I always used level 2 or 3 to climb hill when I just bought my Brompton electric. Then 3 months later I found I gained almost 4 kg weight. I quitted Brompton electric and switched back to my regular Brompton for 2 months to get myself in shape again. Now I ride my Brompton electric everyday in San Francisco with level 1 only.
@@terry_hutt got a M6L and a Chinese 16" electric folder I've had for a few years now. Yes you will pretty much always use the top level of power unless you need to conserve the battery charge, they are too much fun not to have it always cranked up and when you turn it down you instantly miss the speed and power.
Thank you for this great video. It describes the differences between standard and electric Bromptons perfectly. As for how eBromptons fare in hilly country, I took Bronwyn (my eBrompton) with a 10kg front bag and 3.5kg seat pack on a week's tour of Vaucluse in Provence in September. Fully laden Bronwyn carried all the luggage and a 78kg passenger (me) over Mont Ventoux, a climb of 1215m from Sault, and then the 1600m descent to Malaucene. I topped up the battery with a Brompton Fast Charger at Chalet Reynard on the way up, but I'm pretty sure Bronwyn would have made it to the top without the top up charge.I adore my eBrompton and plan on a longer tour in Provence next year.
Thanks for watching, your kind comments and for sharing your experience with the electric Brompton We had heard that the hill climbing wasn’t up to par - hence our tests .... Mont Ventoux is a great test - we have done it on road bikes and know it’s tough Thanks again
Just managed to get my eBrompton, same as you had here. I have an M6R as well and am literally blown away how good this thing is. I commute by ferry and it’s a 400ft climb up a hill to get home. My old bike was a struggle with a 44t front but this zips up on level 2 no problem at all. Right now all models are selling out quickly and production doesn’t seem to be keeping up! Your store is spot on for spares and goodies too. Thanks.
I am really surprised the front wheel got not much resistance by the motor. Thanks for the videos. They help me a lot with all the questions I have about Brompton electric. I can now place the order with peace of mind. I have decided to order a M2L even though I live in a very hilly city, San Francisco. Wish me luck!!
Another great video. I'm starting to think I should spend more money and buy an electric Brompton instead of upgrading my current one with Swytch or Nano. Your comment about the strengthened stem and forks was a real eye-opener.
An interesting comparison, even though I am not using my manual Brompton as much as I should. And a lovely subtitle 'typo' at 6:39... "lap one on the electric problem".
I get my first Brompton in November it’s Electric bike so I’m looking forward to joining bike club after I give it few try outs it’s took me few years of savings to get to that pont and I no I’m going to love it love videos and will subscribe
awesome, didn't know they actually reinforced the whole front part (stem, block, fork, spoke...etc) hope Brompton will start global battery rental services someday so riders can be benefited from their e-brommie on oversea trips
That _would_ be good. I regularly carry my Brompton onto the Harwich-Hoek ferry and keep it with me in my cabin. Don't know if that would be permitted with an electric (mind you, the electric assistance is less of a concern in the flat Netherlands LOL)
Frank Hooper it's the airlines would not allow batteries over 10000mAh capacity onboard unless it's essential (i.e. e-wheelchairs) with proper documents filed prior to the trip. flat trip is not a problem for sure.
@@brilliantbikes You may notice different results on a dry day. The motor noticeably "Backs off" when it feels slippage due to wet conditions. Depends how good the road surface is as well of course...
@@brilliantbikes Yes im in the UK as well and looking out my window its raining but ill reframe from going out today, normally i ride commute and in what ever weather, my chariot of choice is a Dahon Vybe D7 folding bike, Multimodal travel but now looking for a hybrid bike either electric or manual to ride the 15 miles just to get to work, but with the lock down difficult to get out to pick the ew i have looked at.
This is something Brompton should have done; good job. I have a diy electric Brompton and I can definitely feel it without power! (Though that could be because I've got used to it over the 2000 miles I've commuted on it.)
Great video despite the English weather kicking in half way through. Nice bit of kit and got me thinking of going e-bike in about 5 years when my 2 year old bike feels it’s age. Hopefully by then the prices will have dropped - these bikes are mega expensive and a decent spec is £2.5 to 3.5K. The only downside is you get less aerobic fitness and powering along at top speed makes for some dangerous accidents for those who are not experienced commuters (Yes, danger lurks at every bend with idiots stepping out wearing headphones, car doors being opened, berks on fast illegal scooters and so forth). I’d want to be riding something with better steering , suspension and bigger wheels I guess than a Brompton, but then again I don’t use trains or have stowage worries. Nevertheless it’s a fun review.
Thanks for watching and your excellent comment / feedback. We kept hitting the 25kmh limit - so did get some exercise - but like you said - I’m busy shared areas it starts to get a bit challenging!
Excellent video for us "potential Brompton but which Brompton?" types. Top marks too for your very clear diction: some vids ae held back when the reviewer mumbles or gabbles along. I'd happily let you review how to make porridge, dig holes in the road, tie my shoes, learn to play a musical instrument or anything!!
Thanks for watching Personally we weren’t big fans of the though of going electric - until we tried them It really depends upon what you want to get from the bike and the reason for using If it’s for exercise combined with commuting I would go manual If it’s for comfort / assistance on hills / keeping up / arriving cool at your destination then I would be tempted by the electric version
Nice! I have 2 Ebikes and 3 "regular" road bikes. The more I ride my Ebikes the more I've been experimenting with riding them without any power assist for as long as I can, just to see how long I can stretch the range. Recently, on one of my Ebikes, a Yamaha Urban Rush road bike (with drop handle bars), I was able to ride 26 miles, with 1,250 feet of climbing, while only using 10% of the battery. That would, theoretically, project out to a 260 mile range, assuming the battery drain was linear and I took it down to zero. (Even if the battery drain trailed off towards the end, 26 miles using only 10% of the battery was impressive. The maximum grade on this ride was 6.7%. Average speed was 14.7 mph. I'm 64 years old, and I weigh 190 pounds.) In my area terrain/grade is the big determining factor. It's impossible to go 5 miles without hitting a hill. (We don't have mountains, but we have lots and lots of hills.) The grades of the hills around here range from around 5% to 12.5%, give or take. It looked to me as if you were riding mainly on flat terrain. Was that the case? Or were there some hills that didn't appear in the video? Thanks.
Thanks for watching (and commenting) It was a reasonably hilly route - though it didn't show - as the person filming was on a non-electric Brompton and couldn't keep up! Our next Brompton Electric video will feature (and focus on the hill climbing aspect)
@Alien On a Bike The hills are the real litmus test for sure. I did a 56 mile ride yesterday that was relatively flat for the first third, and the last third, but in between there were 2 pretty significant mountain climbs. It was the first time I'd ridden mountains (vs just series of hills) and it really hammered the battery range. I only had 28% at the end of the ride. It was the best ride I'd been on all year, and I'd gladly do it again. It's just that now I have a much better idea of how my bike responds to that kind of riding.
Very good concept and execution - thx for the video; I had not seen anything that informative about the e Brompton yet! I appreciate the info you are sharing. Mostly, I run my e Brompton on Assist Level 1 when I am not on a schedule and Level 2 for appointments or when no swear is very important. What woul be interesting to know is the max. distance that can be cycled with different Assist Levels. But that may be too complex and time consuming to find out.
