Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => Freewheeling => Folders => Topic started by: Gattopardo on 13 July, 2017, 06:15:54 pm

Title: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: Gattopardo on 13 July, 2017, 06:15:54 pm
So when you lift the rear end the back tucks under....

Why did no one tell me this? :facepalm:

Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: Arellcat on 13 July, 2017, 08:49:47 pm
I used to think it was better having the rear triangle able to be folded on a whim.  That was before owning a Brompton; I've had mine for six or seven years, and it has the Brompton clip thing that hooks onto the notched bolt head.

It's an easy fix for earlier Bromptons: http://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s155p127/SPA-CYCLES-Brompton-Clip

(illustrated in Kim's post, post-York Rally (https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=99401.msg2182339#msg2182339))
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: Goldcrank on 14 July, 2017, 06:46:50 am
Mrs Gc thought that she  preferred the free swinging rear end, but since the referb she has seen the light. It's one of the creeper upgrades. 

How are your brakes?
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: Tom B on 14 July, 2017, 07:40:52 am
Within a week of getting my Brommie in 1998 I strapped a short bungee from the seatpost to the rear rack. It also came in handy for securing the folded package
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: rogerzilla on 14 July, 2017, 12:22:08 pm
I like to swing free but I rarely have to carry it up flights of stairs.
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: SA_SA_SA_SA on 14 July, 2017, 02:37:12 pm
.... easy fix for earlier Bromptons: http://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s155p127/SPA-CYCLES-Brompton-Clip....
I had one of those but replaced it with a retrofit of the official Brompton one (which I prefer):
http://brilliantbikes.co.uk/brompton-folding-detail/340-brompton-rear-frame-clip-retrokit.html (http://brilliantbikes.co.uk/brompton-folding-detail/340-brompton-rear-frame-clip-retrokit.html)
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: Gattopardo on 14 July, 2017, 04:41:25 pm
Mrs Gc thought that she  preferred the free swinging rear end, but since the referb she has seen the light. It's one of the creeper upgrades. 

How are your brakes?

Single pivot and alright with some cheap road pads.  Was looking a dual pivots but they seem to be brompton only.


Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: Goldcrank on 14 July, 2017, 05:20:47 pm
They were the best upgrade on Mrs GC's bike. About £100 for brakes and levers. They look a lot nicer too.
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: Kim on 14 July, 2017, 06:08:48 pm
I like the Brompton clip.  It can be enabled and disabled by rotating the suspension block, so you can set the behaviour on a per-ride basis depending on how much cyclocross will be required.
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: Gattopardo on 15 July, 2017, 02:18:58 pm
They were the best upgrade on Mrs GC's bike. About £100 for brakes and levers. They look a lot nicer too.

Do they make that much of a difference?
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: Gattopardo on 15 July, 2017, 02:19:48 pm
I like the Brompton clip.  It can be enabled and disabled by rotating the suspension block, so you can set the behaviour on a per-ride basis depending on how much cyclocross will be required.

£25 quid is a bit much for bungi cord ;)
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 15 July, 2017, 02:44:05 pm
The new Brompton brakes and levers are well worth the money, compared to their single pivot models.
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: Goldcrank on 15 July, 2017, 03:11:55 pm
They were the best upgrade on Mrs GC's bike. About £100 for brakes and levers. They look a lot nicer too.

Do they make that much of a difference?

Yes, like night and day.
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: Gattopardo on 15 July, 2017, 05:43:26 pm
So I can't just replace the brakes has to be the levers too?
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: LittleWheelsandBig on 15 July, 2017, 07:11:26 pm
It is definitely worth replacing the levers at the same time. The original levers are pretty crap.
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: mrcharly-YHT on 21 July, 2017, 11:48:17 am
The original levers always felt like they might snap if you squeezed them too hard. I once broke one by (unintentionally) hitting a car mirror; the mirror survived, the brompton lever snapped.

