Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 243
Likes: 1
From: New Jersey
Bikes: 2016 Cannonade Synapse Carbon Ultegra 3, 2019 Fuji Touring, Dahon Formula S18, Fuji Touring Series III (bought new in 1980's, all original components, many, many great, memorable rides), Kickbike Sport Max
Originally Posted by
alhedges
I agree with most of what Chagzuki said. A tikit is compact enough to take into the office, but if you want to take a bike into *shops*, I think the Brompton remains the best choice. And, realistically, a Tikit with a rack is going to weigh around 28 lbs, which is not much less than your 30 lb Brompton.
Can you describe when, specifically, weight is an issue? And are there times when you don't need the 12 speeds? There are people with two Bromptons; one a fully featured model like yours, and the second usually being a rackless two-speed for when weight matters...the latter weighs around 22 lbs or so if you don't opt for titanium.
To answer your questions, I would say I always need my 12 speeds - typically use them every time I ride. I'm the kind of rider who likes to maintain a cadence, and I prefer to climb hills slowly in low gears (I'm not a strong rider).
What bothers me is the nagging feeling that I'm working too hard to go up hills. Part of it is that I think in the lower gears the Schlumpf Drive creates so much torque that if I'm not careful to pedal with very smoothly-applied pressure going up hill, then I get a "springy" feeling that feels like part of my energy is being wasted in compressing the suspension rather than all of it efficiently rotating the tires. It's hard for me to put into words. [edit: Since posting this I reduced this problem greatly by installing a firm suspension block - much better!] Add to that the nagging feeling that instead of minimizing the weight of the bike, I've been "forced" to go down a path that has maximized it's weight, first with the weight of the Schlumpf drive, trying give a bike 12 gears that wasn't designed for it, and also by adding the back rack which I felt was necessary because early on normal "parking" caused the back plastic fender to crack and I felt it was likely to happen again, plus the bike rolls so much better with the 4 wheels the rack provides.
One intriguing bike an NYCeWheels rep has suggested is the Tern Verge X20 - a bike with 20 speeds weighing only 20.5 lbs (vs. my 30 lb. Brompton). I can't help wondering if such a drastic reduction in weight might make it tolerable to carry such a bike in and out of stores, and that the difference in weight PLUS the fact that it is DESIGNED with the gearing I seek might make the tradeoff (not rollable like Brompton) worth it for a huge boost in performance. BTW, When I say that I typically go into stores, I don't mean carrying it in a big store or mall and doing a lot of walking with it, but rather running into a 7-11 or deli or relatively small fruit and vegetable store to pick something up to eat, although I have been known to go into a Target and rather large Whole Foods store to pick stuff up. The Tern Verge X20 is VERY expensive, though, so I'd really have to be pretty impressed by the improved performance and sold on what it feels like to carry short distances to seriously consider it (and I'd probably have to sell my Brompton to afford it).
The less expensive and only slightly heavier Tern Verge X10 (21.3 lbs. - hideously color-schemed IMO) has fewer gears than I want, but then if the bike is substantially lighter than my Brompton, and if the drivetrain doesn't suffer from lost energy like my Schlumpf-driven Brompton does, then I may not need quite the low range I have on the Brompton. All of this can only be determined through test-riding, which I think is my next step.
Re Tikit - I had long conversation with BF rep about a number of their bikes, but we talked about so many different bikes and configurations that I don't remember exactly what conclusion we came to about it - have to review my notes. I'll revisit that as well.
Thanks for everyone's comments.
Last edited by Jerrys88; 09-13-16 at 05:39 AM.