Lightweight folding bikes
Having a lightweight folding bike lets you ride and take your bike easily with you wherever you need to go. All Brompton folding bikes are engineered for maximum portability, making carrying your bike a straightforward task.
When it comes to folding bikes, having something light but durable and that can easily fold away is an invaluable combination. Brompton's most recent developments are to enhance the already portable Brompton, to refine the iconic design with materials that are built to last. That’s why the Brompton T Line and Brompton P Line lightweight folding bikes have been obsessively designed to make moving around the city that bit easier.
Creating the best lightweight folding bike is no mean feat, and Brompton engineers spent years rigorously studying every millimetre of the classic Brompton design to construct a ride that takes travelling and exploring the city to the next level.
Light bike, better for you
The stand-out feature of lightweight folding bikes is the most obvious one; they make moving the bike around with you a lot more simple. If you use your folding bike to commute by train or tube, a lightweight folding bike makes the whole journey more seamless. Choosing a Brompton also means that you can trust your bike to last day-in, day-out. Carrying your folding bike on and off the train, or up and down steps in the station, becomes less strenuous with a lightweight folding bike. Likewise, if you use your car for part of your journey and complete the remaining distance on your folding bike; getting the bike in and out of the car is a breeze.
With a lightweight folding bike moving through busy buildings is made stress-free. The weight-saving of a lightweight folding bike makes it straightforward to navigate your way through packed places, allowing you to weave through the crowds with greater ease.
There’s on-bike benefits to a lightweight folding bike as well. The one that may come to mind first is on the hills. A lower-weight folding bike will be a major advantage if you have hills along your route or you know you’ll be taking your Brompton to new roads where the terrain may be unknown. A lightweight folding bike will save you effort compared to a heavier bike when going uphill, getting you where you need to go faster.
Speaking of speed, another key on-bike benefit of a lightweight folding bike will be how quickly it can accelerate to get up to speed. While the small, compact size of all Bromptons means they’re quick off the mark from a standing start, a lightweight folding bike is even easier to get up to speed quicker. The weight-saving will also make the bike more agile and effortless to manoeuvre through tight turns and spaces.
Lightweight bike, heavyweight engineering
The T Line
The best lightweight folding bike available is the Brompton T Line, the top-end and precision-engineered titanium folding bike weighing in at just 7.45kg.
T Line was created to be the ultimate city ride and is the result of years of research and development to create a folding bike that is faster and lighter, but remains as strong as any other Brompton.
The T Line’s ultra-light titanium frame was designed and created in Sheffield, the home of Brompton’s titanium factory. The entirely re-engineered T Line titanium frame weighs 37% less than our original all-steel equivalent and is just as strong. Titanium was chosen for its low weight and its strength, and the T Line and can carry a rider weighing up to 110kg. Another notable feature of titanium, and a reason why it was chosen, is the metal’s natural shock absorption, ideal for the rougher roads you might come across in the city.
But the T Line’s engineering doesn’t stop at the frame, everything about it has been painstakingly thought through to make this bike light, fast, and durable. The carbon seat post is strong, lightweight and more comfortable, hence why these types of seat post feature on so many performance bikes. Going a level beyond, the engineers at Brompton have made it ready for the demands of day-to-day use, giving it a 0.3mm steel armour coating to create a component that delivers maximum performance and can stand up to the rigours of being folded and ridden around the city. Carbon cranks and a carbon handlebar add to the T Line’s lightweight properties, but also provide an added stiffness that gives this bike greater power transfer and makes the handling super responsive and agile.
The Brompton T Line’s drivetrain was put together with this bike in mind and is made to be the lightest it can be (the derailleur weighs just 60g) to be the top performing drivetrain for the city. The four-speed ultra-light compact gearing has been rigorously tested and fine-tuned for the city. The T Line is also available in a single-speed for the lightest Brompton ever.
