Height and reach.

[tel123]

Hi All. Been looking on Utube etc (dangerous, I know). I quite fancy getting the 'S' type bars but are angled slightly away from the rider!! but come out slightly lower than the 'M' bars!! Of course the seat post will have to be lowered to the absolute minimum (little guy) . Just wondering if it would make much difference Having the 's' bars (slightly lower but angled away from rider). Or are the measurements negligible. Appreciate your help advice. Terry

 

[Cycleops]

You could of course have any bars you like so perhaps experiment to find what suits, the only thing you’ll need to check is the fold.

BTW to the forum.

 

[berlinonaut]

If you are very short it is a good possibility to combine the M stem with the S bars. You end up lower than S this way and with less reach as well. I now more than one person riding with this mod.

 

[tel123]

Brilliant. Thanks Berlinonaut!! Everything is knowledge!!

 

[leinadhok]

If you are very short it is a good possibility to combine the M stem with the S bars. You end up lower than S this way and with less reach as well. I now more than one person riding with this mod.

Hi @berlinonaut, with this config is there a need to use the S-type brake and gear cables?

 

[bikegang]

You want an S bar to angle away from rider? For ergonomic perspective shouldn't it be more comforable toward rider? (reverse install this Joseph Kuosac S type bar?)
Adjust the saddle to a forward position might be a better idea.

 

[berlinonaut]

Hi @berlinonaut, with this config is there a need to use the S-type brake and gear cables?

For a test you can use the original cables, in the long run you'd need to shorten them a fair bit as they will produce a bit of a mess when folding. S type cables could work though they are technically still a bit too long for use on a M-stem with S-bar.

 

[berlinonaut]

You want an S bar to angle away from rider?

As I understood it this was not the question - rather the opposite. Plus the bars ought to be lower as well.

Adjust the saddle to a forward position might be a better idea.

This might be an idea (and you can get even closer to the bars for cheap money using the depreciated Brompton seat post adapter pin

if you manage to find one). However - with this procedure you'll change the angle between saddle and pedals, thus changing the ergonomics of the bike dramatically in a way which may or may not be helpful. Plus it obviously does not lower the stem. What can be considered useful really depends on the individual shape of the rider. I.e. even the Bromptolino, a Brompton converted for vertically challenged people by Juliane Neuss, the maker of the Brecki Brompton recumbent, does not use it as those people tend to have extremely short legs but the arms and the rest of the body often (but not always) are longer than one would expect proportionally. It does use an S bar on a M stem (old M stem before 2017 in this case).

 

[rogerzilla]

I think the S-type, out of the box, works best if you normally require a saddle height of about 29-31" (saddle top to BB spindle) - which would mean you were on the extended seatpost, not the standard one. This gives a slight drop from the saddle to the bars which is appropriate for the "sporty" pretensions of this model.

For riders on the standard seatpost - which is really for those shorter than male average height these days - S bars on an M stem is indeed a good hack. You might have to have a dealer do this for you, as Brompton have gone a bit fascist with end user parts supply. One snag is that there are no prescribed cable lengths for such an arrangement, and cable lengths are critical if you want them to lie together neatly when riding AND still fold.

 

[Kell]

You definitely do not want to angle the bars away from you.

It feels counter-intuitive until you get on the bike and find that it's a completely unnatural position for your wrists.

I wouldn't worry too much about the cables - it's more about 'neatness' than operation.

I originally bought an H type, and put low riser bars on it to end up with a bar height somewhere between an S and an M.

Until I was convinced I was happy with this, I left the cables un-cut. Everything worked, but did look a little untidy.

Everything still folds as it should.

 

[Kell]

I wish my bike looked that clean these days.

 

[leinadhok]

For a test you can use the original cables, in the long run you'd need to shorten them a fair bit as they will produce a bit of a mess when folding. S type cables could work though they are technically still a bit too long for use on a M-stem with S-bar.

Thank you so much, @berlinonaut!

 

[tel123]

Yipee!! Yipee!! Bought one!! Red T6 Brompton!! Picking it up tomorrow!!............
Looking at the replies...Amazing knowledge and ideas!! cant thank you all enough. Think about the replies, I think the way to go will be to try the M stem with the S bars!! Dont think putting the saddle too far forward would work, it could do my back in, thinking I would more or less be peddling 'backwards' meaning the peddling would be behind me!! (if that makes sense). Really looking forward to picking the bike up tomorrow!! Pics to follow (if I can get them on here!!). Appreciate your help and advice. Terry

 

[Kell]

Yipee!! Yipee!! Bought one!! Red T6 Brompton!! Picking it up tomorrow!!............
Looking at the replies...Amazing knowledge and ideas!! cant thank you all enough. Think about the replies, I think the way to go will be to try the M stem with the S bars!! Dont think putting the saddle too far forward would work, it could do my back in, thinking I would more or less be peddling 'backwards' meaning the peddling would be behind me!! (if that makes sense). Really looking forward to picking the bike up tomorrow!! Pics to follow (if I can get them on here!!). Appreciate your help and advice. Terry

You'd be surprised at how far forward the saddle is from the factory.

In every official Brompton picture I've seen, it's about as far forward as the rails will allow.

(Below pics all currently on their website).

 

[tel123]

Kell....true. Will give it all a go when I get used to the bike. Re yr pics.......nice looking bike.