameshnaidu5813]

Thank you for your insights 😊

[@staskucherenko]

You’re welcome, glad it was helpful :)

[@rrameshnaidu5813]

I got a 2020 tempest blue M3R and loving it

[@staskucherenko]

@@rrameshnaidu5813 Tempest Blue is probably my favourite Brompton’s colour, got it at 8:42 in the video as C-line design example :)

[@chacmool2581]

That's right. Another review of the Brompton. We really needed that. 🙄

[@staskucherenko]

Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem :)

[@Cindy-qc7lo]

I really enjoyed it and found it helpful!!

[@staskucherenko]

@@Cindy-qc7lo thanks for your kind words, glad you liked it!

[@patwong691]

The advantage is the compact fold.The disadvantage as follows:1)If the rear wheel has a puntured,an ordinary pearson will not able to replaced the inner tube because has to adjust the tensional prior to installation of the rear wheel.(2)Limited gearing,climbing a less steep gradient was a problem too!(3)Most of the parts were propreitary,therefore expensive for maintenace(4)The height of the handle post could not be adjusted.

[@staskucherenko]

Regarding the rear wheel - there is this trick I picked from Brilliant Bikes channel, where to remove the rear wheel - they just deflated it and squeezed through a break caliper, and then you just need to take the chain off the sprockets. Did this process few time while on the go, it took some time but perfectly doable even only with a portable toolkit. Gearing - fully with you, conquering hills is a bit of a challenge, but on the positive side - with all the cycling against hills on my Brompton, it looks like my legs are much more powerful now va when I just started :) Lastly on the heigh - agree, though you still can select one of 3 options when buying the bike, and shifting between flat / curved / some of aftermarket handlebars can help get into good enough height and position.

[@iamsemjaza]

I'd like to see someone compare these to Dahon folding bikes

[@Lumpschlevot]

Good review but a little long. Hey, its a high quality folding bike. Nuff said. The small tires make it a bit twitchy, but you get used to it and it rides great. Solid bike if you are in the market for a folding bike, its as good as they get.

[@staskucherenko]

@@Lumpschlevot thanks for your comment, couldn’t agree more :)

[@pierspim4341]

My brompton has owned me since 2013. A great bike,especially for city riding.

[@staskucherenko]

That’s a great way to frame it :) On city riding - fully with you!

[@IthliniEllyanSenah]

Today I was coming back from work, when a wild boar appeared on the narrow road. I was able to take a sharp turn on my Brompton and started to cycle in small circles, waiting as this parent-boar helped its younglings in crossing the road. I am clumsy, so if I was driving a bigger bike, I would need to step down from it and walk, hoping boars won't attack. So I highly reccomend Brompton for boar-infested cities.

[@staskucherenko]

Wow, that’s quite a story, thanks for sharing :) One more perk of the bike to consider ))

[@simpletraveler4145]

Excellent review, may i know resell website please many thanks

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks for your comment :) Regarding the reselling websites, there are few options: 1) Brompton website itself, the section with their refurbished bikes - www.brompton.com/c/bikes/renewed 2) eBay is another big platform, where people both buy and sell their Bromptons. Other similar platforms like gumtree and whatnot probably would also have some Bromptons being sold and bought 3) there are bunch of Facebook groups, like “Brompton Bicycle Buy and Sell” and similar ones 4) big bike retailers also often have a section of their website with reselling offers. The biggest one I know in UK is Tredz. There is no guarantee they will have Bromptons, but still worth checking

[@ravenone6255]

Bike Friday!!!

