Brompton racks - help me make up my mind..

[Schwinnsta]

On a stock Brompton R, in shopping cart mode, the centroid of the mass is too far toward the side with the front tire folded. It is usable this way, but is prone to tipping over. With the addition of a few parts, the Brompton can become a superb folding shopping cart. See photo.

By adding an extension, it is now stabilized and rolls much better than the regular shopping carts. It does hold less. If the floor slopes, not generally a problem, it will roll on its own. If I need more carrying capacity, I can add another basket with quick release seat post rack.

Note: This does not interfere with the fold. The added parts extend out no further than the fixed pedal.

 

[berlinonaut]

I don't think the current saddles have the finger grips.

Where does your belief come from? A look at the Brompton webpage proofs you wrong.

 

[berlinonaut]

On a stock Brompton R, in shopping cart mode, the centroid of the mass is too far toward the side with the front tire folded. It is usable this way, but is prone to tipping over. With the addition of a few parts, the Brompton can become a superb folding shopping cart. See photo.

This is brilliant. Simple, unobstrusive and effective. And - opposite to the roller wheel extensions sold over various marketplaces tackles exactly the problem zone.

 

[Fab Foodie]

It does make me wonder how Brompton riders who like the stripped down look without mudguards manage. Presumably the front roller wheels are still there, but not very useful in this case. The Brompton balances well when carried by the nose of the saddle (there are even finger grips on the supplied saddle) but it would be quite wearing to carry it any distance, especially if you have bags too (across a large station concourse for example).

My 2 speed has no rack, guards or front block it doesn't weigh too much (weighs much less than the S6R) so carrying over short distances is not too much of an issue. Otherwise, unfold and wheel.
On the other hand, the rack on the heavier S6R which gets used for more donkey-work is brilliant for rolling the bike around with a front bag attached.
Never found the rack that great for attaching stuff as usually my heels interfere with whatever I need to carry!

 

[berlinonaut]

Never found the rack that great for attaching stuff as usually my heels interfere with whatever I need to carry!

Maybe worth looking at this posting. Many people miss to realize how the Brompton rack is supposed to work:

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/petulant-brompton-questions.292338/page-2#post-6996029

 

[annedonnelly]

Where does your belief come from? A look at the Brompton webpage proofs you wrong.

Fair enough. I think it was because I bought a second hand saddle to use as a spare and it doesn't have the finger notches. I haven't looked at the Brompton site for years.

 

[Gunk]

My old Mk2 came with a rack (it was originally a T3)

Never really liked it, so removed it and didn’t regret it.

On my current Brompton I just use the basket bag

 

[a.twiddler]

No sighting of Bigfoot has ever included mention of a Brompton. Now we know why. Heel strike! or maybe, toe strike! (Some reports say the feet point backwards, unlikely as it may sound).
For most people, a Brompton is adaptable enough to get it the way you want it, which is amazing, really, when to the casual observer they all look so similar.

 

[mitchibob]

It does make me wonder how Brompton riders who like the stripped down look without mudguards manage. Presumably the front roller wheels are still there, but not very useful in this case. The Brompton balances well when carried by the nose of the saddle (there are even finger grips on the supplied saddle) but it would be quite wearing to carry it any distance, especially if you have bags too (across a large station concourse for example).

Without mudguards? even lighter, slightly more aero, but still, not enough of weight/aero saving compared to wet arse/feet... fine for summer or a hill-climb race. Roller wheels only thing to stand the bike on for me, rather than roll on. Large station concourse? Well, keep bike unfolded until you get to the carriage you want to get into and fold there. OK, something like Bank tube station would be hard work, but then, I've never needed to go there with a brompton since having one, as I can just ride through those places.

 

[mitchibob]

On a stock Brompton R, in shopping cart mode, the centroid of the mass is too far toward the side with the front tire folded. It is usable this way, but is prone to tipping over. With the addition of a few parts, the Brompton can become a superb folding shopping cart. See photo.

