Brompton M 6 speed raw lacquer review

[mulleady]

I received my new Brompton last Friday from the local bike shop near my place of work in central London. Since August 2007 I've used the excellent Downtube 8H. I wanted the Brompton for commute and go because some trains into London get very overcrowded and it's problematic getting on with a 20" wheel bike with a loose fold. I was very lucky to find a stock bike in raw lacquer at Cavendish Cycles who kindly reserved it for me without deposit until my Cyclescheme voucher came through from my employer. I must say they are very friendly and helpful if you ever want to purchase a bike in central London, the manager Will is very patient and obliging. The Cyclescheme saved me 41% off the price through tax relief and I can pay through my payroll over 12 monthly instalments. This made the Brompton very affordable for me in the end or I would have bought a Merc off Anita on ebay.

Are Bromptons overpriced? Yes and no. It depends on your perspective. A lot of British people are very proud to buy a bike made in England rather than outsourced for manufacturing overseas. If you are from overseas the Brompton's nationalistic attributes simply don't 'kick in' and the bike is relatively expensive despite its superb fold. I've heard people describe the B as having low end and outdated components or a very poor and twitchy ride. I must confess the 1st time you ever get on a 16" folder like the B, it takes getting used to and needs proper evaluation which is why I previously rented one over a weekend. Over a few days I grew to respect its stability and agile steering. The twitchiness is simply getting used to a new type of bike like changing to a very different car. As for low end, you might take that stance if you like performance folders, but I find the Brompton very robust and well made and the components are designed to last. It's designed as a 'commute and go' folder and its small footprint makes it a joy to stow away at home & work. The fold/unfold is so incredibly easy to master and it latches together beautifully.

To summarise so far:

Positive Points

-Superb fold mechanism
-Very small footprint when folded
-6 speed gears are very efficient and give a nice range
-Raw lacquer finish looks very classy, one of the nicest finishes for the B
-Excellent luggage options and nice rear rack. I also opted for the front luggage system and the larger bag.
-Lovely ride on normal roads, very agile and capable bike.
-Schwalbe marathons running at 100psi provide very nice rolling and good puncture resistance. They look nicer than stock b tyres too.
-Easy to carry because it latches so well together
-A joy to bring into trains. work and even restaurants and pubs in London
-Rear dynamo light is very well positioned and gives excellent illumination. Standing light stays on for ages even when stationary.

Negative Points

-Tried it on a canal towpath. Rough ride on trails or slight off-road use. Not designed for this at all.
-Front dynamo light not working, probably a wiring and teething problem. Needs to be rectified by LBS. (Uptate) The LBS had the bulb in the wrong way! Was easily solved. However the fron illumination is just average, it's OK for visibility purposes. I would always use a handlebar based front light in conjunction with it.
-Expensive, probably overpriced by around 20-30%. However, B appear to be very happy with their growth and demand as a smaller private manufacturing company and the pricing strategy supports this.
-Limited room on handlebars for extra stuff.
-Gear shifters could be a nicer design. Would like to see twist grip and trigger shift options.

Will update thread over the coming weeks as I use it further. So far very very positive and a perfect trade-off between folding and riding quality. Pics below.



http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3121/2508627061_0b4594996f_b.jpg


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2107/2509372396_aceb39a088.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11662171@N02/2509372396/sizes/l/http://www.flickr.com/photos/11662171@N02/2509372396/http://www.flickr.com/photos/11662171@N02/2509372396/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11662171@N02/2509372396/sizes/l/in/set-72157601712421230/http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3104/2509370210_bb85a882b4_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2292/2508542877_4a80f4728d_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11662171@N02/2508542877/sizes/l/

[stocksy]

If it were not a violation of god's law, I would make it my wife.

[mulleady]

If it were not a violation of god's law, I would make it my wife.

Lol Stocksy. It's a great partner alright but you can't beat a lovely warm blooded and passionate woman! :lol:

[14R]

Switch gods: with at least 40.000 documented Gods (1997 U.S. research) I'm sure you will find one that it is OK to make a bike your wife.

