# How do you change gears on a Brompton six speed?



## Sara_H (3 Apr 2014)

Hello all,

My M6L is due to arrive on Monday. 

I'm a bit befuddled about the gears though. I've little experience with hub gears and to add a derailleur in makes me go 

So if I'm pootling along down hill, but approaching a hill, how do you go from high to low?


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## jefmcg (3 Apr 2014)

congrats!

maybe this will help ... http://www.bikeforums.net/folding-bikes/811046-how-shift-6-speed-brompton.html


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## Sara_H (5 Apr 2014)

jefmcg said:


> congrats!
> 
> maybe this will help ... http://www.bikeforums.net/folding-bikes/811046-how-shift-6-speed-brompton.html


Thanks for that - I'm hoping it arrives early monday so I can spend the rest of the day working out the gears!


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## annedonnelly (5 Apr 2014)

I'm sure you'll have no problems, Sara. It didn't take me long to get used to it.

After you've used it a few times I recommend checking the little screw adjustment thingy that regulates the hub gears. Mine came unscrewed and meant I couldn't change gear. It's dead easy to put back together but it's a bit of a shock when you think something has broken!


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## shouldbeinbed (5 Apr 2014)

annedonnelly said:


> I'm sure you'll have no problems, Sara. It didn't take me long to get used to it.
> 
> After you've used it a few times I recommend checking the little screw adjustment thingy that regulates the hub gears. Mine came unscrewed and meant I couldn't change gear. It's dead easy to put back together but it's a bit of a shock when you think something has broken!



Good advice, my gear cable slipped completely after a couple of hundred miles too, left me stuck in gear and wondering if there was something more serious gone astray. Luckily not but sounds like they are prone to newness niggles. I know it's unlikely to be wrong but check the brake blocks are properly tightened up too, my front ones fell to pieces luckily going uphill mid ride again after a couple of hundred miles, There was a slight clattering noise as the screw fell out and the blocks were hanging loose then the block and washers were behind me on the road.


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## TheDoctor (6 Apr 2014)

Easy explanation.
You've got a very wide ratio 3 speed hub gear on the right hand lever, and a close ratio 2 speed gear on the left. So to change down rapidly for a hill, or if you're stopped, use the right hand lever to change down on the hub.
To go up through the gears sequentially, go up on the left hand lever if you can, otherwise go up with the right and down with the left. It's much more intuitive than it sounds, and you'll soon get used to it. It's more faff then a 7 speed Nexus, but it is over a kilo lighter...


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## Sara_H (6 Apr 2014)

Thanks for the tips, can't wait to give it a go.


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## Brommyboy (6 Apr 2014)

You need to keep pedalling when changing gear, but must take the tension off the chain. I do this by changing as a pedal reaches the top of its stroke, when you are not forcing the pedal down. It takes a bit of time to get your sequence sorted! Start with both levers in the down position, for the lowest gear. Next change is left hand up. After that, right hand up and left hand down, then left hand up, followed by right hand up and left hand down. Lastly left hand up for top gear. This is best achieved by practice, training your hands! If you get it wrong, that is no problem except that your gear change has a big jump.


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## Pale Rider (6 Apr 2014)

Brommyboy said:


> . as a pedal reaches the top of its stroke, .



And remember the other pedal will be lower than on any bike you've had since you were a three-year-old.

I only mention this having had a fairly significant scraping on a corner incident a few days ago.

It didn't ping me off, but I now have a badly bent pedal.

At least it was the right, non-folding one, and has responded to a bit of straightening and filing.


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## Sara_H (6 Apr 2014)

Hope it comes early so I can spend substantial amounts of time riding round the park practicing changing gears. WooHoo!


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## Sara_H (7 Apr 2014)

It's here! I'm going out, I may be some time!


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## Matthames (14 Apr 2014)

annedonnelly said:


> I'm sure you'll have no problems, Sara. It didn't take me long to get used to it.
> 
> After you've used it a few times I recommend checking the little screw adjustment thingy that regulates the hub gears. Mine came unscrewed and meant I couldn't change gear. It's dead easy to put back together but it's a bit of a shock when you think something has broken!



Not a great thing to happen to you when needing to climb a hill whilst towing a trailer with about 15-20kg of kit.


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## annedonnelly (14 Apr 2014)

Matthames said:


> Not a great thing to happen to you when needing to climb a hill whilst towing a trailer with about 15-20kg of kit.


No, I can imagine. Do you tow a trailer with a Brompton?


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## Sara_H (14 Apr 2014)

annedonnelly said:


> I'm sure you'll have no problems, Sara. It didn't take me long to get used to it.
> 
> After you've used it a few times I recommend checking the little screw adjustment thingy that regulates the hub gears. Mine came unscrewed and meant I couldn't change gear. It's dead easy to put back together but it's a bit of a shock when you think something has broken!


Is this adjuster thingy the thing that looks like a chain coming from the hub.


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## annedonnelly (14 Apr 2014)

Sara_H said:


> Is this adjuster thingy the thing that looks like a chain coming from the hub.


Yep, that's the one. Make sure the locking ring is tight - finger tight is ok. Else the whole thing undoes itself and comes apart.


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## shouldbeinbed (14 Apr 2014)

Matthames said:


> Not a great thing to happen to you when needing to climb a hill whilst towing a trailer with about 15-20kg of kit.


 


annedonnelly said:


> No, I can imagine. Do you tow a trailer with a Brompton?


 
I'd like to know that too, I had a Burley kids trailer on my Birdy with the standard trailer hitch and quite fancy a Brommy trailer.


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## Sara_H (14 Apr 2014)

[


shouldbeinbed said:


> I'd like to know that too, I had a Burley kids trailer on my Birdy with the standard trailer hitch and quite fancy a Brommy trailer.


@Night Train has posted some pictures of his Brompton with trailer.

I like this:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLAEjkJ5-3Q


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## shouldbeinbed (14 Apr 2014)

me too


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## Matthames (20 Apr 2014)

annedonnelly said:


> No, I can imagine. Do you tow a trailer with a Brompton?



Yeah. I use a Radical Design Cyclone IV which can convert to a pull along trolley in a matter of seconds. I can even remove the wheels and just carry the trailer as a large duffel bag. The beauty of this set up is I can have a bike and trailer, but get around any restrictions I might come up against on public transport.


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