I have a Brompton and love it... for what it is good at. It does take some getting used to and I don’t expect the same ride feel I get on my Rivendell. I also can’t imagine taking it on a long tour. That’s what the Riv’s for. I needed a folder because I was teaching a class that required me to take a bus rather than a train home. Bus racks fill during rush hour in the bay area plus I didn’t want to leave my nicer bike on a bus rack. Bought the Brompton because it folded the smallest and I like the history behind it. When I need to take the bus, they let me carry it on.

I would not have bought a folder unless I needed it for my commute. Now that I have it, I’ll probably always keep it. I like the ability to just chuck it in the car trunk and have it wherever I may go. I have also traveled with it a little although I wonder if it might be best to rent a bike wherever we travel to avoid the hassle and risk of checking a bike.

You pay a premium for the fold. That means you get lesser components than a regular bike for the money you spend. I wouldn’t touch a $400 folder since you could probably get a better quality regular bike and neither is going to be very high quality. We bought my wife a very nice bike during an end of year sale for about $500. It is still more difficult to maintain than my bike with higher end components. The frame is solid so I may just swap in better components when she’s not looking!

Since your cargo areas might be filled with kids and cargo, have you considered investing your $400 into a trailer hitch and hitch-mounted rack?

john