Raise or fold?

Just zis Guy said:

I have received capital purchase approval from The Management for a
folder. Hurrah!

The choices are:

Quoted message said:

Brompton T6
Giant Halfway
Birdy Red
Brompton T6
Birdy Blue
Bike Friday New World Tourist
Brompton T6
Dahon Impulse P21
Brompton T6

Have you considered a Brompton T6?

Just zis Guy said:

I have received capital purchase approval from The Management for a
folder. Hurrah!

The choices are:

Brompton T6
Giant Halfway
Birdy Red
Brompton T6
Birdy Blue
Bike Friday New World Tourist
Brompton T6
Dahon Impulse P21
Brompton T6

Not that I'm leaning towards any particular one yet...

Went out today down to Queen Elizabeth Country Park (to do a risk
assessment on a cycle route amongst other bikie type things) and took
the Brommie.
Met up with another rider with his Bike Friday Pocket Llama.
It is clear you cannot do with just one folder - you really do need at
least two.

John B
Brommie and BF Pocket Pocket (No.6666)

On Wed, 04 May 2005 20:31:38 +0100, JohnB <[email hidden]> wrote in
message <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

It is clear you cannot do with just one folder - you really do need at
least two.

Heh! I bet. One recumbent is not enough, after all. And I'm
guessing that we'll be wanting additional tandems before long...

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

you know? said:

I have received capital purchase approval from The Management for a
folder. Hurrah!

The choices are:

Brompton T6
Giant Halfway
Birdy Red
Brompton T6
Birdy Blue
Bike Friday New World Tourist
Brompton T6
Dahon Impulse P21
Brompton T6

Why the T6 rather than the L6? Although I have no experience of
either, it seems as though the general opinion is that the rack on the
T6 is of limited value, and that the L6 represents better value.

Not so?

On Wed, 04 May 2005 21:29:14 +0100, Al C-F
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Why the T6 rather than the L6? Although I have no experience of
either, it seems as though the general opinion is that the rack on the
T6 is of limited value, and that the L6 represents better value.

The rack stops the back mudguard getting trashed, and adds some
limited load carrying ability. The T also has lights. The difference
in price is £90 less the 5% discount, and that seemed a fair price to
me for a bottle dynamo, two lamps and a rack. Maybe not. Dunno.

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

Just zis Guy said:

On Wed, 04 May 2005 21:29:14 +0100, Al C-F
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Why the T6 rather than the L6? Although I have no experience of
either, it seems as though the general opinion is that the rack on the
T6 is of limited value, and that the L6 represents better value.

The rack stops the back mudguard getting trashed,

Ive had my L3 Brommie four years and it gets a fair bit of heavy use and
I've never had any problem with the rear mudguard. It would be very
difficult to 'trash' it.

Quoted message said:

and adds some
limited load carrying ability.

On very rare occasions I've wished I've had a rear rack when taking a
letter to the PO or similar, but it does add a fair bit of weight to
what is already quite a heavy package to carry.
Of course you could always go for a titanium model.
Whatever you choose, I would *strongly* advise you go for the front
pannier option - pricy but excellent luggage carrying.

A dead cert is you will regret not buying one earlier ;-)

John B

Quoted message said:

The rack stops the back mudguard getting trashed, and adds some
limited load carrying ability. The T also has lights. The difference
in price is £90 less the 5% discount, and that seemed a fair price to
me for a bottle dynamo, two lamps and a rack. Maybe not. Dunno.

As you needed permission to buy it then half the money must be the wife's,
so you're really spending only £45 more plus the 5% discount...

Now _that's_ value.

On Wed, 04 May 2005 20:18:31 +0100, Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:

May I draw Sir's attention to the Airnimal Joey?
http://www.airnimal.com/Joey.php

Or, if "comes apart with some spanner work" is acceptable instead of
"folds", the Moulton range has a lot of choice too.

Mike

JohnB said:

It is clear you cannot do with just one folder - you really do need at
least two.

John B
Brommie and BF Pocket Pocket (No.6666)

Absolutely
--
Tony
Brommie and BF Pocket Pocket too

"A facility for quotation covers the absence of original thought" Lord
Peter Wimsey (Dorothy L. Sayers)

Just zis Guy said:

I have received capital purchase approval from The Management for a
folder. Hurrah!

The choices are:

Brompton T6
Giant Halfway
Birdy Red
Brompton T6
Birdy Blue
Bike Friday New World Tourist
Brompton T6
Dahon Impulse P21
Brompton T6

Not that I'm leaning towards any particular one yet...

Time to visit those nice people at Bath.

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

I notice a T6 is not on your list but if I were thinking of a T6 I would
seriously consider an L3 instead. First carrying things on the rack
makes parking and folding much more difficult - you have to take
everything off first. Save the money and get a front shopping bag
instead - much more practical. Second, if you do a deal with the bike
shop when you buy start with the L3 and have the option to upgrade to an
L6 if you really find you need more gears. I started with an L3 and
have never felt the need to add more gears. The cost difference between
a 3 and a 6 is the same as the cost of the conversion kit so you loose
nothing if you decide you do need the extra gears.

Finally check the Brompton and Foldsoc website (and the latest AtoB mag)
as they have full details of all the new models including titanium
enhanced models which save about 2kg of weight at a price.

Tony

--
Tony

"A facility for quotation covers the absence of original thought" Lord
Peter Wimsey (Dorothy L. Sayers)

Mark Thompson <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

As you needed permission to buy it then half the money must be the
wife's, so you're really spending only œ45 more plus the 5%
discount...

