UberIM

Headed down to Portland (Maine) today possibly buy a Brompton S folder ss!!!
Do the fenders inhibit folding much?
Should I get one of those Brompton Bike Bags?
I need a B17 std to go with it.........cannot ever imagine riding an upright with any other saddle. I know Bikeman in woolwich carries them but don't really want to make two stops.
Anyone know of any bike shops in Portland which sell this saddle?
Thanks,

bendembroski

I can't help with the other questions but, the fenders don't affect the fold at all on a Brompton. In fact, the little wheel on the rear mudgaurd / fender helps a bit with the rolling of the folded package.

mconlonx

Maybe check Back Bay Bicycle on the other side of the highway, down Forrest Ave, near USM? Only place I can think of in the area.

kamtsa

Have you considered Brooks Flyer? Similar to B17 but with extra suspension.

bendembroski

That's what I've got on my Brompton. Nice and comfy. I am considering switching to a standard B17 to lower the folding height a bit, and to save a little weight.

fietsbob

Brompton's own? No.
Their front bag mount is Great.


the S bar being Lower, interferes with the height
of the top of all but the lower S bag.
Because the brake levers have to swing above the bag,
on the frame mounted clip.
so need the clearance.

the many more bag options are designed around the other 2, M and P
bar /steerer tube riser options..

nish2575

sounds kind of impulsive, which is good sometimes. have you test ridden a tikit also(closest might be harris cyclery, boston area)? if you are in northern new england, you won't be folding much for subways or buses, so you have a little more time and space for folding, allowing for a 20" or 24" if you so desire, with slower and larger folding. unless you are buying ht brompton for flying or putting in the trunk of a car that usually has a cramped trunk.

i live in new hampshire, seacoast. i used a brompton up here for one year, but found it was overkill. i use a swift folder now. i take a lot of regional trains and buses. i would only switch back to a brompton if i took the subway or a crowded bus everyday, or i folded a lot each day.

the brompton bags are awesome, but expensive. spend some time trying each one out in person, and looking through the options on the brompton website, so you don't waste money on the wrong bag. harris cyclery might have some of the other bags in stock. they have a cool ortlieb bag now. the touring bag is pretty amazing in terms of size capacity, but not sure if its s compatible. i did use the rack bag along with the front bags, but overall, it wasn't very convenient or well thought out, the bike would fold fast, but attaching and detaching the bag would slow down the whole folding process, but it was more aerodynamic and has a decent amount of space.

the other part about hte brompton front bags is they actually make the weight distribution ont he bike much nicer. i would also recommend lookng at the carradice bags using sqr mount.

in terms of covering the bike, when you first get it, yuou will tend to cover it all the time when its folded in public. soon you realize its not necessary, just leave it uncovered, you are carrying a pretty large package that is 25 lbs, you aren't really fooling anyone (:, if anything peopel stare more wondering what is in the bag than once they know what is there.

join the yahoo brompton group, search through their archives. so much good information on there.

UberIM

Thanks! I have been obsessing for months now..........have not had the opportunity to ride any. The closest place/store with any folders is 2+ hours away.......Boston is even further and much less inviting..........
I had started thinking of Dahons -mu or speed uno- because of the cost and inability to test ride any folders. Then I read the thread on taking the Brompton through the airline as a carry on and thought that might be nice (I do three or so conferences a year in which I usually fly). I liked Bike Fridays but wow are they expensive AND there is no way I could trial one unless I travelled to NYC (further away from me but easily THE quintessential city in the US-but a loooong drive for me). Plus, I hear the BF is not so easy to fold. I would be able to test ride the Brompton in Portland..........if I liked it, it would be more than what I had hoped to spend but would be good for lots of reasons........No, I don't take the subway here in Maine but do travel to urban environments and would love to be able to have my bike with me............I thought that a good combo for me would be a Brompton and then a coupled bike (take one of my old steel ss bikes and have a bike builder make it into a coupled bike)........But am still ambivalating..........any other thoughts much appreciated............

alhedges

I have a Brompton and a Bike Friday and I like both of them. I use the BF for bike camping and longer rides, and the Brompton for a lot of riding around town - the fold is convenient because I often don't need to bother with a lock and just take the B. inside. I also keep it in my car a lot so that I'll have a bike with me just in case.

I've only had the Brompton about a month, but I'm finding more and more situations in which the small and quick fold is handy.

I would recommend getting the front bag and the cover.

fietsbob

M bar type lets you choose more front bags,
there is a canvas and leather ones Carradice makes for the taller bag frame.
Ortlieb offers a 100% waterproof one, For Brompton , integrates the clip.

Brompton's Touring bag is quite a big volume .
the open top folding basket front bag
is quick to use, and can go in the shops with you
[I get a nickel off each grocery bag I don't use]
C bag, posh leather briefcase, and so forth.

but, as I said, S bag is about all that fits under the lower Straight bar.

consider the Shimano dyno front hub option, and wired lights
too ..

FWIW, these guys are in Maine, retail most of the QBP catalog.
https://www.bikeman.com/

kamtsa

Depends on your usage pattern. I thought that I need one and got an S bag but never used it, still has tags attached. Even took the black plastic block off the bike.

In rare cases when I will need to carry stuff I can use a simple backpack.

There are also the after market saddle bags that fit on the Brooks hooks. They come in all sizes https://www.wallbike.com/catalog/bags/saddlebags . I am using a small Berthhoud for tools. Jur also posted recently a picture of a B with a large saddle bag.

K.

fietsbob

S bag support frame would also let you strap a Carradice saddle bag up front
onto it..

