# Let's See Your Folding Bike



## Rockn Robin (21 Aug 2018)

I know there is a gallery section, and forgive me if I'm wrong in posting this thread here, but I thought since it's "photo specific" to folding bikes it might be OK. If not, please delete the thread, as I have posted these photos on a thread within the gallery forum. 

I just thought it would be nice to see everyone's folding bike. Anyway, here's mine:


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## Cycleops (21 Aug 2018)

Guess there's not too many Brompton's in Arizona.


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## Lonestar (21 Aug 2018)

Thinking of going out on my Brompton tomorrow as both fixies are out of action.


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## Rockn Robin (22 Aug 2018)

Cycleops said:


> Guess there's not too many Brompton's in Arizona.


According to the dealer I purchased my Brommie from, there are many Brompton owners, but I haven't seen any other than on my wife's commute to work when I drive her.


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## Lonestar (22 Aug 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> According to the dealer I purchased my Brommie from, there are many Brompton owners, but I haven't seen any other than on my wife's commute to work when I drive her.



See quite a few in Londonium...What's quite scary is when one of the buggers is faster than me.


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## Rockn Robin (22 Aug 2018)

Lonestar said:


> See quite a few in Londonium...What's quite scary is when one of the buggers is faster than me.


Maybe he had the electric version. I haven't seen one as they are not out here yet. But from what I am reading, the electric motor adds a huge boost.


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## Lonestar (22 Aug 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Maybe he had the electric version. I haven't seen one as they are not out here yet. But from what I am reading, the electric motor adds a huge boost.



Nope no sign of an electric motor.Some of these guys are quite tasty on a bike.

I would guess that quite a few people could beat me when riding a Boris Bike also.


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## Rockn Robin (22 Aug 2018)

Lonestar said:


> Nope no sign of an electric motor.Some of these guys are quite tasty on a bike.
> 
> I would guess that quite a few people could beat me when riding a Boris Bike also.


You and me both. Don't be too concerned, but I would worry if someone beats you on a stationary bike, though.


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## Kell (22 Aug 2018)

I posted the other day, but when I took part in the BWC in London I got lapped on lap five by the lead group.

I was doing 21/22mph at the time they went past.

Here's the video:


View: https://www.facebook.com/Kell.LC/videos/10155447673221021/


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## Kell (22 Aug 2018)

Anyway, here a picture of what my bike used to look like.

I immediately removed the H type bars and fitted a low-rise bar. 
This was before I'd shortened the cables.

I daren't post a 'now' picture - it's minging. Doesn't matter what I do, I can't get three years worth of London grime off it.

When I did the BWC, my wife and daughter came along and my missus asked me why I hadn't cleaned it for the race.

I told her that I had...


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## Rockn Robin (22 Aug 2018)

Kell said:


> I posted the other day, but when I took part in the BWC in London I got lapped on lap five by the lead group.
> 
> I was doing 22mph at the time they went past.
> 
> ...



Wow!! They were flying. At least you made a gallant effort to catch up after, but they were really booting it along. If you were going 22mph, i wonder how fast they were going? I've only had mine up to 20mph, and that was on a slight decline.


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## Rockn Robin (22 Aug 2018)

Kell said:


> Anyway, here a picture of what my bike used to look like.
> 
> I immediately removed the H type bars and fitted a low-rise bar.
> This was before I'd shortened the cables.
> ...


I really love that color. Is that a lime green? If that was available when I bought mine, I would have gone with that color. Awesome!!!


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## TheDoctor (22 Aug 2018)

Mine still looks pretty much like this.


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## stoatsngroats (22 Aug 2018)

Image to follow, once I have this in my possession...

Nine Streets


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## Lonestar (22 Aug 2018)

I've been out on it today and it was a star....I could handle the gears better as my fitness is much better...Fitted a smart rear light even though it has a dynamo system...The dynamo system failed in the dark but lucky I had backup.Stopped at the chicken shop on the way back (naughty me) and while they were doing my order I found a loose wire which plugs into the front light.Reconnecting this got the dynamo lights working again.

I mean't to take a pic but I forgot and also got back late and want a session on the turbo trainer so I haven't got time...Will do in future.


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## Kell (23 Aug 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Wow!! They were flying. At least you made a gallant effort to catch up after, but they were really booting it along. If you were going 22mph, i wonder how fast they were going? I've only had mine up to 20mph, and that was on a slight decline.



Well, I worked out that over the 7 laps I completed (about 9 miles) I averaged 19.3 mph Going by the winners' time, they averaged 24.something. This morning, i had a bit of a tail wind and I managed a half mile stretch at a constant 25mph+ but I was knackered afterwards. To try and keep that up for the 10.5 miles of the course would be impossible for me.

I think I'd struggle to stay with them on a road bike tbh.


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## Kell (23 Aug 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> I really love that color. Is that a lime green? If that was available when I bought mine, I would have gone with that color. Awesome!!!



Yeah, that's the lime green. I figured I may as well get something which is as bright as possible when commuting in London.


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## Kell (23 Aug 2018)

stoatsngroats said:


> Image to follow, once I have this in my possession...
> 
> Nine Streets



Congrats. I love the look of those.


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## Rockn Robin (23 Aug 2018)

Kell said:


> Yeah, that's the lime green. I figured I may as well get something which is as bright as possible when commuting in London.


Good reasoning, and besides, for me, I love bright colors.


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## GM (24 Aug 2018)

Here's my 2 on holiday.....


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## Rockn Robin (24 Aug 2018)

GM said:


> Here's my 2 on holiday.....
> 
> View attachment 426679


Very nice couple. I'm glad they allowed you to come alone. I hope there wasn't any animosity among them as you chose which to ride. Just kidding my friend. Beautiful bikes in what might be referred to as the best cycling city on the planet. Love to go there one day.


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## GM (24 Aug 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Very nice couple. I'm glad they allowed you to come alone. I hope there wasn't any animosity among them as you chose which to ride. Just kidding my friend. Beautiful bikes in what might be referred to as the best cycling city on the planet. Love to go there one day.




Yeah they loved it, and want to go again next year


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## Rockn Robin (25 Aug 2018)

GM said:


> Yeah they loved it, and want to go again next year


Tell them if they want to go back, they better be on their best behavior. No flats, no spills, and willing to ride at a moments notice.


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## Mrklaw (25 Aug 2018)

GM said:


> Here's my 2 on holiday.....
> 
> View attachment 426679



What’s the one on the left? Some black edition bits but not others?


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## GM (25 Aug 2018)

Mrklaw said:


> What’s the one on the left? Some black edition bits but not others?




The one on the left is a basis M6L, but I put the black rack on which came with a black mud guard so I sprayed the front one to match. The one on the right is my 9 year old knock about M3L. Good spotting though!


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## Mrklaw (25 Aug 2018)

GM said:


> The one on the left is a basis M6L, but I put the black rack on which came with a black mud guard so I sprayed the front one to match. The one on the right is my 9 year old knock about M3L. Good spotting though!



Thanks. I’m looking at Bromptons at the moment and would like a Lime Green black Edition so i’m looking at options


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## chriscross1966 (25 Aug 2018)

My three current ones.. the bonkers, the daily, the sunny days...













Francesca at Paddington



__ chriscross1966
__ 1 Aug 2018


















Henrietta at Swindon Origami



__ chriscross1966
__ 17 Sep 2017


















Persephone



__ chriscross1966
__ 9 Sep 2017



The new S5EX modified


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## Rockn Robin (25 Aug 2018)

chriscross1966 said:


> My three current ones.. the bonkers, the daily, the sunny days...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Love the green and white. What is the purpose of that large chain ring?


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## Fab Foodie (25 Aug 2018)

TheDoctor said:


> Mine still looks pretty much like this.
> View attachment 426365


Ventoux? Nutter....


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## Fab Foodie (25 Aug 2018)

My Brommie in France this week, cheeky 22 miler after a crap day at work... 











No photos of ther BSA on my phone and the Triumph Trafficmaster is still in pieces....


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## Fab Foodie (25 Aug 2018)

Lonestar said:


> See quite a few in Londonium...What's quite scary is when one of the buggers is faster than me.


We all are.....


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## chriswoody (25 Aug 2018)

Blimey this is turning into a show us your Brompton thread! 

In the interests of balance, here's a pic of my Tern Link Uno just after I purchased it in 2015. After daily commuting service for three years it's looking a little scruffier now, but I don't have a more recent photo. It's been an ultra reliable commuter bike and rides really well




.


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## chriscross1966 (25 Aug 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Love the green and white. What is the purpose of that large chain ring?


Dealing with tiny wheels and an 11t top sprocket. Causes huge issues so building a freewheel that goes to a 9t then i can put a 61/46 combo on the front and solve a huge pile of problems..


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## Lonestar (26 Aug 2018)

Brompton bought August 2014



__ Lonestar
__ 26 Aug 2018



Photographed 25/08/2018





Just to redress the balance.Bought August 2014.Used yesterday when fixie developed another p*nct*re...although managed to get back.Called Brompton into service to pick up package.

That pic is a bit bloody small.


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## Dan B (26 Aug 2018)

chriswoody said:


> Blimey this is turning into a show us your Brompton thread!
> 
> In the interests of balance, here's a pic of my Tern Link Uno just after I purchased it in 2015. After daily commuting service for three years it's looking a little scruffier now, but I don't have a more recent photo. It's been an ultra reliable commuter bike and rides really well
> View attachment 426848
> .


I have a Tern too, it folds down to the size of a bicycle


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## Rockn Robin (26 Aug 2018)

chriscross1966 said:


> Dealing with tiny wheels and an 11t top sprocket. Causes huge issues so building a freewheel that goes to a 9t then i can put a 61/46 combo on the front and solve a huge pile of problems..


Please excuse my lack of knowledge on the subject, but does that mean a higher gear for more speed?


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## Rockn Robin (26 Aug 2018)

Lonestar said:


> Brompton bought August 2014
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Brompton to the rescue.


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## stoatsngroats (26 Aug 2018)

View media item 10792
View media item 10793
Yay! N+1!
2018 spec, with Shimano Dynamo, updated gear change, brakes, and extended seatpost.


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## GM (26 Aug 2018)

stoatsngroats said:


> View media item 10792
> View media item 10793
> Yay!




Wow! I like that, apparently all the Nine Streets are unique.


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## stoatsngroats (26 Aug 2018)

Yes, apparently, I’m sure there will be only minor differences tbh, but it’s stunning looking!
I really love that the red appears translucent, which means the brazing has a particular look, similar to the raw lacquer finish.
Nice to have I must say, although have only ridden 250m so far due to the weather and the journey back.


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## chriscross1966 (26 Aug 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Please excuse my lack of knowledge on the subject, but does that mean a higher gear for more speed?


Yeah, kind of... the biggest ring you can fit to a Brompton without folding issues is around 60 teeth, the smallest rear sprocket generally available for the wheels i have fitted is a 11, with racing tyres thats less than 80 gear inches in top and i cannot spin my legs over at a decent speed... the 75t ring solves that, but causes problems all over the place of its own. By building a freewheel that goes to a 9t top sprocket I can then swap out that chainset and its overwidth bottom bracket solving issues of chain retention and folding in one go. Other mods needed are to move the rear brake mounting to get the Delta repositioned to not hit the ground when folded and use a stronger setup on the handlebar swivel.


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## simon.r (26 Aug 2018)

One for @Rockn Robin in Arizona - not sure if you know what this white stuff is?


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## Rockn Robin (26 Aug 2018)

simon.r said:


> One for @Rockn Robin in Arizona - not sure if you know what this white stuff is?
> 
> View attachment 426943


Poor Brommie Well, once in a while in the winter I might drive up to Flagstaff and have a butchers.


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## Rockn Robin (26 Aug 2018)

chriscross1966 said:


> Yeah, kind of... the biggest ring you can fit to a Brompton without folding issues is around 60 teeth, the smallest rear sprocket generally available for the wheels i have fitted is a 11, with racing tyres thats less than 80 gear inches in top and i cannot spin my legs over at a decent speed... the 75t ring solves that, but causes problems all over the place of its own. By building a freewheel that goes to a 9t top sprocket I can then swap out that chainset and its overwidth bottom bracket solving issues of chain retention and folding in one go. Other mods needed are to move the rear brake mounting to get the Delta repositioned to not hit the ground when folded and use a stronger setup on the handlebar swivel.


I assume the combination that you decided on works out well for you. Quite a science behind that.


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## Rockn Robin (26 Aug 2018)

chriswoody said:


> Blimey this is turning into a show us your Brompton thread!
> 
> In the interests of balance, here's a pic of my Tern Link Uno just after I purchased it in 2015. After daily commuting service for three years it's looking a little scruffier now, but I don't have a more recent photo. It's been an ultra reliable commuter bike and rides really well
> View attachment 426848
> .


Thank you for adding some diversity.


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## CaptainWheezy (27 Aug 2018)

Here's mine (Sorry, more Bromptons!)

S6L in lime green with reduced gearing cos we have proper hills up north, and Shimano dynamo (think its a 2015)





And N+ er, a few...
An S6R in Raw black lacquer (Bought as an S6L and added the rack), again with reduced gearing and I added SON dynamo and Brooks saddle.



Might take the rack back off and stick it on the green one, and swap a few of the silver parts for black, undecided...

Mrs CaptainWheezy also has an S6L in Cherry Blossom, again with reduced gearing and Shimano dynamo, but not got any photo's to hand.


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## Rockn Robin (28 Aug 2018)

User13710 said:


> View attachment 427204
> 
> 
> View attachment 427205


That's a very interesting folding bike. How does that Micro-Bike ride?


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## Nibor (28 Aug 2018)

Loving it


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## Rockn Robin (28 Aug 2018)

User13710 said:


> Like something out of a circus .


Man, you have to post a video of that.


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## doginabag (29 Aug 2018)

My first folder was a Tern P9.






That lasted about 6 months before the hinge bolt sheared and Tern were unable to supply a replacement frame in the original colour so it become a bit of a mongrel. 




Later on the pedal sheared off almost putting me under a bus.





Finally I splashed out and got this, a little over two years old now.


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## Kell (29 Aug 2018)

Here’s mine then. 

Not so close that you can see how mucky it is. 

And that’s not a special parking spot reserved for me. I work on Brompton Road and there’s a company in our building called Brompton Asset Management.


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## Rockn Robin (30 Aug 2018)

Kell said:


> Here’s mine then.
> 
> Not so close that you can see how mucky it is.
> 
> ...


Can you fold tha handle bars down? Just wondering with those handlebar extensions.


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## Kell (30 Aug 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Can you fold tha handle bars down? Just wondering with those handlebar extensions.



Perfectly.

I started with an H type, which has a different stem for just that reason:


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## Rockn Robin (30 Aug 2018)

Kell said:


> Perfectly.
> 
> I started with an H type, which has a different stem for just that reason:
> 
> View attachment 427573



Sure does. I was wondering because I thought I saw some extentions off the ends of the grips. Love the green. Would have been my choice had it been available when I purchased mine.


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## Flying Dodo (30 Aug 2018)

As posted elsewhere.

My pimped up 1980's era Bickerton.


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## Rockn Robin (30 Aug 2018)

Flying Dodo said:


> View attachment 427594
> 
> 
> As posted elsewhere.
> ...



I believe the Bickerton was one of the first folding bikes, if not the first. Still riding well, I see.


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## bikegang (2 Sep 2018)

Some modified bromptons and a birdy ...


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## Rockn Robin (2 Sep 2018)

bikegang said:


> Some modified bromptons and a birdy ...
> View attachment 428044
> View attachment 428045
> View attachment 428046
> View attachment 428047



Beautiful bikes. I particularly like your chrome Brompton. Was that a special order, by any chance? The Birdy must be quite comfortable to ride with the front shock system. How do you find it?


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## bikegang (4 Sep 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Beautiful bikes. I particularly like your chrome Brompton. Was that a special order, by any chance? The Birdy must be quite comfortable to ride with the front shock system. How do you find it?



The brompton was custom electroplated ... I think its a Nickel frame with copper electroplated extremities. So is the first one custom baked paint ... The only way to make a real limited edition nowaday?


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## Nibor (4 Sep 2018)

Not mine but a friend has acquired two original bickertons


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## Bodhbh (4 Sep 2018)

chriscross1966 said:


> My three current ones.. the bonkers, the daily, the sunny days...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



What about the Kingpin(?!) you've slyly got in the background there?


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## Bodhbh (4 Sep 2018)

Probably posted a picture of my R20 enough here already, but I feel the thread needs some more non-Brommies...


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## tds101 (6 Sep 2018)

My current lineup,...with a Brompton (hopefully,...) in my future for next year.









View attachment 428708


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## Rockn Robin (6 Sep 2018)

tds101 said:


> My current lineup,...with a Brompton (hopefully,...) in my future for next year.
> View attachment 428703
> View attachment 428705
> View attachment 428707
> ...



My wife rides Dahon Curve D3. She loves it. It doesn’t fold quie as nice as the Brompton, but it is one beautiful bike.


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## Mrklaw (6 Sep 2018)

You ride that micro basically like a tiny moving elliptical trainer - standing up??


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## tds101 (6 Sep 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> My wife rides Dahon Curve D3. She loves it. It doesn’t fold quie as nice as the Brompton, but it is one beautiful bike.



It's a decently speedy little bike. A bit squirrelly, but very manuverable.



Mrklaw said:


> You ride that micro basically like a tiny moving elliptical trainer - standing up??



Yup, it's one heck of a workout.


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## Rockn Robin (6 Sep 2018)

tds101 said:


> It's a decently speedy little bike. A bit squirrelly, but very manuverable.
> 
> 
> 
> Yup, it's one heck of a workout.



The D3 is a bit squirrelly, like you said. It's because of the shorter wheel base. The longer the wheel base the better the ride. That's why the Brompton, for a small bike, handles much better.


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## simon.r (6 Sep 2018)

I sold this nickel plated, superlight, black edition earlier this week. 






A reluctant sale of a beautiful bike, but it just wasn’t being used enough to justify keeping it.


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## Rockn Robin (6 Sep 2018)

simon.r said:


> I sold this nickel plated, superlight, black edition earlier this week.
> 
> View attachment 428765
> 
> ...



Sorry you had to let it go. Never seen a nickel plated Brompton before.


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## chriscross1966 (6 Sep 2018)

Bodhbh said:


> What about the Kingpin(?!) you've slyly got in the background there?


That was last years Origami Ride out with Swindon Smallwheels (which is my local club)


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## tds101 (6 Sep 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> The D3 is a bit squirrelly, like you said. It's because of the shorter wheel base. The longer the wheel base the better the ride. That's why the Brompton, for a small bike, handles much better.


Oh, I know all about the shorter wheelbase. I like the quick, squirrelly handling,...it's wonderful for manuvering between parked cars with ease.


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## Salar (6 Sep 2018)

Hi and welcome @tds101

Some really nice bikes there, I certainly like the look of the Lombardo.


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## Tail End Charlie (6 Sep 2018)

To add to the "anything but a Brompton theme", here's my Dawes Kingpin which (I mentioned on another thread) I acquired for the princely sum of £5 and after new tyres and tubes and a bit of TLC, here it is. I used it as a folder yesterday - took my wife's car to be MOT'd and jumped on this and did a bit of shopping. Perfect for that.


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## TheDoctor (6 Sep 2018)

Here's my habitual commuter.
Cheap-and-cheerful(ish) electric folder.
Range of about 20 miles under power, and seems reasonably OK.
It's rather hard work if you let the battery go flat...


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## Rockn Robin (6 Sep 2018)

Tail End Charlie said:


> To add to the "anything but a Brompton theme", here's my Dawes Kingpin which (I mentioned on another thread) I acquired for the princely sum of £5 and after new tyres and tubes and a bit of TLC, here it is. I used it as a folder yesterday - took my wife's car to be MOT'd and jumped on this and did a bit of shopping. Perfect for that.
> 
> View attachment 428787



Brilliant!! I love those retro bikes. Very nice job on yours.


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## Joe Brom (7 Sep 2018)

2018 S6L BWC Edition, riser bars, TPW EZ Wheels, some kinda ti shock.


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## Oldboots091 (7 Sep 2018)




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## tds101 (7 Sep 2018)

Salar said:


> Hi and welcome @tds101
> 
> Some really nice bikes there, I certainly like the look of the Lombardo.



