Originally Posted by
Jipe
Brompton do not have a "Super Downtube" nor a Deltech cable and nevertheless their frames last forever!
This is pure marketing ****.
Not so fast, with the pitchforks and torches!
Originally Posted by
Bleu
It's a G line clone. Except it's aluminum. It isn't lighter, or even specced better. Why not just buy the Brompton ?
Well, price is one possible reason,
Bleu.
The fact that Bromptons are aluminum instead of steel is a
huge difference. Steel is a lot more ductile than aluminum. It can flex a bit all the time without wearing out, whereas aluminum can only flex so many times and then it breaks. Aluminum is usually made thicker and stiffer, to avoid the flex & breakage, whereas steel bikes are not made to be so stiff, as the flex is a good trait.
Especially in the un-braced Brompton design. That flex in the steel tubing is a big part of why they ride so well despite having 16" tires at 100 psi.
As to the weight, I don't know if Brompton uses better components or thinner tubing to keep the weight down, but they do know what they're doing with this design.