Mass over the front wheel seems to add stability..

nish2575

i'd also add, maybe velocipede with it being a somewhat local dealer is a good thing.

according to dahon, there are about 4 "resellers" in maine, though they aren't likely to have any in stock. you might talk one of them into getting models shipped in for demo rides.

you were right, harris cyclery in boston isn't selling bike fridays anymore. strange.

3 flights a year isn't worth getting a brompton though. if you think having it in your car trunk, without ever having to remove it to make space for other things, would cause you to ride your bike more, then its wrth it. in terms of using a car, i get so lazy about folding that i put my bike on a bike rack instead.

i also am intersetd in getting an s&s bike. i want to get out there and see what steel bikes i like first. if i can make it convenient enough to separate quickly, i might forgo my folding bike in the future.

UberIM

S and S bikes: Peter Mooney at Wheelworks will do it for you and my friend had his bike retrofitted by Bilenky in PA-thought they did a magnificent job; here is the webpage with the list of framebuilders who will retrofit a bike:
https://www.sandsmachine.com/fbplist.htm

I joined the Brompton yahoo discussion group but I cannot figure out how to do anything on it......it is too confusing for this meagre brained individual.........

We will take a family trip tomorrow to Portland (and visit my eldest who lives there)........

Turns out Portland Velocipede has Brooks saddles..........one stop shopping?!?!

How many of you use your folding bike as your main bike?

Is a 7.5 mile (one way) trip too long for a Brompton?

ningnangnong

I've recently bought an S and have the S bag. I use it every day. In the current humidity I'm not going to use a rucksack, and so far I've managed to get everything I need in it. Plus it's smart/quirky enough to be taken to meetings.

Previously very sceptical of the merits of a Brompton. Now fully converted

bendembroski

My Brompton is my main bike. The only time the other get used is when the Brompton is out of service or if my wife is coming along. Then she gets the Brompton & I ride the other.

Going on a 26 mile ride tomorrow on my Brompton.

UberIM

Maybe I will end up with a bumper sticker that says "My other ride is a Brompton."

Thanks for the helpful info. What model do you have? I am looking at the S handle bar.......
How often do you go for such a long ride on your Brompton? Anything you would like to be different on it as far as performance, comfort? What is your typical commute?

bendembroski

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...Brompton-(long)

That pretty much sums it up

alhedges

As I only have folding bikes, they are my main bikes. 7.5 miles is easy on a Brompton.

I think that S&S couplers only make sense if you have a high-end roadbike and you absolutely have to take that bike with you. Having the couplers retrofitted is fairly expensive - I think around $500, although you may have more recent information than me. Buying an airline legal suitcase for a coupled bike is also expensive - around $400. (The largest regular airline-legal suitcases measure about 30x20x12, which is too narrow for 26" or 700cc wheels). 26x26x10 cases are airline legal but, as mentioned, are around $400. Finally, disassembly and reassembly of S&S bikes is fairly involved and takes around an hour or so: you can't just break the bike apart, but have to separate the cables, take off both tires, deflate the tires, remove the rear derailleur, etc. Like I said, it's probably worth it if you have a particular high-end road bike you'd like to use travelling (and don't want to spend $4,000 on a full dura-ace bike frideay), but if you need less you are probably better off with a folding bike.

nish2575

my interest in s&s is to get access to 26" frames again, while still being able to travel by regional buses and trains, no airplanes. i won't completely break down, just seperate, fold pedals, and detach front wheel. stow in two bags.

alhedges

Do you need S&S for regional buses and trains? Could you just use a bike box?

UberIM

Well, I read through that thread.......Have you re-read it? Interesting read.........sort of an ambivalent nod to the Brompton..........perhaps slightly more portable and thus more likely to be utilised (as you say on the other side of the pond) yet not nearly as fun to ride? The Xootr Swift seems like an interesting bike (and I am totally committed to all things Brooklyn). Wonder if anyone has done any long term bike touring with one fully loaded down. I wonder how many bikes I will end up with.......did sell my 'bent this year (ultimately hated that). So, I am capable of getting rid of some........could it be that I end up with two folders?

UberIM

I just went to the Pathlesspedaled website as I had thought (correctly on this occasion) that the couple toured on fully loaded Bromptons...........so I guess long distance riding can be done.......Interesting.......

UberIM

Well.........I am the proud and excited owner of a cherry red ss S Brompton: I did not notice any flex with hard pedalling up hill. The ride was surprisingly comfy. I purchased fenders and the S Bag. Am thinking of a rear rack (which I assume doesn't interfere with folding). I swapped out the pedals for shimano flat on one side with spd on the other. Once I used my spd mtn biking shoes I didn't have my heel hitting into the rollers/"kickstand".
The fold is so cool.........I have to practice getting the rear wheel off........and getting the chain tensioner back on.

Time will tell but I am stoked........

Oh and Josh and his wife Jillian were super helpful.......I know it sounds totally corny but the relationship is very important to me. I have purchased a couple bikes that were not "ideal" because what I might have wanted was not available locally.........anyway, what is ideal or perfect........not me........
Finally, I geared down a bit. I tried the 74.7 gear inch version of the ss but I worked too hard.
Josh called and found out how to gear it down and then the ride was awesome.......
If you are ever in the Old Port section of Portland Maine visit Portland Velocipide..........

ningnangnong

[QUOTE=UberIM;13037934]
How many of you use your folding bike as your main bike?
QUOTE]

My S6 is now my only bike. How far can I go on it? Until my legs and lungs give out.... not the 6!