This 16 inch Brompton obviously was designed for commuting, travelling and short rides but not hill climbs. But nice climb and good effort. Thank you for showing to us that Brompton could climb too ( in necessary situations ).
Well done Neal, I’ve done a few steep hills on my 3 speed Brompton also, I’ve not really thought about it but you are right, they are quite rigid for a folding bike under stress. Looking forward to the other two hills, good graphic at the end👌🎥
Yeah there not to bad hey. I was a little concerd about it flexing to much and having to stop but the way its held together is incredible and gave me more confidence riding the Brommie.
I got thrown off a bike yesterday by going down a baby hill at the park. Lots of people saw. So watching you in your B75 ride down that hill woke up my ptsd.
Nice b75, I am also a proud owner of the b75 that I have modded up with folding Brompton pedals, bespoke colour coded chain guard, colour coded mud guards and leather handle to match with brooks saddle. The Brompton b75 is a brilliant platform to start a build, I have changed all low grade old Brompton part.
I had the privilege of visiting New Zealand awhile back. There is a lovely flatish street in Dunedin, I think, certainly the South Island, called Baldwin St , less than half a mile long. Whilst you are there, just cross the Tasman Sea with your Brompton and give that one a go !
@NonStopNeal It would be extremely helpful if you would list the percent grade of the climb (or elevation at the bottom and at the top), the length of the climb (km), and how long it took you to get up it.
Little did I know Neal, I thought the Brompton was an electric Bike? I was very surprised to see you peddled it to the top. Your in good shape Mate. 😜👍
Hahaha you can get an pedal assist Brompton set up which actually looks awesome. Yeah i think me coming off a tour for a year running around in heavy dino suits helped with that ride up haha.
If you have the standard 3 speed, your low gear is probably 47.9 gear inches. You are a really strong rider to make it up that hill in that gear! I’ve modded my 6 speed -12% gearing with a 39t chainring. I would have done that hill in 1st gear, 25.7 gear inches. Nicely done!
Hi John, thanks a lot mate . It was a challenge thats for sure. Put a lot of stress on the bike which really didnt effect it one bit. There built so well.
@@howesyourmac 15 mph is too slow for me on flat surface! After doing tons of research, it seems that the standard 6 speed would be the most versatile. Although if I could find a double front sprocket that can achieve -12% in low gears and +8% in high gears. Unsure if such product exists in Brompton. Am curious if I could take the sprocket off of another bike and use it on the Brompton, as I know some bikes do have the ratios with their front sprocket.
@@CelticSpiritsCoven There’s not much in the way of flat surfaces here in San Francisco, so it’s not much of an issue. The Brompton is my city bike. If I want to go fast on the flats, I ride my Specialized Diverge. There are definitely 2 chain wheel solutions for the Brompton, but I don’t really need that so I can’t recommend any specific solution.
Well done Neal, getting up that hill i didn't think you and the bike would do it... how wrong was i. I'm off to Evans Cycles in Castleford next week to get my B75. ;)
New guy on this channel Nice content for Brompton aficionados 🍻 Do you know if the 6 gear bike would have even lower gears to make that climb easier(with the same 44T front chainring) or are they all just for extra speed? I care about hill climbing less about sheer speed as my town is on a hill. Cheers 🍻 Bb
I've been waiting for this video & WOW, Neal it's a beauty. You certainly know how to showcase the Brompton(and Hobart). Sitting by for the next hillclimb!
For people looking to buy a bike for commuting that will cover you for different gradients, or for a journey that consist of a climb required then my suggestion is a mountain bike on slick tyres, best of both worlds.
You cant put a mountain bike in a suitcase or take it on a bus etc . The Brompton is so good at fitting in small places . Also never having to worry if your bike will get stollen. You can just take the bike with you.
@@NonStopNeal still over priced for that convenience. You don't need an expensive mountain bike that can cope better than the brompton on roads. Buy second hand, no one will be care to steal it. I hate overpriced products, people should never support these greedy companies. The worst of them is the swytch kit. They disgust me to the stomach.
What is the gear ratio on the climbing gear? Mine (a folder also) is 1 to 1 (1 crank revol gives 1 revol of rear wheel) and I think mine is pretty good.
Get yourself a seat height insert from Brompton if nobody taller than you also rides the bike. It'll let you adjust the max height so you get it right every time with no hassle.
Hmmmm good question, Usually i just try and relax and allow for some wobbles. Maybe try and move your body weight forward or back and find a sweet spot.