[@staskucherenko]

@@ravenone6255 indeed, best way to spend time on Friday for sure :)

[@DirEktdemokRat-w9s]

Great informative video. Thanks. One question though: Can I (6 ft tall) bicycle a Brompton and, at the lowest point (when closest to the ground), just like a 26-28” wheel bicycle, (almost) stretch my leg in full? I don’t want to ”bicycle with my knees”…

[@staskucherenko]

@@DirEktdemokRat-w9s Thanks a lot for your comment! Regarding the height - that’s perfectly fine indeed! By default Brompton offers 3 types of seatposts - standard, extended and telescopic, which allows to accommodate cyclist’s height in a range of 4’7 to 6’8 inches - here is the link where they talk about it www.brompton.com/support/knowledge/what-is-the-maximum-minimum-rider-height The best way to pick the right seatpost height is by inner leg measurement and match it with respective ranges. I have standard for my P-line and I am 178cm high (5’10), and at full height it is just about fine for me, so you probably should be fine with extended seatpost, but still worth checking either at the shop or via inner leg measurement to be sure. One other thing to keep in mind is the height of handlebars, where you again have 3 options, and they impact riding style quite a bit. Mine is mid, pretty happy with it so far, you might want to consider either mid or high depending on your preference.

[@Zen_Not_Zen]

Great post as always . Off Topic Stas , you've lost weight , must be all the cycling and kettle bells .

[@staskucherenko]

Thank you very much for your kind words, appreciate it a lot :) I am still a rather chunky cyclist, but indeed lost ~13kg of weight since I started cycling. I am on a bit of plateau with my weight now to be honest, but plan to do a bit of a push before RideLondon to lose more weight to approach the sportive a bit lighter, let’s see how it goes :) Cycling and kettlebelling certainly helps, but more on overall health and fitness, from the weight perspective - dieting is still king unfortunately :(

[@Zen_Not_Zen]

@@staskucherenko indeed, diet/nutrition is most important. I've cut out as much sugar as possible, i.e. no biscuits/bread etc, keeping an eye on carbs. Brompton cycling is great, but as you said in your kettlebell post, upper body and core needs strengthening too. I look forward to your next post .

[@staskucherenko]

@@Zen_Not_Zen same with me, I was quite surprised how many calories there are in all sorts of desserts, bakery, and carbs-rich food when I started counting calories. I also started to experiment with fasting, I’ve read about some interesting benefits from it related to management of insulin and autophagy, on top of pure weight loss. Plus, for some reason, for me it was easier to restrict the time of eating, rather than the actual food I was eating. But after all, I guess calories in & calories out is still the main driver of weight. If you are also on the weight loss / dieting journey - all the best of luck with it :) And thanks a lot for following my channel, more to come :)

[@paniov]

@@staskucherenko On the right direction, my friend ). I also started with no-sugar (just occasional cheat days), then keto/carnivore, cutting carbs to 50 grms, skipping breakfast (just coffee), adding fasting and now mostly OMAD. Once I've dropped weight significantly, I've noticed that I start loosing my lean mass, so I started going to gym. 6 months later added jogging with MAF method and now I think to add some bicycle training, probably starting with Brompton (this is how I found your video :)). I think it could be easy start in my case, bc I don't need an extra car rack etc and ocean side tracks should be just fine for ~20 km rides on this bike. Thanks for the video!

[@staskucherenko]

@@paniov thanks a lot for sharing, that sounds truly inspirational! :) I am very much with you on the bike - I tried running as a cardio activity and I absolutely hated tbh, so was looking for an alternative option, and cycling just hit me like a truck :) I didn’t cycle since undergrads, and the whole thing started with my daughter going into it and me trying to tag along, and I enjoyed it so much that I could rather easily push myself to cycle often and long enough. I think the first bike I rode was a rented Lime and I managed to shave off some skin from my pinky by rubbing against the wall a little, but still the experience was too good to skip :) And after some search and iterations I ended up with Brompton, which is as good as regular bike in almost anything, but can squeeze into a flat, car, under the table in the office and so on. And somehow it evolved into being a massive part of my life :) Where I also find cycling to be absolutely amazing is stress management - nothing helps me to unwind, relax and feel centred as much as spending some time on the bike, listening to the music and being out there on the road or in the nature. Regarding the mass - also got a very similar observation, so started kettlebelling and recently started doing some excercises with steel mace. All the best with you fitness and Brompton cycling experience and again, thanks for sharing your story and supporting my effort :)

[@Lvbutech]

nice video. Try our ebike kit KN20S for Brompton bike. 😊

[@k700i]

I love my brompton bike, I got hit by car and the only damage was just the pedal. It’s so amazing!

