New (to me) M6L Brompton, I could use some tips!

[Vg12th]

Crosspost from reddit.
So I bought a second hand brompton and I'm excited to use it. However there are some things I noticed I need to pay attention to and was hoping you all can share your experience.

First off, is it normal that the brake levers are pointing quite at a low angle? I tried to move it up a bit but the cables seem to interfere with the fold. So currently it seems that I would need to move my wrist up from the riding position to reach the brakes

I also spent the evening trying and failing to find the right brake lever reach (how far the brake lever is from the handle) for myself. The more I tried to bring the lever closer to me, the tighter the brake pads move to the rim of the wheel, so close that it starts touching the rim and the more I have to release the tiny allen bolt on the top of the brakes. This is a little uncomfortable as being someone with small hands, I need to shift my hands on the grip forward to reach the levers (currently finger nail reach). How is it for you and should I alter this some more or just leave it be?

When folded, there is no clearance of the front tire. I need to tilt it to the side of the rear tire in order to roll it around. And yes, the fold was done correctly. I read about Eazy wheels, but there seems to be several sources out there, which ones to go for and which diameter). Similarly, I do not have a rack, what is the best upgrade to make it easier for me to roll it around in grocery cart mode?

When folding, the cable from the brakes would touch the side of the brompton frame, should I be protecting this in some manner?

The hook part of the stem that hooks onto the frame. I really feel I should put something there to protect it from scratches when folding and unfolding.

Finally, I almost fell off testing this bike earlier as I was not used to the tighter turn angles coming from a much larger bike. Funny I didn't feel this when I tested a demo but this one's more on me to get used to. For my questions above, and for any other recommendations to a new Brompton owner, any input is appreciated!

Ps. Found a second hand T bag for sale for 50 bucks. Photos do not include the hi viz rain cover. Worth it?

 

[rogerzilla]

Brake lever position is, as you've found, constrained by the fold. The new-style (2017-) levers are a little worse in this respect, as I found when changing from the old type.

The Brompton Eazy wheels are good but get the right ones for your type (rack or no rack). They also give more heel/calf clearance, which is a problem with the standard "rattlers".

Clear vinyl is cheap and can be cut into patches for all parts of the bike where hooks/cables rub.

The steering is indeed very quick. This is most noticeable when signalling for right turns in the UK (left turns where you are, since you sound American). You do get used to it.

 

[Vg12th]

The Brompton Eazy wheels are good but get the right ones for your type (rack or no rack). They also give more heel/calf clearance, which is a problem with the standard "rattlers".

Thanks for pointing out that there are rack and no rack versions. I saw an offer for eazy wheels for no rack but it's only a pair of 2 wheels. Would I need to buy some equivalent for the mudguard wheel?

 

[rogerzilla]

No, the mudguard wheel remains. The bike does roll easier with Eazy wheels - just watch for the mudguard (fender?) grounding on uneven surfaces.

 

[gom]

First off, is it normal that the brake levers are pointing quite at a low angle? I tried to move it up a bit but the cables seem to interfere with the fold. So currently it seems that I would need to move my wrist up from the riding position to reach the brakes

My solution to this, is to loosen the clamp to the handlebars just enough so that I can rotate the brake levers out for cycling, and push them back when folding. This could be scoring the handlebars, so I have tried to clamp the brakes round a bit of insulating tape, but I'm not sure how well this is working - the tape has ruckled up a bit.
The way I use my B means that I'm not folding it up very often, so I don't have to move the brakes much.

 

[gom]

When folded, there is no clearance of the front tire. I need to tilt it to the side of the rear tire in order to roll it around. And yes, the fold was done correctly.

And for this, my solution was to stick a piece of a rubber (eraser) to the underside of the frame, seen in this image:
https://www.cyclechat.net/attachments/a-jpg.422973/
When folded it rests on the back wheel, lifting the front slightly.
There is an offset plastic disc attached to the rack that rests against the seat tube when folded - I had to rotate that a bit to allow the seat tube to fully drop.
Clearly it would be better if the front wheel was clear of the floor in the first place, so EZY wheels a better solution, but this might provide a quick fix.

 

[gom]

I also spent the evening trying and failing to find the right brake lever reach (how far the brake lever is from the handle) for myself. The more I tried to bring the lever closer to me, the tighter the brake pads move to the rim of the wheel, so close that it starts touching the rim and the more I have to release the tiny allen bolt on the top of the brakes.

The brake levers should be adjustable for small hands, but reducing the reach will pull the cable. The solution will be to release some cable at the nut clamping it to the brakes themselves.
I would guess the "tiny allen bolt on the top of the brakes" is to adjust the spring tension in the brake, and is best left alone if the brakes are working. (Q: Am I right about this?)

 

[Kell]

You can buy a nipple extender for the fold to give you a little extra clearance for the brake levers when the bike is folded.

It does mean you can rotate them up a little more - but it's all trial and error.

They're available from many places, but I got mine from @bikegang:

Brompton Folding space expansion Mushroom stem (MiniMODs) (bikegang.co.uk)

 

[Kell]

PS - I didn't apply any helicopter tape on my frame, but I wish I had. The powder coating on mine is now permanently stained.