Author Topic: Which Brompton?  (Read 20030 times)

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: Which Brompton?
« Reply #50 on: 09 June, 2008, 04:05:54 pm »
I've got the form in front of me!  Squee!

I was in street shoes, and as C observed that's mostly how I'll be riding this.  If I do plan on a big trains'n'Brommies tour, or something, I can fit my Times from another machine.

My hardon for simplicity is pointing toward the 2-speed.  One for rolling, one for hills, and the efficiency and weight savings both make me quite keen on that.  Standard gears look fine. 
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Which Brompton?
« Reply #51 on: 09 June, 2008, 06:33:07 pm »
I think the reason the 3-speed is so much heavier is that it needs a chain tensioner, which is more or less the same size and weight as a derailleur.  Basically the 2-speed adds a sprocket, then saves the difference in weight between a SA hub and a standard hub. 

It's not like the feted "Rohloff only weighs as much as a 27-speed derailleur setup" thing.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Which Brompton?
« Reply #52 on: 10 June, 2008, 11:31:29 am »
One more thing...

Tyres: I don't know what it's like with Stelvios, but fixing punctures on a Brompton is generally a nightmare. My solution to this is to use Schwalbe Marathon's and try to have as few punctures as possible. I guess there is a possibility that it's easier to get the Stelvios on and off without puncuring the tube. Does anyone have any experience of this?
My 26" Stelvios are easily removed from the rim without tyre levers.  DT rims are quite easy for most tyres, though, and the Brompton ones may have a shallow "well" or be slightly oversized.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: Which Brompton?
« Reply #53 on: 11 June, 2008, 10:05:31 am »
I've taken the plunge and ordered it!  A very Spartan beastie, S2L with Stelvios, barenaked lacquer and pentaclip for my spare B17.   ;D

Thanks for the advice, peeps. :thumbsup:
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

Charlotte

  • Dissolute libertine
  • Here's to ol' D.H. Lawrence...
    • charlottebarnes.co.uk
Re: Which Brompton?
« Reply #54 on: 11 June, 2008, 10:09:31 am »
Yay!

More Bromptoneers!
Commercial, Editorial and PR Photographer - www.charlottebarnes.co.uk

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: Which Brompton?
« Reply #55 on: 11 June, 2008, 10:50:21 am »
If the penny keeps killing me I might even take it to the beach.   :demon:

4-5 weeks.

* does the new bike dance *
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

Re: Which Brompton?
« Reply #56 on: 11 June, 2008, 11:00:24 am »


4-5 weeks.


How long before they move production to Taiwan?

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Which Brompton?
« Reply #57 on: 11 June, 2008, 11:06:09 am »
If they did, I reckon they'd lose half their sales.

Actually, some foreign-market Bromptons were once made in Taiwan, but the quality (surprisingly - Taiwan is generally streets ahead of mainland China) was unacceptable and they pulled the project.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Charlotte

  • Dissolute libertine
  • Here's to ol' D.H. Lawrence...
    • charlottebarnes.co.uk
Re: Which Brompton?
« Reply #58 on: 11 June, 2008, 11:08:22 am »
A surprising number of their parts gets made in the far east already.

This includes all their Ti frame components.
Commercial, Editorial and PR Photographer - www.charlottebarnes.co.uk

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Which Brompton?
« Reply #59 on: 11 June, 2008, 11:12:51 am »
A surprising number of their parts gets made in the far east already.

This includes all their Ti frame components.

I thought they dual-sourced them from China and Russia, to avoid being tied to a single supplier (they've been caught out a couple of times previously).  Has that changed?
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Charlotte

  • Dissolute libertine
  • Here's to ol' D.H. Lawrence...
    • charlottebarnes.co.uk
Re: Which Brompton?
« Reply #60 on: 11 June, 2008, 11:14:37 am »
I'm sure that they said the far east when Zipperhead and I had the factory tour a couple of years ago.  Maybe it's changed now.  They're not daft, that's for sure.
Commercial, Editorial and PR Photographer - www.charlottebarnes.co.uk

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: Which Brompton?
« Reply #61 on: 11 June, 2008, 11:15:05 am »
Taiwan's very good at Ti.

I think they're just cannily aware of the risk of fast expansion of their business.  Having seen a couple of businesses over-expand then have to lay off and close up some sites when their bubble burst, I'm impressed with their sensibility.

Anyway, the LBS had four that I could have walked away with, if I wanted that spec.  The M6L in baby blue was a close call.  It's not like they're scarce...
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
OpenStreetMap UK & IRL Streetmap & Topo: ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps updates weekly.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Which Brompton?
« Reply #62 on: 11 June, 2008, 11:58:21 am »
The SA 3-speed hubs (which is what you get an a pure 3-speed; the 6-speed uses a SRAM 3-speed hub)  are made in Taiwan, but apparently SA quality was atrocious during the final decades in Britain, and SunRace bought a bit of a pig in a poke - they found all the machine tools shipped over from Nottingham were utterly worn-out and had to get new ones made.  I don't know if current designs eliminate the notorious "neutral" between middle and top gear, but tolerances are certainly improved.

There's a depressing history of SA here:

Elegy for Sturmey-Archer
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Which Brompton?
« Reply #63 on: 11 June, 2008, 12:15:24 pm »
I don't know if current designs eliminate the notorious "neutral" between middle and top gear, but tolerances are certainly improved.

None of the Sunrace SA hubs have a neutral and SA was producing a NIG 3sp (No Intermediate Gear) before they got asset-stripped.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Which Brompton?
« Reply #64 on: 11 June, 2008, 12:19:01 pm »
That's good.

I do wonder about the change to grease lubrication though.  Cleaner, yes, but what does it do for efficiency?  And once the thing is nicely run-in (the efficiency figures are, surprisingly, up there with a clean derailleur system once this is done), surely you'd want to get all the swarf out?
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Which Brompton?
« Reply #65 on: 11 June, 2008, 12:25:37 pm »
Can anyone recommend someone to service a brommie. Mines suffered a fair bit of abuse, and I want an expert to tell me if I need a new SRAM hub or not. It feels like it slips a bit in certain gears...

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Which Brompton?
« Reply #66 on: 11 June, 2008, 12:26:39 pm »
And once the thing is nicely run-in (the efficiency figures are, surprisingly, up there with a clean derailleur system once this is done), surely you'd want to get all the swarf out?

I agree, have a look at Hubstripping.com for a motherload of hubby goodness.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...