BETA FEEDBACK
Any folding bike with wheels over 16 inches (Airnimal, Bike Friday 20" models, Dahon 20", 24", 26" models, Swift) folds into a package too large to carry around, do the shopping, chill-out at the pub, hop on trains or leave at the coat checks (cloakrooms) in museums, theaters and restaurants.
If your priority is intermodal transport and maximum flexibility, 16-inch folders are the way to go.
Both the Bike Friday Tikit and the Brompton ride on 16" wheels. Unlike the Dahon’s 16" models, both compete in the top-quality market share. How do they compare?
Photo: folded Bike Friday Tikit (left) vs folded Brompton P3L (right)
| Bike Friday Tikit | Brompton |
|---|---|
| 89 x 62 x 38 cm | 53 x 56 x 27 cm |
| 35 x 24 x 15 in | 21 x 22 x 11 in |
| Bulky. | Compact. |
| Asymmetrical. | Square. |
| Disorderly, cluttered look. | Orderly, neat look. |
| Does not fit in a backpack. | Fits in a backpack. |
The folded Tikit is approximately 2 times bulkier than the folded Brompton.
Photo: folded Bike Friday Tikit (left) vs folded Brompton P3L with removed seat post (right)
Brompton’s orderly, tidy look helps to pass security inspection.
Choice: if you want the most compact folded size, choose the Brompton. If you want to carry your folded bike in a backpack, choose the Brompton as well. If you want to fit your bike into tight places (overhead compartments, squeezed bars and Paris apartments), choose the Brompton. If you want to maneuver with the folded bike in dense crowds, like in shopping malls, or pass the security checks… like in shopping malls, choose the Brompton.
| Bike Friday Tikit | Brompton |
|---|---|
| Folding time: 5 seconds. | Folding time: 25 seconds. |
| Unfolding time: 5 seconds. | Unfolding time: 40 seconds. |
To fold:
|
To fold:
|
| To unfold, repeat the process in reverse. | |
| The seat’s position remains unchanged throughout the folding / unfolding process. No need to readjust. | The seat’s height and angle require readjustment after each unfold. Marking on the seat post helps, but it’s still a hassle. |
I give my own average folding / unfolding times. When unfolding the Brompton, I double-check the saddle alignment, the latches and the brake cables.
Some Brompton and Tikit users claim even faster folding times: 10 seconds to fold the Brompton and 4 seconds to fold the Tikit.
Even though both bikes require a negligible amount of time to fold or unfold, the Tikit comes forward as a clear winner: world’s fastest fold, no latches or clamps to unscrew. Moreover, the Tikit’s folding process maintains the bike’s fit.
Choice: if you’re looking for the absolute fastest and easiest folding process, choose the Tikit.
| Bike Friday Tikit | Brompton |
|---|---|
| Stable, “feels like a full-sized bike” handling. | Twitchy, over-responsive handling. |
| No-hands riding is super easy. | No-hands riding is super difficult. |
| Out of the saddle riding is stable. | Out of the saddle riding is unstable. |
| Track standing is OK. | Track standing is a challenge, although feasible. |
I compare the ride quality to that of the mid- and top-of-the-line non-folding road bikes. Both the Brompton and the Tikit offer an exceptional ride when compared to lower-end folders.
Still, although the Brompton’s over-responsive handling allows for some crazy maneuvers in traffic, the Tikit is way, way better to ride. While I routinely go over 50 km/h (31 mi/h) on the Brompton, the Tikit can handle a lot more.
Choice: if you prefer a stable, predictable ride, choose the Tikit.
| Bike Friday Tikit | Brompton |
|---|---|
|
One size fits most. |
| Adjustable handlebar height. | Non-adjustable handlebar height. You can choose among 3 stem heights. |
| You can choose among 3 standard seat post to handlebars distances (in 5 cm increments) or specify a custom size. | You can choose among 3 slightly different distances. |
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|
Either the Brompton fits you or not.
I’m 1 m 80 cm (5.9 ft) and wear size 45,5 EUR (11.5 US) shoes. I had to modify my P-type Brompton and replace its “butterfly” handlebars with flat bars to obtain a more aerodynamic position. The fit remains sub-optimal.