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks for your comment! Also recently got similar situation, got in a small accident flying off my bike. Got a front hook bent and inner tube dislocated a bit within the tyre, but both fixable, so nothing major. Brompton is quite a sturdy bike indeed!

[@henrykwan4318]

What’s is your advice for bring a Brompton to ride London Essex 100. What’s the set up you recommend?

[@staskucherenko]

Hi Henry, thanks for your question! Well, on Brompton itself - not that much specific things to be honest, my plan for RideLondon 100 this year is the following: 1. Roughly a week before - bring the bike to a bike shop for a deep check, to make sure that mechanically it is in the decent shape and no components like chain, brakes, tyres, gear set and so on are too worn out for the event 2. Tyres-wise - I am planning to use the toughest tyres available, Schwalbe Marathon Plus. This sacrifices both weight, speed and land comfort a bit, but compared to dealing with a puncture on the road, where there is also time pressure (to the best of my memory there are 8h max to complete the event) - it sounds reasonable to me 3. Then, I am planning to take 2 spare inner tubes, just in case - one folded within the frame of the bike, and another - just packed into the bag I have on the frame. 4. Other than that, I plan to take several electrolyte tablets, a bottle of water, several energy gels and bars for fuelling along the way. 5. Lastly, a power bank, set of headphones with sufficient charge and content to occupy my brain for so many hours of constant pedalling.

[@henrykwan4318]

@@staskucherenko thanks for your reply. I am going to ride with my Brompton this year. What is your expected time for the event? See you there 👍

[@staskucherenko]

@@henrykwan4318 I aim to do smth like 12-15 mph, so hope to squeeze into 6-7 hours in total. See you during the event, all the best of luck with it :)

[@botasfinas]

Hay cientos de modelos asiáticos muy bien hechos que cuestan la cuarta parte. Yo tengo una Flamingo y estoy muy contento con ella. Diez kilos con ocho velocidades y el mismo plegado

[@staskucherenko]

¡Gracias por tu comentario! Esta es la bicicleta Flamingo que has mencionado, ¿verdad? www.flamingobike.com/?portfolio=products-folding-bp Se ve muy bien, ¡gracias por compartir! Y disculpas por mi gramática española en nombre de Google Translate :)

[@botasfinas]

@@staskucherenko Es esa, pero le he cambiado casi todo. Ha perdido tres kilos y medio. Bielas y doble plato shimano 53-39, ruedas de aliexpress con cuatro coronas 11-13-17-21, pedales automáticos, tija aceoffix...El cuadro es de aluminio y he sacado los cables por fuera. Cabe en la bolsa de Ikea

[@botasfinas]

@@staskucherenko Este modelo con el manillar recto kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5mQiqF7Z7OZhMk

[@staskucherenko]

​@@botasfinas Vaya, 3 kilos menos, eso es realmente impresionante, ¡buen trabajo! Hasta ahora, todas las mejoras que hice con mi Brompton prácticamente aumentaron el peso (manijas Ergon, ruedas Marathon Plus, portabultos trasero, etc.) :)

[@botasfinas]

@@staskucherenko Hay un portabultos trasero que pesa 150 gramos. Por 18€ le quitas mucho peso, en mi caso 300 gramos

[@oryoruk]

Hey Stas I wish I could show you around when you were in Philadelphia, reply to this post next time you’re in town! Greetings 👋😊

[@staskucherenko]

@@oryoruk thanks a lot for the invitation :) I was actually lucky enough to cycle in Philly couple of times (got few vids on the channel filming iconic routes like Rocky trails or Schuylkill river trail, Ben Franklin Bridge etc), enjoyed it quite a bit!

[@oryoruk]

​@@staskucherenko great! glad you enjoyed our humble city. (apologies for the autocorrect of your name to "stars") I had a Brompton for about 5 years, when I was train commuting to work. When I got a remote job instead, I sold it, because I was not using it at all. Your videos, however, inspired me to rethink. Bromptons would make a great travel bike as you are suggesting, so I am rethinking adding one to my stable again :D

[@wiesejay]

I add a tempering oil made with whole panchpuran spices to mine

[@staskucherenko]

@@wiesejay apologies for silly question, but wdym by tempering oil? :)

[@wiesejay]

@@staskucherenko whole spices fried in oil-used in Indian cooking typically

[@HolgerNestmann]

7:25 don‘t let your seatpost slide ;)

[@staskucherenko]

🤣🤣🤣, love it :)

[@Jay-qq7so]

It comes with a large Brompton price too.

