I am getting on a bit, but more than happy to find an adoptive family.Originally Posted by BillN
I’ve two Bromptons (three before Bill relieved me of one!) and had derailleur sticking problems on the newer one, but only once.
I’ve been very impressed with a friend’s decathlon folder, tilt 500 I think it is. Yes it’s heavier and doesn’t fold so small but it’s an impressive and comfortable performer and will go in the boot.
I had several Brompton's & if I was still commuting frequently, I'd still have one.
For non commuting I'd use another bike.
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
Now I want the T-Line!
I'm not up to date with the latest Brompton range - but if you want an adaptable Bike I'd buy a few year old 6 speed Ti "black edition" - (they weren't all black) and do a few mods
Here's one of my Lightweights
I fitted a lightweight 2 cog rear wheel, a Ti seat post and lightweight seat, lightweight pedals - (the front wheel is also lightweight - but that's not really needed) - plus lightweight tyres and inner tubes
It's then easy to revert it back to a 6 speed - maybe an hours work max - you then have the best of both worlds for less money, (£'s), than a new Ti Bike which may have a relatively unproven derailleur system.
(you can also choose the gear ratios that you new by playing around with the rear cogs and chainwheel)
Last edited by BillN; 22nd June 2023 at 13:37.
Here's your old bike - I fitted the "Brompton" tyres CHPT3 style, Ti seat post, (the Brompton one), and a Brooks Swallow seat
my favourite year, (2007 & 2008) and Decal for Ti Bikes
It's the Bike I stick in the boot of the car if I'm going into Winchester!
Some nice folding bike porn there, Bill.
Thanks - there is a ready big "personalisation" thing with Brompton's especially in the Far East - I even got Ti mudguard stays for the black bike plus a few Ti nuts and bolts
Bill is the guy to ask this. What do you think of the lacquer versions?
Tempted to add a c line explore to my p line electric.
They look lovely but some owners have complained of "rust" under the lacquer
sorry too bore but here's one I had - one of the very few I have sold - well I exchanged it
Had quite a few mods
Other than AliExpress, where are you chaps getting your mods from for your Bromptons?
Raw lacquer above
San Marco Rolls Gold Saddle - 56 tooth Middleburn Chainring - Shimano Alfine Cranks - Hollowtech BB - and the "gold" chain - only rideable on the flat, (for me anyway), because of the gear ratios
Basically Brompton only made/make the frame - from day one all the other elements were bought in and what really interests me are the early years - the Mk1 and Mk2 bikes when basically everything except the frame was "bought in" using a bicycle catalogue - lost of French and German bits and pieces and I have managed to ID all the bits and pieces bought in by Brompton over the years, (excluding the modern stuff)
Today I'm not sure were all the bits come from - but you can find different alternatives for everything except of course the frame which Brompton make and paint - even the paintwork was contracted out - to a Welsh Company - not sure who today - the Ti forks and rear triangle initially came from Russia not sure were they get them today - Russia had the Titanium and the expertise in manufacture
I collect Mk1's and Mk2's - pre production bikes, (only 30 + 20 made - maybe 15 left in existence), are now impossible to find and only 400 Mk1's were made, (not sure how many are still with us - maybe 100 to 150)
Although I have quite a few later bikes
This is what I tend to do with the "early" bikes that I have
plus stripping down the SA hubs and front wheel bearings
it's relatively easy and enjoyable
Last edited by BillN; 23rd June 2023 at 21:55.
Lovely looking bike. One theory with the rust is the lacquer allows you to see it whereas the others don’t although it’s still happening underneath.
Might be boring and just go for the racing green.
Haha we may have a deal.
You will just need to bring the AP and sell me that at list in return.
Going to need to bring a few pizza ovens then!
Funnily enough, I do have a spare.
Can’t think of any uses for a Brompton.
That is a thing of beauty!They look lovely but some owners have complained of "rust" under the lacquer
sorry too bore but here's one I had - one of the very few I have sold - well I exchanged it
Had quite a few mods
I really wanted a Raw Lacquer Brompton, but they were not available at the time I got mine. I got Black Lacquer, I flipping love it though!
What gold chain do you use?
