Author Topic: The Brompton has landed!  (Read 14307 times)

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
The Brompton has landed!
« on: 15 July, 2008, 06:12:46 pm »
Sorry, Andy  ;)

Ivory S3L with Ti extended seatpost and Stelvio tyres:



Some SPDs I added:



Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub, which is like pedalling through treacle in 1st at the moment (needs running in)



Yup, the saddle really should be that high (30.3" from the BB spindle - 30.5" on my other bikes with 165mm cranks), and I turned the Pentaclip* round to get the right setback (9.5cm).  Saddle nose to bar centre is 22", the same as on all my other bikes (phew), and the drop is a couple of inches.

I did buy the folding pedal, but it's in a bag in the garage.  I can't put my dynohub wheel on because Schmidt supply the wrong length skewer, and I've been waiting for the correct one for 10 days.

*the allen bolt is made from cheese - beware
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #1 on: 15 July, 2008, 06:17:03 pm »
Lovely!
It takes blood and guts to be this cool but I'm still just a cliché.
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Valiant

  • aka Sam
    • Radiance Audio
Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #2 on: 15 July, 2008, 06:18:36 pm »
Very nice!
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rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #3 on: 15 July, 2008, 06:22:55 pm »
I must remove the crappy bell and wheel reflectors before I'm seen out on it.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #4 on: 15 July, 2008, 06:40:12 pm »
Very purty, and very clean, unlike my dirt encrusted one. :-[

Not sure about those handlebars though, they look very low compared to the saddle height.
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

rower40

  • Not my boat. Now sold.
Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #5 on: 15 July, 2008, 06:54:38 pm »
[homer] Mmmmm...... Foldyyyy[/homer]

May I humbly suggest that another rear reflector gets fitted to the back of the saddle?  The standard rear reflector is well-nigh invisible, as it's tucked away behind (in front of?) the back wheel.  And it's low enough to the ground to look like a cat's eye.  (No, not a cateye)

Good luck and welcome to the mixed-mode club.
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Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #6 on: 15 July, 2008, 07:22:38 pm »
does it fit in the boot of an MX5?

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #7 on: 15 July, 2008, 07:35:20 pm »
I turned the Pentaclip* round to get the right setback (9.5cm).

Is that distance measured with the suspension compressed under your weight?
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

CathH

Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #8 on: 15 July, 2008, 07:45:59 pm »
Purdy!  :D  *covets*

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #9 on: 15 July, 2008, 08:22:03 pm »
I turned the Pentaclip* round to get the right setback (9.5cm).

Is that distance measured with the suspension compressed under your weight?
I'm going to more or less lock out the suspension with jubilee clips.  I'll probably need the saddle a little higher too, but I'm going to go for a test ride and mess with it as I go.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #10 on: 15 July, 2008, 08:30:53 pm »
Try just one jubilee clip first, particularly with Stevio tyres, it makes a surprising amount of difference.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #11 on: 15 July, 2008, 08:32:45 pm »
does it fit in the boot of an MX5?
I think it might, if I remove the spare wheel (spacesaver) and stick it behind the passenger seat.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #12 on: 15 July, 2008, 09:57:57 pm »
OK - first problem.  The two folding wheels catch my calves (especially the right one which is stupidly overdeveloped).  I mean, they catch them badly and they're red raw after a 9 mile ride.  Locking out the suspension *might* give me the inch or so of clearance I need, but I've heard of people having to remove the wheels completely, which means the bike no longer stands without damage when folded.  Any other ideas?

First impressions: the normal gear (62") is pretty much good for anything.  High gear is very high, low gear is pretty noisy and treacly at the moment, and it's easier to stomp up hills in normal.  The 3-speed gear lever is flimsy cheap crap, even if it's a Brompton rather than Sturmey part these days.  With some bar-ends added (Titec, don't affect folding) it climbs reasonably well out of the saddle and feels stiff enough.  The bars are the right reach and height.

I detest the suspension.  It pogoes even when cruising and is way too soft for my weight (12st 4lb), compressing almost two inches.   They should really make a choice of harder elastomers, but I'll stick jubilee clips round it instead.

The small wheels, oddly, don't seem to make any difference to the ride, although I'm a 20mm, 140psi skinny tyre freak on a normal bike.  I've been on some rough roads.  I've also taken it up to about 35mph and it felt stable enough.

I can tell the cranks are 170mm rather than my usual 165mm, but it's Hobson's choice.

Overall - it'll be good when I've got it right, but at the moment the calf clearance issue makes it unrideable.



Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #13 on: 15 July, 2008, 10:28:08 pm »
I've never hit the wheels with my calfs, but maybe mine aren't as developed as yours, or maybe it also depends on things like riding style and cleat position (ie foot position on the pedals).  I can't see an easy solution, aside from removing the wheels, which as you say buggers up the standing. :-\

I've never really suffered from significant pogoing, but that might depend on your riding style, depending on how smooth it is (or isn't) sudden impulses to the pedals may exacerbate that.  I've only really suffered from it when pulling away hard at traffic lights and/or on steepish hills.
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

LEE

Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #14 on: 15 July, 2008, 10:42:00 pm »
The pedal (in top picture) does look quite close to the little wheel.

Any chance of getting a photo of the calf:wheel clearance (or lack of it)?