[@staskucherenko]

@@Jay-qq7so that’s very true indeed :)

[@neverstopplayinghard]

You can do the fold in 2 steps: When folding up you just angle the right pedal pointing upwards, undo the hinge on the frame, grip the bike at the bottom of the steering tube with the left hand and press the rear frame trigger with the right as you lift the bike upward, it should fold into itself as the rear triangle swings underneath, you only need to lower the seatpost and undo the steering tube clamp to fold in the handlebars now. To unfold just pull up the seat tube and grip with the right hand, left hand reaches down and grips the left handlebar, and just lift the bike and it should unfold instantly. You can also do the same quick fold with the steering tube clamp already loosened for extra speed but it's a bit more knacky. You can see how quick it can be done here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kF62g3SJgLGknpo

[@staskucherenko]

Wow, this is amazing! Less than 5 seconds is crazy fast. Doing both hinges simultaneously probably requires quite some training to be done, but this is truly impressive, thanks for sharing!

[@neverstopplayinghard]

@@staskucherenko I wouldn't bother undoing both hinges at once, that's just speed record stuff but I fold my bike the same way except leave the steering post hinge until step 2 to fold the handlebar down. The unfold is easy though, almost automatic if you know which parts to grip right.

[@ESCSvideos]

Hi, What is the name of the rear 4-wheel parcel rack you have on your Brompton, please? I have been looking everywhere for that

[@staskucherenko]

Hi, thanks for the question. If you have P or T Line - then you need Advanced Roller Frame Kit (www.brompton.com/p/680/advance-roller-frame-kit). For C line - I think it is just called Roller Rack, here is the link anyways - www.brompton.com/p/715/brompton-rack-set-complete-incl-4-rollers-and-mudguard-6mm-holes Also if you are curious - I have a video with review of my top 10 Brompton items, with Advanced Rack being one of them, here is the link - kzbin.info/www/bejne/bny1hWeEgM6GidEsi=DtLZ6Wj4zDehb7fB, you can jump directly to it via time codes or to 12:05

[@ESCSvideos]

@@staskucherenkoExcellent!... Thanks so much. I have subscribed. Keep up the great content.

[@staskucherenko]

@@ESCSvideos thanks a lot :)

[@kings7man]

what is its maximum payload

[@staskucherenko]

@@kings7man the manual says 110kg, including rider and any of the bells and whistles attached to the bike. Cargo-wise, I think it’s 10kg on front and back, but still as a part of overall 110kg load

[@david78212]

If you really have a need for a folding bike, NOTHING is going to come close to the size it will fold to. If you have no place (apartment) to store it. You can take it on a bus when the bike rack is full. I use it on my sailboat because there really isn’t anyplace to store a full sized bike. Flying with a bike is a nightmare, I’ve done it. Flying with a bike that will fit in a suitcase would have been so much easier. Transporting a bicycle sized box or bag to the airport is a bit of a hassle. Carrying a bicycle in the grocery cart is much more relaxing than wondering if your bike was stolen while you’re inside. If you’re concerned about carrying stuff, I just use a backpack, don’t stock up with a lot of stuff at once anyways. I can use my pannier bags if I need to carry more stuff.

[@staskucherenko]

@@david78212 100% with you, this is exactly my thought process, hence I live the bike so much. Flying is a bit clunky, as you need to do a bit of assembly / disassembly, but still well worth the trade off of finding or renting a bike wherever you are flying to. I’ve seen a video where the guy attached a bag to a bike like a trailer, while cycling to the airport, then folded the bike into it in the airport and checked it in for the flight, sounds like an ultimate travel hack to me :) And grocery shopping with Brompton is so good, I’ve saved so much time and money with it over the last couple of years! A combo of backpack, front bag and a big reusable cloth bag, that I fixate with bungee to the rear rag pretty much gives enough volume for a solid grocery run for entire family. With panniers - do you remove the bag when you roll the bike in the btw? Always wanted to try one of those :)

[@falconreconeight]

Pros; it’s kind of neat. Cons; it’s 3 times more expensive than it should be.

