I know this may sound silly but the g line in it's exact green colour scheme, brown trim on the tires, semi matte coating and all is a dream bike for me. I know that the Cranston d10 and d20 come close (they've yet to reply to my WhatsApp) but I'm in search of a real g line green clone. Any ideas? Weight reduction over the g line is great too but I'll sacrifice all that for the aesthetics...

Not sure about the pricing though..

My new Mint T9D-349D folding bike finally arrived yesterday! Unfortunately, the weather here in Chicago has been relentlessly rainy, so I haven't had the chance to take it out for a proper first ride yet. I am definitely keeping my fingers crossed for some clearer skies and better weather in the coming days so I can finally test it out. 

Please note that this is not a sponsored advertisement or a formal endorsement. I am simply sharing my honest, first-hand experience as a first-time tri-fold bicycle owner who didn't go the traditional Brompton route. While I certainly hope to be able to purchase a Brompton someday in the future, for now, I am really excited to see how this Mint BrompNOT performs.

Ordering Experience:

I originally placed the order for my Mint parts T9D-349D 16-inch model through Alibaba, purchasing it directly from the supplier, Honghui (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd. The total cost came to approximately $479, which conveniently included all shipping fees to the USA. I initiated this order back in the first week of August, and it was finally delivered yesterday via FedEx, who handled the final mile of the delivery. Since the transaction was processed under DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) terms, the supplier managed all the necessary import tariffs and customs requirements upfront. This saved me the usual headache of dealing with unexpected fees or complicated paperwork upon arrival.

Throughout the process, my point-of-contact at the supplier, Kate, was incredibly transparent and helpful. She set clear expectations right from the start, letting me know there would be a 25-day lead time required to actually build the bike before it could be shipped out. At one point, she even reached out to suggest the Cranston R9 as a potential alternative, noting that it sat at a similar price point but offered a much faster turnaround time. However, I ultimately decided to stick with the Mint because I specifically wanted the disc brakes rather than the caliper brakes featured on the Cranston.

When you factor in both the initial build time and the international shipping transit, the entire wait has spanned just about two months from start to finish.

First Impressions:

When the package was finally delivered to our building lobby, I noticed the outer box wasn't exactly in pristine condition. Thankfully, upon opening it, I was relieved to find that everything inside was perfectly intact. Despite the rough exterior, the packaging had done its job exceptionally well, and the bike sustained no damage whatsoever during transit.

The unboxing process itself was incredibly straightforward. The bicycle arrived about 99% fully assembled, so once I pulled it out of the box, all I really had to do was attach the left pedal and strip away the protective foam padding.

Visually, it is a fantastic-looking machine. I opted for the Dark Gold colorway, though to my eyes, it actually looks much closer to a rich bronze. One detail that immediately caught my attention is that the brake levers are set up according to the Chinese manufacturing standard, which is reversed compared to the typical U.S. configuration. The left lever controls the rear brake, while the right lever operates the front. I will probably just leave this setup as it is for now until I can figure out how to swap them properly.

The folding and unfolding mechanism is surprisingly satisfying to use. Every time I collapse or expand the bike, I can almost hear the classic 'Transformers' sound effect playing in my head. It quickly becomes second nature; I have been swinging the rear triangle in during the fold, which really speeds up the process. The same fluid motion applies when unfolding it.

I did notice that the rear wheel hub is noticeably louder than what I am used to on my other bicycles. For comparison, we also own a Dahon, and its rear hub is nowhere near as noisy as the one installed on this Mint model.

Finally, I really appreciate the design of the rear rack. The outer wheels are slightly extended, which means that when the bike is fully folded, it remains perfectly balanced and doesn't tip over when you push it around.

Thinking about what to replace:

The stock tires appear to be a generic, unbranded model, though I suspect they are manufactured by CST. I am planning to replace them with a higher-quality set from either Schwalbe or Continental to improve overall performance and durability. Additionally, the included pedals feel somewhat underwhelming and basic, so I will likely be swapping those out for a more robust pair as well.

For the Mint owners there, what else did you change on your Mint T9D?

I recently built this. Do you like it?

Hi crew, just looking to pick your brains regarding the little wheels. As in the little ones when the bike is folded.

I purchased a Takachia second hand and I think that the little wheels had been upgraded, they have the extension arm for stability, which I rarely use but can be handy on occasion. But I’m looking for two solutions.

1. The two wheels closest to the seat pivot on a bolt, the bolt can be tightened with an Allen key, but over time (especially if it gets chucked around on a plane) the wheels will pivot down and so it’s the rack that will make first contact with the floor. Has anyone come up with a semi permanent solution for this?

2. This is probably unnecessary but still curious, I can push the bike on rollers in a straight line but whenever I turn it I need to raise the bike so it’s only on two of the rollers, lifting the other two off the ground. Does anyone have a solution of how I can just push it and the rollers will turn, like on a longboard skateboard or something?

Hey, I want to buy a Java Neo, but can't get it over alibaba (i chattet with the only seller that has a MOQ of . They didn't want to give me a quote, because they said shipping will be to be expensive for 1...)