Thanks for watching, and for the kind comments / feedback We would like to test those max distances - of course it will vary by terrain / temperature Keep checking back - it will come sometime I can say that next time we’ll have 2 electric bikes, as it became impossible to keep up and film on a manual one once the power was on (the assistance just on level one on hills shouldn’t be underestimated)
Bought my eBrompton back in February. Took it out once without battery. Omg, never again. Never, EVER do I want to work so hard again. I'm all for the assistance in my senior years.
Great video! A few more comments on the battery life (once you’ve had a chance to use the bike over a longer distance and time), the weight of the cycle doesn’t seem significantly more than the standard, I’m surprised by this but pleased. I have experienced the Bosch pedal assist, wonder how the motor in the front wheel compares to a motor in the crank, any thoughts? Finally, can you comment on the “fast charger” - how fast does it charge the battery if it’s nearly fully discharged? Thanks! BEST Brompton focused TH-cam Channel out there! Also a fan of the out-takes!
Thanks for watching We haven't tried the Bosch motor so much - so we will add that to our list We also haven't tried the fast charger - yet - so that sounds like a great video idea too .... We honestly do try to have no out-takes ... though we keep failing at that!
If you want some smart luggage for your electric brompton check out this page on the frost and sekers website frostandsekers.com/products/mount-and-bag-combination-kit
Awesome informative video thanks for the time and effort you put into your videos. We can't get the electric Bromptons here in Australia yet so we're just waiting 😩
G’day - Thanks for watching :-) I’m sure they will come at some point to Australia They’ve proved so popular that Brompton are currently struggling to keep up with demand
What a super video! Enjoyed that. Is it possible to query the battery to find out what the level of charge is more precisely than just the bars on top? It would be interesting to see the relative levels of discharge on each of those laps in the same way we had your estimated calorie burn. Also was the e-Brompton weight inclusive of the battery? Good stuff. Thanks.
Thanks for watching Felix .... we will send her for speech lessons - currently she is repeating over and over ... I must say 50 tooth I must say 50 tooth I must say 52th no, no, no I must say 50 tooth :-)
Thank you for watching and for your comment. The Crankbrothers pedals are non-folding. The ones on my bike are just my preference, as I can clip in on one side, but they are flat on the other.
Hi thank you for all you informative Brompton reviews that you have posted. After watching several...repeatedly.. I plumped for an Brompton Electric H6L Folding Bike. I am really enjoying using my bike but I have a problem with the distance between the handlebar and brake. I am 5ft 7 so not small but I find that my hand has to adopt quite an unusual position to reach the brake. My husband says I hunch my shoulders forward when riding my bike in order to be able to reach round with my hand...I wondered if you had any other comments on this problem. If anybody reading this or Brompton supplier can offer advice I would be grateful!!!!
Thanks for a really interesting and common sense review. I have a Brompton 6 speed and love it more each time a ride it. I also have an electric bike (a Raleigh Motus GT) which I also love (I think it is okay to love more than one bike) - I would have bought another Brompton but need to be able to carry my two year old on the back. It seems to me that one bike is never enough :-) Thanks again :-)
Hello so I i am still waiting for my brompton. I ordered the raw lacquer finish. I wonder if its worth the difference between the normal colors and the lacquer ones
We love the raw lacquer Bromptons Each one can be unique due to the finish showing the craftsmanship Our videos often feature a black edition raw lacquer Our older ones featured a standard raw lacquer - unfortunately that was stolen ;-( In summary - we love them 💕
Thank you for your perfect review video. Could you test these bikes on hilly roads( ramp )? And i am your 800th subscriber, i hope your channel will get better rates. Take care..
Thank you for watching - and your kind words You weren't the first to ask about hills - so we made this especially for you! th-cam.com/video/bOMWWZM8qsQ/w-d-xo.html We found the list of top 100 climbs in the UK - and picked (slightly randomly - no 23 - Whiteleaf Hill)
Hi. Quick question about the electric Bromton. I’m getting mixed reviews saying the sound/noise from the hub motor is quite loud compared to other electric bikes, is this true? My partner has a Bosh active line mid drive bike which is close to silent. But I’ve been told the front hub motor of the Bromton can be loud and annoying? What’s your views on this matter? Thanks
Check if the noise is not from mudguard wire rubbing on tyre (massive issue with Brompton with mudguards, most probably got dropped hard during shipping) I checked mine and adjusted the wire, and the noise are gone haha
It does make a noise - it’s a bit subjective The best would be to head to your local dealer and take a demo one out for a ride The rush of the wind as you fly along electrically assisted will normally be louder!
Does the electric Brommie really have a *6* speed Sturmey Archer hub system? Not the *3* speed + double sprocket derailleur system of the standard Brompton?
Thanks for watching You are correct (sorry if it wasn't clear) - it is the same six speed as on the standard Brompton with a 3 speed Sturmey Archer and a 2 speed derailleur combined
I really enjoy your videos and made my understanding of Brompton bikes a lot more than other sources available. My question is the Brompton Electric frame is identical to A/C/P Line (other than the fork)? Or basically fitting all of the relevant electric components/cables on the same frame as the normal bike? Thank you.
Nice video. Thanks for making it available. One point: I would suggest starting with the main topic and finishing, if necessary, with additional information. The main event, the effort test, doesn't begin until the video is virtually over and that's a little frustrating. Thanks again for posting. Cheers.
Thanks for watching, commenting the suggestion Do you mean showing the difference side by side - with ride position Or Riding the same route to compare performance based on ride position / drag?
At first I did not quite get the point of going faster than 25Km/Ph because one is just doing all the work at the top end. However, I now have a Brompton E bike & must admit that I keep trying to "beat the motor" Silly, I know but I just treat it as a race on my own. Great fun
Thanks for watching Yes - it’s possible to put a rack on the electric - fitting is the same Brompton don’t offer it as an option because the weight of the motor / battery means that it is not as stable as the non electric bike Next time we fit one - not sure when it will be - we will make a quick video to better explain
Could you make a video weekend travel on an electric Brompton? Go at least 50 kilometers (more if you like). I would like to see how you do with the extra weight, how the charging goes, and any other information you think should be passed on. Is that a video you would be willing to make?
Many thanks for the question. We have been really impressed with the Brompton electric on the hills. We did make a video comparing the 2 and 6 speed on a big hill! Link as follows: Brompton Electric 2 speed vs 6 speed hill climb comparison th-cam.com/video/c7oWyKoEl_M/w-d-xo.html Thank you for watching!
Thanks for watching and paying attention It’s a 3 speed Sturmey Archer with 2 sprockets and a Brompton derailleur Giving 6 in total There is a 5 speed wide range hub available - it’s on our list to guild into a Brompton wheel
Thanks for watching The black edition was originally a change to some black components All Bromptons used to have silver handlebars / mudguards / headsets etc The black edition was available in a range of colours (it varies by year) but with black handlebars, brakes, rims / fork / stem / triangle You are right - in hindsight- an orange black edition sounds odd
Hi there I like to ask this question the bracket that’s on the electric bike that holds the battery and the bags is it the same bracket on the none electric bike 20/20 bikes thank you
The chart demonstrates that you burn less calories and lower heart rate ideal for OAPs like me, i found the real benefits when using my Electric is the assistance against head wind riding.
I like your helmet, looks cute on you. Question, I am planning a 150 mile ride for a multiple sclerosis charity. Do y'all have any recommendations for my S6L as far as upgrades? I was going to use a regular road bike but I'd figure it would be fun and attract more attention for fund raising with the Brompie. I already have the tool kit for it but that's it.
