brompton bars and distance riding

[Si]

Just wondering, as my brommie, with the original type bars (M bars?) is a bit upright....would it be a bad idea to swivel them forward in the stem clamp a bit to give a longer reach by two or three inches...would this put too much pressure on them?

Also, as I'd like to go light-weight touring on the brommie next year(probably in Holland)...any improvements I should make..I've got a six speed, have already put a better saddle on, gone for marathon tyres, probably put SPDs on.

[Kim]

Just wondering, as my brommie, with the original type bars (M bars?) is a bit upright....would it be a bad idea to swivel them forward in the stem clamp a bit to give a longer reach by two or three inches...would this put too much pressure on them?

That would make them stick out a bit when folded.  Dunno how the clamp would cope.

You could also swap for some other bar with a lower rise, perhaps something that would take bar-ends (the M bar might, depending on the size of your hands)?

FWIW, the S-type stem gives a longer reach.

Also, as I'd like to go light-weight touring on the brommie next year(probably in Holland)...any improvements I should make..I've got a six speed, have already put a better saddle on, gone for marathon tyres, probably put SPDs on.

You don't really need gears for the Netherlands, of course.

For SPDs on a Brompton, I recommend one of the quick-release pedal systems (MKS EZY or Wellgo QRD), as nobody seems to make a folding SPD pedal.  This means you can remove the left pedal when folded, keeping the package neat.  (It also means you can have a set of flats to swap back to.)

In my limited experience of the Netherlands, they like to use (endless, impeccably laid) setts for minor roads and cyclepaths.  They're fast-rolling, but give an awful lot of vibration (unless you're riding the canonical gaspipe city bike with almost-flat tyres, in which case I'm sure they're lovely).  Not sure how well a Brommie handles that, but avoiding rock-hard Marathon Pluses would seem like a good idea.

[Aidan]

to lower my riding position a bit I fitted a pair of steel riser bars. I guessed at the rise I'd need and searched until I found a pair that would give me the correct height. The drop of a few inches, plus the fact that they were much stiffer transformed the ride significantly for the better.

Picture here:



I did a few days touring in the Netherlands on my Brommie, it was a three speed, I had a Brooks saddle on it anyway, and I had already changed to SPDs, only other things I did was put a bottle cage on that strapped to the top tube ( not strictly neccessary with a Brompton C bag as that has pockets on the back that will hold a bottle)  for easy reach.  I also put a long bag extender bracket on the seat tube so I could mount a bar bag on the back, this is taken in the lounge of the ferry port at Hook of Holland.  I was there for three or four days and probably took too much stuff, and packing room was more than adequate.



The few days I had there was some of the most enjoyable cycling I've ever done.

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=tS&doc_id=7538&v=5j

[Ripio]

The new M bars on 2017 models have a shorter rise but not sure if they are available as after market spares yet though.
I've got Gussett 3" riser bars on mine with ergon bar ends.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=60093.0

The S-bar isn't further forward than the M-bar. Definitely fit some shortie bar ends. I have them on my M-bars. Ergon make some grips that do the job nicely.

A couple of folk have fitted a QR in place of the stem clamp bolt to allow a forward position but not affect folding. I don't know anybody who has done it in the past decade. It wouldn't be a good idea to scratch the handlebar, as would be likely.

Somebody in the Far East makes an extender that mounts the handlebar stem nubbin (fits into the handlebar clip) further out but I've not seen it in real life.

[Si]

Thanks for comments.

I don't really want the bars lower, just a bit further forward.  Might look at fitting some long, curved bar ends for the trip.  I'm thinking that with lack of monster hills and miles of nice smooth cycle-road the brommie should be great in the Netherlands....apart from when riding all day into a head wind!

I fancy using the brommie as it'll be less hassle to get it there and can easily be taken into hotel rooms for safekeeping.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Long bar ends won't clear the front tyre when folded, let alone the rest of the folded bike.

[Kim]

I'm thinking that with [...]  miles of nice smooth cycle-road the brommie should be great in the Netherlands

As I say, it's as much setts as tarmac, so it depends on your definition of 'smooth'.

[Si]

Long bar ends won't clear the front tyre when folded, let alone the rest of the folded bike.

