Advice for a first time buyer - help appreciated

[Jonah]

Right, gotcha. I was thinking of going for the H3L (assuming there is no difference between the M type and H type, when it comes to conversions... as I'm quite tall and enjoy an upright posture anyway, I thought the H type would be more suitable).

Good choice. If you are >5'10" I would recommend the H-type and an extended seat post. This is only a problem if you are buying second hand as there are very few around as they were only introduced last year. The conversion is not effected by either choice. The 'L' version (no rack) is fine, it's what we have but the wheels on the rack are supposed to make it easier to pull along if this is preferred to carrying. The 3-speed hub is ample and would be my choice. I have an M3L which I got second hand but if I was buying new I'd get a H3R. They can be quite addictive, it's a bit like having a classic car - you don't just get a bike, you become part of a club.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

I saw a girl come into a bar in Holland on a Brompton,she collapsed the bike in 15 secs,slid it under the bar with absolutely no fuss-but she was a 5ftx55kg gal.
I tried riding a 14" wheeled ebike with what they called magnetic drive,it felt a toy under my 6ftx17stone-to be honest I felt silly riding it.
I keep looking for a baby commuter bike such as you require but it always seems too much of a compromise in design-the comfortable ones are 20" wheeled and weigh min 18kgs-like my Secret or the Riese and Muller baby hybrid (now imported by Wisper)-the tiny wheeled ones are just too toy like-I wouldn't want to go down a pothole on one!
I must say I have no experience of an electric Brompton,maybe that is the only solution.
KudosDave

Hi Dave, we will have a good range of non electric Birdies at Bristol, of course you would be most welcome to try one out, however we will not be bringing in the electric version until 2014 due to a tech hitch with the LCD.

All the best

David

 

[ghouluk]

it's a bit like having a classic car - you don't just get a bike, you become part of a club.

its true! and just like with classic car envy, anyone who rides a folder and doesn't have a brompton secretly wants one, no matter what they tell you

(i've never owned one by the way, and have no need of a folding bike anymore so can admit it)

 

[D8ve]

its true! and just like with classic car envy, anyone who rides a folder and doesn't have a brompton secretly wants one, no matter what they tell you

(i've never owned one by the way, and have no need of a folding bike anymore so can admit it)

Unless they have a bickerton the made in a shed precursor to the bromton

 

[Potatosoup]

I have an M3L which I got second hand but if I was buying new I'd get a H3R.

I went into Evans today and had a go on the Brompton H3L - an odd sensation, but I could get used to it. The fold is going to take me a while to get the hang of - I felt so silly while I was doing it, and I swear the man in the shop stole a giggle while I wasn't looking.

We are one step closer to the answer - it's going to be a Brommie, and I know which model I want. I'm going to look at the small print on my company's C2W scheme - the ownership issue, etc. scares me a little bit.
The last thing left to figure out is what to do about the conversion.The two options I'm aware of are Sparticle and Nano, of which I prefer the latter, I think.

The total cost of the conversion (from Home) is coming to £1000, which I'm struggling to justify on top of the price of the bike, if I'm honest. Is there something I'm missing, or is that the real cost of converting a Brompton?

I'd appreciate the views of the community on whether I'm right to go for the Nano, whether there's a third option I've not come across, and how much I should be looking to spend.

 

[Potatosoup]

I have an M3L which I got second hand but if I was buying new I'd get a H3R.

I went into Evans today and had a go on the Brompton H3L - an odd sensation, but I could get used to it. The fold is going to take me a while to get the hang of - I felt so silly while I was doing it, and I swear the man in the shop stole a giggle while I wasn't looking.

We are one step closer to the answer - it's going to be a Brommie, and I know which model I want. I'm going to look at the small print on my company's C2W scheme - the ownership issue, etc. scares me a little bit. The last thing left to figure out is what to do about the conversion. The two options I'm aware of are Sparticle and Nano, of which I prefer the latter, I think.

The total cost of the conversion (from Home) is coming to £1000, which I'm struggling to justify on top of the price of the bike, if I'm honest. Is there something I'm missing, or is that the real cost of converting a Brompton?

I'd appreciate the views of the community on whether I'm right to go for the Nano, whether there's a third option I've not come across, and how much I should be looking to spend.

 

[Jonah]

The Nano people used to offer a C2W scheme although I see no mention on the new website. The cost of a fitted kit (including bag etc) will cost around £1000 (with options can be more) using Nano or Sparticle. If you source and build your own kit you could probably do it for half that but there are some complexities. There are lots of threads about DIY builds on the forum (many from Jerrysimon), just search for Brompton.

 

[Potatosoup]

There are lots of threads about DIY builds on the forum (many from Jerrysimon), just search for Brompton.

Given that folding and unfolding a Brompton proved nearly too much for my embarrassingly un-mechanical brain, I think I'll leave it to the experts. Appreciate the tip though.

 

[Paulj56]

Hi Alex I bought a Spencer Ivy in feb 2013, and after 700 miles on the clock I am very impressed with it,looks gorgeous in the gloss blck finish, it is basically a kalkhoff e bike, built in Germany, the company Spencer Ivy based in London, it has the Panasonic crank drive system through 8 speed shimano alfine hub gear, it does make cycling a real pleasure where I live due to all the hills, and now I am not daunted by any hill just set off and go, when I ordered the bike through my local dealer the bike shop at cross gates in Leeds I up graded the battery to 18 amp hour so it could give me up to 86 miles depending on the conditions. I got the bike on 0% over 3 years so just over a tender a week , best thing I have bought in years.