Originally Posted by
champignon
If I was to get a Brompton, I am curious as to whether I could get the factory to deliver one to me at Heathrow Airport in late April, that I could pick up and check in as luggage for the remainder of my trip. It makes no sense to pay US pricing, pay to have it shipped over to the US, then to simply take it back there myself, risking damage in the process.
Ahhh... tu parles francais? Tres bien. Sadly, my French, despite studying it for six years, is sorely lacking.
I have a better idea rather than ordering a Brompton from the UK. When I wanted to order mine, the closest Canadian dealer was in Toronto, Ontario, and they had literally none in stock other than one to test ride. They advised that if I ordered one, it would take a long time because Brompton UK was back ordered. The normal delivery time is five weeks. I heard from other forum members they literally waited for months.
It then occurred to me that each Brompton dealer stocks a couple of Bromptons of the most common configurations and most popular (or saleable) colours. Even better, all I would have to do is to pay tax and shipping from a Canadian Brompton dealer to me - relatively cheap when all said and done especially since it would be within Canada: import, duty, inspection, etc. have already been taken care of by the dealer. And I wouldn't have to wait 5+ weeks. Even better, the larger Brompton dealers have mechanics who can make any adjustments you might want. In my case, the dealer reduced the gearing on my wife's Brompton so that it was better for hills.
So, I phoned every Brompton dealer in Canada. A shop in Victoria, BC, had the ones we wanted - they even discounted my wife's bike because it was a demo that was ridden periodically by potential customers over the last couple of years but never sold. It was in great shape.
You're in the US and so have far more Brompton dealers to choose from. NYCE Wheels have a bunch of Bromptons in stock, ready to go (according to their website). I imagine there are a number of other dealers with some stock to choose from. Just do what I did and call a bunch of them up and see what's readily available - maybe they can even give you a deal on the case and accessories. I can't imagine shipping being that expensive.
Personally, with security the way it is, I wouldn't count on having a Brompton delivered to an airport, waiting to be picked up. If you had a friend in the UK or even France who could receive it on your behalf, maybe, but I would think you would to really break in the Brompton on home soil first.
In fact, make a trip out of it. If you wanted a weekend in New York, you could visit a place like NYCE Wheels and try out all the folding bikes they have - then, you'd really know what you want and like. I'm sure other forum members here can recommend other dealers.