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We have been doing an increasing amount of testing of folding bikes and often are asked for our recommendations for the best alternatives to a Brompton. So I thought I would pull together this buyers guide to help you find the right folding bike for your needs. These are all very different alternatives to a Brompton so hopefully something here for everyone.
I’m a big fan of the Brompton but there are others worth considering that offer better value for money with broadly the same experience. The Brompton C Line costs over £1000 so I have used this as a budget.
Top 3 Best Alternatives to a Brompton 2023
- B’Twin Tilt 120
- MiRider One
- Dawes Diamond
Remaining 6 best folding bikes to follow. Read on for more information.
Cheapest Alternative to a Brompton C Line
B’Twin Tilt 120 Folding Bike
Trivelo Rating : 4/5
Price: £249.99
The cheapest folding bike currently in the market. A huge difference in price between this and the Brompton so functionality wise they are in the same space but the Decathlon machine won’t last forever. That said as this is the cheapest folding bike in our list of alternatives to the Brompton it is an incredible package for under £250. It has a 6 gear system built into the hub and comes with mudguards and a saddle height that can accommodate all but the tallest of cyclists. Styling wise it steals much of its design from the Brompton but fails to fold down into quite such a small size when commuting.
Still unbelievably under £250 in 2023 and Decathlon are smashing it with supplier management as they have stock in all stores. This is an incredible commuter bike for anyone looking for a folding bike on a budget.
BTwin Tilt 120 Bike Specification
| Frame | Steel |
|---|---|
| Fork | Steel |
| Suspension | None |
| Number of Gears | 6 |
| Shifters | Grip shifter |
| Chain set | 6-speed Shimano TZ20 14/28 freewheel |
| Pedals | fold-up pedals |
| Brakeset | Steel V-brakes |
| Handlebars | Steel low-rise bars |
| Grips | Foam |
| Wheelset | 20-inch, single-wall rims. Steel hub. |
| Tyres | 20 x 1.75 gumwall city tyres |
| Saddle | Comfortable, seamless foam saddle |
| Seatpost | steel seat post |
| Accessories | Compatible with the Tilt transport cover |
| Extra Features | Front and rear battery-powered lights |
| Weight | 14.5 kg |
Best Price for the BTwin Tilt 120 folding bike
Buy the B’Twin Tilt 120 – £249.99 from Decathlon
Best Electric Alternative to a Brompton C Line
MiRider One
Trivelo Rating : 4.5/5
Price: £1595
Priced at a similar price to the Brompton C Line bike is the MiRider One. It may seem odd to include an electric folding bike in the list but the MiRider is a real alternative. The British built MiRider One has an innovative frame design and is well built with a smooth folding mechanism.
Included in the rear frame is a small suspension unit that helps make the folding eBike more comfortable when riding. Don’t expect too much from this but it does smooth out the pot holes. From my rides I didn’t find the bike at all uncomforttable. There is a manufacturers claimed range of 45 miles. From testing I found more like 30 miles as you use the higher speed settings.
The MiRider has some clever features including the electric boost button. This is used with speeds below 4mph to help it dart around city roads. The folding size is small enough for carrying on trains but at 17kg in weight you couldn’t carry it far. A very well designed and built single speed folding eBike that is worth a look.
Read more with my review of the MiRider One after a 6 week test of this well priced folding eBike.
See the video of the MiRider One review to get a better sense of the bike and its folding mechanism.
MiRider One Specifications
| Frame | Magnesium Alloy |
|---|---|
| Fork | Magnesium Alloy |
| Suspension | Rear |
| Number of Gears | Single Speed |
| Shifters | None |
| Chain set | Alloy |
| Pedals | fold-up pedals |
| Brakeset | Clarks CMD-24 disk brakes |
| Handlebars | M type |
| Grips | Foam |
| Wheelset | Alloy double wall |
| Tyres | Schwalbe 16 x 1.75″ |
| Saddle | Non folding |
| Seatpost | Magnesium Alloy |
| Accessories | None |
| Extra Features | Front battery-powered lights |
| Weight | 17.3 kg |
Best Price for the MiRider One Folding eBike
Buy the MiRider One – £1595 from MiRider
You may also be considering a Folding eBike for that commute. Check our post on the Best Folding eBikes 2023 – Buyers Guide for Commuters Well worth a look if you are considering using a Folding Bike or Ebike for your commute. I used to be a doubter on the value of eBikes but have been fully converted.
Dawes Diamond
Trivelo Rating : 3/5
Price: £459.99
A similar proportioned bike to the B’Twin with a somewhat ugly cabling system running up the elongated handlebar stem. At less than half the price of the Brompton C Line the Dawes Diamond offers good value. The frame is aluminium using a 3 speed Shimano Nexus set of gears. The Dawes comes with mudguards and a rear pannier. This makes it versatile but contributes to extra weight resulting in it weighing 15kg more than 3kg than the Brompton.
A very good alternative to the Brompton C Line Folding Bike. The Dawes Diamond has the added flexibility of a rear pannier system to help with bag transport. Otherwise another great budget folding bike option.
Dawes Diamond Specifications
| Frame | Dawes 6061 Alloy folding frame |
|---|---|
| Fork | Dawes Hi-Tensile Unicrown Steel fork |
| Suspension | None |
| Number of Gears | 3 |
| Shifters | Shimano Revoshift 3 speed |
| Chain set | 170mm Alloy cranks / 46T chainring |
| Pedals | Folding |
| Brakeset | Alloy V Brake |
| Handlebars | Dawes Riser Bar |
| Wheelset | Double Wall Alloy |
| Tyre | 20″ 1.75″ Tyre |
| Saddle | Dawes Comfort Gel Saddle |
| Seatpost | Aluminium |
| Weight | 15 kg |
Best price for the Dawes Diamond
Best price – £459.99 from Tredz bikes
Other Folding Bikes Worth Considering
There are a lot of folding bikes we considered when creating this selection of the best Alternatives to a Brompton. The following six folding bikes nearly made my list of favourites and worth a look. Best prices for each of these folding bikes is included and links to buy them now.
- Vello Alfine 11 – €2.290,00
- Airnimal Joey – £1,700
- Hummingbird – £3,495
- Dahon Mariner D8 – £650
- Tern Link D8 Folding Bike – £970
- Change Bike folding mountain bike DF-812 Trail Pro – £1949
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