Matt
Looks like maybe the black lacquer. Just been to see them in the shop. Shame the yellow is sold out at the places my scheme voucher is valid.
Just me today and taking it easy from Worthing to Brighton on leccy. A couple of pints en route. Feels like I’m in the Med today, lol.
Looking good Mr Heuer
I’m out on mine to do the deposit box run in a min. Back to regular inner tubes now so hopefully no pinch flat on the way home this time.
Doubt my wife will collect me a second time
Pinch flats can also be down to underinflating the tyres.
I’d just bumped both up to 100psi about 2 hours before
Brompton said the tubolitos on the P/T line are just delicate and temperamental so I went back to regular ones instead.
Shame as the orange value looked quite nice.
You must be unlucky (or maybe I have been lucky), as I have never had a puncture in the 7 years I have been riding brommies
Switch to tubolitos and it’ll happen within 100 miles
Looks like new 12 speed bromptons in C and P are launching now. Combo of 4 speed from P with 3 speed hub of C.
Not an English video but a look at the colours here.
https://youtu.be/u_r4__OF0R0
I have a new £5k Cyclescheme voucher come December!Looks like new 12 speed bromptons in C and P are launching now. Combo of 4 speed from P with 3 speed hub of C.
Not an English video but a look at the colours here.
https://youtu.be/u_r4__OF0R0
In stores sept/oct apparently. Raging with the 4 line P Line after this lol. Will have to see how much to give it the new gearing or just plonk for a simple c line.
Was going to order one next week but I’ll hold off for a bit now.
On reflection, not sure a 12 speed P line works, other than for the enthusiast who will have to have a new model.
You probably get good gear range with the current 4 speed derailleur and, some of that weight saving on the P line is immediately given back by the addition of the Sturmey Archer hub.
Plus switching between the combination of derailleur and hub on my 6 speed can be sometimes a bit of trial and error to get the correct gear. Will be too complicated for 12 gear on a 4x3 arrangement.
Feels like a bit of overkill to me.
To be honest for London cycling, and counting out the few steep hills dotted around the capital, I find my 3-speed more than does the job, and the Sturmey Archer hub, while not the lightest in the world, is totally bullet proof and maintenance free.
It’s an interesting one. Current year bikes are 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. Going to 12 seems a bit wild. Feedback on here is even with a 6 speed most people only use three gears anyway. The 3 speed C line has more gear range than the 4 speed P line (177% Vs 164%).
After my first service I’m probably going to change the gearing. A 60T front crank looks like it might help a lot as I frequently run out of gears however gears 2 and 3 on the P Line are near enough the same so changing the 4 speed set up would work too. There is also a very common 5 speed P line modification which seems to come without issue.
A Brompton is perfectly suited to an internal hub like a Sturmey Archer 3-speed.
Given the gears sit so close to the ground, they get crapped-up too quickly. Got to keep on top of cleaning and maintenance, but not for the internal hub which as previously said is bullet proof.
I believe a derailleur is not the best suited option, even though it is lighter and some people prefer the action (I actually like the hub more than the derailleur).
If I were Brompton I would be chasing a 6 or 8 speed internal hub. Easy to use, sealed from the road-sh1te and almost maintenance free. That is what I would go for. A small weight penalty, but that would be worth it IMO.
While on topic-ish, I am noticing with my heavier and faster leccy bike that the rim brakes are now showing their age, to the point at which they may compromise safety given the stopping distances. Not sure if it is even possible on their folder as it probably takes up too much space, but disc brakes would be a great upgrade the leccy version.
How many gears do you need
Rohloff hub - good but expensive
https://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/fo...n-rohloff-kit/
and disk brakes
There's also a SA 5 speed hub
Last edited by BillN; 26th June 2023 at 10:31.
Thanks. I have seen those Rohloff before and the appear excellent.
This appears an aftermarket kit. I wonder why Brompton have not explored them and disc brakes,but they probably have. Would be a useful addition to factory built
Sent from my SM-X200 using Tapatalk
Last edited by noTAGlove; 26th June 2023 at 10:36.
alternative gear sets have been available for years from the Far East
https://bikegang.ecwid.com/Brommie-c9803294
https://bikegang.ecwid.com/Brompton-...ions-p54243440
plus lots of mods
Last edited by BillN; 26th June 2023 at 10:40.
