Originally Posted by
Micheal Blue
Obviously, a 16-inch-wheel bike is going to be the most compromised bike of them all; the only thing going for it is the fold. But if you cannot get it to the destination and back, then the bike's greatness doesn't matter.
The funny thing is that when I ride the Brompton, it's not THAT compromised. It's easy to weave in and out of congestion on crowded paths and plazas, turns on a dime, and is way easier to accelerate from a standstill due to its internal hub and small wheels. I do have the reduced gearing, and it's far more useful than you think, especially when riding in urban areas! Think steep overpasses and lots of building generated headwinds. And I would agree that the Brompton carrying system is pretty innovative and works well in many occasions.
If folding and travel are your biggest concerns, then the Brompton does rule. If you do, get the B&W case. Not cheap, but since you're in Toronto, for your info, I've packed and checked the Brompton in the case and flown into and out of Edmonton, Toronto, Windsor, Montreal, and Charlottetown. No issues with either Air Canada or Porter. I do suggest additional padding however if you pack it to prevent it from moving. Get a portable scale - you'll come close to the 23 kg/50 lb limit.
As for buying the Brompton itself, I think another poster in Toronto has been waiting 13 weeks now for his to come in! I got mine in about 10 days. What I did is phone every Brompton dealer in Canada and see what they had in stock, and I compromised a bit on what I wanted for the original colour. I still got a great colour (sage green) that almost everybody comments on. All I had to pay extra was shipping (hey, HST is pretty much the same everywhere), and it only took about 4 or 5 days at most from BC, where I got my bike. I've had good luck with Fairfield Bicycles in Victoria and Dumoulin Bicyclettes in Montreal. In fact, if you make it out to Montreal, Dumoulin has a great selection of bikes and accessories (I stopped by on a conference once). I don't know how many bikes Curbside keeps in stock in Toronto.
Good luck!
