At a loss: Brompton vs Ori M9
 

Hi!

Over the past few weeks I've gone through blogs, videos and several forums, and have read many threads in here as well, but I'm still so unsure... what I want is a comfortable, great looking folding bike. It doesn't have to be the fastest, but have good speed; and to handle itself well in the city... that I can pedal and not get tired of the ride within a few miles. Where I live I only have these choices: Dahon Vitesse D7, Tern Link D8, Brompton, and Ori M9 Urban. I tried them all. Liked best the Brompton and the M9. The Brompton goes around $250 USD higher than the M9 and honestly, didn't feel much of a difference. I do believe the M9 was lighter.

TL;DR So my question is: Brompton or Ori M9?

I would also love to try a Birdy Monocoque, but those aren't sold here yet... hope people that have tried these 2 (or these 3) could provide a much valuable insight!

Thanks in advance,

SR

Where are you located? When comparing costs, IMHO, you should consider whether Bomptons and ORis depreciate at the same rate in you area.

-HANK RYAN-
Norman, Oklahoma USA

In the long run ... every part of a Brompton, if needed, can be found, and sent to you anywhere in the world.

I'm in Mexico. No idea how they depreciate though... I've read that the Bromptons hold better value over time, not sure about the Oris, can't find much information on those over here.

Ori are known for being closer to the riding position of a full size bike. You would find it easier to spend longer times in the saddle. All of the Ori components are industry standard so no problem there. I have a Mezzo i4 (ORI rebranded) and love it. Very well designed and made bike. Its fold is almost as small as the Brompton.

Can anyone comment on the dimensions of the Ori Travel Bag? Would a Brompton fit inside that bag? Else could anyone comment on the dimensions of a folded Ori?

I'd look for a Birdy Classic .. they ride as well as the monocoque and the front suspension is superb ... might be hard to find in Mexico, but maybe not ... if you are ever on rough roads, you'll welcome the Birdy ride .. also, plenty of tire choices in the slightly larger 355 size ... and the Birdy uses industry standard components ..

The Ori will be a touch lighter than an all-steel 6spd Brompton,it will handle better,and the wheels will be easier to remove. The Brompton will fold quicker and smaller. If the ride is more important I'd suggest the Ori,if the fold is more important I'd suggest the Brompton.

Unless they've made changes,the bag that came with my old Mezzo(previous incarnation of Ori) is currently housing my 20" Speed Pro TT,and will easily swallow a Brommie.

Thanks so much for the comments guys... @BruceMetras Yes, I'd love to try one but unfortunately no Birdys around here.

How about Bike Fridays? I've read great comments as well, but alas, cannot be found where I live. Bike Friday owners here? Models you could recommend? I'd also consider a BF if the shipping is not too expensive...

I have a New World Tourist. Folding is clumsy and the folded bike is bulky. Can be packed into a suitcase for travel, but dismantling and reassembly takes, for me, 1h+. Riding is all right. As a rule, I take BF along for air travel lasting more than 10 days and put one into a car when there are no constraints on space. In other cases it is Brompton. My BF is arranged with a basket so that I can throw in my backpack that I normally use. For Brompton I need to repack into its dedicated front bag.

Noted! Thanks for the tip.

The only ones I can get where I live are those listed at the top of the thread... I think I'm almost set on the M9... is cheaper than the Brom, rides great, folds great, looks gorgeous and a few in here said good things about it. Yet is it weird that somehow I'm still thinking about the Brompton?

Well, with Brompton you buy into a very well integrated system which is very well thought through. Most other bikes just get you past folding. There are certainly quite a few accessories developed for Ori, from what I can see on their site, but I am not sure it represents such a well rounded system as Brompton.

Yeah... and that Brom can look so gorgeous. I was checking about lightning... Brompton offers 2 dynamos: the Shimano and the Schmidt, but the price difference between the two is extreme... does the Schmidt really justifies that cost?

My rule of thumb is as follows. If I ride the bike day in day out, it is Schmidt, and if I ride the particular bike occasionally, it is Shimano. For Brompton, as for most bikes following the rule, it is Shimano.

then You, likely need to Fly to where the test rides are.. and bring your choice, back home.

or rely on touts from strangers ..

