Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Freewheeling => Folders => Topic started by: BillN on 28 September, 2020, 08:24:37 pm
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I know I'm mad - but it must be a "laugh" to ride!!
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They have to be ridden ‘sympathetically’, particularly if you are larger than average. Don’t bother riding out of the saddle and don’t pull on the bars in any way. The later editions had extra bracing (and I think a steel seat tube) and ride a bit better. The gearing was always set too high.
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A chap I know - Tarpaulin Dave notp but known by many here - rode a Bickerton through Israel many years ago.
In a moment of foolish nostalgia he acquired another a few years back. At Birmingham NEC station he put it back from folded to, arguably, bike shaped, jumped on and peddled down the platform.
Regrettably the front wheel was not connected to the handlebars and as he looked along the platform it took him right to the very edge. I was impressed by his exit from the bike.
It was very funny.
He sorted that out and 10 minutes later the gear cable broke.
I'd not bother if you value life or limb. :)
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A friend has one.
I had a go.
It isn't an experience I'd care to repeat.
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Hasn't Adam got one, with frame stiffening modifications?
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Dunno about frame stiffening, but the handlebars are all over the parish.
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you're not putting me off this marvellous machine!!!
how was it possible that so (many) even some were sold?
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It's a dog.
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It's a dog.
I really miss our Springer Spaniel - my daughter had 3 days off work when she, the dog, died
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The Bickerton was the first compact folding bike. There was literally no competition until the Brompton and Dahon blew it away.
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Lt. Col. Larrington (retd.) had four (4). They all broke. Eventually he got a “Bickerton Californian”, which was a rebadged Dahon and didn’t break.
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I have one. If you can get past the wobbly handlebars they actually ride pretty well. It's slightly lighter than the equivalent spec Brompton and a much nicer shape to carry. They take decades to fold and unfold though.
I never figured out how they're meant to hang together when folded, or if you're meant to always put it in the bag (I don't have one).
And yes, the gearing is ludicrously high for a bike that physically prohibits the rider from applying much torque to the pedals. Easily fixed with a bigger rear sprocket.
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We inherited one a couple of weeks ago. It had been in a loft in its bag once the owner established that it didn't go too well with his 6' 4" 17 stone frame. About half a mile I believe. It's effectively brand new.
Everything pretty much appears to work, but don't pull back on the handlebars.
I wouldn't do an FNRttC on one.
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I know I'm mad - but it must be a "laugh" to ride!!
Yeah, they're interesting as in trying to ride a bike drunk. There is play in every part of the bike.
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I've never seen YACF so unanimous about bicycles. What's going on?
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We inherited one a couple of weeks ago. It had been in a loft in its bag once the owner established that it didn't go too well with his 6' 4" 17 stone frame. About half a mile I believe. It's effectively brand new.
Everything pretty much appears to work, but don't pull back on the handlebars.
I wouldn't do an FNRttC on one.
Best bit about mine was someone giving me £150 for it. It was in poor condition and needed work.
In my defence, he offered me £200 cash and his travel card to get home. Who carries £200 in cash to buy a bickerton?
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I've never seen YACF so unanimous about bicycles. What's going on?
We have all ridden Bickertons and can directly compare them with Bromptons.
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I haven't but I've ridden a 20" wheel Dahon and that put me off small wheeled folders
Though the engineer in me does like a Moulton :hand:
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I've had two, and I'm trying (unsuccessfully, so far) to persuade my friend Ian to sell me his. I put drops on one and they both rode fine once I had become familiar with it.
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I haven't but I've ridden a 20" wheel Dahon and that put me off small wheeled folders
Though the engineer in me does like a Moulton :hand:
I've always liked my 20" Dahon Speed TR. It rides like a big bike on the road.
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I got a Bickerton a few years ago. After a quick ride of 100m (that's metres, not miles), I quickly concluded that Harry Bickerton could never have ridden his own invention.
