While this is undoubtedly an improved option for people buying new Bromptons and improvements are always welcome, it is hardly earthshaking enough to tempt most existing Brompton owners to want to go out and upgrade to the new wide-range system. Many Brompton owners including myself love their bike but there is a strong consensus that the dual gear shifters are cumbersome and ugly. Apart from that the question has been raised time and time again as to why Brompton refuse to consider 8 speed hub systems such as the Shimano Nexus and Sturmey Archer as an 'al la carte' option when choosing customised features. These hub systems offer an even wider range in many cases and a much better single shifter.
Brompton bikes have improved through incremental product innovation over the last few years. Another example is the the Titanium option to make the Brompton lighter. However this offers a hefty £440 premium on the core price and very marginal weight savings as it is still mainly a steel frame combined with some titanium parts.
Offering a sub 9kg Brompton with gearing and also an 8 speed hub option would not only appeal to a certain sector of customers but there are plenty of existing owners who would be quite willing to upgrade their bikes. The question we would like to raise is; Brompton you make great folding bikes but why are you always so ultra-conservative when it comes to product development and adding new features?
What are your thoughts... Please leave a comment.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
After strugling for many years to (get it right), finally with the finished product the definitive folder, why would Andrew Richie listen to all this good advice? where were the experts when he needed them. It is I think a little arrogant, to say the least, to promote ideas and offer suggestions about his 20year overnight success.
@paul
You’re totally right and we hope that Andrew Richie will drop by tell us what bad boys we’ve been!
All enthusiasts are entitled to their opinion. whether anyone will listen or not is another question…
I recall reading somewhere that the 8-speed internally geared hubs are not favoured by Brompton due to the inefficiency of the epicyclic gears ( as low as ~80% in certain ratios ). Whether true or not I do not know. Having the option would make sense, in my opinion, for those that would happily trade any efficiency for some cleaner controls.
also part of the issues is the rear dropout spacing on a brompton which is 120-122mm…
not wide enough without reengineering the rear triangle to suit 8 speed hubs etc