Originally Posted by
Roegmann
No response from the seller to my query (been over 24-hrs). It is just a guess, but the pictures associated with the posting (LA Craigslist) shows a 4-6 inch gap between the handlebars and the frame when folded. The reason in the listing says it is the shifter; no brand listed for the shifter. I will pester him again later to see if my guess is correct and if I can swap out the shifter (doubtful or he would have done it already).
For the last 4ish months, I have been trolling the local ads, etc. for miscellaneous folders and I have not seen a Brompton offered for less than $1300 used. There are 4 listings now, and the cheapest is $1600. So, I will have to wait a while before I can find one that is "cheap" for me to convert it myself, which is no big deal. My kid and I can keep enjoying the Downtube Mini.
The 5spd Crius is still on the table, it is just the dessert and not the main course.
I looked at the ad, I don't know why he thinks the shifter interferes. What I see is the bar contacts the frame with one of the bar-ends, which prevents the bar from closing completely. The shifter is angled away from the bike in that position, so shouldn't be a problem. That bike should fold ok if the bar-ends are ditched, or you loosen the grips to twist them up vertically before folding. They're lock-on grips so all you need is an Allen wrench.