Choice: if the bike’s fit is paramount, choose the Tikit.
| Bike Friday Tikit | Brompton |
|---|---|
| The Bike Friday designers sacrifice the folded size to remain standards-compliant. Therefore, it’s easy to fit almost any bike component on the Tikit. | Because the Brompton designers customize the entire bike to obtain a compact fold, almost everything is non-standard. For example, the rear wheel hub over locknut width is 110 mm, the handlebar clamp diameter is 25 mm, brakes are inverted down pull type, etc. Hence it’s difficult to retrofit the bike with widely available components. |
Choice: if you’d like to customize your bike “just so”, choose the Tikit.
| Bike Friday Tikit | Brompton |
|---|---|
| 1 to 24 gears | 1 to 6 gears |
Just about any gear system available on the market, for example:
|
|
In my opinion, the Brompton and the Tikit “derailleur + internal gear hub” mixtures combine the worst of both worlds.
The Brompton’s gear systems do work, and work reliably. The latest 3-speed Sturmey-Archer BWR is a bit of an improvement. But frankly, that kind of gear ranges and spacings still struggle to maintain optimal pedaling cadence.
I have tried only the “8-speed SRAM cassette + derailleur” Tikit. A disappointment. The chain angle in high gears is huge. The Tikit owner and myself were derailing too often to stay calm and clean. Besides, with the 16" wheels, the chain runs very close to the ground. Much lower than the front sprocket (chainset). Curb hopping, anyone?
For urban, everyday riding I would select a modern internal gear hub like the Shimano Nexus, Shimano Alfine, SRAM i-Motion 9… Or even the Rohloff Speedhub 500/14.
Choice: if you prefer a wide-range, evenly-spaced gear system or a fixie, choose the Tikit.
| Bike Friday Tikit | Brompton |
|---|---|
Just about any model of “V” or dual-pivot caliper brakes available on the market (SRAM, Shimano, Tektro…) |
Custom Brompton dual-pivot caliper brakes with inverted downwards cable pull. |
Brompton’s custom brakes pale in comparison with most standard brakes. Even after tinkering, Alhonga’s production squeaks and misaligns. While the recent introduction of Fibrax pads to the standard Brompton configuration has largely improved toe-in adjustment and overall performance, the brake brackets themselves continue to creak under load, similar to brakes in the entry-level Shimano road groupos like Tiagra. These are no higher-end Shimano or Campagnolo.
Choice: if you require dependable, powerful braking in any weather, choose the Tikit.
| Bike Friday Tikit | Brompton |
|---|---|
| Quick releases on both front and rear wheels. | No quick releases on either wheel. Both wheels require a 15 mm hex wrench. The rear wheel is a pain to remove because of the internal gear hub construction. |
Choice: if you plan to puncture every week, choose the Tikit.
All tires available in the 16" size (not much) fit both the Tikit and the Brompton.
Choice: parity.
Both the Tikit and the Brompton provide built-in fenders. A must for any weather riding.
Choice: parity.
| Bike Friday Tikit | Brompton |
|---|---|
| Production model launched in 2007. | Production model launched in 1988. |
The Brompton has been around for 20 years. User and dealer feedback through all these years have helped to incrementally improve the machine.
Although the Bike Friday Tikit lacks such hindsight, its manufacturer has been producing high-quality, performance folding bikes since 1993. Their experience trickles into the new 16-inch wheel Tikit.
Choice: if you prefer a time-proven, fully-known product, choose the Brompton.
| Bike Friday Tikit | Brompton |
|---|---|
| Frame, latches and cables guaranteed for life. | Frame guaranteed for 5 years. |
| Non-Bike Friday parts guaranteed based on individual manufacturer’s warrantee. | All other parts guaranteed for 2 years. |
Choice: if a lifetime frame guarantee is important, choose the Tikit.
| Bike Friday Tikit | Brompton |
|---|---|
| Frame manufactured in the USA. | Frame manufactured in the UK. |
| Components manufactured in China, Germany, Japan, Malaysia or USA. | Most components manufactured in Europe (UK, Germany, France, Holland) with some components manufactured in China. |
| Assembled in the USA. | Assembled in the UK. |
Both Brompton and Bike Friday are small-sized companies that currently lack the global reach and leverage of some bike giants. Their location impacts distribution, technical support and prices. The closer to the home-plant, the lower the prices and the better the availability of spares.
Choice: if costs and logistics matter, choose depending on where you live. Choose the Brompton if you live in Europe. Choose the Tikit if you live in the USA or Canada. For all other places, production location is irrelevant.
I need a folding bike that rides fast and fits in a backpack. These 2 requirements have selected the Brompton for me.
