I was also unaware of the 30 second delay. I went back and looked at my manual (and online manual) and do not see that referenced. I run my tires at 95 psi but may try 100. The BE manual recommends 65 to 110 psi, which is a pretty wide range. But under inflated tires will definitely make the electric work harder. I have just received my bike back from its 100 mile checkup and software update. As always, thanks for another great video Ms. "B". Cheers from Texas ....
@@brilliantbikes Yeah! Most people over here in northern Germany don't know about the brand. Nearly everytime i walk into a store with my Brommie stashed inside the shoppingcart i get alot of questions and weird looks :D But its so convenient to just hop on the bike instead of dealing with all the hazzle getting a parking spot and so on. I just ordered the citybag to extend my capacity. Will be here today *cheers* :D
Thanks. I wasn’t aware of the 30 sec delay at startup (the official BE Handbook doesn’t mention it and I’ve never had a problem). Better range also comes from choosing a route without stops - and from exceeding 25km/h! Surely tyre pressure also concerns comfort: I now choose 75 front/85 rear and that’s well within Schwalbe’s recommended range. My other tips for getting best out of the bike: carry a clear plastic bag to go over the Essential Bag in the event of a heavy downpour. Reduce fiddling with the battery on the move by always keeping the light setting at Auto. If you have a rack fitted do leisure tours with an aerodynamic combo of Rack Sack + Essential Bag rather than + City Bag which acts as a wind dam. Use City Bag where frequent parking or folding required + luggage capacity. And surely the BE can go anywhere a B goes - it’s just that the powered front tyre may not be that effective (eg rough tracks) - you can always turn off the motor. I find that on tarmac roads steeper than 20% I have problems maintaining adhesion of the front tyre under power and I push down on handlebars to help; but even so I have had to get off to push the bike up 25% hills (I don’t think they’re the BE’s ‘natural habitat’ that you mentioned lol). Counter intuitively, using the lowest power setting works best in these situations to minimise wheel spin (yes, I leave rubber on the road!!).
Have mastered the “on the go power change” but I agree, not recommended. Thank you for mentioning the battery disconnect issue. Big problem on Swiss forest tracks and cobblestone town squares! 2 blue lights flash, stop, off-on, calibrate, yawn! We turn them off before riding over them. Best advice I give is “they’re urban bikes, it’s what they’re designed for”. Off to try them around Lavaux vineyards soon!
You might find that even on slightly uneven ground the battery latching system will fail, putting something heavy into the bag might help to keep it secure and in place, you could also try a Bungy cord pulling slightly down on the bag and secured below the bag will help, but not too tight, just to help stop the bag moving around and to prevent wear and tear on the latching system which holds the battery to the bike.
Is the ‘power change’ advice in the video a recommendation for rider safety for better control and visibility, or can you still change power whilst the bike is in motion?
@@mikexhejghdlfbrjshfjfvs3624 Yes, there is nothing physically stopping you leaning over the handlebars, one hand steering, the other hand tapping the power button to change settings. It's just that there is a high probability of looking up and seeing a truck of fence in front of you and BANG, there goes your day. Therefore, to protect Brompton from silly people suing them, they have to say "don't do it". Do it at your own discretion.
I love your videos, because you are so lovable. Your out-takes are great. I was on the fence, comfortably of course, about purchasing one. I have hopped off of the fence and took my Smart car to my favorite bike shop to pick up an electric one. I could probably get two of them in the boot of my Smart car. Oh no, I'm back on that fence. Should I get another one for the wife?
Helpful content 😊 I was loaned your original demo electric earlier in the year for about an hour (while my own pedal-power M6L was in for service), and it took me along various fast, slow and traffic-congested roads local to your shop. Overall, I enjoyed the bike, found it gave me an additional layer of confidence on busy roads, particularly as I could maintain speed well up inclines, and accelerate easily away from junctions. I tended to be a bit greedy on the power setting, though, as I had max much of the time, and felt somewhat disinclined to have power on #1 or off completely. A couple of things I noticed with the electric, and no doubt a regular user would accommodate to: In tight stop/start traffic situations, easing forward with electric assist on could give a slight “surge” of propulsion - so I had to be careful not to apply too much pedal pressure when getting going (when behind a car, for example), else I needed to apply the brakes to counteract. Power setting #1 was therefore preferred in tight traffic. As a regular non-assisted rider, I am always used to having to make effort, so whilst the electric assist is really great for the hills, when it was easing off-power assistance or maxed out (about 15 mph), it could comparatively feels like it was “dragging”. This may not bother many people, but as a bit of a cycling purist (for now, anyway), I did find this detracted slightly from my ride experience. This is probably common to other electric bikes as well though, this was my first and only electric assist ride. The big plus for the Brompton electric has to be the no-sweat ride - arrive at your destination still fresh and unflustered!
I just returned my Electric Brompton. The battery rattle, issues when shifting internal hub from the 3 to the 2 gear, no compliance with the USA top speed of 20 MPH, annoying delay at the start, low quality on the two bag options, the battery can't flight in commercial flights (only cargo), Bicycle is heavy, etc. I added the swytch conversion kit to my other 3 Brompton bikes and know I have both e-bikes and the conventional bikes when needed.
One thing you missed and was mentioned to me by the dealer and is in the separate battery charger manual, is to plug the battery charger into the wall first and then into the battery which is kinda counter intuitive.
It's ALWAYS a pleasure to see your videos, really user oriented. It's so pleasant to see a shop which is really dedicated to understand its products and promote the use. I had been told that this 30 seconds calibration had been recently solved by the latest Brompton software updates. I have a topic that I would like to suggest for you as it is a black box for me. How about alternative lights for the Brompton electric? The standard one is not bad but definitely not perfect, especially when we ride out of the cities at night. But Brompton does not say much about alternatives, and changing the lights requires some skills as there numerous wires and criteria to be considered (power, voltage, etc.). Would love to know about your advice.
I have a bolt blue electric Brompton. I love it. I had completely given up on cycling before I got this to do the commute to work. I have come across the motor cut out thing. Unfortunately my house is surrounded by speed bumps that have cobble stones before and after. I have to avoid those. Or at least, I have to avoid pedalling over them, just rolling over is fine. I took mine back to the dealer and they said that it was more sensitive than their demo bike so they kindly changed some parts to improve it. I still can't pedal over those bumps (which is tough when you are cycling up a 30 degree incline) but it's fine over some of less well looked after roads near me.
I look forward to Brompton's bike builder returning so I can finally place an order. Unfortunately, the stock selection currently offered by Brompton seems to always include an extended seat post, rather than the standard - and I'd object to paying £20 to post-purchase what should be available from the start. Yes, I realise it isn't necessary to fully extend the post, but I want the more compact fold you get with the standard size - not to mention the fact that I just have to pull the post all the way up and lock it to get it at my preferred height!
I was expecting that I could change the power level on the go when I feel the need of extra power going uphill for example. Stopping to do that does not make sense to me, then you need to stop again to set up the previous power mode once the road flattens out.
Why not use the app? Just been released!!!!! Im not so sure how reliable the change is though. Sometimes it works, other times I have to reset. Still Exciting!!!!
With over 7 thousand views in just a week this seems to be a very popular topic ( I hope the increasing popularity of these excellent videos is reflected in the amount of business that Brilliant Bikes is doing. I'd also recommend that the presenter be given a hefty pay rise lest she be poached by a competitor ;-) )
Interesting video, I’ve been debating between ‘ordinary’ and electric. Was it just me, or did anyone else think Geoff Marshall was about to pop up when you said the words “least used station”?
