Originally Posted by
EvilV
No.
The merc frame is an aluminium one, machine welded. Brompton's is steel (i don't know what spec) and is more or less hand brazed in jigs. The Merc frame may differ in tiny ways from Merc dimensions. I found that I had to spring the Steve Parry front derailier clamp that was made for the Brompton. I felt that my Merc frame may have been about 1.5 mm larger on the down tube where the clamp fitted. Obviously steel frames have a longer fatigue life than aluminium, but having said that, properly dimensioned alu frames will last an exceedingly long time. I doubt I'll ever break my Merc frame.
When Raxel says the bike has a Taiwan Brompton frame, he must mean a merc one I think. Brompton made agreements with a far eastern firm called Neobike who they later fell out with over quality and contractual matters when neobikes began to leak into Europe which was never supposed to happen. Neobike sold the drawings and tooling to others. Grace- Gallant now make them in the form sold as Merc here, but as Flamingobike elsewhere. I notice that Flamingobike have now dropped the Brompton lookalike frame and have a strange pressed steel girder in more or less Brompton shape, but it could never be confused for a Brompton now, unlike the Merc, which could if people didn't look closely and see what it was made of.
No, so-called TW brompton is NOT merc.
It was made in taiwan by Neobike under licence, and sold only to eastern countries.
TW brompton is made of steel, and they are almost the same as old (pre-2000) bromptons.
It uses very cheap components but is 100% compatible with modern brompton parts.
(Even front/rear frame assembly can be swapped)
Compared to modern bromptons made in UK, they are slightly smaller and has slightly larger main tube.
Many people choose TW brompton for modification because they are so cheap.
If you are lucky you can get one less than $100. I used to own one myself for which I paid $250.