How much is a tatty brompton worth?

[martin blain]

I'm being offered a tatty Brompton for £250. Is it worth it?

It's been donated to a bike fixing charity and has been checked over by volunteer mechanics, new cables, brake blocks, chain, lubricated front hub and it's now in good mechanical condition however the paint work is fairly tatty.

It's not done many miles and there's no wear on the wheel rims or the teeth of the drivetrain cogs.

Any advice please.

[pioneer]

First question, do you really want it? If yes and as you say it appears to not have done many miles so mechanically is fairly sound, then can you live with the condition for £250.00? If all the foldy,pivoting bits are OK and it does what it should,then it may be a bargain. Could you offer a little less perhaps?

[martin blain]

I forgot to say it's a 5 speed so it's pre-2000 as Sturmey Archer stopped making the 5 speed hubs at that time.

[hexhome]

It will be snapped up quickly at that price. Only thing to be wary of are the swinging arm bushes, they can be pricey to get replaced.

[Sweep]

Sounds like a bargain to me.

Who cares if it's a bit "tatty" looking as long as it's mechanically sound? Sign of a well loved/enjoyed bike.

I think you can still get the 5 speed serviced OK - hope so, I have one.

[531colin]

I recently had the double delight of working on one of the ridiculous contraptions while the mechanically-inept owner was fussing around.
What are they thinking of?
On a derialleur bike you take the wheel out and the filthy spring-infested bit just stays where it is.
On a Brommie you undo the nut that holds the chain tensioner and stand back. Even if you manage to keep the flesh on your hands intact, you now have the filthy chain, the sprung rat-trap and sundry washers all tangled up and trying to break the toggle chain. Joy of joys, the wheel still won't come out, you have to get in there and unpick another nut...in my case, using the owners laughable excuse for a tool-kit.
Then of course theres the finger-crunching challenge of getting it all back together again.
Did the owner buy the recommended aerosol puncture cure? Did I do it again because they hadn't? ....not that much of a mug twice.
But , in the name of reason, while you are having a chain tensioner specially made, why would you not attach it to the frame separate from the wheel attachment?....so the filthy spring infested bit stays where it is when you drop the wheel out?
Own goal, I reckon.
Wouldn't fancy doing it at the side of the road, in the dark and wet.

[Ayesha]

A seller might get £250 if he can find an idiot.

[Colin63]

£250 for a working Brompton is a bargain if that's the bike that you really want. Just be certain that it is the bike that you really want as apart from the remarkable folding ability they're not really very nice bikes in my experience. Just for a laugh (and under the influence of a bottle of red) I made this video a few years ago showing how to fold one. I sold this particular bike for £450 after owning it for three years, having only ridden it for a couple of hundred miles. I think that they're good for riding a mile or two to the railway station on the flat and in the dry (a man hole cover in the wet is terrifying on those little wheels!). Anyway, enjoy the video.

https://vimeo.com/40111265

[foxyrider]

Brompton = bike for urban 4x4 owners

Only buy if the name means more to you than the bike

[Merry_Wanderer]

I have a shiny Brompton and a tatty Astra Estate (not a 4x4)

[hexhome]

Well to judge the quality of a Brompton you surely have to consider the purpose of the design. I use my Brompton extensively simply because it's design enables me to. The fold is simply the best and that is the whole point when it comes to folding bikes. This enables me to put it on a train/bus/lorry cab/car without drama, it also means I can pop into various premises without worrying about leaving it behind. As to it's usability as a bicycle, I find it very good. Of course it's not as fast or as crisp as a decent road bike, but it's not that far off. I have certainly done several journeys of over 20 miles with ease and even after 3 hours in the saddle am able to walk without difficulty.

I have tried various folding bikes, notably Mezzo and Dahon. I made the right choice for me!

[maxwellhadley]

The fold is simply the best and that is the whole point when it comes to folding bikes. This enables me to put it on a train/bus/lorry cab/car without drama

Exactly. A couple of years back I took my Brompton on a business trip to Amsterdam, via Eurostar. Tiny Clanger (as he is called) took me to the station; across London; and then to the hotel. Then, after the conference ended, we went for a ~45 mile ride into the country, stopping for an al fresco meal at a restaurant (where demonstrating the fold generated a spontaneous round of applause from the folk at the next table). Got back about midnight, then home the next day.

Was this the ideal mount for a 45 mile micro-tour? No. But I couldn't have done it using any of my other bicycles, and I'd rather have done it than not!

[rogerzilla]

£250 is about the floor price for a working Brompton. The paint on them is rubbish anyway and they soon look tired.

[pioneer]

Here's another thought. Just why are they so expensive anyway? A quality item for sure, but there isn't really much to them.

[Sweep]

A myth that they are only for short hops.

I've ridden mine 80 miles.

And it can be pretty fast - often whizzed past MTBs.

Tough as hell - I've taken mine on longish trips over Sardinian strade bianche (untarmaced roads) and outpaced vicious looking fast dogs.

Yes the back wheel change is somewhat complicated and I always made sure I had the instructions with me. But take care of your tyres and rear wheel punctures will be pretty rare.

And since it is mainly used as an urban bike, if you do get a rear wheel puncture and don't want to fiddle with it in the street. er, well it's a folder - fold it up and get on a bus or whatever. Simples.

Clearly a few Brommie haters on this thread