Brilliant Video. I've had my BE for a year now and although my pre-ride routine means the battery is generally fitted 30 seconds before I move the bike, I never knew that this was so necessary, I guess a case of RTFM. Slapped wrist :-) On a separate point, somewhere on the Schwable website, there is a table of loaded weight (bike plus rider) v tyre profile = tyre pressure. For me the figure is about 92psi. Hope that this helps,
Thanks once again for the kind feedback We also only just found out - that’s why we thought we would share Thanks for the info on the Schwalbe website - we’ll check that out
Another great video on the electric Brompton. My weight varies between 95-98 kg. I believe Brompton recommend a max of 110 kg rider plus baggage. It would be great to see a video where a heavier person reports on their results using the electric Brompton.
A few more thoughts and questions. Yesterday I rode nearly 15 miles at level 1 on flat ground with some headwinds. I still had 5 bars at home when I plugged in afterwards and no charging was possible in spite of my ride. The battery must have been down 10% or more though. Also, I haven't located a rain cover for the small battery bag but it certainly seems like there should be one? Even very dry California gets wet at unpredictable times. Thanks again for this thoughtful overview!
I asked Brompton about the rain cover for the small bag and I was assured that it was rainproof but should not be immersed. Even so, I would like to get hold of a suitable cover.
After watching this video I pumped the tyres up to 100 psi as recommended. This gave a very harsh ride. I know that it is a trade off between performance and comfort but I guess that the electric assist will minimise any extra effort. Obviously, the tyres must be hard enough to avoid pinch flats though. A range comparison using different tyre pressures would be interesting.
Have had an e brompton for just over a month I didn't know about the 30 second wait but I have now started doing it. On a separate note just fitted a trigo phone mount to my e brompton, make sure if you fit one to have the mount in a vertical position when you drop the handle bars otherwise it will smash straight into the motor
i was debating and Electric one, but thought hmmm if I get a Super light which is cheaper, way easier to carry around, will have a higher top speed, can use my own bags, and don't need to keep worrying about charging it up. I bought the SL and am really happy with it. This video makes me even more relieved I went down that route - ie 3 reasons not to get one!!
Hi Colin. This is helpful. My wife and I are presently debating whether we should choose two SuperLights or two Electric Bromptons, to be the bikes we use for shopping and touring around from our sailing yacht base, during a journey all over the place. We think we'll really appreciate the light weight of the SLs, especially when lifting in and out of our tender or within the tight confines of the boat. Easy carrying/moving in general, around town, will be handy too. However, we compare this with the wonderful power-assistance of the Electrics, which would be so very good if we're towing a ton of groceries back to the marina, or going on a long ride to see the sights or buy bits and pieces. Hmmm. We're late 50s and quite fit. Tricky decision. Do you have a 'real-world' weight for your SuperLight?
The Superlight H6L six gears = 24.78 pounds. Standard H6L six gears = 26.63 pounds. Brompton Electric H6L six gears = 31.96 pounds (38.36 pounds total with battery attached). Battery weight is 6.4 pounds. Overall: The Superlight Brompton is 1.85 lighter than the Standard Brompton. The Brompton Electric (with battery removed) is 5.33 pounds heavier than the Standard Brompton and 7.18 pounds heavier than the Superlight Brompton. The Brompton Electric (TOTAL weight with battery) is 11.73 pounds heavier than the Standard Brompton and 13.58 pounds heavier than the Superlight Brompton. Summary: assuming you remove the battery during transportation in the folded state. The 5.33 extra pounds to the base weight or the 7.18 extra pounds to the base weight might not seem like much. Bio-mechanically though there is a difference. Example, if you hold 5.33 pounds next to your belly button (close to bodies center of gravity) and start extending your arm out, you realizes very quickly the weight truly seems to multiplies. At a Brompton shop I started lifting different folded Brompton's. I was surprised how much of a difference 2 pounds made. This is with my arm extended down as it would be in the real world. Of course this is all relevant on many personal factors (required stairs, traveling, strength and endurance and how often are you planning to lift it on a daily basis, price, etc.). The bottom line is, if you're getting out there on your bicycle more because you have an Electric Brompton or if you're getting out there on your bicycle more because you have maneuverable later Brompton? Which one is going to get you out there to enjoy the beautiful world of bicycling? Hope this helps. Hope this helps!
I would say if you’re debating between electric and non-electric then get the non-electric. I love the electric but it’s a bit of a faff having to charge the battery. I got it so I could commute fast without getting sweaty and it does that very well. For every day, casual cycling I would prefer a standard Brompton unless I had a lot of hills to get up. I also feel that taking a standard Brompton into a cafe etc. is acceptable but a Brompton AND its battery, well it’s fine but having two items is literally a handful in both hands. Again, don’t get me wrong, I love the electric and fully recommend it, but there’s something pure about a non-electric. And actually, I’m considering getting a standard one as well. Especially if you might go cycling with a friend or partner, it’s a lot easier to splash out on two Standard Bromptons than it is for two electrics!
Thanks for this. I’ve got my eye on Bolt Blue...I had wanted Flame Lacquer but it’s not available on the electric bikes and that blue is gorgeous in that light.
Love my Electric Brompton but it's light went out and its been in the shop for over a month waiting for parts from the UK. Seems it takes 2 weeks to get parts to California. I really enjoy your videos keep them coming.
Twin?. We bought a cheap small wheel ebike from Decathlon (sorry) to see how we got on with it so far OKAY. My husband tried a Brompton electric at a bike show (NEC) he found it hard to change the power setting and was a bit disappointed by the experience. Now we know why. KEEP SAFE!!!
Thanks for the thoughtful tips and practical reminders. My first Brompton is a Bolt Blue too. I just finished a 33 mile ride on flat ground with headwinds and used 3 bars with low power the entire trip. That's about what I expected and don't think the battery was fully charged when I left as the first bar disappeared within 5 miles. I rode in 2+ and 3- during the ride and felt like I was engaging the motor at times when it wasn't needed. Is this something that comes with more experience? Pretty good performance still I think given my 180 lbs. My shop pump has trouble locking to the front valve stem and hits the motor. Can I safely bend the valve to make a better connection or do I need a different pump? Looking forward to more Brompton Electric tips and advice. I would like ideas on bike computers or controllers that give speed and distance readings. Maybe something Brompton is working on?
Thank you for the informative video. Is there a known reason why it’s recommended to stop the bike before changing power levels? I also saw that in the Brompton promotional video but there was no exploitation as to why. Thank you again for your videos!
I have just bought a Brompton electric on Which magazine recommendation but that didn't say anything about stopping to change the power level - in fact it said only stop if you were unhappy taking one hand off the handlebars so I am now confused!
I've got a standard Brompton and I'd find waiting for 30 seconds before riding off to be really annoying. Hopefully it's something they can reduce / eliminate in the future.
We though the same But in practice by the time you chuck the battery on / pfaff a bit (eg putting on helmet)- the times gone I guess it won’t be completely eliminated- even our Garmin power meter pedals want a few seconds each ride to calibrate as zero
I’ve always just jumped straight on. Never had an issue apart from the very rare occasion that it gives me no power combine with very brief spurts for perhaps 30 seconds. I believe they have changed the firmware so it remembers the calibration from before and I also believe since then, another firmware has been released.
I have just put the app on my iPhone!!!!!!! I think that it has only just been released!!!!! Update: the swipe to change assist levels doesn't work properly if the phone is charging.
00:00:20 Topeak do something to make this easy - PRESSURE-RITE SCHRADER VALVE ADAPTER - lets you get any track pump head on there and makes 100 psi no problem
Yes it does have a USB port for charging It’s at the top of the battery on the front- a bit fiddly to get to (the bag has a small hole in it marked with the usb symbol to guide you)
Another informative video, many thanks. A stickler for precision (from the engineering part of my background) I assume it's "Store with... (at least) ...2 to 3 bars charge. So 2 to 3 is a minimum, anything above is ok?
