Is the ARCC Brompton conversion is it worth it?
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- Опубліковано 25 лип 2024
- In this video, I take an @ARCC Brompton Conversion for a ride. ARCC is a company in Cambridge that converts Bromtpons (and other bikes) into electric bikes. They loaned me their bike to test and I took it up hills, for range tests and for a ride on an off-road single track here in Bristol to see what it could do. I think e-bikes are great and there are a lot to choose from out there. This is a great option for those who have a Brompton bike they love but would like it to have electric assist added.
⚡ITEMS MENTIONED⚡️
➜ ARCC Brompton Conversion: bit.ly/ARCCBromptonConversion
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➜ Brooks saddle: bit.ly/BrooksC67Saddle
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Great review has always, very informative, thank you.
Thanks very much for this great review. First time hearing about Arc.?Very welcome news indeed! Happy trails, stay safe.
Starting to love Brompton electric! Post more videos esp. riding the bike touring around the city. Like I have said. Got an eelo electric bike 14 inches. But now, loving the Brompton electric bike. Planning to buy another one now, beacuse of your great videos as well!
Really helpful. I’ve been looking at electric Bromptons to go to and from work. Thanks for the film.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. It's nice to know people find the videos useful 😊
In all honesty, I have a BE and it's great, but I wish I'd got one of these. Just for the batteries, if nothing else.
Well done on a very comprehensive test. I work from home now so no more commute but if I had to this would be an option.
Thank you. I could have made the video twice as long there are so many clever things in this conversion.
I'm in a similar situtation and miss my commute.
That’s really helpful thanks
There's one thing ARCC and Brompton share is the bonkers price of this ebike conversion!
Definitely not designed for the faint of heart...lol
👍thanks for the useful information, great video!
Thank you! And you're welcome 😀
ARCC's programming and design has been hands down, the best of all Brompton e-bikes. Every year - before COVID-19 - I always go to the Birmingham The Cycle Show e-bike testing track to try ARCC. I always tell them this and they are very humble. I cannot praise ARCC more highly. Perfect.
They have done an amazing job. I was impressed (as you can tell in the video). I'm trying the Moulton next 😁
Excellent briefing, thank you. M.
Your welcome!
Great review, thanks. I looked at the Arcc conversion for my Brompton, but price was an issue so I went for the Swytch instead.
In retrospect, I should have gone for the Arcc. It’s so much more sophisticated and the ability to swap batteries - and use commercially available battery packs - is a real advantage.
That said, I do like the swytch Brompton and as it’s my first electric bike, well first bike for 20 years I didn’t really know how much I’d use it. Turns out... a lot!
You learn a lot from your first bike as an adult, I know I did. I find the Swytch pricing confusing and hard to understand. I don't know how they ride as I've not tried one. The main thing is you are out on your bike enjoying the ride! 😀
There is a lot of value in the ARCC conversion, both in the quality of the product and support. Their parts are sourced in Europe so are easier to get if a repair is needed. The five-year warranty is good peace of mind as well when you are spending that much money. It depends on what your budget is and if you fancy a DIY or not.
Saying you’re a coffee snob had me in stitches 🤣🤣🤣. Great information!
A coffee snob and not afraid to admit it! There is too much bad to average coffee in the SW, it's like being stuck in 2010 here. 😂
Michelle, thank you so much for making this video. Having ridden a few hired electric bikes and test-ridden Van Moof and Brompton Electric, I've been setting aside money for a Brompton Electric but now I will consider taking my M3L to ARCC for a conversion instead.
I have a Swytch kit ordered for an existing 700c hybrid bike, but want a folding e-bike too.
For people riding in London (or another big city) the smoothness of the motor engagement is a significant factor.
A couple points I noted:
(1) I think the Brompton Electric provides a 300Wh battery and the ARCC, with the 6aH Bosch battery at 36V, 216Wh (although 9aH Bosch -> 324Wh)
(2) Brompton Electric comes with factory fitted front and rear lights, it would be nice to see ARCC offer this option also, especially once the clocks go back. I note, however, that the ARCC remote control does have a lights button (bottom right) - is this for an optional upgrade or future iteration I wonder?
And one question:
I tend to use a Kryptonite New York lock on my Brompton (never leave for more than 1-2 hours).
Is the battery easily removable to take away with you if you lock the bike up?
Hi Najeebster, to answer your questions, we are currently working on lights as a future product launch. In the meantime we recommend using any of the USB-C ports on the pod to charge battery-powered lights which charge through USB. And yes, the battery can be easily removed and stored when the bike is stationary (we also offer the option of a pod lock which makes the battery immovable without a key.)
We hoped this has helped!
ARCC :)
interesting watch, never considered this, thanks. I am a happy Swytch user, though not sure you'd like it as the wheel will frequently spin and the 'ramp up' is pretty sharp. i like it a lot!
