Where can I get the big apples locally?

Yeah,

Funny how such a popular tyre not carried by many...Likely due to high price and small niche..at RM100 each for a smallish tyre, is quite hefty..compared to the other much bigger and branded tires.
The supremes at RM50 sounds like a great deal tho...

Any other alternatives from other brands, which is in the league of Big Apple, and more easily available?

i hate to say this i hate you all,
hate to start, start with a Tern P9, now butt itchy wanna buy brompton.
die la die la....
HATE CHU ALL

There are many reasons why one falls into such a trap. For 3 years, I have been riding a foldie and the biggest flaw I see in a foldie is......................Not enough gear ratios !    We are a group that travels far, far places almost every week. Once a month we ride nicer further destinations. It was fun. And as for gearings, Brompton comes in as the worst !    In our rides , among those with 30 speeds (a KHS), 27 speeders (mine and a few others after modifications  and the 18 speeders (eg. Dahon Visc and Dash ) and you have the 6 speed Bromptons. Worse of it, they are 349 - 16 inchers! It was the most under spec-ed bike of all and yet the most expensive !

Why I emphasize EXPENSIVE ? Becasue that is why you are so attracted to the Brompton and so are many of the others. They have become a niche group and you are just so eager to join the club. It's not wrong though, every riders have their priorities, just don't blow your credit card finances and suffer paying interest just for a bike.   Just like many who buys BMWs who cannot even drive outstation without getting the middle finger, it's absolutely their right and their enjoyment to do so, just like the Bromptons. If you feel you want to be among the niche market............go ahead. Enjoy 

Till today, I can spend almost 10K on a mountain bike and I have 2 of it too, me and wife, identical rides but I still find it so hard to fork out 5K for a used Brompton! So, it comes to priorities, what's yours and mine are totally different.

If you really want it, just go ahead.

As mentioned by you, everyone has a different opinion as I too mentioned, it more of priorities. Folding size or speed was never my criteria in choosing a folding bike. I usually don't take commuter trains hence I didn't mention in my comments. Mine was more for weekend rides ranging from 40 km to 200 kms over a weekend. That's why a Brompton is highly dis-advantageous for my use. Desastar, you are a different rider from most of the 'B' riders here in Malaysia, so I won't refute your comments. It's true BTW. I also notice many 'B' riders are multiple bicycle owners.  I too practically knows most of the 'B' riders here in KL/PJ and they too use a more varied gear ratios bike in many of their longer rides or hilly rides.

The phenomena is not only in Malaysia but in many countries as well. In Korea it is such a status symbol that Brompton UK decided to limit their export numbers to Korea. Brompton UK did not want the Bromptons to have a different identity to what they were actually made for. Singapore has quite a number as well. I have even seen Brompton Singapore riders charter a whole coach to Taiping for a community ride there and just as the rides starts, it started drizzling and all of them folded back their bikes and hopped back into the bus. I am sure you are not these kind of riders, right? 

I actually can't resist the 'peer pressure' as well, both me and wife wanting to get a 'B' as well. Apart from the compact folding which is already surpassed by Helix folding bike with a bigger 24 inch wheels and lighter as well, there is nothing that attracts me. I then ponder on the Rohloff 14 speed gears on Brompton. It was then ideal but it also makes the rear really heavy and the proper rear triangle cost was too much! Even worse, Malaysian currency makes everything 26 percent higher. A 6 speed Brompton cheapest variety has breached the 7K mark now. Now many potential Brompton buyers are saying the resale value if better. Isn't it getting to be like a car but then I never buy something to be sold later. 

My full suspension mountain bike is 12.6 kg with 30 speed while the Brompton is 14 kgs + with 6 speed. A Dahon Speed is 12.8 kgs with 8 speed and cost one third of the Brompton. As for ride, the Dahon Speed rides better.  I just can't figure out the advantage of paying so much extra.

bro etigge
is this accurate dimension of eezz?

I am not getting a brompton for its ridability but it's the portability.
I travel all.over quite a lot an 20 inch tern is quite hard to pack n fly with.
I got a tourer and MTB already.
By the way if anyone have used brompton for sale pls let me know

still have anything to sell?

I will camp here till u sell it...hahhhhahs

I went to khass bicycle shop to test ride Tyrell ive. The bike rides very well and comfortable on the seat, as if there's a suspension on back wheels. I've tried standing up and pedal, it don't have much flex. It's a very fast bike, no doubt. Built quality is excellent with the folding all into the right place without touching or rubbing any part of the frame. I like the paint job, it glossy and it feels really nice to touch.
However, it doesn't fold really small for a 18" bike. Compare to Dahon route, it's only slightly shorter but a little wider. Narrow are almost the same.
Retail price are at RM6k.

dash altena

When you have a rubber block there, there's a possibility that it might wobble in the long run as many has demonstrated under poor maintenance. Like those 'B' copies, the MT from Flamigo, it wobbles even when new. KHS foldies on the other hand has a rubber block embedded inside the steel tube and this helps but the travel is just minimal. Unless you machine the pivots precisionly with sealed bearings embedded, many will have movements. That's why they prefer not to have suspension there. Even Dahon Curl omitted the rubber block altogether by going for a snapped tight V-joint which totally clasp the joint solidly without movement. They also patented the blardy joint!