Hi taber. Lithium batteries degrade the least if they are stored with around half charge. For example, the smart lithium batteries for my drone are programmed to self discharge down from full charge to approx 3/4 charge if they are not used within four days of a full charge. So the answer to your question is: no, it is not correct to think that anything above 2 to 3 charge level is good for storing a Brompton battery. If you're going to be storing it, it's best to start that storage period with a charge status of 2 to 3. :-)
There was a recent discussion on Facebook (in the "Brompton Electric Owners" group) concerning the 30 second wait. Most comments were incredulous, so the original poster asked Brompton directly, and they responded that the wait no longer applies. Apparently it was required by some early firmware versions, but it should not be needed now..Cf. facebook.com/groups/417710052055139/?post_id=879825495843590
Hi! 👋 I'm interested in getting the Brompton electric bike but not sure which speed to get. As I'm over 98kg in weight plus being short in height ( over 5ft ) and needs assistance with the electric due to arthritis knees. I would be very grateful for any help. Thanks
Im about to buy an Brompton Electric. Do you think Brompton will develop a bag like the Brompton Basket Bag so its possible to carry a small dog (6 kg)? Or is there a three part manufacture that allready has one?
Great advice. Like the deadpan humour too :)) Long time brommie owner thinking of going electric due to age needing assistance on hills. I am a not too strong lady so would the 2 gear give me as much assistance on hills as a 6 gear?
Thanks for watching It’s a really really good question - that we don’t know the answer to .... YET! We have just got a pair of power meter pedals - these measure how much power is required by the rider to propel the bike We’re planning (very shortly) to compare a manual Brompton vs Electric 2 speed vs Electric 6 speed to compare the effort required Hills are quite variable ... are yours big or small? (Locally we have Box Hill which is quite well known - but maybe you have another suggestion)
I was thinking along the lines of Swains Lane North London, one of the biggest hills in the metropolis. Eagerly awaiting your assessment of both bikes on hills.
My wife and I find our 6 speeds go best in top gear, full power, up hills. The motor really zooms you along as the sensors can tell your input. Only trick is to remind my wife to select lower gear for taking off again before we stop. If short trips less than 20 km return, then use full power all the time.
Thanks for watching and the good question A Demo Bike (demo short for demonstrated) is to keep in the shop for people to try - see if they like the Brompton Electric in this case After a period they are often sold at a discount
I bought a Brompton Electric M6L just over a week ago and within 10 minutes of riding had a front wheel puncture. Can a puncture substance be added to the inner rube to seal punctures when they happen?
THEBERBSTER Sorry to hear that. I expect you can. You can also fit tyres with thicker puncture proofing inside (but they weigh more). My supplier recommended I have Marathons fitted instead of the standard Marathon Racer.
Some people add Stan’s Notubes sealant It depends upon the inner tube used (it requires a removable core in the valve of the tube) Personally we don’t particularly like it but would go for thicker Marathon tyres
So don’t want out takes That’s why she failed the ‘real’ audition Longcross studios is where a few Hollywood blockbusters (such as Guardians of the galaxy) are filmed Thanks for watching
Hi there I have Electric new 20/20 Brampton bike ok and iv been told to book my bike in shop fore new chain in two month because of the wear and tear on the chain with it being Electric it stretches the chain more quicker with this being electric bike so is this true I do expect it to be stretch but not that quickly
Yeah, I wouldn’t expect the chain to wear faster as it’s a front hub. Chains probably would wear more with a mid-drive where the electric power does go through the chain.
Thanks for the informative video! I just got my Brompton Electric (and first Brompton). I’m not sure if it’s because I’m still not familiar with it’s handling or if the steering on mine is particularly loose, but I can’t imagine letting go of the handlebars to change power level without having an accident; even momentarily raising a hand to signal a turn makes things quite wobbly. Can the steering be adjusted?
Thanks for watching and the kind feedback The steering shouldn’t be loose - but due to the small wheel size it can feel twitchy compared to a mountain bike for example After a short time you will get used to it
Some nice tips, but no I’m not going to stop just to change power level, that defeats the whole purpose. I don’t think the manual mentions the need to stop, you have an app too to change power level during cycling
Suppose you are walking with your e-brompton, and if you accidentally collide the pedals perhaps with one of your legs, would the bike suddenly rush forward by itself? This is very dangerous especially if you are at a pedestrian crossing waiting for the traffic light.
An early BE review stated that the cranks need to rotate through something like a quarter turn before the “brain” powers up the motor. We’ve owned two BE for two years and can confirm that this is true. This is controlled by the software and may have been tweaked in this respect since the Cycling Weekly review but the impression given was that Brompton were intent that no BE would surge away in traffic by accidentally triggering of the motor power. We have two, six year old electric bikes (not Brompton) that have both surged forward without a rider when poorly adjusted. You are right to be concerned but this is not an issue with BE. However, the older bikes do therefore take off from a standing start immediately the pedal is pressed while the BE lags slightly.
No, there’s a torque and a cadence sensor. The cadence needs to sense a certain amount of revolution and the torque sensor needs to sense a certain amount of torque for more than just a bump. I believe there are also other safety measure, for instance, I went over some very loose gravel, going uphill quite slowly and I was convinced the front wheel would slip, which it did but only for a very split second but the bike sensed it and immediately reduced the power to a point it wouldn’t slip so I imagine this is the worst that would happen. Anyway, I don’t think bumping the pedal would make anything happen.
Yes it’s possible to fit a rack - and quite popular for Brompton Electric owners You are spot on - the reason that Brompton don’t offer it as an option is that the motor does turn it into a bit of a see saw / teeter totter So not as stable as a non electric Brompton with a rack
I find my rack really useful on my BE. And yes it is more prone to fall over when fully folded if it’s on a slope on the motor side, or train wobbling. Something to be careful of when choosing where to park it. With handlebars up (shopping trolley mode) the Electric is stable.
One tip which I offer from bitter experience. If you try to personalise your BE, say with anything titanium/lightweight, e.g. seat post saddle etc, the tendency to tip over gets worse as it is less of a counterbalance to the motor. I've resorted to fitting a third party telescopic ezy wheel kit which makes it a lot better.
On my electric Brompton the front wheel touches the ground when folded and rotates as you push/pull it. I'm not sure if this is intended, but it does make the bike more stable. I wonder if it matters which way the front wheel rotates when the bike is being wheeled around.
Ken Twydell mine did this also. The supplier said it’s down to ‘tolerances’ on some bikes. My workaround has been to fit a piece of thick Velcro to the main bar above where the rear wheel touches when folded. It raises the bar and the front wheel enough to clear the ground. I did also fit Ezy Wheels but they’re not much bigger than the standard wheels fitted to the rack so if you have a rack try the Velcro method first.
That 30 seconds is ridiculous. Who waits that long before getting on their bike? Anyway, I believe they’ve updated the firmware now so I don’t think that’s necessary any more.
My wife & I now have an electric 6 gear Brompton each. However, we cannot understand the point of level 1 on the battery. As far as we can tell It gives zero Assistance . One can only assume it is there to make out that Bromptons have more range than they actually do.I suppose it is useful at night to work the lights. I get 20 miles in mode 2. The wife says I am not to use level 3 because if I run out of battery power she will point blank refuse to come & get me
Not my experience. There is some assistance with the one setting. Just less than 2 - which is precisely what you would expect. There is a fourth setting - zero. this will only power your lights whilst giving zero power assistance.
I find it does give you assistance but remember it’s proportional to the effort you put it. I would see it more as a range extender, both for yourself and the battery. Yes it’s not a lot of power but I definitely can tell a difference between off and 1.
@@gdwlaw5549 If the roads are dead flat ,or no head winds I get 2 possibly 3 more. But those ranges were when i weighed 18 stone. I have been ill, so not used the bike for 9 months. I have now had weight drop to 15 1/2 stone so should get 25 miles on flat roads. I will know when I am fit enough to start cycling again. I very much doubt that I will exceed 25 miles on a typical ride with a couple of small hills though.
The battery latching mechanism will suffer from wear and tear as the bouncing battery bounces around even on normal roads and bike paths leading to connection failures even on very smooth surfaces, time will tell how long this wear and tear will take. They should have gone with the more modern rear hub motor with an integrated battery, it was the more elegant engineering solution.
