# Brompton rear frame failure



## Todd Sweeney (30 Nov 2017)

Hello - I’m after some advice if possible please. I have a 6-speed Brompton, bought new 3.5 years ago. I ride it most days to commute, about 20-30 miles a week. 

I had a rear wheel puncture so took it at the weekend to my local Brompton authorised bike shop to replace the tube, as I always find it a faff on the rear wheel. They ended up replacing the tyre too. I’m now wondering if they have somehow damaged my bike. 

As soon as rode it home it didn’t feel quite right - I checked if it had another rear puncture but no. Rode it again on Tuesday this week, about 8 miles, still not quite right but worked. Rode it for the third time since the puncture repair this morning and about a mile down the road discovered a huge issue with the bike. It felt wobbly, like it would collapse sideways. Got off and discovered the rear frame had bent sideways from the main frame, at the hinge. The hinge itself looks ok but hard to tell if that is at fault. It looks like the rear frame itself has somehow bent where it connects to the main frame. It could have been really dangerous and collapsed under me - I was lucky. It is now almost impossible to fold the frame and it is inrideable. The rear frame is at a 45 degree angle to the main frame. 

My question is does anyone know what could have caused this? Could the bike shop have somehow damaged the frame and also is it repairable? I worry that not only may the rear frame have been damaged, but also the main frame too where it connects with it. 

Surely this isn’t normal wear and tear?

Thanks in advance.


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## Drago (30 Nov 2017)

Photo?


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## Todd Sweeney (30 Nov 2017)

Cheers Drago. I’ll take some pics and upload them when I get home from work tonight (had to dash back home, dump the bike, and then run back out for a train. I miss my Brompton already!)


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## LCpl Boiled Egg (30 Nov 2017)

If I remember correctly, the frame is under warranty for ten years, but the parts such as the folding hinges are not. So when my rear hinge failed, I could not claim on warranty as the frame itself was OK, but the hinge was the point of failure.

If as you say the frame has failed you may be OK. I would take it to a reputable Brompton dealer ASAP or contact Brompton directly through their website.

Oh, and as @Drago says, photos please.

Edit: Just noticed a line in your post. I wouldn't take it back to where it was fixed even if they are Brompton authorised. I would definitely contact Brompton directly.


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## Todd Sweeney (30 Nov 2017)

Ah that’s good to know. Thanks ABikeCam. I was looking at the price of replacement frames and they are eye wateringly expensive! 

My lbs is Brompton authorised although I am a bit wary after this incident. It could be completely unrelated I guess though so will take it to them to look at. 

Will post pics later.


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## Kell (30 Nov 2017)

Has one of the bolts sheared off?


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## Todd Sweeney (30 Nov 2017)

Good point about avoiding that shop ABikeCam - it does seem a strange coincidence that this should occur straight after they have been working on it. I’ll contact Brompton directly with photos.


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## Todd Sweeney (30 Nov 2017)

Kell said:


> Has one of the bolts sheared off?



I don’t think it has Kell. I’ll check again when home tonight though. From what I could tell the rear frame still seemed to be attached to the front frame, but the whole thing was bent at an angle from the main frame. It’s really odd.


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## Illaveago (30 Nov 2017)

Is or was the hinge working fine before you took it in for repair? The way the frame is is bent is it in line with having been forced to fold?


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## Todd Sweeney (30 Nov 2017)

Illaveago said:


> Is or was the hinge working fine before you took it in for repair? The way the frame is is bent is it in line with having been forced to fold?



Yes, it was absolutely fine before I took it in for the rear wheel puncture repair. Immediately afterwards it felt a bit odd - like the back wheel was cycling over those raised white lines on the road, a slight “bumpety bump”.

Looking at the bike from above, with the front wheel facing forward, the rear frame bends at the fold sideways at perhaps a 30 degree angle to the right, and feels very loose and wobbly. The leg bit of the rear frame where it attaches to the front frame at the hinge also looks like it has bent slightly inwards.

I managed to fold the bike back up when I got home by pushing the rear frame back in line with the front frame, but I couldn’t get the saddle to go down locking the fold together (I was in a bit of a rush though).

I’m wondering if some kind of sideways force could have been applied to the bike when they took off the rear wheel at the shop, perhaps while being held on a bike stand or clamp, which has caused this later failure to occur?


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## bonzobanana (30 Nov 2017)

Could the bike shop have over-tightened one of the hinge bolts causing the rear frame to buckle under weight to one side or maybe incorrectly assembled it somehow. Not sure why they would have needed to do anything with the hinge bolts maybe there was some play there and they decided to tighten the bolts. Sometimes you do get a coincidence of events that aren't related but I'd definitely suspect that local bike shop unless another valid explanation comes along.


