By Wes Curtis
A few years back, a second-hand Brompton L3 marked my return to cycle commuting. This followed a 20 year "pause" in which car and public transport dominated, but the Chancery Lane disruptions on the Central Line proved to be the last straw for me. It is fair to say that the L3 did the job, but as my fitness and muscles (slowly!) returned to form, its shortcomings became increasingly irritating. Although mindful that it is "not about the bike", the Brompton proved a little too short, too heavy and too upright for my taste. Extra effort was rewarded not with faster progress, but with flexing or twisting handlebars and a sore back. An experiment with some borrowed lower rise handlebars proved unsuccessful. Although comfort, aerodynamics and rigidity improved slightly, the resulting geometry somehow didn't work and the bike became unpleasant to ride. With the stock bars restored, a week on eBay earned me £50 over the purchase price. Not bad for plenty of street miles and 6 months ownership. The proceeds went towards a Moulton which I have modified (reduced?) into a minimalist single speed hot-rod for high-days and the occasional blast to work on those irresistibly sunny mornings.
Changes in working methods and shrinking shed-space drew me back to the folding bike scene and my research led to Birdy Red, Dahon Speed-Pro and Helios SL and my old acquaintance, Brompton. The Birdy Red proved to be very good. Well engineered and ingenious, but luggage options were limited and the addition of important extras like mudguards, racks etc pushed up the price and weight and the folded size was somewhat bigger than convenient. Ditto Dahon, albeit not quite as convincingly built. Their annual commitment to innovation is to be applauded, but I cannot help thinking that some are driven by component marketeers rather than engineering improvement, forever making last year's model so… last year.
… in the same sentence? In the absence of any information on the official website (which at the time of writing still lists legacy bikes), Kinetics, AVC online and AtoB issue 47 provided the information to make paper comparisons. In S2L-X form, it's a little longer, a lot lighter and notably less upright. And a lot more expensive. Conveniently forgetting the latter, I arranged a test ride, fold and carry. Many miles of single (72") speed riding have strengthened my legs (and resolve), so the 74" top gear felt good, while the 54" bottom proved most useful during low-speed manoeuvring and for making snappy hill-starts. The lower weight manifests itself mostly when carrying the bike and of course folding remains a joy. Negatives include floppy plastic controls and a distressingly flexible crank set (rather crude on such an expensive bike - this is Ultegra territory in Trekland), although the integrated gearshift/bell is cute. The very narrow handgrips were for me the worst negative. The knuckles of my thumbs caught on the underside of the brake levers and the relatively uncompliant straight bars transmitted every road vibration faithfully through the cheap foam of the grips. The lack of bottle bosses is also irritating, not only for hydration options, but because most pump brackets assume the same for fixing. The S2L-X has no provision for a frame mounted pump. Nevertheless, it all felt like the right choice albeit from the heart - the wallet, head (and thumbs) remained to be convinced.
Recalling a quote from somewhere or other - "the quality is enjoyed long after the price is forgotten", I have taken the plunge. A useful LCC discount from the excellent new Evans Cycles in Fulham numbs the financial pain and funds some new accessories. Six weeks of ownership and use have exonerated my heartfelt choice, albeit after some tweaks. The narrow handlebars and disposable foam grips have been replaced by Easton EA30 bars and a pair of outstanding Ergon MR1s. The extra grip-width preserves my thumbs and the grips themselves diffuse vibrations over a much larger area, reducing the impact on my palms and wrists. A Topeak quick-release saddlebag and mobile phone/tool holder allow the carriage of breakdown and weather essentials on minimalist leisure outings. An excellent S-Type front bag and rear rack with Radical Design bag give total carrying flexibility - the S-Type for short errands and town-bound business riding and the aerodynamically superior and more stable rack bag for longer and faster runs or when I need to carry bulky or heavy items. The extra weight of the rear rack is comfortably offset by improved aerodynamics and better balance – without the front bag, the bike doesn’t seem to have a built-in speed limiter and it certainly feels more agile. Cateye lights and a Sigma RDS computer finish things off.
The gearing might take some getting used to for some riders. Perhaps my single speed heritage is a factor but the difference between top and bottom gear is very big and people who are new (or returning) to cycling might find this off-putting. Presumably the hub geared models retain their more equitable spread. Brakes are progressive and effective and gear changing is slick. The S2L-X rewards my inputs more richly than the L3 ever did. There is far less structural flexing and I can get a good foot/hand/backside position for an effective compromise between power and comfort. In comparisons, the other bikes gave the Brompton a good run for the money, being easily faster but the Brompton's build quality and folded size pipped them at the post - if I want to go faster, I can always work harder but I can't fold the others any smaller however much I try.
All told, I can commend the S2L-X to existing Brompton owners who might prefer a machine that rewards more in carriage and motion, and to road/sport hybrid riders who need a very well made and practical folder.
Kinetics - http://www.kinetics.org.uk/html/brompton.shtml
Avon Valley Cyclery - http://www.foldingbikes.co.uk/brompton.htm
Evans Cycles - http://www.evanscycles.co.uk
Ergon - http://www.ergon-bike.com
Radical Design - http://www.radicaldesign.nl
Copyright
(C)2005 Wes Curtis
Last updated: 14 October 2005