It is not too uncommon to buy a lot of fake things in China.

So it is interesting to see a Brompton look a like. That is all.

Brompton..

Brompton bikes are nothing special. They were available a long time ago. Today, folders are popular due mainly to this economic climate. People want a multi-functional bike, something you can bring to work and ride on the weekends.

But you can not change people's habits. People will always want to buy a brand name bike. Some people will always want to be associated with a brand name. It is a materialistic instinct as we are trained from the very young to expect that. Why do you think outlet stores are so popular? Why do you think Mercedes Benz and BMW dealerships are still selling even during this recession? Why are people buying Polo, Guess, Gucci, LV, Coach, Rolex etc when they can buy a cheaper no-name alternatives? But ofcourse, even in this poor economy, you always have to look and dress good. Even if you are riding a bike, you want to be caught riding either a Cervelo R3 or R5 with at least Dura Ace or Ultegra. Don't want to be caught dead riding a cheap Norco CRR3 or a low end Performance $999 special Fuji carbon bike, which goes to show people you are not suffering financially!

A Brompton is a nice bike with a nice price. A Cervelo R5 is an even NICER bike with a nicer price. Come to think of it. Bromptons are not that expensive at all compared to say a high end Cervelo, Madone 6 or a Guru bike. My local Brompton dealer told me that he sold lots of Bromptons. Up till today, I had only seen 2 Bromptons, one Brompton S1 spotted along Granville St Skytrain station (in Vancouver) and the other on Canada Line. Compared this to a few Dahons and other folders like Strida, Ori, Tikits etc. It is good to see a variety of folders, but Brompton bikes do not corner our market at all.

Lastly, it is pointless to debate which is the best folder. Because there is none. A dealer would be delighted to carry just 1 brand, the best brand because this reduces overhead. But clearly in some markets, customers want more choices. So dealers carry more.

I like to think that Brompton offers a choice. Everytime I challenge my friends to live a healthy life style by doing some exercises and commute by bike to work, they keep giving me excuses that there is not a bike that they like. Clearly with so many folder and conventional bike choices, there is no reason not to ride. If a Brompton gets people riding, that is great. If a Dahon, Moulton, Tern, Strida, Ori or Asama get them riding, all the better. It is all about choice. In the end, it is all about the ride and the health benefits it brings. I suspect that people who champion Bromptons all day long on the net clearly has way too much computer time working the finger tips rather than those legs! Last time I checked, you need to use your legs to move the pedals; not your arms and fingers.