| New Cyclist - Robert Poole |
The central feature of the Brompton is its
brilliantly conceived folding method. It has to be seen to be believed, but suffice to say
that it is executed in five neat moves and takes less than half a minute. The bike remains
free-standing throughout, and you don't get mucky doing it; the chain remains in tension
and ends up safely on the inside of the final package, which you simply lift up by the
saddle and carry off. Passers-by stop and gape, half of them expecting you to produce a
transformer robot and the rest looking for the candid camera: pull off information tags
thoughtfully attached to the saddle by the makers help to fend off the inevitable queries.
The Brompton is nothing if not neat. A useful side-effect of the folding process is that
it begins with a move which parks the bike. The back wheel assembly swings underneath as
easily as deploying a kick stand. The rear section isn't fixed when cycling; your own
weight keeps it in place. The way it sags away when you pick up the unfolded bike or
maneuver it is disconcerting at first, but once you're used to it it's only a minor
handicap; it actually makes it easier to carry the bike down steps - just lift the front
and the back bumps harmlessly down on its own.
Having said that, the Brompton is a delight; one of those rare technical advances that in
practice genuinely extend the scope and attractiveness of cycling. It's a genuine `go
anywhere' bike that cuts through the need to complicated journey planning when you're
using public transport as well. It's convenient enough to be worth taking even for a small
amount of use. I find myself using it to save 10 minutes here and there in a working
day-getting to and from the station or nipping across town at lunchtime, for example.
|
| Yachting World |
There are several folding steeds on the
market, but the Brompton, on which your Technical Editor became very attached and was
particularly glum the day it had to be returned, is the one which seems to do everything.
The basic machine is very rugged indeed. Its large-diameter, simple steel tube frame
ensure that there is minimum flex when on the road.
It's surprisingly comfortable to ride for long periods and its three, carefully chosen
Sturney Archer gears allows one to negotiate bumps and hollows with the minimum of huffing
and puffing. A capacious and versatile front and rear carrier system turns the Brompton
into a good pack horse.
Folded, the machine occupies a volume just 22.2 x 21.5 x 9.6 inches (565 x 545 x 245 mm).;
The weight is 25.4 lb (11.5 kg). Ergo, it occupies little space on board and is no trouble
to lift in and our of a cockpit locker. The standard of engineering and attention to
detail is excellent.
What about the ease and speed of making it ready for use and, subsequently, shrinking it
for stowage? Nothing could be simpler. To make the cycle ready for the road, one has only
to whip off its blue cover, extend and lock the saddle, flip up and lock the handlebars
and then, with little more than a flick of the wrist, flip the rear wheel into its running
position while bringing the front wheel into position and locking the frame. Voila! With a
little practice the whole sequence takes less than 30 seconds. It takes even less time to
pack it away.
|
| The Independent - Peter Greene |
Although it doesn't look as sexy as the
Strida. I'd rather be seen with a Brompton. The work of Andrew Ritchie, it is another
attempt to bring the folding bike out on the streets again. And it is good to ride. The
clever folding method uses five easy moves and reduces the 25-pounder to a free standing
package little larger than its 16in. wheels. You really can take it anywhere, even, as one
journalist recently reported, into the British Museum Reading Room.
The Brompton gives a firm and responsive ride. The version I tried had three gears -
adequate for around town; although the five-gear version would be better for hillier
areas. Using tried and tested components and high-quality engineering, it is a bike that
feels reliable. The makers have enough confidence to offer a 10 year warranty on the
frame. Maintenance is much the same as on a normal machine.
All folding bikes are a design compromise. That said the Brompton is a happy one that
Starley would have liked.
|
| Cycle Trader |
Overall, the Brompton is a winner. It's
solid. It feels solid, it rides very well indeed, it's faster, even in 3-speed trim, than
either the Dahon or the Strida, and it's about the most portable folder yet.
-------------------
Yes, it's true: the Brompton really does ride extraordinarily well. I'd hesitate before
nodding in agreement with those who claim that it rides "exactly" like a full
size machine, but it is certainly streets ahead of machines like the Bickerton and the
Dahon, and in another league as far as the Strida is concerned. In short, it works.
