Brompton easy Wheels

[Moomim]

Hiya all. I'm new to this site so here's hello to you all.😊
A little question that I hope someone can answer for me. I have a Brompton electric bike , quite an old one and I'd like to go shopping on it . I've watched a few YouTube videos and have picked up a few tips on how to push it around stores whilst it's folded, very helpful. Problem is the small back wheels aren't good at keeping the bike balanced. Could anyone recommend a reasonable priced pair of easy wheels with an extension rod please? I haven't a lot of money so I'd need a relatively cheap but robust set, thank you all in advance.🌻

 

[berlinonaut]

• When you say "Brompton electric" - do you actually mean a "Brompton electric" or a Brompton with 3rd party electric kit that has been retrofitted? Genuine Brompton electric bikes have not been on the market long enough that I'd consider them "quite old".
• What do you mean when you say "small back wheels"? The wheels changed in about 2015/2016. Which ones do you have? Also: Does your bike have a rear carrier or not? "Small back wheels" sound like the older wheels on the carrier to me - but I'd rather not interpret.
• "easy wheels" are a Brompton product. If you want easy wheels these are the ones to buy. There are thousands of 3rd party wheels for the Brompton - but those are not "easy wheels". So what are you looking for?
• What do you mean with "extension"? There are extendable axles available for the wheels on the rear frame of the Brompton. Sometimes they are useful, in many cases they are the opposite.

In general: What problem exactly are you trying to solve?
And possibly please post a picture of your bike as any solution is closely tied to what kind of Brompton we are talking about.

 

[Moomim]

Hi thanks for the reply.
The bike has a large battery that I fit into a bag at the front. I bought the bike second hand and know very little about them ( as you probably guessed) 🙄 the 4 wheels are on the bottom rack , I believe they're called easy wheels .here she is! I think it's 20 year old, my husband says.

 

[shingwell]

I have a self-converted electrified Brompton and I know the problem - the extra weight of the motor in the front wheel makes the B less stable when folded and pushed on the little wheels compared to a standard B without the motor.

You can indeed get a sort of extending axle for the little wheels, and it does help. But you have to keep an eye on it because it can retract by itself when pushing - it doesn't lock in the extended position. And you can't cycle with it extended because it fouls your leg/foot.

I bought mine off amazon but unfortunately I can't point you to exactly the same one as it was a long time ago.

 

[berlinonaut]

here she is!

That's a MK2 Brompton, built before 2000. The conversion looks like a 1st gen Nano one (but could easily something else. Probably aroundish 15 years old). The problem is that with the additional weight of the motor along with the (probably small) weight of the controller on the handlebars makes the bike tip over more easily than a standard Brompton. Gets potentially even worse with a battery in the front bag.
Easy wheels won't help you with that, they will make the bike roll much better but potentially even increase the issue with tipping over. It looks as if the bike is already equipped with easy wheels.

It is one of the rare cases where the extendable axle may help. So I'd encourage you going down that route. These axles used to be pretty expensive a couple of years ago but have become an offering from many Chinese dealers on ebay at way lower/bargain prices. No idea of the quality of those (I do have one of the older, more expensive ones) but they are not difficult constructionvise and at the current prices not much financial risc involved.

You still did not tell what problem you are trying to solve, so I can only guess it is "tipping over in folded state".

 

[u_i]

It is one of the rare cases where the extendable axle may help. So I'd encourage you going down that route. These axles used to be pretty expensive a couple of years ago but have become an offering from many Chinese dealers on ebay at way lower/bargain prices. No idea of the quality of those (I do have one of the older, more expensive ones) but they are not difficult constructionvise and at the current prices not much financial risc involved.

On the French list there is a recent thread about a broken Aceoffix extension, so that is presumably one to avoid. The problem about the bottom of the barrel parts, though, is that they may be sold under a dozen different brand names, among which Aceoffix is just one more prominent. A level of research may be required.

 

[GeekDadZoid]

My friend runs an extension on his electric brompton very successfully, just a generic one from China.

