2021 Brompton C-Line Explore

[Gunk]

the damage issues testing the limits of my OCD.

I completely get this, having owned a number of brand new cars, the stress isn't worth it! One tiny scratch or a kerbed wheel and I used to go into meltdown.

However the more you use it, the more you will relax and just get in to it. As you know I’ve brought two very shabby and neglected examples back to life, neither had any rust and both were completely recoverable, perhaps regular light maintenance with a yearly strip and rebuild is the answer rather than the worry of keeping a workhorse pristine.

I read about your chain issues. Years ago when I commuted on a motorcycle, I just wiped the chain every couple of days with a rag and sprayed it with GT85. No rust and the chain lasted for ages.

 

[wafter]

I completely get this, having owned a number of brand new cars, the stress isn't worth it! One tiny scratch or a kerbed wheel and I used to go into meltdown.

However the more you use it, the more you will relax and just get in to it. As you know I’ve brought two very shabby and neglected examples back to life, neither had any rust and both were completely recoverable, perhaps regular light maintenance with a yearly strip and rebuild is the answer rather than the worry of keeping a workhorse pristine.

I read about your chain issues. Years ago when I commuted on a motorcycle, I just wiped the chain every couple of days with a rag and sprayed it with GT85. No rust and the chain lasted for ages.

Thanks - soul destroying; isn't it?

Granted, I know this eases a bit with time but I still find it enormously galling to damage something I value. I certainly think the item in question having a legitimate use to justify the damage helps with keeping it in perspective

The Brompton especially has been a baptism of fire; thanks partially to the perculiarities of its folding nature and the IMO massively inadiquate frame protection from the factory... as well as external factors such as my unfamiliarity with them and the need to use it in all weathers.

I think this bike has sustained more damage in the one month / 200 miles of my ownership than either of my other two utility bikes have over far greater periods of use and mileage.. but I hope I'm getting on top of the Brompton situation now.

Thanks for the thought re. chain lubrication - I'm very much sold on the wax in general and will persist with this for now, although appreciate that this might not be viable in continued wet weather so will keep your suggestion in mind!



Of course yesterday's uncharacteristic euphoria couldn't last; being comprehensively damped by relatively heavy rain for most of the ride home. Since my "new" Brompton waterproof is yet to arrive my walking jacket was once more pressed into action; doing a pretty good job.

Other highlights included copping various bits of hanging, wet flora to the face again, as well as coming inches away from a similar experiance with a bat... nice to see them out along the tow path, diving through the beam of the head torch


This morning I woke feeling utterly horrible after ingesting many things I shouldn't have last night.. on top of that I have a lovely neck / headache; I think from lugging the Brompton around the local shopping centre last night after work. As such the ride in wasn't nearly as pleasant as yesterday, but again I probably arrived in much better nick than would have been the case if I'd taken the car all of the way.

Beneath the horror of the A34; a reminder that my situation at that moment in time could have been so much worse:

Once at work a quick inspection of the back end of the bike revealed considerably less filth than had accumulated after the last wet ride; something corroborated by the welcome lack of spray up the back of my jacket and rucksack. This is presumably due to the rear mudflap being straightened back out to horizontal after my previous act of misguided brutality with the hairdrier in an attempt to stop it dragging on the floor when the bike was folded..

The rain has once more taken its toll on the chain; however there's evidently sufficient wax remaining from the weekend's treatment that it's not squeaking so it will continue to be used for the time being; pending a more appropriate solution..

 

[Gunk]

Next dilemma @wafter is lights for the winter!

 

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Thanks for those photos of the basket bag in action. I was sitting on the fence about buying one but seeing it in action and Halfords discount means one will be appearing on the front of my B. Seems a wonderfully versatile and light luggage option (I was thinking of the Borough Large but thinking it was just too £££ for me)

 

[Gunk]

Thanks for those photos of the basket bag in action. I was sitting on the fence about buying one but seeing it in action and Halfords discount means one will be appearing on the front of my B. Seems a wonderfully versatile and light luggage option (I was thinking of the Borough Large but thinking it was just too £££ for me)

They‘re great, and fold completely flat for storage.

 

[EltonFrog]

Thanks - soul destroying; isn't it?