There was so much flex from the ridiculous handlebars, that it was not possible to safely ride it other than at low speed, in a straight line, not helped by the daft 14" front wheel. So I swiftly found a donor unbranded folding bike and nicked the forks with a conventional stem and folding steerer, added Brompton wheels front and back including an 8 speed Sturmey Archer hub, and a rack which can take panniers, and it's a much better bike.
Four years ago it went on the Eurostar to Avignon and Rebecca (on a Brompton) & I had 2 lovely weeks touring around. And I went up Mont Ventoux on it. A few people were a bit miffed to be overtaken by me on a Bickerton! I still use it regularly to pop into town.
No, it doesn't fold as neatly as a Brompton if you're going on a train. But everyone has a Brompton. So it's nice to be a bit different.
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I haven't but I've ridden a 20" wheel Dahon and that put me off small wheeled folders
Though the engineer in me does like a Moulton :hand:
I've always liked my 20" Dahon Speed TR. It rides like a big bike on the road.
In my defence I had ridden 99%+ of my miles that year on a recumbent and it may have just felt very odd. I'm nearer 50:50 this year, and I might feel a bit different.
I did manage to sell the Dahon for a decent profit though
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I rode my Bickerton on a 10 mile each way commute for a few months before I got my Brompton. The constant flexing and creaking made me constantly fear it was going to snap in two, but in its defence it never actually broke :) My favourite thing was that the central hinge lever would constantly work its way undone as I rode along but I could just tap it back into place with my foot as I pedalled :o
It’s been sat, unloved, at the back of my garage for the last 10 years.
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I haven't but I've ridden a 20" wheel Dahon and that put me off small wheeled folders
Though the engineer in me does like a Moulton :hand:
I've always liked my 20" Dahon Speed TR. It rides like a big bike on the road.
In my defence I had ridden 99%+ of my miles that year on a recumbent and it may have just felt very odd. I'm nearer 50:50 this year, and I might feel a bit different.
I did manage to sell the Dahon for a decent profit though
No defence needed :) Think I am going to sell mine now I have a Moulton.
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just bought one that needs some work - as they say "watch this space"
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waiting for parcel force with eager anticipation
arrived - here it is - images can be a little deceptive - but it is quite an early frame number
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/TZ/Bickerton_7_Oct.jpg)
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The handlebars are just a location to place your hands and to guide the bike towards where you want to go. Don’t stress the bars in any way and riding the bike becomes much easier.
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The handlebars are just a location to place your hands and to guide the bike towards where you want to go. Don’t stress the bars in any way and riding the bike becomes much easier.
Thanks - I'm not expecting much, but I will enjoy the "restoration" - hopefully I can get replacement parts
presumably those "white" tyres are the original spec, I'll try to find some if they are, pity that the few chrome plated bits seem to rust
I should get it by the weekend and the weather it forecast to be good
Got soaked on my Brompton this afternoon, but riding into the driving rain was quite enjoyable
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I got a Bickerton a few years ago. After a quick ride of 100m (that's metres, not miles), I quickly concluded that Harry Bickerton could never have ridden his own invention.
There was so much flex from the ridiculous handlebars, that it was not possible to safely ride it other than at low speed, in a straight line, not helped by the daft 14" front wheel. So I swiftly found a donor unbranded folding bike and nicked the forks with a conventional stem and folding steerer, added Brompton wheels front and back including an 8 speed Sturmey Archer hub, and a rack which can take panniers, and it's a much better bike.
Four years ago it went on the Eurostar to Avignon and Rebecca (on a Brompton) & I had 2 lovely weeks touring around. And I went up Mont Ventoux on it. A few people were a bit miffed to be overtaken by me on a Bickerton! I still use it regularly to pop into town.
No, it doesn't fold as neatly as a Brompton if you're going on a train. But everyone has a Brompton. So it's nice to be a bit different.
With those kind of mods, is it still a bickerton ;)
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I have an owner's manual if you'd like it!
