Retro fitting rack and low gearing to brompton?

[Sara_H]

Cycle to work schem is currently on at work.

I'm looking to get a brompton. The model available is M6L.

Was wondering how easy it is to retro fit rack and low gearing as this would have been my preference, but don't think option to upgrade is available on the scheme.

Any thoughts?

 

[nomisp]

Fitting a rack at a latter date should prove no problem , but lowering the gearing could be more problematic. You should be able to get this within the £1000 limit but my have to alter your options on the bespoke order.

 

[Bromptonaut]

Is the M6R not available?

Standard gearing on the BWR 6 speed is pretty low though, with a daughter at Sheff Hallam Uni, I appreciate your chalenges may differ from mine!

 

[srw]

Lowering the gearing is easy - you just fit a smaller chainring or a larger sprocket. Both are cheap modifications. Fitting a rack is technologically easy but may be more expensive than you think - you're effectively constrained to the own-brand rack. I remember (possibly falsely) buying a little bit of aluminium tubing to replace one of the rack struts and being hit for an eye-wateringly large bill.

SJS cycles have just about all the Brompton stuff in stock if you want a price.

 

[Sara_H]

Lowering the gearing is easy - you just fit a smaller chainring or a larger sprocket. Both are cheap modifications. Fitting a rack is technologically easy but may be more expensive than you think - you're effectively constrained to the own-brand rack. I remember (possibly falsely) buying a little bit of aluminium tubing to replace one of the rack struts and being hit for an eye-wateringly large bill.

SJS cycles have just about all the Brompton stuff in stock if you want a price.

Thanks for the replies, the Brompton available directly from the scheme providers is an M6L at £600 which is a very good price. I do have the option of ordering from specified local bike shops, so may go and price it up, and find out if it will be worth my while ordering online and adding the extra's afterwards.

 

[Brommyboy]

Order your Brompton with the reduced gearing, a 44T chainring. This will give a lower range than the usual. The largest sprocket is already fitted to the rear wheel.

 

[Sara_H]

Order your Brompton with the reduced gearing, a 44T chainring. This will give a lower range than the usual. The largest sprocket is already fitted to the rear wheel.

I don't think I have the option to do that, which is why I was wondering about the difficulty f making these changes retrospectively.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

I don't think I have the option to do that, which is why I was wondering about the difficulty f making these changes retrospectively.

It is easy to lower the gearing by getting a smaller chainset, which is better than increasing the size of the rear sprocket because a smaller chainset and the resulting shorter chain help reduce weight. The Brompton chainset is a rebadged Stronglight 55, which they somehow find appropriate to put a 100%+ markup on . The only issue you might encounter with the Stronglight is depending on size you might have trouble tracking down a perfectly sized plastic chain guard (if you want one that is).

 

[TheDoctor]

I have a M6R, and I don't actually find the rack all that useful. It's all to easy to bash stuff on it with your heels.
I'd personally get the version without a rack, and fit one of the front bags instead.

 

[Sara_H]

Why can you not order it as you want?

I don't know! The M6L is offered as a choice directly from the scheme at £600, I emailed to ask if I could upgrade to M6R with low gearing and they've replied in the negative but said I can order from an authorised bike store. Thing is, I don't think you can get an M6L at that price any where else.

I think I'll get the M6L and upgrade at my leisure.

 

[Sara_H]

Hell at 600, you could probably sell it immediately at a profit, apart from the fact that it wouldn't be yours to sell of course.

I know, my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw it.

 

[TheDoctor]

£600 for a M6L? Bleeding Jesus, that's a good price. I paid more than that 4 years ago...
Anyway, have it, then get a smaller chainset from Spa. Swap the chainring-side crank over, then flog the original one on Ebay as an unused Brompton chainset (which it is) and you'll get your money back and then some.

 

[T4tomo]

does the L mean light as in titatium bits - if so thats insanely low priced

 

[Brommyboy]

No, L is light as without rack, etc! Titanium bits classify it as X while R is with rack, etc. M,S, H or P relate to the type of bars fitted.

 

[TheDoctor]

I would add - you may find the gearing to your taste as is. I find I rarely need lower than the 33" bottom gear. The 99" top is a bit redundant though. I wasn't spinning out at nearly 40 mph - which is a slightly alarming speed on little wheels...