Hi Johnny. Actually, I think there's a number of good technical justifications for the external, removable battery system that Brompton has designed. Number one for me is that it is easy to separate for charging. It's also easy to separate to lighten the load for carrying, say in tight confines. Lighter is easier, such as when lifting the bike out of a tender and onto a boat, in a lumpy sea. The separable battery can also be more powerful than a hub battery, more easily upgraded and more easily dealt with in case of warranty problems. Plugging in a spare battery is dead simple. There's lots of good reasons for the design Brompton have settled on. Other designs have their merits too, such as the removable battery in the Gocycle GX/GXi, though not as convenient.
@@Valden23My main issue with the Brompton electric is that they are using cheap old fashioned technology and charging a top price for it ( the bike should be £1600 , not £3000) they are milking their loyal fans, and secondly, there will be issues with the battery latching system I had a good look at it, wear and tear will cause it to fail even on smooth ground, recently they have told people not to use it on Rough ground so they know themselves they will have a problem in the future and they are preparing the ground in advance of complaints. Being able to remove the battery is an advantage but since the bike is light and portable it really doesn't compensate for the downsides. Carrying one slightly heavier bike is better than carrying two things, as anyone who owns an electric Brompton will testify, slinging a bag over your shoulder and carrying a bike is difficult, the hub battery like the one on the Zehus has a bigger range and charges more quickly and really doesn't add any noticeable extra weight to the bike. My partner sold her electric Brompton a few months ago and bought a second-hand Brompton and fitted a rear hub motor on my advice and she says it's far better, charging the rere hub motor is very simple, you just plug it into a wall socket. If you really want a dangling battery on your front fork, there are much cheaper options it's old tech, the Swytch kit is £400/£500 and is very easy to install and can be moved to your next bike, a new Brompton and Switch kit is half the price of the Brompton electric and far better in my opinion.
I have to disagree, not with everything you say but a lot of what you say is opinion. I for instance prefer to have the battery in one hand and Brompton in the other if I’m carrying it folded but in practice I just keep the bike open and wheel it as a normal bike so you have the choice to have it all as one or not. Yes there are options for third party add ons and I’ve tried a nano kit. It was pretty poor, didn’t give me as much power or speed and was a pretty inelegant solution. I’m sure the Swytch system is probably better however. But, you don’t get the integrated or auto lights, it’s never going to be as neat, you might have to modify your forks and you might void your warranty. I’ve found the Brompton system to be very intelligent and always gives me the power I expect. Not all of us have power available where we store a bike so having it easily removable is a big plus in my opinion. You are perfectly correct that the battery mount doesn’t seem that durable but then we’re protected by consumer law as well as warranties. I haven’t had an issue with it yet. Lastly, don’t forget the whole ecosystem around Brompton, it has a ton of first and third party accessories which definitely can’t be said for other brands, not to mention anything slightly obscure. Anyway, it seems the Brompton isn’t for you and I have to say the electric Hummingbird looks very appealing.
@@oliverpolden In order to make a comparison you would have to have had used both the rear hub motor and the front hub motor, in my opinion, having used both there is no comparison, the rear hub with integrated battery is better, the tech is more advanced with apps and handlebar controller. Brompton could have taken this technology and made it even better if they wanted to. Brompton is very good at making money, they are very good at marketing, they have sold the old tech front hub motor for double what it's worth, you have to admire the brass neck of it and the brilliant marketing.
@@johhny711 no I haven’t used a rear hub motor. But you haven’t said in exactly what way the rear hub with integrated battery is better. In my opinion it’s worse because you potentially have premature ageing of the battery due to the heat from the motor. In what way could Brompton have made it better? Granted and as I said, the mount is a bit wobbly but so far it’s lasted fine for me. They have recently released firmware and their new app which connects to your bike via Bluetooth but I’m yet to try it. Anyway, it’s clear you’re not a Brompton person and that’s fine. I’d be glad to hear of any ebikes that fold as compact as a Brompton.
I can see why you recommend only smooth surfaces when running 100 psi.i watched the video and then went out on my B75 with newly inflated to 100 psi tyres...OMG. it's like having concrete tyres !!!! ..I think 80 Psi will be more appropriate for me ....and my man bits 😱😱😂
Hi Reg - amused by your comment, and you are so right in my view! It did not take me long with my M6L Brompton to discover that 100 psi front and back was a recipe for a bone shaking, teeth gritting, experience through the handlebars in particular. So, and as with my other bikes, I have reduced pressure at the front, and all is well - I run 65-70 psi front, 95-100 psi rear for 80 kg weight, and a 9 litre bag on the front carrier block with about 2 kg in it. Interestingly, if I pump the rear to 110 psi and the front to 100 psi, the bike feels really fast, which leaves me wondering if 75% of the science behind the more expensive tyres which are supposedly faster is in the high tyre pressures they recommend! Anyway, air costs nothing, and the standard Marathon Racer tyres are cheap, so if I want fast, I can just add more air with my track pump before the ride. And not be afraid of part worn tyres either, they must be faster surely. :-)
So basically, the future is ill thought out, fiddly and full of restrictions on where and how to ride, oh and its obscenely expensive, I think I will pass until they actually get it right!
An expensive bike with a lot of excuses, thumbs down. The presenter and production value of the video on the other hand, 2 thumbs way up ! Great Job guys !
@@brilliantbikes Silk/Spandex even on small bikes(strange). Your outfit, more appropriate for casual window shopping on Rodeo Dr. LA w/close lady friends. CUTE!!!
I was also unaware of the 30 second delay. I went back and looked at my manual (and online manual) and do not see that referenced. I run my tires at 95 psi but may try 100. The BE manual recommends 65 to 110 psi, which is a pretty wide range. But under inflated tires will definitely make the electric work harder. I have just received my bike back from its 100 mile checkup and software update. As always, thanks for another great video Ms. "B". Cheers from Texas ....
This woman is a born entertainer and she knows her craft. Much appreciated!
Good to see you did go down the little drop at the end👌
Shhhh! Don’t tell Mike (our mechanic)
@@brilliantbikes Mike and the Mechanics - Now I've got a "Living Years" ear worm! thanks Brilliant Bikes ;-)
Love love love, since i can't find the detail about brompton electric in other places but your channel provide a lot information of it. Love it
Thanks for the lovely comment
bought the 2 speed in white last month and i love it! car hasnt moved since then!
Thanks for watching and the great feedback on your Brompton Electric
Glad you’re loving it!
@@brilliantbikes Yeah! Most people over here in northern Germany don't know about the brand. Nearly everytime i walk into a store with my Brommie stashed inside the shoppingcart i get alot of questions and weird looks :D But its so convenient to just hop on the bike instead of dealing with all the hazzle getting a parking spot and so on. I just ordered the citybag to extend my capacity. Will be here today *cheers* :D
Even here we still get odd looks
And comments like .....
Do you have to pedal faster as the wheels are smaller?
Oh - it folds up! ..... small!
@@brilliantbikes Haha exactly! :D
Thanks. I wasn’t aware of the 30 sec delay at startup (the official BE Handbook doesn’t mention it and I’ve never had a problem). Better range also comes from choosing a route without stops - and from exceeding 25km/h! Surely tyre pressure also concerns comfort: I now choose 75 front/85 rear and that’s well within Schwalbe’s recommended range. My other tips for getting best out of the bike: carry a clear plastic bag to go over the Essential Bag in the event of a heavy downpour. Reduce fiddling with the battery on the move by always keeping the light setting at Auto. If you have a rack fitted do leisure tours with an aerodynamic combo of Rack Sack + Essential Bag rather than + City Bag which acts as a wind dam. Use City Bag where frequent parking or folding required + luggage capacity. And surely the BE can go anywhere a B goes - it’s just that the powered front tyre may not be that effective (eg rough tracks) - you can always turn off the motor. I find that on tarmac roads steeper than 20% I have problems maintaining adhesion of the front tyre under power and I push down on handlebars to help; but even so I have had to get off to push the bike up 25% hills (I don’t think they’re the BE’s ‘natural habitat’ that you mentioned lol). Counter intuitively, using the lowest power setting works best in these situations to minimise wheel spin (yes, I leave rubber on the road!!).