That's the problem with talking about it on the interweb - can't actually see it from here so can't picture how it folds...it'll be my other folder that folds with the bars pointing out then!

[reppans]

Hello, new member here.  I picked up an M6R earlier in the year and immediately fell in love with the versatility of this bike (and I'm not new to folders).  It has re-kindled interest in short touring for me, and I've had some of the same questions/concerns as you. 

I added Ergon GP2 grips (2 finger bar end) and they do not impact the fold, and I think GP3s and even GP4s would be fine - as long as the bar ends are set toward horizontal (not ideal, but perfectly usable), there's a lot of clearance around the wheel when folded to accommodate longer bar ends.  You can test this with a coat hanger wire model bent around your current grip.

Assume you set the seat far back on the rails for more reach.

I just did a reasonably easy mod of cutting/installing a plastic tube to cover the bottom of the "U" in the M bars which gives me an additional lower aero position on the M bars.  This one really helps against headwinds, and when I get cruising at higher speeds - still testing (this one takes a while to get used to) but I'm finding I can cruise in a higher gear more often and it's comfortable for me as I'm used to lower bars on my other bikes.

I'll second the MKS quick release pedals if you go SPD, but I'm running half-clips on the stock pedals from Alphabet Cottage and quite like them... and they don't affect the fold, or speed of folding (like the MKS).

For touring, I'm into ultra-light backpacking and using the same gear can tour out of the single front T-bag <20lbs, including ~5lbs of food/water.  Can't express how nice this set-up is for traveling - I'm nearly the equivalent of a standard 2-item carry-on air traveler, and I've gone through plenty of stores, restaurants, grocery stores, and museums with my full touring rig in shopping cart/stroller mode.  I advise the X-roller if you plan to "stroller" as much as I do.  There's a couple of other neat tricks/options for carrying everything if you're interested.

Hope that helps.

[SA_SA_SA_SA]

....I'll second the MKS quick release pedals......

While I like MKS QR (quill) pedals, with the old version, you are supposed to use an annoying plastic afterthought of a clip to stop them detaching in use with some pedalling styles......
so when buying new best to buy their successor the MKS EZY s superior range:
EDIT supreme corrected to superior 

http://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=93622

You would have thought they would have made the new attachment backwards compatible with old pedals but no......

[reppans]

....I'll second the MKS quick release pedals......

While I like MKS QR (quill) pedals, with the old version, you are supposed to use an annoying plastic afterthought of a clip to stop them detaching in use with some pedalling styles......
so when buying new best to buy their successor the MKS EZY supreme range:

http://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=93622

You would have thought they would have made the new attachment backwards compatible with old pedals but no......

Nice!  the safety clips are a PITA.

[Kim]

Ugh, how annoying.  That's a non-issue on the Wellgo system, as the release lever travel is perpendicular to the axle.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Wellgo pedals use SPD cleats while MKS pedals use a similar but non-SPD cleat.

[Ripio]

Ugh, how annoying.  That's a non-issue on the Wellgo system, as the release lever travel is perpendicular to the axle.

Shame you can't buy them in the UK or europe though, unless you know otherwise?

[Kim]

Ugh, how annoying.  That's a non-issue on the Wellgo system, as the release lever travel is perpendicular to the axle.

Shame you can't buy them in the UK or europe though, unless you know otherwise?

Fair point.  I bought mine from a far eastern seller on eBay.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

I have bought several pairs of these pedals for HK from a Korean (or Taiwanese? Can't remember) eBayer.

[SA_SA_SA_SA]

Some 'clipless' variants of the more secure(than predessing plain EZY) EZY-superior models seem to exist:

http://www.mkspedal.com/sites/default/files/media/2016/10/03/MKS2017catalogED48%5BEng%5D.pdf

eg US-B Nuovo Ezy Superior
Urban Step-in A Ezy Superior
Given that they have inexplicably not made the improved mount backwards compatible, the question is why would they continue to sell the inferior plain EZY pedals: would that easy to lose plastic clip not make a corporate lawyer nervous? 

[jsabine]

Urban Step-in A Ezy Superior

These look quite tempting for the Brom, partly because the cleats are apparently compatible with Time ATACs (which I've got on everything else), but I also like the idea that with them, I "don't need to wear dedicated cycling shoes for prowling on the street."