If you take a 'B' unfolded and you lift up the rear wheels, you will feel the movement. That's what Tyrell wanted to avoid , probably and also Dahon Curl. A lot of care and maintenance is needed as this point as movements without grease will equate to wear and tear faster.

i would buy this dahon curl if it is below 5k

I am still waiting    They launched once but failed because it was too expensive. They used the highly advanced internal geared crank called Schlumpf system and internal gearings at the rear. This makes the bike hyper expensive. They retracted the launch and went back to the drawing boards. Now they have announced that the re-launching is in Spring this year. Keeping my finger crossed. I too, budget about 5K too for the bike.

I am not worried about the 3 speed of the bike. As long as the rear hubs width is the standard 135mm as opposed to Brompton's 128mm , it's fine. I can fit in the Shimano Alfine 11 speed or the Rohloff 14 speed into it without modifications to the frame. Also it is a full 18 inch bike, bigger than a B, lighter than a B, folds smaller than a B and most important, modificatiosn are possible. 

You buy Brompton for its legacy not functionality. It's not a fast nor it can climb hill easily.
Your tern p9 can out ride a Brompton in speed and comfort easily. 😄😄😄

Looks like the Curl may be also what I'm looking for. I need a bike that fit in those Samsonite/Delsey XL size hard case around 81 x 55 x 35cm. The B and Eezz didn't cut it. Currently putting a Tern Link D8 detached with Flight-Suit.

i can afford a brompton, however i keep questioning myself on a value proposition of it.
within malaysia, my tern p9 will always be the first choice,chunk into car reach and unfold it.
brompton sized is more for overseas travel, where i can just put into my luggage without much problem and carry it along with me whenever i am on public transport.
At cheapest 6sp at RM6700 for a brompton, i am thinking if i should spend that kind of money. Arguably brompton is a different league by its own, but i am not fanboy nor die hard fan.

I need to balance between the price i paid and the utility it provide me with.

having said so if a reasonably priced used B came along before Curl is available, i guess i will still make the jump.

Actually I wrote to Dahon to sell me 2 Curl's frame but no response from them...hahahaa   My main criteria is the wide range of gears and a Rohloff's 14 speed is equivalent to a 3 x 9 speed and the Alfine slightly less. The Alfine is about 1.5K here with the shifters and chain tensioner and the Rohloff about 3K. That adds up to 8K IF....that's a big IF , the Curl is going for 5K. It still beats the price of a Brompton which is almost 13K if I want to use a Rohloff!    The rear triangle itself cost almost 3K and plus the Rohloff another 3K and plus the cost of the Brompton itself that's too much already.

The Bromptons are manufacture in such a way to forbid modifications unless done by them. That's selfish and also they wanted it for a main purpose only, short commuting rides. Off course there are exceptions where others takes it for long tours. It's more of an exception than a norm. That's why they made the rear triangle 115mm wide only. If it was 135mm, me and wife would have been riding it long ago. 

Oh ya! Akmal Basikal in Bangsar (agent for Rohloff) did try to expand the rear triangle and fit in a Rohloff. He did it but the lock nuts can't sit properly as he widen each side by 10mm and the hanger plate is at an angle.

This is interesting. Why? 

For me, when I was foldie biking, riding around KL/PJ becomes boring. Ride to Klang for eats, rides in Putrajaya which I have to go 2 laps to satisfy and Broga. For that my Dahon Eco C7s were enough already. Then we ventured to Parit Buntar to Taiping, Jerantut to Taman Negara, trans Titiwangsa from KKB to Raub and the 7 speed just don't cut it. SO, I started modifications after I tried Genting Peras with my 7 speeders. Me and wife needs 3 HOURS to peak. From there , the Eco C7 went 27 speed and finally all other rides that was mentioned. Why not just buy a bike with that specs?

Did you see the price of a Tern 18 speeder? That 6K plus. The cheapest then was the Dahon Visc which was selling at 2K at that time but I don't like the frame. The KHS 27 speed cost over 3K at that time. Cost is the factor. Not everyone can afford one lump sum to get the bike they wanted. So, we do it in stages. First we go for the rear mods then the front and then components. Off course lah, last time we don't need multiple gears..............in fact I rode around Penang island with a Raleigh Chopper. BUT that was last time lah! Now after so many years , no exercising , no cycling, suddenly we start to ride, the more gears the better lah!

The way you describe is true, riding at your own pace but when you are in a group of 30 riders......sometimes the others may not mind but sub consciously, you feel like an obstacle to them. If the wait is 10 to 30 minutes is fine but when others have to wait like an hour it's a bit of a let down, especially for the sweeper. When we did Jerantut to Taman Negara, there were 33 riders ! It was so hard to control that it fragmented into 5 groups. The first group, checked into their motel at 1.45pm and the rest .... re-assembled in a warong 8 kilometers from the destination in stages. The first group sat there at 3.00 pm and 3, 4, 2 riders starts converging in intervals of 30 minutes. Finally, 4 was un -accounted for 

1 had a crashed and hitch hiked on a gas lorry and er companion accompanied her to the hospital. another 2 had to be rescued. A concerned rider borrowed a moped and rode out and back tracked. Another rider saw it and wanted to pillion ride on it for fun. When they came back, the he came back with another rider (cramped on both legs...hahaa) and the pillion rider rode his Brompton back with the other rider who accompanied him. Wouldn't it be nice if there were more gears?  With more gears , you can control your cadence and not overwork but a single speed, you can't. Maybe you can if you stay near the coastal areas where it is flat like the Netherlands.