You are so good at teaching and educating! Thank you so much!
Have mastered the “on the go power change” but I agree, not recommended. Thank you for mentioning the battery disconnect issue. Big problem on Swiss forest tracks and cobblestone town squares! 2 blue lights flash, stop, off-on, calibrate, yawn! We turn them off before riding over them. Best advice I give is “they’re urban bikes, it’s what they’re designed for”. Off to try them around Lavaux vineyards soon!
Thanks for that great feedback
Now you made us jealous!
You might find that even on slightly uneven ground the battery latching system will fail, putting something heavy into the bag might help to keep it secure and in place, you could also try a Bungy cord pulling slightly down on the bag and secured below the bag will help, but not too tight, just to help stop the bag moving around and to prevent wear and tear on the latching system which holds the battery to the bike.
Is the ‘power change’ advice in the video a recommendation for rider safety for better control and visibility, or can you still change power whilst the bike is in motion?
@@mikexhejghdlfbrjshfjfvs3624 Yes, there is nothing physically stopping you leaning over the handlebars, one hand steering, the other hand tapping the power button to change settings. It's just that there is a high probability of looking up and seeing a truck of fence in front of you and BANG, there goes your day. Therefore, to protect Brompton from silly people suing them, they have to say "don't do it". Do it at your own discretion.
I love this lady and her tutorials!
I love your videos, because you are so lovable. Your out-takes are great. I was on the fence, comfortably of course, about purchasing one. I have hopped off of the fence and took my Smart car to my favorite bike shop to pick up an electric one. I could probably get two of them in the boot of my Smart car. Oh no, I'm back on that fence. Should I get another one for the wife?
Oh a pair of Brompton’s is perfect! Thank you so much for watching and fir the comment, hope you keep enjoying
Helpful content 😊
I was loaned your original demo electric earlier in the year for about an hour (while my own pedal-power M6L was in for service), and it took me along various fast, slow and traffic-congested roads local to your shop.
Overall, I enjoyed the bike, found it gave me an additional layer of confidence on busy roads, particularly as I could maintain speed well up inclines, and accelerate easily away from junctions. I tended to be a bit greedy on the power setting, though, as I had max much of the time, and felt somewhat disinclined to have power on #1 or off completely.
A couple of things I noticed with the electric, and no doubt a regular user would accommodate to:
In tight stop/start traffic situations, easing forward with electric assist on could give a slight “surge” of propulsion - so I had to be careful not to apply too much pedal pressure when getting going (when behind a car, for example), else I needed to apply the brakes to counteract. Power setting #1 was therefore preferred in tight traffic.
As a regular non-assisted rider, I am always used to having to make effort, so whilst the electric assist is really great for the hills, when it was easing off-power assistance or maxed out (about 15 mph), it could comparatively feels like it was “dragging”. This may not bother many people, but as a bit of a cycling purist (for now, anyway), I did find this detracted slightly from my ride experience. This is probably common to other electric bikes as well though, this was my first and only electric assist ride.
The big plus for the Brompton electric has to be the no-sweat ride - arrive at your destination still fresh and unflustered!
Thanks I didn’t know about the calibration step really useful!
Thanks for ypour detailed advices
Many thanks for watching!
Very cute... the bike is nice too!
Looking good as always.. enjoyed the video.
Thank you so much for your nice comment and for watching.
haha great video, she sounds like my old teacher, loving it👍🏻
I just returned my Electric Brompton. The battery rattle, issues when shifting internal hub from the 3 to the 2 gear, no compliance with the USA top speed of 20 MPH, annoying delay at the start, low quality on the two bag options, the battery can't flight in commercial flights (only cargo), Bicycle is heavy, etc. I added the swytch conversion kit to my other 3 Brompton bikes and know I have both e-bikes and the conventional bikes when needed.
Very useful information for me as I’m getting my new Brompton electric at the end of August. Thanks again very good info.
Thanks for the kind feedback
We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy them
One thing you missed and was mentioned to me by the dealer and is in the separate battery charger manual, is to plug the battery charger into the wall first and then into the battery which is kinda counter intuitive.
It's ALWAYS a pleasure to see your videos, really user oriented. It's so pleasant to see a shop which is really dedicated to understand its products and promote the use. I had been told that this 30 seconds calibration had been recently solved by the latest Brompton software updates. I have a topic that I would like to suggest for you as it is a black box for me. How about alternative lights for the Brompton electric? The standard one is not bad but definitely not perfect, especially when we ride out of the cities at night. But Brompton does not say much about alternatives, and changing the lights requires some skills as there numerous wires and criteria to be considered (power, voltage, etc.). Would love to know about your advice.
I have a bolt blue electric Brompton. I love it. I had completely given up on cycling before I got this to do the commute to work.
I have come across the motor cut out thing. Unfortunately my house is surrounded by speed bumps that have cobble stones before and after. I have to avoid those. Or at least, I have to avoid pedalling over them, just rolling over is fine.
I took mine back to the dealer and they said that it was more sensitive than their demo bike so they kindly changed some parts to improve it.
I still can't pedal over those bumps (which is tough when you are cycling up a 30 degree incline) but it's fine over some of less well looked after roads near me.
I look forward to Brompton's bike builder returning so I can finally place an order. Unfortunately, the stock selection currently offered by Brompton seems to always include an extended seat post, rather than the standard - and I'd object to paying £20 to post-purchase what should be available from the start. Yes, I realise it isn't necessary to fully extend the post, but I want the more compact fold you get with the standard size - not to mention the fact that I just have to pull the post all the way up and lock it to get it at my preferred height!
Thanks for the comment
Any good dealer should offer to change from the extended (not to be confused with the telescopic) to standard seatpost for free
I was expecting that I could change the power level on the go when I feel the need of extra power going uphill for example. Stopping to do that does not make sense to me, then you need to stop again to set up the previous power mode once the road flattens out.
Why not use the app?
Just been released!!!!!
Im not so sure how reliable the change is though. Sometimes it works, other times I have to reset. Still Exciting!!!!
Is it ok to ride an electric Brompton in the rain? And what about through puddles?
With over 7 thousand views in just a week this seems to be a very popular topic ( I hope the increasing popularity of these excellent videos is reflected in the amount of business that Brilliant Bikes is doing. I'd also recommend that the presenter be given a hefty pay rise lest she be poached by a competitor ;-) )
Interesting video, I’ve been debating between ‘ordinary’ and electric. Was it just me, or did anyone else think Geoff Marshall was about to pop up when you said the words “least used station”?
Brilliant Video. I've had my BE for a year now and although my pre-ride routine means the battery is generally fitted 30 seconds before I move the bike, I never knew that this was so necessary, I guess a case of RTFM. Slapped wrist :-)
On a separate point, somewhere on the Schwable website, there is a table of loaded weight (bike plus rider) v tyre profile = tyre pressure. For me the figure is about 92psi. Hope that this helps,
Thanks once again for the kind feedback
We also only just found out - that’s why we thought we would share
Thanks for the info on the Schwalbe website - we’ll check that out
@@brilliantbikes The info is under technology/FAQ > inflation pressure > correct tyre pressure
Another great video on the electric Brompton. My weight varies between 95-98 kg. I believe Brompton recommend a max of 110 kg rider plus baggage. It would be great to see a video where a heavier person reports on their results using the electric Brompton.
Thanks for the kind comments
We’re trying to persuade mike onto the bike - he would qualify, but is a bit shy!