Thanks! It's actually a wonderful bike. I wish I could commute with it, but it's not allowed on the 60+ mile train ride I'm required to take 4 days a week. Non-folders aren't allowed during "Peak" hours,...even my evening train ride has this restriction. This is my basis for loving folders so much.


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## Salar (9 Sep 2018)

Here mine,

Nothing too special, a Dawes Jack, I think it is a rebadged Dahon, not sure.
Has served me well for a few years on the easier stuff.

I've given it a few tweaks. Changed the trigger shifters ( which I keep breaking!) to Shimano gripshifts, which I really like.

I also replaced the rear freewheel to a 14-34 to give me more chance of getting up hills!


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## stoatsngroats (9 Sep 2018)

View media item 10822
My 2nd ride on the B, with the Cube, on the pier.


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## ukoldschool (12 Sep 2018)

Hi!

New Brompton commuter, doing a whopping 8km PER DAY


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## gpx001 (12 Sep 2018)

My Ridgeback attache. 
Picked up secondhand 6 years ago and used throughout the year!


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## Rockn Robin (12 Sep 2018)

gpx001 said:


> My Ridgeback attache.
> Picked up secondhand 6 years ago and used throughout the year!
> View attachment 429727



Very nice. Looks much like a Dahon. A dedicated cyclist riding year round, even in the snow.


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## gpx001 (12 Sep 2018)

And my Dawes Kingpin.
Had this for years and been everywhere on it. Now kept at the family caravan!


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## gpx001 (12 Sep 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Very nice. Looks much like a Dahon. A dedicated cyclist riding year round, even in the snow.


Yes it's a rebadged Dahon (as is the Kingpin). The hub gears are nice and got to say both bikes have been bullet proof.


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## welsh dragon (12 Sep 2018)

Here is my everyday bike. A whisper 806 torque with 20 inch wheels and hub gears. You can allegedly get up to 50 miles on one charge. I get 30 plus and I live in very hilly west Wales. Yes it is an ebike


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## Rockn Robin (12 Sep 2018)

welsh dragon said:


> Here is my everyday bike. A whisper 806 torque with 20 inch wheels and hub gears. You can allegedly get up to 50 miles on one charge. I get 30 plus and I live in very hilly west Wales. Yes it is an ebike
> 
> View attachment 429729



Nice bike. Perfect for your needs. If I lived in a hilly area, I would be searching out such a bike.


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## welsh dragon (12 Sep 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Nice bike. Perfect for your needs. If I lived in a hilly area, I would be searching out such a bike.




Thank you.


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## Rockn Robin (12 Sep 2018)

welsh dragon said:


> Thank you.



You're most welcome.


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## FolderBeholder (14 Sep 2018)

I’m fortunante....I enjoy three folders. Each different, but all folders. My first folder...a “EuroMini” which cost $300 new, and has exceeded all expectations. It’s fold is so-so, but its been quite reliable, its fun to ride, and I’ve lost count of how many miles It’s carried me. Always makes me smile.


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## FolderBeholder (14 Sep 2018)

Then I added an electric folder...a. Magnum Premium 48. A very fine bike....and my least favorite.


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## FolderBeholder (14 Sep 2018)

I recently added this to my collection. Its fun, quirky, uncommon (around here anyway) and finely crafted. I love it.
I especially enjoy the gearing arrangment (6 speed) and I don’t consider it “fiddly”....it’s purpose-built.


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## Rockn Robin (14 Sep 2018)

FolderBeholder said:


> View attachment 429922
> 
> 
> I’m fortunante....I enjoy three folders. Each different, but all folders. My first folder...a “EuroMini” which cost $300 new, and has exceeded all expectations. It’s fold is so-so, but its been quite reliable, its fun to ride, and I’ve lost count of how many miles It’s carried me. Always makes me smile.



Nice! How did you attach your GoPro to the back?


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## Rockn Robin (14 Sep 2018)

FolderBeholder said:


> I recently added this to my collection. Its fun, quirky, uncommon (around here anyway) and finely crafted. I love it.
> I especially enjoy the gearing arrangment (6 speed) and I don’t consider it “fiddly”....it’s purpose-built.
> 
> View attachment 429924



You will enjoy many years and miles on your Brommie. Had mine since 2012, and it still looks and rides like the day I bought it. What is the configuration on your handle bars? In order to get my iPhone up closer to see, I had to attach a few gadgets to do so.


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## FolderBeholder (14 Sep 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Nice! How did you attach your GoPro to the back?


I used a conglomeration of miscellaneous GoPro mounts, by hook and by crook directly clamped to the seat frame. If you look closely you can see 3 different pieces of mount cobbled together.
I used that pov in this video I made of the day:


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## Rockn Robin (14 Sep 2018)

FolderBeholder said:


> I used a conglomeration of miscellaneous GoPro mounts, by hook and by crook directly clamped to the seat frame. If you look closely you can see 3 different pieces of mount cobbled together.
> I used that pov in this video I made of the day:




Loved the video. Very well done. I liked that guys big yellow bike, but some of them were awesome. Budding engineers. Where did that event take place? Everyone was definitely having a great time.


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## FolderBeholder (14 Sep 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Loved the video. Very well done. I liked that guys big yellow bike, but some of them were awesome. Budding engineers. Where did that event take place? Everyone was definitely having a great time.


Thats an event which happens quarterly or thereabouts, somewhere in greater Los Angeles. The next one is 9-30-18 and the streets will be closed from the Disney Concert Hall, to the Hollywood Bowl. Thats about 8 miles each way. 

We’ll attend again...it was a great deal of fun, and a real celebration of bicycling, skateboarding, and other human powered modes of transport. The organization that organizes these events is:
www.ciclavia.org


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## FolderBeholder (14 Sep 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> You will enjoy many years and miles on your Brommie. Had mine since 2012, and it still looks and rides like the day I bought it. What is the configuration on your handle bars? In order to get my iPhone up closer to see, I had to attach a few gadgets to do so.


Those are standard “S” bars, with strapped-on a rear-view, and a Serfas E-lume 250 headlight. I’ve since added Ergon GP-1 grips, with a Hafny HF-MR083 mirror attached (the best bicycle mirror I’ve had).


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## Rockn Robin (15 Sep 2018)

FolderBeholder said:


> Thats an event which happens quarterly or thereabouts, somewhere in greater Los Angeles. The next one is 9-30-18 and the streets will be closed from the Disney Concert Hall, to the Hollywood Bowl. Thats about 8 miles each way.
> 
> We’ll attend again...it was a great deal of fun, and a real celebration of bicycling, skateboarding, and other human powered modes of transport. The organization that organizes these events is:
> www.ciclavia.org



Thanks for the link. I just signed up for updates.


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## Rockn Robin (15 Sep 2018)

FolderBeholder said:


> Those are standard “S” bars, with strapped-on a rear-view, and a Serfas E-lume 250 headlight. I’ve since added Ergon GP-1 grips, with a Hafny HF-MR083 mirror attached (the best bicycle mirror I’ve had).



I’m going to check out that mirror. Thanks.


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## FolderBeholder (15 Sep 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> You will enjoy many years and miles on your Brommie. Had mine since 2012, and it still looks and rides like the day I bought it.


I hope so, and I plan on riding it as long as I can. I had a total hip replacement a few years back which ended a lengthy motorcycle/scooter riding career, and my vintage beach cruisers (I’ve restored many old Schwinns, and Arnold Schwinns) required too high a leg lift for me after that....leading me to folders. 

The Brompton is the most “serious” bicycle I’ve ever owned and it checks all the right boxes for me now and users like you who can speak positively after several years of ownership of one, is good feedback. You have a great folding bike shop in your state BTW...Tempe if memory serves. I’m sure you know more about that than I do. Good shops, run by passionate bicyclists who cheerfully carry a very niche product like Brompton are a rare find.


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## Rockn Robin (15 Sep 2018)

FolderBeholder said:


> I hope so, and I plan on riding it as long as I can. I had a total hip replacement a few years back which ended a lengthy motorcycle/scooter riding career, and my vintage beach cruisers (I’ve restored many old Schwinns, and Arnold Schwinns) required too high a leg lift for me after that....leading me to folders.
> 
> The Brompton is the most “serious” bicycle I’ve ever owned and it checks all the right boxes for me now and users like you who can speak positively after several years of ownership of one, is good feedback. You have a great folding bike shop in your state BTW...Tempe if memory serves. I’m sure you know more about that than I do. Good shops, run by passionate bicyclists who cheerfully carry a very niche product like Brompton are a rare find.



I'm sorry about you having to have a hip replacement. Although your riding style has changed, the fact that you are still riding is awesome. Keep it up, and I think you have purchased the appropriate bike to keep you spinning those pedals. 

To be honest, I can't say enough good things about the Brompton. It folds superbly and with such ease. For me, it also is the most serious bike I have ever owned. Incredibly engineered and manufactured. That's a testament to the many years I have been riding it. Not a single flaw.

If I need a few grocery items that I'm short on, the Brommie is my mode of transport, and is also my grocery cart while shopping. I get a lot of smiles and double takes while pushing it up and down the aisles. On my last shopping adventure, I startled the grocery clerk. Before attaching the bag to the front bracket of the bike, I flipped the bike open, and stunned the clerk. She was totally amazed, and after some chit chat, she, I think, is going to get one herself. 

That great folding bike shop in Tempe is where I purchased it. The shop is called Portapedal Bike ( portapedalbike.com ), and is owned and run by the nicest couple. It was back in July of 2012 that I purchased the Brommie, and to be honest, it was my wife that urged me to get it. You see, I went to Portapedal Bike to look at a Tern folder, can't recall the model. It was one of the cheaper Tern models, but it was my wife that convinced me to go the extra mile, money wise, and go for the Brompton because, as she said, "you get what you pay for." She was right, as I'm sure that if I had gone with the Tern, it might have lasted me these years, but it most likely would have had some maintenance done to it along the way. Yes, I can never look back in regret. It has to be one of the best purchases I have ever made. One thing that might sound weird, I have never ridden it in the rain, and never once through a puddle. I wait for the roads to dry if there was rain, and If there is water on the road, I turn around and go another route. As far as cleaning it is concerned, all I do is just dust it off. HAHAHAHA!!

Enjoy your Brommie!!!


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## TheDoctor (15 Sep 2018)

If I could just have one bike, it'd be the Brommie. It's just the most complete, all-round usable and useful bike I have.
Commuting, utility, touring, it does the lot.


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## Rockn Robin (15 Sep 2018)

TheDoctor said:


> If I could just have one bike, it'd be the Brommie. It's just the most complete, all-round usable and useful bike I have.
> Commuting, utility, touring, it does the lot.



Indubitably!! Totally agree. Does everything, even converts to a grocery cart.


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## FolderBeholder (16 Sep 2018)

TheDoctor said:


> If I could just have one bike, it'd be the Brommie. It's just the most complete, all-round usable and useful bike I have.
> Commuting, utility, touring, it does the lot.


I’d do exactly that as well. My e-bike would be the first to go, my Brompton the last.


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## Bodhbh (20 Sep 2018)

Up to now all talk of Bromptons tended to induce Zzzzzzzz's. I was given one as an early Christmas present last weekend so not so much anymore. Looking to do some - mostly functional - pimping, but here's it as it stands, with just the saddle changed. Old model from the 1990s. I see they have a potential to be a massive cash sink with the upgrades....


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## chriscross1966 (20 Sep 2018)

Bodhbh said:


> Up to now all talk of Bromptons tended to induce Zzzzzzzz's. I was given one as an early Christmas present last weekend so not so much anymore. Looking to do some - mostly functional - pimping, but here's it as it stands, with just the saddle changed. Old model from the 1990s. I see they have a potential to be a massive cash sink with the upgrades....
> 
> View attachment 430831


That looks like my old one. Her name was Beryl.


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## FolderBeholder (21 Sep 2018)

I dont normally succumb to the charms of adhesive-backed chatchkies on my stuff, but this one reeled me in...





I feel so dirty.....


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## TheDoctor (21 Sep 2018)

*want*


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## stoatsngroats (25 Sep 2018)

View media item 10858
I know, another pic, but it’s so wonderful having a pal to cycle alongside!


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## Rockn Robin (25 Sep 2018)

stoatsngroats said:


> View media item 10858
> I know, another pic, but it’s so wonderful having a pal to cycle alongside!



I agree, more fun with a companion. Heck of a nice picture, by the way.


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## stoatsngroats (25 Sep 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> I agree, more fun with a companion. Heck of a nice picture, by the way.



Thanks! 

Hows this....

View media item 10859


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## Rockn Robin (25 Sep 2018)

stoatsngroats said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Hows this....
> 
> View media item 10859



Love it. Really nice lighting.


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## FolderBeholder (26 Sep 2018)

Yes....nice pix. Well done.


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## steveindenmark (30 Sep 2018)

I have just bought a 9 Streets, 6 gear Brompton. I can see Bods idea of it being a cash sink. But only if you let it. I dont see the point of changing evey fixing to titanium to save 500g, or whatever. I like the bike as it is. I have plenty of saddles in the shed to pick from. But the Brompton saddle is not bad. I have ordered a Trigo mount for my gps and carry bag. . not Brompton. My Restrap Holster fits nicely on the seatpost and still folds and locks. The racer tyres are good for winter but will be replaced for something slicker in the Spring. I am spending less on the Brommie improvements than I usually would as I have already got the gear I need.


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## Rockn Robin (30 Sep 2018)

steveindenmark said:


> I have just bought a 9 Streets, 6 gear Brompton. I can see Bods idea of it being a cash sink. But only if you let it. I dont see the point of changing evey fixing to titanium to save 500g, or whatever. I like the bike as it is. I have plenty of saddles in the shed to pick from. But the Brompton saddle is not bad. I have ordered a Trigo mount for my gps and carry bag. . not Brompton. My Restrap Holster fits nicely on the seatpost and still folds and locks. The racer tyres are good for winter but will be replaced for something slicker in the Spring. I am spending less on the Brommie improvements than I usually would as I have already got the gear I need.



Each to their own when it comes to tricking out your Brompton. For me, I think it's great the way it is, except for a saddle change. This is the case where one size does not fit all. Other than that . . . lovely jubley!!!


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## ianrauk (30 Sep 2018)

steveindenmark said:


> I have just bought a 9 Streets, 6 gear Brompton. I can see Bods idea of it being a cash sink. But only if you let it. I dont see the point of changing evey fixing to titanium to save 500g, or whatever. I like the bike as it is. I have plenty of saddles in the shed to pick from. But the Brompton saddle is not bad. I have ordered a Trigo mount for my gps and carry bag. . not Brompton. My Restrap Holster fits nicely on the seatpost and still folds and locks. The racer tyres are good for winter but will be replaced for something slicker in the Spring. I am spending less on the Brommie improvements than I usually would as I have already got the gear I need.


Same here. Cant see the point unless you are a Brompton nut. Of which I am certainly not one of them. My Brompton serves a purpose, thats all. I also found the Brompton saddle surprisingly comfy


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## TheDoctor (30 Sep 2018)

I quite like the Brompton saddle...but not on a Brompton. On my fixed it's great!


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## Joe Brom (4 Oct 2018)

I got a Bike Friday PakiT. Swapped the comically narrow flat bars for Nitto Albatross on a longer stem. Very comfortable, significantly lighter than my Brommie, and rides/handles great. The fold is fiddly and weird, but I'm comparing to Brompton which has no equal in that area. Nice bike!


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## Joe Brom (4 Oct 2018)

Hmm, let's try a better pic.


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## ukoldschool (4 Oct 2018)

can you show it folded?


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## Rockn Robin (4 Oct 2018)

Joe Brom said:


> Hmm, let's try a better pic.
> View attachment 432734



Bike Friday make excellent bikes, and that one of yours looks very nice. I like the handlebars. One thing I wish for on my Brommie is wider bars, but then it wouldn't fold, unless they can design a bar that telescopes outward giving more width. The bike would handle better if that be the case.


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## FolderBeholder (4 Oct 2018)

Joe Brom said:


> I got a Bike Friday PakiT. Swapped the comically narrow flat bars for Nitto Albatross on a longer stem. Very comfortable, significantly lighter than my Brommie, and rides/handles great. The fold is fiddly and weird, but I'm comparing to Brompton which has no equal in that area. Nice bike!
> View attachment 432733


Yes...*very nice bike*. Another example of handmade, old time crafstmanship, this time from a seemingly obscure corner of the US....Eugene Oregon. 

(I had a teardrop camper built in Eugene OR by another boutique builder there on the same street as BF in fact.....and Eugene isn't a big town! Was tempted to make it a clean sweep trailer and bikewise but the timing, and my bankbook didnt agree. Love my Brompton though. Our folding bicycles are part of our small-sized camping config. as well)


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## Joe Brom (4 Oct 2018)

Folded PakiT. The wider bars interfere with the saddle, so what you see is the lower seatpost portion dropped into the frame - note this finishes the tripod with the other kickstand piece so the bike stays up - then the upper post with saddle is removed. The handlepost slides on a post into the frame.

It's not the kind of fold I would want to be fiddling with in a hurry while running for a train, but it's good enough to pop in the car for the occasional jaunt to a nice riding spot..that's what I bought it for. Most of the time I'll keep the bars and saddle in place and just use the 'kick the wheel under' feature to shorten the bike in my apartment.


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## Kempstonian (1 Nov 2018)

I have one of these but I don't ride it because I can't get on with the small wheels and I don't like the riding position either. The bike itself is ok though, it just doesn't suit my style. I originally bought it as emergency transport if my car is off the road for any reason and I can't use it for a while - or for popping round the local shops when its not worth getting the car out.


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## Salar (1 Nov 2018)

@Kempstonian

Have you tried playing around with the handlebar saddle positions.

I found the riding position odd and cramped with my knees hitting things until I really extended the seat and handle bar tube and moved the saddle back.


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## Kempstonian (1 Nov 2018)

I must admit I haven't altered anything - but I'll certainly try what you say. It can't hurt, can it?

I'm the same regarding the riding position. Not about my knees hitting anything (I'm only a gnat's over 5ft 6) but it just seems too upright. Maybe I can do something about that.


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## Kempstonian (1 Nov 2018)

Well the bars are as low as I can get them and if I raised them the riding position would be even shorter. The seat isn't very long but there is a small adjustment that can be made to move them beck, but not very much.

The only other adjustment I could make would be me! Sitting more upright is the only answer and I don't think I would like that. I think I might just sell it and put the money towards an old frame or something so I can build a bike up. I haven't done that for years so I'd quite like to do another one.


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## bence8810 (3 Nov 2018)

Commuting in Tokyo with my M2R - Racing green - black 2016 model.


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## Rockn Robin (3 Nov 2018)

bence8810 said:


> Commuting in Tokyo with my M2R - Racing green - black 2016 model.
> 
> View attachment 436826



You can take a Brommie most anywhere.


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## oldwheels (3 Nov 2018)

Loch Etive and Ben Cruachan with my Bike Friday


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## mcgregor (3 Nov 2018)

Got these to chose from


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## Proto (4 Nov 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Bike Friday make excellent bikes, and that one of yours looks very nice. I like the handlebars. One thing I wish for on my Brommie is wider bars, but then it wouldn't fold, unless they can design a bar that telescopes outward giving more width. The bike would handle better if that be the case.



Master frame builder, racer, engineer, Rob English worked at Bike Friday for a while before starting out on his own. 

http://www.englishcycles.com/


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## Jimmeee (6 Nov 2018)

Just bought this badboy yesterday. I've been practicing the fold I wanted one with a rear rack but I can fit an aftermarket one. And a bag for the front -though they seem crazily expensive. I live in a very hilly area so I'll see how I get on with just 6 gears before investing anymore £


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## FolderBeholder (6 Nov 2018)

Jimmeee said:


> Just bought this badboy yesterday. I've been practicing the fold I wanted one with a rear rack but I can fit an aftermarket one. And a bag for the front -though they seem crazily expensive. I live in a very hilly area so I'll see how I get on with just 6 gears before investing anymore £
> View attachment 437280


Congrats and enjoy!