Really great video. Looks like a well thought-out system. Batteries are definitely a plus, as a Brompton battery is £500. I do get surprised by my BE sometimes when the assist kicks in so the smooth start sounds good 👍
The video easily could have been twice as long if I went into ALL the clever details on this conversion. It was really well thought out. Hoping to try their Molton version one day 😀
Great content, thanks
Glad you liked it!
I hope that the US has similar or same conversion kits using this reliable Bosch batteries. Any suggestions for US Brompton users?
You have certainly convinced me. I wish it could be delivered to Canada 🙁
This does look great, the smooth start is a big plus. Not looking for electric right now but if I do I can see it has benefits over the Brompton Electric. Great to be able to convert an existing Brompton with different handlebar types with the option of own gearing choices. Price wise it's kind of equivalent to buying an Brompton Electric and if you already have a Brompton it's a still a big saving over buying a new Brompton electric.
Like you said the best use case for it is if you have a Brompton already. Saves the hassle of selling it and buying a new one. With the lastest pricing on bikes going up I believe it's more of a savings now.
Nice video!
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.
What phone mount
Great to see it compared against the Cytronox system
Using widely available power tool batteries is an absolute stroke of genius. Not in the market for an electric bike or conversion kit, but this seems pretty cool.
The clip block on tool batteries are an over complication.
Did you test the kit from Nano electric bikes ? They also use 36v Bosch tool batteries but they seem to be cheaper than ARCC.
Hi quick question 🙋battery is a waterproof? Thank you 😊
I have another kit on mine but it was a disaster, all the batteries failed first charge after a bit of use to half full. These were replaced by Bosch but I went back to the kit supplier, they changed to controller . I however went to a two connector battery, the Bosch batteries have three connection and so do the powertools., I have had no problem with the proper bike battery, but 5 failures from the Bosch. I now use the Bosch batteries I have , only on their tools with No trouble at all . 7 batteries altogether and five fail to charge after use on the bike?????
Excellent review, engaging and detailed. I have a Brompton Electric. I find the front bag disconnects occasionally on bumps and I have to push the bag down again and reconnect. Have you ever experienced this? Was the ARCC hands down better than the BE? Thanks! :-)
I've never had the bag do this on either of the Brompton Electrics I have. It can be a sign the bag cover isn't aligned quite right, otherwise I would take it to where you bought it from to get it checked. I wouldn't say it's hands down better, it has less range and at the moment they don't have lights integrated with the battery. So it depends on what you prioritise or what your situation is (if you already own a Brompton ARCC would be the way to go).
Hey whats the battery compacity? I saw it was 4 amp 36 volts which is 144 wh which is over the 100 Wh limit? Are you sure you can bring this as a carry on?
Very informative review. Are there any stores in the US?
No they are Cambridge UK based I'm afraid.
Hi again Brompton electric 2 speed or 6 speed what do you think regards Trevor
As an owner of a Bosch 36 volt toolset this set would be an obvious addition, and I own several chargers. But I live in Denmark?
I’m seriously thinking about converting my manual s6L into an electric Brompton using a Ciclotek kit, but I honestly don’t know if this is a good solution or I should go for the original Brompton electric.
A video about this question would be great!!
Anyway, this one was awesome, as always.
Keep on feeding the channel.
Regards,
Fer.
I went for the SWYTCH kit for my S6L. ~ 1/3 the cost (on advanced orders) of the ARCC with, what appears, a comparable specification. I haven't ridden with an ARCC so can only testify for the SWYTCH. It's been totally fantastic and transformative to my attitude and willingness to cycling. The battery is handle bar mounted, leaving the front mounting block and space for my Brompton S Bag. This was critical to me and a decisive factor - along with my price sensitivity :) Highly recommend.
Yes! Finally video proof that you can send a trail on a Brompton!
Great video as ever. Also kindred spirit coffee snob 😜 Can’t believe you can’t find good coffee down your way. How was the afternoon cup? I’m off to the ARCC website 😎
It can be found but you have to be in the know. There's far too much bad to average coffee in the SW, in places that look like they should know what they're doing. The place in Bath (Cafe Society) is really good it's where I usually go when there. Staff are lovely to. I believe there's a branch in Bristol too.
@@OneLessCar Thanks for the tip! I had similar problems when back in Scotland recently but can thoroughly recommend the flat white in Campbell’s in Inveraray...
Did Arcc say anything about re-enforcing the forks on the normal Bromptons? The e-bromptons have re-enforced that part, ie use a beefed up fork.
If you mean the drop outs on the fork end. Yes they are reinforced.
there is some anecdotal info that smartphones on bikes can suffer from vibrations even if you have dual suspension on your ebike, can you please tell me where you got your phone mount from? Why did you feel it was over engineered?
