For an all-around townie (if your town is reasonably flat) a Brompton is a great bike. I’ve owned two of them (both were stolen), and enjoyed them both. I like how they fold, and how they ride, I am not bothered much by their weight. The only downside is the limited gearing which forces me to get off and push them to the top of steeper hills. In Asia I have seen Brompton copies made by “Mint” or something like that. They look like Bromptons, but with conventional off-the-shelf Shimano drivelines and disk brakes. I’m not sure about the build quality, but they don’t look badly made.

I’ve been on the fence about getting a featherweight folding bike to keep at our place at the beach, and have had my eye on a Panasonic Traincle. These are compact, 14” folding bikes made of titanium, and come in two versions. The one I’ve been looking at is the better model with the tubular titanium fork (instead of the pressed steel fork), and has been fitted with a Dura Ace 9 speed cassette and derailleur. With a light saddle and pedals it’s about 7kg. I’m not keen on the 14” wheels and tires, but the price is less than a 3 speed Brompton.