My wife and I have been testing out folders for a few months. For our tastes, the portability of the Brompton/Merc folders along with its decent ride is trumping a lot of other folders. However there are still a few issues where a few opinions and advice would be helpful.
The first, of course, is the whole Brompton versus Merc debate. I read a series of threads on the issue--I simply searched "Brompton vs Merc" and spent an hour or two in front of the computer--and saw the favorable Merc reviews. I am strongly leaning towards the Merc but it appears that the version offered now is similar to the M-type 3 speed Brompton instead of the version Waveshrdr reviewed earlier. But more on this later ...
We have only ridden 2 and 3 speed Bromptons. While Washington DC is not as hilly as Denver or San Francisco, it still has a considerable amount of variation and we would take the bikes on trips. So getting a wider gear range is an important issue. But the 6 speed increases the range marginally. I searched the YAHOO Bromtontalk group for additional solutions. I found the following:
1) Add a front derailer -- YAHOO message #27131 plus many more
2) Add an internal geared crank -- Schlumph Mountain Drive
3) Change the rear sprockets on the 6 speed -- YAHOO message #28250
Approximate prices for 1) and 2) can be found at
http://www.foldabikes.com/PriceListHTML/plSection.php?1 . As one can see, the Mountain Drive is pretty expensive; but the front derailer option looks reasonable. The individual with the 12/18 sprockets on the 6 speed was unable to get the rear derailer to work smoothly. Although a smaller spread (while still wider than the original 13/15) would probably work better.
One question I have is whether the derailer clamp can be used with the aluminum Merc. Anecdotally, it appears that most aluminum bikes have braze-on derailers. I always wondered--but not enough to actually discover the answer--whether the lack of clamps was due to the material or oversized seat tubes.
Another issue is that the ergonomics on the Brompton are a little squished for me. I would want to be able to extend the reach a bit and perhaps have a little flexibility with bar height. There is an interesting modification (see YAHOO message #19220) where a quill stem replaces a suspension handlebar post. I was wondering whether the suspension handlebar post that WAVESHRDR discussed in an earlier thread has that ability. The seat can be moved back a bit either by rotating the saddle adapter pin or with the aftermarket post linked below. Does anyone have any experience with the post or general comments on altering the Brompton/Merc fit?
http://www.calhouncycle.com/productc...&idproduct=873
There was a considerable amount of discussion on the weight of the Brompton versus the Merc. From what I gather the conclusion is that the overall weight of the bikes are similar except that the Merc has a lighter aluminum frame but the Brompton has a lighter rear triangle/fork (the Brompton and Merc forks are cro-mo and hi-ten steel, respectively). Assuming that this is true, is it possible to purchase just the rear triangle/fork from a Brompton dealer? Have I characterized their relative weights correctly? From this can I infer that the Brompton with the titanium forks and rear triangle is lighter than the Merc.
Lastly, how has the Merc been holding up with respect to reliability?
Thanks for reading
-G
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P.S. I decided to start a new thread since the date on "Bringing Merc to the USA" is failing to update. More generally, I thought that the thread's title was no longer appropriate.