Just ordered a new lightweight Brompton

[Archie_tect]

I'm looking forward to getting a Brompton... borrowed a friend's on a canal holiday once to get to Shrewsbury by train for emergency dental treatment ... it was so easy on the train and getting out to the dentist and back, while they chugged another 4 miles or so down the canal!

 

[rogerzilla]

What does it weigh, out of interest? About 22lb?

I just weighed my oldish S6L with Brooks saddle (ok, it's a light one for a Brooks), pedals and pump. 25 1/4 lb is less than I was expecting. The heaviest stock one is supposed to be about 28lb.

The titanium bits used to save just about 1kg (of which some was the pump you can no longer carry!), or just over 2lb, but that was when you still got a Ti seatpost. It's less of a difference now. If you ever get a chance to pick up a bare fork and bare rear triangle, the steel ones are lighter than you might expect.

My S3E-X is about 21.5lb with pedals. I'm converting it to a 2-speed at the moment. Even that is too heavy to carry for long.

 

[alicat]

Holy thread resurrection!

 

[Jon George]

What does it weigh, out of interest? About 22lb?

No idea. It does, however, weigh a few grams lighter than when I purchased it - I've taken off the chain guard and the front reflector. (Can't decide on the plastic transit covering on the rear that others noted - the marks seem to indicate it's protecting the frame.)

 

[Justinitus]

(Can't decide on the plastic transit covering on the rear that others noted - the marks seem to indicate it's protecting the frame.)

If you mean the grey plastic thing on the chainstay, that’s just transport packing - there’s a clear chainstay protector underneath it.

 

[berlinonaut]

Can't decide on the plastic transit covering on the rear that others noted - the marks seem to indicate it's protecting the frame.

As you have a ti Brompton it doesn't matter. With normal Bromptons folding will sooner or later affect the paint in that area due to the front wheel hook touching the and rubbing on the underside of the chain stay with rust in that area being a possible consequence. With ti the frame is unpainted and ti does not rust. So no issues whatsoever and thus no reason to protect the frame in that area.

 

[Jon George]

As you have a ti Brompton it doesn't matter. With normal Bromptons folding will sooner or later affect the paint in that area due to the front wheel hook touching the and rubbing on the underside of the chain stay with rust in that area being a possible consequence. With ti the frame is unpainted and ti does not rust. So no issues whatsoever and thus no reason to protect the frame in that area.

When I took it off, on a whim (and with the intention of trying some humorous comment here) I decided to weigh it. Surprisingly, to me at least, my electronic kitchen scales said 6g!
Of course, if it had been less than 5g, I'd have probably left it there ...

 

[rogerzilla]

As you have a ti Brompton it doesn't matter. With normal Bromptons folding will sooner or later affect the paint in that area due to the front wheel hook touching the and rubbing on the underside of the chain stay with rust in that area being a possible consequence. With ti the frame is unpainted and ti does not rust. So no issues whatsoever and thus no reason to protect the frame in that area.

I find the biggest advantage of the Ti parts is that there is no paint to scratch or chip, and no risk of them rusting out from the inside, which can be a problem with the steel rear triangles in daily use. The (modest) weight saving is just a bonus. Shame they couldn't have included the pump peg and cradle, though.

 

[berlinonaut]

rusting out from the inside, which can be a problem with the steel rear triangles in daily use.

I wouldn't overly exaggerate that topic - possibly you are once more caught in the past. While the issue of rear frames rusting through was a relatively common topic with older and intensively used Mk2 Bromptons and happened with up to early Mk4 bikes as well I've not stumbled about this issue on bikes newer than 10 -12 years. Until early 2009 there was a tiny little hole in the small tube where the rear blade sits on between the chainstays. Caused by production needs and perfectly positioned to collect dirt and water. From 2009 on it was gone and with it a lot of the rusting through rear frame issues. Twelve years ago. Not sure if it is a conincidence or a correlation - however, the problem seems to have become a way smaller issue than it used to be and I am not sure if it is still an issue at all today.
However: Sometimes rust is still a problem with Bromptons and the most "impressive" examples I've seen do all come from the UK. To an amount and in different extends to other countries that makes me wonder - I can barely believe it relates to the weather and the exclusiveness makes me doubt that the higher number of Bromptons in use in the UK are the reason. It seems that a lot of Bromptons in the UK are very well used in all conditions and get little love in exchange. Which may be different in other countries to a degree.

 

[rogerzilla]

Enough of the personal insults, bromptonaut? Do I insult you?

It's road salt accelerating the rust, mainly, and they use a lot of it in the UK. The tubes look fine up to the point where they break, because the powdercoat hides what's happening. It's easily prevented with car rustproofing wax (Dynax S50 is easiest as it comes with a nice long spray probe) down the open tubes, but your average commuter probably won't bother.

 

[berlinonaut]

The tubes look fine up to the point where they break, because the powdercoat hides what's happening. It's easily prevented with car rustproofing wax (Dynax S50 is easiest as it comes with a nice long spray probe) down the open tubes, but your average commuter probably won't bother.

Out of curiosity: Of how many cases of rusted through rear frames are you aware of? How many of them happened on bikes dating from 2010 onwards? Really interested to get data wether the problem has gone or shrunk with the vanishing of the hole in the cross stay.