I don't have an extension bar or and electric but use these wheels and they are fab.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/kids-...play-3-4-pack/_/R-p-303648?mc=8515416&c=BLACK

 

[berlinonaut]

I don't have an extension bar or and electric but use these wheels and they are fab.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/kids-...play-3-4-pack/_/R-p-303648?mc=8515416&c=BLACK

Skater wheels have been a relatively common solution before easy wheels got invented about 20 years ago in the early 2000s. While they offer great rolling abilities there are also some massive downsides tied to them which is why today I would not recommend them:
• they are relatively thick, thus with many people heelstrike is an issue
• they barely damp. thus when folding in a hurry or setting the bike on the floor in a hurry the tiny ears on the rearframe that hold the wheels get too much force applied. Often this leads sooner or later to breaks in this area
• this is futher inforced by the weight of skater wheels (they typically to weight massively more than other roller wheels, genuine or not)
• the weight might also be a topic of it's own for some riders - those who bought a ti-version or spend extra money on lighter parts to save on weight would corrupt their intentions with skater wheels

A bit of extensive background write-up regarding roller wheels on the Brompton: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/project-m6l-to-m6r-on-a-budget.282618/page-2#post-6639948

 

[slowridr]

Picking up this thread rather than starting a new one; I'm considering upgrading the easy wheels on my P-Line to get a little more stability and ground clearance while pushing folded. And also because, well, it's nice to tinker with things right? It came with the standard 66mm wheels but I find that the nut on the end of the suspension block still skims the ground too easily.

I've seen the recommendations to try the Decathlon 66mm skate wheels, but on the P-Line I think an 80mm or possibly even 100mm scooter wheel would actually fit. In the below pics the crank is directly in line with the mounting bolt (so, as close as it can get) and there is plenty (about 31mm) clearance between the mounting point on the rear triangle and the pedal, so although heel strike is a risk the wheel (something like this Amazon product ASIN B09PYW9CVDView: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09PYW9CVD/
) should clear the pedal OK.

Has anyone tried larger wheels yet on the P-Line?

 

[Fastpedaller]

My friend runs an extension on his electric brompton very successfully, just a generic one from China.

I don't have an extension bar or and electric but use these wheels and they are fab.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/kids-...play-3-4-pack/_/R-p-303648?mc=8515416&c=BLACK

I have a 2007 SL (I'm unsure if the model makes a difference, so included it) with the small conical wheels.
I've considered the decathlon ones, but I haven't seen them in the shop, so are you able to tell me 1) is the bearing internal diameter correct of does it need sleeving? 2) is the width an issue? - I suspect the wheels don't protrude beyond the fixing screw, so the answer is in the negative.
Thanks in anticipation

 

[GeekDadZoid]

I have a 2007 SL (I'm unsure if the model makes a difference, so included it) with the small conical wheels.
I've considered the decathlon ones, but I haven't seen them in the shop, so are you able to tell me 1) is the bearing internal diameter correct of does it need sleeving? 2) is the width an issue? - I suspect the wheels don't protrude beyond the fixing screw, so the answer is in the negative.
Thanks in anticipation

No sleeving needed on the wheels.

Width is not an issue for me, I did replace the screw's for longer ones though from memory and you need to either locktite or use a locking washer. I also have a small Chinese rack with two of the decathlon wheels on too, so it wheels around on them perfect.

 

[Fastpedaller]

No sleeving needed on the wheels.

Width is not an issue for me, I did replace the screw's for longer ones though from memory and you need to either locktite or use a locking washer. I also have a small Chinese rack with two of the decathlon wheels on too, so it wheels around on them perfect.

Thanks.

 

[slowridr]

Took a bit longer than intended but... blingy 100mm wheels now fitted to my P-Line.

The ones I chose were approximately 24mm deep, so I've fitted them with longer screws (M6 45mm flanged button head) and they also had a larger 'axle hole' than the standard easy-wheels, so although the replacement screw itself is the same diameter, a nylon shoulder washer on each side of each wheel means they roll nicely. The extra weight of the wheels is noticeable when flipping the rear triangle under but oddly enough not really when lifting - and the bigger wheels should mean I can roll it in more places and for longer distances (the Waterloo platform...) anyway.

Yet to test ride to see how much heel-striking is a problem, but the pedals themselves pass fine so hopefully it will be OK!

 

[T4tomo]

and the bigger wheels should mean I can roll it in more places and for longer distances (the Waterloo platform...) anyway

I always found it far easier to unfold it and wheel it on its 16" wheels down a station platform

 

[Kell]

I always found it far easier to unfold it and wheel it on its 16" wheels down a station platform

Likewise. I only fold mine when I get to the train doors. I have to go up and over a footbridge, but hang it over my shoulder by the underside of the seat (cyclo-cross style) on the way up the stairs, and hold it by the main tube coming down. It's far better balanced to carry when in ride mode than fully folded*.

Though, I will admit I've compounded this issue, having swapped out the folding pedal for SPDs means you have to carry it much further out from your body which is far more tiring on the shoulder muscles.