MBW is proud to sell bikes from

Maine Bike Works proudly sells folding bikes from Brompton

Brompton

folding bikes for your multi-modal adventures made by hand in England (the old one not the new one)

Brompton What's Your Adventure Header

traveling with your bike is easier when it folds

as a bicycle touring and tandem focused shop, we aim to offer cyclists of all experience levels a fun place to visit and a place to indulge their inner bike adventurers and with Brompton we are able to offer our customers what in our opinion are the easiest to live with folding bikes.

in case you aren't already in the know, Brompton is a storied bike maker in England who have been at the forefront of multi-modal bike travel for over 50 years. imagine being able to take your bike with you into your office or shop rather than locking it to a pole hoping it is still there when you come out. pretty cool, right? and being able to wheel them around like a wheely suitcase with the integrated roller wheels means that you rarely have to carry them. awesomesauce.

if you've ever been curious about traveling with your bike, you'll love Brompton's designs and because MBW is all about bike travel, we think it's important to keep a couple of their most popular designs in stock. Between the new 20" wheeled G Line folding gravel bike and their lighter, more compact 16" wheeled T Line titanium folder with 12 speeds, we think we can show you the essentials of what anyone considering one of their bikes should know in advance of pulling the trigger.

for about the same price as a nicer non-folding bikes, you can ride a truly handmade British bike brought to life with heart and craft. Brompton's ready to ride, hard surface capable single bikes start at around $1,300 (May 1st, 2025) their wider tired hard & soft surface gravel bikes start at $3,500 (June 2025). while the initial cost of riding a Brompton may be slightly more aspirational than some of the other more production oriented folding bikes that come out of the far east, you won't find another maker anywhere who makes a higher quality, more compact, quicker to fold bike that rides as nice a Brompton.

perhaps they've learned something or two since Andrew Ritchey made the first one five decades ago?

for all a list of all their models, customization options and prices, check out Brompton's website or reach out to us and we'll be happy to start guiding you down the path to small-package cycling nirvana. top tip: for the most accurate price and inventory status make sure you have been re-directed to the US Brompton site vs. their more global focused website.




are they really that easy to fold and live with?

let's just say it will take you almost twice as long to watch this 35 second video than to unfold one. :)

Link to YouTube video showing how easy Brompton's fold


what makes the Brompton fold so iconic? most folding bikes only hing in two places which limits how small they can possible get. Brompton designed their bikes to fold three times. the first fold is in the rear of the bike and smoothly swings the rear on a dedicated hinge up under the frame. the second fold takes place at the front of the bike and brings the the front wheel, fork and handlebars back alongside the frame next to the crank. the third and final fold brings the integrated stem and handlebar alongside the newly placed front wheel. three hinges are better than most other folding brands two and triply so than one.


want to know more about how to fold or unfold your Brompton? Check out these additional resources:
great in-action pictorial guide and some animations
and
a 50 second folding / unfolding video




Brompton what do they ride like pic

OK, but what do they ride like?

do they ride like "regular" non-folding bikes? yes and no. yes, if you are talking about Brompton's 20" wheeled G Line gravel bike as that has a longer wheelbase and wider tires as those attributes are closer to those you would find on non-folders. no, if you are talking about Brompton's smaller and even more compact-able 16" wheeled bikes like their T Line, P Line, C Line and A Line models (all share similar frame geometries, btw just different frame materials and parts) as you will find their shorter wheelbases (distance between the two wheels) to be a little more lively and require a bit more steering input on your behalf, but something you get use to after a few rides.

Brompton also makes electric versions of there G, P and C lines which have been designed to ride and fold the same as their non-battery powered siblings - just a tad heavier due to the motors and battery, but oh so much faster and easier to ride. hills be damned!





which model to choose image

what's with the alphabet soup of model names?