I was thinking of getting a brompton but where I live is surrounded by hills like those, so I guess I am getting the Tern S8i. Would you do a review on the Tern? Tha.
Not the Brompton. At least not in my experience (among various trials of fire, 7-day tour of Tuscany - hills there are far longer and considerably steeper than the one shown here)
@@Muddy283 My only sample is a 1995 single speed model @ 75 ish gi. A little speed demon, tho it flexes too much on sprints and climbs. Im sure newer models must be 1000x better but i can't justify that kind of money on a folder.
@@trajtemberg That was a good'un (though I think it was some time in 1995 that they updated their models). I started with a 1995 model (the updated 1995 version), albeit 3-speed, but I abused it so bought a new Brompton in 2014. But the previous Brompton generation was good too; I have a good friend who still rides his older generation Brompton with success and enthusiasm. That said, if you want to do some serious hill-climbing and you intend to get to the top without dismounting, it's important that you upgrade to the BWR (Brompton Wide Range) hub 3-gear combined with the 2-speed derailleur to make a 6-speed model, and that you also change from the 50-tooth to the 44-tooth chainwheel. These two changes make a BIG difference. Also watch out, with the older models, for some fake Bromptons that were manufactured (and emanated from Taiwan, I think). You WILL have problems with those. But I think, through lawsuits etc., that's been effectively stopped now. YMMV but personally I'm completely sold on the Brompton folder, and I wouldn't have any other bike. From a security point of view - you take the bike everywhere with you, so it can't get stolen - for convenience regarding inter-modal transport, being able to double up as a shopping caddy etc. etc., and having a bike that is not only solid and designed to last you a lifetime but also approaches the performance of a standard bike and in some ways even exceeds it, it is for my purposes unbeatable. But as I say, each to his own 😉.
Yeah i was a little concernd i might have to stop cause. of the folds in the bike taking to much stress but it held up so well. Meka did a great job on the camera. Might have to employ her more often .
@@NonStopNeal those bicycles are damn expensive, $1,000 usd and up, wow I would buy another wheel before a bicycle because I don't feel like pedaling, LOL yes I spelled her name wrong oops
@@CelticSpiritsCoven 6 speed with chan ring: 39T (factory standard: 50T), Marathon tires (6 bar pressure) = comfortable max. speed is around 30 kmh if the road is totaly flat. Over this speed the pedal candace will be unconfortable for me.
Its just me i suppose but it seems strange when someone takes a brompton cycle from the boot of the car then i think to myself do you really need that earth polluting car in the first place? when you got a brompton to keep you healthy avoiding these traffic jams to get to and from work while saving you all the usual expenses of keeping a car on the road obviously there are some people who have to travel by car if their journey to work is extreme but i would say about two thirds of car drivers are no more that 7 miles on average to get to work....
Geez that is a monster hill I'm sure the Adrenalin from riding back down helped make up for the energy used going up though. Shout out to Mika for the camera work, that couldn't have been easy either.
It turned into a monster hill for sure. Glad i didnt think about it. to much and just went for it haha. Yeah was good to have Meka on the other end made for a better video i think.
look like you are done for the day 😁 brompton is not designed For hill climbing purpose. while riding brompton, if you see any hill best would be fold & carry it all the way up to the hill. once you reach on top of the hill just unfold it and then start riding 😂😂
You could just push it up the hill hahaha or get a solid workout in and take the bike for a hill climb. I still have this Brompton and its never been serviced and can still take on some big hills.
That does not look steep to me, but I have ridden mine in San Francisco and it could be the camera angle as well. I've got a six speed and struggled on some SF hills and I know there's some I could not climb. Brompton is great, but unless you really are into customization, you just can't get the gear range that you can out of a road bike. That being said, I'm super tempted to turn mine into a 9-speed so I can climb anything. (Don't tell the wife.)
This video is purely for entertainment! You don't mention anything about the gear ratios on the bike (gear-inches or meters-development) nor how steep the hill is. So really quite useless to help anybody decide whether to get this bike.
If you want to climb hills get more gears or get a full size bike. Bromptons are a great bike for travel and city riding. I wanted to see if the bikes frame could handle a steep hill. Turns out the bike is pretty well made.
This 16 inch Brompton obviously was designed for commuting, travelling and short rides but not hill climbs. But nice climb and good effort. Thank you for showing to us that Brompton could climb too ( in necessary situations ).
Well done Neal, I’ve done a few steep hills on my 3 speed Brompton also, I’ve not really thought about it but you are right, they are quite rigid for a folding bike under stress. Looking forward to the other two hills, good graphic at the end👌🎥
Yeah there not to bad hey. I was a little concerd about it flexing to much and having to stop but the way its held together is incredible and gave me more confidence riding the Brommie.
