Originally Posted by
feijai
Ozonation, this may be too late of a comment, but you may wind up being quite disappointed with the Brompton after test-riding it. Even with its seat pushed all the way back, the Brompton has an extremely short reach, among the shortest of any of the common folding bicycles made. At 5'11" you'll find yourself stuck with a very upright bike posture.
Not too late. I decided to shop around some more. If I do buy a Brompton, I might buy from NYCE given that they have more in stock and the colour combo I want.
Hmmm...
inical mentioned Urban Cycle in Toronto, I went to their website, and saw their Bike Friday offerings. And since then, I've read a slew of "Brompton vs Bike Friday Tikit" comparisons. I'm sure some of you have seen this one:
"At my height and reach (fairly average), the Brompton M3L was pretty cramped, and though the S2L allowed a bit more reach, it did so by having handlebars so far down (for me) as to feel very unsafe. If you're an average-sized male, only get a Brompton if you must fold down to its level of compactness." http://cs.gmu.edu/~sean/stuff/tikit/four.html
This got me thinking... on my current hybrid, I have the seat pushed back as far as possible for comfort. I'm 5'11" and don't have a slim build so I do like some "roominess". At the same time, I'm considering a folder precisely for its efficiency in going from place to place. So, I don't want to end with a bike that I won't want use because: a) it's uncomfortable; or b) it's cumbersome to travel with.
Agrhh... I wish that I could easily get to Toronto maybe try them out, but my work schedule is just awful and I can't get away anytime soon. I'm relying heavily on user comments. I got to say that this has got to be one of the most useful forums I've been in. You be amazed (maybe not) what people write in photography and Apple (Mac) forums...