Thanks for watching (again) and the comment For that ride you can save some effort by using kojak / Schwalbe One tyres - but we’ really only recommend them on nice smooth tarmac - as they puncture slightly easier Make sure you have a comfortable saddle Do lots of practice rides building up the distance
Excellent video. I was surprised at how close the weights of the two bike were, but then I realized you left off the battery when weighing the electric model. When I think of the main reason for buying an electric bike, it would be for assistance it going up hill, going into a head wind, carrying a load, or helping handicapped riders. In your test it looked like you rode a fairly flat route, but you did not show the whole route, so I do not know for sure. Was the route you rode flat or hilly? I think that the time differences between the electric and standard models would be larger on a hilly route.
Thanks for watching, and for the kind feedback The route was reasonably hilly (we think) with approx 70 metres of climbing during each of the 5 laps (or approx 230 feet) You were one of a few people who asked about hills, so .... Our next Brompton Electric video will focus on the hill climb aspect
I've certainly used Level 3 on a hot day (28c) and been able to ride unambitiously and arrive back from the office without feeling hot and sweaty. Definitely couldn't have done that on my M3
You do very informative uploads except you have not mention anything about the charger status lighting on the actual charger and battery I just thought maybe you could do an upload on specifically the charger and battery lighting status this may help other peoples who have problems it this area. like me.
I've been looking at the electric Brompton..tempted.How long does it take to fully recharge the battery please?. I would love to ride at that location,where is that beautiful place?. Had my brompton in a cupboard for a while this as given me my passion back for it..all dusted down and easy to go.Thank you
You are terrific! We need to know how many watts the front is putting out. Here in the states we want 750 watts, 48v 17ah. We add 30amp controllers of choice.
Thanks for watching - and the feedback. How steep would you like - maybe a steep hill climb challenge would be a good short video to make. Each of our laps did have approx 70 metres of climb - so not flat
@@brilliantbikes Cool! I don't know how steep - I come from Wales (VERY STEEP) and live in Bordeaux (flat as a mudflat), but I read someone complaining that the electric assistance didn't help him on a hill... it certainly helped you! you were going like the proverbial...
If you did no attach the battery to the bike, it's not an accurate weight for the electric brompton. Thanks for this video though. Hope to see the blue version of this.
Thanks for watching - and for the feedback When we see a blue one - we'll add a video to try and show the colour (and weigh it with the battery attached )
Total weight of bike & rider might have been useful, and a comparison of a bigger rider vs a lightweight to see how many of the 5 charging lights went out for the bigger rider? I don`t know if there is an equivalent in England but if you are a Scottish taxpayer you can get up to 4 years interest free loans to buy an electric bike... I couldn't buy the bike from Brilliant as its too far away from me for the servicing that is required, but I buy everything else Brompton from Brilliant Bikes, including the indispensable rear rack that Brompton won't fit on the e-bike in the factory! They offer a great very fast service...
Thanks for watching - and your comments You are not the first to mention the weight - we are looking for a heavier rider (seems no-one wants to be on camera or give out their weight!) We will try it with a heavier rider very soon - promise! In England I don't think there is an incentive yet We're glad that you like our service so far - long may it continue
Congratulations, Scotland! Relevant vison, action taking. Talk about good governance! This world needs the application of any and all logic that can be found.
I would love to see Brompton would do a battery rental for a two or three weeks base worldwide, with a full deposit for a whole battery so you get your a refund when you bring it back after usage. I think of traveling in Japan with it using it as s checked luggage is no problem but you can't fly with high power batteries. But bicycles are no problem in Japanese trains even in shinkansen. Exploring rural Japan would be so perfect with it 😊😊🇯🇵
Thanks for watching Actually - no - it's on our list - to run the battery flat in each mode ... but on this test it already lasted too long, and we were getting very wet! It will also depend upon temperature and terrain
I love the Brompton, It's made in London and parts are easy to get, you have a great dealer network and they are proven to be durable and reliable, that's why I was so disappointed with the electric one, if you look on Gumtree you will see lots of them come up for sale( three in the last two weeks ) the most recent one was a guy in London who had bought one in April and was selling it, he had the original box and it was used only twice !! I'm looking for a 6-speed black one-second hand (not electric). They had a chance to produce something really magnificent, for example, there are rear hub electric motors being produced for 16-inch bike wheels that integrate the battery into the hub motor eliminating the need for the battery bag dangling and bouncing on the front fork and of course eliminates the wires running everywhere. They could have designed there own rere hub motor which would be a much simpler more elegant design, with a small wire-free handlebar controller. They had years to do this and with the resources and help from Williams, it could have been great. Unfortunately, they went for the cheap option, old technology, an old-fashioned Battery and an old fashioned front hub motor, in my opinion, it's all about maximising profit, if they had of gone for a rear hub with the integrated battery it would not have cost them no more than a couple hundred dollars more, you can buy Chinese made ones for few hundred dollars the front hub versions for much less, they could have gone into partnership with one of the better European manufactures( or there is an excellent Israeli manufacturer ) they would have the security of supply as well. Bottom line is they know they have a dedicated following who will buy almost anything they produce, disappointing, to say the least, and a missed opportunity and it leaves the door open for a clever company to produce a Brompton type 16inch wheel folding bike, all they have to do is copy the Brompton design ( patents have now expired)and give it an intelligent rere hub motor with integrated battery and bobs your uncle. The guy who runs the company now is a brilliant marketing guy, but he has dropped the ball with this one he has left the door open for some other Company like Tern ( who produce the Vectron )or Birdy ( Taiwan made folding bike) to produce a Brompton like folding bike with a rere hub motor with an integrated battery, and then people will have to choose between the Brompton bouncing battery version or the integrated hub version made by someone else. There are a couple of problems I see with the battery mounted on the front forks, one is that no mechanism is strong enough to hold the battery in place when riding over rough ground after a few years of wear and tear I would bet the battery will start to jump lose over rough ground and a new catch will have to be installed ( rough ground as in normal road surfaces ), the bouncing battery will become an irritant after a while and when it starts to dislodge on uphill climbs you will have some very annoyed customers. The second problem is because the battery will be removed when carrying the bike people will leave it behind on public transport, I certainly could see myself doing this, the integrated rere hub motor has none of these issues. It could be that Brompton has a rere hub version in the works and will bring it out in a couple of years when they have milked this version or when they get wind of a new competitor. That way they will have all the bouncing battery version owners upgrading to get the new thing, now that would be marketing genius if a bit cynical! Oh and a great review by the way.
@@iancarr828 I said "rough terrain" as in normal city road surfaces, as anyone will testify who cycles in the city , cobbles, and any uneven road surface( most bike paths ) will rattle that battery out of it's latching system.Yes and exactly because it has 16 inch wheels.
Good point. Bouncing battery + expired patent adds up to a storm brewing for Brompton. Maybe a national treasure now but won't take more than 12 months to lose the crown. But.. being able to detach the battery makes it a lot lighter to carry. If the weight of the battery was included it would add 2KG. Having said that, it is not much and...the steel frame also need to be redesigned - with carbon fibre material. Customers would pay £1,000 more for this option even if it only cut the weight by 2kg.