I got thrown off a bike yesterday by going down a baby hill at the park. Lots of people saw. So watching you in your B75 ride down that hill woke up my ptsd.
You can install a black plastic seat post insert from brompton, that keeps the seat at the correct height
Nice b75, I am also a proud owner of the b75 that I have modded up with folding Brompton pedals, bespoke colour coded chain guard, colour coded mud guards and leather handle to match with brooks saddle. The Brompton b75 is a brilliant platform to start a build, I have changed all low grade old Brompton part.
I had the privilege of visiting New Zealand awhile back. There is a lovely flatish street in Dunedin, I think, certainly the South Island, called Baldwin St , less than half a mile long. Whilst you are there, just cross the Tasman Sea with your Brompton and give that one a go !
Great video Neal. We've been enjoying your long form unicycle/brompton travel videos around the world. Be well!
@NonStopNeal It would be extremely helpful if you would list the percent grade of the climb (or elevation at the bottom and at the top), the length of the climb (km), and how long it took you to get up it.
ㅅ
Little did I know Neal, I thought the Brompton was an electric Bike? I was very surprised to see you peddled it to the top.
Your in good shape Mate. 😜👍
Hahaha you can get an pedal assist Brompton set up which actually looks awesome. Yeah i think me coming off a tour for a year running around in heavy dino suits helped with that ride up haha.
If you have the standard 3 speed, your low gear is probably 47.9 gear inches. You are a really strong rider to make it up that hill in that gear! I’ve modded my 6 speed -12% gearing with a 39t chainring. I would have done that hill in 1st gear, 25.7 gear inches. Nicely done!
Hi John, thanks a lot mate . It was a challenge thats for sure. Put a lot of stress on the bike which really didnt effect it one bit. There built so well.
What is your top speed on flat surface with your -12% using the 39t front sprocket?
@@CelticSpiritsCoven I haven’t actually measured my speed on a flat place. It feels like about 15 mph.
@@howesyourmac 15 mph is too slow for me on flat surface!
After doing tons of research, it seems that the standard 6 speed would be the most versatile. Although if I could find a double front sprocket that can achieve -12% in low gears and +8% in high gears. Unsure if such product exists in Brompton. Am curious if I could take the sprocket off of another bike and use it on the Brompton, as I know some bikes do have the ratios with their front sprocket.
@@CelticSpiritsCoven There’s not much in the way of flat surfaces here in San Francisco, so it’s not much of an issue. The Brompton is my city bike. If I want to go fast on the flats, I ride my Specialized Diverge.
There are definitely 2 chain wheel solutions for the Brompton, but I don’t really need that so I can’t recommend any specific solution.
This is where the Bromptom Electric comes in. I’m too old for that hill.
FYI You can get a saddle height insert from Brompton so it always opens to the right height, pretty easy to install
I got one included when I bought my B75
Nice video. Do we have a solution for touring Brompton in a steep hill? Can we modify to have lower gears?
Well Done to you and Meka. That hill looked very steep. I didn't think the Brompton had enough gearing to make it. 👏👍
Yeah ill be honest i wasnt to sure myself at the start.
it was more muscle then gearing:)
i have a 3 speeder too and i know what it can do and more importantly what it can't.....sometimes you have to help it :)
Well done, entertaining video
Well done Neal, getting up that hill i didn't think you and the bike would do it... how wrong was i. I'm off to Evans Cycles in Castleford next week to get my B75. ;)
Alright Bob I had my doubts for s moment to haha. The little Brommie is a beast. Couldn't recommend it anymore. Have fun picking yours up .
The tofu scramble really got you going. 💪😁
You know it !
first speed is the lightest speed?
I got the same bike, what upgrades you did? I found the seat saddle uncomfortable so looking to replace it. great video
New guy on this channel
Nice content for Brompton aficionados 🍻
Do you know if the 6 gear bike would have even lower gears to make that climb easier(with the same 44T front chainring) or are they all just for extra speed?
I care about hill climbing less about sheer speed as my town is on a hill.
Cheers 🍻
Bb
I've been waiting for this video & WOW, Neal it's a beauty. You certainly know how to showcase the Brompton(and Hobart). Sitting by for the next hillclimb!
Ill have that edited tonight, been a bit busy at the moment. Thanks for tuning in.
Beast mode! 💪🏻🤣
Whooooo had to flick that switch there mate.
