Brompton for beginners questions

[mitchibob]

I'm also having trouble with the seatpost slipping down - I've tightened the nut as much as I dare but it still slips

I had problems with that in the first few days of owning my Brompton. Tightened the nut bit at a time over a few days, until the quick-release was useless and didn't turn the nut anymore, at which point, I returned to the shop and had a new clamp in about 5-10 minutes. That was 8-9 months ago, and only had to slightly tighten the seat post nut once since, and that was a few weeks ago.

 

[velovoice]

Well, Sturmey Archer still sells them.

Fabulous news! They were seriously a fad at one point, everyone on the BromptonTalk group talking about them, then... nothing. So I assumed the fad had peaked. Good to hear SA still making them, if anyone wants them.

 

[srw]

When I bought my first Brompton in 1996 they sold a 5-speed version, based I suspect on that 5-speed hub. Reputedly they had reliability problems which led them to drop the version, but I had no issues at all - over 20,000 heavy-duty miles later when the frame started wearing out (and I sold the bike for 60% of its new price, with full disclosure) the hub was still running very sweetly.

 

[Blue Hills]

When I bought my first Brompton in 1996 they sold a 5-speed version, based I suspect on that 5-speed hub. Reputedly they had reliability problems which led them to drop the version, but I had no issues at all - over 20,000 heavy-duty miles later when the frame started wearing out (and I sold the bike for 60% of its new price, with full disclosure) the hub was still running very sweetly.

I have that 5 speed version - can be slightly fernickety but I really like it as there is no derailleuer. With a certain concern, though, can I ask @srw what you mean by the frame wearing out? Mine has been fairly lightly used.

 

[srw]

I have that 5 speed version - can be slightly fernickety but I really like it as there is no derailleuer. With a certain concern, though, can I ask @srw what you mean by the frame wearing out? Mine has been fairly lightly used.

There's a short strut behind the rear hinge and in front of the rear wheel which braces the frame. After 10 years of daily year-round commuting across central London carrying a heavy rider with a nearly zero maintenance regime that strut had opened up a rust hole.

 

[reppans]

On the seat post slipping - wiping down the full seat post, and internal mating surfaces, with alcohol solved my problem. You need to remove the seat and penta-clip to slide the seat post out from the bottom though. After that, don't touch the seat post any more - fold the bike only handling the seat. Skin oils seem to get trapped on that plastic internal sleeve under the clamp.

 

[Kell]

I just give mine a light going over with some sandpaper. Roughened it up just enough to ensure there was some grip.

 

[e-rider]

Might be a bit late, but I found the standard gearing on the 6 speed I bought very over-geared.
Maybe I'm just more comfortable with spinning in a lower gear than plodding in a higher, but I almost never use the top gear, and find I'm expending more energy than I'd like on some fairly minor hills. If I was doing it again, I'd get the lower gear option. Obviously I could buy a smaller chainring.

If I rode it more, I'd be very tempted to get the 8 speed conversion and ditch the BWD.

I find gears, 3,4 and 5 perfect for riding on flat roads with the standard ratios
I would need to go down a good hill for gear 6, or up a good hill for gears 1 and 2

 

[benb]

I find gears, 3,4 and 5 perfect for riding on flat roads with the standard ratios
I would need to go down a good hill for gear 6, or up a good hill for gears 1 and 2

Maybe I'm just a wuss then!

 

[Kell]

I've got the standard gearing and Ithink I've got used to it now. When I first got my bike I used 3,4 and 5. Now I use 4 as my standing start gear, 5 is my cruising gear and 6 is my feeling on it gear.

I do, however, find it much harder to pedal fast on a Brompton. Achieving a cadence of 80-90 on my road bike is OK, but on a Brompton it feels like you're bobbing all over the place.

 

[doginabag]

I have the 6 speed with the larger front chain ring. I tend to use just 2, 4 and 5.

3 is just too close to 2 there is no point having it. 1 is too low to be useful, there are no hills on my commute. And I have only touched on 6 a couple of times, but I rarely have the legs for it.

 

[chriscross1966]

The 96 5-speed used twin shifters didn't it? One was wide ratio, narrow ratio, and the other was low gear, fixed, top gear?

 

[srw]

The 96 5-speed used twin shifters didn't it? One was wide ratio, narrow ratio, and the other was low gear, fixed, top gear?

No. It was a single shifter. The setup you describe is the current six-speed.

 

[chriscross1966]

No. It was a single shifter. The setup you describe is the current six-speed.

No, current six speed is three speeds in a hub and hi and low ratio on each speed, the old five speed was three speeds and wide/narrow... wide/narrow wouldn't affect the middle ratio as it locked the hub up at 1:1, it was similar to the six speed in that it used two shifters, but was a lot easier to use than the six IMHO.

 

[mitchibob]

As much as I don't mind the hub gear, for any hill around London, the 2-speed just feels a little more direct. Not forced myself up swains lane on it yet though, and significantly injury after t-boning a car at 32kph, so won't be for a while.