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I got a Bickerton a few years ago. After a quick ride of 100m (that's metres, not miles), I quickly concluded that Harry Bickerton could never have ridden his own invention.
There was so much flex from the ridiculous handlebars, that it was not possible to safely ride it other than at low speed, in a straight line, not helped by the daft 14" front wheel. So I swiftly found a donor unbranded folding bike and nicked the forks with a conventional stem and folding steerer, added Brompton wheels front and back including an 8 speed Sturmey Archer hub, and a rack which can take panniers, and it's a much better bike.
Four years ago it went on the Eurostar to Avignon and Rebecca (on a Brompton) & I had 2 lovely weeks touring around. And I went up Mont Ventoux on it. A few people were a bit miffed to be overtaken by me on a Bickerton! I still use it regularly to pop into town.
No, it doesn't fold as neatly as a Brompton if you're going on a train. But everyone has a Brompton. So it's nice to be a bit different.
With those kind of mods, is it still a bickerton ;)
It's a Bickerton +!
(https://xzhnga.db.files.1drv.com/y4mdOWLJkPiRyIJi0VDqnC3NJghDNOUoogjI_qILHi4cb3Hj3pjMnh1xqvadduMESSPqkjJ9g-jlDZ3rnG_wfk0Mh3VZ7DOtNEtRpaN65vcmHxVmlABO-Ndic06wjx2eok6WOfmW4TaRxOy9H4GezuF1e8BOiTo07XWRGR5OnYJjz4epJZzVDrSfeVTeL5kJEBAMrH3nrz41P7-_mD-uRws1w?width=2204&height=3920&cropmode=none)
(https://xzhyga.db.files.1drv.com/y4mEjSADNJGpFjnfa8hp0NOY0DksJ0hdlBE-nqJvMBW1qkvnK32UGAYnKTeOaLFjgKnO9BGBfU0L2uxGDPoY6c85RbfB0jyLFcFpfAsh3TadVVn1r1-AC4kIVRzXxybY7A8bkkxswoANNSwQJO1Xo2YuuFwG8FpnPeC2UuQKg2jDpPRS5Rt-2w7S2-ZSZ7f6IYg0O0D9SW2TpmwtPU8q-CqTw?width=526&height=780&cropmode=none)
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It's a generic folding bike with some Bickerton parts bolted on I'm afraid.
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some folding bikes feel like they might fold up as you ride them. The Bickerton is one such, and appearances are not deceptive.
FWIW I know where there are two of the blessed things for sale, very low mileage, with bags.
cheers
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(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/GS/Restore_1.jpg)
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/GS/Restore_2.jpg)
1976 Bike ..... according to the SA rear hub
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So that's what they did with all the Raleigh Chopper ape hangers. Not a bike that appeals to me but I hope you enjoy it.
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a few more images for your appreciation
I need a rear reflector ......... and any info on the plastic headset
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/GS/Restore_3.jpg)
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/GS/Restore_4.jpg)
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/GS/Restore_5.jpg)
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/GS/Restore_6.jpg)
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/GS/Restore_7.jpg)
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/GS/Restore_8.jpg)
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/GS/Restore_9.jpg)
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/GS/Restore_10.jpg)
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/GS/Restore_11.jpg)
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/GS/Restore_12.jpg)
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/GS/Restore_13.jpg)
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/GS/Restore_14.jpg)
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/GS/Restore_15.jpg)
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any info on the plastic headset
Try the local plumbers' merchant? ;)
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when you take it to pieces and put it back together you realise that most of the parts are hand made - reminds me of the metalwork classes at school - but the pedals, chainwheel set and brakes are better than those used on the early Brompton's which also had a plastic 1" headset
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a few more images for your appreciation
Blimey. Did it arrive in a time machine?
(and how did they get it up to 88 mph?)
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it scrubbed up very well - ultrasonic cleaner worked wonders on the chain and a few other bits and Autosolve is now my new friend, but the bike was very good to start with.