Bikes are cheap to make, even in the UK the components are cheap and imported, I would imagine even with the labour costs in the UK the whole bike is costing less than £500 each to make, the profit is huge, and that explains their expansion, the new factory, the new "Apple type high street shops " etc etc The bike for me is a real disappointment, they could have used the existing rere hub motor with an integrated battery, maybe make it slightly lighter and make the frame lighter to compensate, remember this is an electric bike, you could also design a strap to balance the bike on your shoulder when carrying it folded, there were lots of options. The bottom line with Brompton is profit, they went with the cheaper approach, with maybe as I said the option of introducing a rere hub version later on. There are some very good electric bikes around with some very intelligent designs the Fiido see it here you could buy 4 of these for the price of one Brompton and the build quality is great and to me, this is a better electric bike unless you are persuaded by marketing. I'm getting a secondhand 6 gear manual Brompton and one of these Fiido electric bikes : th-cam.com/video/4Cks7MwDxOM/w-d-xo.html
IF YOU CALCULATE THE AVERAGE SPEED IN METERS/SECOND THEN MAULTIPLY BY NUMBER OF SECONDS TO COMPLETE THE COURSE THIS SHOWS DISTANCE COVERED IN METERS, WHICH IS HANDY FOR THE BATTERY RANGE LAP 1 4898 METERS COVERED LAP2 4971 METERS COVERED LAP 3 4978 METERS COVERED LAP 4 4961 METERS COVERED LAP 5 4957 METERS COVERED INTERESTINGLY IF THE RAINFALL WAS INCONSISTANT IN THE TRIAL, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF FRICTION ON THE TYRES WOULD PRODUCE INCONSISTANT RESULTS. TO ME AS A PENSIONER THE CALORIES BURNED WAS VERY INTERESTING, MANY THANKS.
Thanks for watching Unfortunately the horses have to take a different route around Windsor Great Park (she used to ride horses - but doesn't have one much right now in order to make a comparison)
They do, you are correct And they also add a dimension It’s possible to arrive somewhere less hot / tired or to keep up with others when it wasn’t previously possible
@@brilliantbikes For me, one of the best things about cycling is the self-propulsion aspect of it, the freedom of that. Much of that fun is lost when one turns a bike into a motorcycle.
My god who would want to buy an electric bike with that great big ugly bag stuck on the front? 3 levels of power assist is the same as budget bikes, I have 5 levels on mine and it takes me along only going through the motions of peddling but with no effort whatsoever. No way would I want one of those, especially with front wheel drive when rear wheel drive is far better.
Thanks for your feedback Mike - and for watching With the Brompton there are some compromises - but also gains (such as being able to transport on the train / bus or store under your desk) The main thing is to choose the bike that makes you happy
@@brilliantbikes my apologies if you thought I was being disrespectful, I bought a Volt Metro bike and happy with that. No disrespect intended just a personal opinion .. thanks for the video.
I always used level 2 or 3 to climb hill when I just bought my Brompton electric. Then 3 months later I found I gained almost 4 kg weight. I quitted Brompton electric and switched back to my regular Brompton for 2 months to get myself in shape again. Now I ride my Brompton electric everyday in San Francisco with level 1 only.
Would u pls share how many miles you get on a fully charged with level 1 on hilly SanFran.
Thanks
That's what I'm worried about. Do I have the strength of will to only use level 1?
@@terry_hutt got a M6L and a Chinese 16" electric folder I've had for a few years now. Yes you will pretty much always use the top level of power unless you need to conserve the battery charge, they are too much fun not to have it always cranked up and when you turn it down you instantly miss the speed and power.
Thank you for this great video. It describes the differences between standard and electric Bromptons perfectly. As for how eBromptons fare in hilly country, I took Bronwyn (my eBrompton) with a 10kg front bag and 3.5kg seat pack on a week's tour of Vaucluse in Provence in September. Fully laden Bronwyn carried all the luggage and a 78kg passenger (me) over Mont Ventoux, a climb of 1215m from Sault, and then the 1600m descent to Malaucene. I topped up the battery with a Brompton Fast Charger at Chalet Reynard on the way up, but I'm pretty sure Bronwyn would have made it to the top without the top up charge.I adore my eBrompton and plan on a longer tour in Provence next year.
Here's Bronwyn at the the top of Mont Ventoux: th-cam.com/video/5DGCkXImBAY/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for watching, your kind comments and for sharing your experience with the electric Brompton
We had heard that the hill climbing wasn’t up to par - hence our tests ....
Mont Ventoux is a great test - we have done it on road bikes and know it’s tough
Thanks again
Just managed to get my eBrompton, same as you had here. I have an M6R as well and am literally blown away how good this thing is. I commute by ferry and it’s a 400ft climb up a hill to get home. My old bike was a struggle with a 44t front but this zips up on level 2 no problem at all. Right now all models are selling out quickly and production doesn’t seem to be keeping up! Your store is spot on for spares and goodies too. Thanks.
Thank you for making this video with all these details that I can’t find elsewhere. Very specific and very in detail. It really helps! 👍👍👍
Thanks for watching, and for your kind comments
Great video. Fantastic content. You’re an inspiration. Bromptons’ marketing team ought to employ you. 👍👏
Thank you and thank you for watching. Really glad it was useful.
The host is a delight, just lovely. Thanks for the informative videos. Look forward to more.
I think you'll find the "host" is a hostess. Just saying.
Thank you for the comparison. The table at the end is what I couldn’t find in any other BE review.
Good work m’lady
Thanks for your kind words
Of course - it's all a bit subjective based on your normal riding - but at least gives an idea of the assistance received
Thank you, what a refreshing review, everything covered clearly. And you braved the rain for us too!
Thank you for watching and the for the comment!
It was really good fun and a nice chance to get to know the electric ⚡️
Brilliant presentation. Highly informative. Very helpful in my decision making process. Huge thanks.
I am really surprised the front wheel got not much resistance by the motor. Thanks for the videos. They help me a lot with all the questions I have about Brompton electric. I can now place the order with peace of mind. I have decided to order a M2L even though I live in a very hilly city, San Francisco. Wish me luck!!
Why not M6 in San Francisco, or was that a typo??
Another great video. I'm starting to think I should spend more money and buy an electric Brompton instead of upgrading my current one with Swytch or Nano. Your comment about the strengthened stem and forks was a real eye-opener.
They are great fun! I’d really recommend taking one for a test ride!
An interesting comparison, even though I am not using my manual Brompton as much as I should. And a lovely subtitle 'typo' at 6:39...
"lap one on the electric problem".
Whoops. Thanks for watching!
I get my first Brompton in November it’s Electric bike so I’m looking forward to joining bike club after I give it few try outs it’s took me few years of savings to get to that pont and I no I’m going to love it love videos and will subscribe
awesome, didn't know they actually reinforced the whole front part (stem, block, fork, spoke...etc)
hope Brompton will start global battery rental services someday so riders can be benefited from their e-brommie on oversea trips
That _would_ be good. I regularly carry my Brompton onto the Harwich-Hoek ferry and keep it with me in my cabin. Don't know if that would be permitted with an electric (mind you, the electric assistance is less of a concern in the flat Netherlands LOL)
Frank Hooper it's the airlines would not allow batteries over 10000mAh capacity onboard unless it's essential (i.e. e-wheelchairs) with proper documents filed prior to the trip. flat trip is not a problem for sure.