I have nearly had serious accidents on a brompton, braking hard at speed and having the rear triangle start to fold up. If you are going to ride a brompton with effort, brake hard or go through big potholes, I think some sort of clip would be very worth while.
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: Kim on 21 July, 2017, 01:18:38 pm
I've not managed to lift the rear wheel of mine (with the new style brakes and levers, and Koolstop Salmon pads), but your hand strength and centre of mass may vary.  I can certainly imagine an unlocked back end reacting badly to the wrong kind of speedbumps, though, and for me the convenience of being able to lift the unfolded bike up short flights of steps is more important than rapid folding.
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: Jurek on 21 July, 2017, 01:51:26 pm
My 2013 Brompton came with the clip / latch for the triangle as standard.
I can't imagine using the bike without it.
When my C bag has more kg of luggage in it than it is supposed to have (frequently), and I need to carry the bike up some stairs, I need that rear triangle sticking out as counter-weight - not dangling below and causing the bike to nose-dive.
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: Gattopardo on 07 July, 2018, 07:23:59 am
I used to think it was better having the rear triangle able to be folded on a whim.  That was before owning a Brompton; I've had mine for six or seven years, and it has the Brompton clip thing that hooks onto the notched bolt head.

It's an easy fix for earlier Bromptons: http://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s155p127/SPA-CYCLES-Brompton-Clip

(illustrated in Kim's post, post-York Rally (https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=99401.msg2182339#msg2182339))

Now only £1 at spa cycles. 

A londoner os reselling the clips for £10 :o
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: citoyen on 07 July, 2018, 12:05:47 pm
I guess I must be one of the few who prefers their Brompton without the latch.

Lack of same never caused me a problem in 10+ years of ownership.
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: Kim on 07 July, 2018, 12:23:05 pm
It's not so much that not having one is a problem, but that having one is sometimes an improvement.

How best to handle a Brompton when you're not riding it is one of those things that varies a lot from person to person (bike spec will make a difference too, vis all-up weight and easy wheel configuration):  If you're tall it's much easier to carry as a folded package, as it clears the ground with your arm straight.  If you struggle to lift the weight it's *much* easier to keep it unfolded and wheel it, and if you've got to carry it up and down steps, you can hook the saddle nose over your shoulder.  But that only works properly if the rear triangle doesn't flop.

Similarly, whether the rear triangle is in danger of folding under on hard braking or speed bumps is going to depend a lot on how you ride it.  It's not something I've experienced.

And of course, if speed of folding (or frequent use of the first-stage fold as a stand) is important, not having to reach down to release a clip is one less thing to do.


I like the way the official Brompton clip gives you the option of either behaviour, and that you can swap between them without tools.  Most of the time it doesn't matter to me - I unfold the bike, ride it to somewhere, and fold it again, and having the clip enabled just adds a small amount of faff.  But if I'm going to have to deal with steps, the clip is really helpful.
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: citoyen on 08 July, 2018, 02:42:20 pm
It's not so much that not having one is a problem, but that having one is sometimes an improvement.

They weren't an option when I bought my Brompton, so I learnt to ride without one. Subsequently, when I've ridden other Brommies with the clip, I've been caught out. It's really just a question of what you're used to - I can imagine if you're used to riding with the clip it could feel strange riding without.

I take on board your comment that the clip can be rotated - useful to know if/when I get round to replacing my Brompton.
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: Kim on 08 July, 2018, 02:44:12 pm
You can also remove the clip entirely, if you're never going to use it.
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: Gattopardo on 08 July, 2018, 07:03:55 pm
We can do a swop...
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: grams on 09 July, 2018, 12:03:01 am
I have my clip on upside down (lever upwards) which gives you fast folding and no rear triangle droop.
Title: Re: Older brompton rear trianges aren't clamped when unfolded
Post by: quixoticgeek on 23 July, 2018, 01:05:36 am

My Brompton dates from 2007 so is pre clip. I've become so used to it folding when lifted, and the ability to when I stop to just flip the rear triangle & rack under the bike to work as a stand, that I couldn't think of getting the clip "upgrade"

I've never had any issues with the fact the rear folds under when I lift the bike, even when doing the saddle on shoulder, running up the stairs thing. But I guess it all comes down to what you're used to.

The ability to fold very quickly is something I don't think I could give up.

YMMV

J