The P Line
The Brompton P Line is a meticulously engineered lightweight folding bike made with a combined steel and titanium frame to make it super-light and remain as strong and resilient as a Brompton needs to be. The front fork and rear of the frame are made from titanium which, like the T Line, provides natural shock absorption for bumps in the road. The rest of the frame is made from classic Brompton steel, so you know you’ll be getting a frame that can do it all and stand up to everyday use in the city. At just 9.99kg, weighing 1.85kg less than the all-steel equivalent, the P Line delivers lightweight performance whether you’re riding or on foot.
The P Line features the same best-ever superlight drivetrain as the T Line, and with four smooth-shifting gears, will get you over whatever stands in your way. The P Line also features other next-level components. The redesigned suspension block improves handling and the bike’s efficiency, while the new lightweight wheels featured on the P Line are the most robust yet and are made to take whatever the city streets can throw at them.
Having a Brompton is all about having the freedom to go anywhere, and the P Line makes this easier than ever. Its enhanced portability makes getting around with this bike easy. The P Line comes with an optional roller frame, a comfortable and ergonomic way to steer your bike with the saddle - no different than moving with a wheelie suitcase.
The dual-locking seat system allows you to have the seat post down when fully folded or halfway up so you can use the saddle as a handle to steer the bike around. The roller frame has light and large wheels that enable the folded bike to be easily moved around through tight spaces, even on rougher surfaces.
Lightweight commuter bikes
All Brompton folding bikes are light enough to be carried around the city, wherever you need to take them. Choosing the best lightweight folding bike for you will depend on what type of commute you’re doing and what kind of rider you are, but there are a wealth of options available.
Brompton’s lightest folding bike, the T Line, is a bike for those looking for the ultimate Brompton experience. Its ultra-light spec, weighing as little as 7.45kg, makes it the Brompton equivalent of a top-end carbon road bike. It’s a bike for those looking for a performance feel combined with the ultimate portability. The T Line is the pinnacle of Brompton engineering, and will easily go anywhere and get you there fast.
The P Line is ideal for any cycle to work, weighing from just 9.99kg, but will be particularly outstanding in a multi-modal commute, where you may need to carry or wheel it on the roller frame. The P Line is the do-it-all lightweight commuter bike, combining a smooth performance road feel and the latest componentry with ultimate portability.
The lightest folding bike in Brompton’s all-steel range is the C Line, the classic Brompton design made to stand up to day-in, day-out riding in the city. Weighing from just 11.2kg, the C Line Urban is a refined version of Brompton’s original design, so is light enough and folds down small enough to be carried with you on any commute. The C Line is the bike that will get you through your commute every single day, no matter what comes along.
Brompton A Line is the Brompton with a one-size-fits-all spec, and at 11.5kg is the essential Brompton to get you from A to B. Out of the box, the A Line is ready to tackle any commute, and the beauty of this bike is that it’s ready to be customised how you want with the range of Brompton bags, parts and accessories.
As well as the lightest foldable bikes, Brompton also makes the best lightweight folding e-bikes. The Electric P Line folding bike leads the way, and features the same build for best performance riding as the non-motored P Line and its enhanced portability. The Electric P Line is the lightest folding Brompton e-bike ever, weighing from as little as 15.6kg with the battery pack attached. Though fitted with a hub motor in the front wheel, the Electric P Line folds down as small as any other Brompton and is instantly carriable. The battery is housed in a bag that clips in and out simply at the front of the bike and can be slung over your shoulder when you’re ready to head off on foot. The Electric P Line is the ideal lightweight commuter bike for those looking for the best performance feel Brompton has to offer with some supercharged assistance, allowing you to get to and from your destination without breaking into a sweat.
The same goes for the Brompton Electric C Line, the original electric folding bike. The Electric C Line, like its manual equivalent, is based on Brompton’s classic all-steel design. Fully foldable and weighing from 16.6kg with battery pack attached, it’s the perfect way to combine the portability of a Brompton folding bike with the power and fun of an e-bike for your daily commute.
Full Article Source: Brompton Page