[@staskucherenko]

@@falconreconeight well, I wouldn’t necessarily disagree, but it is very neat though :)

[@ArslanAndArslan]

It’s built in London not just assembled so worker earn a decent wage! They could have followed other companies and moved production to Taiwan or China but they chose to keep true to their values unlike the 50 other bike brands including the top ones.

[@staskucherenko]

@@ArslanAndArslan indeed, good point, all the steps and brazing are done at Greenford factory, so even more impressive!

[@kings7man]

It only carries 110kg not for heavy riders likeme

[@rpavl]

Where did you get that sweater?

[@staskucherenko]

Got it as a gift 8 years ago, the brand is Paul Shark, not sure they have the same ones anymore, but smth similar probably should be around.

[@wonderingatom8203]

I found the Brompton parts to be really reasonably priced. I think people need to look more carefully when looking for parts. They are not bad at all.

[@staskucherenko]

That’s a good point, thanks for flagging. On parts themselves - totally agree with you, I changed some smaller things like a hook on a front wheel, some bolts, tubes, and so on, and they are reasonable in terms of price. So anything core and central about the bike is quite fair. The accessories, like rear rack for example, can be sometimes a bit bananas, but it varies hugely, so I guess it is still perfectly possible to find everything needed to tweak the bike a bit without breaking the bank

[@staskucherenko]

What are the things you like or don't like most about your Brompton?

[@IonProdan]

The weight. It's heavy

[@staskucherenko]

@@IonProdan indeed … well, at least it can be used as an oversized dumbbell while not being cycled on :)

[@tjj5337]

Best bike for people with bad backs. Easy to carry.

[@staskucherenko]

Fully with you! Rolling bike around when folded / semi-folded helps a lot! Plus just carrying the bike while unfolded with saddle or just holding the central tube is reasonably comfortable. I was looking for some options to carry it on the back, like a backpack, but didn’t find any suitable solution so far.

[@Alex-j3b6l]

Дуже цікаво, корисно і толково розповів. Я би хотів подивитися від Вас відео - як гарно вивчити англійську мову? 🙂

[@staskucherenko]

@@Alex-j3b6l дякую за ваш коментар )) щодо відео про англійську - дякую за ідею ))

[@billhemingway5558]

a more affordable folding bike that weighs just 23lbs is the Zizzo Liberte for $450

[@staskucherenko]

Very cool, thanks for sharing! I think I actually saw couple of them or very similar looking Zizzo models around London!

[@veryggyy1]

Uber Taiwan👍

[@Bl00dWolf]

Добрый вечер =) Спасибо за рассказ, интересно. Рассматриваю покупку велосипеда такого или аналогов. Пока конечно хочется оригинал. Подскажите пожалуйста - не протирают ли v-brake тормоза сильно обод? Слышал от других людей некоторых, что спустя 2500 км примерно обод имеет большие борозды, а на 4 000 км может и треснуть =( И в принципе еще говорили, что непогоду он не любит =( И второй момент - что думаете о поездках что называется country side, загородом? =) Т.е. по дорогам грунтовым. В видео упоминали впрочем моментом. Хотелось бы понять, на более цепких покрышках плохо ли велику в таком использовании? Спасибо!

[@staskucherenko]