3 speed! It’s definitely a stretch. I am still not sure how even rholoff would do.🤔
it was even tiring to watch!!! :D
Congrats!
Hi, what is your height and weight? Do you think this bike is suitable for me (185cm, 98 kg)?
what was the grade of the hill? 7%?
What is the average gradient of this slope ( it looks different from different angle of view )?
Hobart, where?
Well done! Nice view at the top! Still waiting on my brides bike to get here.. should be tomorrow.
Hi Mark you get that Bike yet?
@@NonStopNeal Yep. My bride is figuring it out. Should be a blast though.
For people looking to buy a bike for commuting that will cover you for different gradients, or for a journey that consist of a climb required then my suggestion is a mountain bike on slick tyres, best of both worlds.
You cant put a mountain bike in a suitcase or take it on a bus etc . The Brompton is so good at fitting in small places . Also never having to worry if your bike will get stollen. You can just take the bike with you.
@@NonStopNeal still over priced for that convenience. You don't need an expensive mountain bike that can cope better than the brompton on roads. Buy second hand, no one will be care to steal it. I hate overpriced products, people should never support these greedy companies. The worst of them is the swytch kit. They disgust me to the stomach.
English but what country? Left drive - Australia?
I couldn’t have done that. Very impressive! Can’t even do a 8% hill on my 3 speed Brompton for more than 50 metres or so.
Cheers mate. This turned into a build test instead of a hill test. It held up so well
Do you know the percent grade of that hill?
oh you in Hobart. I have a Brompton in Hobart too
Hoping to be back in Hobart in december with the Brompton.
Well done 👍
What is the gear ratio on the climbing gear? Mine (a folder also) is 1 to 1 (1 crank revol gives 1 revol of rear wheel) and I think mine is pretty good.
That was sooo cool 😃👏👏👏
Hi J , thanks so much whoooo
Get yourself a seat height insert from Brompton if nobody taller than you also rides the bike. It'll let you adjust the max height so you get it right every time with no hassle.
Ive been meaning to grab one for ages. Should just get online and make the purchace.
Tasmania should have Tour De Tasmania,and all riders need to be on a Brompton
Well done! That downhill view put that climb into perspective. And we almost met your partner Mika 😀
Cheers Cuba, yeah Meka is pretty shy infront of the camera but did a great job at making that video better with the added angle.
You should give the road up to Mt Wellington a go, that would be a serious challenge ⛰️⛰️⛰️🤣
I wanted to ride up Mt Wellington but it was so icey. I do have a video coming down some of it .
I would wonder how recumbents would do on this hill.
How tall are you?
Hi Neal can u give me some tips to try on how to stop the wobbles when going fast please mate brian UK
Hmmmm good question, Usually i just try and relax and allow for some wobbles. Maybe try and move your body weight forward or back and find a sweet spot.
Yes, it can be quite creepy when those little wheels decide to wiggle-waggle.
The real power comes not from the bike, but the biker. :D
shhhhhh it was all the 3 speed brommie haha
NICE NICE NICE
I was thinking of getting a brompton but where I live is surrounded by hills like those, so I guess I am getting the Tern S8i. Would you do a review on the Tern? Tha.
It starts falling apart if you do climbs regularly at 60 gi.
Not the Brompton. At least not in my experience (among various trials of fire, 7-day tour of Tuscany - hills there are far longer and considerably steeper than the one shown here)
@@Muddy283 My only sample is a 1995 single speed model @ 75 ish gi. A little speed demon, tho it flexes too much on sprints and climbs. Im sure newer models must be 1000x better but i can't justify that kind of money on a folder.
@@trajtemberg That was a good'un (though I think it was some time in 1995 that they updated their models). I started with a 1995 model (the updated 1995 version), albeit 3-speed, but I abused it so bought a new Brompton in 2014. But the previous Brompton generation was good too; I have a good friend who still rides his older generation Brompton with success and enthusiasm.
That said, if you want to do some serious hill-climbing and you intend to get to the top without dismounting, it's important that you upgrade to the BWR (Brompton Wide Range) hub 3-gear combined with the 2-speed derailleur to make a 6-speed model, and that you also change from the 50-tooth to the 44-tooth chainwheel. These two changes make a BIG difference.
Also watch out, with the older models, for some fake Bromptons that were manufactured (and emanated from Taiwan, I think). You WILL have problems with those. But I think, through lawsuits etc., that's been effectively stopped now.
