Mobiky or Brompton?

Nomad81

Been looking at getting a folding bike and have narrowed it down to 2 choices: The Mobiky Genius or Brompton M3L.

The Brompton seems to be the more established choice while the Mobiky is the new kid in town. Both bikes seem to do well, based on what I can read on the net.

I like the mobiky because it folds down in 3 seconds and is really compact (important when getting on the Luas), but the small wheels concern me a bit. I also read somewhere that if the folding mechanism gets mud/dirt on it and it dries up, the whole thing basically locks up and is a folding bike no more.

The Brompton is really the established choice and I hardly hear people say anything bad about it. It's still €100 dearer than the mobiky though... although I haven't checked prices up north yet.

Have any of you had experiences with either of these bikes?

penexpers

My personal preference would be the Brompton. The Mobiky seems quite expensive for what it is - a company in the UK called Strida make cheaper versions of the same bike, I think.

Nomad81

penexpers wrote: »

My personal preference would be the Brompton. The Mobiky seems quite expensive for what it is - a company in the UK called Strida make cheaper versions of the same bike, I think.

cheers for the reply penexpers, but the mobiky is quite different from the Strida. Have to say, the strida looks funky, but I don't think it's compact enough to bring on the Luas on a daily basis.

penexpers

Nomad81 wrote: »

cheers for the reply penexpers, but the mobiky is quite different from the Strida. Have to say, the strida looks funky, but I don't think it's compact enough to bring on the Luas on a daily basis.

I don't understand



vs.



From these pictures the Strida looks more compact when folded.

Morgan

I'd never heard of the Mobiky before, but looking at the pictures I'd say the wheels are too small for Irish road use. It would be very uncomfortable going over uneven surfaces. So that leaves the Brompton...

Amalgam

I am a Brompton user of two years+. I like the Mobicky for what it is, but that wheel size is going to be an annoyance if you're in Dublin city center, what with the condition of the roads. Bad enough using the Brompton and keeping a sharp eye out for potholes and the like on the road system around the periphery of Trinity College.

There are no issues with using the Brompton on the Luas or Dublin Bus. I've only ever been barred from one shop, that was making my way down to the basement of Roches Stores on Henry Street, I was told it was a 'liability' issue, but the man was polite about it.

A bit of advice, get the schwalbe Marathon tyres, they're sturdy and support a higher PSI than the default tyres Brompton supply, the walls on them are thin and invite being punctured..

It might be tempting to ditch the rear carrier, but it is invaluable and provides extra stability when the bike is folded, you can also, 'push ahead' the folded bike on tiled and flat surfaces, this is much harder to do on Bromptons without the carrier.

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Dealers

Ireland (South):

http://www.cycleways.com

Ireland (North):

http://www.bikedock.com

http://www.mcconveycycles.com

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A lot of users will tend to hold back on the negatives, but the bike does have quirks.. and is not indestructable. Feel free to drop me a PM or ask on thread.

Nomad81

Thanks for the replies.

Oddly enough, the mobiky is completely out of the picture for me now. It looks too much like a toy or a novelty item.

I've seen the Mezzo D10 at Cyclesurgery over the weekend and was thoroughly impressed by it. It's on the pricey side though, so I might go for the D9 if I were to buy a Mezzo. The D9 doesn't fold as compact as the Brompton, but apparently the handling's a bit better. I initially didn't like the way the Mezzos look, but they've grown on me now.

The Dahon Mu XL is also a contender in my books. It's got good reviews and is a bit cheaper than both Mezzo and Brompton.

I'm still waiting for the cycle-to-work scheme to kick in at my office, but walking/taking the bus everyday from Stephen's green to Connolly is becoming such a drag, that I'm thinking of buying a bike without the scheme anyway.

I'll post here once I've chosen and bought a bike.

Amalgam

You'd have been miserable going to Connolly on the Mobicky. I notice a lot of the videos promoting it are based around European cities like Paris that have huge expanses of very flat concrete..