N+1 Tiddles

[Night Train]

Yes, it engages automatically, like on the late Bromptons.

Here's your's, in red to match your Brom!

Didn't take too long but is a slightly different profile to mine as it is made to fit the scrap I had.

The curly bit of wire on the pic is the prototype to get the position and shape right.

 

[Arch]

Oh wow, that's brilliant! Thank you!

I love the colour-keying. Now, can you get heat-shrink in all the colours of Brompton!?

 

[Night Train]

Oh wow, that's brilliant! Thank you!

I love the colour-keying. Now, can you get heat-shrink in all the colours of Brompton!?

Yes.
http://www.finishrink.com/

How many Bromtons have you got?

 

[Arch]

Yes.
http://www.finishrink.com/

How many Bromtons have you got?

Just the one. But hey, colour keyed clips? What self respecting Brom owner would be without?

 

[Night Train]

I've been a little busy.
Three little Bromclips all in a row.

I also went to Ikea today and got Tiddles a Dimpa Bag for £3.49.
Actually I got two on the basis I know someone else who has a Brom but isn't near an Ikea.

 

[Night Train]

I took the hub apart and along with the huge anount of grit and toffee like grease I found a broken bit. I think it was probably cracked and then broke during the strip down.

It is the little cross bar that the selector chain screws into inside the hub.

Oh, a big 'thank you' to Spandex for a replacement axle key, which is now fitted.

 

[Yellow Fang]

I took the back wheel off Tiddles today to clean and check the reason for the dodgy hub gears.

The chain was very stretched, next to the new one it was a link and a half longer.

I took the hub apart and along with the huge anount of grit and toffee like grease I found a broken bit. I think it was probably cracked and then broke during the strip down.


It is the little cross bar that the selector chain screws into inside the hub.

I put it in a vice with the chain screwed into it, to align the threads and close the break, and then welded it.


I then filed it flat and refitted it.


Poor photo but it works for now, I will get a new bit to replace it.

I was going to say, "No, don't do it," but I see you managed to get your hub back together again. I had The Devil's own job trying to get my Brommie working again after deciding to re-grease the hub and put a new sprocket on. That sliding key thing broke on me too. At times, I put the bearing retainers in the wrong way, which tends to make the chain slack. I had to replace the bearing retainers more than once, partly because one became a bit bent out of shape and kept dropping all the ball bearings. It's a real swine trying to tighten the hub up properly. I wore the thread off a retaining nut and had to replace that. The retaining nut has to be tightened up, not too tight, or again you get problems with a stiff wheel or slack chain. Lastly, I discovered I couldn't get first gear, which I eventually traced back to not having put the sliding key in the right way. I must have screwed and unscrewed that hub a couple of dozen times.

 

[Arch]

I've been a little busy.
Three little Bromclips all in a row.

There's a slightly Medieval look to that, I can't decide if it reminds me of an armory or a torture chamber....

"Igor! Bring me the three little sprung hooks. This one refuses to recant!"

I also went to Ikea today and got Tiddles a Dimpa Bag for £3.49.
Actually I got two on the basis I know someone else who has a Brom but isn't near an Ikea.

How thoughtful of you! I'm sure they will be delighted! And how clever of Ikea to make a bag that fits the Brom!

Careful though. Granville will want a sleeping bag too now.....

I feel a bit more human now, after a few sips of tea. Was shattered when I got in.

You know you're getting old when you notice yourself saying "ooof!" when yuo sit down....

Tea?

 

[Arch]

Or you post in one thread, thinking it's the tea thread, and it isn't...

 

[Night Train]

I was going to say, "No, don't do it," but I see you managed to get your hub back together again. I had The Devil's own job trying to get my Brommie working again after deciding to re-grease the hub and put a new sprocket on. That sliding key thing broke on me too. At times, I put the bearing retainers in the wrong way, which tends to make the chain slack. I had to replace the bearing retainers more than once, partly because one became a bit bent out of shape and kept dropping all the ball bearings. It's a real swine trying to tighten the hub up properly. I wore the thread off a retaining nut and had to replace that. The retaining nut has to be tightened up, not too tight, or again you get problems with a stiff wheel or slack chain. Lastly, I discovered I couldn't get first gear, which I eventually traced back to not having put the sliding key in the right way. I must have screwed and unscrewed that hub a couple of dozen times.

The bearing cages are a swine, they are too flimsy and removing the balls to clean the mud(?) out distorts them.
One of mine survived but the other, on the non drive side, was slightly out of round. I have to assemble it onto the hub with the dust cover and check it is right before I place the hub back over the internals.

I think I have had mine apart a dozen times so far too!


Arch, I'm sure Tiddles wouldn't mind the occasional cuppa tea.
I'll get the bag to you in due course, with one of the Bromclips for Spandex.

 

[Arch]

I'll get the bag to you in due course, with one of the Bromclips for Spandex.

Yay!

<happy dance>

Thank you very much!

 

[ufkacbln]

Over on YACF, where the Folders section is 95% about Bromptons, the word is that Schwalbe Marathon Pluses are worth the investment for the puncture proofing.

+1

Both the Bromptons (incidentally referred to as "The Twins) have these due to the fiddliness of repairing a rear wheel puncture

 

[Night Train]

Damn!

I removed the rear tyre as I have new Marathons arriving soon with a view to making a belt from it.
I managed to pinch the tube right on the edge of the valve and so now I need a new one of those too.

I am going to take the front one off too in case I need to get two tubes. The rear one did at least have a number of patches on already so I might have chosen to change it.

 

[TheDoctor]

I did that, the day before I was taking the Brommie to France. The tube from my old Daewoo Shuttle was duly shoe-horned in, and seems to be holding up OK.
Just as well, as the rear wheel was a complete swine to remove. And even worse to replace.
Now, these Ikea bags. How small do they fold? Are they a viable option to carry around on a tour?

 

[Yellow Fang]

Rear wheel tyres are indeed a right git to change on a Brompton. I've recently changed from Schwalbe Marathons to Brompton Green Labels. Schwalbe Marathons were definitely impressive at resisting punctures, but they're a total b@5t@rd to replace. The last time I tried, I bust a rim with the 12" metal tyre lever I expressly bought to change these tyres. Of course there are people who claim they are no problem to change, that they can change them just using their hands and the right technique. Maybe if you have hands like an able seaman from the days of sail, or possibly a cowboy used to wrestling long horns to the ground. I'm not sure how the Green Labels compare long term. I've had them a few months with no problems, and they're much easier to change.