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## ukoldschool (6 Nov 2018)

do you really need a rear rack Jimmy? its just extra weight.... If you get a bag for the front you will probably get quite a lot in there


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## Jimmeee (6 Nov 2018)

ukoldschool said:


> do you really need a rear rack Jimmy? its just extra weight.... If you get a bag for the front you will probably get quite a lot in there


Yup, I've been thinking this over today. I do take quite a LOT of stuff to work with me and untill now have always carried it on the rear rack. There's no reason I can't carry it at the front.  quite a learning curve these Brompton's


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## FolderBeholder (6 Nov 2018)

Jimmeee said:


> Yup, I've been thinking this over today. I do take quite a LOT of stuff to work with me and untill now have always carried it on the rear rack. There's no reason I can't carry it at the front.  quite a learning curve these Brompton's


The bike actually rides better with some add'l weight over the front (vs. rear) wheel in my opinion.


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## Rockn Robin (7 Nov 2018)

ukoldschool said:


> do you really need a rear rack Jimmy? its just extra weight.... If you get a bag for the front you will probably get quite a lot in there



I have the model that came with the rear rack. Although it’s useful for carrying a bag, you can’t fold the bike or even park it without removing the bag. For that very reason I don’t use it. If I was to purchase another Brompton I will not get the rack.


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## 12boy (7 Nov 2018)

A lightweight bag off the saddle is nice for times when you don't need a large bag. As far as having 
"only six speeds" they are widely spaced and should enable you to climb steep hills. If not, get a smaller chain ring. If you want to spend some money check out Ergon grips which really are comfortable. If everything is lubed and adjusted properly you have many good miles ahead of you.


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## chriscross1966 (7 Nov 2018)

Jimmeee said:


> Just bought this badboy yesterday. I've been practicing the fold I wanted one with a rear rack but I can fit an aftermarket one. And a bag for the front -though they seem crazily expensive. I live in a very hilly area so I'll see how I get on with just 6 gears before investing anymore £
> View attachment 437280


Brompton luggage is very well made, hence the price, it is also very well designed for the job. The aftermarket racks vary from very good to truly abysmal. The good ones are really no cheaper than the Brompton one, and stuff on the rear rack slows the fold massively. A Brompton bag on the front goes on and off in a moment and unlike most rear luggage, wont clip your heels when riding...


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## Kell (8 Nov 2018)

I did once see someone getting on the train with one of the official rear bags and it was such a faff getting it off before the bike could be folded down. 

Might be a nice idea if you put it on at home and only take it off at your destination, but for multi modal travel, it seemed impractical to me.

Mind you, personally I didn't really get on with the front bag for my journey, but that seems to be specific to me. I certainly see plenty of Brompton riders with them. Though I'd say it tends to be people riding in their 'work' clothes that I see using the front bag. 

Most of the people I see in cycling kit on Bromptons, tend to wear rucksacks.


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## ukoldschool (8 Nov 2018)

Kell said:


> I certainly see plenty of Brompton riders with them. Though I'd say it tends to be people riding in their 'work' clothes that I see using the front bag.
> 
> Most of the people I see in cycling kit on Bromptons, tend to wear rucksacks.



Agree with this, I tried the rucksack but ended up with a sweaty back and no ability to change, hence the front bag. I guess if you are wearing cycling gear then you dont really care about getting sweaty because you look a complete state anyway


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## Kell (8 Nov 2018)

Yeah, we're quite lucky at work in that we have several showers.

i certainly couldn't ride in in normal clothes as I'm a sweater.


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## oldwheels (8 Nov 2018)

I seldom use a Brompton bag but instead have fitted a small fabric “ basket” with zip cover to a Brompton frame.This being smaller has less wind resistance and carries all I need. I use a waterproof backpack cover if it is raining because water pools in the top of the basket when not overfull. Works for me.


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## Rockn Robin (8 Nov 2018)

Kell said:


> I did once see someone getting on the train with one of the official rear bags and it was such a faff getting it off before the bike could be folded down.
> 
> Might be a nice idea if you put it on at home and only take it off at your destination, but for multi modal travel, it seemed impractical to me.
> 
> ...



I use a front bag, especially when I go grocery shopping. I can fold the bike in such a way that it transforms into a shopping cart. If I had a rear bag attached that arrangement would not work. 

I was watching a series of videos on YouTube about a guy traveling around the world on a Brompton, and yes, he used a rear bag. In such travel, I see the necessity of a rear rack, but for day to day use, there’s no need.


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## Kell (9 Nov 2018)

This guy?

https://www.brompton.com/brompton-g...und-the-world-by-bike'-book/c-24/c-715/p-1666


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## Rockn Robin (9 Nov 2018)

Kell said:


> This guy?
> 
> https://www.brompton.com/brompton-g...und-the-world-by-bike'-book/c-24/c-715/p-1666



No, but I’ll try and find him. It’s been awhile since I saw his videos.

Found him. he goes by the title, "Brompton Traveller." There a a number of his videos. 


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSuLT3LXGdI


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## Gunk (2 Apr 2020)

I thought it would be nice to breathe some life back in to this thread, here is my recently restored and updated 1995 Mk2 M3L (originally a T3)


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## 12boy (3 Apr 2020)

Here's my 3 small wheelers...
First is a $300 Mercier Nano from Bikesdirect. Currently with bull horns and weighs 26.6 pounds. Gearing from 21 GI to 90. Does not fold but climbs like a goat.
Second is a Xootr Swift, no longer available new. Has Velo Orange Milan bars which are very comfortable for me. A little lighter than the Nano.
My Brompton has been used. Note two chainrings and it now has a 3 speed chain shifter hub courtesy of Bikegang. 36 to 86 GI. Also has moustache bars.
All three of these were designed for commuting in crowded metro situations.... Tokyo for the Nano, New York for the Swift and London, obviously for the Brompton. I like them all, but if there was only one it would have to be the Brompton.


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## Gunk (4 Apr 2020)

That’s a really cool and quirky collection @12boy


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## anothersam (4 Apr 2020)

12boy said:


> Second is a Xootr Swift, no longer available new. Has Velo Orange Milan bars which are very comfortable for me. A little lighter than the Nano.



I’d like to try that Xootr of yours.

This is my Dahon Presto Lite, featuring a “second seatpost” solution for using my preferred saddlebag while still being able to carry a u-lock. 







The bodge worked fine, but I went back to just using a backpack with that bike.

Right after getting it 15yrs ago (the model is long since discontinued) I replaced the 3-speed hub with a simpler one from Brompton, and the crank and chainring with the largest that would comfortably fit. 

Have since also had to replace the headtube after the hinge cracked, 






and the quick release bolt clamping the bars in place after the original snapped, spilling me onto a busy London street.


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## avecReynolds531 (4 Apr 2020)

TheDoctor said:


> Mine still looks pretty much like this.
> View attachment 426365


I know where that is, and what the previous 10 km through the forest from Bedoin are like: hellish difficult! The route up from Sault is a lot more relaxed. Congrats either way.


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## TheDoctor (4 Apr 2020)

avecReynolds531 said:


> I know where that is and what the previous 10 km through the forest from Bedoin are like - hellish difficult. The route up from Sault is a lot more relaxed. Congrats either way.


I rode up from Sault, as part of a ten day tour of Provence. I'll linky the write up I did once I'm not on a phone. Who knows when I'll get the chance to do something like that again?


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## 12boy (4 Apr 2020)

Hey, Another Sam...next time you are in Wyoming give me a shout..I will be happy to let you take it for a ride. I don't know where he lives, but there's a gent named Paul Braithwait in your country that has one. Most of the Swift riders, per Bikeforums Folding live in the US and some in Oz. There's a 157 page post on them in BF including a set on designing and buying Ti versions. There was also a builder in Oregon who built chromo ones to order. Swifts are probably as culty as Bromptons. Ain't the wonderful world of folders great?


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## anothersam (4 Apr 2020)

12boy said:


> Hey, Another Sam...next time you are in Wyoming give me a shout..


I am so there.

View: https://youtu.be/VS31KRruhWE


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## Gunk (13 Apr 2020)

Rockn Robin said:


> I have the model that came with the rear rack. Although it’s useful for carrying a bag, you can’t fold the bike or even park it without removing the bag. For that very reason I don’t use it. If I was to purchase another Brompton I will not get the rack.



I got rid of mine, once you have the luggage block, it’s really not needed unless you need the extra carrying capacity, which I don’t.


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## roley poley (13 Apr 2020)

the Brompton rack sack allows A fold but not THE fold look on ewetube


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## Drzdave58 (17 Apr 2020)

My little dahon curve


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## Smudge (22 Apr 2020)

Thought i'd give my Dahon Vitesse i7 an outing today. Changed a few things recently, removed rack, changed seat and added bar ends.






I also kept getting movement in the handlebar stem where it clamps halfway up. Luckily at my height, my handlebar height for riding, is the same as the height it needs for the fold, so i can do away with that adjustment in the fold. Thus i've added another clamp that can stay clamped permanently. Handlebar stem is now rock solid.


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## a.twiddler (1 May 2020)

To add a couple more non Bromptons to the mix; a few years ago we thought a second hand folder each would be useful to take in the car to places where my wife felt comfortable cycling. In my case, I found a Viking Safari which has been a bit of a hidden gem. It was a 6 speeder initially. Having ridden it a fair bit (at that time I could commute the few miles to work) I was impressed with how well it went. I converted it to 7 speed with stuff from my bits box and found it surprisingly comfortable. 

I thought that if this is how a relatively cheap folder goes, how much better would something like a Dahon or Tern be? I kept an eye out and eventually a Dahon Vitesse D7HG (I think that was the correct designation) came up with a Shimano Nexus hub gear. There had been no bids by the end of the auction so I put in a bid thinking, surely this will go for a high last minute price. It was not advertised as well as it might have been, and surprisingly I won it for the starting price. 

It had not been used much, and initially I was almost afraid to use it in case I scratched it or got it dirty! The frame was very stiff and I was surprised that it was rather unforgiving on bad surfaces compared with the Viking. Also as Smudge has commented, the clamp on the handlebar stem was tricky to get its tension right, and I was worried that the bars would loosen unexpectedly, especially after folding/unfolding. Although it was a much better folder than the Viking, the Viking had a fixed length handlebar stem which made it more confidence inspiring in that department. Anyway, I decided to give them a few weeks fair trial with back to back commutes to work. The folding for me was not 100% critical, as I found that the Viking would fit in the car with the handlebars folded and seat pin removed, alongside my wife's bike. I did not need to fully fold it, though the Viking is small enough when completely folded to fit on a train as luggage. The Dahon is quicker and easier to fold, and probably just better thought out.









The Dahon had narrower tyres than the Viking, Schwalbe Marathon Racer 1.5 in so I experimented with tyre pressures with no real effect. I had a pair of Schwalbe Big Apples in the garage (20" X 2") so to level out the playing field I put those on the Dahon. They improved things but not by much. The hub gears were the best thing about the Dahon. It also had a nifty pump built into the seat pin.

On my 3 mile trip to work I had to travel down a long traffic free hill to river level, then up a short climb up the other side, then a more gradual climb for a mile or so. Then back the other way, downhill to the river then up a very steep short sharp hill and a long gradual climb for a mile and a half, after a twelve and a half hour night shift. Both bikes coped fine with this, but it was the Dahon that gave me numb hands. The Dahon felt a little cramped compared with the Viking, which allowed me to stretch out more, even though the wheelbases were virtually the same. I knew that one of them would have to go, but I was reluctant to make it the Dahon, as it was theoretically the "better" bike. Anyway, I resolved it by riding them both a decent (20 miles or so) distance over the same route on different days, first the Viking, then the Dahon. 

So the Dahon went back to its original tyres and was sold to a buyer, who was very pleased with it, and the Viking is with me still. It was an interesting experience. And unusually, it didn't cost me anything, as the outgoings and incomings balanced out.


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## Smudge (1 May 2020)

a.twiddler said:


> To add a couple more non Bromptons to the mix; a few years ago we thought a second hand folder each would be useful to take in the car to places where my wife felt comfortable cycling. In my case, I found a Viking Safari which has been a bit of a hidden gem. It was a 6 speeder initially. Having ridden it a fair bit (at that time I could commute the few miles to work) I was impressed with how well it went. I converted it to 7 speed with stuff from my bits box and found it surprisingly comfortable.
> 
> I thought that if this is how a relatively cheap folder goes, how much better would something like a Dahon or Tern be? I kept an eye out and eventually a Dahon Vitesse D7HG (I think that was the correct designation) came up with a Shimano Nexus hub gear. There had been no bids by the end of the auction so I put in a bid thinking, surely this will go for a high last minute price. It was not advertised as well as it might have been, and surprisingly I won it for the starting price.
> 
> ...



To set the upright stem lever clamp tight enough to produce little to no movement, i felt like i was going to break it. Hence why i added another clamp. It was really the only complaint i had about the bike. A fixed stem like on your Viking and the Bromptons is a better design, although it would possibly have height issues for me as i'm tall.


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## kj92 (1 May 2020)

Evening!

New member here - I have a modest little Brompton B75, haven't modified it yet but there's a couple of small adjustments I want to make in time!


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## a.twiddler (1 May 2020)

I think that this clamp is a weak point in the design. When I bought the bike the clamp was on back to front, so when you tightened it up it wasn't doing much. When I turned it round it was at least pinching the slotted part together but it doesn't seem to have been designed for mere human fingers. Small men or women would struggle to tighten it enough so it was safe to ride. I did a search and it seems the one piece handlebar stem is available as a spare for some models but I could get no meaningful idea how interchangeable they are. Also, the genuine Dahon part costs as much as I paid for the Viking!

As a curious random gift from the universe, the plastic saddle that came with the Viking was incredibly comfortable, so much so that I replaced the leather saddle on my tourer with one when I saw it on ebay. This leather saddle has been on most of my bikes since 1980 and has been fine until recently but I must be getting bonier as it has lost its charm. Middlemores of Coventry, a poor relation to Brookes? It served me well. Now sold. It's amazing what people will pay for an old leather saddle. One thing I do miss is the saddlbag bag loops. Perhaps I now need to stockpile on Viking saddles?


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## Tenkaykev (1 May 2020)

kj92 said:


> Evening!
> 
> New member here - I have a modest little Brompton B75, haven't modified it yet but there's a couple of small adjustments I want to make in time!
> 
> View attachment 519220


Good evening and welcome, I really like the colour of the B75 👍🚲


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## kj92 (1 May 2020)

Thanks @Tenkaykev _-_ it's pretty basic, there's a couple of basic things I need to add to the Bike like the Brompton Toolkit, but I'm still debating whether to add the rear rack to it so I can store and transport it more easily.

Also - not sure which lock to go with too!


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## shingwell (1 May 2020)

There are some lovely pics of very nice bikes on this thread, but as it is about folding bikes... please can we have more pictures of the bikes actually folded?


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## Gunk (1 May 2020)

shingwell said:


> There are some lovely pics of very nice bikes on this thread, but as it is about folding bikes... please can we have more pictures of the bikes actually folded?


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## a.twiddler (2 May 2020)

Viking Safari folded. I was still experimenting with saddles and grips at this stage so it's a bit different from the first photo a few pages back. The black grips are still on it -from Wilko. Cost peanuts and very comfy.


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## a.twiddler (3 May 2020)

I always think a folded folding bike looks like it's been in some kind of terrible accident.


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## a.twiddler (5 May 2020)

Here is Mrs Twiddler's folder (not folded). She wanted a bike with a lowish step over. It's a Viking Metropolis, 6 gears. Steel frame, rides well, feels solid.
Another non Brompton, but she likes it.


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## kj92 (5 May 2020)

a.twiddler said:


> I always think a folded folding bike looks like it's been in some kind of terrible accident.



Once seen... I cannot unsee! They're still cool though 

This was me shopping for a couple of bits in B&Q yesterday (was very sensible, followed all rules, didn't go to the store as soon as it was announced they'd opened, and disinfected the trolley after use!!)


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## a.twiddler (6 May 2020)

I hadn't thought of that option. Must try that -no need to worry about bike security if you've got it with you.


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## Gunk (6 May 2020)

kj92 said:


> Evening!
> 
> New member here - I have a modest little Brompton B75, haven't modified it yet but there's a couple of small adjustments I want to make in time!
> 
> View attachment 519220



I missed this post, welcome to the forum, lovely Brompton, personally I like the simplicity of the B75.


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## kj92 (6 May 2020)

a.twiddler said:


> I hadn't thought of that option. Must try that -no need to worry about bike security if you've got it with you.


Admittedly I haven't _got_ a bike lock so I had no choice but I suppose it's a way of eliminating the risk!


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## Gunk (6 May 2020)

kj92 said:


> Admittedly I haven't _got_ a bike lock so I had no choice but I suppose it's a way of eliminating the risk!



and that's what they're for, I always try and fold mine up and take it with me where possible.


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## palinurus (6 May 2020)

I had this M3L for a few years but sold it on YACF, the next owner rode it to a podium position in the Brompton Worlds at Blenheim Palace, oddly I took part in a 'cross race at the same venue on the same day, on the most boring course ever devised (it was pan flat, and the grass was dry)





The flat I live in now is smaller than the last one, but it has outside space to store full-sized bikes so I wasn't using it so much.

I had this one for a while, used it for day rides, one tour, nice weather commuting. For some reason I entered the local evening 10 on it. Originally I bought it so I could store it in my flat, but then I got to like the skinny tyre thing and it led to bike proliferation. Road bike, then TT bike, then winter bike, then 'cross bike. God damn.


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## thomaschisholm (8 May 2020)

kj92 said:


> Evening!
> 
> New member here - I have a modest little Brompton B75, haven't modified it yet but there's a couple of small adjustments I want to make in time!
> 
> View attachment 519220


Hello from Dorchester- I am also new to folding bikes (brought a Bickerton a few weeks ago). I would like to start a Facebook group for folding bike owners of Dorset, perhaps for a rideout when lockdown is finished.


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## thomaschisholm (10 May 2020)

Here's my Bickerton 'Pilot' which I've owned for a few weeks, used mainly for my short journey to work but hope to extend the range of uses. Upcoming mods will be a change of rack/bag and some barends.


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## kj92 (10 May 2020)

thomaschisholm said:


> Hello from Dorchester- I am also new to folding bikes (brought a Bickerton a few weeks ago). I would like to start a Facebook group for folding bike owners of Dorset, perhaps for a rideout when lockdown is finished.



That sounds cool. Shame I'm not in the area!


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## tds101 (17 May 2020)

A little ride on the Tern Joe P24 from a week ago,...


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## Drzdave58 (19 May 2020)

Just picked up this MEC badged dahon with an 8 speed nexus. Couldn’t resist as it was priced real low for a quick sale so I jumped on it. It was grimy and dirty and no air in the tires when I brought it home, but when I cleaned it all up it came out to practically new condition! Put on some schwalbe tires and changed the saddle. Took it for a test ride and it’s perfect. It’s gonna be a great spare bike to easily fold up and throw in the back of the car.


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## avecReynolds531 (25 May 2020)

I've been meaning to get around to posting this for a while. Here is our M3L, that we got second hand several years ago. Brompton confirmed a 2008 model. All it needed was a clean, and the front block tightening. A front bag was also included - which has been brilliant.














The Marathon Plus tyres were already fitted & new: the peace of mind is, for me, worth a reduction in ride quality.









The fold is amazing- such a neat design.




The SA hub gears have been no trouble so far. The chain ring size means the lowest gear isn't great for long climbs, whereas 3rd can feel overgeared at times. In the future, a smaller chain ring may be the way to go.

The only other possible changes would be new grips (with small bar ends), and the saddle isn't the last word in comfort, but bearable enough not to replace asap.

Great fun, practical & versatile. Always puts a smile on your face!


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## dodgy (25 May 2020)

My Gocycle on a recent mission to pick up an indian takeaway, I didn't pay for FSC (Full Self Cycling) so had to pedal it up there.


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## Gunk (25 May 2020)

avecReynolds531 said:


> I've been meaning to get around to posting this for a while. Here is our M3L, bought second hand several years ago. Brompton confirmed a 2008 model. All it needed was a clean, and the front block tightening. A front bag was also included - which has been brilliant.
> View attachment 524754
> 
> 
> ...



It looks like a 50T chain ring, I run the same (with three speeds) and for riding in and out of town it’s fine as you can almost leave it in second and ride it as a single speed and in third gear it really flies! If I was to venture further it may be slightly over geared, back in 1995 when mine was new it originally had a 44T chain ring.

Try swapping to a later Brompton saddle and pentaclip, well worth the upgrade. 





