Should I get le Terne BYB, the Brapton or some other type of folding bike?

depends if you want a "lifestyle accessory" or a bike

bromptons are basically rapha but for bikes. they're heavily marketed towards people with an internalized hate against bicycles and cycling culture who need something recognizable and branded to show that they're cyclists by choice and not like those other poor losers who ride bikes for the wrong reasons

tern folders are good and so are dahons and bikes friday

>>2039061
Nah Brompton is the smallest folder you can that's still a functional bike
Don't get salty because they're expensive

>>2039061
not OP, but if you had to choose between a dahon or an ebike/escooter at similar price, which would you choose?

>>2039071
and there it is. they're "expensive" for the target customer because the target customer (You) does not buy bicycles, has a net negative interest in bicycles, and is only interested in this particular bicycle because they were repeatedly reassured that it's "expensive" so nobody will think they're like those other poor losers who rides a bike. hence why every time a brompton owner mentions their brompton they can't help but announce what it cost because they're still struggling with the self image problem introduced by acquiring a bicycle to ride, and that is how they self-soothe

>>2039072
for my use case? I don't really have a need for a folding bike, I have protected bike storage for a real bike anywhere that I'd commute to/from, and I have a bike share app for when I just need a spontaneous point A to point B. but if you're seeing an ebike/escooter for the price of a dahon (any dahon), it's a dangerous flammable death trap that will possibly kill you and definitely cause millions in property damage, so get the dahon

>>2039077
You honestly have mental problems desu

>>2039060 (OP)
get a java neo
it's like a brompton but designed in 21st century to use 21st century components

Folders are the ultimate /n/ machine, as they can be combined so effortlessly with all other forms of transportation.
They can also be a lot of fun, like riding a klds bike but with geometry that fits adults.

>>2039060 (OP)
Moultons are the GOAT

>>2039061
>>2039077

>>2039086

>>2039077
i guarantee my bike is worse than yours and i ride more than you
but i don't get bent out of shape because someone has or can afford a nicer one

>>2039090
>my bike is worse than yours
well yeah, you have a brompton...
> i ride more than you
my dad works for nintendo

>>2039088
>>2039086
this thread is a FOLDING bikes. not small bikes for adults.

>>2039103
They make folding moultons

>>2039103
>>2039105
They not only make folders, they make bikes that sperate into two parts, although these can be clipped together if required. Peak portability, no heavy hinge and a ride quality that is unsurpassed in the genre.

Moultons are the GOAT. There is no argument here, the only problem is you need to pay accordingly for that kind of genius design and workmanship.

>>2039135
That is definitely a folding bike, as in it looks like it would fold under the average American.

>>2039135
It's a comfy old school bike company too, still making them by hand in the original factory near Bath. The head engineer has been there since the company was first formed, more than 60 years ago.
They do look fragile but are in fact incredibly strong and stiff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVNgmdKmxaM

>>2039137
I am not samefagging. Also, I am definitely not advertising my company on here.

>>2039060 (OP)
Second hand Brompton if you can find one.
I've had a >Decathlon foldable and a Brompton.
The Decathlon had a big hinge in the middle of the tube that made folding annoying. You need a larger "footprint" to fold it, so to speak, so if you use it as a first/last mile during a commute that includes a train or subway ride then it can be a problem depending on how crowded the platform or the wagon is that day.
The Brompton easily solves that problem because you can just "tuck" the rear wheel and stand over the bike while it's only half-folded. The rear wheel just takes two seconds to fold and that is by far the best feature on any Brompton. Or fold it completely if you really need to completely reduce your footprint. HOWEVER the shifting sucks. It has always sucked and all the fanboys telling you "you're just doing it wrong, you have to pedal backwards then stop pedalling then put one hand behind your back, poke your tongue out and scratch the tip of your nose with your other hand and it shifts just fine" are coping with the fact that the shifting fucking sucks.
On older versions, you just have your hub shifter and with how little difference it makes you're almost better off treating it like a single-speed bike. If you actually ride a lot then you should have the legs to deal with that easily. But these are not made for cyclists, they're for commuters who can't climb a four degree gradient, so Brompton has done everything they can to overengineer a double-shifting solution with hub+cassette that is really not necessary because heavens forbid you have to put any effort into your cycling.
A brand new Brompton is not worth the money (since you'll be in no small parts paying for their pattented suck-ass shifting technology) and getting locked in their proprietary parts system sucks. Finding an older one for much less solves the problem.