My Raw Lacquer Brompton (Originally an M6R, now an S6E) is above that, because not even death will tear us apart.

OP: Congrats on your bike. It is one of the most beautiful folders I've seen.

14R Bromptonaut

[doco]

If it were not a violation of god's law, I would make it my wife.



me too, that raw look is the nicest out there

[ShinyBiker]

Sweet bike. Congrats.

I'm overseas and am very impressed with the way my M3L is put together. Kudos to the brits. It just rides very solidly and the components/accessories/attachments are very well thought out.

Thanks for sharing.

[mulleady]

Well if i was going to be married to a folding bike, I wouldn't be a monogamist. I'd want a harem of folding bike partners including the Brompton, a Birdy Rolhoff and the Dahon limited edition Mu XXV:
http://www.dahon.com/intl/muxxv.htm

[LittlePixel]

You look so proud!

[Klaw]

The raw lacquer & brass is very industrial steampunk Crystal Palace 1890s style, I dig it. Very sexy, congrats.

[jur]

Nice!! Mulleady in raw laquer jacket next to raw laquer Brommie. :thumb:

[bykerouac]

That finish is beautifully elegant! My next Brompton will have to be in raw lacquer. Oh I noticed that they put a generic seatclamp adaptor instead of a Pentaclip. Nothing wrong with that, my Brompton has the same thing.

[nekohime]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2107/2509372396_aceb39a088.jpg


You are my new internet crush!

(The bike, I mean :P)

[stocksy]

mulleady, you'll be glad of the 'outdated' components if you ever have to do any work on it. I used to use mine for the daily commute, so it always had to be serviceable. I never had a problem I couldn't fix myself with basic tools.

Even when I accidentally followed a bus into a flood. The hub got submerged in filthy water and filled up with silt, sand and other crap. The hub survived the rest of the journey, I stripped it down and dried it, greased it etc. and it's still good as new a year later. It's a durable bike!

I was carrying 150 litres of compost and 16 bricks in my y-frame trailer on the back of the Brompton a couple of days ago, nothing bent or broken, but I was knackered though.

[mulleady]

You are my new internet crush!

(The bike, I mean :P)

Damn! :crash:

I was feeling very flattered there until I saw the downer in brackets lol! :bang:

[EvilV]

It looks brilliant and I'm sure you will find it a great traveling partner.

That's the model I would want too, and like you - with a twist grip change. And you're right about the agility too. When I first rode my knock off copy, I thought, ' Uh oh - what's with the wobbly steering?' It took about a half an hour before I'd forgotten that and was flying about in traffic in a very nippy manner.

[mulleady]

Thanks EvilV. It is great in central London I have to say for nipping in and out of traffic and a very agile cornerer too!

[folder fanatic]

Now I have a far better idea what I want in a Brompton bike the next time I am in the market for another one. Yours is just beautiful! One of the hardest decisions that a new bike buyer has is the color as well as what to have on it. The "old fashioned" components are the ones that have proven to last and endure harsh passage of time as well as conditions. The Brompton is the result of that train of thought. As for adding components/accessories, I use both Brompton parts and whatever suits me and the bike and is available to me. I live in the US and it is sometimes very hard to get parts from the Brompton company since the closest dealer is almost 100 miles away one way.

I thought this might be helpful for all Brompton owners who want to change that shifter into something more streamlined:

Drop Bar Adapter For Twist Shifters.

HubBub designed and manufactured - This simple, lightweight adapter provides for the use of drop-style handlebars with Nexus, SRAM, or Rohloff's 14 speed twist shifter. Puts the adapter in an easy-to-operate position without clamping or welding extra parts to the bar. Adapter may be mounted for left or right-hand use. Easily installed with 6mm wrench. Dealer inquiries invited. Or order from QBP part #LD6087 - International orders gladly accepted. Please email: info@hubbub.com NOTE: NO 73MM IN STOCK AT THIS TIME - ONLY 63MM FOR ROHLOFF
Price: $59.00

http://www.hubbub.com (http://www.hubbub.com)

I am considering this component for my next Brompton since I noticed that the other twist shifters take up too much space on these types of handlebars. The handlebars of the M and P bars are curved similar to drop handlebars-just in another direction.