I have the Bike Friday Tikit, Did 40 miles on it Saturday. Good Riding position, tailor made to the rider. Certainly is another one of the Top Shelf folders. The Tikit folds FAST but is a larger fold than an Ori or Brompton. Uses industry standard components. Great customer service.

I've tested both the M9 and the Brom. They both felt great and they both look great - it's the price tag difference that causes some noise, just wanted to read some comments from people that possibly own one or the other. Or those other brands I can't find here.

Thank you for the input... wish I could try one of those.

Never seen an M9 that Im aware of in El Norte, where I live (its not a big Town)


FWIW Eugene has a Regional Airport , if you want to Make a Bike Friday Factory Visit- test Ride..

There you have a wide Menu of choices and they will make a bike to Fit you .

[might have one that is OK on hand, but they tend to build a bike to Spec as the order comes in.]

AFAIK, all other folders are a single product with bits altered ..

Ok so at the end I got a black Ori M10 Superlight! :thumb: The thing is gorgeous and drives great and I got an additional discount because I was getting the M9. It's being delivered until Monday so it shall prove a long wait... no Brompton-3-month-long, but still....

Congratulations!

Pictures! We need pictures please, There'd is a joke on here, " pictures or it didn't happen" . Oh and congratulations.

Good choice, I am sure you wont be disappointed. Have fun riding it.

Thank you!

@zebede I will definitely post pictures. They told me at the store that it might arrive on Saturday.

Is the Ori available for test rides somewhere in Mexico? I'd love to know where.

Yes; in Guadalajara, Mexico. I believe also in Mexico City, but I'll ask. Where are you at?

I'm in the US, but I test rode a Mezzo several years ago and would love to try an Ori. (Mezzo has disappeared from the American market, and Ori has never appeared.)

Is it a specific store or chain of stores that carries Ori in Mexico, or have you just found them in some random places?

Yes! This guy's the distribuitor of several folding bikes brands (including Ori). He happens to own a coffee shop as well, so he has them on display there. And yes, you can try them. I understand that he's shipped ORIs to USA, as those are not distributed over there yet?

Ok, here it is! My M10 :)

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=362600http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=362601

My Birdy was stolen several months ago, and I decided to replace it with a Brompton. The Brompton is quite a nice bike, and very good for short commutes and sidewalk riding. The ride is smooth enough, and it folds quickly and easily.

in comparison, the Birdy was a bit lighter, (I had the older straight-frame version), has a larger, more comfortable cockpit, and much more easily upgradeable than the Brompton. I was easily able to fit XTR V-brakes, levers, and a 10 speed shifter, derailleur, and cog. The best thing about the Birdy is that I was able to set up the seat, bar, etc. to the same dimensions as my 56cm road bike.

The Brompton is a great grocery-getter, and is good enough for my regular work commute, but the Birdy was quick enough, and large enough to be a potential replacement for my fullsize roadbike. If you are planning longer, faster rides, the Birdy is a great choice. The front and rear suspension tames rough pavements quite nicely. For all around fun, the Brompton is a great bike.

i live in Japan, and the Birdy is something of a cult bike here. You can probably buy one through Rakuten, which is a Japanese internet retailer which sells pretty much anything. Rakuten now provides English support, and shipping from Japan is generally cheaper and faster than from most other places.

Good luck, and I hope you enjoy whichever bike you choose.

Hey Sangetsu! Thanks for the reply and the advice. Actually I already got me the ORi M10 LiteWeight. I think I pondered exactly what you mentioned; except Birdy is not available where I live (Mexico), and ordering it from abroad would've been quite the expense... I didn't know about Rakuten. By the way I just searched for the Birdy in that site, but couldn't find it. How do you search for it?) From what you say, I'm thinking the ORi M10 LW is somewhat an excellent blend, as it got a nice and quick folding (not as nice as the Bromton, of course), but it rides much smoother. It definitely feels lighter (and it has 10 speeds).

I am however thinking on getting a Brommie by the end of this year (I still love the looks of it.) I'd get it with a rack, as I'd use it for grocery shopping and commuting every now and then (I don't want to add a rack to the ORi, I like it light.)

If you don't mind me asking... where in Japan do you live? One of my bucket list items is biking Japan... wondering if you've done some touring over there?