They are expensive, but the guy has a very good reputation
I'd never heard about Kindernay before. I know that Brompton weren't terribly well disposed towards modifications when Ritchie was in charge but the Rohloff conversions must have been available from the likes of Steve Parry for almost 20 years now; why they went for a 3 x 4 is a mystery (other than weight, I suppose).
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
Brompton have been really slow getting to their latest "derailleur" bikes - kits have been available from the Far East for literally years
Also they tried years ago to make a Ti Bike using a Russian manufacturer - then they turned to Ukraine/Russia for Ti forks and rear triangle, before establishing Brompton-Flether in Sheffield.
As usual China made a Ti copy of a Brompton, (complete Bike and and all frame parts) quite a few years ago
and SA Taiwan have a range of alternative rear hubs that Brompton could have used
Last edited by BillN; 26th June 2023 at 10:52.
Agree re 6-8 speed internal hub as an OEM option.
Kinetics also do a belt drive conversion.
Part of the reason for me getting a C Line, although I’ll wait for the new ones, is a potential view of sending it to Kenetics one day for the MT Brompton treatment or similar.
Just get a hub from Bikegang and get someone to fit it to a new rear wheel - you should be able to pick a wheel up for £100 and maybe £50 to have the hub laced in
https://bikegang.ecwid.com/Brompton-...ions-p54243440
almost any number of gears seem to be possible - a lot cheaper than Kinetics
People have also fitted 2 Chainrings in the conventional way
Last edited by BillN; 26th June 2023 at 11:09.
AR invented the concept and built a main frame, rear triangle and front forks
He then looked at a parts Catalogue in the 1980's and selected all the other components and built the bike - most were some of the "cheapest" available
Today it's the same - Brompton make the frame and have it painted in a "nice" range of colours
The more you look at the Brompton's in the Far East guys seem to buy the Bike just for the Frame and then fits the "best" aftermarket parts - brakes, bars, wheels, cranks, headstocks, etc., etc. to have a personalised bike.
Here's my Bolt Blue Electric
not sure if they do them that colour anymore
best way to ride at my age!!
Love the Bolt Blue pic
Anyone riding the Brompton electrics - how are you finding them ?
Is the P line worth it over the C ?
https://www.r-m.de/en-gb/bikes/birdy/
Is a Brompton sloppy?
Definitely not sloppy, but a bit twitchy.
Yep - front end can be "twitchy"
The new "T" line looks good but £4,180 to £4,415 - expensive
China sells Ti frames and forks - I wonder how much it would cost to build a Ti Bike?
I have a Rohloff hub on one bike and a Moulton with a 7-speed cassette on a 3-speed SA hub. I hate deraileurs with a passion, but having a hub gear too is the get out of jail card when you have a sudden stop in too small a cog. Given the choice I would always plump for a Rohloff on every bike and suffer the weight penalty for the benefit of linear gear ratios. At my age I need all the help that I can get with forward progress. I don't want to bother myself with thinking about the different gear inch I am going to need to tackle the ascent/descent and how many clicks each lever I am going to need to get to the correct gear ratio.
£1,800 for the full frame here
You would need to add VAT to that. There are many other configurations available.
Still loving mine. I'm now nearly 6 months into ownership and use it for work, but also a lot for leisure, and seek out some good weekend cycle paths especially along the coast. I've been all over with it; Bournemouth, Brighton, Liverpool etc., and naturally in and around London where I am on the outskirts of.
Cycled the 7 miles to work today straight into a raging gale. Flicked up the power to medium and that was enough for me to enjoy the ride and put in a bit of effort, but also enough to take of edge off the wind. Wore my shirt and jeans for the ride and arrived fresh as a daisy as I have the large front carrier bag for laptop etc.
I have the C-line. Rides the same as the P-line. Obviously biggest difference is you are not carrying an extra couple of bags of sugar with the P. That said, I'm not lugging mine up and down tube stations, and on the odd occasion I use the train, it comfortably roles along on its wheels. The extra £700 for the P-line was not worth it for me given my style of use, but as always YMMV.
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