Yes always. The bike is a Cyclamatic Powerplus. The battery is locked intyo the frame and cannot be removed without the key. The saddle has been replaced as has the sabble subframe so the tip forward mechanism is no longer there. The seat post is an after market suspension unit.The rear carrier would have to be removed to get anywhere near the battery. The quick release has been replaced with an allan key clamp. The battery is charged on the bike. It ghas been attacked by someone who tgought they could break into the key lock but they failed. The original key still works.

I've had the bke for two years now. I expect to renew the battery in March 2012.

JerrySimon, do you never lock your brompton outside?

 

For me, when I'm going out with friends, I don't want to carry with me anything. If we're going to shopping center, I'm thinking that having to roll the brompton for hours wouldn't be conveninent at all.

 

For example, would you go to the christmas market or to the museum with your brompton?

JerrySimon, do you never lock your brompton outside?

 

Nope. I don't even carry a lock because I want to keep weight down.

 

For example, would you go to the christmas market or to the museum with your brompton?.

 

No I would take my car

 

Seriously if I know I am going to have to leave my Brompton somewhere unattended or have to carry it for ages then I take my car. Then again if a museum had secure storage for coats and stuff like that then I might consider it. I have left it in a hotel locked in a secure baggage cupboard before.

 

Every day I commute to the office I carry it into my work and it stays in my office until I go home. If I know I want a single or a few small items from the shops, then I will go into town on my bike, fold it up carry it into the shop, buy it, put it in my bag and carry it out and cycle home. I often do this at lunch time if at work. It is so much less hassle than trying to take the car into town (Cambridge), park etc

 

If I am riding and want to pop into Starbucks (actually I prefer Caffè Nero) then again I take my Brompton in with me. No one has ever commented or told me I can't. I often do this if my wife has gone into town without me and meet her for coffee half way through her shop.

 

I have tried to keep the weight down. The Brompton weighs around 13kgs and the bag about 2-3kgs. Obviously I would not like to carry bike and bag for more than 10 minutes or so. I have taken it on a train and although it works, carrying it through the larger stations with loads of platforms is quite hard work, especially if you are rushing to catch a connection.

 

Regards

 

Jerry

Edited December 27, 201114 yr by jerrysimon

Seat

 

this is a risk to all bikes with QR seatposts. Anyone here care to suggest appropriate security measures?

 

 

 

For the seat and battery I put a lock trough the seat then tread it

through the battery handle then through the rear carrier!,ok they can cut it but it stops someone just flicking the quick release levers and walking off with your bits??.

Thanks for this explanation Jerrysimon. I'm still thinking about a secure way to lock my bike and its battery outside to keep myself light.

 

I don't have a car in london, but I was driving in paris and from my experience it's quite awful and there is nowhere to park. I had so many parking fines when I was using my car that I stopped using it.

 

So I suppose that in london it wouldn't be much different and cars are not really convenient.

I have taken it on a train and although it works, carrying it through the larger stations with loads of platforms is quite hard work, especially if you are rushing to catch a connection.

 

I wheel mine across stations since it takes so little time to fold it up. All the London stations anyway have wide load gates.

 

If I go up steps as at Waterloo to Waterloo East, I hook the saddle nose over my shoulder and can actually carry it up the stairs/ escalator hands free like that.

 

I never leave the Brompton locked up outside anywhere and know few Brompton owners who do. Unfortunately everyone knows they are expensive and being so portable they are far too easy to flog to some (ahem!) 'bargain hunter' down the local boozer.

 

The battery on my Kalkhoff locks on anyway but when I leave it at a regular stop, or for a long while, I thread a cable through the handle which plugs into my Axa lock after wrapping around the lamp post or whatever. It provides double (if not that secure in itself) security for the bike at the same time as my Abus heavy duty item provides the real security.

 

There's really only so much you can do before taking the bike becomes more trouble and worry than it is worth. A matter of balance, I suppose.

I leave my wisper with battery locked up on the street in East and central London. To not do so would be to defeat the object of the bike in the first place - convenient transport. There again, I only paid £250 for the bike, so I'm not so worried.

I have tried to keep the weight down. The Brompton weighs around 13kgs and the bag about 2-3kgs. Obviously I would not like to carry bike and bag for more than 10 minutes or so. I have taken it on a train and although it works, carrying it through the larger stations with loads of platforms is quite hard work, especially if you are rushing to catch a connection.

 

My Cyclamatic Foldaway is way heavier than your Brompton (23kg?) and quite a lump when I park it next to the table.

 

However, it may be better than yours on railway platforms - it rolls along very happily on the back wheel.

 

You can even push it round in folded condition with the panniers and shopping on it. Though in that state it's huge and starts to attract comment in Wetherspoons!

The battery on my Kalkhoff locks on anyway but when I leave it at a regular stop, or for a long while, I thread a cable through the handle which plugs into my Axa lock after wrapping around the lamp post or whatever. It provides double (if not that secure in itself) security for the bike at the same time as my Abus heavy duty item provides the real security.

 

The Axa (or "Dutch horseshoe") locks are stupendous, all our cycles have them, as all cycles should. Some have the additional plug in cable/chain, which is superb as well.

 

Except the Cyclamatic Foldaway, the wheel profile/mudguard combination is too deep and there's no obvious way to mount the lock on the frame.

I do leave the battery on my bike when I lock it

http://www.usefulandsimple.com/shared_pictures/bike/brompton/bike/locked/brompton_picadilly.jpg

 

Parked it about 10 times now, no problem yet (and I hope it won't happen)

I am slightly more nervous the seat will disappear

 

I pass a short cable lock through the seat bars and under the frame to secure the seat.

 

My Urban Mover is fitted with a security lock and chain, I pass the chain through the battery handle.

...turns a 10 second theft into...I don't know...20 seconds ?

...then I use a "gold standard" Kryptonite lock ...weighs a ton....to secure the lot.

 

.....then trust to luck

I do leave the battery on my bike when I lock it

http://www.usefulandsimple.com/shared_pictures/bike/brompton/bike/locked/brompton_picadilly.jpg

 

Parked it about 10 times now, no problem yet (and I hope it won't happen)

 

Boy! I love this, and well done, you will be fine...as long as not in same place every day?

I hope so!! fingers crossed!!

I hope so!! fingers crossed!!

 

fingers crossed AND insurance!

Hi. I have taken the quick release off mine and put a S/Steel Torx ! Bolt through so very difficult to remove unless you go around with a set of Torx keys but I also put a small cable lock through the seat and battery and around the frame.

Steve

I've never been in a situation (yet) where I've had to leave my bike anywhere..but it's a self-build with the battery in a handlebar bag. If I needed to leave the bike I'd just unclip the bag and take it with me, the battery is under 3kg.