G Line, T Line, P Line, C Line, A Line and electrics oh, my!

call or email us to help you decide which model is best for your adventure. all it takes is for us to ask you a few simple questions for us to point you towards a specific bike in their line-up.

in the meantime, here's a (hopefully) handy condensed guide to give you an overview of there five 'different' models. all are Bromptons so the fold and unfold is the same. which means fast and easy.

generally speaking the main differences between the five different lines come down to seven main factors: wheelsize, size when folded, frame material, the number of gears, overall weight, if you wanted e-bike assist and of course cost. we'll help you prioritize which ones are most important to you by asking you to take our two demo bikes (see below) for a spin in our parking lot as your butt and legs will tell you more about the various options than our brains ever could.

so, take a look at the chart below and click any of the models which look of interest to you and you'll be transported to Brompton's own page for that specific model which will show you all the nerdy ins and outs.

* btw, prices, colors and specs below are correct as of Mid-May 2025. see Brompton's site for any updates since. *





we'd love to be the shop you decide to trust to build-up your next Brompton and we're only a click away from answering any initial questions you may have.

some Brompton lines (the T, P & C specifically) have multiple drivetrain options. what's a drivetrain?' I hear you ask? well, a drivetrain refer to the gears, cogs, chains and other things on your bike which propel you forward when you start to pedal.

don't stress to much about the nerdy details as Bromptons are unlike any other bike out there so even if you've been enthusiastically riding for decades, there is a process of "learning to speak Brompton". that's where we step up to walk you through all the fun options they offer.

just get in touch and we'll ask you a few questions which will point you towards the Line which makes the most sense for your style of adventuring (and your budget).

did we mention we have a couple of cool demo bikes for you to check out in person?...



yup, the rumors are right, we keep two 'demo' Bromptons in the shop for you to touch, feel, fold and ride - and wait till you hear which ones they are!

swing on by if you'd like to come check them out in person. we don't know anywhere else in the USA outside of the two Brompton HQ factory stores in Brooklyn and Washington D.C. that have these two models in stock just waiting around for folks to ride em. so, make the drive to see us. we'd love to share what we know about all things Brompty (just call or email first to make sure they are here as we'd hate for you to waste a trip). and if you end up digging how either of these demo bikes ride, we can order you in one of your very own with all the customization's to reflect your personality and riding style in about a week (as long as Brompton USA has one in stock to sell).

here's a little about our two demo bikes

a sweet 20" wheeled G Line if you're like us, you enjoy riding on the road, but softer car-free surfaces such as gravel roads, dirt roads and smooth trails in the woods really get your heart racing. that's where G Lines come in.

they feel like riding a non-folding bike, but go in and out of your car's trunk in about 20secs with room for your pup's dog crate to spare. if you plan to tour in New England or further afield on your Brompton on mixed-surfaces, rule this 20" wheeled bike out before looking at all other folders. so fun and easy to carry the kitchen sink.

come check it out and you may end up agreeing it feels and generates smiles like no large-wheeled machine we know of.



a sublime 16" wheeled titanium T Line (the new 12spd one at that!) if you dig riding big miles on smoother surfaces and want the ultimate rocket of a Brompton as possible, you'll love the easy of living with a sub 17lb folding bike. experience the thrill of being able to leave your heavy-ass locks at home when you go out because the diminutive size and weight of this beaut means you can take it with you (sorry opportunist bike thieves!)

more than just keeping, a lovely titanium machine around so we can gawk at it ourselves, we use our T Line as our show and tell to explain the differences between the 20" wheeled G Line and the 16" models in the Brompton line up. so, riding a $5k+ T line will mostly feel the same as a P or C line, just under 8 lbs lighter.

come ride our T Line and we'll use it to guide you through the process of choosing and living with a Brompton for yourself.


looking forward to hearing from you. in the meantime, here's a fun video of the same 12 speed drivetrain that our T Line has in action which has us in awe...



27% climb vs 12 speed Brompton? - challenge accepted!

can a folding bike climb the sometimes wall-like hills we have here in New England? turns out the answer is YES... if you have a positive attitude and 12 gears on your folder like this amazing dude does. well done Best Side Cycling!

Link to YouTube video showing a Brompton climbing steep hill



the rabbit hole

as a small company that does both design and manufacturing in-house, Brompton is constantly coming out with new and exciting stuff - their frequent tweaks make badass bikes, but it's also a challenge for us to keep own website updated with all their cool offerings. you may want to bone up on what they are currently doing by reading and seeing the latest from the horses mouth (ie Brompton HQ).

so, the next time you're sitting at a desk pretending to work, get up-to-date with all things Brompton with the following resources: