I visited my brother in Cali a few years ago. His family has 3 Tokyos(he's got a wife and 3 kids).
I rode one for a while and I thought they were ok. Back in NYC; I wanted a compact and nice
riding folder. Got a 2012 Brompton S6L and liked it so much; I sold it after a month. I replaced
it with a 2013 Brompton S6L-X(lighter model with lowered gearing). A year after that; I had a
trip to Aruba booked. I usually travel with my Brompton in a cardboard box; Jetblue Air said no
boxes on international flights. I purchased a used Tokyo on Craigslist. With a bit of disassembly;
I was able to squeeze it inside my luggage. Never really used it after that trip. Was hoping the
wife would use it to go on rides with me, but she doesn't really like cycling. So when it was time
to move; I sold it for about the same price I paid for it.
So here's my comparison of the Citizen Tokyo and Brompton folding bikes. If you just want a
folding bike to save some storage space over a standard bike and don't mind the weight; Tokyo
is alright for the price. But if you do long rides(100 miles and over), need a compact ride to get
on buses, trains, planes, etc., want something a bit lighter. Then the Brompton might be a better
candidate. For me the price difference is worth it.
Re, sales tax. The tax on my B'ton was close to US$200. I paid cash for my bike and paid US$50
in shipping instead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FR2T...6zPoymgKaIoDLA
2013 Citizen Tokyo in a suitcase by
1nterceptor, on Flickr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9Aq...6zPoymgKaIoDLA