Granted, I know this eases a bit with time but I still find it enormously galling to damage something I value. I certainly think the item in question having a legitimate use to justify the damage helps with keeping it in perspective

The Brompton especially has been a baptism of fire; thanks partially to the perculiarities of its folding nature and the IMO massively inadiquate frame protection from the factory... as well as external factors such as my unfamiliarity with them and the need to use it in all weathers.

I think this bike has sustained more damage in the one month / 200 miles of my ownership than either of my other two utility bikes have over far greater periods of use and mileage.. but I hope I'm getting on top of the Brompton situation now.

Thanks for the thought re. chain lubrication - I'm very much sold on the wax in general and will persist with this for now, although appreciate that this might not be viable in continued wet weather so will keep your suggestion in mind!



Of course yesterday's uncharacteristic euphoria couldn't last; being comprehensively damped by relatively heavy rain for most of the ride home. Since my "new" Brompton waterproof is yet to arrive my walking jacket was once more pressed into action; doing a pretty good job.

Other highlights included copping various bits of hanging, wet flora to the face again, as well as coming inches away from a similar experiance with a bat... nice to see them out along the tow path, diving through the beam of the head torch


This morning I woke feeling utterly horrible after ingesting many things I shouldn't have last night.. on top of that I have a lovely neck / headache; I think from lugging the Brompton around the local shopping centre last night after work. As such the ride in wasn't nearly as pleasant as yesterday, but again I probably arrived in much better nick than would have been the case if I'd taken the car all of the way.

Beneath the horror of the A34; a reminder that my situation at that moment in time could have been so much worse:

View attachment 699327

View attachment 699330


Once at work a quick inspection of the back end of the bike revealed considerably less filth than had accumulated after the last wet ride; something corroborated by the welcome lack of spray up the back of my jacket and rucksack. This is presumably due to the rear mudflap being straightened back out to horizontal after my previous act of misguided brutality with the hairdrier in an attempt to stop it dragging on the floor when the bike was folded..

View attachment 699329


The rain has once more taken its toll on the chain; however there's evidently sufficient wax remaining from the weekend's treatment that it's not squeaking so it will continue to be used for the time being; pending a more appropriate solution..

I had to do a diversion on my commute today. It started off ok…

Then after a couple of miles this…

Nearly had an off down the other end too.

 

[berlinonaut]

They‘re great, and fold completely flat for storage.

So you are finally more convinced than from your former self-made wire basket solution?

 

[wafter]

Next dilemma @wafter is lights for the winter!

lol - thankfully I think that's already in hand.. I have a couple of sets of modest but great Moon AA / AAA powered front and rear lights for identification and a fantastic Fenix head torch for seeing what's up. The only problem is that the front Moon light is a bit sketchy in the small / oddly-shaped bars of the Brompton.. but it's no big thing

Thanks for those photos of the basket bag in action. I was sitting on the fence about buying one but seeing it in action and Halfords discount means one will be appearing on the front of my B. Seems a wonderfully versatile and light luggage option (I was thinking of the Borough Large but thinking it was just too £££ for me)

No worries - glad you found this thread of use

Yes, the bagsket's great for a bit of urban pootling thanks to its open-topped easy access (both to the main compartment and its zipped pocket in the front), relatively generous capacity (23l) and collapsability. Also, depending on how you arrange the straps it works nicely carried by the handle or slung over the shoulder.

Where it falls down is waterproofing (it has no lid ffs!) and the occasional propensity to eject its contents when striking speed bump at speed, for example (again, no fecking roof!).

That Halfords deal seems pretty sweet as Brompton stuff rarely seems discounted and appears to hold its value reasonably well when used.

The luggage situation has been a whole different world of indecisive pain.. I like the Barbour stuff but it's out of stock everywhere, silly money on the used market, arguably questionable value and perhaps a bit tarty. I very much like the Ortlieb O-bags, however again they're discontinued and silly money used (if not to the same degree as Barbour). Some of the other aftermarket stuff is really nice (I forget brands now) but eye-wateringly expensive.

Not a whole lot in the Brompton range sets my balls on fire, however I'd pretty much settled on the Borough large waterproof as the least-worst solution on account of its size and water resistance.. a slightly less bitter pill to swallow at £152 with the discount code I got from Brompton as an apology for not being able to supply spares for my quadlock mount (although the same price on the Halfords website, which makes me feel less special)..