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| Cycle Touring & Campaigning |
The Brompton is the brainchild of engineer
Andrew Ritchie. And it shows: for every part of this most compactly folding bicycle is
designed and put together with meticulous attention to detail. Undo a few comfortably
hand-sized knobs and levers and everything virtually falls into place making a
not-too-heavy package that can either be carried by the saddle or-with the steering stem
remaining erect-trundled along on a trio of tiny casters. The Brompton proves moreover
that when the engineering is taken good care of the styling takes care of itself.
Lighter weight and a generally superior specification plus certain special features make
for a significantly better ride than the Californian Da-Hon. Once I'd found a reasonably
comfortable position and with its tires pumped up hard the Brompton proved quite an
efficient little mover. This creditable performance is partly attributable to the
Moulton-type rear suspension which also plays a role in the ingenious folding mechanism,
and for an encore acts as a very handy parking stand. During a long day in Holland most of
which was spent in a meeting, I covered some 60km (and passed scores of conventional
bikes) on a variety of surfaces.
I also tried the unique front carrier with its briefcase style cordura bag. This proved
ideal for the above trip: with separate compartments for documents, a change of clothes,
etc., tools and lights, and it is instantly detachable.
In conclusion I reckon the Brompton is the best choice for anyone who needs a hassle-free
extension to public transport: it's as near to the rail commuter and business traveller's
ideal folder as we are likely to see
|
| The Times - Daniel Ward |
It is the sort of bike you can hand in with
your coat at a restaurant cloakroom and have clicked back into shape while friends are
still arguing over where it was exactly they parked their car. Passers-by smile as you
speedily convert a contortionist's dream into a surprisingly rugged bike, called the
Brompton, for around town.
|
| Duff Hart-Davis |
Back on the track, on the fringe of an
oakwood, with cattle lazing in buttercup-bright water-meadows to the right, I can reveal
that my steed is a Brompton - a make of folding bicycle praised by a colleague in The
Independent a few weeks ago. I endorse his recommendations entirely: it is a robust and
ingenious machine, which folds down in four easy movements into a package the size of a
small suitcase. But its best trick is that it can double-in on itself and park in half its
length merely with a lift of the saddle.
After such a rustic passage, it is a shock to hit traffic, one-way systems and
carbon-monoxide again in the outskirts of Bath, but better to be on one's own two wheels
than at the mercy of the system. At the station I carry the Brompton easily up the stairs
to the platform. "Never get that in," says the guard. "Train's
packed." "Wait!" I tell him. With a flick of the wrist I halve the bike's
size. He is amazed.
|
| Bicycle Action |
The key to the Brompton's success is the
remarkable folding process. It is difficult to describe the actual process, suffice to say
that with five simple actions the full size Brompton is reduced to a mere 22.2" x
21.5"; if you remember that the bike's wheels have a diameter of 16" you get
some idea of just how small that is! With a little practice the whole folding procedure
can be completed in well under 30 seconds. However, for me, the most interesting aspect to
the folding is that despite its success it doesn't significantly affect the character of
the unfolded bike. Rather the folding process has a number of offshoots which enhance the
bike's performance! The first folding action (a flicking up of the rear triangle so that
it folds under the frame - effectively shortening the chain stays [or the distance between
the center of the BB axle and the hub axle] as it folds; a chain tensioner keeps the chain
taut) acts as a very effective parking device.
On the road, the Brompton is a revelation! The bike rides like no other folder (or
small-wheeled bike for that matter) I have ridden. The steel frame and rear triangle is
very solid and gives the rider a good stable ride. The three main joints (around which the
bike is folded) do not seem to affect the ride at all - there is none of the alarming
joint flex that I have encountered on other folders. I found the Sturmey Archer three
speed gears perfectly adequate for London riding. However, others anticipating more varied
routes may opt for the five-speed version for added flexibility.
Overall a definite winner. The folding is ingenious. And unfolded the Brompton is a
perfectly competent bike with no performance trade-offs for the folding ability; its
convenience ensures that you cycle when you'd previously walked. And any way it's worth it
just to stand next to a BR guard, fold up the bike, and stroll onto the train!
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