Здравствуйте, спасибо за ваш фидбек и комментарий :) По поводу обода - пока с такой проблемой вообще не сталкивался если честно. Откатал на своем Бромптоне около 3000 миль, эквивалент порядка 5000 км, и с ободом и рамой колеса никаких проблем не было. Недавно заменил тормозные колодки, так как заводские уже достаточно сильно стерлись. Плюс болты вокруг обоих калиперов у меня однажды снаружи заржавели, пришлось немного повозится чтобы их все поснимать, но ржавчину удалось убрать растворителем и пока болты вернулись обратно :) Я в превентивных целях периодически осматриваю и протираю тормозные колодки, читал что в них могут застревать мелкие камушки или прочие твердые вкрапления, и они в свою очередь как раз могут повредить обода. Так же протираю сами обода раз в пару недель, чтобы сцепление обода и тормоза лучше работало и там не накапливался слой грязи. По поводу езды в кантрисайде - это сложный вопрос :) В целом по грунтовой дороге Бромптон проехать может, но вопрос на сколько она каменистая и твердая. По каменистой и неровной дороге ехать очень некомфортно, если она еще и не совсем сухая - то очень быстро забиваются грязью и землей брызговики и всю ходовую часть велосипеда потом надо активно чистить. В связи с тем что колеса у Бромптона меньшего диаметра - вся ходовая часть значительно ближе к земле чем у обычного велосипеда, и она больше ловит грязи, что в условиях грунта, травы, песка, итп может быть весьма проблематичным. Так же вопрос в шинах - если нужно периодически ездить по грунтовым дорогам, более прочные варианты, такие как Marathon и Marathon Plus будут наиболее надежны. Я несколько раз пробивал камеры, после чего пересел на Marathon Plus и пока очень ими доволен. В целом, если по грунтовым дорогам ездить не часто, в хорошую погоду, и сами дороги как правило в неплохом состоянии - Бромптон вполне должен справится. Но если по бездорожью нужно ездить часто и при разных обстоятельствах, Бромптон скорее всего часто прийдется носить на руках ))

[@Bl00dWolf]

@@staskucherenko большое спасибо за такой развернутый ответ! Да, мне как раз было интересно по хорошим грунтовым дорогам, когда они сухие. В грязь я и на МТБ не люблю даже ездить =) Про тормоза, шины и обод понял, спасибо за информацию. Надеюсь завтра вот разместить заказ на бромптон. Успешных велокатаний и развития канала Вам!

[@staskucherenko]

@@Bl00dWolf спасибо вам большое, вам тоже всего наилучшего и замечательных впечатлений от вашего нового Бромптона :)

[@OlBoris]

Price tag is definitely a con. A major one

[@staskucherenko]

@@OlBoris that’s a very fair point. I guess the question is whether the pros associated with it are strong enough to justify the price given specific situation and circumstances of each individual cyclist

[@philippecasteleyn9327]

Are most parts metric ?

[@staskucherenko]

@@philippecasteleyn9327 Hi Philippe, what do you mean by metric in this context?

[@philippecasteleyn9327]

@@staskucherenko Metric as in Napoleon as opposed to imperial.

[@staskucherenko]

@@philippecasteleyn9327 loool, that I understand, that it is cm rather than inches :) but do you ask whether components are measured via metric system rather than imperial?

[@philippecasteleyn9327]

@@staskucherenko Yes, specialy the bolts and nuts. I had a Mercedes Leatherman, it fell apart, and I cannot fix it any more. I understand that sadly the wheels are in inches, but that is 2.54 cm.

[@staskucherenko]

@@philippecasteleyn9327 to the best of my knowledge it should be in metric units, like dimensions of all the Allen keys are in mm (with 5mm being the most common one). Also, just checked my beloved Brompton toolkit and everything these is in mm, so if you prefer metric measurements - you should be fine.

[@emmanouilbagiartakis6689]

3 step fold is the main selling advantage not a con in my opinion. You list it as a con.

[@staskucherenko]

@@emmanouilbagiartakis6689 agree with your point, I would say it is kind of both. It helps with portability a lot, plus the design for it is really brilliant, but it increases mechanical complexity of the bike and adds few more points of potential failure and maintenance. But overall agree, it is much more of a defining feature and major advantage of the bike, rather than anything else

[@gonzalogarcia7435]

Hello my friend, I am de, this bike is too small for me ??

[@glenantrim5728]

А как он его катит за седло, если оно является фиксатором раскладки в сложенном положении?!!