View attachment 697999
By adding an extension, it is now stabilized and rolls much better than the regular shopping carts. It does hold less. If the floor slopes, not generally a problem, it will roll on its own. If I need more carrying capacity, I can add another basket with quick release seat post rack.

View attachment 698000
Note: This does not interfere with the fold. The added parts extend out no further than the fixed pedal.

Interesting.... not seen many get that working. Personally, I just fold bike up and put in the trolley, and remaining space will be about what I can get in T-bag/Borough large bag.

 

[mitchibob]

I don't think the current saddles have the finger grips. Mine does and I think it's a really nice feature.

I've found for a long time, grabbing folded Brompton on the frame is way easier carrying than by saddle, even before my brommie saddle started falling apart and replaced with non-brommie one (miss the cat-eye mini attachment, not much else). But then, I don't have folding pedal, so when carrying upstairs, the pedal also allows me to take some weight of bike on my thigh. Also, carrying by frame, it's not swinging around as much, closer to centre of gravity, less effort overall. And when I say carry by frame, I don't mean by adding extra weight with one of those ridiculous handles.

 

[wafter]

Thanks all!

I think I've made up my mind in favour of leaving the back end bare; since ultimately I think the negatives outweigh the positives relative to the rack's significant cost.

In particular a big draw to fit the rack is to prevent damage to the mudguard; however there seems to be similarly minimal ground clearance when folded with the rack; and scuffing up a £14 placcy mudguard has to be preferable to damaging a nice £125 anodised ally rack - which would really boil my p*ss.

In addition I prefer the cleaner, more rounded aesthetic sans-guard, and think that perhaps what I might gain in folding performance with the more rear-set rollers, I might lose in terms of the additional mass swinging about.

Finally, by it's nature the bike benefits from being as lightweight as possible to remain manageable when folded (getting into the car etc) - so adding any more mass will obviously detract from this. I'm not one for arguably poor-value mass savings like small Ti parts etc; however can keep mass to a minimum by not adding anything superfluous.

I'm still not happy with the obvious ease of damage to the mudguard when folding though; so will continue to try and find ways to address this..

 

[u_i]

Maybe worth looking at this posting. Many people miss to realize how the Brompton rack is supposed to work:

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/petulant-brompton-questions.292338/page-2#post-6996029

Maybe I can add this post where the utility of the rack hooks is amplified. By now, I attached a couple of more hooks with hose clamps.

 

[CaptainWheezy]

The first time I travelled any distance on trains with a Brompton (Sheffield->London->Paris->Caen and then back again), the bike I took didn't have a rack. I carried the bike through tube stations etc folded and hated it. It was in the middle of summer and I arrived at each train a sweaty mess. The bike wouldn't roll at all well on the easy wheels (the bigger ones, not the tiny ones that come as standard now).

I subsequently fitted a rack to a later Brompton thinking it would make things better. All it really did was make the bike heavier and slightly more difficult to flick the rear wheel under when folding. I've never actually used it for carrying anything, although I have left it fitted to that bike since it also has dynamo lighting and I prefer the way the light ends up fitted right at the back of the bike and some day I might do a mini tour on it so it could come in handy then.

When travelling on trains now, I generally take my superlight and I either roll the bike unfolded, or hook the nose of the saddle over my shoulder with the bike unfolded and hold the frame to make it easier to carry it up and down stairs in the stations. I then fold it just before getting on the train, it's so much easier!

I second the suggestion of looking at the 3rd party minimal Taiwanese racks, they appear to provide the benefit of being substantially lighter than the OEM part, whilst also providing stability when folded.

 

[12boy]

Along with Captain Wheezy I put the saddle on my shoulder and stabilize the front wheel with my right hand. Unless I will be in tight quarters I don't fold it. If I get groceries I fold the bike and put it on the shelf on the bottom of the shopping cart and put the big shopping bag in the cart. It holds a lot of stuff.