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## Todd Sweeney (30 Nov 2017)

bonzobanana said:


> Could the bike shop have over-tightened one of the hinge bolts causing the rear frame to buckle under weight to one side or maybe incorrectly assembled it somehow. Not sure why they would have needed to do anything with the hinge bolts maybe there was some play there and they decided to tighten the bolts. Sometimes you do get a coincidence of events that aren't related but I'd definitely suspect that local bike shop unless another valid explanation comes along.



Good thinking. Whatever happens I will certainly avoid that bike shop going forward. I was already a little annoyed because I just asked for the tube to be changed but when I went back to pick up the bike they’d also changed the tyre, because they said it was worn, but it didn’t seem bad to me. They had my number and could have checked if I wanted it done first but didn’t. So a £10 job ended up costing me £45!


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## Kell (30 Nov 2017)

I don't think I would have paid for that. 

You can certainly get Marathons for less and it's not up to them to decide when you change your tyres.


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## Todd Sweeney (30 Nov 2017)

Kell said:


> I don't think I would have paid for that.
> 
> You can certainly get Marathons for less and it's not up to them to decide when you change your tyres.



Yes absolutely! The tyre was a marathon and had only done 1,000 miles or so, and looked fine to me. I don’t like kicking up a fuss so just paid, but I wish I hadn’t...particularly now this has occurred.


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## Pale Rider (30 Nov 2017)

Putting a new tyre on without first checking with the customer is very poor, not least because you may have had it in mind to try a different tyre.

Thus the bike shop starts with a big minus point, but leaving that aside it's unlikely they would have damaged the frame in the course of removing the wheel.

Unless they are proper stroke pullers and they dropped the bike out of the workstand which bent the frame, they pushed it back and hoped you wouldn't notice.

Normally I would say give the dealer who did the work the chance to sort it out.

But in this case, I tend to agreee with the others that it may be better to draw a line under them and approach Brompton/a different dealer.

If Brompton suggest you take it back to the same dealer, you can quite reasonably say you've lost confidence in them.


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## 12boy (30 Nov 2017)

What a screw job....I would be very angry were this done to me. I would definitely talk to these clowns and demand it be fixed as you have nothing to lose at this point. I would also get some quality tire irons (levers to you) and practice removing the wheel and the tire at home. Learning this in the rain or sub freezing temps is unpleasant. I like to carry a tool roll with pump, tire irons, 15 mm wrench, allen wrenches, Park preglued patches and an extra inner tube. With these I can fix most things short of repairing a chain or pulling a crank. Undoing the SA shifter and loosening 3 wheel nuts is all it takes to remove a wheel since it is already flat and will clear the brakes. When you put the tire back on leave a little air in the tube to get it seated without pinch flats, then deflate a bit more. I like to put the tire on so the stem area is last. This allows the tire on the far side to get further in between the wheel rims and give that little extra bit of looseness that allows getting the last section of tire over the rim a lot easier. BTW, I've not needed it, but I've heard a Kool Stop Tire Jack is very effective. I prefer slim steel tire irons since they can get between rim and tire bead when tight.


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## tyreon (1 Dec 2017)

Gee...hope it turns out right for you. 

Who knows what happened in that workshop. And if something did happen in that workshop...who's going to fess up...after this time! Think embarrassment and the like.

My gut instinct is that happened in the workshop....but I guess,it could be something else.

I bought a pair of working s/hand bar end shifter from a cycleshop sold by the owner/a pro. Turned out when I got them home and put them on the bike 7 worked,not 8. I took them back to his shop and to his credit he immediately offered to replace them,tho I then bought new. He appeared a bit shame faced cos he told me they were all in working fashion. At least he owned up. In days of old(e) some goods/services were substandard and you ended up having to have a ding-dong over matters. For the most part,those days are gone. Customer service seems to have improved. Having said that, some people can take advantage of better decent trade.
Hope you solve matters


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## chriscross1966 (2 Dec 2017)

Kell said:


> Has one of the bolts sheared off?


This, or worked loose and fallen out. Brompton should fix that under their frame warrantee, any Brompton dealer should be able to arrange, and you should get a courtesy bike as Brompton will likely want a look at it themselves. They did when I had one do it five years ago.


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## chris folder (8 Oct 2018)

Hi did you get your bike fixed?


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## Illaveago (8 Oct 2018)

It's gone a bit quiet!


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## steveindenmark (11 Oct 2018)

Did you take it back to them and what did they say?


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## rogerzilla (16 Oct 2018)

Brompton rear frames rust out from the inside. They look fine under the powdercoat, right up to the moment when they crack. This could be the case here. The hub may have been keeping it all together until the wheel was removed. 

If you have a steel Brompton, go and pump the open rear tubes with Waxoyl/Dinitrol/Dynax S50 now.


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