A few more thoughts and questions. Yesterday I rode nearly 15 miles at level 1 on flat ground with some headwinds. I still had 5 bars at home when I plugged in afterwards and no charging was possible in spite of my ride. The battery must have been down 10% or more though. Also, I haven't located a rain cover for the small battery bag but it certainly seems like there should be one? Even very dry California gets wet at unpredictable times. Thanks again for this thoughtful overview!
I asked Brompton about the rain cover for the small bag and I was assured that it was rainproof but should not be immersed. Even so, I would like to get hold of a suitable cover.
After watching this video I pumped the tyres up to 100 psi as recommended. This gave a very harsh ride.
I know that it is a trade off between performance and comfort but I guess that the electric assist will minimise any extra effort. Obviously, the tyres must be hard enough to avoid pinch flats though.
A range comparison using different tyre pressures would be interesting.
Have had an e brompton for just over a month I didn't know about the 30 second wait but I have now started doing it. On a separate note just fitted a trigo phone mount to my e brompton, make sure if you fit one to have the mount in a vertical position when you drop the handle bars otherwise it will smash straight into the motor
i was debating and Electric one, but thought hmmm if I get a Super light which is cheaper, way easier to carry around, will have a higher top speed, can use my own bags, and don't need to keep worrying about charging it up. I bought the SL and am really happy with it. This video makes me even more relieved I went down that route - ie 3 reasons not to get one!!
Hi Colin. This is helpful. My wife and I are presently debating whether we should choose two SuperLights or two Electric Bromptons, to be the bikes we use for shopping and touring around from our sailing yacht base, during a journey all over the place. We think we'll really appreciate the light weight of the SLs, especially when lifting in and out of our tender or within the tight confines of the boat. Easy carrying/moving in general, around town, will be handy too. However, we compare this with the wonderful power-assistance of the Electrics, which would be so very good if we're towing a ton of groceries back to the marina, or going on a long ride to see the sights or buy bits and pieces. Hmmm. We're late 50s and quite fit. Tricky decision. Do you have a 'real-world' weight for your SuperLight?
The Superlight H6L six gears = 24.78 pounds.
Standard H6L six gears = 26.63 pounds.
Brompton Electric H6L six gears = 31.96 pounds (38.36 pounds total with battery attached).
Battery weight is 6.4 pounds.
Overall: The Superlight Brompton is 1.85 lighter than the Standard Brompton.
The Brompton Electric (with battery removed) is 5.33 pounds heavier than the Standard Brompton and 7.18 pounds heavier than the Superlight Brompton.
The Brompton Electric (TOTAL weight with battery) is 11.73 pounds heavier than the Standard Brompton and 13.58 pounds heavier than the Superlight Brompton.
Summary: assuming you remove the battery during transportation in the folded state. The 5.33 extra pounds to the base weight or the 7.18 extra pounds to the base weight might not seem like much. Bio-mechanically though there is a difference. Example, if you hold 5.33 pounds next to your belly button (close to bodies center of gravity) and start extending your arm out, you realizes very quickly the weight truly seems to multiplies. At a Brompton shop I started lifting different folded Brompton's. I was surprised how much of a difference 2 pounds made. This is with my arm extended down as it would be in the real world. Of course this is all relevant on many personal factors (required stairs, traveling, strength and endurance and how often are you planning to lift it on a daily basis, price, etc.). The bottom line is, if you're getting out there on your bicycle more because you have an Electric Brompton or if you're getting out there on your bicycle more because you have maneuverable later Brompton? Which one is going to get you out there to enjoy the beautiful world of bicycling? Hope this helps. Hope this helps!
I would say if you’re debating between electric and non-electric then get the non-electric. I love the electric but it’s a bit of a faff having to charge the battery. I got it so I could commute fast without getting sweaty and it does that very well. For every day, casual cycling I would prefer a standard Brompton unless I had a lot of hills to get up. I also feel that taking a standard Brompton into a cafe etc. is acceptable but a Brompton AND its battery, well it’s fine but having two items is literally a handful in both hands.
Again, don’t get me wrong, I love the electric and fully recommend it, but there’s something pure about a non-electric.
And actually, I’m considering getting a standard one as well. Especially if you might go cycling with a friend or partner, it’s a lot easier to splash out on two Standard Bromptons than it is for two electrics!
Thanks for this. I’ve got my eye on Bolt Blue...I had wanted Flame Lacquer but it’s not available on the electric bikes and that blue is gorgeous in that light.
Love my Electric Brompton but it's light went out and its been in the shop for over a month waiting for parts from the UK. Seems it takes 2 weeks to get parts to California. I really enjoy your videos keep them coming.
Twin?. We bought a cheap small wheel ebike from Decathlon (sorry) to see how we got on with it so far OKAY. My husband tried a Brompton electric at a bike show (NEC) he found it hard to change the power setting and was a bit disappointed by the experience. Now we know why. KEEP SAFE!!!
I keep enjoying my black 6 speed (living in a hilly spot). :)
Thanks for the thoughtful tips and practical reminders. My first Brompton is a Bolt Blue too. I just finished a 33 mile ride on flat ground with headwinds and used 3 bars with low power the entire trip. That's about what I expected and don't think the battery was fully charged when I left as the first bar disappeared within 5 miles. I rode in 2+ and 3- during the ride and felt like I was engaging the motor at times when it wasn't needed. Is this something that comes with more experience? Pretty good performance still I think given my 180 lbs. My shop pump has trouble locking to the front valve stem and hits the motor. Can I safely bend the valve to make a better connection or do I need a different pump? Looking forward to more Brompton Electric tips and advice. I would like ideas on bike computers or controllers that give speed and distance readings. Maybe something Brompton is working on?
Love your videos my Dear.
Well, thank you 🙏
Thank you for the informative video. Is there a known reason why it’s recommended to stop the bike before changing power levels? I also saw that in the Brompton promotional video but there was no exploitation as to why. Thank you again for your videos!
I have just bought a Brompton electric on Which magazine recommendation but that didn't say anything about stopping to change the power level - in fact it said only stop if you were unhappy taking one hand off the handlebars so I am now confused!
I've got a standard Brompton and I'd find waiting for 30 seconds before riding off to be really annoying. Hopefully it's something they can reduce / eliminate in the future.
We though the same
But in practice by the time you chuck the battery on / pfaff a bit (eg putting on helmet)- the times gone
I guess it won’t be completely eliminated- even our Garmin power meter pedals want a few seconds each ride to calibrate as zero
Just changed my “workflow” to install the battery first. Then glasses, helmet and gloves. The bike waits on me now !
I’ve always just jumped straight on. Never had an issue apart from the very rare occasion that it gives me no power combine with very brief spurts for perhaps 30 seconds. I believe they have changed the firmware so it remembers the calibration from before and I also believe since then, another firmware has been released.
I have just put the app on my iPhone!!!!!!!
I think that it has only just been released!!!!!
Update: the swipe to change assist levels doesn't work properly if the phone is charging.
00:00:20 Topeak do something to make this easy - PRESSURE-RITE SCHRADER VALVE ADAPTER - lets you get any track pump head on there and makes 100 psi no problem
Dose the batterie have port to charge your phone up and if dose where is it
Yes it does have a USB port for charging
It’s at the top of the battery on the front- a bit fiddly to get to (the bag has a small hole in it marked with the usb symbol to guide you)
@@brilliantbikes thank you fore your support
Another informative video, many thanks.
A stickler for precision (from the engineering part of my background) I assume it's "Store with... (at least) ...2 to 3 bars charge. So 2 to 3 is a minimum, anything above is ok?
Hi taber. Lithium batteries degrade the least if they are stored with around half charge. For example, the smart lithium batteries for my drone are programmed to self discharge down from full charge to approx 3/4 charge if they are not used within four days of a full charge. So the answer to your question is: no, it is not correct to think that anything above 2 to 3 charge level is good for storing a Brompton battery. If you're going to be storing it, it's best to start that storage period with a charge status of 2 to 3. :-)
Thank you very much.