Thanks for a great video. May I also point out that you also demonstrated the weatherproofing of the battery installation. :-)
Thank you for watching
Yes - we got very wet - the battery performed better in the conditions than we did!
@@brilliantbikes You may notice different results on a dry day. The motor noticeably "Backs off" when it feels slippage due to wet conditions. Depends how good the road surface is as well of course...
Thank you for an informative briefing on this amazing ebike.
Thank YOU - for your kind comment
i like it that the rain didnt bother you when somewould have waited till it stopped that day or another, great review as well.
Thanks for watching and for your kind comment
We live in the UK - rain is quite common 😉. It was also a good test of the waterproof capabilities
@@brilliantbikes Yes im in the UK as well and looking out my window its raining but ill reframe from going out today, normally i ride commute and in what ever weather, my chariot of choice is a Dahon Vybe D7 folding bike, Multimodal travel but now looking for a hybrid bike either electric or manual to ride the 15 miles just to get to work, but with the lock down difficult to get out to pick the ew i have looked at.
Thank you for this amazing video. It really helped.
Many thanks for watching! So glad it helped! They are such fun!
Love your Brompton videos. I'm going for the M6L. I do have to say that you are so Beautiful.
Excellent video, so informative, and you have a brilliant presenting style. Thank you.
This is something Brompton should have done; good job. I have a diy electric Brompton and I can definitely feel it without power! (Though that could be because I've got used to it over the 2000 miles I've commuted on it.)
Thanks for watching and for your feedback
Great video despite the English weather kicking in half way through. Nice bit of kit and got me thinking of going e-bike in about 5 years when my 2 year old bike feels it’s age. Hopefully by then the prices will have dropped - these bikes are mega expensive and a decent spec is £2.5 to 3.5K. The only downside is you get less aerobic fitness and powering along at top speed makes for some dangerous accidents for those who are not experienced commuters (Yes, danger lurks at every bend with idiots stepping out wearing headphones, car doors being opened, berks on fast illegal scooters and so forth). I’d want to be riding something with better steering , suspension and bigger wheels I guess than a Brompton, but then again I don’t use trains or have stowage worries. Nevertheless it’s a fun review.
Thanks for watching and your excellent comment / feedback. We kept hitting the 25kmh limit - so did get some exercise - but like you said - I’m busy shared areas it starts to get a bit challenging!
Excellent video for us "potential Brompton but which Brompton?" types. Top marks too for your very clear diction: some vids ae held back when the reviewer mumbles or gabbles along. I'd happily let you review how to make porridge, dig holes in the road, tie my shoes, learn to play a musical instrument or anything!!
Just on the tyres, the E on the end is pronounced like an A.. Schwalbe is German for Swallow (the bird). Great review 👍
A very enjoyable video. I'm considering both types of Bromptons so I found this very informative. Will subscribe.
Thanks for watching
Personally we weren’t big fans of the though of going electric - until we tried them
It really depends upon what you want to get from the bike and the reason for using
If it’s for exercise combined with commuting I would go manual
If it’s for comfort / assistance on hills / keeping up / arriving cool at your destination then I would be tempted by the electric version
Very informative! 👍🏼
Nice! I have 2 Ebikes and 3 "regular" road bikes. The more I ride my Ebikes the more I've been experimenting with riding them without any power assist for as long as I can, just to see how long I can stretch the range. Recently, on one of my Ebikes, a Yamaha Urban Rush road bike (with drop handle bars), I was able to ride 26 miles, with 1,250 feet of climbing, while only using 10% of the battery. That would, theoretically, project out to a 260 mile range, assuming the battery drain was linear and I took it down to zero. (Even if the battery drain trailed off towards the end, 26 miles using only 10% of the battery was impressive. The maximum grade on this ride was 6.7%. Average speed was 14.7 mph. I'm 64 years old, and I weigh 190 pounds.)
In my area terrain/grade is the big determining factor. It's impossible to go 5 miles without hitting a hill. (We don't have mountains, but we have lots and lots of hills.) The grades of the hills around here range from around 5% to 12.5%, give or take. It looked to me as if you were riding mainly on flat terrain. Was that the case? Or were there some hills that didn't appear in the video? Thanks.
Thanks for watching (and commenting)
It was a reasonably hilly route - though it didn't show - as the person filming was on a non-electric Brompton and couldn't keep up!
Our next Brompton Electric video will feature (and focus on the hill climbing aspect)
@@brilliantbikes Cool. I look forward to that video.
@Alien On a Bike The hills are the real litmus test for sure. I did a 56 mile ride yesterday that was relatively flat for the first third, and the last third, but in between there were 2 pretty significant mountain climbs. It was the first time I'd ridden mountains (vs just series of hills) and it really hammered the battery range. I only had 28% at the end of the ride. It was the best ride I'd been on all year, and I'd gladly do it again. It's just that now I have a much better idea of how my bike responds to that kind of riding.
Very good concept and execution - thx for the video; I had not seen anything that informative about the e Brompton yet! I appreciate the info you are sharing.
Mostly, I run my e Brompton on Assist Level 1 when I am not on a schedule and Level 2 for appointments or when no swear is very important.
What woul be interesting to know is the max. distance that can be cycled with different Assist Levels. But that may be too complex and time consuming to find out.
Thanks for watching, and for the kind comments / feedback
We would like to test those max distances - of course it will vary by terrain / temperature
Keep checking back - it will come sometime
I can say that next time we’ll have 2 electric bikes, as it became impossible to keep up and film on a manual one once the power was on (the assistance just on level one on hills shouldn’t be underestimated)
brilliantbikes maybe you can tell is how long the Distanz of one Electric round was. So a rough calculation of range would be possible 😊
Bought my eBrompton back in February. Took it out once without battery. Omg, never again. Never, EVER do I want to work so hard again. I'm all for the assistance in my senior years.
They are such fun with the power on! Thank you so much for watching!
Minor point but would have been nice to see a comparison to a non-dynamo M6L/R
와우 한국의 브롬라이더 입니다 ㅎ
많이 배우고 갑니다 ^^
Wow it's a bromide from Korea
I'm learning a lot ^^
Us Bromides have got to stick together
Great video! A few more comments on the battery life (once you’ve had a chance to use the bike over a longer distance and time), the weight of the cycle doesn’t seem significantly more than the standard, I’m surprised by this but pleased. I have experienced the Bosch pedal assist, wonder how the motor in the front wheel compares to a motor in the crank, any thoughts? Finally, can you comment on the “fast charger” - how fast does it charge the battery if it’s nearly fully discharged? Thanks! BEST Brompton focused TH-cam Channel out there! Also a fan of the out-takes!
Thanks for watching
We haven't tried the Bosch motor so much - so we will add that to our list
We also haven't tried the fast charger - yet - so that sounds like a great video idea too ....
We honestly do try to have no out-takes ... though we keep failing at that!
Very good Video ! Thank you, It seems that I will buy one in spring !
If you want some smart luggage for your electric brompton check out this page on the frost and sekers website
frostandsekers.com/products/mount-and-bag-combination-kit
Can you please explain the differences between the 2 & the 6 gear model and what they are good for?
좋은 영상 감사합니다. 브롬톤 전기자전거가 한국에도 하루빨리 들어왔으면 하네요^^
Thanks for the good video. I would like to meet the e-Bromton as soon as possible in Korea.^^
Frost and sekers have made a really nice luggage system that works on the electric brompton.
