FNRttC Friday Night Ride to......Brighton on Friday 17th June

[Tim Hall]

Agreed, and you lot are not the problem: the potential on this specific upcoming Brighton ride is that riders will use their Bromptons because of the ease in getting them on the trains back to London because there may be lots of people taking their bikes up to London for the BHF ride the next day. So this specific ride might have a lot more Bromptons and other folders than usual. And you lot might be up the front three miles away with no method of comms for the TEC team to call for added expertise. But this is for the ride leader to decide and sort out.

*passes buck with consummate ease*

Telephone beats PMR446 in these circumstances.

 

[Flying Dodo]

Funnily enough, I had have a Brompton compatible spanner in my rucksack last Friday.

 

[hatler]

Funnily enough, I had have a Brompton compatible spanner in my rucksack last Friday.

Oooo. Is that a new verb form ? I'm sure Douglas Adams might have covered this one with respect to time travel.

 

[Flying Dodo]

D'oh. Typing too fast and not reading.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Personally I'm unlikely to be anywhere near the front. I'm normally lollygagging near the rear.

Although I will have tools n tubes I'm not a Brompton expert, in fact I've never removed the wheels from mine. Something I will have practiced by the time of the ride.

 

[Tim Hall]

A bit of furious googling suggests this is a 15mm spanner and not some esoteric Whitworth thing. In which case add me to the list of Brompton spanner carriers.

 

[mmmmartin]

I have one of those barbell type bike spanners that seems to have the largest size hole in it that measures 15mm across, so will try to pack it for future rides. I'm not on the Brighton ride though.

 

[TimO]

The Brompton rear wheel tensioner is what makes things a little more involved, but it isn't dramatically different from a derailleur, just held on by the wheel, rather than the dedicated hole that most derailleur rear changers are mounted on. As long as you take the bits off, keep them in order, and replace them in reverse, it's not too difficult to remove and replace the wheel. I've done it by myself, in the dark and rain, far too many times, but without too much trouble.

 

[Bunker]

Looking forward to signing up for this ride having enjoyed the Shoreham ride so much.

 

[Tim Hall]

I have one of those barbell type bike spanners that seems to have the largest size hole in it that measures 15mm across, so will try to pack it for future rides. I'm not on the Brighton ride though.

Never mind common as muck 15mm spanners, what about NBT2s?

 

[srw]

Hmmmm....

All this talk of Bromptons makes me realise that I'm currently available on the night of the 17th and (as long as I get my arse in gear) will have an 8-speed Brompton. Perhaps I ought to sign up for the ride rather than posting smugly about my Marathon pluses.

 

[srw]

The Brompton rear wheel tensioner is what makes things a little more involved, but it isn't dramatically different from a derailleur, just held on by the wheel, rather than the dedicated hole that most derailleur rear changers are mounted on. As long as you take the bits off, keep them in order, and replace them in reverse, it's not too difficult to remove and replace the wheel. I've done it by myself, in the dark and rain, far too many times, but without too much trouble.

This. The wheel spanners (front and rear) are just straightforward 15mm AF spanners of the sort you can pick up in any hardware shop. As long as the TECs have one of them the ride will be fine.

It also occurs to me that Our Glorious Leader used to boast about fixing a Brompton puncture with a patch, to avoid removing the wheel.

As an insurance policy, the Ride Leader might like to ask Bromptoneers to attest that they aren't completely clueless when it comes to changing tubes, and to carry their own spanners and (if required) metal levers for M+s.

 

[User482]

Perhaps I ought to sign up for the ride rather than posting smugly about my Marathon pluses.

Were it possible for thumbs to wince, mine would be doing so in response to the memory of fitting the damned things to our office Brompton. Ouch.

 

[dellzeqq]

It also occurs to me that Our Glorious Leader used to boast about fixing a Brompton puncture with a patch, to avoid removing the wheel.

it was no boast. I just couldn't get the wretched wheel off. But....I've had just the one puncture in eight years and the original Marathon Plus tyres look really good. Susie has had no punctures on hers.

 

[hatler]

That is an idea, I could carry my Brompton on the rack of my Dutch bike.

Or, if you swapped the bikes' positions, the Dutch bike becomes luggage, and folders are allowed on the train, so you could sneak two bikes on !