There was a recent discussion on Facebook (in the "Brompton Electric Owners" group) concerning the 30 second wait. Most comments were incredulous, so the original poster asked Brompton directly, and they responded that the wait no longer applies. Apparently it was required by some early firmware versions, but it should not be needed now..Cf. facebook.com/groups/417710052055139/?post_id=879825495843590
I am from the continent. 100 psi would be 6,8 pressure bar? Right? I thought such high pressure bar would blow the tyre.. 🤔
Yup you are correct. It’s meant to be the recommended pressure with 110 as the highest for these tyres. 65 in the minimum.
Hi! 👋 I'm interested in getting the Brompton electric bike but not sure which speed to get. As I'm over 98kg in weight plus being short in height ( over 5ft ) and needs assistance with the electric due to arthritis knees. I would be very grateful for any help. Thanks
Do you know if using the fast charger damages the battery in the long run? I saw some onto that said a slow charge is better.
Wow. It's cool. How heavy does the brompton electric weigh?
Crackin’ little chassis. 😅
😀, thanks for watching
Im about to buy an Brompton Electric. Do you think Brompton will develop a bag like the Brompton Basket Bag so its possible to carry a small dog (6 kg)? Or is there a three part manufacture that allready has one?
Great advice. Like the deadpan humour too :))
Long time brommie owner thinking of going electric
due to age needing assistance on hills.
I am a not too strong lady so would the 2 gear give me
as much assistance on hills as a 6 gear?
Thanks for watching
It’s a really really good question - that we don’t know the answer to .... YET!
We have just got a pair of power meter pedals - these measure how much power is required by the rider to propel the bike
We’re planning (very shortly) to compare a manual Brompton vs Electric 2 speed vs Electric 6 speed to compare the effort required
Hills are quite variable ... are yours big or small? (Locally we have Box Hill which is quite well known - but maybe you have another suggestion)
I was thinking along the lines of Swains Lane North London,
one of the biggest hills in the metropolis.
Eagerly awaiting your assessment of both bikes on hills.
We know that one - short and sharp!
My wife and I find our 6 speeds go best in top gear, full power, up hills. The motor really zooms you along as the sensors can tell your input. Only trick is to remind my wife to select lower gear for taking off again before we stop. If short trips less than 20 km return, then use full power all the time.
What's a demo? Is it for journalists, for video demonstrations, or a special editions for everyone to buy?
Thanks for watching and the good question
A Demo Bike (demo short for demonstrated) is to keep in the shop for people to try - see if they like the Brompton Electric in this case
After a period they are often sold at a discount
Is it lighter including the battery?
I bought a Brompton Electric M6L just over a week ago and within 10 minutes of riding had a front wheel puncture. Can a puncture substance be added to the inner rube to seal punctures when they happen?
THEBERBSTER Sorry to hear that. I expect you can. You can also fit tyres with thicker puncture proofing inside (but they weigh more). My supplier recommended I have Marathons fitted instead of the standard Marathon Racer.
Some people add Stan’s Notubes sealant
It depends upon the inner tube used (it requires a removable core in the valve of the tube)
Personally we don’t particularly like it but would go for thicker Marathon tyres
Very clear and helpful- but having to stop it to change power seems a major drawback
Thanks for watching! Now with the App you can without stopping
Out takes are the best bits
So don’t want out takes
That’s why she failed the ‘real’ audition
Longcross studios is where a few Hollywood blockbusters (such as Guardians of the galaxy) are filmed
Thanks for watching
Hi there I have Electric new 20/20 Brampton bike ok and iv been told to book my bike in shop fore new chain in two month because of the wear and tear on the chain with it being Electric it stretches the chain more quicker with this being electric bike so is this true I do expect it to be stretch but not that quickly
As the motor drives the front wheel, I doubt that it will increase chain wear. I suspect that the opposite would apply.
Yeah, I wouldn’t expect the chain to wear faster as it’s a front hub. Chains probably would wear more with a mid-drive where the electric power does go through the chain.
Thanks for the informative video! I just got my Brompton Electric (and first Brompton). I’m not sure if it’s because I’m still not familiar with it’s handling or if the steering on mine is particularly loose, but I can’t imagine letting go of the handlebars to change power level without having an accident; even momentarily raising a hand to signal a turn makes things quite wobbly. Can the steering be adjusted?
Thanks for watching and the kind feedback
The steering shouldn’t be loose - but due to the small wheel size it can feel twitchy compared to a mountain bike for example
After a short time you will get used to it
Taking your hands off the bars is not a good idea with the Brompton. It has to do with the small wheels and gyroscopes and stuff I guess.
Some nice tips, but no I’m not going to stop just to change power level, that defeats the whole purpose. I don’t think the manual mentions the need to stop, you have an app too to change power level during cycling
You’re right the app is now the way to change! Thanks for watching!
Suppose you are walking with your e-brompton, and if you accidentally collide the pedals perhaps with one of your legs, would the bike suddenly rush forward by itself? This is very dangerous especially if you are at a pedestrian crossing waiting for the traffic light.
An early BE review stated that the cranks need to rotate through something like a quarter turn before the “brain” powers up the motor. We’ve owned two BE for two years and can confirm that this is true. This is controlled by the software and may have been tweaked in this respect since the Cycling Weekly review but the impression given was that Brompton were intent that no BE would surge away in traffic by accidentally triggering of the motor power.
We have two, six year old electric bikes (not Brompton) that have both surged forward without a rider when poorly adjusted. You are right to be concerned but this is not an issue with BE. However, the older bikes do therefore take off from a standing start immediately the pedal is pressed while the BE lags slightly.
No, there’s a torque and a cadence sensor. The cadence needs to sense a certain amount of revolution and the torque sensor needs to sense a certain amount of torque for more than just a bump. I believe there are also other safety measure, for instance, I went over some very loose gravel, going uphill quite slowly and I was convinced the front wheel would slip, which it did but only for a very split second but the bike sensed it and immediately reduced the power to a point it wouldn’t slip so I imagine this is the worst that would happen. Anyway, I don’t think bumping the pedal would make anything happen.
is it possible to put a rack and ezwheels on an electric brompton? will the motor bring it out of balance?
Yes it’s possible to fit a rack - and quite popular for Brompton Electric owners
You are spot on - the reason that Brompton don’t offer it as an option is that the motor does turn it into a bit of a see saw / teeter totter
So not as stable as a non electric Brompton with a rack
I find my rack really useful on my BE. And yes it is more prone to fall over when fully folded if it’s on a slope on the motor side, or train wobbling. Something to be careful of when choosing where to park it. With handlebars up (shopping trolley mode) the Electric is stable.
One tip which I offer from bitter experience.
If you try to personalise your BE, say with anything titanium/lightweight, e.g. seat post saddle etc, the tendency to tip over gets worse as it is less of a counterbalance to the motor. I've resorted to fitting a third party telescopic ezy wheel kit which makes it a lot better.
On my electric Brompton the front wheel touches the ground when folded and rotates as you push/pull it.
I'm not sure if this is intended, but it does make the bike more stable.
I wonder if it matters which way the front wheel rotates when the bike is being wheeled around.
Ken Twydell mine did this also. The supplier said it’s down to ‘tolerances’ on some bikes. My workaround has been to fit a piece of thick Velcro to the main bar above where the rear wheel touches when folded. It raises the bar and the front wheel enough to clear the ground. I did also fit Ezy Wheels but they’re not much bigger than the standard wheels fitted to the rack so if you have a rack try the Velcro method first.
That 30 seconds is ridiculous. Who waits that long before getting on their bike? Anyway, I believe they’ve updated the firmware now so I don’t think that’s necessary any more.
thank u very much
❤❤
Thank you for watching!
