My Brompton is a six speed one. And that has a reason. From city grounds to gravel and mountain roads. I’ve tried various grounds with my Brompton. When buying the bike I was thinking about my use cases in advance, so the decision was easy.
But to be honest, four gears would be perfectly fine. – More about my favourite gears below
Six Gears for Different Situations
If it is about being flexible at a maximum, a Brompton 6 speed is the best choice. Especially if you are thinking about riding up hill or taking a longer tour. But probably only in these cases. If it is the city only and regular traffic on flat surfaces, 3 gears are completly fine.
Consider a six speed Bromtpon for:
- mountainous terrain
- bike tours
- long rides
- urban traffic with hills
- mixed usage
I’m using four gears out of six for my daily commute.
How does the Six Speed Brompton Work?
You have two gear levers on the handlebars. What follows applies to the 2019 version and later. The left one gives you access to the two sprockets on the rear wheel. One the right you have the same system, but it accesses to the 3 speed Sturmey Archer hub gear. Practically, the six gears are a combination of these both options and mathematically 3 x 2 = 6 gears. The left lever is marked with ‘-‘ for easy low/mountains and ‘+’ for speed. The right lever is labled 3-2-1, with 1 as the lowest and 3 as the fastest option here.
Downsides of a Brompton 6 Speed
There are also points against a six speed Brompton. One is the price of course. Ok, a Bompton really isn’t for free, but the difference is 100+. And there is one more thing. The weight. If you have to carry the bicycle a lot, even a little less weight is welcome at any time.
Practically, the combination of the 2 speed and the 3 speed solution that results in the Brompton 6 speed version is something you have to get used to. I am riding the 2019 Brompton which is already improved. Still, you get the feeling that 6 gears should be on one gear lever not spread on two.
This combination is the reason, you don’t feel really having 6 gears.
Pracitcal Use of 4 Gears
And here is what I use in my daily commute and what seems to be the solution fitting best for me. To start the ride fast, I use the lower (bigger) sprocket (left ‘-‘) and the lowest on the gear hub (right ‘1’). And that is the combination no regular bigger bike does have to start when traffic lights turn green.
Riding the Brompton to accelerate I shit on the right to 2 and 3. And finally for fast speed and longer streets on ‘+’ on the left side. Of course the combintation of ‘+’ and ‘2-1’ might be possible, but doesn’t really have a use case for me.
This is why 4 gears on the Brompton are the practical solution for daily fast commuting for me.
