Brompton DIY full service

[Blue Hills]

Lightly packed.

Can i ask where you slept?

 

[rualexander]

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Lightly packed.

Can i ask where you slept?

Hostels, and camping.
You can camp at the Gatliff hostels and use the hostel facilities, ideal situation.

 

[User66445]

I read these and feel ashamed. Gave mine its quick and occasional spray of moving bits with wd40. and that was it. Forgot to check tyre pressure, but they looked OK. Gear change as sweet as a nut,

 

[Blue Hills]

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Hostels, and camping.
You can camp at the Gatliff hostels and use the hostel facilities, ideal situation.

View attachment 457071

Even more impressed by the light packing.
Puts me to shame.

 

[Tenkaykev]

If you want to get maximum use from the seat post, keep it grease free including skin oil from your hands. Have a bit of alcohol i a bottle and a rag near where it sleeps so as to wipe it down frequently. Don't tighten the QR for the seat post more than necessary. Overtightening it can damage the frame and/or ovalize the seat post.
I am not sure if this actually helps but I have a tiny tapped hole in the frame that allows me to inject heavy oil in the rear hinge from time to time.
The rear brake cable and housing can stick after a while so the brakes don't easily return to the open position. If you remove the brake cable housing you can buy housing by the foot and your lbs can cut you a new one. Jag End has some housing that is both wrapped, like brake housing, and linear like derailleur housing, that I have found works very well for the rear brake as the brake cable run is fairly complicated.
Other than new chains, tires and brake pads the bike is pretty durable. The 1-2 speed rear wheel has cartridge bearings and the wheels stay true well. I did replace my headset with a King Gripnut and that has worked flawlessly for years.

Your observation about the seatpost made me smile.
When I got back from my first ride on my Brompton I gave it a thorough clean, including using baby wipes between the mudguards and wheels
Pleased with my efforts I decided to finish off by giving it a good polish with wax furniture polish. Oh how the paintwork gleamed, the Orange of the main frame contrasting with the shiny black seatpost.
Next ride I became aware that I was pedalling with my feet further forward on the pedals, I stopped when my knees were up around my ears. I had to stop and adjust the seat post a few times on my way home. Got the meths out and gave the seat post a thorough clean, but it took a few attempts before the post stopped slipping.

 

[Kell]

Very good. Let us know how you get on when you cut them down to the right length.

Did it ages ago... someone's not paying attention.

T


So I shortened them all. Wasn't too difficult and I just used some guesswork.

 

[fixedfixer]

Sorry, bit off topic.... I've a 6 speed that could do with a new chain, am I right thinking that a standard 6/7 /8 speed chain fits?

 

[chriscross1966]

Sorry, bit off topic.... I've a 6 speed that could do with a new chain, am I right thinking that a standard 6/7 /8 speed chain fits?

Yes. Any normal 3/32 chain will.

 

[Kell]

You will probably find however, that you'll need to replace the sprockets too as the chain 'stretch' wears the teeth and then a new chain won't sit on them properly.

You should also replace the chainring at the same time, however I've read on here about rotating it forward a couple of spokes so the current teeth under pressure when you pedal are in the gaps.

Not tried it myself as I replace chain, sprockets and chain ring every 6 months or so. I've had a couple of incidents where chain slip has caused me to come off my bike (including once when I broke my Coccyx) so I figure the extra money is worth it.

 

[12boy]

You are on the money about chain/sprocket wear. A 12 tooth sprocket on a 16 inch wheel can go pretty quick. Being 1200 miles from my favorite Brompton dealer I buy 3-4 sprockets at a time because the shipping costs as much as the sprockets, and if I find the KMC Z chains I like on sale I will buy 10 of them too.