[@staskucherenko]

@@glenantrim5728 Глен, спасибо за ваш комментарий. Седло можно поднять на половину высоты и оно все равно будет фиксировать раскладку, этой высоты как раз хватает чтобы катить велосипед за седло. Плюс на ровной поверхности даже с полностью поднятым седлом велосипед будет сохранять сложенное положение

[@glenantrim5728]

@@staskucherenko спасибо

[@chacmool2581]

Heavy Expensive Rail 349 wheels Proprietary parts galore Prehistoric transmission

[@staskucherenko]

Love the point on rail 349 wheels :)))

[@unexperienced-t2w]

I'm also getting one! I can save 10 minutes by using my car to school

[@staskucherenko]

@@unexperienced-t2w sounds great, thanks for sharing, all the best with your Brompton cycling adventures ))

[@clee6746]

I simply do not like the ride quality of the small 16 wheels on the bike, the shocks go into my brain.

[@staskucherenko]

Hi C Lee, thanks for your comment. That’s a fair one, the amount of vibration getting into rider’s hands on a Brompton is quite sizeable. There are ways to manage it though -titanium fork on P lines is helpful to dissipate vibration, plus upgraded grips (like Ergon GP3 I am using) can also help quite a bit.

[@geert574]

these things are 4500 euros now wtf I remember in 2008 it was like 800-1200, shoulda gotten one then now I'm never buying

[@staskucherenko]

@@geert574 well, inflation hits everything unfortunately, but I think only T lines are as expensive as 4.5k euros, A line is below £1k by default and C line is smth around £1.3k-£1.5k.

[@albertstufkens4844]

I solved the price and gearing issues by simply buying a superior Chinese clone for one third of the price for a Brompton. I admire the genius of it but certainly not the outrageous pricing. 😂

[@staskucherenko]

@@albertstufkens4844 hi Albert, thanks for your comment. If you don’t mind sharing - how is your experience with the clone so far?

[@albertstufkens4844]

​@@staskucherenkoI sold my old 3s Brompton for €650 and bought a more modern 9s Chinese clone for €565. When I received it I found that it surpassed my expectations: lighter, technically more advanced, marvellous braking, a gem. Of course, I do not want to use it for 20 years before making any comments on the quality. That is futile.😅

[@stephen300o6]

Hello rich people, well done.

[@staskucherenko]

Thanks, Stephen :) In the grand scheme of things I think Brompton can be actually saving money. Let’s say if you commute by tube to work in London, you usually spend smth like £2.5 one way, so 5 quid per day. Against the price of C-line, let’s say £1500, it can be covered in 300 days, so ballpark you can cover back the money within a year or so. It doesn’t take into account bike maintenance and replacement of spares, like chain, tubes, tyres, oil and so on, but it should change the math dramatically. And coupled with health gains from regular cycling, occasional leisure rides and time saving from last-mile cycling, I would argue that Bronpton offers reasonable value for money.

[@migzreyes4010]

These are pros and cons for a foldable bike not pros and cons for a brompton over other foldable bikes

[@staskucherenko]

@@migzreyes4010 Thanks for your comment! This is a fair point, lots of the arguments I mention in the video are applicable to foldable bike in general, however there are several aspects specific to Brompton that I also talk about, like wheel size, 3-way fold design, Brompton pricing and reselling value and so on. But to you point - I am very curious about how different or similar is cycling experience on other foldable bikes like Birdy or foldable bikes from Decathlon, so please share if you have any first-hand experience!

[@leighsherval1023]

20-30 miles on a Brompton? You are more bike than man

[@staskucherenko]

@@leighsherval1023 looooool, thanks a lot :) this reminds me a Gino D’Acampo with his legendary “if my grandma would have wheels - she would have been a bike” :)

[@techtitanuk5609]

Far too expensive

[@staskucherenko]

Brompton is pretty expensive indeed, here I am fully with you, especially it's variations with titanium components. I guess ultimatelly it boils down to whether it's features and benefits (e.g. the whole foldability thing, multimodal transportation option, QA from UK-based assembly, higher reselling value, etc.) are appealing enough for you to justify the price.

[@Avo4929]

These bikes are poorly put together wastes of metal, only thing “premium” about these bikes are its price lol

[@staskucherenko]

@@Avo4929 thanks for sharing! I wouldn’t necessarily agree to be honest, quite happy with the quality of my P-line, but there is of course a spectrum of experiences and views on that front.