I love your sunglasses. What is the brand, please?
Thanks! They are www.tifosioptics.com/swank-series/ :)
For coffee in Bristol I really like full court press and small street espresso.
Thanks for the recommendation 😀
I’ll second Small Street, Tradewind Espresso on Whiteladies is pretty good too.
Don't they fit bells to bikes anymore ?
Does anyone know how to remove the front wheel to replace the inner tube? I have a snakebite puncture and cannot remove the clips/covers that are over the fork ends and prevent the wheel from being extracted. We've tried several things to no avail and the online manual doesn't show these clips/covers for the Brompton version of the conversion. This is very frustrating & a bit of an oversight for such a premium product if you cannot remove the wheel with reasonable ease!
Have you tried contacting ARCC?
Hi Michelle, I hope you read this message as I need some guidance. I am ready to buy a folding electric bike, I had decided to buy the Brompton electric but then I watched your video about ARCC and now I am full of doubts. The main problem with the Brompton electric is that it is too heavy for me and I was thinking that maybe buying the superlight Brompton with ARCC might be a better solution? As you are an expert I would like to hear your opinion about this. Many thanks for all the videos you make, I watch them all!☺️
The superlight Brompton I believe you are refering to is the the one with the titanium forks. I've had one on loan for a week and while it is lighter than the standard Brompton, it's only slighly lighter, just under a kilo if I rememeber correctly. So I suspect this may not be enough to make it light enough for you. If weight is an issue you might be better with a none electric Brompton.
If you are in the UK I highly recommend giving one of the Brompton Hires a try and live with one for a week or two. You'll learn a lot that way and it will likely help you decide what is right for you. Thank you for all the support! Michelle
Apparently titanium forks aren't good with front wheel motors. I have the same issue and am looking for the solution!
Thanks for this video! I’m pretty sold on the ARCC conversion, but wasn’t sure if they would accept a Brompton that was purchased second hand? Also I think I understood that it would have to be brought to their facility by the owner so not sent via international shipping?
They will retrofit a Brompton you own. As far as I know they don't do international shipping (you probably don't want to have to pay for customs and duty on a bike you already own anyway) so yes a visit to Cambridge UK would be necessary, but not a bad place to visit if you can do it.
@@OneLessCar thanks again! I just might have to hunt down old friends and see who might be near Cambridge because a visit sounds lovely:^)
Can this stillclimb up the hills if your Brompton has no gears? I have the gear less Tbar Brompton and considering the retrofit electric battery and kit
Hi Elspeth, yes it can (or rather, it will help power you up the hills as you still need to pedal!). If you are able to visit Cambridge or London, we have a range of test bikes you can try and see for yourself :)
If you have to choose: The best coffee or ride on Brompton? Thank you for the nice video, Brompton conversion looks great but to pay £1800 for it is just too much. I rather buy the Brompton electric. Cheers!
ooh that's a hard one.... I think I'd choose ride a Brompton nothing beats the endorphins of a good bike ride! 😀
I think the value of the ARCC comes in for those that already have a Bromomton who want to upgrade to electric.
I was wondering how ARCC compares with the original Brompton Electric. Would you already have a preference or immediately see the pros and cons of these two?
It's very comparible they are both good products. The offical version has better range but the ARCC is very easy to get and bring with you spare batteries to increas your range. ARCC has a smoother ramp up though Brompton could easily improve this on theirs with an update.
If you already have a Brompton and want to make it electric I would not hesitate to recommend getting ARC to do the conversion. This is their main focus but even conversions aside it is a very good option for those who want an e-bike, especially if you might want to fly with it due to their option for 4A batteries.
I was very impressed by ARCC and the attention to detail. I didn't have the chance to go over all the details in this video but I'll be test riding the Moulton conversion they do soon and will cover some of them in that, so stay tuned!
Hi do you have anymore information on the Front bag conversion regards Trevor
You can find out more about it here www.arccbikes.com/products/bag-converstion-kit
@@OneLessCar thanks
If you can air travel with it, definitely a game changer!
It's such a benefit to be able to bring it on a plane travelling if you travel a lot. I have a feeling my Dad's workshop in Canada might have a few Bosch batteries laying around 😀
How do you find the C67 saddle? Supposedly made for e-bike
I wasn't too sure about it due to the lack of cut out but so far I've been pleasantly surprised. That day was the first time using it and after about 50km riding (in jeans) I was still comfortable.
Good to hear that. I’m considering it but there aren’t many reviews about
I build pevs, so for me diy is the only way to go. Although it's nice to have options for people who don't want to diy.
I might be up for a DIY if I was in Canada and had my Dad's support, tools and knoweledge :D
How waterproof is it?
Very, the IP rating is IP65. You can see what that means here: uk.rs-online.com/web/generalDisplay.html?id=ideas-and-advice/ip-ratings
Is it worth £1800, when you could buy a separate e bike for that or not much more?