[mulleady]

Wow Folder Fanatic when I upgrade you have solved my problem for the twist grip shifter on the Brompton.

Great research thanks! Thanks for compliment on bike too! :-D

[EvilV]

Thanks EvilV. It is great in central London I have to say for nipping in and out of traffic and a very agile cornerer too!

Remember to stay WELL AWAY from trucks and buses at left turns. More cyclists in London have been killed by left turning long vehicles than any other cause of late. They swing in and catch cyclists as they turn left, dragging them under the rear wheels. Get in front of long vehicles at junctions or stay behind them. Front is best, then they can see you.

You probably knew all this already.

[mulleady]

Remember to stay WELL AWAY from trucks and buses at left turns. More cyclists in London have been killed by left turning long vehicles than any other cause of late. They swing in and catch cyclists as they turn left, dragging them under the rear wheels. Get in front of long vehicles at junctions or stay behind them. Front is best, then they can see you.

You probably knew all this already.

Yes i did but thanks for your kind thoughts. Have driven right up to the limits of my driving licence (3 tonne removal van I think), so aware of the longer blind spot of larger vehicles. The other danger to avoid is trying to come down the inside of buses at lights, most of all those ultra long single deckers joined together accordion style.

Nothing better than the 16" wheels of the Brompton to accelerate away if in front!

As I write this Manchester United have become European Champions as well as league champions! Yayyy! My Brompton will fly tomorrow! :D

[mulleady]

An update :

I've been using the B for over a week now and find it surprisingly fast around the streets of London. I can accelerate really fast from a standing start at lights which is a good safety advantage. The bike is also very agile and the geometry of the bike makes it quite fast for a 16" wheel bike. Some people have criticised the brakes but I found them more than ample the other day when a taxi shot out of a side junction and I was able to come to a sudden stop without throwing me. Perhaps the brakes on the latest B's are much improved? I've used better but they are still quite good all the same.

Having mastered the fold, I can now fold it under 30 seconds and unfold in under 20. Not bad and improving! While I'm not one of the Brompton users who believes no other folding bike exists, I'd have to say that its detractors are very wrong. It's an excellent bke and perfect for its purpose. Having previously hired an older and more basic model, the ones in current production have a much improved ride.

[doco]

It looks like they have upgraded the brake pads on the newer Brommies....



http://www.bikebiz.com/news/29465/Fibrax-pads-to-feature-on-Brompton-bikes
Fibrax pads to feature on Brompton bikes - news - www.bikebiz.com

[snafu21]

Congratz on the bike. Shouldn't it be in British Racing Green? :-)

Your points about 'low spec' components are well put. On a commuter, you need stuff you can fix with a tin opener. On my bike, cartridge this and high-tech that, make it impossible to fix overnight.

If you're near Hyde Park 1st June cycle along to the Diana Fountain for a Folding Meet around 10:30. See separate thread.

[mulleady]

Nope I'm Irish so would have to be Emerald Green if I wanted to go the patriotic route! Raw lacquer rules for me :-D
Would be nice to meet for the folding bike cycle as long as the weather is better than today Sunday! I'll reserve a maybe on that. I'm not a fairweather friend but hate constant downpour style rain that soaks you to the skin!

[doco]

mulleady, IIRC Bromptom offers 3 types of clearcoat for the raw finish option...

which one is yours and why did you pick it??

I like it very much :)

[stocksy]

It looks like they have upgraded the brake pads on the newer Brommies....


Confirmed. I have a 2007 and my other half has a 2008 M6 and the newer pads are a great improvement. I changed the front ones on the 2007 to aztec blocks after some frighteningly looooong stops in the rain.