A Brompton’s shifting is also a bit different from what you might be used to. My test model had six gears, divided into two shifting levels, but not by a front chainring. With other internal-geared hub shifters, I find that the bike resists shifting while the bike is moving and has pressure on the pedals. The Brompton essentially refused to shift if I was pedaling. This is by design, and the upside is that you can shift while completely stopped, like at a red light. But if you’re coming from almost any other kind of shifting, it will take some adjustment time.
I have two other quibbles with the (non-electric) Brompton ride, though they’re both easily remedied. The Fizik saddle on my test unit wasn’t my favorite. I would trade it for an original Brompton saddle, which has a lightly padded underside meant for bike carrying. Or, given how reticent I would be to lock the bike up outside, and allowing for a kind of “what’s a few hundred more” fallacy, I might swing for a Brooks saddle. If I had to choose, though, I’d upgrade the grips first, as they were my least favorite thing about this bike.
Both seat and grips were tolerable for short city commutes, but they’d likely wear on you on longer rides. I’m sure folks have proudly done long rides on their Brompton, but it’s not what they’re made for. Different tools for different jobs.
Kevin Purdy
You can leave the battery on the Brompton if you’re just taking a break.
Kevin Purdy
Kevin Purdy
The top of the Brompton battery bag, with buttons for the headlight mode and assist level.
Kevin Purdy
You can leave the battery on the Brompton if you’re just taking a break.
Kevin Purdy
The top of the Brompton battery bag, with buttons for the headlight mode and assist level.
Kevin Purdy
The Brompton battery from the front. There’s a bit of room in the front pocket for small items. The handlebar has a button that releases the battery from the cargo clip. The shoulder strap is a very nice touch.
The Brompton battery from the front. There’s a bit of room in the front pocket for small items. The handlebar has a button that releases the battery from the cargo clip. The shoulder strap is a very nice touch.
Kevin Purdy
The battery powers the headlamp on the Brompton.
Kevin Purdy
The Brompton battery from the front. There’s a bit of room in the front pocket for small items. The handlebar has a button that releases the battery from the cargo clip. The shoulder strap is a very nice touch.
The battery powers the headlamp on the Brompton.
Kevin Purdy
What the electric part does
It might seem a little silly, taking a bike meant for portability and mechanical elegance and snapping a battery and motor onto it. But for certain Brompton riders, an electric folding bike might open up new realms of riding.
The electric aspect helps a lot with some of the Brompton’s inherent quirks. With battery boost, hills don’t feel quite so challenging, and speed is easier to maintain (especially alongside full-sized bikes). As with other e-bikes, a battery pack (this one 350 watt-hours) extends your mental range of how far you could or should travel. Brompton rates the battery at 20–45 miles of assisted range, with a full recharge within four hours, and none of my rides made me doubt that.