Half!?!? I have been given to understand (by the person who rules over such
decisions) that, irrespective of the source, any financial assets come
under the 90% rule. This 50% idea will never catch on in our house :-)

Graeme

On Thu, 05 May 2005 00:12:35 +0100, Tony Raven <[email hidden]>

wrote in message : said:

Finally check the Brompton and Foldsoc website (and the latest AtoB mag)
as they have full details of all the new models including titanium
enhanced models which save about 2kg of weight at a price.

Yes, I have been trying to persuade The Management of the clear and
self-evident benefits of titanium, but so far without success...

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

Just zis Guy said:

The rack stops the back mudguard getting trashed

How have you come by the impression this is a problem? I am on my
second rear mudguard, but the first one was taken out by a rock during a
spot of impromptu MTBing somewhere in the West Highlands on a Munro
bagging trip which is hardly typical use. The chap that managed that
prang has never dented his /own/ L's rear mudguards, despite having
basically worn one out from very heavy use, and the replacement 6 was an
L as he's never considered it a problem.

Quoted message said:

and adds some limited load carrying ability.

Whether you get a T or an L the Brompton Pannier system is verging on
"no-brainer" status if you want to carry anything. Quicker and easier
to use than a rack.

Quoted message said:

The T also has lights.

But you /know/ you'd much rather have a SON, and now there's the XS
model you don't even need the forks spread. I assume the SON XS is the
dynohub now being offered by Brompton themselves as a standard option.

I'd get the L and spend the leftover on the pannier system, and splurge
on a dynohub (well, of course I would, because that's what I've /done/,
and no regrets at all).

Next up, though the 6 makes it a better attempt at a do-everything bike
it isn't necessary, and the 3 is actually fine for typical
Bromptoneering type sorties. If you get a 3 it's reasonably important
to get a gearing reduction IMHO. Mine will take a 6 as a retrofit kit,
but having played on a 6 and found it to work I know I can do without it
and went for the lower complexity status-quo.

6ing is more useful than the T bits IMHO.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

In article said:

Just zis Guy said:

I have received capital purchase approval from The Management for a
folder. Hurrah!

The choices are:
Brompton T6
Giant Halfway
Birdy Red
Birdy Blue
Bike Friday New World Tourist
Dahon Impulse P21

Went out today down to Queen Elizabeth Country Park (to do a risk
assessment on a cycle route amongst other bikie type things) and took
the Brommie.
Met up with another rider with his Bike Friday Pocket Llama.
It is clear you cannot do with just one folder - you really do need at
least two.

It depends what you want it/them for. Guy might plausibly want a Brompton
for taking on trains and not need a Birdy or Friday because all the
journeys they would be better for he doesn't really need a folder and
can take one of his existing bikes in his Volvo.
He might equally well need a Birdy and have no need for a Brompton
because his existing commuting methods work perfectly well.

Or he might need a Brompton because it's the only one with a folding
recumbent conversion....

Meanwhile Kevin from D.Tek phoned me back and I have booked a recumbent
tryout session. "I've already spoken to the purchasing officer", he said.
(And "I suppose if we sold the Ka and the U+2 that could pay for one of
those recumbent things", said my wife, relatively unprompted.)

Peter Clinch said:

I'd get the L and spend the leftover on the pannier system, and splurge
on a dynohub (well, of course I would, because that's what I've /done/,
and no regrets at all).

I was just about to say everything Pete said but as he said it so well
I'll just add a me too. I am the owner of a T5 which has by a process of
'downgrading' become an L6. I have found the front pannier system much
more useful than the rack over the three or so years of use.

If the dynohub is out for the first winter then just use some LEDs for
now and upgrade later. I am hoping to add the dynohub towards the autumn.

If after getting an L3/6 you decide you still want a rack then drop me
an email, I have one going spare!

Colin

Alan Braggins said:

Or he might need a Brompton because it's the only one with a folding
recumbent conversion....

Up to a point. Lord Copper. The Brompton recumbent conversion is no longer
being made and doesn't fit current Bromptons anyway. Moreover I have seen
photos of a recumbent Birdy made by some Nipponese outfit.

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
Stop it! You're scarin' the Hippo...

Peter Clinch said:

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I am torn: it is a proven scientific fact that red bicycles are
faster, but it is equally the case that black is the only proper
colour for a gentleman's bicycle.

Quoted message said:

Go on, you know you want Turkish Green!

Quoted message said:

Pete (who has a yellow L3 with black extremities).

(who is also not known for his colour sense...)

Roos

"Al C-F" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Now, Mr Just zis Guy, I notice that the Brompton is an upwrong. Is
this a symptom of some sort of 'road to Damascus' experience?

Chuckle! But shirley nearly all bikes are good in their own way?

Al C-F said:

Why the T6 rather than the L6? Although I have no experience of
either, it seems as though the general opinion is that the rack on the
T6 is of limited value, and that the L6 represents better value.

The rack is definitely not as useful as the front pannier, but it
is essential for those occasions when you need to carry a large box
of stuff, e.g. 5 reams of paper or half a case of wine.

Does anyone know of a rack box that fits on the B's rack without
interfering with one's heels? I often want a smaller, lighter bag
than the front pannier, e.g. in the summer when I don't have to
carry around all my wet weather gear.

Tony.
--
f.a.n.finch <[email hidden]> http://dotat.at/
BERWICK ON TWEED TO WHITBY: WEST OR NORTHWEST 4 OR 5, OCCASIONALLY 6 AT FIRST
WEATHER: SHOWERS THEN RAIN FOR A TIME VISIBILITY: MODERATE OR GOOD SEA STATE:
SLIGHT OR MODERATE.