Brompton owners

For those with Companies:

Your company could buy the bike outright and 'lend' it to you if the following HMRC rules apply:

"If you lend or hire a bicycle or cycling safety equipment to an employee, there are no reporting, tax or NICs requirements if the following conditions are met:

* the bicycles or equipment are available to all your employees
* the bicycles or equipment are used mainly for ‘qualifying journeys’ as described below

A journey only counts as a qualifying journey in two situations:

* if all or part of the journey is between home and workplace
* if all or part of the journey is between workplaces"

This will give the same corporation tax saving, and you would also be able to reclaim the VAT (unless using the flat rate scheme).

The other option would be to purchase the bike personally and claim back business mileage at 20p per mile.

If you use the bike under company ownership, then record the purchase of the bicycle as Fixed Assets> Equipment Cost, and record the costs of running the bicycle as Motor Expenses> Company Bicycle Running Costs.

Don't think I can afford a Brompton, looking at one of these instead, half the price:

Is that code for "get me to buy it"?

I don't work there anymore, now at a better (and slightly underpaid) bicycle shop.

Don't think I can afford a Brompton, looking at one of these instead, half the price:

Looking at the fold, I wonder if those'd work fixed. The chain doesn't seem to move.

It would, but may need to change the gearing as the chainring is far too small.

Looking at the fold, I wonder if those'd work fixed. The chain doesn't seem to move.

I was trolling, they actually have a recall out for those due to a frame fault.

Oh, and they advise not doing tricks.

They give you mag wheels, and tell you not to do tricks.

Picking up a Brompton today.

Was umming and ahing, and was offered a major discount by 2 shops willing to order it for me, but the lead times are fairly long.

Then I walked into Cycle Surgery in Holborn yesterday and they had exactly the config I was looking for, the red 3SL.

They also give the LCC discount on the bike, which surprised me as I thought that they wouldn't on brands where they had lower margins (like Campagnolo, Brompton, etc).

So 10% off thanks to LCC and Cycle Surgery, and the exact Brompton I wanted available immediately.

I could get it cheaper if I wanted to wait weeks for it, but the savings then are negligible.

The only issue now is that I'm damned if I know where I keep my LCC info, I thought BC would cover it but apparently not (and I also don't know where I keep that). Is knowing your membership number enough?

They also give the LCC discount on the bike, which surprised me as I thought that they wouldn't on brands where they had lower margins (like Campagnolo, Brompton, etc).

Sound like you got a lucky staff members who doesn't care/know about this.

Sound like you got a lucky staff members who doesn't care/know about this.

Actually I asked, and she checked with her manager, and it is within the LCC discount at Cycle Surgery.

So if anyone is buying a Brompton, that is where to go.

Look what just happened to my crank today

Bike destroyers thread. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I had the chainring and cranks seperate climbing a hill on mine. Thought I'd hit neutral til I saw the chain wasn't turning. They were quite old though.

They also give the LCC discount on the bike, which surprised me as I thought that they wouldn't on brands where they had lower margins (like Campagnolo, Brompton, etc).

Sound like you got a lucky staff members who doesn't care/know about this.

When I bought a replacement frame for my brompton, Evans was the only shop I tried who agreed to give me 10% LCC discount on it. It had to be negociated with the manager, but they did it.

Look what just happened to my crank today

(scary picture here)

Argh!!!

I keep seeing pictures of failing brompton cranks!! On my one, they are likely to be the original ones from 1992... That scares me quite a bit. If I put new cranks on, I will be tempted to put something nicer than the brompton / low end stronglight ones, but then the bike won't be "original" anymore, specwise... which bothers me a bit...

Someone tell me that 1992 cranks never fail please...

You've changed nothing since 1992?

Not even those horrible foam grips on the bars?

You've changed nothing since 1992?

Not even those horrible foam grips on the bars?

I bought the bike in 2007.
I gave the serial number to Tim who told me it was from 1992.
Few stuff were changed. According to people I spoke to, the wheels are not original. I changed the mudgards, but only for cosmetic reasons (they were badly scratched and I'm fussy). I've added a telescopic seatpost. And now the frame is brand new (therefore a long wheelbase...) So it's still the same bike but it's not...

What I meant though by "original" was that everything is consistantly brompton, I have not messed around with mixing parts (appart from MKS easy pedals)

I think my grips are originals, and they are not foam, just strippy rubber, like on old raleigh 3 speed shoppers, in black.

I like what people like Claire, Jim or Ciaran have done to their bromptons (bmx bars, etc...) but I wanted to keep mine as close to the original specs, hence my dilema on cranks...

Ah, a Ship of Theseus.

Might as well just replace the cranks with something decent.

Yes, that makes sense... I'll try to keep the current ones as long as I can and inspect them for possible cracks regularely...

Anyway! Bravo for purchasing a Brompton, another one!!!

When is that LFGSS brompton ride happening again? I started a list on this very thread about a year and a half ago, but then I discovered my frame had a crack, so I pulled out and it never happened...

Should we start a list?
Should the ride involve trains so that we have the great satisfaction of folding our bikes and be smart and all?

^ in

yeah why not

My Brompton is less than 2 years old!

I spoke to Putney Cycles today. Luckily for me the parts warranty is 2 years. So it looks like it will be covered. Of course there is a process so it might take a week or so - once I drop the bike off.

Oh I would be up for a Brommie ride too - In!

Look what just happened to my crank today

I do wonder if this is because you have changed the pedals?
The cheap flexy originals might absorb enough of the stress that would otherwise cause the cranks to fail?

Especially given that you would inevitably put a lot more power through clipless pedals.

Has anyone broken cranks on the original pedals?

My Brompton is less than 2 years old!

I spoke to Putney Cycles today. Luckily for me the parts warranty is 2 years. So it looks like it will be covered. Of course there is a process so it might take a week or so - once I drop the bike off.

Hopefully they'll only have stock of the new cranks and none of the old shit ones.

When I bought a replacement frame for my brompton, Evans was the only shop I tried who agreed to give me 10% LCC discount on it. It had to be negociated with the manager, but they did it.

The story behind that is that there used to be an agreement among most London bike shops not to offer a 10% discount on bikes, only on parts. This was because smaller shops couldn't afford it. Evans broke this agreement at some point, probably when they became a chain.