Everyone should have a Brompton, it’s my favourite out of my three bikes. Just makes me smile 😀


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## FolderBeholder (31 May 2020)

Rode our Bromptons to Oceanside California today (near San Diego) on a MUP with some non-Brompton friends. Darn Brompton is the real-deal....(you almost have to own one to realize how legitimate a bike it is-not just for urban last mile commuting...). Tomorrow my 2018 S6L gets a much needed rear tire.


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## FolderBeholder (31 May 2020)

The tire I replaced today was on MY Tempest Blue S6L....the Missus’ M6L, despite nearly identical mileage from new, is far from needing a tire yet. Must be due to our not-nearly-identical weight...I outgun her by nearly 80 lbs. Both bikes got some TLC today along with my new tire.








Not a mile too soon.


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## roley poley (31 May 2020)

FolderBeholder said:


> The tire I replaced today was on MY Tempest Blue S6L....the Missus’ M6L, despite nearly identical mileage from new, is far from needing a tire yet. Must be due to our not-nearly-identical weight...I outgun her by nearly 80 lbs. Both bikes got some TLC today along with my new tire.
> View attachment 526621
> 
> View attachment 526622
> ...


If it's a Marathon + did you have any issues with punctures even with that amount of wear ??


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## FolderBeholder (31 May 2020)

roley poley said:


> If it's a Marathon + did you have any issues with punctures even with that amount of wear ??


It was (and is...replaced like for like) a Marathon + and have never had a flat.


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## Gunk (31 May 2020)

That’s a very impressive workshop @FolderBeholder it’s immaculate, looks more like a laboratory!


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## amalagma (31 May 2020)

nice thread


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## FolderBeholder (1 Jun 2020)

Gunk said:


> That’s a very impressive workshop @FolderBeholder it’s immaculate, looks more like a laboratory!


Thank you...it was just refurbished after several years of uncontrolled chaos and clutter. It’s a single car garage which holds 8 bicycles and a teardrop trailer so it’s got to be organized.


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## rogerzilla (1 Jun 2020)

Not very standard Brompton.


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## Tenkaykev (1 Jun 2020)

rogerzilla said:


> Not very standard Brompton.



Lovely looking bike, which bar ends are those?


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## rogerzilla (1 Jun 2020)

Tenkaykev said:


> Lovely looking bike, which bar ends are those?


Titec magnesium. I don't remember them being expensive.


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## tds101 (6 Jun 2020)

Foggy ride from a few days ago,...


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## Squiddley21 (7 Jun 2020)

I ’d love a Brompton, but use this at the moment, I work away from home ,stay in a van and use my Carreras folding bike to cycle the five miles to work, it’s ok ,does the job and cost £120 second hand....


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## roley poley (7 Jun 2020)

nice.. that's what folders are for...treat her to a clip in of the seatbelt she's worth it


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## 12boy (7 Jun 2020)

Being in America, for a sec I wondered why your bike was driving. If it fits you, works as it should and you enjoy it it's all good.


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## Gunk (7 Jun 2020)

tds101 said:


> Foggy ride from a few days ago,...
> View attachment 527998



That’s a cool little thing, what is it?


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## Squiddley21 (8 Jun 2020)

roley poley said:


> nice.. that's what folders are for...treat her to a clip in of the seatbelt she's worth it


In the front for night stops, in the back while travelling😁


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## Squiddley21 (8 Jun 2020)

Gunk said:


> That’s a cool little thing, what is it?


It’s a Carrera folding bike, they sell them in Halfords.


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## Gunk (11 Jun 2020)

Now with Brooks fitted.


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## tds101 (11 Jun 2020)

Gunk said:


> That’s a cool little thing, what is it?


It's a Dahon Speed P8. I have red reflective tape on the bike, so it covers the branding. Safety before vanity. Too bad I have so many issues with the internal cable routing and rear derailleur.


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## starfish80 (26 Jun 2020)

thomaschisholm said:


> Here's my Bickerton 'Pilot' which I've owned for a few weeks, used mainly for my short journey to work but hope to extend the range of uses. Upcoming mods will be a change of rack/bag and some barends.



That bike is gorgeous! Love the blue! Where did you buy it from? I'm a newbie to bike shopping and can't seem to find Bickertons easily for sale from a 'google'.


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## mitchibob (27 Jun 2020)

This is the best bike I've ever owned (Brompton M6L 2018), at the top of Hardknott Pass in February this year!


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## Tripster (7 Jul 2020)

mitchibob said:


> View attachment 532672
> 
> 
> This is the best bike I've ever owned, at the top of Hardknott Pass in February this year!


No bloody way ? Is that Brompton sir ???


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## a.twiddler (7 Jul 2020)

mitchibob said:


> View attachment 532672
> 
> 
> This is the best bike I've ever owned, at the top of Hardknott Pass in February this year!


That's mighty impressive! It's on my bucket list to get up there on any sort of bike but I'd never considered doing it on a folder ...until now. Like the photo too, it's very evocative.


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## avecReynolds531 (7 Jul 2020)

a.twiddler said:


> That's mighty impressive! It's on my bucket list to get up there on any sort of bike but I'd never considered doing it on a folder ...until now. Like the photo too, it's very evocative.


+1


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## mitchibob (8 Jul 2020)

Tripster said:


> No bloody way ? Is that Brompton sir ???



Brompton M6L 2018, few mods, 44T for this trip!

I'm not going to lie, it hurt! Should not have tried to ride across the wet cattle-grid at the bottom as nearly binned it right there. Had to stop to remove rain cape quarter way up to prevent boil in the bag. Mostly out of the saddle, otherwise front wheel keeps coming off the ground getting any power down. Need strong forearms to hang onto the brakes on the way down Wrynose.


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## Tripster (8 Jul 2020)

mitchibob said:


> Brompton M6L 2018, few mods, 44T for this trip!
> 
> I'm not going to lie, it hurt! Should not have tried to ride across the wet cattle-grid at the bottom as nearly binned it right there. Had to stop to remove rain cape quarter way up to prevent boil in the bag. Mostly out of the saddle, otherwise front wheel keeps coming off the ground getting any power down. Need strong forearms to hang onto the brakes on the way down Wrynose.


I live 15 miles from lakes so very impressed with this on the Brompton. How did the little bike hold up ? How do you find the brompton and its build quality ?


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## Tenkaykev (8 Jul 2020)

Chapeau sir 👍 I struggled on the short hill up to one of the local pubs, had to switch to a 44 tooth chainring before I could get all the way to the pub without dismounting. 
I saw a YouTube video of some guy cycling up L'Alp D'Huez on a Brommie, and then cycling down again which looked a bit hairy!


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## Tripster (8 Jul 2020)

Tenkaykev said:


> Chapeau sir 👍 I struggled on the short hill up to one of the local pubs, had to switch to a 44 tooth chainring before I could get all the way to the pub without dismounting.
> I saw a YouTube video of some guy cycling up L'Alp D'Huez on a Brommie, and then cycling down again which looked a bit hairy!




View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0AGTyN4xhho


scary indeed


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## shingwell (8 Jul 2020)

"City bike"


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## a.twiddler (8 Jul 2020)

mitchibob said:


> View attachment 532672
> 
> 
> This is the best bike I've ever owned (Brompton M6L 2018), at the top of Hardknott Pass in February this year!


What's your bottom gear?


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## mitchibob (8 Jul 2020)

a.twiddler said:


> What's your bottom gear?



44T chainring for this trip, so according to their chart, 29.1". Although, if I were doing the whole Fred route on it, I might want a 53/39 double chainring to make up time on the less hilly bits. They wont allow small wheeled or folding bikes on the actual Fred Whitton challenge though :-(


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## mitchibob (8 Jul 2020)

Tenkaykev said:


> Chapeau sir 👍 I struggled on the short hill up to one of the local pubs, had to switch to a 44 tooth chainring before I could get all the way to the pub without dismounting.
> I saw a YouTube video of some guy cycling up L'Alp D'Huez on a Brommie, and then cycling down again which looked a bit hairy!



That's definitely a bucket list climb for me... not quite the same doing it on a Smart Turbo!


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## mitchibob (8 Jul 2020)

Tripster said:


> I live 15 miles from lakes so very impressed with this on the Brompton. How did the little bike hold up ? How do you find the brompton and its build quality ?



Brompton build quality has been excellent on the ones I have. The lakes probably isn't the worst I've put it through as I kept to the roads on this trip. Some of the National Cycle Network routes I've been on riding from London to Cardiff were really only suitable for mountain bikes I reckon, but the Brommie has done pretty well on them. I use komoot for route planning these days to avoid that though!


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## Gunk (8 Jul 2020)

Despite what the doubters say, they are a well built bike. looked after they'll last for ever.


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## stevedeer (13 Jul 2020)

bikegang said:


> Some modified bromptons and a birdy ...
> View attachment 428044
> View attachment 428045
> View attachment 428046
> View attachment 428047




Love that Birdy, Where's the best place to find used? And how much would I expect to pay?


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## mraamohamed (24 Jul 2020)

Hello guys is this is brumpton only thread, as I do not have one they are too small for me.....I like them would love a 20" Brompton but they not make one....


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## berlinonaut (24 Jul 2020)

mraamohamed said:


> would love a 20" Brompton but they not make one....


If you are able and willing to spend the money there's always a way.


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## avecReynolds531 (24 Jul 2020)

berlinonaut said:


> If you are able and willing to spend the money there's always a way.


That's amazing - thanks for sharing. I wonder how the ride quality is improved with the larger wheels?

edited for spelling imporved


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## berlinonaut (24 Jul 2020)

avecReynolds531 said:


> I wonder how the ride quality is imporved with the larger wheels?


It's a different world, but that is caused by a couple of factors together, not just the wheel size: 20", wide Big Apple tires, an immense rise wheel base (very loooong now), Rohloff hub, suspended grips etc. play together nicely and the result rides very different from a standard Brompton. Way less nippy or nervous, more a limousine than a sports car, very comfortable. In opposite to a Brompton it likes to go in a straight line (still cornering is not an issue). In general I liked the ride on it but personally I would not go this route - it rides very similar to a Bernds, the main difference is the folding mechanism and size and shape of the folded package. The "very big edition" Brompton is shorter in folded state but that's about it. As I do own a Bernds along with my Bromptons I'd have no need for the Bromptosaurus - it was a one off, built on special request for a tall rider (and has become a two off in the meantime). Amazing craftsmanship and fascinating, but a very expensive exercise. I was very happy to have the opportunity for a test ride on it.


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## roley poley (24 Jul 2020)

berlinonaut said:


> If you are able and willing to spend the money there's always a way.


COR ! it's like meeting your big brother whose been training in the gym


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## Fab Foodie (24 Jul 2020)

Removed std Brompton rack for a lighter, sexier, better rolling one...also needed to replace the dynamo lamp as the std one was too fat!


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## mitchibob (24 Jul 2020)

Tripster said:


> View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0AGTyN4xhho
> 
> 
> scary indeed




Didn't that guy get a driving ban for using a phone at the wheel and submitting the video of it to youtube or something?


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## Gunk (25 Jul 2020)

I’ve made a few changes to mine, it’s now sporting a Brooks Swift saddle and a fancy SA 3 speed changer.


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## sdawila (27 Jul 2020)

this is 2019 M6R raw lacquer converted into L (no rack)


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## shingwell (27 Jul 2020)

What you got on the handlebars?


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## cougie uk (27 Jul 2020)

@Gunk where did you get that basket ? That'd be perfect for the shopping run.


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## sdawila (27 Jul 2020)

shingwell said:


> What you got on the handlebars?


are you asking me ?

I have a handlebar bag where I put my wallet, mobile and bidon. other than that, I have a Trigo cyclocomp mount. and the green thing is hand sanitizer hanging, The Essential...... you do not want to leave home without it nowadays.

and a JBL bluetooth speaker forgot to mention.......


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## Gunk (27 Jul 2020)

cougie uk said:


> @Gunk where did you get that basket ? That'd be perfect for the shopping run.



It was from Decathlon and then modified to fit.


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## cougie uk (27 Jul 2020)

That's genius. Put it on Etsy or whatever and you'll have a thriving business. 👍


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## Tenkaykev (28 Jul 2020)

Mine is a Aldi /Lidl " Bikemate" about a tenner I think. The luggage block is an eebay item from someone in Australia which was again about a tenner delivered.
The mounting plate was originally part of a plastic book end and the screws are a bit of a bodge as I'm in lockdown and had to make do and mend with whatever was to hand.
The basket came with "Klickfix" adaptor for a "normal" bike and we have it fitted to a spare road bike we use for the occasional shopping trip. I put the luggage block towards the base and it now fits both the Brommie and the road bike.
I'm sure I saw similar, complete with "Klickfix" style fittings in Wilco for about £12 last time I was in there ( pre Covid)


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## avecReynolds531 (28 Jul 2020)

Gunk said:


> It was from Decathlon and then modified to fit.
> 
> 
> View attachment 538385
> ...


Brilliant idea - your own shopping basket - practical & clever


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## gfs44 (1 Aug 2020)

Rayleigh Compact. Bit old now !


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## Gunk (1 Aug 2020)

gfs44 said:


> Rayleigh Compact. Bit old now !
> View attachment 539257



I like your user tag, my initials


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## berlinonaut (1 Aug 2020)

Gunk said:


> I like your user tag, my initials
> 
> 
> View attachment 539274


Could you show a pic what it looks like when it's folded?


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## Gunk (1 Aug 2020)

berlinonaut said:


> Could you show a pic what it looks like when it's folded?


----------



## TheDoctor (2 Aug 2020)

My M12R at Zouch, when I finished the A-Z Challenge.
It's a standard M6R, but with a 50-34 compact chainset, SPDs, bar ends and fairy-repellant Marathon tyres.


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## Gunk (2 Aug 2020)

TheDoctor said:


> View attachment 539355
> 
> 
> My M12R at Zouch, when I finished the A-Z Challenge.
> It's a standard M6R, but with a 50-34 compact chainset, SPDs, bar ends and fairy-repellant Marathon tyres.



Are you swapping over front cogs by hand? Or have you managed to fit a front mech?


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## TheDoctor (2 Aug 2020)

Changing by hand. TBH, I very rarely use the smaller ring, but it came in handy when I did a mile of 1:7 up near Hadrians Wall.


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## berlinonaut (2 Aug 2020)

Gunk said:


> View attachment 539301


Hmm, folding seems to go impressively fast (though not very compact). But I assume unfolding takes very long and is pretty cumbersome - not optimal for a daily commute. I think I'll stick with my Brompton.


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## evo456 (6 Sep 2020)

Another non Brompton, Dahon Vigor D9 (Tern Verge equiv). 9 speed, and a massive 53t chain ring !


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## a.twiddler (30 Sep 2020)

It may be a LWB recumbent, but it has just occurred to me that my Linear is also a folding bike. I partially folded it when collecting it so it would go in the car. It certainly does not fold like a Brompton, and it wouldn't go on a train even when folded, but for transportation on an occasional basis it certainly folds. To fold it completely involves removing the steering rod and folding or removing the seat. The wheels fold under, but you could also remove them.

Unfolded:-





Folded (not my bike!):-


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## Shortmember (4 Oct 2020)

My sole transport these days is this bulletproof little beauty that I've owned for twenty years. It can carry a week's load of shopping, is light enough for an old fart like me to carry up flights of steps, if necessary, and I can slog up most hills around here in Sussex without having to dismount. And an added bonus is that it's so uncool that I could probably leave it unlocked and it wouldn't get nicked.
.





.


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## Schwinnsta (4 Oct 2020)




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## FolderBeholder (8 Oct 2020)

Shortmember said:


> My sole transport these days is this bulletproof little beauty that I've owned for twenty years. It can carry a week's load of shopping, is light enough for an old fart like me to carry up flights of steps, if necessary, and I can slog up most hills around here in Sussex without having to dismount. And an added bonus is that it's so uncool that I could probably leave it unlocked and it wouldn't get nicked.
> .
> View attachment 550623
> 
> ...


So uncool it IS cool if you ask me...


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## Praetorian (11 Oct 2020)

Here is my brompton, S2E-X, Ergon GE1 slim grips, Ergon SMC saddle, TiParts Titanium seat post, Brompton toolkit, Brompton battery rear light, Shimano UN 55 BB, easy wheels and finally SwissStop BXP brake pads


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## KiterStu (16 Oct 2020)




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## Kell (16 Oct 2020)

Is that Bickerton one of the Dahon-alikes? 

I did look at a full size Bickerton a while back, but it was just a Dahon Jack with some nicer paint.


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## berlinonaut (16 Oct 2020)

Kell said:


> Is that Bickerton one of the Dahon-alikes?
> 
> I did look at a full size Bickerton a while back, but it was just a Dahon Jack with some nicer paint.


Bickerton today is run by Mark Bickerton (the son of the inventor of the Bickerton). He used to work closely with Dahon (but as far as I know Bickerton as a brand had no market presence at that time) and switched over to working with Tern when Josh Hon splitted from his father's company Dahon. At the same time he relaunched Bickerton as a brand, initially using Tern's designs and pimping them up with higher quality components and in retro optics. Seems to have worked well in Asia but possibly not so much in Europe. I've no idea how the current state is and if all current bickertons are rebranded Terns, but you may have a look yourself: https://www.bickertonportables.co.uk/bikes/


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## TheDoctor (16 Oct 2020)

Those Bickertons do all have a Tern/Dahon look about them.
I had one, a few years back. I also had a Daewoo Shuttle and a Decathlon folder, but got rid during a clearout a few years ag when N+1 was approaching S-1. The BikeCave was getting so full, I'm sure the buggers were breeding...


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## TheDoctor (16 Oct 2020)

a.twiddler said:


> It may be a LWB recumbent, but it has just occurred to me that my Linear is also a folding bike. I partially folded it when collecting it so it would go in the car. It certainly does not fold like a Brompton, and it wouldn't go on a train even when folded, but for transportation on an occasional basis it certainly folds. To fold it completely involves removing the steering rod and folding or removing the seat. The wheels fold under, but you could also remove them.
> 
> Unfolded:-
> View attachment 549918
> ...


You might get away with it on a train.
I brought a Pashley PDQ back from Kings Lynn on the train with no great drama, and that didn't fold at all.
I've also taken a Mission Trike on a train, although I just put it in the door area and sat on it.
People may have assumed I was disabled, which after riding a trike from Peterborough wasn't so far from the truth.
Didn't get on with the PDQ. It was too twitchy for my liking, and I've done tours, Ventoux and 50mph on a Brompton!


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## Kell (19 Oct 2020)

TheDoctor said:


> You might get away with it on a train.
> I brought a Pashley PDQ back from Kings Lynn on the train with no great drama, and that didn't fold at all.
> I've also taken a Mission Trike on a train, although I just put it in the door area and sat on it.
> People may have assumed I was disabled, which after riding a trike from Peterborough wasn't so far from the truth.
> Didn't get on with the PDQ. It was too twitchy for my liking, and I've done tours, Ventoux and 50mph on a Brompton!



I used to see a guy regularly take a Moulton on his train without much fuss. I think people assume it folds because it has small wheels.

Similarly, the opposite was true when I had my full-size Dahon Lock Jaw. Because it looked like a 'normal' bike, I had guards as well as fellow passengers telling me I couldn't take it on the train.

Until I folded it and shut them up.


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## straas (10 Nov 2020)

Picking up 4kg of dog food on my lunch break? No probs for the brompty pompty.


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## Gunk (10 Nov 2020)

These basket conversions are proving popular, mine takes a fair old bit of weight. Brompton will be selling them themselves soon!


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## KiterStu (11 Nov 2020)

Just picked this up ‘sold as spares’ because ‘the gears don’t change’. Fine after I put the chain back on! Not bad for £15 😊


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## straas (12 Nov 2020)

Gunk said:


> These basket conversions are proving popular, mine takes a fair old bit of weight. Brompton will be selling them themselves soon!



Makes the Brompty so much more useful for shopping. I was going to get a net, but if you just tie up a shopping bag stuff stays pretty much in place.

Only negative is there's a decent lag time between arriving home and being able to consume any of the beers you've purchased, unless you can find some glassy smooth roads to the local bottle shop.


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## Gunk (12 Nov 2020)

M&S sell a nylon bag which folds into a pocket sized ball, perfect for the Brompton


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## straas (16 Nov 2020)

In action prowling the aisles of Lidl


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## LardAbove (30 May 2021)

Just lubed the old girl up, reset the cables on the brakes/properly aligned the brakeblocks to the rim!
GEL seat coming this week... 