YMMV but personally I'm completely sold on the Brompton folder, and I wouldn't have any other bike. From a security point of view - you take the bike everywhere with you, so it can't get stolen - for convenience regarding inter-modal transport, being able to double up as a shopping caddy etc. etc., and having a bike that is not only solid and designed to last you a lifetime but also approaches the performance of a standard bike and in some ways even exceeds it, it is for my purposes unbeatable.
But as I say, each to his own 😉.
@@trajtemberg Correction! I got my years wrong. My first model was in fact from 2005, and it was then that they made some changes. Sorry!
💪🏼💪🏼👍
"Flippn done it" lol
I couldnt believe it. Think the video pushed me up that hill was a beast of a climb haha
I thought this was England before I spotted a Holden Commodore.....
hahaha yeah the Holden (Vauxhall ) Tassie mate haha
May need a six speed
Oh no. You need more gears!
I think it turns out to be if you can make the hill not the bike, lol poor Mika all that walking, lol
Yeah i was a little concernd i might have to stop cause. of the folds in the bike taking to much stress but it held up so well. Meka did a great job on the camera. Might have to employ her more often .
@@NonStopNeal those bicycles are damn expensive, $1,000 usd and up, wow I would buy another wheel before a bicycle because I don't feel like pedaling, LOL yes I spelled her name wrong oops
@@TheOriginalAndysGarage Good quality doesnt come cheap. With the Brompton I'm able to travel with the euc it's a no go.
@@NonStopNeal I know that's the only thing that sucks with the electric unicycle because of the big battery you can't take it on airplanes
I get tired just by watching this
Sorry about that mate
I guess it depends on how fit the cyclist is
Need better gears or a motor assist. Good climb.
Well i think this is an extreme test. I couldnt see many people myself included doing these hills on a daily commute haha
It looks much steeper from your camera.
Birdy all the way 😂
Let’s Go yes,tern also better than brompton
Next step: Single speed!
Hi I am a Filipino where I can. It bromptonb75
Online.. search stores in your area
If you'd had a 6 speed -12% It would has been easier.... ;-)
haha of course but that wasnt the point of this fun exercise
Yes, but what do you lose in speed on a flat surface in high gear with -12%?
@@CelticSpiritsCoven 6 speed with chan ring: 39T (factory standard: 50T), Marathon tires (6 bar pressure) = comfortable max. speed is around 30 kmh if the road is totaly flat. Over this speed the pedal candace will be unconfortable for me.
Hill climb
Its just me i suppose but it seems strange when someone takes a brompton cycle from the boot of the car then i think to myself do you really need that earth polluting car in the first place? when you got a brompton to keep you healthy avoiding these traffic jams to get to and from work while saving you all the usual expenses of keeping a car on the road
obviously there are some people who have to travel by car if their journey to work is extreme but i would say about two thirds of car drivers are no more that 7 miles on average to get to work....
Geez that is a monster hill I'm sure the Adrenalin from riding back down helped make up for the energy used going up though. Shout out to Mika for the camera work, that couldn't have been easy either.
It turned into a monster hill for sure. Glad i didnt think about it. to much and just went for it haha. Yeah was good to have Meka on the other end made for a better video i think.
look like you are done for the day 😁 brompton is not designed For hill climbing purpose. while riding brompton, if you see any hill best would be fold & carry it all the way up to the hill. once you reach on top of the hill just unfold it and then start riding 😂😂
You could just push it up the hill hahaha or get a solid workout in and take the bike for a hill climb. I still have this Brompton and its never been serviced and can still take on some big hills.
That does not look steep to me, but I have ridden mine in San Francisco and it could be the camera angle as well. I've got a six speed and struggled on some SF hills and I know there's some I could not climb. Brompton is great, but unless you really are into customization, you just can't get the gear range that you can out of a road bike. That being said, I'm super tempted to turn mine into a 9-speed so I can climb anything. (Don't tell the wife.)
He’s panting heavily. So, brompton’s gears are not up to task?
Do not respond to Bananarama it's a scammer he comments on everybody's videos
Buy electric Brompton a lot easyer
How long have you been vegan?
Hello , so ive been on the plants for just over 8 years now.
So much talking, so little Alpe d'Huez
This video is purely for entertainment! You don't mention anything about the gear ratios on the bike (gear-inches or meters-development) nor how steep the hill is. So really quite useless to help anybody decide whether to get this bike.
If you want to climb hills get more gears or get a full size bike. Bromptons are a great bike for travel and city riding. I wanted to see if the bikes frame could handle a steep hill. Turns out the bike is pretty well made.
Sorry on a EUC lol 🙏
EUC would have easy got up this hill.