>>2039197
>ou have to pedal backwards then stop pedalling then put one hand behind your back, poke your tongue out and scratch the tip of your nose with your other hand and it shifts just fine

You literally can upshift with no special considerations and just have to briefly stop pedaling to downshift on my Brompton, I have no clue about all that other voodoo you're referring to. I did buy mine from a local Brompton reseller rather than cucking to their online store though, so maybe it's an older gear system?
Having to stop pedaling while on a slope in order to make pedaling up said slope easier is indeed a bit shit though, I usually lock in what I think will be an easier climbing gear and don't touch it until I've crested the hill, tends to give a good leg workout most times.

I've had my 6 speed brompton for 7 years and I love it. I treat it like shit and crashed it multiple times (I'm retarded) and it still basically works as well as the day I got it
Here are the biggest issues with the bike
>After years of folding/unfolding, the rubber seatpost clamp loses grip which means the seat will descend and/or rotate while you ride. This can be avoided by folding/unfolding less often and keeping the seatpost very clean with rubbing alcohol. But eventually you will have this problem and it's not a quick fix. This is by far the brompton's biggest problem
>Small front wheel and narrow handlebars make steering feel twitchy. Riding without touching the handlebars is nearly impossible.
>All moving components are closer to the ground so they get dirty faster. The brompton is the first bike where I've worn down the rims due to dirt (avoidable problem with regular cleaning but as I mentioned I'm retarded)
>Strangers will come up to you and make unsolicited comments about your bike all the time. PROTIP if another brompton owner approaches you, tell them yours is a clone from aliexpress and they'll leave you alone
>6 speed brompton has HUGE steps between speeds so it's a bad time for those who want to keep a consistent cadence while shifting
>>2040185
Maybe their internal hub is broken, or cable tension is incorrect? On mine I stop pedaling while shifting, or pedal softly, and the IGH shifts easily

Bromptons used to be great bikes, when they were still using common standards of fitment, so owners could easily customize or upgrade them with off the shelf parts. But like all these things the greed seeps in, they start making them so you need to buy THEIR replacement parts as nothing else will fit. Quality is way down too, both in terms of materials and workmanship, the finishing is dreadful and they are over priced for what they are.
But get a decent used one from around 2012 or earlier and you're looking at a completely different bike, wonderful to ride, easy to maintain and upgrade, lovely little finishes all over the frame.

Sad, but this is how it always goes when brands become popular, they move away from building a brand reputation, to simply milking the existing brand reputation.
You can't go wrong with an old Dahon for the money.

>>2039085
that's some clown shit lol

honestly considering picking one up solely for my commute because a full size 700c bike on the metro is annoying as fuck to me and everyone else, but I would need good climbing gears and to not cost $2000 so fuck brompton, are decath ones any good?

>>2040263
i managed to break a tilt 500E, right at the folding point, wonderful balance folded but heavy. I got a used Tern for 300e. Way lighter than the Tilt but shitty balance, and also fragile.
You could buy a used standard decathlon to check, they're like 100e.

Just buy a chinese brompton clone from alibaba

>t. own 2 of these, I'd say they're about as 80% good as a brompton. Also they have disc brakes

Bless this thread. I was considering "giving in" and buying a Brompton because my second Dahon is starting to physically fall apart after 5 years and that feels a little gross. But after reading about the proprietary parts thing, that's way worse.
Anyone know of any brands that do steel folders? I know the weight difference is going to be a shocking change, but really tempted to to get something that can be welded for repairs.

Made it to New York!!

My wife bought a Brompton, the top model that costs like $1000 more cause it has a titanium fork that weighs 10 grams less.
When she brought it home, she told me the seller told her the bike weighs only 2kg and is the lightest bike in the world.
Then she put a wicker basket on the front.
Anyway, they laced the spokes wrong so there was no way a normal air pump head could get to the valve. When I told her to go back and demand they fix it, they sold her a $50 Brompton mini-pump instead.
Also, every time she folded it, the pedal got stuck in the spokes and she couldn't unfold it again. So now she never folds it.