Looking forward to Wobbling my Blobby for a few miles yet 

LardAbove


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## Gunk (30 May 2021)

The only folding bike that takes up more space folded than unfolded!


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## LardAbove (30 May 2021)

Gunk said:


> The only folding bike that takes up more space folded than unfolded!



https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/unhinged-at-any-speed.275305/post-6416346


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## Justinitus (31 May 2021)

straas said:


> In action prowling the aisles of Lidl
> 
> View attachment 558411



I tried this out for the 1st time Saturday night in Lidl! Was expecting some weird looks but nothing - no one blinked an eye! Quite a handy feature this Brompton “trolley mode”


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## tyred (1 Jun 2021)

Gunk said:


> The only folding bike that takes up more space folded than unfolded!


See also the Raleigh Twenty.


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## avalon (3 Jun 2021)

I may be a bit late joining this conversation, but here's mine.


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## Kell (3 Jun 2021)

In the first pic, I couldn't see the motorbike. I thought that it looked like hard work pulling that trailer though...


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## a.twiddler (3 Jun 2021)

Another non Brompton folder, nice to see. Interesting Ural or Dneipr type outfit with left hand sidecar, also nice to see.


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## Tenkaykev (3 Jun 2021)

Just popped to Halfords for a kiddies saddle so I could finish fitting a child carrier on “ Badger”. Now we can take our granddaughter out exploring 👍
The bike still folds although it is about 3-5 cm wider, and it’s a matter of a couple of minutes to switch between Brommies. 
Mummy has a Hamax child carrier on her Scott bike but that means the child looking at mummies back. This way she can see where we’re going. 👍


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## LardAbove (3 Jun 2021)

There was a debate, on another forum I post in, regarding the UK bike rules on LH or RH sidecar legality...
Apparently it firmed up as bike 'away from kerb' [RH sided] but 'continental' combos are often the other way.
Finally, it came down to [likely] UK plod knowing the specifics, should you end up owning a 'foreign' [LH sided] combo.

LardAbove


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## a.twiddler (3 Jun 2021)

LardAbove said:


> There was a debate, on another forum I post in, regarding the UK bike rules on LH or RH sidecar legality...
> Apparently it firmed up as bike 'away from kerb' [RH sided] but 'continental' combos are often the other way.
> Finally, it came down to [likely] UK plod knowing the specifics, should you end up owning a 'foreign' [LH sided] combo.
> 
> LardAbove


Circa 1987, I believe. If you have a bike first registered before then, a RH sidecar is legal, but not if registered afterwards. Seems discriminatory against bikes, considering the number of imported cars about that have the steering wheel on the left. The sight lines while driving would be equally restricted, if that is the issue. The rider would probably have better all round unrestricted visibility.


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## avalon (4 Jun 2021)

It's a great way to combine two passions on one ride.


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## FolderBeholder (4 Jun 2021)

avalon said:


> I may be a bit late joining this conversation, but here's mine.
> 
> 
> View attachment 591946
> ...


And which cycle is the slower of the two?


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## mitchibob (13 Jun 2021)

Tenkaykev said:


> Just popped to Halfords for a kiddies saddle so I could finish fitting a child carrier on “ Badger”. Now we can take our granddaughter out exploring 👍
> The bike still folds although it is about 3-5 cm wider, and it’s a matter of a couple of minutes to switch between Brommies.
> Mummy has a Hamax child carrier on her Scott bike but that means the child looking at mummies back. This way she can see where we’re going. 👍
> 
> View attachment 592001


Love seeing these out and about! Had seen one locally, looked great plan!


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## ExBrit (14 Jun 2021)

This is mine. Black edition S6L. Compact drops, QR aerobars, QR SPD pedals, custom water bottle holder and Wahoo mount. Brooks B17 saddle. Thinking of putting a gold chain on. Too much? :-0


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## mitchibob (15 Jun 2021)

ExBrit said:


> This is mine. Black edition S6L. Compact drops, QR aerobars, QR SPD pedals, custom water bottle holder and Wahoo mount. Brooks B17 saddle. Thinking of putting a gold chain on. Too much? :-0


Knew I'd find aero bars on a Brompton somewhere! :-D I'm only just about brave enough to use them on road bike on roads that I know well


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## Fab Foodie (15 Jun 2021)

ExBrit said:


> This is mine. Black edition S6L. Compact drops, QR aerobars, QR SPD pedals, custom water bottle holder and Wahoo mount. Brooks B17 saddle. Thinking of putting a gold chain on. Too much? :-0


Hi, can we see that folded?


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## ExBrit (17 Jun 2021)

Fab Foodie said:


> Hi, can we see that folded?


Sure - I removed the QR aerobars and this is the fold.


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## mitchibob (22 Jun 2021)

ExBrit said:


> Sure - I removed the QR aerobars and this is the fold.


Need to ask, what QR aerobars are they again? plus, how safe do you actually feel using them on a Brommie? Surely the slight additional vibration makes them a little more dodgy being QR? Plus, there's reduced gyroscopic force of smaller wheels reducing stability and not having quite the same leverage on the bars when in the aero bars. I talked myself out of the idea in another thread on this forum, even though, I'm still semi tempted to try... maybe on a track.


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## rogerzilla (26 Jun 2021)

I took the rebuilt (nut and bolt) S6L on the café run. Fastest of the year! I overtook a few people on road bikes but they didn't look like serious racers.


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## rogerzilla (5 Jul 2021)

And the other one is now a 2 speed. I've had it many years, and prices weren't as stratospheric then. It started as a cream S3L and has morphed unto a candy apple red S3E-X. I couldn't think of any use for the stock 12T/16T setup, so this is a 52T chainring with 13T/15T at the back, which is where the 6-speed spends 99% of its time. Shimano 7400 BB just because I could (and I chased and faced the shell first).



20210705_165943 by rogerzilla, on Flickr



20210705_165955 by rogerzilla, on Flickr



20210705_170012 by rogerzilla, on Flickr



20210705_170005 by rogerzilla, on Flickr



20210705_170111 by rogerzilla, on Flickr



20210705_170019 by rogerzilla, on Flickr


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## Justinitus (5 Jul 2021)

That’s a cracking paint job @rogerzilla!


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## rogerzilla (5 Jul 2021)

It's 11 years old. The factory paint lasted precisely one year before bubbling and flaking off, although the bike never got wet. This is a proper wet paint job by Argos (flam red = red transparent lacquer over silver basecoat, aka candy apple).


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## mitchibob (5 Jul 2021)

rogerzilla said:


> And the other one is now a 2 speed. I've had it many years, and prices weren't as stratospheric then. It started as a cream S3L and has morphed unto a candy apple red S3E-X. I couldn't think of any use for the stock 12T/16T setup, so this is a 52T chainring with 13T/15T at the back, which is where the 6-speed spends 99% of its time. Shimano 7400 BB just because I could (and I chased and faced the shell first).
> 
> 
> View attachment 597528
> ...


That's just showing off! Awesome!

Now, if we could only have some tubeless rims to have the matching valves with the headset! ;-)


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## ExBrit (8 Jul 2021)

mitchibob said:


> Need to ask, what QR aerobars are they again? plus, how safe do you actually feel using them on a Brommie? Surely the slight additional vibration makes them a little more dodgy being QR? Plus, there's reduced gyroscopic force of smaller wheels reducing stability and not having quite the same leverage on the bars when in the aero bars. I talked myself out of the idea in another thread on this forum, even though, I'm still semi tempted to try... maybe on a track.


The aerobars are made by Redshift. Bit pricy but the only game in town. They are rock solid and just as good as my Profile T3+. I was down on them pulling into a light headwind at 20mph the other day. When we got to Huntington Beach the roadie drafting me came around and asked if I was on an electric bike. Very comfy too.

In case anyone is thinking of buying these I did find their 1"-1.25" shims don't quite fit our handlebars so I cut the bands off two hose clamps, wrapped electric tape around bars for protection, put the hose clamp bands over the tape, put another layer of electrical tape over the bands, put the shims over that, then put the aerobars on. It took about 10 minutes to feel comfortable down on the aerobars.


View: https://www.amazon.com/Redshift-Quick-Release-Clip-Aerobars-Extensions/dp/B00IFHQMZC/ref=sr_1_2?crid=205I7DPAUZP6M&dchild=1&keywords=redshift+aero+bars&qid=1625768378&sprefix=redshift+aer%2Caps%2C285&sr=8-2


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## ExBrit (8 Jul 2021)

rogerzilla said:


> And the other one is now a 2 speed. I've had it many years, and prices weren't as stratospheric then. It started as a cream S3L and has morphed unto a candy apple red S3E-X. I couldn't think of any use for the stock 12T/16T setup, so this is a 52T chainring with 13T/15T at the back, which is where the 6-speed spends 99% of its time. Shimano 7400 BB just because I could (and I chased and faced the shell first).
> 
> 
> View attachment 597528
> ...


Yeah, love the color


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## 185Q (22 Jul 2021)

Back from the daily shopping trip - 16 months of happy ownership!






ownership


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## u_i (23 Jul 2021)

185Q said:


> View attachment 600419



Vincita


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## 185Q (23 Jul 2021)

u_i said:


> Vincita


Liking the Vincita a lot. Trouble free and rapid shipping from them to UK

As well as being a great addition in its own right:

The Vincita padded insert works really well as an organiser for shopping in the Brompton T bag 
The Vincita ’panniers’ are great for carry bottles of wine securely
A padlock can be threaded through the zip pulls and the shoulder strap loop to make it pilfer-resistant when the bag is locked to the rear rack.


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## straas (28 Jul 2021)

First time I've taken it on a train and first time I've used my new bag. 

Really like the bag!


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## straas (30 Jul 2021)

Had a training course in bowling on a cycle path.

When we were there I noticed that it runs from Glasgow to loch Lomond. So decided to have a go at the 20km cycle rather than the 30 min train.

A bit fiddly getting out of Glasgow as they're filming Indiana Jones all round the centre but once I did it was relatively plain sailing and we'll signposted.

A few sections with roughish surfaces and some with glass broken under bridges, but a very pleasant cycle.

Would recommend if you're in Glasgow, shame I didn't have the time to carry on to the loch!


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## 185Q (5 Aug 2021)

My Swytch ECO (smaller battery 35 mile range) kit arrived on Tuesday and I fitted it yesterday. I followed the supplied instruction manual and it all went quite smoothly, with no big headaches. The most fiddly aspect was getting the handlebar mount installed without fouling the existing gear change and brake cables. The fold I’d not affected, apart from the expected slight increase in width that Swytch supply a slight extended handlebar locking peg to accommodate.
Tilting the mount a bit further backwards than recommended allows me to carry on using the Brompton C Bag. The bag has to go on first before mount in the Swytch power pack, but that’s not really a problem because I couldn’t imagine leaving the bike unattended with the power pack mounted, even if the bike was locked to something.
First impressions are that it’s a good piece of kit, and like any change in the drive train it will need getting used to. One thing I’ve discovered that I haven’t seen mentioned anywhere is that it’s possible to disengage the motor without switching the unit off (handy when negotiating busy mixed cycling/pedestrian areas to avoid slight power surges when pedalling slowly at low speed) by selecting the down arrow when on the lowest power setting - re-engage by pressing the up arrow.
Overall I’m quite impressed, for me even the ordering process went as expected despite mixed results I’ve seen reported. I preregistered in March 2021, confirmed the order on April 1st and received my kit on August 3rd for a total 50% discounted cost of £654 including all taxes and delivery. I bought the bike secondhand in March 2020 for £550 and now have a really high quality, electric folding bike for just over £1,100.


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## Tenkaykev (5 Aug 2021)

185Q said:


> My Swytch ECO (smaller battery 35 mile range) kit arrived on Tuesday and I fitted it yesterday. I followed the supplied instruction manual and it all went quite smoothly, with no big headaches. The most fiddly aspect was getting the handlebar mount installed without fouling the existing gear change and brake cables. The fold I’d not affected, apart from the expected slight increase in width that Swytch supply a slight extended handlebar locking peg to accommodate.
> Tilting the mount a bit further backwards than recommended allows me to carry on using the Brompton C Bag. The bag has to go on first before mount in the Swytch power pack, but that’s not really a problem because I couldn’t imagine leaving the bike unattended with the power pack mounted, even if the bike was locked to something.
> First impressions are that it’s a good piece of kit, and like any change in the drive train it will need getting used to. One thing I’ve discovered that I haven’t seen mentioned anywhere is that it’s possible to disengage the motor without switching the unit off (handy when negotiating busy mixed cycling/pedestrian areas to avoid slight power surges when pedalling slowly at low speed) by selecting the down arrow when on the lowest power setting - re-engage by pressing the up arrow.
> Overall I’m quite impressed, for me even the ordering process went as expected despite mixed results I’ve seen reported. I preregistered in March 2021, confirmed the order on April 1st and received my kit on August 3rd for a total 50% discounted cost of £654 including all taxes and delivery. I bought the bike secondhand in March 2020 for £550 and now have a really high quality, electric folding bike for just over £1,100.
> ...


That looks interesting. I've been looking at the Swytch kit and did a bit of reading around, but was put off somewhat by reports of various issues. I'd be grateful if you'd come back and let us know the sort of range that you are getting in real life.
I like the rack bag, it looks like it has a frame that clips on to the Brompton rack?


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## 185Q (5 Aug 2021)

Tenkaykev said:


> That looks interesting. I've been looking at the Swytch kit and did a bit of reading around, but was put off somewhat by reports of various issues. I'd be grateful if you'd come back and let us know the sort of range that you are getting in real life.
> I like the rack bag, it looks like it has a frame that clips on to the Brompton rack?


Thanks - I’ll update the information when I’ve got a few more miles in. The bag is. Vincita Nash rack bag as mentioned earlier in this thread. It does clip very securely onto the rack and has concealed sliding clips to prevent someone easily unclipping it. I bought it direct from Vincita in Bangkok for about $150 including express shipping.


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## welsh dragon (6 Aug 2021)

Do they do spare batteries and what is the cost of them.

Is the distance they claim realistic? I know every rider is different and there are a lot of variables to electric bikes.


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## 185Q (6 Aug 2021)

I haven’t got answers at the moment. I’m only a couple of days into using it and will report back when I have a few more miles ridden. 
The battery issue is a bit subjective, as you note there are a lot of variables. I rarely exceed 20 miles in a day, which should be well within the stated capacity, so I’m more interested in seeing how quickly the power pack charges up (again too soon for me to know).


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## rogerzilla (7 Aug 2021)

Supposedly FWD on a bike is a bit of a revelation. Do you get any issues with grip going uphill? A Brompton, especially an M-type, is very lightly loaded at the front. I suppose the weight of the motor and battery help?


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## Tenkaykev (7 Aug 2021)

rogerzilla said:


> Supposedly FWD on a bike is a bit of a revelation. Do you get any issues with grip going uphill? A Brompton, especially an M-type, is very lightly loaded at the front. I suppose the weight of the motor and battery help?


That’s a good point, my Brommie rides better with my basket bag full of cans of beer 🍺🍺


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## 12boy (7 Aug 2021)

Brilliant bikes has a bunch of you tube stuff on electric Brompties.


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## Tenkaykev (7 Aug 2021)

12boy said:


> Brilliant bikes has a bunch of you tube stuff on electric Brompties.


It’s an excellent resource, especially for maintenance tutorials.
Speaking of Electric Brommies, I’m curious to know if there is a “ MK 2 “ in the works. The original electric Brompton has been out for a few years now and I’m sure that there’s been a fair bit of feedback from users. Perhaps the existing motor design is at it’s optimum and any changes wouldn’t be cost effective for the comparatively small number of motors manufactured. Battery chemistry continues to improve by a few percentage points here and there so that could add a bit of range ( though shedding a few kg of fat would add even more!) 
I’ve done a bit of digging around but can’t find any videos of the Brompton Electric battery packs / motors being stripped down and inspected.


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## 185Q (7 Aug 2021)

rogerzilla said:


> Supposedly FWD on a bike is a bit of a revelation. Do you get any issues with grip going uphill? A Brompton, especially an M-type, is very lightly loaded at the front. I suppose the weight of the motor and battery help?


Handling is fine uphill. The power pack adds another kilogram at the front and I habitually have a front bag mounted, either this one or a larger Brompton C bag. Without something up front the handling is too 'twitchy’ in my opinion. One thing I have found is that care needs to be taken when starting off with the motor engaged as there is a slight surge when the motor kicks in as the crank rotates, but it’s only a new technique to learn and easily controlled.


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## shingwell (7 Aug 2021)

No FWD issues from me too in my variation on a Nano conversion. https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/variation-on-a-nano-conversion.251868/


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## Gillstay (8 Aug 2021)

Wanted a folding bike that I could do trails with when abroad. Bought and set up.....you guessed it two years ago and barely been used since!


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## u_i (8 Aug 2021)

Gillstay said:


> Wanted a folding bike that I could do trails with when abroad. Bought and set up.....you guessed it two years ago and barely been used since!



What bicycle is that? How does it fold? Thanks.


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## roley poley (8 Aug 2021)

u_i said:


> What bicycle is that? How does it fold? Thanks.


curious too ..what beasty is that ??


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## Kell (9 Aug 2021)

That looks like one of those ones you got for smoking Marlboros...


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4YJUg2y2FA

















http://www.foldingcyclist.com/Fuji-Marlboro-folding-bike.html


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## Gillstay (9 Aug 2021)

Yep thats what they were famous for, smoking lots and cycling !


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## Schwinnsta (10 Aug 2021)

rogerzilla said:


> Supposedly FWD on a bike is a bit of a revelation. Do you get any issues with grip going uphill? A Brompton, especially an M-type, is very lightly loaded at the front. I suppose the weight of the motor and battery help?


What is FWD?


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## FolderBeholder (10 Aug 2021)

Front Wheel Drive


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## 185Q (10 Aug 2021)

The Brompton/Swytch combo + Brompton C Bag + Vincita Nash Bag easily managed a fairly hefty and bulky supermarket run this morning. If anyone’s wondering the small pack slung under the saddle is permanently attached and contains a cover for occasions when I need to have to travel when the bike is folded.

I wanted to show how a small backwards tilt of the Swytch power pack allows the 25 litre capacity C Bag to be used, providing the bag is mounted before the power pack, and also an opportunity to show the Vincita ‘panniers’ in use.
The Swytch motor made the cycling swift and effortless (due care being taken because of the large load, of course!).




Additionally I’m becoming more convinced that the recently fitted Continental Contact Urban tyres provide better handling and less road resistance than the standard Bromptons they’ve replaced.

The weather has been fairly rubbish since fitting the Swytch, so I haven’t had any decent runs to see what range I get but after about 20 miles of local running around I’m still showing 3 bars of the 5 bars that indicate fully charged.


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## CharlieB (28 Aug 2021)

This one's been seven years in the making. It's my fast summer commuter S1E-X, but has also been out on some FNRttCs and some Dutch tours.
A project to see how light you can get a Brompton - it's now 8.9kg.
It goes like a rocket!
Brompfication Ti seatpost, chain tensioner, clamp bolts, pretty much every other bolt and nut (green, of course), Ti suspension spring.
Joseph Kuosac carbon wheels - slightly heavier than standard Brompton wheels, but make for a far more lively ride.
Planet X Superlight team saddle.
I did experiment with various chainsets (including a Sram carbon one), but I couldn't find anything lighter than the standard Brompton one that actually worked satisfactorily (but I'm open to suggestions).
(Yes, I know our patio needs attention...)


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## rogerzilla (28 Aug 2021)

Kermit the bike!


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## u_i (28 Aug 2021)

CharlieB said:


> It's my fast summer commuter S1E-X, but has also been out on some FNRttCs and some Dutch tours.
> A project to see how light you can get a Brompton - it's now 8.9kg.
> It goes like a rocket!
> Brompfication Ti seatpost, chain tensioner, clamp bolts, pretty much every other bolt and nut (green, of course), Ti suspension spring.
> ...



I am surprised to read about touring and all those parts in one paragraph. Too many times in my case a single non-Brompton part, that was blindly trusted, disabled my planned activities at the very start of travel. These days I severely limit the use of such parts and I religiously take along a recovery kit of original Brompton parts until it is clear that the situation is stable. Obviously taking along the recovery kit increases the weight rather than lowers it, but it is a potential investment in the future.


