@wafter
I think flattening them somewhat would be possible, but as I did not attempt this (and can't experiment as they're fixed to my frame) I can't be certain. However, given their price point it would not be an expensive foray into the shady world of Brompton mods.
I have the standard mudflap but a considerably longer front (non-Brompton) mudguard:
View attachment 698444
Cool, thanks. I'd be tempted to buy some patches to experiment with; however really want to keep it all brass!
Ta for the mudguard picture; whole setup looks great and very "OEM+"
Wafter, you are obv iously infected with the Brompton disease. The one where obsessive Brompton tnroughts occupy your every minute. When I first was assailed I bought and setup an SA 177% IGH. Then a Shimano BB, a Chris King Gripnut headset and cork Ergons with bullends. A very narrow Velo Orange leather saddle was necessary as was 110 BCD crank arms with 38 and 58 tooth chainrings. 2 way Shimano SPDS are on there too. I first converted the original 1 speed hub to a 2 with a chain pusher and then BikeGang gave me a demo 11/14/17 one piece sprocket set. I have also made or cobbled up 3 front bags and a seat bag too. The damned goat head stickers that infest the American west "made" me make a tool roll with sticky patches, 15 mm wrench, steel tire irons, 6,5 and 4 mm Allens and an extra inner tube. Brompton ownership,is a slippery slope, my friends....since all that wasn't enough in December I bought a P line although that is stock except for Ergons, 2 way SPDs and bullends and, of course, another seat bag. Even though it is heavier than the P line the old one is faster because it is geared to 84 gear inches instead of 79 with the P line. I will prolly bite the bullet and go with 2 chainrings on it at some point. Pics of goathead and tool roll.
Thanks and yes.. although I'm trying to keep spending / acquisitions to stuff that's necessary / justifiable.. but can appreciate how these bikes incite indulgences and the addition of "nice" bits.
Sounds like you're really been down the rabbithole with yours! Those goat heads look properly nasty - I guess if you hit one of those it's game over regardless of how "puncture proof" your tyres are..
Funnily enough a mate asked last night if I was planning to go tubeless on the Brompton, which is something I'd never considered or seen done; however it potentially makes sense give how much more of a faff it is to sort a puncture than on other bikes..
It's ridiculous how much time I've spent on the bike so far - either working on it, trying to think of solutions or attempting to boil down which bits are most appropriate for what it needs. While I like a project tbh I just want it sorted so that I can use it without hassle or fear of damage.
It seems to be a particularly difficult color to find. I'm wondering if some kind of clear coat would at least protect it from rust. Someone once suggested clear nail varnish. Has anyone had any luck with that?
Yes. The impression I got from Brompton when pressed on the issue is that they can't supply a proper touch-up paint for the black lacquer finish, and they recommended clear lacquer as an alternative to at least protect the frame. Other than the paint code have you actually found a proper black lacquer touchup on
Condor's site?
That sucks about the cost, although I suspect there's some silliness about posting volatile substances involved. FWIW over here their paints are, IIRC £13/pot - which seems like reasonable value considering some people are asking over double this.
Since (I assume) the black lacquer is a clear finish with a bit of a black tint added to it, I wonder if you'd get a reasonable colour match by trying to re-create this with a clear lacquer and a tiny amount of black paint added..?
Personally I'm crossing all digits that if I'm careful enough I won't have need to touch up the frame; although this is probably wishful thinking..
Go down i.e. a somewhat higher kerb and you'll understand the matter. If the mudflap is not flexible and can get out of the way in a situation like that the whole weight you put on the front of the bike while riding will lay on the front mudguard with the effect of overloading it. It will either break or you will have an interesting crash, being annulled from your ride and shamefully falling off your bike, or both.
The flap has to be flexible, it can be slimmer than from factory and it should be considerably longer than from factory. The Fahrer one addresses this pretty well.
View attachment 698502
Thanks - par for the course as with all mudguards then... I was thinking from Gunk's post that there was some reason they had to be particularly flexible (i.e. to the same degree as the flappy original on the front). I have SKS Longboards on a couple of bikes that have a particularly low flap at the front - have got into the habit of popping off kerbs now to avoid this striking the ground; although granted that could be more difficult on the rear wheel..
Unfortunately today I had to come to work entirely in the car. As it happens, thankfully the traffic gods were kind; the detour being shorter than usual, the traffic lighter and the total journey time around 38 minutes which is as close to as good as it gets.
While it seems that avoiding all that nastyness for the last 2-3 weeks has definitely done me good, I think I remain hyper-sensitised to all the associated grot that comes with doing the whole journey in the car and could feel myself being triggered by ultimately minimal inconveniences near the end of the journey - some absolute bellend in an artic sat three feet off my rear bumper as I did 50 in the slow lane; flashing me to speed up (which of course had exactly the opposite effect) then cutting me up after overtaking me as he came off at the sliproad.. knobheads dawdling in the outside lane, people parked like dicks on the street at work... All this serving to illustrate how improved my quality of life becomes by simply avoiding all this grief.