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #15 on: 15 July, 2008, 11:13:33 pm »
OK - first problem.  The two folding wheels catch my calves (especially the right one which is stupidly overdeveloped).  I mean, they catch them badly and they're red raw after a 9 mile ride.  Locking out the suspension *might* give me the inch or so of clearance I need, but I've heard of people having to remove the wheels completely, which means the bike no longer stands without damage when folded.  Any other ideas?

Undo the trolley wheel bolts (note: Loctite) and turn them round the other way.  If this isn't enough calf clearance with a Jubilee clip around the block, get some replacement trolley wheels from Steve Parry, they are the narrowest available.  The Brompton Ezy-wheels and roller blade replacements are wider than Steve's.

Is this the right time to mention that the folding pedal sits your foot about 1 cm wider (more clearance) and the standard flat pedal allows you to put your foot wherever you want?
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #16 on: 15 July, 2008, 11:19:38 pm »
They should really make a choice of harder elastomers, but I'll stick jubilee clips round it instead.

You can easily modify Birdy elastomers to fit, I think they are the same ones that Airnimal uses (comes from the same factory).  The Jubilee clip works though.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #17 on: 15 July, 2008, 11:57:43 pm »
Very nice, RZ!

Can I suggest myosuctionTM on those calves? Trim them down a bit?

Flying_Monkey

Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #18 on: 16 July, 2008, 12:07:29 am »
Blimey, I have never heard of calf clearance as a problem before!

I don't know how you managed to get yours before I did - I ordered mine ages before.  :'(

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #19 on: 16 July, 2008, 06:37:30 am »
I think I can probably solve the calf clearance problem by shifting the saddle an inch forwards (I measured the setback without the suspension compressed, and of course the seat moves backwards relative to the BB when in use) and tightening the suspension.  This will make the reach a bit less, but still about a cubit-and-an-inch.

One problem is that the current suspension blocks are deeply ribbed and won't easily take a jubilee clip, of it they do, it won't have as much effect as it should.  Whites in Malmesbury may have the Birdy blocks, since they now specialise in folding bikes.

I also have my cleats relatively far forwards on the shoes, which exacerbates the trouble.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #20 on: 16 July, 2008, 06:54:07 am »
Blimey, I have never heard of calf clearance as a problem before!

I don't know how you managed to get yours before I did - I ordered mine ages before.  :'(
Cyclecare Kensington (their other branch is in Purton near Swindon!) keep Bromptons on order constantly and just modify the orders to suit.  Apparently this keeps their place in the "queue", and Brompton don't care if a black M-type suddenly turns into a red S-type, since it only takes them a day at the end of the process to put the thing together.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #21 on: 16 July, 2008, 08:34:34 am »
Try facing the cone-shaped wheels the other direction, it makes a significant difference in clearance.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Flying_Monkey

Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #22 on: 16 July, 2008, 04:50:34 pm »
Cyclecare Kensington (their other branch is in Purton near Swindon!) keep Bromptons on order constantly and just modify the orders to suit.  Apparently this keeps their place in the "queue", and Brompton don't care if a black M-type suddenly turns into a red S-type, since it only takes them a day at the end of the process to put the thing together.

Grr... bloody Londoners with their 'clever' techniques... ;) it's like ordering from Outer Mongolia up here in the cold North. Actually it would probably have been quicker if I had ordered it from Outer Mongolia...

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #23 on: 16 July, 2008, 08:38:17 pm »
Some successful fettling tonight:

Saddle moved forward - now has correct setback with suspension compressed.

Suspension stiffened right up with two s/s Jubilee clips.

Annoying roller wheels turned round.  Now doesn't quite foul my calves, but heels occasionally knock.  I can live with this for the moment.  A solution for the Dun Run would be to fit my old Time Titan Magnesium pedals which have a higher Q-factor, but walking in the shoes is interesting.

Monkey metal M8 saddle clamp bolt replaced with decent s/s item (Wessex Fasteners, my local supplier of everything threaded, rock  :thumbsup:).  I got one for you too Andy, since you'll wreck the head of the OEM bolt the first time you tighten it.

Best of all, B&M IQ Fly front light fitted.  I managed to find a thinner curved washer from an old Weinmann brake which gave me space on the front brake bolt for the rather thick IQ Fly bracket.  I also used a new Nyloc nut when refitting.  Now, the problem with the IQ Fly is that it's rather tall and fouls the main tube when folding.  To get round this, the LBS managed to cobble together enough bits from the workshop to make me a small and very light QR seat binder bolt (£1.50 all in).  Unflip the QR and the light can be tipped forwards to allow easy folding.  It takes a second or so to return it to vertical when unfolding, and if I get the angle slightly off, the Fly has fine adjustment on the pivoting head anyway.  It looks rather cool with the QR.

Can't get the light fired up because I'm still waiting for the SON-XS skewer.  It was posted today.

Final jobs are to sort out the rear wheel (spoke tensions all over the shop), fit the dynamo front wheel, fit a bottle cage (on the back of the "stem", probably) put something runny on the chain and check the tightness of everything.

I tried the little pump.  I'm taking CO2 instead  ;)

Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

andygates

  • Peroxide Viking
Re: The Brompton has landed!
« Reply #24 on: 16 July, 2008, 08:53:44 pm »
You just can't leave it stock, can you?

Yes, I have fettling envy.  :P
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.