>>2041480
she got majorly taken for a ride, I hope she doesn't control your finances.

>>2041522
you sound poor

>>2041525
you sound retarded, I just showed you the bike doesn't weight 2kg. your wife is retarded as well

>>2041522
no I knew her before we married so we got separate finances.

>>2041535
you sound incel
also, she's my wife, not >>2041525 his

All bikes are foldable if you try hard enough

Just got my mountain bike stolen. Sucks and fuck the scum that took it. Is a foldable worth it? Are they too slow? I commute around 8km everyday to and from work, it's a small distance but I was getting fed up with the slowness of my mountain bike, apart from it being heavy and not dynamic at all.

>>2041480
>wicker basket
cute and wifepilled
>already got scammed, goes back in, gets scammed AGAIN for a minipump
cute and retarded

wish I had a wife

>>2041739
In my experience, the 20" wheel ones aren't particularly slow. They typically use large chain rings to compensate for the wheel diameter being smaller. I have a 54T on mine.
Obviously they take up significantly less space folded up than a regular bike. But it's not a negligible amount of space. You will still need a place to put them, and they may be dripping water & chain lubricant if the weather is poor. Check to make sure work is okay with you bringing it indoors, and if not then consider how that cuts into the benefits of the folding bike for you.
My office is okay with me bringing it in, but at one point the janitor passive-aggressively put down a garbage bag over the place I store it because they were fed up with the water and oil stains.

>>2041781
>They typically use large chain rings to compensate for the wheel diameter being smaller. I have a 54T on mine.
NTA but thanks for answering a question that has been on my mind.
On the same note, 1x or 2x? I'm looking to get my first small-wheeled bike (20"), and I was wondering if having a 54T 1x setup is better than a 53/39T setup? I'm planning to do a bit of gravel on it.

>>2041910
I can't say I've compared the difference.
I'd imagine have a 2x would mean more equipment hanging off what's supposed to be a light and compact bike.
I will say it sucked ass the first time I road this bike on a true, gravel road (as opposed to peameal trail). A 20" tire simply has less air in it than a larger tire, it's less "absorbent" of shocks. Like, even just riding on concrete with expansion grooves in it (not even sidewalk, completely flat surface but with some cuts), I can feel every bump.
If you do a test-ride, try the bike on the sidewalk to see if you notice a difference.

imagine an ebike version of this
lol

>>2042473
It would be called ex-bike.

>>2042473
Just get a scooter at that point

My Brompton's seat seems to be sliding back into the stow position slowly over the course of my rides, faster if the ride is particularly bumpy.
I've tightened up the far side nut on the locking handle as that seemed to be a little loose and I think the problem was mitigated a little my last ride, but is there a specific element I should look at that specifically keeps this part secured when riding?

>>2044277
It's a clamp. If it's too loose, shit will slide.
So tighten it more.

>>2044278
I thought perhaps there was some kind of rubberised grip which was meant to increase the friction and stop slippage that might have started to fail. I tightened it pretty damn far and I still felt a small bit of slippage on my last ride. If I tighten it any further it's too taught to actually put in the locked position. Hence my questions, can I take it from your broad answer you don't have any specific knowledge of how this part is meant to behave?

>>2044283
Don't tighten the nut opposing the handle too much or you can damage the frame. Try cleaning the seatpost with rubbing alcohol since a clean post will have more grip. If you've folded and unfolded the bike a lot, you might have worn down the rubber sleeve on the inside. I was told at my local brompton dealer that replacing the rubber sleeve necessitates milling the frame but I think that might be bullshit. You might even be able to get away with carbon fiber paste to add friction, although this isn't something I've tried myself.

>>2044293
sorry I meant reaming not milling

>>2044293
Thanks for the advice I'll explore those options, I have some pure IPA in my house somewhere so I'll probably try that first.
>>2044278
Sorry for being rude before, it's been exceedingly hot in my area recently and it tends to fry my brain in the evenings

>>2044293
Your suggestion worked a treat, next to no slippage since the adjustments and cleaning