You have to accept what they are, and that is a very convenient folding bike with a 40 year old relatively unchanged design, the drivetrain is akin to a 1970’s Raleigh Chopper. If I get back on to my Van Nicholas with its silky smooth mixture of Dura Ace and Ultegra it’s like jumping from a 2CV to modern day VW Golf. However I just love the Brompton warts and all.
An interesting perspective to liken its drivetrain to the chopper (makes it sound like a kit car running a crossflow from a Cortina!) however while the format might be old hat the performance doesn't have to be as per my previous post I'm sure the Shimano Nexus in my old Ofo was much quieter.
Granted the Brompton item's got a much wider range; perhaps that's something to do with it - time to do some learning
This video is very informative if, like me you're not too familar with what goes on inside the hub:
Tbh while I'd prefer it to be quiet I have less of an issue with it ticking in 3rd - it's the whirring and vibration in 1st I'm not keen on..
They seem quintessentially British tbh; quirky, highly innovative in some areas, surprisingly crude in others. They're certainly unique and characterful and mine is definitely growing on me
Is it the plastic derailleur that makes it noisy in 1st gear or the SA 1st gear or combination of the two? Can’t say I’ve noticed it myself.
I don't think the external gear selector setup should have any influence on the noise the hub itself makes in each gear since the two are effectively separated. For a given hub gear it sounds different on either sprocket; likewise for any given sprocket the hub sounds different in each gear..
So, logically each of the six total gears can only sound different due to the changing cumulative sounds of whichever combination of gears is being used; rather than one affecting the intrinsic characteristics of the other... if that makes sense.
Obviously your choice but I am wondering about the "not enough space" argument. 100.000s of riders have commuted with the Brommi for decades, many of them carrying laptops along with all the other stuff they need or want to take with them. People even go travelling with nothing but a front bag.
There are so many bags on the market, it is hard to imagine that there is no fitting solution. However: You know your needs best and if they are different from all others that's fine. I'd however avoid a backpack as it makes a sweaty back. If you need or want two separate bags I'd think about a saddle bag. Either a traditional one from
Carradice or a fancy one from Frost and Seekers. The latter are way more expensive but offer a slightly more modern look and a nice quick release system for the Brompton Pentaclip:
https://frostandsekers.com/
Indeed, however we all have differing amounts to carry - my usual being an often-well-stuffed 35L rucksack and a similarly-loaded laptop bag containing a load of peripherals. I'm looking to slim down what I carry (I like to be prepared!) and can potentially leave the laptop at work although this isn't ideal in case I need to work from home or go straight to a client first thing.
While I prefer to compartmentalise my luggage (rucksack for personal stuff, laptop bag for work) ideally I'd like to boil it down to just one bag for the front of the bike, that I'm also comfortable carrying off-bike when its folded. Wednesday afternoon I met some mates at the pub on the way home from work and dragging my exhausted, sweat-drenched corpse through the pub with the folded bike, rucksack and shoulder bag wasn't fun.
Ideally I'd like a rucksack that also fits on the front of the bike to keep my hands free when off-bike (thanks for your previous link!) however there don't seem to be many about and what there is appears to be smaller than I'd like (I appreciate the space constraints to a point) and often eye-wateringly expensive. Irritatingly it seems that anything even remotely associated with these bikes commands a doubling of the price
Maybe the closest thing to ideal currently is the
Borough waterproof backpack, but it's smaller (at least on paper) than I'd like, and again bloody expensive.
I guess a messenger bag with its strap across the chest could also work; there seem to be more of this format and I appreciate the the landscape orientation of these bags is typically more suited to going on the front of the bike to allow clearance with the handlebars, compared to your typical portrait rucksack.
Anyway, after all this I've done a few more jobs on the bike, cocked up a few things and tbh think I need to step away from it for a while as it's really fuelling my already rampant anxiety.
I do love the bike and in time think it'll provide a really decent, workable transport solution to the commute / other excursions once I've sorted clothing / luggage / all the other little things; however for now the bits of it that aren't right, plus the bewilderingly-myriad-if-imperfect solutions to all the questions still to be answered are taking their toll on my fragile head.
Think I might have to make an executive decision and get out for a mental health ride on something else.
