Brompton in Dublin

I can't help with the shops.

Brompton have recently changed their model naming but in short, you have a choice of gears and handlebars.

2, 3 or 6 gears. It is an odd system with a 3-geared hub and a 2-speed derailleur, but once you get used to it it is fairly intuitive. If you think you will have any hills at all, I'd go for the 6 speed.

Then in the handlebars you have (or had) S, M and H. S is low almost gives you a road bike feel, M is normal, H is high or for taller riders.

In terms of accessories I'd recommend a rack (makes it much more stable while folded even though you will rarely use it as a rack), a dynamo hub and a luggage block is a must have. There is a great range of bags of different sizes that you can attach on the front and it works very well.

Let me know if you have other questions, I have both an acoustic and an electric Brompton.

I commute everyday on a 3 speed with mudguards, I had the M bars but changed them out for something lower. If I was going again I would go with the flat bars. A front bag is a gamechanger too.

I have a 6 speed S (I think? - the flat bar one?). I couldn't imagine having fewer than the 6 gears anyway, I feel it would be quite limiting.

I've had a 3-speed for over a decade. I find it adequate for any journey I've ever undertaken. I guess I've never done much more than 30km at a time, but it's ok for that. Gone up Killiney Hill carrying a guitar a few times too. It's pretty easy to align the gears too.

I don't live in Dublin, but I have both a traditional and an electric Brompton.

I live about 7-8km from where I work and the city centre with some small hills (maybe a total of 90m of elevation gain). If I am commuting in work clothes, I tend to take the electric version 90% of the time. If I am just going to the shops or a bar, or want a bit more exercise, or I am taking a train or bus along the way, I take the traditional. I don't find a huge difference in average speed between the two (maybe 1-2kmh), but there is a huge difference in effort and sweat to get to this speed. I also find the non electric slightly easier to transport folded (just a bit lighter and the bag is also a bit lighter with no battery).

As you suggest I would go for six speed, rear rack, front bag mount (this is amazing), and maybe a dynamo front hub too.

Happy to answer any questions. Don't worry about how you look - most of the people looking at you will be stuck in traffic and there is no better feeling than flying through traffic on a Brompton. I like both of these bikes, but the non-electric version is really an unconditional love! As I said above, it is the only one of my many many bikes that I know barring incident I will still own in 20 years.

There is a "longer" seatpost than standard. It gets you an extra 10 cm or something. Obviously the folded size has a higher saddle position. I specified it for my one when buying.

Would that be Hollingsworth? Website is mycycle.ie and its showing a decent stock

My reseach thgus far has all been online but need to get over to have a look. Most of the videos I have seen online show the carrier and seems like one release and the rear wheel drops under and it just sits on the four little wheels. A popular cheap upgrade seems to be to swap those wheels to a slightly larger diameter to make it easier to roll and it also tils back better without rubbing the bump stop rubber suspension thing.

I's still in two minds about one and considering another possibility but will start another thread on that to keep this one clean.

Yeah, that's what I meant, but I didn't phrase it very well: if you use the rear rack to carry stuff, you can't do step 1 of the fold without removing the load from the rear rack. I just use a backpack or a trailer when I want to carry more than will fit in the front basket I made for it, or the front luggage I bought for it. But, as you both say, it makes the kickstand-style Step 1 fold more stable anyway, so no harm in getting it at all.

The flatter the handler bars the sporter the riding position. People who want a more relaxed sit up position get the higher less flat bars.

In the interst of anyone else searching a looking for info its only right I should update.

So I went to mycycles in Kilmacud on Wednesday (AKA Hollingsworth). Lads were very sound and Tony knows his stuff and a serious amount of nice stock. There is a nice street outside the shop that has a bit of an incline as you go away from the shop. Its also concrete so probably the nastiest stuff to ride on with ridges and joints. So it was good to get the feel of the bike on a bit of a drag, then freewheeling back down and also to experience ride on the poor surface. I’d say its only 2 or 3% incline. Road is about 350m long, flat for about 150m then climbs.

Started on a single speed, I'd say they have it while for demo or loans and did a spin up and down. I was expecting a bone jarring run but the total opposite, a bit like a sofa, mainly because the rear wheel was way to soft. Back in and pumped and a few up and downs. Firmer ride but perfectly acceptable. There is a big rubber damper that sort of acts like a suspension bush where the top of the rear triangle contacts the seat tube so that also gives a bit of suspension, You do notice some flex in the frame when hard on the pedals or brakes but nothing that you don't adapt to after a few mins. Its just different than a traditional frame. I could hold about 20kph going up but it was work, not excessive but I wouldn't like to be doing it for a few km in work gear. So I was impressed but I don't think a single speed makes sense. Any steep hill would be really hard and you spin out around 27kph ish?? So more gears for me I reckoned.

Back into the shop and a bike swap to a six speed electric. It's nose heavier when you lift it but I didn't notice anything much when riding it. Started on Level 1 and repeated the route on 2 & 3 and then with the power assist off just to see. The battery pack and the front motor seem to add a little stability compared to the other, hard to explain but it felt more "planted" and I had more confidence in it.

On L1 I had to do a little work on the incline but it zipped along pleasantly on the flat, L2 was spot on and as I could drop to a gear that allowed me to spin at a nice rpm it was handy to maintain 22 kph (again watch was slow to react so may be closer to 25kph who knows) on the incline and on the run back down it tipped along nicely and shifting up you need to be really pushing on to spin out if its even possible. L3 was a bit like being a passenger but you still have to work the pedals as it’s a torque sensor I think although the rate of work is very low so you aren't getting away with an entirely free ride.

Final test was done with the power off completely. When off it rides fine and with the extra gears it was easier to maintain a nice cadence rather than muscling it on the single speed so I would not be concerned about having to cycle it a distance with a dead battery. You won’t be winning any races but aside from the weight you aren’t fighting the battery like you do with some electric bikes. The hub motor has actually less drag than the factory hub dynamo for anyone interested.

Overall I really enjoyed them both. My background is engineering and I really like the little quirky funny shaped bike. I found both of them a lot of fun even if I look goofy being so big on such a little weird shaped bike. It really is a great example of the final product being so much greater than the value of individual parts would suggest.

So watch this space……….

Nice review/update.

Pre covid I was in the market to buy one, not sure electric versions were even around then, but post Covid with little time in an office anymore I don't really need one.

I walked by Cycleways on Ormond Quay the weekend and they had a full display in their window made up of a host of folded up Bromptons.