Favorite Brompton Tips, Tricks, Accessories, and Mods

[12boy]

I have always thought it is screwed in all the way and then backed out 1/2 turn or so until the chain bends in the the plane of cable. Not so?

 

[Tenkaykev]

I have always thought it is screwed in all the way and then backed out 1/2 turn or so until the chain bends in the the plane of cable. Not so?

A mystery solved. I'd removed the rear wheel on Mrs Tenkaykev's Brompton so as to fit a double mudguard wheel. It was getting late in the evening and I was feeling tired so I refitted the wheel, chain tensioner and gear adjusting rod, called it a day and finished it off the following morning. I'd finished everything off and went through the gearing which seemed OK with the bike in the workstand. Yesterday I took it out for a spin to check everything was OK and found the SA Hub wasn't changing correctly, with no apparent difference between 2nd and 3rd gears. I headed home and put it back in the stand, put it in second gear and checked that about 1mm of the rod was showing, went through the gears watching the rod perform as expected and headed out again to find there was still an issue. That's when the penny dropped, what I'd done is screw the gear change rod in, but not to its full extent, meaning to finish the adjustment the following morning, and completely forgotten that it wasn't fully home. It seems obvious in hindsight, but it did have me puzzled for a while. Once I'd screwed it all the way in everything indexed perfectly.

Yes, I screwed it fully home then backed it off a quarter turn.

 

[rogerzilla]

https://ezclamp.co.uk/

These are good. I was going to add a simple spring to mine anyway, but these also stop the clamp plate rotating so are a much better idea.

They don't really give a quicker fold or unfold (the spring means the handle can't be spun, and you have to wind it all the way in or out) but they do stop that annoying situation where the clamp gets out of line.

Something else I might try is Shimano inline brake adjusters/QRs, since the lack of a QR on the brakes is very annoying. If you get a puncture you have to either inflate the tyre after fitting the wheel (don't forget this, if you take the one-shot CO2 option) or carry an allen key to remove a brake shoe.

 

[Tenkaykev]

https://ezclamp.co.uk/

These are good. I was going to add a simple spring to mine anyway, but these also stop the clamp plate rotating so are a much better idea.

They don't really give a quicker fold or unfold (the spring means the handle can't be spun, and you have to wind it all the way in or out) but they do stop that annoying situation where the clamp gets out of line.

Something else I might try is Shimano inline brake adjusters/QRs, since the lack of a QR on the brakes is very annoying. If you get a puncture you have to either inflate the tyre after fitting the wheel (don't forget this, if you take the one-shot CO2 option) or carry an allen key to remove a brake shoe.

I fitted them on our Bromptons and they are very good. 👍

 

[u_i]

I fitted them on our Bromptons and they are very good. 👍

I had these get stuck when I really could not afford it and they went off.

 

[cougie uk]

I bought some after market magnetic clasps that hold the brackets in place. Excellent purchase.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

I fitted them on our Bromptons and they are very good. 👍

I've just bought a pair. Look good from here.

 

[Schwinnsta]

https://ezclamp.co.uk/

These are good. I was going to add a simple spring to mine anyway, but these also stop the clamp plate rotating so are a much better idea.

I crushed mine, so I took them off and went back to metal springs. I do not recommend them.

 

[u_i]

I crushed mine, so I took them off and went back to metal springs. I do not recommend them.

Back to steel springs here too. I think the solution could be in non rotating helical springs, see here. The ends of a regular helical spring rotate relative to each other. A non rotating spring is made of two halves. One half is wound in the righthand direction and the other half in lefthand.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Back to steel springs here too. I think the solution could be in non rotating helical springs, see here. The ends of a regular helical spring rotate relative to each other. A non rotating spring is made of two halves. One half is wound in the righthand direction and the other half in lefthand.

Linky comes up as unsafe!!!

 

[Schwinnsta]

Back to steel springs here too. I think the solution could be in non rotating helical springs, see here. The ends of a regular helical spring rotate relative to each other. A non rotating spring is made of two halves. One half is wound in the righthand direction and the other half in lefthand.

Link is not working.

 

[u_i]

Here is the link to their video on YouTube, to circumvent the safety problem with their site.

 

[Schwinnsta]

Very cool.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Very cool.

Indeed. But I couldn't see where to buy them. Anyway, I presume they will be ridiculously expensive to order just two.

 

[u_i]

Indeed. But I couldn't see where to buy them. Anyway, I presume they will be ridiculously expensive to order just two.

I am thinking about just winding such a spring on my own out of wire, but have not put myself down to it. Also, the issue that I have not solved in my mind is of the middle junction between the helices wound in the two directions.