Show your handlebar setup

[CEBEP]

Since I bought my Brompton I was thinking how to use the handlebar real estate as efficiently as I could. S handlebars makes life easier in this respect but with M bars we're pretty limited to what we can attach to it, considering it shouldn't be an obstacle while folding. It took me some time to decide what kind of smartphone holder I will use. I didn't want to use any holder which requires buying matching smartphone case because, well, I like my case but most of all I have metal plate underneath it which I use to attach my phone to magnetic phone holder in my car.

My choice was SP Connect Universal Phone Mount Set. It holds any phone with any case, mount can be turned and since turning mechanism is spring loaded it also helps to suspend the phone on bumps. Since it's using gopro mount system the part which holds the phone has quick release which I remove before folding the phone.

Here is my setup:





On the left is Garmin Edge 130 Plus. In the middle is a gopro mount which installs to the handlebar mount. I also have various risers so a gopro camera can be placed any way I like. On the right is my Fenix flashlight holder which sits under the smartphone just fine.

I'll be interested to see handlebar setups of other members, so post yours!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I don’t have much on my Brompton handlebars , usually just a light if night riding.

 

[berlinonaut]

I don’t have much on my Brompton handlebars , usually just a light if night riding.

Still better as if you don't have handlebars on your Brompton - apart from a place for the light you would need store at least to grips, two brake levers and (in most cases) one or two gear levers. So, when thinking about it, in fact quite a lot that you have on your handlebars, even if you don't add anything.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Still better as if you don't have handlebars on your Brompton - apart from a place for the light you would need store at least to grips, two brake levers and (in most cases) one or two gear levers. So, when thinking about it, in fact quite a lot that you have on your handlebars, even if you don't add anything.

That’s a bit pedantic, I’m sure we are taking about assessories not stock and in some cases legally required items!

 

[chriswoody]

Do I win the prize for the most minimalist set-up?

Ok, it's not a Brompton, but it's my Tern Link Uno, a folding bike and my daily commuter. It's Single speed, so no gear shifters and it has a rear coaster brake, so it only needs the one brake lever on the handlebar. Aside from that, a bell and an emergency light are all I need.

 

[Kell]

^ Are you American?

Unusual over here to see front brakes set up on the left.

 

[chriswoody]

I live in Germany, all the bikes here are set up with the front brake on the left, I'd probably struggle with any other set up now.

 

[berlinonaut]

I live in Germany, all the bikes here are set up with the front brake on the left

Being from Germany I highly doubt that claim. All my bikes do have the front brake on the right and most of them did have that from factory. There are many technical as well as historical reasons why this is the case and also, why on some bikes it is different. Brompton however did have the front-brake on the right in Germany and - about a year ago - the changed the standard setup (I think even globally) to have the front brake on the left. Before that the setup was dependent from the country. You can even buy different cables as a spare part for left or right setup.

 

[chriswoody]

Being from Germany I highly doubt that claim. All my bikes do have the front brake on the right and most of them did have that from factory. There are many technical as well as historical reasons why this is the case and also, why on some bikes it is different. Brompton however did have the front-brake on the right in Germany and - about a year ago - the changed the standard setup (I think even globally) to have the front brake on the left. Before that the setup was dependent from the country. You can even buy different cables as a spare part for left or right setup.

Well of all the bikes that we have here in the family, all of them have the front brake on the left. We have bikes here in the house from Cube, Puky and Hercules, all German firms, or bikes purchased in Germany like my Tern and Kona. The wider family as well as friends also have German made or purchased bikes and they all have their brakes on the left too. I really don't know if this is standard or not, but being as my experiences so far, are all with front brakes on the left, I thought it was a safe assumption to make that in Germany, the front brake is on the left.

As for Brompton, well I've never owned one and have no particular desire too either, so I can't comment on where they decide to place their brakes.

 

[berlinonaut]

Well of all the bikes that we have here in the family, all of them have the front brake on the left. We have bikes here in the house from Cube, Puky and Hercules, all German firms, or bikes purchased in Germany like my Tern and Kona. The wider family as well as friends also have German made or purchased bikes and they all have their brakes on the left too. I really don't know if this is standard or not, but being as my experiences so far, are all with front brakes on the left, I thought it was a safe assumption to make that in Germany, the front brake is on the left.

As for Brompton, well I've never owned one and have no particular desire too either, so I can't comment on where they decide to place their brakes.

I do ride bikes in Germany for close to 50 years. In the olden days most bikes over here did have a Torpedo hub or no gears, both with a coaster brake in the rear (backpedaled) and a hand-operated brake in the front. It was always on the right side of the bars. I am not aware of a single exception. Which makes sense when you consider that with most people their right hand is stronger, that on motorcycles the front brake is also on the right (left lever is the clutch) and that we drive on the right (and correct ) side of the road, so you can signal to turn left (the more dangerous turn where signalling is of more relevance) and are still able to break.
In the late seventies derailleur bikes became slowly more and more common and those needed two brake levers on the bars. In most cases the front brake was still on the right side and the rear brake was simply added to the left. Which again makes sense as people were trained and used to have the front brake on the right. However, a lot of the better derailleur bikes werde imported, mainly from France (Peugeot, Motobecane,...) or Italy (Bianchi) and on some of those sometimes the brakes were mounted revertedly. Which led to a bit of a random situation if you road different bikes. Also in the olden days one was warned no to break to harshly with the front brake as you would instantly go over the bars (in total ignorance of the "power" of historic rim brakes as well as the laws of physics which say about 2/3rd of the stopping power happens on the front wheel). The rear brake was considered the "main brake". Consequently some manufacturers started to mount it to the right side, where the stronger hand is. It has become more common in the last couple of years, but as far as I can judge still only on a minority of the bikes with many of them bing imported. However, it seems totally random today and you'll find advocates for both variants.

 

[u_i]

Since I bought my Brompton I was thinking how to use the handlebar real estate as efficiently as I could. S handlebars makes life easier in this respect but with M bars we're pretty limited to what we can attach to it, considering it shouldn't be an obstacle while folding. It took me some time to decide what kind of smartphone holder I will use.

I'll be interested to see handlebar setups of other members, so post yours!

I utilize 2 floors with Brompton M bars. The temporary attachments are through velcro for flat items and tripod bolts for perched/heavy. The system extends well beyond phone and bike, such as to car, cuff, hotel room, desk lamp there, etc.

 

[12boy]

Wow ui, that is a heavily laden M bar.,

 

[u_i]

Wow ui, that is a heavily laden M bar.,

Folder constrains you a bit

 

[a.twiddler]

Does it all fold away OK?

 

[u_i]

Does it all fold away OK?

Yes. The most important for the fold is the shift of the crossbar backwards relative to the handlebars, see the photo, so that it does not interfere with the fork upon folding. Everything that sticks forward now stays clear of the wheel. The bell is maybe the most iffy needing to find room between spokes. The pods for the phone and other items can be turned flat, into the same plane as handlebars, when the bike is packed into some rectangular space.