more brompton questions... sorry

[MontyVeda]

without going over old ground re Brompton bikes...

what are they like regarding accessories?

will I struggle to put a bag on the front without using the dedicated Brompton 'carrier block' and a matching bag?

will other bar bags work and will the Brommy still fold with say, a rixon kual fitting?

Will ortleib panniers fit the Brompton back rack?

...it looks a bit too square in profile for the fittings my panniers have. Will other back racks fit and let it fold?

I'm not planning on touring or owt daft, just wondering how versatile the Brommy is when not using the recommended luggage options from their website.


...oh... and... do the brake leavers have to stay pointing down at 6 o'clock or can i move em up to say, 4 o'clock without inhibiting the fold too much?

 

[Red Light]

without going over old ground re Brompton bikes...

what are they like regarding accessories?

will I struggle to put a bag on the front without using the dedicated Brompton 'carrier block' and a matching bag?

will other bar bags work and will the Brommy still fold with say, a rixon kual fitting?

Will ortleib panniers fit the Brompton back rack?

View attachment 9385

...it looks a bit too square in profile for the fittings my panniers have. Will other back racks fit and let it fold?

I'm not planning on touring or owt daft, just wondering how versatile the Brommy is when not using the recommended luggage options from their website.


...oh... and... do the brake leavers have to stay pointing down at 6 o'clock or can i move em up to say, 4 o'clock without inhibiting the fold too much?

Why would you want to use other than the Brompton front fixing and bag? Unlike others it fits to the head tube not the bars so you don't get the usual problem of floppy bars from all that extra weight hung off them. Makes it so much easier to handle.

Don't know about panniers on the rear rack but you can put the brakes at different angles. Mine are about 4 o'clock and do not interfere.

 

[MontyVeda]

Cheers for that red light.

Why would you want to use other than the Brompton front fixing and bag? ....

because they're upwards of 65 quid. I already have a couple of ortlieb front rollers which I could wangle onto the dedicated block and frame (?) which I've seen at £35. (not too bad i guess).

I'm about to spend the best part of a grand on a funny little bike so have many questions

 

[Red Light]

Cheers for that red light.



because they're upwards of 65 quid. I already have a couple of ortlieb front rollers which I could wangle onto the dedicated block and frame (?) which I've seen at £35. (not too bad i guess).

I'm about to spend the best part of a grand on a funny little bike so have many questions

Yes but if you hang a bag off the handlebars you will lose the big feature of the Brompton that the front bag does not flop around with the handlebars and affect the steering. Their is an Ortleib front bag for the Brompton if you want a particularly waterproof one but my standard Brompton one seems to have always succeeded in keeping the rain out.

 

[Recycler]

I don't know about fitting different bags on the front but I can only say that the "proper" Brompton bag which I have has been excellent. It's nearly 10 years old, used a lot and has plenty of life left in it.

So long as they fit, any bags will be OK on the back. With small 16" wheels they can't be too deep and you need to make sure that they don't fit too far forward (otherwise your heels will hit them as you pedal the bike).

I doubt that another rack would fit, but it may be possible to bodge something. Don't forget that the rack also doubles up as a bike stand when the bike is folded. It works very well.

The brake levers can be moved, but I've never felt the need to change them.

 

[MontyVeda]

cheers chaps.... it's better to know these things in advance

slightly less of an issue than luggage options, but none the less important... what colour!?!?

this Brompton colour picker is a great tool, but I'm not sure it's helping.

black & white is nice, as is claret & racing green, pink and turkish blue is colourful, daft, and free-ish... or orange &... oh i just cant decide.