http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Brompton wars? en Mon, 18 May 2026 07:07:31 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4188#post-43560 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:18:32 +0000 PS 43560@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Yes, Focus must have changed their approach - Wheelbase (nr Kendal) is stocking them now as well. Ridiculously large downtubes on the ones they had there. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4188#post-43553 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:02:49 +0000 kaputnik 43553@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I notice that EBC are now also selling Focus, previously only distributed in UK by Wiggle I think. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4188#post-43552 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:02:28 +0000 wee folding bike 43552@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>One person thought it was an exhibit. I had to explain that I needed it to get home. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4188#post-43551 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:58:05 +0000 LaidBack 43551@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Was there a crowd behind you? .... (as in the car ads whenever people stop and are amazed by 'a car'.)</em></p> <p>Think the Brompton is now able to be bought by people from every walk of life so placing it in a bigger shop is next step. Biketrax wil still be the place for those with more questions I suspect. EBC allows people to window shop and has its fans so in a growing market it shouldn't be a problem. Except can Brompton make enough bikes?</p> <p>Apple have this same policy now with JLP selling them alongside the other former Scotsys shop. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4188#post-43549 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:53:00 +0000 wee folding bike 43549@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100959462478884243397/Brompton02?authkey=Gv1sRgCPjBoP2Jpsz7mgE" rel="nofollow">https://picasaweb.google.com/100959462478884243397/Brompton02?authkey=Gv1sRgCPjBoP2Jpsz7mgE</a></p> <p>The Brompton is mine, not part of the exhibit. This is in the basement of the NMS. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4188#post-43527 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:40:23 +0000 thebikechain 43527@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>hmm. interesting. 2012 now eh </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4188#post-43520 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:05:55 +0000 DaveC 43520@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>LB, I suspect Brompton have yet to update their website. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4188#post-43517 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:25:36 +0000 Arellcat 43517@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I always used to think that the reason EBC didn't sell Brommies was because they 'couldn't', in the sense that Brompton had already allocated a dealer in Edinburgh (i.e., Biketrax), and in an attempt to have a foot in the folding bike market they stocked Birdy, which while very nice came and went in the catalogues, mostly in the early 2000s if I remember right), and then played a little with Ridgeback (aka, Dahon) and an occasional actual Dahon before going for their own bike (which was also Dahon-built) plus the GoCycle which also didn't seem to sell as much as I expected, at least in and around Edinburgh judging by my having seen all of one of them on the roads; Ged raved about the machine when they introduced it.</p> <p>Meanwhile Biketrax does a storming trade of Bromptons and (perhaps) Moultons and similar interesting machines and seemed to have Edinburgh sewn up. I certainly have been grateful for the excellent advice and tech knowledge from Robin and Simon at Biketrax. But then, go to York or London and you have multiple dealers -- so perhaps EBC's mindset was traditionally to target something different and a bit 'hi-tech' (while remaining overtly mountain- and road-bikeish).</p> <p>It's a question of required activity when it comes to folders, and generally there's a compromise between mile eating and weight and performance, and foldingness. I've done so much train travel and conferencegoing this year that the compactness of a Brompton has been the overriding factor, even though mine is a bit of a slog on hills and is too heavy to carry for a long time.</p> <p>But I wonder if the Brompton is becoming as much a fashion accessory for the 2010s as a commuting tool, and suddenly everyone wants to play? You still get a steel frame and only six gears* with plastic levers, although you can have a titanium fork and rear frame if you're rich, and they come in lots of pretty colours.</p> <p>* Other gears are available, like Kinetics shoehorning in Sturmey and Alfine and the superbly warranty-voiding Rohloff hubs. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4188#post-43513 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:04:43 +0000 wingpig 43513@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Google still shows Evans' page as saying it would open on 07/11/2011, but the page itself now says "early 2012" which is more congruent with the continuing lack of shopfitting-like activity in the target building since the adjustment to the rear access route. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=4188#post-43510 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:48:41 +0000 LaidBack 43510@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I note the EBC are now handling this popular make of folding bike. Can the panel comment?<br /> On the Brompton dealer list only three EBC locations are shown.... Aberdeen, Leeds and Sheffield.</p> <p>Evans is of course - but not coming to Edinburgh yet? </p>