The frame (large and small) for the electric Brompton are available separately - so a great opportunity exists to make a bag around these
Awesome informative video thanks for the time and effort you put into your videos. We can't get the electric Bromptons here in Australia yet so we're just waiting 😩
G’day - Thanks for watching :-)
I’m sure they will come at some point to Australia
They’ve proved so popular that Brompton are currently struggling to keep up with demand
Really informative video, thanks!
Good stuff , very helpful thank you
Thank you for watching! They are great fun!
What a super video! Enjoyed that. Is it possible to query the battery to find out what the level of charge is more precisely than just the bars on top? It would be interesting to see the relative levels of discharge on each of those laps in the same way we had your estimated calorie burn.
Also was the e-Brompton weight inclusive of the battery? Good stuff. Thanks.
Great enthusiasm, loved this vid. Thanks.
Perfect!! thank you for this video very informative.
Thanks for watching and the kind comment.
Great video but I am hearing another misdescription of the crank size at 4:44. It should not be a standard 52T chain ring.
Thanks for watching Felix .... we will send her for speech lessons - currently she is repeating over and over ...
I must say 50 tooth
I must say 50 tooth
I must say 52th
no, no, no
I must say 50 tooth
:-)
👍🏻
Hi, I'm just wondering why the stem would be reinforced on the electric. I can understand why they did this to the front forks..
You could borrow some Garmin power meter pedals next to give a reading on Average power needed ?
Thanks for watching
That’s a great idea! We are looking into it
Props for you for doing this in the rain,,,
And thank you for watching
It makes getting drenched worthwhile!
Can you comment on the crankbrothers pedals for the Brampton? How does the folding pedal work using the crankbrothers pedals?
Thank you for watching and for your comment.
The Crankbrothers pedals are non-folding. The ones on my bike are just my preference, as I can clip in on one side, but they are flat on the other.
Hi thank you for all you informative Brompton reviews that you have posted. After watching several...repeatedly.. I plumped for an Brompton Electric H6L Folding Bike. I am really enjoying using my bike but I have a problem with the distance between the handlebar and brake. I am 5ft 7 so not small but I find that my hand has to adopt quite an unusual position to reach the brake. My husband says I hunch my shoulders forward when riding my bike in order to be able to reach round with my hand...I wondered if you had any other comments on this problem. If anybody reading this or Brompton supplier can offer advice I would be grateful!!!!
The brake lever can be adjusted to bring it nearer to the handlebar
Thanks for a really interesting and common sense review. I have a Brompton 6 speed and love it more each time a ride it. I also have an electric bike (a Raleigh Motus GT) which I also love (I think it is okay to love more than one bike) - I would have bought another Brompton but need to be able to carry my two year old on the back. It seems to me that one bike is never enough :-)
Thanks again :-)
Thanks for watching and the kind comment
When it comes to bikes - polygamy is not only permissible but highly recommended
I am sure there are Laws forbidding love of 2 cycles at the same time
Hello so I i am still waiting for my brompton. I ordered the raw lacquer finish. I wonder if its worth the difference between the normal colors and the lacquer ones
I just want your opinion about it.
We love the raw lacquer Bromptons
Each one can be unique due to the finish showing the craftsmanship
Our videos often feature a black edition raw lacquer
Our older ones featured a standard raw lacquer - unfortunately that was stolen ;-(
In summary - we love them 💕
If it's worth it to you, then it's worth it.
Thank you for your perfect review video. Could you test these bikes on hilly roads( ramp )? And i am your 800th subscriber, i hope your channel will get better rates. Take care..
Thank you for watching - and your kind words
You weren't the first to ask about hills - so we made this especially for you!
th-cam.com/video/bOMWWZM8qsQ/w-d-xo.html
We found the list of top 100 climbs in the UK - and picked (slightly randomly - no 23 - Whiteleaf Hill)
Hi. Quick question about the electric Bromton. I’m getting mixed reviews saying the sound/noise from the hub motor is quite loud compared to other electric bikes, is this true? My partner has a Bosh active line mid drive bike which is close to silent. But I’ve been told the front hub motor of the Bromton can be loud and annoying? What’s your views on this matter? Thanks
Check if the noise is not from mudguard wire rubbing on tyre (massive issue with Brompton with mudguards, most probably got dropped hard during shipping) I checked mine and adjusted the wire, and the noise are gone haha
It does make a noise - it’s a bit subjective
The best would be to head to your local dealer and take a demo one out for a ride
The rush of the wind as you fly along electrically assisted will normally be louder!
@@brilliantbikes I quite like the noise haha my Brompton is telling me "I got your back mate" ;)
How are the Electric Brompton bikes in the rain and are the batteries waterproof the bags
Does the electric Brommie really have a *6* speed Sturmey Archer hub system? Not the *3* speed + double sprocket derailleur system of the standard Brompton?
Thanks for watching
You are correct (sorry if it wasn't clear) - it is the same six speed as on the standard Brompton with a 3 speed Sturmey Archer and a 2 speed derailleur combined
I really enjoy your videos and made my understanding of Brompton bikes a lot more than other sources available. My question is the Brompton Electric frame is identical to A/C/P Line (other than the fork)? Or basically fitting all of the relevant electric components/cables on the same frame as the normal bike? Thank you.
Many thanks for watching! The mainframe is the same but it has a torque sensing bottom bracket. The forks and stem are strengthened.
Very nice job!!
Thank you
And thank you for watching
Nice video. Thanks for making it available. One point: I would suggest starting with the main topic and finishing, if necessary, with additional information. The main event, the effort test, doesn't begin until the video is virtually over and that's a little frustrating. Thanks again for posting. Cheers.
Thanks for watching, sticking with it and the great feedback - we will definitely try to do that
How is the battery recharged? It is recharged when the wheels turn without battery assists? Or you have to plug it in? I hope it's the former.
Great video!! Have you ever considered doing that to see the difference between a M/H and a S type brompton?
Thanks for watching, commenting the suggestion
Do you mean showing the difference side by side - with ride position
Or
Riding the same route to compare performance based on ride position / drag?
brilliantbikes the one about comparing the drag on a route
At first I did not quite get the point of going faster than 25Km/Ph because one is just doing all the work at the top end. However, I now have a Brompton E bike & must admit that I keep trying to "beat the motor" Silly, I know but I just treat it as a race on my own. Great fun
That is exactly what I do. It adds a whole new dimension, increases my workout level and extends the range.
Can you put a rack on the back of the electric? Brompton configurator doesn't offer it.
Thanks for watching
Yes - it’s possible to put a rack on the electric - fitting is the same
Brompton don’t offer it as an option because the weight of the motor / battery means that it is not as stable as the non electric bike
Next time we fit one - not sure when it will be - we will make a quick video to better explain
Could you make a video weekend travel on an electric Brompton? Go at least 50 kilometers (more if you like). I would like to see how you do with the extra weight, how the charging goes, and any other information you think should be passed on. Is that a video you would be willing to make?
Excellent idea! Thank you!
Wonderful video. Will you be comparing a Switch conversion Brompton with a standard electric Brompton at some point?
How does a brompton electric handle a 10% climb?
Many thanks for the question. We have been really impressed with the Brompton electric on the hills. We did make a video comparing the 2 and 6 speed on a big hill! Link as follows:
Brompton Electric 2 speed vs 6 speed hill climb comparison
th-cam.com/video/c7oWyKoEl_M/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for watching!