All that said today I spotted an apparently decent one used for about £75 and smashed it before any other fecker did.. time will tell if that was a good idea or not. I know I'll miss the easy access of the basky-bag in some circumstances, but will certainly appreciate the additional security and water repellance of the roll-top design.



In other news my bargain new-but-not-new London jacket arrived today; as expected the small size is a bit snug but tolerable with just a shirt / base layer underneath and probably far better than any of the alternatives I could have had for similar money.

This will now be the default waterproof and it'll be interesting to see how it performs; although I'm slightly awkwardly aware that its construction is probably inferior to that of the stop gap walking jacket I've been using up to this point.


Tonight I had cause to visit the pharmacy in Botley, which required a swift egress from work and smartish trip to reach them before they closed; which was achieved. From there I just minced around the city for a bit in no hurry to leave as it was such a beautiful night. I ended up stopping off for a pint before making my way back. I think I saw at least another two members of the Brompton mafia tonight on my travels..

I pass this family of swans every morning just outside Jericho. At that time they're all still chilling by the side of the canal right next to the tow path.. I note there's only one parent - not sure if tragedy has occured or it's just some part of some trendy 21st century lifestyle choice I don't understand.. they're very friendly and I often see them getting a lot of attenion from families. I'd like to take them some food although I don't know what's appropriate (certainly not the processed bread certain bellends insist on throwing at the ducks!)..

 

[wafter]

I had to do a diversion on my commute today. It started off ok…
View attachment 699386

Then after a couple of miles this…

View attachment 699387

Nearly had an off down the other end too.

lol - we've all had those; starts off promising - wide, well-surfaced and inviting.. ends as a fight for survival - dancing along a muddy razorblade with a sheer drop on one side and crocodiles on the other..

Looks quite nice from the pics

 

[EltonFrog]

lol - we've all had those; starts off promising - wide, well-surfaced and inviting.. ends as a fight for survival - dancing along a muddy razorblade with a sheer drop on one side and crocodiles on the other..

Looks quite nice from the pics

It was peaceful, but on the way home I took the slightly longer but well paved route.

 

[wafter]

It was peaceful, but on the way home I took the slightly longer but well paved route.

That's fair - I imagine the little wheels make the rough stuff even less fun..

 

[berlinonaut]

Where it falls down is waterproofing (it has no lid ffs!) and the occasional propensity to eject its contents when striking speed bump at speed, for example (again, no fecking roof!).

Both is easily solved with a raincover from another Brompton bag or a generic one for a daypack. Simply put it on top of the basket, so it's contents are rainproof, nothing will fall out and you can even overfill it a bit.

 

[FrankCrank]

I had to do a diversion on my commute today. It started off ok…
View attachment 699386

Then after a couple of miles this…

View attachment 699387

Nearly had an off down the other end too.

Recognise that bridge shot. Regularly walk/cycle that route of the Kennet when I'm back there. Done it a few times on 20" wheels, but think Brommie would be well outside its comfort zone.

 

[Gunk]

So you are finally more convinced than from your former self-made wire basket solution?

Definitely, IMO they’re the best solution. Plus even better when it only cost £50 (it had never been used) including a pump off eBay!

 

[berlinonaut]

Definitely, IMO they’re the best solution. Plus even better when it only cost £50 (it had never been used) including a pump off eBay!

That's interesting because it illustrates pretty well the journey many Brompton owners take: In the beginning the Brompton bags are considered useless or overly expensive and people do not realize or underrate their advantages and how well they work in practice. They moan about the price, find other ways, some build alternative solutions like you did (which is obviously totally fine) that work well enough.
The problem starts when they start promoting their homemade solutions to be better than the factory ones that they are badmouthing w/o having used the factory solutions - so the comparison has actually no foundation apart from the price. Only few have the greatness once they have used the genuine thing to state that it works actually pretty well and possibly better than their home crafted solution. Sure there are and will always be good reasons for a custom solution and nothing speaks against it - but given the intensity of use over many years the price should realistically not be the relevant factor as Brompton bags may not be cheap but also not like GBP500 in price.

I myself started out w/o a Brompton bag initially, too and it took a couple of years to buy my first one. This was like 15 years ago and I still use it, so the price really does not matter. However, over time I have accumulated a decent amount of different bags for the carrier block (too embarrassing to tell the number). Now you know which route you are possibly on...