Not sure that I intend to ride it (much) until there is a "fair" weather day
compared with the Brompton it is ultralight
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Not sure that I intend to ride it (much) until there is a "fair" weather day
Can't say I blame you. It's looking very shiny, and we're into peak skog season.
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The only stuff that I could not get off were the hand grips, and I did you want to force them - I tried heating them in very hot water!!
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If the headset is plastic it should be possible to get one turned up. The raw material I am thinking of is called Ertalon IIRC, comes in bars, quite expensive and is a nylon or teflon variant. We had several bars of different diameters for bashing out bits of hydraulic hammers when I did that sort of thing. Quite hardwearing!
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Ditch the plastic headset if you want to actually ride the bike. A normal headset swaps in just fine.
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Ditch the plastic headset if you want to actually ride the bike. A normal headset swaps in just fine.
Thanks - it's for another bike that I am "restoring" - the plastic lock nut has cracked.
I could replace it with a metal set but then I would loose the special ride characteristics of the front end.
Not that I am planning to ride them a lot, I just bought them out of curiosity and something to do in lock down - probably get another as they are cheap and quite interesting to take to pieces, improve and reassemble.
I've been searching the internet for history but there is not much really even though Harry's sons have a "web site" which is hardly of any use concerning the past.
I prefer to replace parts with original spec ones, if they are available.
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Later Bickertons swapped from the lightweight plastic headset (upper bearing only, from memory) to steel because of dubious durability and poor steering performance from the plastic bushing. As with many folding bikes, the Bickertons gained weight over the production run as various weight-saving weaknesses were beefed up.
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Later Bickertons swapped from the lightweight plastic headset (upper bearing only, from memory) to steel because of dubious durability and poor steering performance from the plastic bushing. As with many folding bikes, the Bickertons gained weight over the production run as various weight-saving weaknesses were beefed up.
Thanks
Yep - I've seen "black" coloured ones and steel one - presumably an alloy one, (the 1" as used on the Brompton), would do the job but as I indicated it's more about restoring the bike with original spec parts, (finding them is part of the fun), rather than riding it.
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Later Bickertons swapped from the lightweight plastic headset (upper bearing only, from memory) to steel because of dubious durability and poor steering performance from the plastic bushing. As with many folding bikes, the Bickertons gained weight over the production run as various weight-saving weaknesses were beefed up.
On mine, the upper & lower were both plastic originally.
I really wonder why they were ever made in plastic, as they surely must have thought at the time they wouldn't be very durable?
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IIRC a plastic headset (might even be the same one as fitted to a Bickerton) was a lightweight part that offered by Ron Kitching in the later 1960s. Still one of the lightest headsets made. Not very durable, obviously.
In the 1980s you could buy a stronglight headset with several plastic parts (a variant of the A10 headset with roller bearings in it). This was most often seen with 'Red S' branding, distributed by Madison. It at least conceded that you needed metal for the locknut and threaded section of the adjusting race, but even then they only made half the adjusting race from aluminium; the rest was plastic.
cheers
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A full plastic headset is just more proof that my memory is not perfect. Correction noted.
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possibly these parts were not fitted to every Bickerton but in the photos above I note that there is
a) no front reflector (there should be big round one attached to the front frame tube plug) and
b) attached to one pedal (the LH one I think) there is usually a spring loaded 'thing' which can be pushed inwards so that it engages with the flats on the pedal spindle. This seems to be missing.
The idea of b) is that if needs be, the LH pedal can be unscrewed by hand thus allowing the bike to be packed down smaller. However between it being a LH thread and the 'spanner' being made of some kind of metal that looks like metal but has a rather more cheese-like consistency, the chances of this part being in GWO are pretty slim.
cheers
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The 'spanner' also had an added feature, as if it is accidentally engaged while pedalling, it locks out the pedal giving added interest to the riding experience.
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I saw a Bickerton being ridden a week or two ago in Southend. I think it's one of only two that I have seen in the wild since the turn of the century.
