Looking to join The Fold

[HaloJ]

Hey! Been a little while!

Due to an upcoming office move I'm looking to get a myself a Brompton mainly for the compactness as I'll be travelling on London's hell trains. I think I'm pretty settled on a mudguarded C-Line 12 speed but wanted to ask about the rack. No rack the bike seems to fold onto it's jockey wheel pair and what looks like a protrusion on the actually mudguard which gives me concern as that seems like quite a lot of weight to be resting on such a flimsy component. How strong is the base mudguard and should I be adding the rack kit to my budget? There will be times that I'll need to wheel the bike folded whilst transitioning from train to street as I'm not sure I'm strong enough to lug 12K about without a little assistance.

Abs

 

[fossyant]

I don't see many folk at work wheeling a brompton - most carry them. Although the rack with the wheels looks better

https://www.google.com/search?q=whe...ate=ive&vld=cid:5ed7e544,vid:TbqZQb6PA-Y,st:0

 

[HaloJ]

I don't see many folk at work wheeling a brompton - most carry them. Although the rack with the wheels looks better

https://www.google.com/search?q=whe...ate=ive&vld=cid:5ed7e544,vid:TbqZQb6PA-Y,st:0

Thanks Fossyant, I'd not seen that wheeling video. I also found a thread from Wafter debating the same thoughts I had regards durability of the guard ( https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/brompton-racks-help-me-make-up-my-mind.292844 ) before their Brommie purchase. Interesting to see most advocating to just unfold and roll rather than specifically using the jockey wheels, something I'd not considered.

 

[Drago]

Thanks Fossyant

We call him 'Gramps.'

 

[fossyant]

We call him 'Gramps.'

You are older than me, just.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I don't use my Brompton much these days, but back when I had a commute that needed it ...

I had a rack with EZ wheels. I used to wheel it while folded a lot around stations. It's a real boon. I reserved carrying it for stairs only.

I can't answer your question though. I always thought, like you, that the other arrangements for the little wheels looked a bit flimsy compared to the rack-based wheels. But I have no experience of them.

As to the rack itself, I tended not to use it much for two reasons. One was that, with my big feet, I got heel-strike if I carried anything wider than the rack. The second was that you can't flip the rear wheel under and stand the bike on its own if you have anything there.