Favorite Brompton Tips, Tricks, Accessories, and Mods

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

12boy

Guru
Location
Casper WY USA
Ok Schwinnsta, more than anyone could want...
First a Mercier Nano , $300 from BikesDirect. The heaviest of the three, but with the biggest gear range. Somewhat modded from stock, with saddle, seatpost, stem, bars, SPDs and cranks all replaced. A mini-velo, not a folder.

Second a Xootr Swift.... the hinge is in the maintube and it's held together with the seat post. New bars, shifter, saddle, Ergon grips and my original Brompton 54 tooth crankset. Very rigid , and the stem comes off. I've replaced the stem and seat post QRs with Allen bolts since I've never folded it. Same wheelbase as most hybrids and the fastest small wheel I have.
My Brompton....
In this incarnation it has the Bikegang 3 sprocket hub, 11, 14 and 17 tooth, a flat bar and Ergons with bar ends. Leather saddle, 58 and 38 tooth chainrings on a Shimano 118 BB and a Sugino 110BCD crankset. Home made fugly mounting plate for the front bag and an old mtn bike friction shifter. Replaced the Brompton brake levers with some Tektro knockoffs. Also has 2 way SPDs.
You may have noticed a QR instead of a stem bolt, the sticker indicating we still hang bike thieves in Wyoming, and a little Allen bolt in the frame over the rear triangle bushing which allows for an oil dribble now and again. Does it increase bushing longevity? Who knows, doubt I've done more than 20 k miles since installed. I replaced the little wheels for rolling the folded bike with skinny non rollers since the bigger ones caught my feet and pants leg. I also have extra wheels including 177% 3 speed and some extra fronts. The Brompton is easily the lightest despite being made from Hiten steel and is also my all around favorite unless we are talking snow and ice at which point its my Surly Steamroller or my Cannondale M400, both equipped with studded tires in the winter months. I would be surprised if there is another Brompton in Wyoming and I've enjoyed playing with it almost as much as riding it.
 

Attachments

  • 20200804_145128.jpg
    20200804_145128.jpg
    188.4 KB · Views: 83
  • 20200804_145556.jpg
    20200804_145556.jpg
    171.3 KB · Views: 93
  • 20200804_154527.jpg
    20200804_154527.jpg
    190.2 KB · Views: 93
  • 20200804_150226.jpg
    20200804_150226.jpg
    176.5 KB · Views: 94
  • 20200804_150215.jpg
    20200804_150215.jpg
    160.8 KB · Views: 91
  • 20200804_150040.jpg
    20200804_150040.jpg
    118.5 KB · Views: 89
  • 20200804_145943.jpg
    20200804_145943.jpg
    196 KB · Views: 83

Schwinnsta

Senior Member
Thanks for the pics. What had interested me to ask for a picture was in your description of, I guess a previous set up of your Brompton with mustache bars. I was envisioning a full Rivendell treatment where you would turn the bars vertical to fold the bike. I have Xootr Swift, too, and its silver like yours.
 

12boy

Guru
Location
Casper WY USA
Well it was that way. I liked the DuraAce brake levers because of the QR feature so you can pull the wheel easily. Here's that version.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20200109_150256.jpg
    IMG_20200109_150256.jpg
    251.6 KB · Views: 62
  • IMG_20200109_150248.jpg
    IMG_20200109_150248.jpg
    215 KB · Views: 65
  • IMG_20200103_111437.jpg
    IMG_20200103_111437.jpg
    194.7 KB · Views: 65

oldwheels

Legendary Member
Location
Isle of Mull
Or Brompton in the pram. Child underneath ? They'll love it. Maybe I somw kind of swaddling cloth so they don't stick fingers in the wheels of the pram ?
 

Kell

Veteran
^_^

I did look into a baby carrier on the brompton but the carrier block tells you not to, in no uncertain terms!

I'm sure I asked about trailers (for luggage, not babies) and was told that that is problematic too - otherwise one of those child trailers could have been an option.
 

straas

Matt
Location
Manchester
Used the basket for the first time on Friday - returning some cocktail bottles to a local bar and picking up some new ones.

The NOISE the empty bottles made clattering round in the basket! :laugh:
 

Schwinnsta

Senior Member
The only problem I ran into required addition of a spacer (thin washer) on the axle for clearance otherwise there was interference, though minimal, with the gears. This was on a 2014 H2R. Fairly easy.
 

straas

Matt
Location
Manchester
My mount finally came! :notworthy:

Now time to find a basket!

In other news, I think my brompton MIGHT just fit under the pram for a quick getaway from the nursery drop!


So, it turns out the mount has failed from the top right corner - I've contacted the seller but I imagine its an issue inherent to the design as it's a 3D printed mount.

Are there any better mounts for sale?
 
Top Bottom