Did I hear that right? A 6-speed Sturmey-Archer? Or is it a 3-speed Sturmey-Archer + a 2-speed derailleur?
Thanks for watching and paying attention
It’s a 3 speed Sturmey Archer with 2 sprockets and a Brompton derailleur
Giving 6 in total
There is a 5 speed wide range hub available - it’s on our list to guild into a Brompton wheel
Great video very informative but why is your Black Edition ORANGE?
Thanks for watching
The black edition was originally a change to some black components
All Bromptons used to have silver handlebars / mudguards / headsets etc
The black edition was available in a range of colours (it varies by year) but with black handlebars, brakes, rims / fork / stem / triangle
You are right - in hindsight- an orange black edition sounds odd
Which gear should be engaged when folded for a 6 speed Brompton?
Thanks for watching
It can be folded while in any gear
Hi there I like to ask this question the bracket that’s on the electric bike that holds the battery and the bags is it the same bracket on the none electric bike 20/20 bikes thank you
No its not. The bags are not interchangeable.
The chart demonstrates that you burn less calories and lower heart rate ideal for OAPs like me, i found the real benefits when using my Electric is the assistance against head wind riding.
Thanks for watching and taking your precious time to comment
We find it’s just great fun to ride without the sweat!
I like your helmet, looks cute on you. Question, I am planning a 150 mile ride for a multiple sclerosis charity. Do y'all have any recommendations for my S6L as far as upgrades? I was going to use a regular road bike but I'd figure it would be fun and attract more attention for fund raising with the Brompie. I already have the tool kit for it but that's it.
Thanks for watching (again) and the comment
For that ride you can save some effort by using kojak / Schwalbe One tyres - but we’ really only recommend them on nice smooth tarmac - as they puncture slightly easier
Make sure you have a comfortable saddle
Do lots of practice rides building up the distance
Does this come with a charger ?
Many thanks for the question. Yes it comes with the charger
Excellent video. I was surprised at how close the weights of the two bike were, but then I realized you left off the battery when weighing the electric model. When I think of the main reason for buying an electric bike, it would be for assistance it going up hill, going into a head wind, carrying a load, or helping handicapped riders. In your test it looked like you rode a fairly flat route, but you did not show the whole route, so I do not know for sure. Was the route you rode flat or hilly? I think that the time differences between the electric and standard models would be larger on a hilly route.
Thanks for watching, and for the kind feedback
The route was reasonably hilly (we think) with approx 70 metres of climbing during each of the 5 laps (or approx 230 feet)
You were one of a few people who asked about hills, so ....
Our next Brompton Electric video will focus on the hill climb aspect
We made a new video with (what we at least) consider a hill
th-cam.com/video/bOMWWZM8qsQ/w-d-xo.html
The Brompton electric is only 1kg heavier? Did that include the battery?
Is it possible to ride a Brompton Electric very slowly when it is in Power level 3?
Of course. A pedelec bike is just like any other bike other than it gives you assistance. You can ride it as slowly as you like.
Yes - if you press the pedals less hard, it goes slower. The motor is designed to assist your pedalling - you control the assistance using the pedals
I've certainly used Level 3 on a hot day (28c) and been able to ride unambitiously and arrive back from the office without feeling hot and sweaty. Definitely couldn't have done that on my M3
brilliantbikes What is the link to buy the electric kit
You do very informative uploads except you have not mention anything about the charger status lighting on the actual charger and battery
I just thought maybe you could do an upload on specifically the charger and battery lighting status
this may help other peoples who have problems it this area. like me.
You have to plug in the charger before connecting it to the battery.
Forgive me for asking a lady this question but how much do you weigh? I was wondering how the eBrompton would handle my 15 stone bulk.
She is a lightweight!
We’re working on getting a heavier rider for a hill climb test
Thanks for watching and the question
@@brilliantbikes Great. I will be looking out for that video!
I've been looking at the electric Brompton..tempted.How long does it take to fully recharge the battery please?.
I would love to ride at that location,where is that beautiful place?.
Had my brompton in a cupboard for a while this as given me my passion back for it..all dusted down and easy to go.Thank you
You are terrific! We need to know how many watts the front is putting out. Here in the states we want 750 watts, 48v 17ah. We add 30amp controllers of choice.
Great video! Can you try it on a steep hill please?
Thanks for watching - and the feedback. How steep would you like - maybe a steep hill climb challenge would be a good short video to make.
Each of our laps did have approx 70 metres of climb - so not flat
@@brilliantbikes Cool! I don't know how steep - I come from Wales (VERY STEEP) and live in Bordeaux (flat as a mudflat), but I read someone complaining that the electric assistance didn't help him on a hill... it certainly helped you! you were going like the proverbial...
If you did no attach the battery to the bike, it's not an accurate weight for the electric brompton.
Thanks for this video though. Hope to see the blue version of this.
Thanks for watching - and for the feedback
When we see a blue one - we'll add a video to try and show the colour (and weigh it with the battery attached )
Total weight of bike & rider might have been useful, and a comparison of a bigger rider vs a lightweight to see how many of the 5 charging lights went out for the bigger rider? I don`t know if there is an equivalent in England but if you are a Scottish taxpayer you can get up to 4 years interest free loans to buy an electric bike... I couldn't buy the bike from Brilliant as its too far away from me for the servicing that is required, but I buy everything else Brompton from Brilliant Bikes, including the indispensable rear rack that Brompton won't fit on the e-bike in the factory! They offer a great very fast service...
Thanks for watching - and your comments
You are not the first to mention the weight - we are looking for a heavier rider (seems no-one wants to be on camera or give out their weight!)
We will try it with a heavier rider very soon - promise!
In England I don't think there is an incentive yet
We're glad that you like our service so far - long may it continue
Congratulations, Scotland! Relevant vison, action taking. Talk about good governance! This world needs the application of any and all logic that can be found.
I would love to see Brompton would do a battery rental for a two or three weeks base worldwide, with a full deposit for a whole battery so you get your a refund when you bring it back after usage.
I think of traveling in Japan with it using it as s checked luggage is no problem but you can't fly with high power batteries. But bicycles are no problem in Japanese trains even in shinkansen.
Exploring rural Japan would be so perfect with it 😊😊🇯🇵
Do you have an estimated range for each of the three power levels?
Thanks for watching
Actually - no - it's on our list - to run the battery flat in each mode ... but on this test it already lasted too long, and we were getting very wet!
It will also depend upon temperature and terrain
@@brilliantbikes thank you! 😀
@@brilliantbikes As a e Brompton user I am also curious about this test. Will see if I find the time to try it out. Thx again for your cool video!
I like Brompton bike 👍🙏🎥🎥🎥
It folds nice but cables are hanging from the frame 🙄
Brill video
Thank you! And thank you for watching!
Seriously, you dont wanna go to manual once you tried the Electric.
did you worry about the brompton getting rust after riding in rainy day?
In England? If we worried about the weather, we would rarely get out.
I know you went over the colors, but I think you focused so much in the front wheel that you forgot to tell us if it had more wheels... 😆
Thanks for watching and the feedback
Yes - it has two wheels 😀
I love the Brompton, It's made in London and parts are easy to get, you have a great dealer network and they are proven to be durable and reliable, that's why I was so disappointed with the electric one, if you look on Gumtree you will see lots of them come up for sale( three in the last two weeks ) the most recent one was a guy in London who had bought one in April and was selling it, he had the original box and it was used only twice !! I'm looking for a 6-speed black one-second hand (not electric).