I have customized my bike to reduce some of its shortcomings. I still have to live with many of the Brompton’s inconveniences, but in the end, this bike gets me into places where a Tikit would never fit.
Special thanks to Rebecca NOTORANGELO HALDEMAN for letting me inspect, ride, photograph and break her Bike Friday Tikits on numerous occasions, as well as for debating all things cyclable / foldable.
| 2008-12-06 | Detailed my ride quality comparison. Clarified and expanded Brompton’s brakes section. Thanks to Greg SMITH, Brompton, for suggesting these improvements. |
| 2008-09-27 | Added a distinction between folding and unfolding times, clarified time measurement procedures. Thanks to Emerson ROBERTS, Brompton, for pointing out the ambiguity. |
| 2008-09-25 | Expanded Brompton’s folding time. Added test of time perspective. |
| 2008-09-24 | Corrected Brompton’s gear systems. |
| 2008-09-22 | Updated Brompton’s gear systems and Bike Friday Tikit’s handlebars. |
| 2008-07-06 | Added side-by-side folded bikes comparison photographs. |
| 2008-02-25 | First publication. |
Some of your points are valid (adjustable handlebars/hundreds of pounds spent on getting proper gears) but
1. I commute 17 miles there and 17 back on awful London streets and the handling is perfectly acceptable for that distance.
2. 30 seconds to fold? Who are you getting to do the test, Abu Hamza?! I can fold that thing in under 10 secs every time, including taking the front carrier back off!
Marcus,
1. I commute 17 miles there and 17 back on awful London streets and the handling is perfectly acceptable for that distance.
I agree. Handling is acceptable. Quite good compared to most 16″ folders. It’s not the best though, in my opinion. Again, I compare the Brompton with the Bike Friday Tikit and with larger bikes. Good with the better.
And I do cycle over 60 km (37 mi) in one go on my Brompton without complaining too much.
2. 30 seconds to fold? Who are you getting to do the test, Abu Hamza?!
Err… No, myself. ;-) Am I that slow?!
I can fold that thing in under 10 secs every time, including taking the front carrier back off!
Cool!
Personally, I double-check the saddle alignment, the latches, the brake cables… I take my time. Swiss-style, I guess…
Marcus,
Actually, by “folding” I meant an averaged folding / unfolding time. I have since clarified the issue, giving specific, separate folding and unfolding times.
Just a quick note to say thanks very much for this review. I’m just about to order a Brompton, but still had a niggling feeling I should be taking a closer look at the Tikit. I’m still going to get the Brompton, but at least now it’s a better informed decision!
Nick
Nick,
The Tikit is indeed a very interesting machine, and indeed worth a close look.
I really appreciate your thanks. Helping others to choose, by sharing as much as I know, is one of the main reasons I publish such articles.
Very good review know Brompton supreme compact folder that holds value
but intersting to know brakes misalign and easy to forget back punctures major pain
due to hub system-probably need mechanic
Question does this mean cycle shop job for punctures?
small transport wheels can be replaced £13 with industrial type wheels from Brompton
Thanks for your interesting comparison.
I don’t feel rear wheel punctures are a pain - just more time consuming. After the gear indicator & chain tensioner is removed (simple operations) the wheel can be removed easily & promptly, without slackening off the brake pads, as the tyre is already flat.
It takes me longer to extract the tube, find thorn in tyre, & refit tube & tyre, than to remove & refit the wheel & tensioner. Definitely don’t need a bike shop to do it.
interesting to know brakes misalign
Yes. I’d say the Brompton’s frame is of excellent quality, but their choice of low-endish components continues to puzzle me.
In my opinion, the brakes rotate on their fixation axle for several reasons: the axle carries a lot of additional stuff (fenders, lighting), the bolting is suboptimal (intermediate pieces, flat washers, etc), the brakes tighten up after folding due to numerous sharp cable turns (and so micro-rotate to grasp even the slightest variations in the wheel and stay in that position for prolonged periods of time).
Question does this mean cycle shop job for punctures?
As John writes above, the answer is definitely “no”.
While more complicated than the derailleur systems with wheel skewers and even some internal gear hub systems (SRAM i-Motion 9…), the Brompton’s rear wheel removal is doable even at night and in the rain. Practice at home though.
small transport wheels can be replaced £13 with industrial type wheels from Brompton
Exactly. That’s what I did for my Brompton.
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