N+1 Brompton S2-LX (unboxing)

[arvid]

I got tired of the 1.6km walk from train station to work so I was desperate for a folderBrompton, and I care about weight with a train switch halfway, so didn't want a gear hub. By coincidence I found this one for 1200EUR on a German recumbent site, since MainVelo does recumbents, folders, and special bikes. It's a bit cheaper than 1572 EUR because it is a 2005 model, that never left the shop all those years.
Last friday I paid, international money transfer... and then international shipping... So it just arrived this morning.













See you next year at the BWC! I will go replace the Stelvio Lights ASAP with Kojaks to save the Stelvio's for that.

[rogerzilla]

The Spoke Reflectors Must Die!

[arvid]

I like them.

[Biggsy]

All refectors will be removed from my Brompton within two minutes of receipt.  (I'll be using lighter and cooler reflective tape instead).

Actually, that's not quite true.  The first thing I'll do is unfold, fold, unfold, fold, unfold and fold.

[Aidan]

Nice!   Is that the Aluminium seatpost?

[rogerzilla]

I like them.

I think it's the fact that they're amber (UK market Bromptons have white ones).  The Stelvios (no longer made) were the only case where any wheel reflectors were fitted for the model year, because the other possible tyres (Brompton's own or Marathons) had reflective sidewalls.  Kojaks don't have reflective sidewalls either and took over from Stelvios.  My own experience suggests that Stelvios roll a fair bit better than Kojaks but the ride is worse.

[arvid]

I don't know. It is an extended seatpost, which is *just* long enough for me.
It's not magnetic (so not steel I assume) and it has a diameter of 32mm. Could either be aluminium or titanium. Any idea how I could test that?
The rearlight I just bought has a clamp that goes up to 29mm.

The ride is very hard with the Stelvios. I ordered Kojaks but that will take at least two weeks at LBS. Also, when I came home after buying lights, speedo, and spare tube, I could immediately use the spare tube. The old valve at the front died.

Will go and buy more spare tubes and also order marathon plus later this afternoon.

[rogerzilla]

It's titanium if it's a dark blue colour.  The Stelvios and the Ti seatpost show it's pre-2009.

Incidentally, the mudguard stays should also be titanium.  This saves not very much weight at all, but the steel stays can go a bit black and nasty on salted roads.

[arvid]

Titanium it is then!
I will look closely at the guardstays.

It is a 2005 showroom model from MainVelo in Frankfurt, so I get all the cool stuff that is no longer available.

[rogerzilla]

Oh, and the LH pedal mounting bolt is titanium.  And the headset cups are aluminium, not steel (but if you get the head tube aggressively faced you can get a Chris King 2Nut on there...).

[Biggsy]

Does the alloy-cupped headset contain cartridge bearings?

I won't need to open it up to check there's enough grease if so.  I'm rather alarmed by this: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/gMgxx1JrTys&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/gMgxx1JrTys&rel=1</a>

[rogerzilla]

No, it's a very ordinary cup and cone headset.  I was told by the local dealer that only the alloy headset will fit the Ti forks, but I am dubious since the steerer length is the same as the steel forks and the crown seat, although a bit different, is fairly standard in each case.

Stack height is about 35-36mm, which is low for a 1 1/8" threaded headset.  The King one only fits if you have 1mm taken off the top and bottom of the head tube, which is small enough to be done with a facing tool.

The Brompton headsets have a pretty good reputation for longevity despite the lack of a plain bearing to take the rocking motion (which all Aheadsets and cartridge headsets have) and the short head tube.

[Biggsy]

Thanks.

I hope the balls run on steel inserts (a la Record) rather than directly on the alloy cups.  That wouldn't work, would it?

[rogerzilla]

No, the actual races will be steel.  I wonder if anyone's ever tried alloy races for a...er...race?  They'd last only a few hours' use.

[Majorbloodnok]

Very nice indeed iwoot. I'd change the mudguard blades for the newer type though, well, I did anyway.  I think the s bag is a great piece of kit for everyday laptop/lunch/waterproof carrying duties etc, I have the old and new type and like the newer strap storage system

[arvid]

I noticed the S-Bag is actually made by Radical Design in NL. Just like the bag on my recumbent that has seen about 30000km. I have been to their workplace this year, because after a fall one of the straps had come loose. They fixed it on the spot, for free.

Oh, and there will be a Brooks in the near future.

[Tail End Charlie]

I don't understand why you wanted a Brompton, you've already got one and appear to keep it in your oven. Or at least someone keeps one in your oven.

Nice bike. Very jealous.

[Majorbloodnok]

Oh, and there will be a Brooks in the near future.

IMG_5920_5 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[rogerzilla]

Or honey...







(may only work for medium-sized arses).

The problem with a Brooks on a Brompton is that it puts back all* the weight you saved by going for the -X option.


*I exaggerate, but not by that much.  The total savings on a -X bike are about 878g, and a B17 with steel rails is 540g; the standard Brompton saddle is probably 250g or so.

[Majorbloodnok]

Brooks Ti?

[arvid]

The problem with a Brooks on a Brompton is that it puts back all* the weight you saved by going for the -X option.

I know, I was already looking at the Ti saddles, the smallest one(B15 Swallow Ti) is 370g. And 200 300 moneys, so will not happen soon.
Maybe I will try the normal Brompton saddle first. I have some Fi:zik and that's incredibly hard, but it will do for the 1-mile rides from and to the train station, and that's the current purpose of the bike.

On my bent I have the same weird stuff btw: carbon seat and Rohloff.

[Majorbloodnok]

If I'm brutally honest, I don't give a shit about weight, after all, I must have one of the heaviest Bromptons (6 speed), other than not having a rack.   I'd still love a Ti version though.....my issue is, more, that I know there's a better version than mine so it's my goal to own one.  But 'weight V wonga' they just don't make sense, even if like me you carry quite a distance, up stairs etc, every day.

 

[Biggsy]

You could say having a Brooks saddle, or a rack or any other extra, is all the more reason to save weight by having the part-Ti version of the bike.

I like to save weight with any bike - particularly with one I'm going to lift as my arms are so puny - but only once I have the minimum function and comfort I want.  For my Brompton, that will be 6-speed, mudguards and a rack with Eazy Wheels (which will reduce the amount of carrying).

I'll work out the cost per gram of the Ti upgrade some time.  I suspect per gram it beats what I've spent on road bike upgrades.  It's one-off cost as well, hopefully.  I'm expecting the frame & forks (at least) to last for the rest of my life, if I like it enough to keep at all.

[rogerzilla]

I did a breakdown of the weight savings here.

At replacement part prices the fork and rear frame are about £500 to save 623g, of which 80g is the pump you can no longer carry!  On the other hand, the steel rear frames rust through and collapse eventually*, and they look awful fairly quickly from new because the powdercoat never reaches the inside of the open tubes.  IME the Ti fork gives a very slightly softer ride at the front too.


*the guy to whom I sold my old rear frame sent me this photo of his even older one:



Rotted away under the plastic powdercoat.  The "chainstay bridge", if that's what it really is, is not protected by the mudguard on a Brompton.

[Tom B]

Rotted away under the plastic powdercoat

Same thing has happened to my Brommie. Bought in '98, damage discovered in 2006. It's still going strong, tho not in regular use, but I imagine any resale value the bike has will be substantially reduced.