The Electric Brompton has certainly caused quite a stir since it was announced. There has been rumours of this happening for ages but the reality is now here and Brompton are even taking pre-orders.
In a first for my humble blog, one of my Brompton colleagues and all round good egg, Simon S has written a rather superb review of the Electric Brompton. If you have not gone for a test ride yourself, Simon's review certainly gives food for thought. All the words and photos below are his. Many thanks to Simon for a quite excellent review. Enjoy.
It was a long time coming, but the Electric Brompton is
finally here, and last week I got to try one during a Cambridge demo day. What
was it like? Is it the future?
To give you some background, I own three Bromptons and love gadgets.
Last winter, I converted one of my Bromptons to electric to learn about what
makes a great e-bike and this review is written based on this experience. The
opinions in this review are my own and I am not associated with Brompton Bicycle
in any way.
What does the Electric
Brompton look like?
Well pretty much like the standard bicycle, albeit with some
slightly strange front luggage.
The approach Brompton took has the battery in a detachable
front bag and a motor embedded in the front wheel. It is pretty conventional
and there are already a number of similar pre-existing conversion kits on the
market. It is a proven approach that works well and still allows the bike to
fold. The 2-speed version of the bike was quoted as being 13.9kg with the
battery pack weighing 2.7kg. The battery pack detaches for easier carrying, and
whilst you notice the extra weight it is not excessive. The one time you will notice
the extra weight of the motor is when folding and bringing the front wheel
round to hook it in position.
What differentiates the “official” Brompton approach is the
attention to detail. There is no clutter around the handlebars and all the
wiring is neat. The battery clips on and off with a new connector block system
and a well placed release latch. Controls are simple and the application of
power seamless. Front forks are subtly modified and strengthened to mount the
motor. There is a connector to easily disconnect the power supply to the front
wheel to repair a puncture. A torque sensor is fitted which is part of an
advanced control system for the application of power.
It should be noted that these changes do mean that the frame
is subtly different and the electric system cannot be retrofitted to a normal
bike, but this lack of backwards compatibility is worth it for the benefits the
bespoke nature of the frame brings.
How does it ride?
This is the big question. Without electrical
assistance it rides just like a normal Brompton with a heavy front bag. Same
gears, levers, handlebars, seat. You select one of three levels of assistance on
the battery pack itself, and the motor then assists your cycling when you
pedal. The level of assistance is set while stationary and the rest is left to
the bike.
The motor itself has gears and a freewheel inside it. In use,
it gives off a high-pitched hum that is actually quite nice as it tells you the
motor is working and gives you reassurance. However, the noise is a bit of a
giveaway if you are thinking of using your electric Brompton to burn off MAMILs
at the traffic lights.
When setting off from stationary, the bike has to detect the
effort the rider is applying to start the motor assistance, and this is done
with a torque sensor in the bottom bracket. It is a legal requirement that the
motor may only assist while you are pedalling, and this is the reason for
fitting a torque sensor. But even the best torque sensor needs a bit of
movement on the cranks to detect the rider’s effort, which means that when
pushing off and starting to ride, the motor assist lags a big. Brompton’s
technical staff say they are working out how to minimise this, and it would be
great if they could get this even better as, whilst not a problem on the flat, you
do notice this lag on hill starts.
Another legal requirement is that e-bike assistance is
limited to 25 kph or 15.5mph. When cycling between 15 and 16mph you can hear
the motor cut out, and you are left pedalling a conventional bike. This
transition is smooth, and being able to hear if the motor is working is really
useful as you can judge your speed accordingly. It is especially useful as,
unlike on most electric bike control systems, there is no speedo. During my
test ride, I was using a Suunto GPS watch to check my speed and the 2-speed
version I was using seemed really well matched to cruising at a power assisted
15mph. I suspect that the 6-speed would spend more time going a bit faster
unassisted, but remember that you are also putting in more effort to do this.
The test ride was in Cambridge, which is not renowned for
its hills, but a short cycle alongside the guided busway brought me to the Addenbrookes
guided busway bridge. This is quite steep and some cyclists need to get off and
push their bikes over it. On this impromptu test the Electric Brompton flew
over it with minimal effort from the rider. Yes, you could hear the motor
working harder, but it took it all in its stride. This gave me a lot of
confidence that it could manage gradients and deliver on its promise of power
assistance.
There is a 300 watt-hour battery, which Brompton say is good
for at least 25 miles and up to 50 miles in eco mode. Some other unofficial
Brompton conversions use 36V cordless drill batteries, which only give between
6 and 12 miles, which is just not enough real world range. Range anxiety (the
fear of running out of juice) is a genuine concern when running any electric
vehicle. The battery size that Brompton have used is sensible, allowing you to
do a 10-mile each way commute with confidence.
So who is it for?
At first glance, spending over £2500 on an electrically
powered folding bike which is effectively limited to 15.5 miles an hour doesn’t
seem to make a lot of sense. On the forums there seems to be a kneejerk
reaction, with many people saying “how much?” or “what’s the point?”, but this
does not consider the bigger picture. Let’s think about commuting for a moment,
as this is not the fun sort of cycling - it is getting to work on time, day in
and day out, come rain, shine or wind. Generally commuting is tolerable in spring
and autumn, but in summer you arrive all sweaty and in winter cold and
knackered from the headwind. The biggest revelation when running my electric
bike was how it changed my attitude to commuting. No longer is a headwind an
issue, no longer do you arrive sweaty at the height of summer, journeys are
more consistent and the whole experience pleasant – all year round.
The other insight comes from my daughter, who has started
riding my Electric Brompton because it allows her to keep up with her brother
on family cycle rides. Where two people want to ride together and one of them
is not as much of a “keen” cyclist as the other, then I can see that the
combination of one conventional and one electric bike would work well.
In summary
If you commute by bike, then an electric bike will transform
your journey. Yes, it does cost twice as much as a normal Brompton but it is
worth it when you consider what you would save on train / tube / bus fares or
even running a car. It is an all-year-round solution.
The Electric Brompton’s mainstream appeal is limited not by the
capabilities of the bike, but by the law which imposes a speed limit on
assistance. 15.5mph is just not quite fast enough for fun cycling. This is especially
true in the UK where cycling is seen more as a sport rather than as a means of
transport.
After the release of a number of limited editions featuring
only superficial changes such as different colours, with no tangible
improvements or refinements, Brompton have now improved the bike and made it
relevant. This shows the bike and the brand have a future.
Nice Post. Thanks for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteGreat real world review. Muchos gracias!
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