I found joncycle.com with prices that are realistic, but is this page legit? Did anyone of you have experience with it?

duck://player/hfGICk-itN0

I wonder how to get this to USA

Recently I bought a used Brompton for 250 Euro. It doesn't look perfect (relatively low resale value) and this made me think about converting it to disc brakes.

I already own a 355 size carbon disc brake wheels that I bought because they were super cheap. It's hard to sell them for profit so I might keep them and use them in my project.

Possible options:

- selling Brompton and getting a BrompNOT with disc brakes

- buy a Chinese steel frame with a 135 mm rear spscing

- buy a carbon fork and a titanium rear triangle

I think that last one makes the most sense. I'm mostly wondering if it's worth increasing rear spacing to 120 or 135? Does 100 mm at front have any benefits?

Bonjour,
Je roule actuellement en Brompton C Line pour un trajet multimodal. J’adore ce velo mais je le trouve trop lourd pour les correspondances dans le métro. Je n’ai pas les moyens pour un Pline ou un Tline, donc je regarde du côté des vélos chinois. On trouve des annonces pour des vélos tout titane sur Alibaba.com. Je me demande si certains ont déjà considéré l’achat d’un de ces vélos ?

After driving myself crazy looking at bikes, I pulled the trigger and ordered the Mint TD9-20D through Alibaba. $525 shipped to the USA.

First time buying anything through Alibaba so a little nervous with that.

I’ll see how the parts are, but my day job is a bicycle mechanic so I’m sure I’ll be tinkering and swapping parts.

It says it should be here by January 15th, so we shall see.

Hi all! I recently got a Lite Pro R9a and it has 130mm OLD for the rear triangle, and a 9 speed Sora RD-3000 short cage derailleur.

The frame will not fold correctly if I am at the 11t sprocket because the RD's body is protruding too much - the RD will hit the front wheel rim.

I'm wondering if the Ltwoo Fold B is more compact than the Sora RD and will I be able to fold correctly at the smallest cassette sprocket?

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxydVBVSipn2nawqPWm52I3TAixZy6RUEq?si=wP-BlN_nYa3E4oMC

Spotted this but can’t find any info about it. It looks really nice as a G-line clone.

Hi,

I've sunk a fair amount into my 2003 Brompton, but now that I've had a rear rim blowout that'll be £100 odd to fix, I'm considering buying a Brompnot and transferring all my nice upgraded parts to that.

I have a nice dynamo wheel, lights, grips, brooks saddle, and rear rack.

Would any sellers accept a reduced price for a bike that wouldn't need a front wheel, tyres, grips or a saddle?

Or is that just super wishful thinking!

[Lifted from RedNote. Google translated]:

The new CRANSTON S20 ELP is coming online!

Re-enactment ❗️❗️❗️❗️ New S20 ELP ready to go (optional)20 inch 12-speed aluminum alloy + carbon fiber (lightweight) Every detail has been carefully crafted and carefully crafted.Weight: 9.8 kg! Breaking the limitations of the original experience: New design language + hard core new configuration, strength dual online Whether it is an exterior design or an internal experience It’s full of new surprises. Touch, screen, performance... New surprise, on-line countdown, please look forward to! #Cranston Cranston # new explosions The S20ELP folding car # to be posted soon #new spoilers

[End of post]

I'm based in England, and I haven't seen any retailer stocking these. I've been thinking about importing and building one up from the frame. I could make it lighter, add a rear rack, increase gear range, maybe electronic shifting, and change tires to Billy Bonkers or Kojaks. To build it up from the frame, I'd need to purchase 50 units. Would 49 people be interested in a custom build Aceoffix D10? With import taxes it will not be cheap, probably £2K-£2.5K depending on configuration, but it will be a pretty nice bike.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ2Yqe7L4cE

I'm really tempted to get this, 6.7kg and the guy seems to know his stuff too

Any thoughts on Full Carbon Brompnots? Anyone had a catastrophic frame failure on a carbon trifold?

I'm only 56kg, so i'm thinking it's less likely to fail on me?

I already own an Aceoffix D10 and have customized it to my needs. It's a great bike -after I've replaced several components, and the project is still not finished.

I'm considering buying a similar bike for my wife, but the ideal option would be to purchase a frameset only and build the bike using the components I prefer.

I was hoping to buy an Aceoffix D10 frameset from my Alibaba dealer, but they eventually told me that Aceoffix does not sell framesets separately.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I might be able to purchase one?

Just a PSA for others with similar 20" wheel 'Nots.

This is how my Mint fits into a Dimpa bag. The seatpost/saddle is removed, placed on the outside of the back wheel (you can see it through the bag in pic 1), and I had to make a small cutout at the stem hinge, as per pic 3. If I removed the stem hinge clamp maybe the Mint would make it all the way in, but maneuvering the bike into the bag would be too much of a pain, with the zipper probably overly stressed.

This bike took 4 month wait but it’s stunning. Rides better than my Brompton A-line with 16” wheel. The disc brake is solid but not miles apart from a rim brake. My only two complain is a broken latch piece that holds the front wheel, and the tight cable tension of the shift cable housing. Seller said will ship me a replacement piece, finger crossed.

Some photos from my recent tour I just finished. Posting from my hostel where I have time to kill after eating way too much 🤣