Folding Bikes - Brompton Quality Control

My wife and I recently [two months ago] purchased two new Brompton M6L bikes
from our local dealer in Edinburgh.

To-day while out cycling in the quiet lanes of the Cheviot Hills, my wife had problems with the gear mechanism.

The chain pusher assembly became detached from the rear triangle and entered
the rear cogs / chain, damaging the chain pusher beyond repair.
Also in the process, the full length of the inner derailleur gear cable and it’s associated
spring became wound round the rear cogs / chain.

After unwinding the offending cable / spring and exercising care, we managed to limp the seven miles back to our car using the three speed hub gears.

On close inspection while at home, it appears the screw retaining the chain pusher assembly was missing, indicating it had never been properly tightened at the Brompton factory in the first place.

Our bikes are due to be returned to our local dealer to have the 12% reduction cranks
fitted to the bikes, these were also overlooked by the Brompton factory.
We specified and paid for the reduced gears, but got the standard gearing in error.
It is anticipated the gears will be repaired under warranty and will function reliably when repaired.

We are now beginning to wonder if Brompton are having quality control problems,
it’s a great pity these excellent bikes are being marred by these shortcomings.

A great deal of thought was given as to what manufacture of folding bikes to purchase, with hindsight maybe we made the wrong decision.

Regards Neil.

Well, if you were trying to buy a Brompton here in the States right now, you would have difficulty finding any selection. They seem to sell well and there is a backlog of orders for both standard-spec bikes as well as a four-month (and rising, I'm told) wait for custom-spec units. The reason given is a problem with quality control from their frame painters. Apparently large percentages of frames being delivered to the Brompton factory have been rejected and returned.

So is this a problem? Hard to say. Customers willing to wait suggests the public thinks they are worth the wait. Waiting because the paint (powdercoat, really) quality is not up to production standard begs your question. But missing screws suggests your dealer didn't do an adequate job himself of inspection and prep before delivery to you. I recommend you take it up with the shop first.

But the quality question is important. I guess it is reassuring to know their frames' finishes have to meet some standard before being built, but all the same, if I were in manufacturing and had a significant production delay from an under-performing supplier, I would probably make it very clear to that supplier that the continuing relationship would depend on how well he fulfilled the order with acceptable levels of quality the first time around. I can't believe Brompton couldn't find another frame painter if it had to. And their customers are certainly paying enough for the product, several times more than Asian-sourced folders cost. Timeliness is part of the overall purchase experience. Their product is unique in many ways, but as other makers improve their designs, the Brompton premium may seem less worth paying.

My wife and I recently [two months ago] purchased two new Brompton M6L bikes
from our local dealer in Edinburgh.

To-day while out cycling in the quiet lanes of the Cheviot Hills, my wife had problems with the gear mechanism.

The chain pusher assembly became detached from the rear triangle and entered
the rear cogs / chain, damaging the chain pusher beyond repair.
Also in the process, the full length of the inner derailleur gear cable and it’s associated
spring became wound round the rear cogs / chain.

After unwinding the offending cable / spring and exercising care, we managed to limp the seven miles back to our car using the three speed hub gears.

On close inspection while at home, it appears the screw retaining the chain pusher assembly was missing, indicating it had never been properly tightened at the Brompton factory in the first place.

Our bikes are due to be returned to our local dealer to have the 12% reduction cranks
fitted to the bikes, these were also overlooked by the Brompton factory.
We specified and paid for the reduced gears, but got the standard gearing in error.
It is anticipated the gears will be repaired under warranty and will function reliably when repaired.

We are now beginning to wonder if Brompton are having quality control problems,
it’s a great pity these excellent bikes are being marred by these shortcomings.

A great deal of thought was given as to what manufacture of folding bikes to purchase, with hindsight maybe we made the wrong decision.

Regards Neil.

Hello Neil,

I am really suprised that you experienced any major problems with Brompton bikes. From the purchase of my first Brompton, I did not experienced the major problems I had with my previous Asian made folding bikes right up to it's first tune-up-and beyond. And I bought Brompton's most basic simple C type (now discontinued) with no frills or reputed fancy quality parts. I do not think you made the wrong decision. I think your defect was allow to slip through unfortunally for all concerned. What really caught my attention concerning your bikes is they were bought through a dealer that is supposed to be familiar with the needs and functions of Bromptons. I would have expect this to happen over here, the land of derailleurs and regular nonfolding bikes. I hope you don't punish yourself too much over this and prejudice yourself over these type of bikes. My Brompton is as close to my personal ideal of what a bike should be to me. And I hope you will come to the same conclusion once you straighten out this matter and give your bikes a chance.

I would place equal blame on the LBS for not checking the bike before delivery to the customer. That's the primary, and sometimes only, benefit of buying from an LBS. The RD hanger bolt is a "must check" because the consequences of the RD cage entering the spokes are catastrophic to the RD and very dangerous to the rider (dare I say potentially fatal in vehicular traffic at speed).