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## rogerzilla (30 Aug 2021)

Have you realised you've left the reflectors on?


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## TheDoctor (2 Sep 2021)

I don't think I've ever had a show-stopping failure on my Brompton, or not one that was down to Brompton specific parts. The ten day tour I did on my M6R, I checked the tyres and cables, lubed the chain, fitted new front brake pads and that was it. My coast to coast ride, I didn't even do that. No problems at all.


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## CharlieB (3 Sep 2021)

u_i said:


> I am surprised to read about touring and all those parts in one paragraph. Too many times in my case a single non-Brompton part, that was blindly trusted, disabled my planned activities at the very start of travel. These days I severely limit the use of such parts and I religiously take along a recovery kit of original Brompton parts until it is clear that the situation is stable. Obviously taking along the recovery kit increases the weight rather than lowers it, but it is a potential investment in the future.


A very fair and valid point.
No problems so far, but I've always avoided the very suspect aftermarket items seen on eBay. Always.
Almost everything has come from SJS Cycles here in the UK, who have a good Brompton reputation to maintain. I would expect and hope that they'd only stock more reliable items.


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## rogerzilla (3 Sep 2021)

There's some right garbage made in the Far East for Bromptons. Since Brompton stopped supplying Ti seatposts years ago, I bought an aftermarket one from the Bay of Thieves. It was so flexible - probably too thin-walled - that I rode it 100 yards and then removed it. Luckily it wasn't too expensive.

There are a few exceptions - some of the Joseph Kuosac stuff is good.


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## CharlieB (3 Sep 2021)

rogerzilla said:


> There's some right garbage made in the Far East for Bromptons. Since Brompton stopped supplying Ti seatposts years ago, I bought an aftermarket one from the _*Bay of Thieves*_. It was so flexible - probably too thin-walled - that I rode it 100 yards and then removed it. Luckily it wasn't too expensive.
> 
> There are a few exceptions - some of the Joseph Kuosac stuff is good.


*There's your answer*.


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## CaptainWheezy (3 Sep 2021)

I've had quite frankly ridiculous amount of stuff from Bikegang.co.uk (warning, the website is a bit slow). They have at least one guy in the uk (Newcastle area i think) but are Taiwan based. They have many of the same aftermarket parts that SJS stock but without their mark-up. If you're prepared to wait a bit longer for shipping you can save quite a bit.

Regarding aftermarket seatposts, the H&H posts they stock at least appear to have undergone some formal testing, with the test certificates shown on their page. I've got 2 x carbon posts and the Mrs has 1 titanium one with another currently on order and not had any issues with them. Have to say, I'm happy with pretty much everything I've had from them (mostly H&H branded parts) plus some Tange headsets and some Multi-S seatpost clamps.

We have 4 x Bromptons between us and its become a bit of a hobby customising them, but to be honest they don't get heavy use commuting, they're used mostly for days out so our use case my differ from others.

The Mrs has:
A cherry blossom S6L with dynamo lighting, just about to be upgraded from shimano to SON
A house red S6L-X (heavily modified), currently weighs about 9.6Kg

Mine are:
A black lacquer black edition S6L that i fitted a rack and SON dynamo + lighting to so I guess its now an S6R
A flame lacquer black edition S6L-X (again, heavily modified), weighing about 9.5Kg


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## rogerzilla (3 Sep 2021)

CaptainWheezy said:


> I've had quite frankly ridiculous amount of stuff from Bikegang.co.uk (warning, the website is a bit slow). They have at least one guy in the uk (Newcastle area i think) but are Taiwan based. They have many of the same aftermarket parts that SJS stock but without their mark-up. If you're prepared to wait a bit longer for shipping you can save quite a bit.
> 
> Regarding aftermarket seatposts, the H&H posts they stock at least appear to have undergone some formal testing, with the test certificates shown on their page. I've got 2 x carbon posts and the Mrs has 1 titanium one with another currently on order and not had any issues with them. Have to say, I'm happy with pretty much everything I've had from them (mostly H&H branded parts) plus some Tange headsets and some Multi-S seatpost clamps.
> 
> ...


Are you selling the Shimano hub? I quite like them, although they weigh an absolute ton compared to a SON or (especially) SP hub. Literally twice the weight of an SP SV-9!


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## CaptainWheezy (3 Sep 2021)

rogerzilla said:


> Are you selling the Shimano hub? I quite like them, although they weigh an absolute ton compared to a SON or (especially) SP hub. Literally twice the weight of an SP SV-9!



Could do, hoping to get the wheel with the SON hub, new lights and a few other bits fitted over the weekend and then it will be just cluttering the garage up. It's not had a great deal of use so there's loads of life left in the rim. I'll take some photo's when its removed and drop you a pm.


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## rogerzilla (3 Sep 2021)

Thanks - they are pretty easy to service, even the notorious RH bearing, so they can often be made to roll better than other dynamo hubs. I have a bare one sitting in front of me right now but it's going in a friend's bike. Should be DH-F703-SB, the special one with an 8mm axle.


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## 12boy (3 Sep 2021)

u_i said:


> I am surprised to read about touring and all those parts in one paragraph. Too many times in my case a single non-Brompton part, that was blindly trusted, disabled my planned activities at the very start of travel. These days I severely limit the use of such parts and I religiously take along a recovery kit of original Brompton parts until it is clear that the situation is stable. Obviously taking along the recovery kit increases the weight rather than lowers it, but it is a potential investment in the future.
> What do you carry in your recovery kit? Just curious.


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## u_i (3 Sep 2021)

12boy said:


> What do you carry in your recovery kit? Just curious.



The recovery kit would just consist of the original part or parts needed for going back to the original configuration. I usually carry some tools anyway, but there would be a review to assure that nothing is missing for the potentially needed operation. 

To mention on the occasion, I have two tool-set levels, one normally in my pocket and another bulky for any travel with a bike. Included in the latter are also replacement cables and a selection of bolts. Also a separate set consists of a pump and tube patches. There are no tools or pump on my Brompton as I rotate in the daily life between bikes, so it makes no sense to tie them to one particular.


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## u_i (3 Sep 2021)

rogerzilla said:


> There are a few exceptions - some of the Joseph Kuosac stuff is good.



Good to hear that there is some more solid ground to walk on.



CaptainWheezy said:


> I've had quite frankly ridiculous amount of stuff from Bikegang.co.uk (warning, the website is a bit slow). They have at least one guy in the uk (Newcastle area i think) but are Taiwan based. They have many of the same aftermarket parts that SJS stock but without their mark-up. If you're prepared to wait a bit longer for shipping you can save quite a bit.
> 
> Regarding aftermarket seatposts, the H&H posts they stock at least appear to have undergone some formal testing, with the test certificates shown on their page. I've got 2 x carbon posts and the Mrs has 1 titanium one with another currently on order and not had any issues with them. Have to say, I'm happy with pretty much everything I've had from them (mostly H&H branded parts) plus some Tange headsets and some Multi-S seatpost clamps.



I have quite some respect for Bikegang. They commonly use widely available parts and adapt them for Brompton and Birdy and maybe other folders. Sometimes I do not even use directly what they provided, just use their ideas for my own adaptation.

As to H&H, I got their tensioner for Brompton and it made the shifting go bad. The problem was in the tensioner pulley being placed farther away from the axle than in the original. This was presumably done to allow for larger cogs. Still, this was not disclosed in the tensioner description, nor were described any potential problems coming along with it.

Using mainstream components, well established in the market, is likely fine on Brompton when they fit. After all, Brompton also uses different standard parts. Scary are those small-run Brompton specific parts from fly-by-night manufacturers, that never really get tested. As far as testing by the Brompton market goes, it often seems to be "when it looks good on my bike, it is good enough for me", so it is hard to rely just on the fact that those parts persist in the market. The fact that the manufacturers and vendors are spread around the world, far from the consumers, also makes the likelihood low that they could be weeded out by the complaints from the remaining consumers and refunds.


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## CaptainWheezy (3 Sep 2021)

u_i said:


> As to H&H, I got their tensioner for Brompton and it made the shifting go bad. The problem was in the tensioner pulley being placed farther away from the axle than in the original. This was presumably done to allow for larger cogs. Still, this was not disclosed in the tensioner description, nor were described any potential problems coming along with it.


Interesting you had issues with the H&H chain tensioners. I fitted them to our S6L-X's. I used them with the H&H CNC machined jockey wheels and also the replacement H&H pusher (the bit that presses against the sides of the rearmost jockey wheel to move the chain over). Setting it up required quite precise adjustments of the limit grub screws but I seem to have got it running smoothly on both bikes. My set up may have been complicated also due to the fact i'm running narrower 11 speed KMC chains.


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## u_i (3 Sep 2021)

CaptainWheezy said:


> Interesting you had issues with the H&H chain tensioners. I fitted them to our S6L-X's. I used them with the H&H CNC machined jockey wheels and also the replacement H&H pusher (the bit that presses against the sides of the rearmost jockey wheel to move the chain over). Setting it up required quite precise adjustments of the limit grub screws but I seem to have got it running smoothly on both bikes. My set up may have been complicated also due to the fact i'm running narrower 11 speed KMC chains.



I used the H&H tensioner both with original Brompton jockey wheels and some aftermarket ones - the attraction was that you could use it without any specialized wheels. Besides that tensioner I tried out on my M6R several pushers and different jockey wheel sets. The experience was consistently horrible. The setup might have worked at the beginning and then all went bad. The worst was a Vietnam travel, where I was dropping chain about every 100 meters. Then I learned to take along the original Brompton parts. To the only things that stayed on the bike in the rear drivetrain belong Bikegang-inspired 3 cogs replacing 2. These are from a 10-speed cassette and are going along with a 10-speed chain. Even that I would not recommend to everyone, as the tuning range for shift cable is very narrow for the shifting to work properly. On the shift cable side further stayed a dogleg from AliExpress, that I had to modify a bit, though.


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## berlinonaut (4 Sep 2021)

u_i said:


> I have quite some respect for Bikegang. They commonly use widely available parts and adapt them for Brompton and Birdy and maybe other folders. Sometimes I do not even use directly what they provided, just use their ideas for my own adaptation.





u_i said:


> To the only things that stayed on the bike in the rear drivetrain belong Bikegang-inspired 3 cogs replacing 2. These are from a 10-speed cassette and are going along with a 10-speed chain.


To be fair: The solution was invented by someone else and build by a bunch of people (including myself) years before bikegang started to sell it. So they probably got inspired by others themselves and decided it may be worth selling a kit for people who are not willing or able to tinker too much but rather pay a little more. I think the initial inventor (to my knowledge he's called Duncan McGregor) may even have published it in this very forum first - it was literally ages ago. I have a pdf made by him in my archive documenting the mod which dates from September 2014 and it has version number 1.3... At that time the document was stored in and shared via evernote by him - looong time ago.  I got inspired by his post and doc and adapted it to my needs (he had it on the two speed, I converted my 6-speed to 9-speed using slightly different ways). His mod was later also featured in the long gone wiki of the brompton-talk-mailing list.

PS: The pdf is still available here: https://www.evernote.com/shard/s3/sh/4bae9f26-2252-4be9-8229-314d0a13c754/3118242aa4dcc174f4c493cf5828165e/res/133a58c6-bd38-46f2-8a6a-ec61dcdaafe7/2 to 3 Speed.pdf


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## u_i (4 Sep 2021)

berlinonaut said:


> To be fair: The solution was invented by someone else and build by a bunch of people (including myself) years before bikegang started to sell it.



Thanks for those detailed clarifications of who the credit is due to and the file link. Yes, I was aware of and eventually used your write-up on the bikeforums too. With all this, the one idea that I took from Bikegang, that I never saw elsewhere, was to make the wire clip out of an old spoke. One step from Duncan's write-up, that I would not recommend, is to reuse the original Brompton shifter, make a notch there and hope that miraculously it just works. Good luck! Another advice from my side is to use exclusively cogs that come from one uninterrupted sequence on a cassette. The pusher-tensioner combination on Brompton is not particularly sophisticated as a shifting device and you need to help it any way you can.


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## berlinonaut (4 Sep 2021)

u_i said:


> the one idea that I took from Bikegang, that I never saw elsewhere, was to make the wire clip out of an old spoke.


That has been good practice in the German Bromptonauten forum for a couple of years already after someone did not like dremeling the cog like I did but still wanted the conversion. 


u_i said:


> One step from Duncan's write-up, that I would not recommend, is to reuse the original Brompton shifter, make a notch there and hope that miraculously it just works.


If would not exactly be miraculously as you could test the poision where the shifting happens before. But I used the opportunity to get rid of old mickey mouse eared shifter instead. 


u_i said:


> Good luck! Another advice from my side is to use exclusively cogs that come from one uninterrupted sequence on a cassette. The pusher-tensioner combination on Brompton is not particularly sophisticated as a shifting device and you need to help it any way you can.


I did have no issues w/o doing so and if I was to do the conversion again I'd probably simply buy single cogs instead of hunting for a cassette that contains the desired sizes. Cheaper and easier.


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## u_i (4 Sep 2021)

berlinonaut said:


> I did have no issues w/o doing so and if I was to do the conversion again I'd probably simply buy single cogs instead of hunting for a cassette that contains the desired sizes. Cheaper and easier.



I did an A/B comparison, putting on cogs from a sequence vs not, same number of teeth, same spacer, nothing else changed around, and it made a world of difference for me.


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## mitchibob (6 Sep 2021)

185Q said:


> My Swytch ECO (smaller battery 35 mile range) kit arrived on Tuesday and I fitted it yesterday. I followed the supplied instruction manual and it all went quite smoothly, with no big headaches. The most fiddly aspect was getting the handlebar mount installed without fouling the existing gear change and brake cables. The fold I’d not affected, apart from the expected slight increase in width that Swytch supply a slight extended handlebar locking peg to accommodate.
> Tilting the mount a bit further backwards than recommended allows me to carry on using the Brompton C Bag. The bag has to go on first before mount in the Swytch power pack, but that’s not really a problem because I couldn’t imagine leaving the bike unattended with the power pack mounted, even if the bike was locked to something.
> First impressions are that it’s a good piece of kit, and like any change in the drive train it will need getting used to. One thing I’ve discovered that I haven’t seen mentioned anywhere is that it’s possible to disengage the motor without switching the unit off (handy when negotiating busy mixed cycling/pedestrian areas to avoid slight power surges when pedalling slowly at low speed) by selecting the down arrow when on the lowest power setting - re-engage by pressing the up arrow.
> Overall I’m quite impressed, for me even the ordering process went as expected despite mixed results I’ve seen reported. I preregistered in March 2021, confirmed the order on April 1st and received my kit on August 3rd for a total 50% discounted cost of £654 including all taxes and delivery. I bought the bike secondhand in March 2020 for £550 and now have a really high quality, electric folding bike for just over £1,100.
> ...



Always surprised to see a Brommie with a lock


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## straas (8 Dec 2021)

Back in September I finished some site visits up near Appleby earlier than I expected, so had a bit of an explore on the brompton. Saw 2 red squirrels. You can rent those cottages in the background, unfortunately not with kids though.


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## ExBrit (8 Dec 2021)

straas said:


> You can rent those cottages in the background, unfortunately not with kids though.


Do you mean you can't rent the cottages if you have kids or you can rent the cottages but not the kids? One makes you sound like a family guy, the other not so much.


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## straas (8 Dec 2021)




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## a.twiddler (12 Dec 2021)

*Show us your folder!*
Oh no! Not another one!
Recently I’ve been thinking about acquiring a Brompton. The Viking Safari caters for all my current folding bike needs, and I certainly enjoy riding it when the need arises. It's a bit non mainstream, but certainly not the tiniest of folders. 




I keep thinking what if… I got a bus pass...Veterans’ rail card ...and took a truly small folding bike with me as luggage? Also I’m curious about all the Brompton hype. Only how far can I stretch?

Since I don’t live in the teeming metrollops or indeed, have the misfortune to live in any large city, (other opinions are available) there isn’t a source of used Bromptons on tap. That leaves the usual suspects of evilbay, glumtree or lesser advertising sites or even cycle forum for sale boards. I soon came across some obviously rather dubious sellers as well as some who well knew what their item could fetch.

It rapidly became apparent, at least in the UK, that unless you found a seller on your doorstep you would either a) have to be prepared to trek to some far flung outpost of empire in the hope of being the solitary bidder or b) find a seller who did post or courier in which case you would have to do battle with legions of other bidders. As for Buy It Now you can still buy a B75, among others, new for less than several sellers were hoping to sell theirs for. A bargain Brompton is a really good definition of an oxymoron. They really do sell incredibly well.

After a few days of looking at this alternative reality I had to take a break and went for a nice bike ride. I pondered whether I wanted to continue with this path. After all I have a perfectly good 20” wheel folder which fits in the car and meets my folding bike needs as well as riding very well. It just lacks that nth degree of luggage rack compactness for an impromptu, unbooked train journey for example. After years of travelling miles to work, then many more years of living close to work, and now being retired and allegedly free to do what I want, I had a taste of leisure related train travel this summer (after about 18 months of not going anywhere much) which started off the “what if”s.

Initially I was looking for a used M6L or similar, but for that price you could go for a new B75. That’s tempting in itself, new bike, nice aquamarine paint scheme, but still got to go for the guards and rack at least. I decided to limit myself to an M3R/L. Even a old T5 would seem to go for as much as as a new B75, and I’d had a question mark over the finicky adjustment of the old Sturmey 5 speeders from previous experience.

I gave it a bit of time and saw several auctions go for out of range amounts but a couple where they were more achievable.

After looking at auctions with postage, and being irritated at better deals with collection only in distant parts of the country I communicated with some sellers and narrowed down possible deals. One 3 speeder looked promising, but I was surprised to find how old it was, early '90s and, due to an enthusiastic owner and a nice colour scheme it went for a surprising amount after 56 bids when I didn’t follow it up. Another couple of 3 speeders went for unfeasible amounts which also weren’t so new.

Finally I came across this almost -local white 3 speeder with rack, mudguards, luggage block and hub dynamo with LED lights where the bids had remained low for several days. It could have been more effectively advertised as I had to contact the seller for even basic information. This worked in my favour in the end as, to my surprise I won it.

All those years of bargaining and trying to get the best deals in other spheres and now in this bizarre new context this does seem to be a good deal, though it might take a while to convince myself. In the end, it is what it is. If you want one, you gotta suck it up. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Beware of the duck billed platitudes. Etc etc.




OK. The brief test ride wasn’t a massive squeakathon and everything, including the dynamo, worked.

Got it home.
So. What do we know?











It’s a M3R (I think) in plain Jane satin white, not gloss as I'd at first thought. Apparently the quality of paint was better on the earlier gloss versions. There are some areas that could do with a rub down and touch up -not that it’s a huge problem, being white.

Overall, it’s not bad at all. It has been a family bike originally owned by grand parents, passed on to new parents who seem to have sold it to buy a pram and baby things. It hasn’t been particularly cherished, nor particularly abused. It seems to have been a family utility bike. The tyres are Brompton green label, part worn. From the condition of the rest of the bike they could well be the originals. It has full mudguards and a rack, with 6cm eazy wheels. The rims are not particularly worn. They have wear indicator grooves. I assume at this vintage they are single walled. It has a Shimano front hub dynamo.

The hub dynamo has led lights which light up surprisingly brightly from walking pace. They also have a stand light which stays lit when stopped. It remains to be seen whether there is enough illumination to see where you’re going in a dark lane. The lights have an on off switch. A bit of investigation shows the front light to be a Busch und Muller Lyt BN plus, versions of which are still in production. Reputed output around 15+ lumens. (Whatever that means in reality). Can probably upgrade that at some stage with up to date tech.

The front and rear rims look similar so it is likely that the dynamo hub was an original fitment. This dates it to not before 2010 which is when I believe the tyre dynamo option was replaced by the Shimano hub dynamo.

The brakes work well enough though the levers are rather spartan. They have plenty of feel. The rather quirky gear lever works easily. The bell, though battered, works well enough.

There is a Brompton luggage block in place at the front, and a slightly different block is strapped in place under the saddle, though I have no idea what will fit that. Perhaps someone out there can enlighten me?