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I found this (not very good) photo of the pedal with spanner gizmo
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/-MIAAOSwqNxeFYIq/s-l300.jpg)
cheers
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I found this (not very good) photo of the pedal with spanner gizmo
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/-MIAAOSwqNxeFYIq/s-l300.jpg)
cheers
I have one on another Bick that I am "restoring" - they were added later, maybe 1978 onwards as was the front reflector - and of course Bick's were made in various places ... so anything goes
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/Bromptons/B2833_spanner.jpg)
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Interesting. The one we have has a knurled black plastic disc inside the removable pedal which can be slid along the axle to engage so that the pedal can be removed.
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Interesting. The one we have has a knurled black plastic disc inside the removable pedal which can be slid along the axle to engage so that the pedal can be removed.
I've been trying to put together some kind of "history" of changes made over the years, but there is very little on the internet - the Bickerton "decal" has changed a few times, but it's not really consistent from year to year - the date on the SA Hub, (if the bike has one), seems to be the best way of ageing the bike, (although that may have been changed). Mr Bickerton sold the "rights" to build bikes to Steve Rowlinson and then to three Australians who, I believe shipped "kits" to the US, Germany and Sweden and there were bikes "made" by Vulcan Lighting & Leisure Co Ltd, (who ever they may be??), as well as bikes made in WGC, from maybe 1982 onwards.
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Mine's got a 1981 dated hub and says it was made in Australia on the bottom of the frame. Metal pedal spanner, plastic Brooks saddle. No front reflector or handlebar brace.
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I re-greased the BB yesterday - there is a self tapping screw, (see image below) from the underneath - any ideas why, (just to keep the spindle in place, but why?) - (it's the same on the 3 bikes that I have)
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/Bromptons/B2833_5.jpg)
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/Bromptons/B2833_8.jpg)
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/Bromptons/B2833_6.jpg)
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re the screw; what else holds the BB sleeve in place....?
FWIW one of my chums had a (70's) Bickerton with a shimano 3s rear hub in it. The hub spat the dummy big time (turned itself into a proper shrapnel box) and I recommended that a SA AW was fitted in its place.
cheers
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Bickertons don’t have welded, brazed or bonded joints.
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re the screw; what else holds the BB sleeve in place....?
FWIW one of my chums had a (70's) Bickerton with a shimano 3s rear hub in it. The hub spat the dummy big time (turned itself into a proper shrapnel box) and I recommended that a SA AW was fitted in its place.
cheers
Thanks
yep - I found this on the web
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/Bromptons/shell.png)
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re the screw; what else holds the BB sleeve in place....?
cheers
I think that they changed that method on later models, or did they just forget the self tapper?
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/Bromptons/4500_BB_1.jpg)
(http://www.wenltd.co.uk/Bromptons/4500_BB_2.jpg)
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I wonder if there could there be a screw positioned somewhere else? For example could there perhaps be a (hidden, CSK) screw connecting the seat tube sleeve to the BB sleeve?
cheers
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I wonder if there could there be a screw positioned somewhere else? For example could there perhaps be a (hidden, CSK) screw connecting the seat tube sleeve to the BB sleeve?
cheers
I'll be re-greasing it in a couple of weeks so I can have a look - nothing down the seat post tube - the date on the hub is 1979
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We had several Bickertons donated to Cyclemagic. They were a useful source for odd bits of ali for the workshop.
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We had several Bickertons donated to Cyclemagic. They were a useful source for odd bits of ali for the workshop.
:D ;D :D
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Though the engineer in me does like a Moulton :hand:
I've always liked my 20" Dahon Speed TR. It rides like a big bike on the road.
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In my defence I had ridden 99%+ of my miles that year on a recumbent and it may have just felt very odd. I'm nearer 50:50 this year, and I might feel a bit different.
I did manage to sell the Dahon for a decent profit though
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No defence needed :) Think I am going to sell mine now I have a Moulton.
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That didn't work too well. Number two daughter demanded it for free and I gave in ::-).