They had a chance to produce something really magnificent, for example, there are rear hub electric motors being produced for 16-inch bike wheels that integrate the battery into the hub motor eliminating the need for the battery bag dangling and bouncing on the front fork and of course eliminates the wires running everywhere. They could have designed there own rere hub motor which would be a much simpler more elegant design, with a small wire-free handlebar controller.
They had years to do this and with the resources and help from Williams, it could have been great.
Unfortunately, they went for the cheap option, old technology, an old-fashioned Battery and an old fashioned front hub motor, in my opinion, it's all about maximising profit, if they had of gone for a rear hub with the integrated battery it would not have cost them no more than a couple hundred dollars more, you can buy Chinese made ones for few hundred dollars the front hub versions for much less, they could have gone into partnership with one of the better European manufactures( or there is an excellent Israeli manufacturer ) they would have the security of supply as well.
Bottom line is they know they have a dedicated following who will buy almost anything they produce, disappointing, to say the least, and a missed opportunity and it leaves the door open for a clever company to produce a Brompton type 16inch wheel folding bike, all they have to do is copy the Brompton design ( patents have now expired)and give it an intelligent rere hub motor with integrated battery and bobs your uncle.
The guy who runs the company now is a brilliant marketing guy, but he has dropped the ball with this one he has left the door open for some other Company like Tern ( who produce the Vectron )or Birdy ( Taiwan made folding bike) to produce a Brompton like folding bike with a rere hub motor with an integrated battery, and then people will have to choose between the Brompton bouncing battery version or the integrated hub version made by someone else.
There are a couple of problems I see with the battery mounted on the front forks, one is that no mechanism is strong enough to hold the battery in place when riding over rough ground after a few years of wear and tear I would bet the battery will start to jump lose over rough ground and a new catch will have to be installed ( rough ground as in normal road surfaces ), the bouncing battery will become an irritant after a while and when it starts to dislodge on uphill climbs you will have some very annoyed customers. The second problem is because the battery will be removed when carrying the bike people will leave it behind on public transport, I certainly could see myself doing this, the integrated rere hub motor has none of these issues.
It could be that Brompton has a rere hub version in the works and will bring it out in a couple of years when they have milked this version or when they get wind of a new competitor. That way they will have all the bouncing battery version owners upgrading to get the new thing, now that would be marketing genius if a bit cynical!
Oh and a great review by the way.
nobody with any sense would take a 16ins wheel bike over rough terrain.
@@iancarr828 I said "rough terrain" as in normal city road surfaces, as anyone will testify who cycles in the city , cobbles, and any uneven road surface( most bike paths ) will rattle that battery out of it's latching system.Yes and exactly because it has 16 inch wheels.
Good point. Bouncing battery + expired patent adds up to a storm brewing for Brompton. Maybe a national treasure now but won't take more than 12 months to lose the crown. But.. being able to detach the battery makes it a lot lighter to carry. If the weight of the battery was included it would add 2KG. Having said that, it is not much and...the steel frame also need to be redesigned - with carbon fibre material. Customers would pay £1,000 more for this option even if it only cut the weight by 2kg.
Bikes are cheap to make, even in the UK the components are cheap and imported, I would imagine even with the labour costs in the UK the whole bike is costing less than £500 each to make, the profit is huge, and that explains their expansion, the new factory, the new "Apple type high street shops " etc etc
The bike for me is a real disappointment, they could have used the existing rere hub motor with an integrated battery, maybe make it slightly lighter and make the frame lighter to compensate, remember this is an electric bike, you could also design a strap to balance the bike on your shoulder when carrying it folded, there were lots of options.
The bottom line with Brompton is profit, they went with the cheaper approach, with maybe as I said the option of introducing a rere hub version later on.
There are some very good electric bikes around with some very intelligent designs the Fiido see it here you could buy 4 of these for the price of one Brompton and the build quality is great and to me, this is a better electric bike unless you are persuaded by marketing.
I'm getting a secondhand 6 gear manual Brompton and one of these Fiido electric bikes
:
th-cam.com/video/4Cks7MwDxOM/w-d-xo.html
👌
IF YOU CALCULATE THE AVERAGE SPEED IN METERS/SECOND THEN MAULTIPLY BY NUMBER OF SECONDS TO COMPLETE THE COURSE THIS SHOWS DISTANCE COVERED IN METERS, WHICH IS HANDY FOR THE BATTERY RANGE
LAP 1 4898 METERS COVERED
LAP2 4971 METERS COVERED
LAP 3 4978 METERS COVERED
LAP 4 4961 METERS COVERED
LAP 5 4957 METERS COVERED
INTERESTINGLY IF THE RAINFALL WAS INCONSISTANT IN THE TRIAL, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF FRICTION ON THE TYRES WOULD PRODUCE INCONSISTANT RESULTS.
TO ME AS A PENSIONER THE CALORIES BURNED WAS VERY INTERESTING, MANY THANKS.
wow it’s heavier than my full suspension 29er haha but way more compact tho
Not so good off road though ;-)
Remember - a Brompton is not a mountain bike (as I always have to remind myself)
Is that beginning music beautiful or what? LOL
Thanks for watching
We no longer put music on (except for the outtakes!)
We thought it was lovely too 🤨 but not everyone agreed!
brilliantbikes sorry to say that music was dreadful. I guess tastes are very individual.... 🤢
This is what Mary Poppins would ride if she had a ebike!
Gee, you could have waited for a nicer day🤔
now do a lap on a horse
Thanks for watching
Unfortunately the horses have to take a different route around Windsor Great Park
(she used to ride horses - but doesn't have one much right now in order to make a comparison)
3500$ It’s not justified
Electric motors add a great deal of complexity, cost, and points of failure to a bicycle.
They do, you are correct
And they also add a dimension
It’s possible to arrive somewhere less hot / tired or to keep up with others when it wasn’t previously possible
@@brilliantbikes For me, one of the best things about cycling is the self-propulsion aspect of it, the freedom of that. Much of that fun is lost when one turns a bike into a motorcycle.
@@RobertLinthicum 15 mph? That must be a top Ducati you had then. When the chocolate tea pot get's removed, I might get one.
But, the beauty of the design is that you can ride without the battery and voila, it's a normal pedal bike, albeit about a kg heavier.
@@davidburgess5419 I have never observed an electric motorbike rider pedaling without the power assist, but I know it is possible in a pinch.
My god who would want to buy an electric bike with that great big ugly bag stuck on the front? 3 levels of power assist is the same as budget bikes, I have 5 levels on mine and it takes me along only going through the motions of peddling but with no effort whatsoever. No way would I want one of those, especially with front wheel drive when rear wheel drive is far better.
Thanks for your feedback Mike - and for watching
With the Brompton there are some compromises - but also gains (such as being able to transport on the train / bus or store under your desk)
The main thing is to choose the bike that makes you happy
@@brilliantbikes my apologies if you thought I was being disrespectful, I bought a Volt Metro bike and happy with that. No disrespect intended just a personal opinion .. thanks for the video.
Loads of people have Brompton bags anyway. They don't see an issue.
Do come back when you have ridden the Brompton though.
There was no thought of disrespect - all comments are valid and valuable