The saddle has a Pentaclip and moulded finger holds beneath for carrying with a sort of black stippled surface on top and Brompton logo. It looks in good condition. The seat stem looks like chrome steel, with a couple of “O” rings just under the saddle to protect the frame when retracted. There doesn’t seem to be an automatic seat height gadget, possibly was something fitted to newer bikes, or maybe this being a family use bike might have been more convenient without it.




The rear frame has a locking clip. The folding pedal seems in good condition. This seems anecdotally a rare phenomenon for a used Brompton, perhaps it’s a recent replacement.

The cranks are 170mm with a 50T one piece chainring which was superseded by a separate spider crankset in 2013 thus narrowing the timescale further. (2010-2013) The bottom bracket seems to be the original cup and cone, feels smooth with no grittiness or play.

The gear ratios with the Brompton Standard Ratio three speed hub are (assuming everything else standard) and a 13t sprocket:-

1st 47”, 2nd 62.7”, 3rd 83.5” which seems a bit tall if you live among even modest hills. A Brompton feature apparently. I will have to look into this. I don’t mind a lower top gear as long as I can get up the hills. It has BSR printed on the chrome gear hub, confirming Standard Range.

It folds and unfolds easily. It’s me that needs the practice. The front mudguard is a little battered at the back, perhaps from some years of poor folding technique due to not initially turning the front wheel aside when folding the rear triangle under.









So far, it looks a good bet for a few years’ future use. It certainly looks well thought out. I just need to double check it all over and take it for a decent test ride once this horrible weather eases. Then I will no doubt detect some more stuff that needs attention. Perhaps some of the Brompton Detective Squad out there will spot things I've missed, nothing too serious I hope.

The obvious thing that needs seeing to first of all is the back of the front mudguard which might be fixed by just trimming but I’ve ordered a steel bumper from SJS to protect it in the future.

I will deal with issues as they arise, most likely is lowering the gearing though it does seem possible to inexpensively fit a double chainring as long as you can keep within the limits of the chain tensioner, and the chainline with regard to folding. I have a lot of things in mind, but intend to keep it as a functional bike. It may be a symptom of galloping Bromptonitis that despite the best of intentions I might eventually succumb to all kinds of bling addiction but for now I just need to see how it goes.


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## shingwell (12 Dec 2021)

Nice looking B! But I notice you are missing the rear mudflap (they can get scraped on the ground and come off when you fold the rear wheel under). Might not seem very big but you *will* get a muddy line up your back without one. £3.50 From Brilliant Bikes who are...errr...brilliant.


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## berlinonaut (12 Dec 2021)

a.twiddler said:


> It folds and unfolds easily. It’s me that needs the practice.


Looking at your picture of the folded bike I clearly would second that. 






This is what it should look like:








a.twiddler said:


> A bit of investigation shows the front light to be a Busch und Muller Lyt BN plus, versions of which are still in production. Reputed output around 15+ lumens. (Whatever that means in reality).



It means that the average candle is brighter.  Ok but cheap lamps deliver 50+lux, good ones 90+lux. Yes, this is a massive difference. An upgrade is heavily recommended.



a.twiddler said:


> The front and rear rims look similar so it is likely that the dynamo hub was an original fitment. This dates it to not before 2010 which is when I believe the tyre dynamo option was replaced by the Shimano hub dynamo.


The bike was built between 2010 and 2012 judging from parts and setup. If you want to know the exact date: On the rear side of the seat tube there is a rectancle shaped silver sticker. The first four digits on it are year and month when the bike was built.

Apart from the front lamp I would recommend Ergon grips on the bars, better brake levers (will change brake behaviour massively), refitting the rear mud flap (as someone mentioned earlier) and changing the sprocket from the stock 13t to 14t (which will solve your high-gearing issue cheaply). The bike also seems to lack the hook at the left side of the front wheel that is necessary for the fold.


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## a.twiddler (12 Dec 2021)

berlinonaut said:


> Looking at your picture of the folded bike I clearly would second that.
> 
> View attachment 621698
> 
> ...


And was my face red! I'm thinking about the grips, got my eye on some Shimano levers, will get the mud flap sorted. I'd better check what's on the rear hub first, probably need to change the chain at the same time as the sprocket. Will have to chase up the plastic hook. Looks like it attaches to the left mudguard stay.The list is only going to get longer, I expect.

Thanks for the input.


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## a.twiddler (12 Dec 2021)

shingwell said:


> Nice looking B! But I notice you are missing the rear mudflap (they can get scraped on the ground and come off when you fold the rear wheel under). Might not seem very big but you *will* get a muddy line up your back without one. £3.50 From Brilliant Bikes who are...errr...brilliant.


Thanks for the tip! I wonder how long my list is going to be by this time tomorrow?


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## berlinonaut (12 Dec 2021)

a.twiddler said:


> And was my face red!


No need to be red faced! The mistake you made is one of the most common ones and it is always fun to look at the creative ways how Bromptons can be folded (well, kind of). I've seen bikes advertised the way you folded it and the owners had used them for 20 years...  As the front wheel hook is missing from your bike it is even more understandable.


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## shingwell (12 Dec 2021)

When folded it's important that the saddle is right down and the seat tube locked in that position because that, rather cleverly, is what keeps everything locked folded. I too bought my B from ebay by post, never having used one before, and it took me ages to work out how to get the thing to open!


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## roley poley (12 Dec 2021)

yep a nice bike ..as said above a hook on the front will help your folding and if you chose to post it's frame no we can find a date for you


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## Dogtrousers (13 Dec 2021)

My Brompton


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## 12boy (13 Dec 2021)

I like your white bike. Mine is a 2010, I believe, although bought as a one speed in 2013. l am guessing that is a FAG cartridge bearing bottom bracket, not a cup and ball. Here' s a few things I have done with mine :
A Shimano UN25 bottom bracket
Sugino 110 BCD cranks with a 38 and 58 tooth chainrings. I have two rear wheels, one with a SRF3 SA hub and the one speed it came with, which itself, thanks to BikeGang has a 3 speed option as well. I also have 2 front wheels. At the moment the onespeed is in play with studded tires but I can switch to the 3 speed SA in about 10 minutes for a Marathon Racer set up.
I bought some Tektro clone brake levers with a hinge clamp which work fine. The shifter I wound up with is an SA shifter indexing for a three speed. When I go back to the Bike Gang 3 speed in the Spring, I will use an old Suntour mtn bike friction shifter.
I also have a Chris King Gripnut cartridge headset which hasn't needed any attention for maybe 20 k miles. 
Mine is a S model and I like the cork Ergon grips on it and there is a narrow leather saddle from Velo Orange as well.
You have a luggage block on the headtube which will allow you to use a variety of bags. Carrying heavier on the front actually improves the ride, although I have a seat bag for light loads. A big bag on the front is not very aero, but sure can take some weight.
Bromptons are very much fun to tinker with, and easily modified for different riding scenarios. And changing gearing by using a different rear sprocket, as berlinaut suggested is a cheap and easy way to go.


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## a.twiddler (13 Dec 2021)

So many responses! So many nice paint jobs! I have to say that white wouldn't have been my first colour choice but it is beginning to grow on me now. I missed @roley poley's post yesterday otherwise I would have posted the frame number on here. As it happens I had a look for the serial number behind the seat tube and it wasn't there. There was an oblong sticker with the BS and EN numbers, and a squarish one with the emblem and "The Queen's Award for Endeavour 2010" but that was it.

After looking on line I saw that the Brompton Zen Desk might answer queries. I looked them up, sent an email with the frame number about lunch time today and had a reply back by tea time. Not only did they respond with the manufacture date of October 2012 but also gave me the serial number linked to the frame number. I was rather pleased to find that it is towards the newer end of the time frame I had estimated. It is probably even more gratifying for @berlinonaut as his estimated timescale was even closer.

I still have no idea what item of luggage that strap on block under the saddle is meant for. Anyway, the Brompton saddle has bag loops for which I have just the saddlebag. It's a Carradice Longflap. As long as the Brompton saddle is tolerably comfortable I will make use of it. I will have to resist the temptation to overload the bag or I will end up with the tail wagging the dog. It should do the job until I get sorted with a suitable bag for the front block when I will be able to balance any load more evenly. My original intention was to find another saddle which matches the one on the Viking, as it was so uncannily comfortable that I bought another one on ebay and replaced my Revolution Tourer's 30 year old Middlemores leather one with it. The drawback is, no bag loops on those two.

I did manage to escape for half an hour this morning to confirm my first riding impressions. It makes all sorts of clicks and rattles from the rear frame catch when you're poking and prodding it, all things that you think might be loose have their sound source from that area when in fact all frame joints are quite firm and solid. I might try unclipping the catch just to see if it makes any difference -after all, early models didn't have a frame catch at all. When riding it it's smooth and practically silent, not even a squeak from the suspension block. The only thing that is intrusive is that the bell does ting briefly if you hit a particularly noticable bump or stone. No play in the steering or anywhere, it feels just as you would expect a small wheeler to feel -quick steering, easy if conscious balance, goes where your gaze goes.

All the alarming possibilities that the imagination goes into overdrive over when you buy a used bike have been calmed. Awaiting the arrival of my bits now so I can make it more the way I want it.


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## Schwinnsta (14 Dec 2021)

I think that the block on seat post is for a U-lock.


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## shingwell (14 Dec 2021)

Schwinnsta said:


> I think that the block on seat post is for a U-lock.


Now you say that, so do I! (Or perhaps spiral cable lock)


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## berlinonaut (14 Dec 2021)

a.twiddler said:


> As it happens I had a look for the serial number behind the seat tube and it wasn't there. There was an oblong sticker with the BS and EN numbers, and a squarish one with the emblem and "The Queen's Award for Endeavour 2010" but that was it.


There's a rectangle shaped silverish sticker above that - that's it. It is visible in your photos. It may however be that the number on it is not readable any more. In case you ever need to date a Brompton again based on the framenumber alone: In the German Brompton forum we created a collection of frame numbers and manufacturing dates for that purpose: http://www.bromptonauten.de/phorum3/read.php?1,19789


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## Kell (14 Dec 2021)

This looks almost identical (from memory) to the carrier for my Kryptonite lock.

I never used it as I leave the lock at work. But pretty sure it looks like that.


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## Kell (14 Dec 2021)

In fact:






If you weren't gifted the lock, I'd remove it and bin it.


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## a.twiddler (14 Dec 2021)

Schwinnsta said:


> I think that the block on seat post is for a U-lock.


also @shingwell, @Kell

Aha.Thanks. Definitely brand specific. Or as some may say, "A lock? on a Brompton?" It didn't come with it, anyhow.


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## a.twiddler (14 Dec 2021)

This is what's on the seat tube:







No sign of the 10 figure serial number, just the 6 figure frame number which is stamped on the bottom plate.


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## berlinonaut (14 Dec 2021)

Interesting. Brompton invented the sticker with the serial number at the beginning of 2002 and replaced it with a glued plate in late summer 2015. The positioning of the sticker on the seat tube changed a couple of times from top to bottom and in between. So possibly on your bike someone has pulled it off for whatever reason. No drama.


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## a.twiddler (14 Dec 2021)

It's a mystery.


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## a.twiddler (16 Dec 2021)

I've dug out my Carradice saddlebag together with the quick release frame of the same vintage made by either Carradice or Karrimor. At the time they were bought Karrimor was a solid cycle gear manufacturer, not the generic name attached to imported goods it is today. I'm pleased to see Carradice still holding out though the stuff I've bought from them over the years has lasted so well that I'm not exactly keeping them in business.
The bag doesn't hugely overwhelm the bike as I thought it might.



























The bottom bracket which I initially thought was a cup and cone set up with lock rings does seem to be a FAG item, possibly a cartridge as described by @12boy. More specialised spanners needed? As it has the old pattern integrated chainring, I wonder if it is also ISO standard? As long as it continues to work smoothly, I won't disturb it unnecessarily. Some of my bits and pieces have started arriving. Maybe have a session getting the jobs done before Christmas (unless Mrs T has other plans).


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## 12boy (16 Dec 2021)

Perhaps you are familiar with the bike info supplied by Sheldon Brown, RIP. He indicated an ISO crank arm can go on a JIS bottom bracket but not the other way around. I have found the ISO crankarm does go on JIS bottom bracket just fine. I liked the Brompton one piece just fine and I recall it is a bit lighter than my two piece cranks. As I have mentioned I use a 110 BCD Sugino crank with 58 and 38 tootgh chainrings, but I put the one piece on my Xootr Swift, another folder I have. It is a good bike but I prefer the Brompton although I ride the Swift sometimes for a change. Here's a pic of the Swift.


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## berlinonaut (16 Dec 2021)

a.twiddler said:


> The bottom bracket which I initially thought was a cup and cone set up with lock rings does seem to be a FAG item, possibly a cartridge as described by @12boy. More specialised spanners needed? As it has the old pattern integrated chainring, I wonder if it is also ISO standard?


It is a cartridge and it is ISO. Change to JIS came in March/April 2013 along with the arrival of the spider crankset. FAG spanners are no too common any more today but any bikeshop that has been in business for many years should have one.


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## 12boy (16 Dec 2021)

I would keep the FAG until it fails. Could be many years.


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## a.twiddler (19 Dec 2021)

12boy said:


> I would keep the FAG until it fails. Could be many years.



I would hope so. Meanwhile @berlinonaut's suggestion to fit a 14t sprocket seems good economy tip for lowering the gearing.

I keep looking at all the holes drilled in the 50T chainwheel of my Brompton and can't help thinking that surely they wouldn't go to all that trouble without them "coincidentally" matching an existing bcd standard. The crankset looks an awful lot like a Stronglight 55. Has anyone fitted such a chainring to give another, lower, gear range using the original chain set and suitable chainring bolts and washers? Just a bit curious.


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## a.twiddler (19 Dec 2021)

Now fitted left fork folding hook, trimmed rear of front mudguard and fitted protective metal bumper, fitted rear mud flap.

The folding hook was a very tight fit with its bolt even allowing for it cutting its own thread so to avoid any chance of it splitting later I eased out the hole with a slightly larger drill before fitting to the bike, which went well.

Trimming the rear of the damaged front mudguard was straightforward using the new protective bumper as a template. Getting the assymetric one piece stay to fit after moving it up about 25mm took a lot of experimental tweaking and bending, then getting the bolts to fit the retaining plate led to wheel removal (after deflating the tyre -I'm sure it's been asked before -why no quick release on a premium bike's brakes?), mudguard removal (after removing the brake nut), reinstallation of the wheel and reinflation of the tyre. Re fitting of the stays to the bolt on attachment near the top of the RH fork, and to the LH fork end. Refitting the mudguard to the brake bolt and re centralising the brake blocks. Fortunately the mudguard was central to the wheel after all this mauling about. My fear was that this might have altered the alignment of the folding hook. Fortunately when folded and unfolded later it all lined up fine. A bit of a performance all told. Fortunately the shortened mudguard doesn't look too bad.






Can't quite see the new rear mudflap as I had to climb into a bush to get the bike in shot and the camera angle is a bit off.
The original rear mudflap (now missing) was held on by a rivet which was drilled out and replaced by a bolt, two washers, a nut and the new mudflap which all went on painlessly, with a drop of threadlock to prevent the tiny nut from disappearing.

What have I learnt? What might be a ten minute job on any other bike, on a Brompton it ain't necessarily so.

Got to get round to upgrading the handlebar area next.


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## shingwell (19 Dec 2021)

Non-obvious tip (well to me anyway ): those little luggs that protrude downwards from the rack are for hooking one chord of a bungee strap around to stop things coming off sideways https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/tips-on-brompton-rack-use.250200/#post-5653064


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## 12boy (20 Dec 2021)

Here's a thought....if you use a small neoprene gas line on the bolt inside the suspension block the block will compress less and not squeak.


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## berlinonaut (20 Dec 2021)

a.twiddler said:


> Now fitted left fork folding hook, trimmed rear of front mudguard and fitted protective metal bumper, fitted rear mud flap.


Well done!


a.twiddler said:


> Fortunately the shortened mudguard doesn't look too bad.


But it will lead to wet feet and a shortened lifespan of the chain if ride with that in the rain.


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## CEBEP (25 Dec 2021)

Tuzla, Istanbul


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## Kemp (14 Jan 2022)




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## LegendPeanut (20 Jan 2022)

ExBrit said:


> This is mine. Black edition S6L. Compact drops, QR aerobars, QR SPD pedals, custom water bottle holder and Wahoo mount. Brooks B17 saddle. Thinking of putting a gold chain on. Too much? :-0


Hi ExBrit, how do you install the QR aerobar on stock Brompton S handlebar? Because it requires a 31.8mm tube to clamp to and unfortunately, the shims add on isn't enough for Brompton S handlebar as it is measured 25.4mm diameter

Thank you


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## ExBrit (21 Jan 2022)

LegendPeanut said:


> Hi ExBrit, how do you install the QR aerobar on stock Brompton S handlebar? Because it requires a 31.8mm tube to clamp to and unfortunately, the shims add on isn't enough for Brompton S handlebar as it is measured 25.4mm diameter
> 
> Thank you


Excellent question. As you mentioned, the manufacturer sells shims that get very close to 25.4mm - personally I think they should be included with the aerobars, but they're extra. I took two hose clamps and cut the mechanism off, leaving just the bands. I wrapped these in electrical tape to avoid scratching my black handlebars, placed them on the handlebars, put the shims over them, then attached the aerobar mounts. It was quite tricky holding about 5 things all in place while tightening the bolts but it wasn't too hard. A loop of electrical tape around the shims helps. The result is very solid.


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## 404 Not Found Anywhere (26 Jan 2022)

Seeing as I’ve posted a query about Brompton handlebars here is my 2009 S6L. Upgraded trolly wheels, Cane Creek bar ends, a Rolls saddle (I never got on with any of the incarnations of the Brompton saddle. There’s a Cateye battery light lurking in my S-bag to complement the Brompton rear light.





and to prove I’m not blinkered to other machines, this is a Dahon Mu P8 of uncertain vintage which I inherited a few years back. It rides quite nicely but compared to the Brompton the fold is awful… it’s vastly bigger and doesn’t hold together. I think the Brompton may be a tad lighter. The main frame hinge seems to have some play in it which is concerning but at the moment a tactically applied strip of insulating tape is minimising any movement. I like the Shimano 8 speed, I have it on several bikes.


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## a.twiddler (30 Jan 2022)

*Progress with my Brompton.*
The high gearing was my first concern but I decided to ride it it as is for a while. Perhaps the Brompton magically transcends gear tables which apply to other bikes. It certainly rolls well, possibly due to the narrow high pressure tyres. A few short trips to the Post Office and local shops with no major gradients showed no problems though low gear had to be used unexpectedly often.

The gear ratios with the Brompton Standard Ratio three speed hub are (assuming everything else is standard) and a 13T sprocket (98 link chain):-
*1st 47”, 2nd 62.7”, 3rd 83.5”* which seems a bit tall if you live among even modest hills. A Brompton feature apparently. I had to take the car across town for some work so folded the Brompton which went easily in the car. After dropping off the car I unfolded it and rode home. I was all right until I crossed the river. The ride brought home the unsuitability for my needs of the gear ratios on this bike as 1st is equivalent to 4th on the Viking. I pedalled, seated, up nominally the steepest part then got my breath back along the next, less steep stretch. On the long climb up the main hill, already in bottom gear, I got fed up with it and got off and walked. Bit annoyed at having to walk after struggling in inappropriate gears and felt a bit wrung out afterwards.

Later, on going to collect the car I went through the town centre via the Library. A fairly lazy downhill despite a cold headwind. I was able to fold the Brompton and leave it in the entrance of the Library and grab some books before carrying on. I used the underpass to get across the A54 and found I had to push up the ramp to street level. Then downhill along the cycle lane to river level, and a push again for 100 yards up the other side. I actually rode the last mile to collect the car.

I don’t know what the expectation of the average commuter is but the 3 speed set up reminds me of the ratios you’d find on a 50s rod brake bike - high, too high and ridiculously high.

Followed @berlinonaut’s suggestion to use a 14T sprocket (which was free, as I had a slightly used Shimano Nexus 3-spline one in my bits box) still with the original 98 link chain which was on the bike. It fitted incredibly easily despite my fears that the retaining ring might ping off never to be seen again. I did have concerns that the differing wear rates would cause mechanical disagreements but they ran fine together.
*1st 43.6”, 2nd 58.6”, 3rd 77.6”* - first is slightly higher than 3rd on the Viking.

