Folders

Folders.

I bought my first folding bike I bought in the 1990s, it was a Giant with derailleur gearing, but even in the highest ratio my legs were going like bee’s-wings.  I realised that there is a problem with small wheels and derailleur gears, due to the wheel’s 20” diameter and the relevant circumference being that much less; so I took it back to the shop and got my money back. 

In about 1992 I took a chance and bought a Brompton, with Sturmey Archer 5spd, cylindrical gearbox.   I used it when I was carrying out surveys of prototype potential national cycle routes in East Kent and Sussex for Sustrans and district and the county councils.  The Brompton was easy to slip into the car and then get to survey starting points.   The Brompton enabled me to cycle every inch of each potential route at least once.  Some of those routes/cycleways are apparent in Bexhill and Hastings.  The front bag proved most useful. 

My Brompton had a carrier over the rear wheel, which is almost useless, and the bike had a habit of making the initial stage of the folding process unintentionally.   20 years later I find that Bromptons have incorporated a safety catch, which is good.

The ride isn’t too bad for such small (16” dia.) wheels, but the big snag with a Brompton is the difficulty of repairing a puncture in the rear wheel, and that hasn’t changed over time.  The design of the pedal that folds could have been improved.

The seat-post that came with the bike was too short for me (32” inside leg), and I had to order a longer one.  

The 22 year old Brompton, with the longer seat post, in Germany by the River Weser on a 40km. journey. 

For such a sturdy little machine, capable of carrying a sizeable adult it folds up very nicely.

Twenty years on we have bought another Brompton, but 3 peed this time.  The gears on the 5 speed does slip at times, and is difficult to adjust to correct that fault. 

Bromptons are not cheap!    BUT, they are sturdy and functional.

There was a time, just when I was looking for another 5 speed Brompton, when one was under the impression that Sturmy-Archer would cease as a company, and another company would be supplying the gearing, but only in 3 speed form.

Then I got wind of a new folder that was going to be imported into this country. which had a large range of multiple gears, something like as many as 28 gear, using a combination of hub and derailleur gears. 

This was the Dahon “Speed-Pro”.   I was offered two, each with extended seat pillars, as a special offer if I would review of them and submit my report.   So I fell for it.  But I found that these bikes did not feel at all robust.  Things kept falling off, one day I was out on a ride when the right crank lever fell off.  Although I carried basic tools I didn’t have a spanner big enough to fit the hex. hd screw.   I had to retrace my steps back up a hill, where I was lucky enough found to find the offending screw lying in the road.

    I rode the 12 km home using one pedal.  Not good!

    There was nowhere on these bikes to position or fit a drinks bottle.  If one placed anything on the carrier one’s heels struck the object as one pedalled.   A rucksack was the only practical option.  The derailleur jockey-wheel was too close to the ground, and very vulnerable.   With the seat pillar more or less fully extended, on the slightest incline, the relative position of the seat itself became positioned so that it was back from the centre of the rear wheel’s hub.  Thereby creating a tendency for the bike to go over backwards!   If one was not careful.

The folding was not as good as the Brompton, except for the pedals both of which folded better, but one had to wonder how robust they were. 

Mending a puncture, even in the rear wheel is easier than with the Brompton, but it did not fold so comprehensively.  

There was no suspension at all, and the frame felt shaky.  

A Dahon Speed-Pro in the foreground.

The saddles supplied looked smart, but they were very uncomfortable.

The net result is that I eventually bought another Brompton. 

We still have the Dahons stored on the Continent, with different saddles, which we do use rather occasionally we are when on a short term visit.  

We feel that neither the Bromptons, or the Dahons, are suitable for riding any distance; 50 km is about the absolute limit.   Certainly not designed for touring, luggage carrying being just one consideration.  

But they have their uses.