It depends on what your transport needs are. We got our first Brompton it was because my husband had to take the train at rush hour part way to work and ride the rest. In the UK you can't bring a normal bike on the train at rush hour. The ability to fold up the Brompton and take it just about anywhere and store it in a small place is where the value of it is. I find it hugely valuable especially since we can fit two in our smart car. 😀 If you want to know if it's for you and you live in the UK I'd recommend hiring one www.bromptonbikehire.com/
@@OneLessCar I actually have a Brompton and love it for those reasons. I would love an electric conversion that works, and from your video the ARCC conversion looks perfect, but I'm just trying to convince myself not to spend £1800! I think the cheap switchable, and future proof batteries is the huge, as it means you can have an ebike with affordable longevity. My main anxiety about ebikes is the battery life and being locked into an expensive replacement.
Quadlock means it takes you four tries to remove it. Using Bosch tool batteries is genius as is the kit.
So true! Or attach your phone to it 🤣
In theory, you should be able to attach your phone with one hand. In practice, I try that for about 15 seconds and then give up and use one hand to compress the collar and the other hand to wiggle the phone about until it clicks in. On the plus side, once it’s in, it’s not coming loose accidentally no matter how rough the ride.
Looks better without the battery cover. Looks too much like a speaker with the cover on, hehe.
Being able to use power tool batteries is great. I wish Brompton made a smaller battery. Can’t say I’ve ever had an issue with the Brompton power ramp up.
It becomes noticable when you have to do a fine tuned movement, which I used to have to do to get onto the bike path, through a barrier, a sharp right up an incline... first time I tried it I went off into the grass. Being a ligher rider I really notice it but my husband has had it too.
Actually I lied! Well, almost. I have had one single occasion where I was on some loose dirt going slightly up hill and the front wheel did slip for a split second. I had assumed that the motor had sensed the slip and reduced the power, but it could just be that it gained traction again. I guess if you frequently come across the conditions that cause it to occur then it would become a larger issue. I use it 99% of the time to commute, so pretty standard, flat roads. I’m still very impressed how good the ramp up is, considering how thin the tyres are. I have another (cheap/dumb) electric bike with wider tyres and only a cadence sensor where this is a serious issue and you have to slightly depress the brakes to stop the power otherwise you probably would lose control of the front wheel. All that said, the Brompton is the only higher end system I’ve ever tried so I don’t really have anything to compare it to.
I’m curious how successful these are? I asked the brompton junction shop about converting my brompton to ebike and his response was “what’s your relationship with your teeth?” He said part of their business is repairs and specific for non ebrompton, that frame hinge failure from the stress of the motor has caused people to smash their faces into the ground, hence his joking, (but not really) response to me. He mentioned a lot of people got those swytch kits for their non electric Brompton and that increased their repairs ten fold.
Interesting, but I've never heard this before.
I ride a conventional 2016 Brompton Black 6speed with the huge 35ltr+ Brompton T-bag nearly full (and heavy) all the time and I've never had a problem with this hinge. Ironically the rear triangle hinge has to be fixed occasionally!
ARCC have had their conversion checked and it meets the requirments of an e-bike (the same one the Brompton Electric would have to meet) to be safe. They also back their conversion for 5 years adn any warrenty left on the bike (due to the fact that the conversion voids it) I'd say having it done right is one of the benefits to having the bike professionally converted, rather than a do it yourself or an over powered motor too big for the bike to handle. There's more information about their testing here www.arccbikes.com/pages/bike-testing
The Brompton electrical battery kit looks bloody awful! Why. didn't they make their electrical battery as neat as compact as the ARCC or the Nano?
The only problem is you would have to take it to Cambridge to get it serviced 😞
Most bike mechanics can service a Brompton. The only reason it would have to go back to Cambridge (and it can be shipped for £25) is if the ARCC smart pod or sensors needed to be fixed. Otherwise it's just like any other Brompton 😀
Conclusion: great kit but insane price.
May as well sell your bike and buy the electric Brompton and it would likely be cheaper
The kit is £1800 on top on the price of your brompton, lol it cheaper to just buy an electric brompton
Well, not if you already have the manual Brompton...but agreed, it isn't a cheap option.
If you sell your Brompton and then buy the electric it’s still cheaper
Way too expensive 🥺
If too expensive den no worth it. Just get a Sava Z1 will do.
The kit is 1800£ not worth it at all
Its a need not a want lol wow
way way way too expensive for a conversion
This accent is so confusing. It's like a Canadian and a northern English accent had a baby.
I had a klinger this morning and wiped it off my arse
Far too over complicated, the electronics could be like a fat credit card, then you need a battery, a thumb throttle and a motorised wheel. Look at the old Sparticle,SIMPLE.