My wife & I now have an electric 6 gear Brompton each. However, we cannot understand the point of level 1 on the battery. As far as we can tell It gives zero Assistance . One can only assume it is there to make out that Bromptons have more range than they actually do.I suppose it is useful at night to work the lights. I get 20 miles in mode 2. The wife says I am not to use level 3 because if I run out of battery power she will point blank refuse to come & get me
Not my experience. There is some assistance with the one setting. Just less than 2 - which is precisely what you would expect.
There is a fourth setting - zero. this will only power your lights whilst giving zero power assistance.
I find it does give you assistance but remember it’s proportional to the effort you put it. I would see it more as a range extender, both for yourself and the battery. Yes it’s not a lot of power but I definitely can tell a difference between off and 1.
Twenty miles is very very poor range
@@gdwlaw5549 If the roads are dead flat ,or no head winds I get 2 possibly 3 more. But those ranges were when i weighed 18 stone. I have been ill, so not used the bike for 9 months. I have now had weight drop to 15 1/2 stone so should get 25 miles on flat roads. I will know when I am fit enough to start cycling again. I very much doubt that I will exceed 25 miles on a typical ride with a couple of small hills though.
The battery latching mechanism will suffer from wear and tear as the bouncing battery bounces around even on normal roads and bike paths leading to connection failures even on very smooth surfaces, time will tell how long this wear and tear will take. They should have gone with the more modern rear hub motor with an integrated battery, it was the more elegant engineering solution.
Hi Johnny. Actually, I think there's a number of good technical justifications for the external, removable battery system that Brompton has designed. Number one for me is that it is easy to separate for charging. It's also easy to separate to lighten the load for carrying, say in tight confines. Lighter is easier, such as when lifting the bike out of a tender and onto a boat, in a lumpy sea. The separable battery can also be more powerful than a hub battery, more easily upgraded and more easily dealt with in case of warranty problems. Plugging in a spare battery is dead simple. There's lots of good reasons for the design Brompton have settled on. Other designs have their merits too, such as the removable battery in the Gocycle GX/GXi, though not as convenient.
@@Valden23My main issue with the Brompton electric is that they are using cheap old fashioned technology and charging a top price for it ( the bike should be £1600 , not £3000) they are milking their loyal fans, and secondly, there will be issues with the battery latching system I had a good look at it, wear and tear will cause it to fail even on smooth ground, recently they have told people not to use it on Rough ground so they know themselves they will have a problem in the future and they are preparing the ground in advance of complaints.
Being able to remove the battery is an advantage but since the bike is light and portable it really doesn't compensate for the downsides. Carrying one slightly heavier bike is better than carrying two things, as anyone who owns an electric Brompton will testify, slinging a bag over your shoulder and carrying a bike is difficult, the hub battery like the one on the Zehus has a bigger range and charges more quickly and really doesn't add any noticeable extra weight to the bike.
My partner sold her electric Brompton a few months ago and bought a second-hand Brompton and fitted a rear hub motor on my advice and she says it's far better, charging the rere hub motor is very simple, you just plug it into a wall socket.
If you really want a dangling battery on your front fork, there are much cheaper options it's old tech, the Swytch kit is £400/£500 and is very easy to install and can be moved to your next bike, a new Brompton and Switch kit is half the price of the Brompton electric and far better in my opinion.
I have to disagree, not with everything you say but a lot of what you say is opinion. I for instance prefer to have the battery in one hand and Brompton in the other if I’m carrying it folded but in practice I just keep the bike open and wheel it as a normal bike so you have the choice to have it all as one or not. Yes there are options for third party add ons and I’ve tried a nano kit. It was pretty poor, didn’t give me as much power or speed and was a pretty inelegant solution. I’m sure the Swytch system is probably better however. But, you don’t get the integrated or auto lights, it’s never going to be as neat, you might have to modify your forks and you might void your warranty. I’ve found the Brompton system to be very intelligent and always gives me the power I expect.
Not all of us have power available where we store a bike so having it easily removable is a big plus in my opinion.
You are perfectly correct that the battery mount doesn’t seem that durable but then we’re protected by consumer law as well as warranties. I haven’t had an issue with it yet.
Lastly, don’t forget the whole ecosystem around Brompton, it has a ton of first and third party accessories which definitely can’t be said for other brands, not to mention anything slightly obscure.
Anyway, it seems the Brompton isn’t for you and I have to say the electric Hummingbird looks very appealing.
@@oliverpolden In order to make a comparison you would have to have had used both the rear hub motor and the front hub motor, in my opinion, having used both there is no comparison, the rear hub with integrated battery is better, the tech is more advanced with apps and handlebar controller. Brompton could have taken this technology and made it even better if they wanted to.
Brompton is very good at making money, they are very good at marketing, they have sold the old tech front hub motor for double what it's worth, you have to admire the brass neck of it and the brilliant marketing.
@@johhny711 no I haven’t used a rear hub motor. But you haven’t said in exactly what way the rear hub with integrated battery is better. In my opinion it’s worse because you potentially have premature ageing of the battery due to the heat from the motor. In what way could Brompton have made it better? Granted and as I said, the mount is a bit wobbly but so far it’s lasted fine for me. They have recently released firmware and their new app which connects to your bike via Bluetooth but I’m yet to try it.
Anyway, it’s clear you’re not a Brompton person and that’s fine. I’d be glad to hear of any ebikes that fold as compact as a Brompton.
Thanks for scolding that woman from changing the power level mid-ride!
Intolerable behaviour! 😀
Completely unacceptable!
Thank you for noticing and for watching!
It's great👌
I'm laughing here 😀
We hope you're laughing in a good way !
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30seconds wait everytime you turn it on? what??? are you sure lol
It was a recommendation from Brompton - yes - that has been fixed by a firmware update since we made this video (in fact it wasn't long after)
Best watched at 2 X speed.
I can see why you recommend only smooth surfaces when running 100 psi.i watched the video and then went out on my B75 with newly inflated to 100 psi tyres...OMG. it's like having concrete tyres !!!! ..I think 80 Psi will be more appropriate for me ....and my man bits 😱😱😂
Hi Reg - amused by your comment, and you are so right in my view!
It did not take me long with my M6L Brompton to discover that 100 psi front and back was a recipe for a bone shaking, teeth gritting, experience through the handlebars in particular. So, and as with my other bikes, I have reduced pressure at the front, and all is well - I run 65-70 psi front, 95-100 psi rear for 80 kg weight, and a 9 litre bag on the front carrier block with about 2 kg in it.
Interestingly, if I pump the rear to 110 psi and the front to 100 psi, the bike feels really fast, which leaves me wondering if 75% of the science behind the more expensive tyres which are supposedly faster is in the high tyre pressures they recommend! Anyway, air costs nothing, and the standard Marathon Racer tyres are cheap, so if I want fast, I can just add more air with my track pump before the ride. And not be afraid of part worn tyres either, they must be faster surely.
:-)
I would love to buy a Brompton from you, but your shop is far to far away!
Thanks for watching! We offer free shipping in the UK if that helps 😀
How many folk have left the Brompton on the train or bus 😂😂😂😂😂
Oh no! That’s a whoopsie!
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So basically, the future is ill thought out, fiddly and full of restrictions on where and how to ride, oh and its obscenely expensive, I think I will pass until they actually get it right!
My local roads are rutted like crazy so I guess I'll pass.
#posh
Really? 30s wait time every time before riding? That's a deal breaker.
It was - it's been fixed in a later firmware update :-)
I’ve always ignored that anyway and agree it would be a deal breaker but it’s never really caused me any issues.
An expensive bike with a lot of excuses, thumbs down. The presenter and production value of the video on the other hand, 2 thumbs way up ! Great Job guys !
We don't wear such weird biking outfits in the US. Nice bike tho.
Thanks for watching.
I was in my gentle weekend ride gear - good for popping to the coffee shop. :)
What’s usual in the US?
@@brilliantbikes Silk/Spandex even on small bikes(strange). Your outfit, more appropriate for casual window shopping on Rodeo Dr. LA w/close lady friends. CUTE!!!