You do get a mildly greater ratio range than the original six, only one gear changer and only one gear changing/ pedaling sequence plus you get the drum bakes which have saved my life already more than once. This braking is no small deal. The small rims on folders are also at the peril of early failure by the extreme abrasion caused by the greater number of wheel revolutions passing by the friction points of the rubber/ grit brake shoes. A colleague of mine had his Tern wheel collapse under him for this very reason. Why do you think Brompton has fiddled with brake levers and rims over the years?