A couple of weeks later I once more had to take the car across town, for a service.

Dropped the car off, cycled back. Didn’t have to walk but the gearing turned me into a masher, and my knees ached. I would like to be in middle gear more, as it’s the direct and most efficient gear. I was passed near the top of the final hill by a teenager on a mountain bike. I caught up with him on the flat before the traffic lights and stayed with him until my turn off when he went straight on. I was still not convinced that the gearing was right yet.

Went to pick the car up. It had become extremely wet and windy in the meantime though the rain stopped as I went out. The wind was gusting from all directions. The wind eased and I flew down the long hill with no pedalling required. Something exhilarating about keeping off the brakes with fingers just hovering over the levers down this wet road. I kept looking down for the speedo which isn’t there. It might just be the impression from the small wheels but it felt to be going extremely well. I had to stop for oncoming traffic at the bottom of the hill as cars are parked both sides. On the next short steep downhill the bike once more went very well. I crossed over the river and climbed up the cycleway/ footway on the other side. It was less steep than I’d anticipated and I got up most of it in bottom gear but the bars and stem were flexing noticeably and I walked the last few yards. The rest of the route was easier, being slightly undulating. I would think that for someone bigger and stronger than me the flexiness could become a problem on steep hills. The Brompton is stiffer than the Viking which had its problems solved by better gearing, and probably this will provide the solution for me and the Brompton.

Shortly after I bought the Brompton I came across a non spider crank 44T chainset in shiny unworn condition at a reduced price which I bought “just in case”. It seemed to me that this was now the time for its just-in-case-ness to spring into action.

OK. The 44T chainwheel is on, the pedal was reluctant to come off but has now been transferred. The chain is extremely mucky, much of which transferred itself to my fingers when I took 2 links out. Would benefit from a good clean. Its 96 links run smoothly through the tensioner rollers however. Next, awaiting a test ride. The gear ratios are now:
*1st 38.4”, 2nd 51.2”, 3rd 68.3” * bottom is still about 2nd gear of the Viking, top is about the same as top too. The Viking has an excellent “granny gear” of 26”. I set up the gearing on this bike in anticipation of cycling home after a 12 ½ hour night shift for which it was well suited. I might not have used the super low gear on every trip but it is reassuring to know it’s there. Even though I’m now retired, if a bike can get me across town, it is well geared to take me just about anywhere. Cheshire it might be, flat it ain't. This is what I hope to do with the Brompton. The railway station is, coincidentally, on the other side of town.

Unless I start getting into extra chainrings, maybe a BWR wheel could be the way to go for a wider range, but then the temptation is there for the +2 cogs. Oh, this Bromptonitis, where oh where will it end?

Hopefully the gearing is most of the way to being sorted now.





In the meantime I have fitted Shimano brake levers, new grips, fitted bar ends then cut them down, fitted a handlebar crossbrace which happened to be in my bits box, a Mirrycle Bar end mirror and a Knog type bell. I was a little disappointed that the saddle didn't slide down as far as I expected until I realised that it had an extended seat post. There's not much point in someone my height carting about the extra length particularly as it doesn't enhance the fold. I've now fitted a used standard post and psychologically it just feels more "tailor made".





I’ve also got hold of a Brompton front bag by Radical which as far as I can tell is a C-bag. It’s so convenient that I’ve removed the Carradice bag and support, keeping it in case I need extra capacity.
The handlebar brace has proved convenient when wheeling the bike about on or off its rack, providing a central handle. Due to its width the brake clamps are mounted inboard of its fixing points, which doesn't affect the braking.




I see that one of my end plugs has fallen out of one of the bar ends. A raid on the bits box is imminent. Assuming that the test ride is satisfactory, the next thing is to look into upgrading the front dynamo light.


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## 12boy (31 Jan 2022)

Hey there, A T......if you put a JIS bottom bracket on there you will be able to run a JIS chainring with 2 chain rings. I have an 118 mm Shimano on mine with 58 and a 38 chainrings on 110 BCD crankarms. The smallest chainrings I have seen for 110 BCD cranks are 34 tooth, BTW. With a 13 tooth sprocket my range is 35.2 to 95.6, although the greasy finger shift is required to switch chainrings. Since I wax my chains they really are not very greasy. Perhaps you don't need 95.6 gear inches but I have some 6 mile grades where they are nice. I rarely use the little chainring but when it is needed it just takes a sec to use it. 29.3 to 76.5 would be the range with 50 and 34 and a 14 tooth sprocket. Just sayin.


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## a.twiddler (31 Jan 2022)

That's useful to know, @12boy. How many links in your chain with a 58 tooth chainwheel? Looks like the tensioner can cope with the 20 tooth difference then. 50/34 and 14 with 98 links seems do-able. Off the top of my head the two ranges seem to overlap a bit but that could be an advantage -being able to go low on the big ring or high on the small ring without having to change the chain over so often. I am going to pore over some gear tables now and get the cranks off at some time to measure the spindle length. Probably going to have to get some use out of the current set up for now.


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## 12boy (1 Feb 2022)

Alas...I don't how many links but it had worked fine with the 58/38, a hub with 11, 14 and 17 sprockets and even an 18 tooth sprocket without changing the chain length.


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## a.twiddler (14 Feb 2022)

*Further progress on my Brompton
and a painful lesson

12/2/22*

The car is due for attention (again) so I take it across town to our usual garage. Fold the Brompton and put it in the boot. No issues, looking forward to testing the recently fitted low gearing set up of 44T chainring, 14T sprocket, BSR 3 speed, on the way home. Drop off car. Unload bike. Extend seat post, unfold handlebar, get the clamp in place and tighten it. Unfold frame, a swift flick and click of the rear triangle and wheel it out on to the pavement. Adjust the seatpost, brakes on, a quick pull and push on the bars to check that everything is tight, and get on and pedal. Getting the hang of folding and unfolding it in a reasonable time without making a prat of myself, I think to myself in a cloud of hubris.

Just covered a yard or two on the pavement, riding slowly, waiting for a white van to get past so I can get across the road when unexpectedly I find myself falling and hit the pavement, hard. It would be nice to be able to say that some witty phrase escaped my lips but apart from “gaargh!” then “Oww!” and then “OWW! I am a disappointment to the literary minded amongst you. As I spring up, shocked, the van driver stops, gets out and asks if I’m all right, mate. I tell him yes, though I’m aware of pain in my knees, and superficial pain on my inner right ankle and left shin, and generally feeling as if I’ve just had a good kicking. I idly think that The Helmet Lecture might follow, but I think he is as shocked as I am. A bicycle isn’t a comfortable thing to land on. Still, if anyone asks do 69 year olds bounce, the answer is, apparently, yes. I wonder if he has a dash cam which will make me notorious as the folding bike man on Youtube or similar. One second, a man riding on nothing, the next, inspecting the tarmac at close range.

I look at the bike. The frame hinge is tight, but the handlebar has folded while riding. I had tightened the handlebar clamp, and the top edge in the rather dim garage light looked flush. It seems that it is possible to tighten this hinge clamp when only one side is fully engaged and the other is just holding on with friction. Then a slight load on it causes it to let go.

The frame hinge clamp is easy to check as you look at it edge on and can see if it’s lined up. Looks like you need to lean down and turn the bars to confirm that the handlebar hinge clamp is properly engaged as it can be tight but not properly locked. I loosen up the handlebar clamp, carefully unfold the handlebar and make sure it is fully engaged before tightening. My confidence in the system has been shaken. The other folder I own has a similar handlebar clamp, though it does have a spring, and I’ve not come across this problem before in hundreds of foldings/unfoldings. I often wondered what would happen if something folded while in motion and now I know, I’m not in a hurry to revisit the experience. Perhaps I need to unclip the bag when unfolding to give a clearer view of the clamp in future. Something to double double check during future use.

I cross the road and walk with it for a short distance. The bike seems undamaged apart from a scuffed bar end. I am wary of mounting it now. I get on and gingerly ride off. My knees complain but as I ride further the discomfort diminishes.

I follow a level route travelling carefully along a segregated roadside cycle path slowly regaining my confidence. The gearing is more manageable than it was, and I’m able to use high gear easily rolling downwind, still keeping my speed down. Soon I come to a steep downhill leading to the river. I’m definitely feeling apprehensive now, and brake far more than I normally do.

I cross a dual carriageway, then the river, and start to climb. I manage the steepest leg of my journey without any fuss, then as the gradient eases I’m in middle gear. A level stretch for 1/3 of a mile then a long gradual climb. Middle gear is slightly too high, so I slow down and settle for low. Even so, I’m puffing by the time I reach the top, perhaps a combination of not enough cycling this year and the delayed effects of hitting the deck earlier.

A level stretch, left at some lights, downhill then up and down a bit to my back gate.

As I manoevre the bike into the garage I notice that the plastic horizontal part of the bag frame has a crack in it. Maybe I can repair it, or if the bits are available, rivet another one on. It’s a shame, as this bag frame has a useful handle at the top. Still, it will work for now with light loads. Taking the bag off the frame later reveals that one side of the frame is bent back where it probably absorbed most of the impact on hitting the ground. New (or pre owned) bag frame time it seems.

I check myself over once I get indoors. I don’t mention my recent downfall as Mrs T will only fuss unnecessarily. Surprised to see both knees have skin damage, as I expected only bruising. Still, the blood hasn’t leaked through my trousers before coagulating. Plaster applied to small gouge on inside of right ankle, probably chainwheel related. Scratch to left shin. Hands are OK, as I had gloves on. I’ve got off lightly.

Later, I set off to collect the car. My knees have stiffened up in the meantime but once I get rolling they loosen up. The gearing feels friendly in my slightly detuned condition. Still expecting something to give way any minute, and call me Captain Apprehensive. but the long downhill is not the carefree plummeting it was last time I came this way. Downhill again, across the river, across a dual carriageway and up a steepish cycleway remaining seated. More relaxed now, I enjoy the final undulating stretch, pick up the car then head home.

Object of the exercise: direct comparison of current low gear set up with previous set up over the same route. Result: success on a plate (or chainring). It will do the job.


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## shingwell (14 Feb 2022)

Oh dear, at least nothing too badly broken, on either you or the bike. Better a broken bag frame than a broken human frame or bike frame!

Reading your first paragraph I was thinking "I bet he's forgotten to unfold the folding pedal" because I do that embarrassingly frequently. But it doesn't usually result in an "ungainly dismount".

But I did once set off without doing up the main hinge, with a similar outcome.

I have "liked" your post because I like the writeup, not what occured!


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## a.twiddler (14 Feb 2022)

Thank you for your kind words. Funnily enough, I tend not to fold the pedal unless I'm putting it into a tight space. It did puzzle me that Brompton only expect you to fold one pedal as if you have two, you're less likely to forget to unfold them. I expect I have the treat of setting off after forgetting to unfold it waiting for me somewhere down the line.


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## Schwinnsta (14 Feb 2022)

a.twiddler said:


> *Further progress on my Brompton
> and a painful lesson
> 
> 12/2/22*
> ...



I really could not understand this. The clamp is visible (both of them). It would have been nice to see a picture of it as you saw it. I don't see how one side could be on ok and tight but not the other.

Glad you're OK.


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## a.twiddler (14 Feb 2022)

I find it hard to understand too. That is my rationalisation of this incident, from above it all looked in place and the stem was at the expected angle, and the clamp screw was tight. It passed the brake and shake test. I would have thought the design was idiot proof but it seems that evolution has produced a better idiot. 
Nevertheless, I will be doubly careful to make sure the two parts of the frame are fully enclosed by the two sides of the clamp in future before setting off. Normally when the clamps are done up the frame feels quite solid, no movement in any them to suggest wear.


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## a.twiddler (14 Feb 2022)

I’ve managed to replicate the conditions that I think caused the stem to fold inappropriately. It is not as difficult to do as I thought, and can appear to be OK when only seen from above.

However, when seen from the side it’s obvious that a) the stem is not flush with the base, and b) that the upper part of the clamp is located on the top surface (even though it’s not completely located against the shoulder) and the lower part is hard up against the vertical edge of the lower part of the joint rather than in place underneath it. The tightening screw is tight, and the stem stays in place when pulled and pushed with the handlebars but if the pulling and pushing continues, it overcomes the friction and folds. The situation is blindingly obvious when photographed in a good light from the side. Below -incorrectly clamped, from above. Note screw handle is horizontal.





Below- From the side. Note horizontal handle.It's tight despite being incorrectly secured




Below- Correctly clamped. Note handle is vertical.




Below- From above, correctly clamped, vertical handle, otherwise hard to tell the difference from the first picture.




Incidents don’t occur in isolation. Contributing factors: things going on around me causing distraction, frame bag overshadowing the stem hinge, poor lighting. No history of problems with the fold, leading to over confidence and failure to double check. When all these factors align we have an incident. The existence of Sod’s Law aka Murphy’s Law is plentiful proof that unplanned things can happen.

Having replicated the conditions, I feel reassured now that it wasn't just a random event but something that I can prevent in the future now that I have found a logical cause. It has been troubling since it's over ten years since I last fell off a bike in a meaningful way, and I knew at the time why that happened.


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## Schwinnsta (15 Feb 2022)

When the clamps are tight there should be a little bit of space between the tips and inside of the clamps. Not saying it had anything to do with it but just something I noticed in your pics on my cellphone.


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## shingwell (15 Feb 2022)

I looked at mine (2012) this morning, and it is quite difficult for me to tighten in your intermediate position. As I tighten the clamp, the bottom lip of the clamp always slides off the bottom part of the hinge, either below it (correct clamping) or above it (no clamping whatsoever). The shape of the edge of the clamp and/or bottom part of the hinge must be different (flatter on yours) - any sign of wear?

Also the handle on mine when tight *is* (almost) horizontal, so I guess all clamps are different!

An easy thing to try might be to swap the main and handlebar clamps, just to see if there is any difference that might indicate that it is worth replacing the clamp. (I assume they are interchangable but I haven't actually tried). Also possible someone in the past might have replaced the clamp with an inferior non-B part?


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## a.twiddler (15 Feb 2022)

I wouldn't have thought that the clamp would stay put unless it was correctly positioned, but it seems that at least on mine, it can. It's a late 2012, the two halves don't have any peculiar wear patterns. Maybe it's down to different tolerances on the non machined faces of the hinge- some might be slightly rounder than others, allowing the clamp to slide more easily into place. Not a problem if you positively locate the clamp in the first place before tightening. I'm not keen to take a file to it! Since normally it works fine, I'm not going to mess about with it. 

As for @Schwinnsta's suggestion re a slight gap between the frame and the clamp, it might not be clear in the pictures, but to the naked eye, it's there, on the frame clamp and the handlebar clamp, whatever its significance might be.

I don't know what the previous owner might have done to it in the last 10 years but the frame and handlebar clamps look the same. Maybe neither, or both, are original. Brompton like to put their name on various bits of their bikes, but these bits are anonymous. Judging by the minor bits I've had to fit since I bought it, I doubt that he was an enthusiast. I would guess that the clamps are original.

I think that the position the clamp screw handles finish up in when tight might have more to do with the orientation of the threading that the clamp screws locate into. It might be random, or it might be designed to let the handle be in a specified position when tight, but as wear of the clamp occurs, it would slowly change. The position of the handle can be another cue to let you know if something is not quite right, but does anyone actually remember the position of their clamp handles other than to be sure that they feel tight enough?

It's easy to over think all this but one useful addition would be a light spring to hold the clamp against the frame or stem mating pieces so that tightening or loosening could be a one handed process -just pull the clamp back with the fingers to let it fold or unfold.


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## T4tomo (15 Feb 2022)

a.twiddler said:


> I find it hard to understand too. That is my rationalisation of this incident, from above it all looked in place and the stem was at the expected angle, and the clamp screw was tight. It passed the brake and shake test. I would have thought the design was idiot proof but it seems that evolution has produced a better idiot.
> Nevertheless, I will be doubly careful to make sure the two parts of the frame are fully enclosed by the two sides of the clamp in future before setting off. Normally when the clamps are done up the frame feels quite solid, no movement in any them to suggest wear.


If its any consolation I did it once, I was chatting to someone as I unfolded the bike, said goodbye, pushed off and somersaulted over the collapsing handlebar! I sort of judo rolled to break my fall and was completely unscathed, although the person I was chatting to was quite shocked!!

I think its one of those things you only do once!!! I now always double check its properly engaged as I tighten.


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## a.twiddler (15 Feb 2022)

Perhaps it's one of the unacknowledged rites of passage into Brompton ownership. I don't think you can kid anyone that "I meant to do that" but it sounds like your arrival on the tarmac was a bit more elegant than mine. I think my performance was from the sack of spuds school of falling-off. Definitely something that you will only do once.


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## berlinonaut (15 Feb 2022)

a.twiddler said:


> Perhaps it's one of the unacknowledged rites of passage into Brompton ownership.


That's the problem. It happens to everyone but you are not allowed to talk about it. As you DID talk about it you have to do it again. And not talk about it. And then do it a third time to make good for talking about it in the first place.


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## a.twiddler (15 Feb 2022)

Oh dear. The mishap that dare not speak its name. After misguidedly sharing my experience it seems I must be doomed (Doomed, Doomed, Doooomed, I tells ya!) to be cast into outer darkness, to be forever shunned by Bromptonistas everywhere. In mitigation, I would hope that those who are still in the closet after their Brompton unexpectedly spat them off will gain some comfort from my experience at the hands of that harsh mistress whose name is Gravity, and my attempts to explain the cause (at least to myself). 

Of course, if I fall off again, and say nothing, then fall off yet again, remaining tight lipped, how will anyone else know? How does anyone gain redemption? It's a conundrum, is what it is. At the end of the day, I will know, and maybe that's all that matters


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## Gunk (15 Feb 2022)

As an ex Brompton owner, I can say with authority that unfortunately many owners are smug t**ts


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## Dogtrousers (16 Feb 2022)

Gunk said:


> As an ex Brompton owner, I can say with authority that unfortunately many owners are smug t**ts


As a current Brompton owner, I can say condescendingly and smugly, (not to say t**ttishly) that you probably were not worthy of such a fine machine.


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## andyJH (6 Mar 2022)

Rockn Robin said:


> I know there is a gallery section, and forgive me if I'm wrong in posting this thread here, but I thought since it's "photo specific" to folding bikes it might be OK. If not, please delete the thread, as I have posted these photos on a thread within the gallery forum.
> 
> I just thought it would be nice to see everyone's folding bike. Anyway, here's mine:
> 
> ...


Hello. Does your Brompton have the extended seat post? If so, is the above image showing the lowest it can be when folded? Thank you.


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## Kell (10 Mar 2022)

It certainly looks like it does. 

this is mine with the extended post pushed all the way in...

Although I will say two things. 


I actually cut the rubber bung down on mine as it was such a tight fit to get it into the boot of my car. 
when I had a hire bike, it had the telescopic seatpost. Even allowing for the fact that I left the top part extended, it ended up folding smaller than mine with the extended post.


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## andyJH (11 Mar 2022)

Kell said:


> It certainly looks like it does.
> 
> this is mine with the extended post pushed all the way in...
> 
> ...


Thank you for the info.


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## mitchibob (26 Mar 2022)

I don't think I can get it much cleaner without replacing more bits (and yeah... I know I have to deflate the tyres again to get the logos aligned with the valves... I always forget)! I so love this bike!


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## Tenkaykev (26 Mar 2022)

mitchibob said:


> I don't think I can get it much cleaner without replacing more bits (and yeah... I know I have to deflate the tyres again to get the logos aligned with the valves... I always forget)! I so love this bike!
> 
> View attachment 637163


I take it that the Ergon logo on the end caps are symmetrical ? 😉😎


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## Gunk (27 Mar 2022)

mitchibob said:


> I so love this bike!



So do I


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## mitchibob (27 Mar 2022)

Tenkaykev said:


> I take it that the Ergon logo on the end caps are symmetrical ? 😉😎


oh no... going to have to look now! :-(

The valve caps have Welsh flag on them too, though!


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## Tenkaykev (28 Mar 2022)

mitchibob said:


> oh no... going to have to look now! :-(
> 
> The valve caps have Welsh flag on them too, though!


My “blinged up “ Brompton has a very expensive KMC DLC chain with red/ black links 😁


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## ExBrit (7 Apr 2022)

Father and daughter


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