Folding bike query

Willowpop

My hubby is a bike mechanic and is sat on the other sofa to me right now.
Conversation just went like this:
Me: are Terns any good?
Him: No
Me: Mezzo?
Him: No.
Me: Brompton?
Him: yep. If that's someone on your facebook asking for advice on a folding bike then tell them to get a Brompton. They actually work.


Hope that helps a bit.:)

Willowpop

He also said said that there are these:
http://www.bromptondock.co.uk/our-docks/london/
Might be worth trying before you buy if you can get to any of them?
(am assuming you're in London as you mention Boris bikes.

Altarf

A Brompton genuinely folds in seconds, and when folded is a solid locked package that is easy to carry, with all the oily bits on the inside.

Everything else when folded is a loose bundle of bits.

Weird_Nev

Bromptons USP is that they fold very compactly, and you can actually carry them onto the train with you, and stow them under your desk at work. They're not the best bikes in the world to actually ride, and I for one hate them primarily because the small wheel size sacrifices a good deal of ride comfort and stability. But they're brilliant at what they do.

Some Dahons also fold down nearly as small, but share the small wheel problems.

After that, you're down to more conventional bike designs that fold in half - they're kind of worst of both worlds, IMO - half a bike is no more convenient on the train or carrying up and down stairs, and you still need to find somewhere to store it and that space isn't much smaller than a full bike.

If you have a full sized weekend bike, I'd get the Brompton. It's designed for mixed transport use and short hops either end. Plus they hold value incredibly well, so you can sell it on if your circumstances change or you don't get on with it.

No idea why the salesman recommended as he did.

AliceBanned

Thanks everyone. It may well be a Brompton then - I have nothing to lose really as I can buy it on the cycle to work scheme and it seems that for my particular journey it is probably the best one.

I was told in Evans that they do 24 hour free loan so that you can try it out and see how you get on, which is great.

The Brompton hire thing looks good too, though it is not really near enough to any of the places I could drive to or get a train to.