Transmission Overhaul Question

[12boy]

Genuine question - how easy are those to use in practice?

Might be quite useful to just be able to hop on a bike in normal shoes. All of my bikes have SPDs.

Couldn't be easier. Pick one side or the other. A tip with the toe and the pedal turns over. If I'm on loose gravel doing, a hairpin code or some other hazard I can use the flat side so as to have no problem with getting my shoe off the pedal. This works just as well if I'm wearing my shoes with the Shimano clipless cleat, BTW.

 

[mitchibob]

I am a London commuter who visits top notch clients all over the capital on a Brompton and have done so for a decade. From Fulham & Chelsea through to The City not only is the Brompton welcomed but the black shoes for the clipless pedals are never noticed or commented on. All about a positive attitude that works.

I quite agree... I attended a funeral over the summer in SPD shoes without anyone noticing (carpet in the Crematorium probably helped with those particular shoes). It was 100 miles away from where I live, wasn't in bubble with anyone attending, didn't want to use public transport, so rode to hotel nearish the day before, rode to funeral early on the day, quickly added slightly less cycling oriented clothing before others arrived.

But quite a few SPD shoes aren't that bad to walk about in. Some, in office scenario, you can literally wear all day. It's only when you go outside to slightly uneven pavement that the cleats start crunching underneath.

 

[Kell]

I use MTB shoes for precisely that reason.

Although I ride to the train station and from there direct to my office, I go into and out of Marylebone.

Anyone that's ever had to run to make a train at the far end of platform six will know that having some grip and some rubber surrounding the cleats is essential. It would be impossible in road shoes.

 

[chriscross1966]

Genuine question - how easy are those to use in practice?

Might be quite useful to just be able to hop on a bike in normal shoes. All of my bikes have SPDs.

Very easy, flat side if im just nipping to the shops and don't want to bother with changing shoes, cleats if Im going further and want the extra contact and pedal discipline security that the spds give. Four years commuting on Wellgo M17 QRD pedals and would replace like for like in a heartbeat.

 

[Bromptonaut]

And a follow up question. Now completed the main part of this task, replacement sprockets, new cranks/chainwheel and new style (JIS) BB fitted. Some angst removing the old BB as I'd hoped not to have to buy the FAG specific tool but no bodge would shift it and some attempted bodges came close to damaging stuff. Suitable park tool device obtained and shifted it with only minimal assistance from a hammer.

Put it all back together and found all OK except my (2009 original) folding pedal won't fold as it 's not clearing the end of the crank to go into the folded position. Googling tells me that there was a revised pedal from 2012 - is it likely that obtaining one of these will solve the problem?

Mrs B has a 2017 B but I cannot get its folding pedal off to see if it is a match.

Suspect it's back to Brilliant Bikes or Condor for an up to date pedal.

I guess I can at least to a test ride without the new pedal. The old one still works as a pedal and as I'm not carrying it folded or stowing it in a tight spaces it doesn't need the pedal to actually fold.

 

[berlinonaut]

Put it all back together and found all OK except my (2009 original) folding pedal won't fold as it 's not clearing the end of the crank to go into the folded position. Googling tells me that there was a revised pedal from 2012 - is it likely that obtaining one of these will solve the problem?

Never ran into this problem myself and never heard of it before. The newer version of the folding pedal uses an allen key for the bolt, the reflectors are different as is the color slightly. I am not aware that the dimensions would have changed (which must be the case if the older one is incompatible with the new cranks) - it might however be the case. A quick rough measurement of old and new pedal and old and new cranks did not show an obvious relevant difference to me. For your problem to happen the cranks would have to slightly differ in shape or dimension from the eye where the pedal is bolted in to the outer edge - at least in rough check mode I could not see any difference here between a 2007 and a 2015 crank and pedal.

 

[Bromptonaut]

Well blow me down with a feather. Took it off again, played about with it, did some comparisons with my partner's B and put it back together again. It now works fine.

Too many variables in the playing about phase but can only assume I did something that meant the folding mechanism wasn't right.

 

[Tenkaykev]

Well blow me down with a feather. Took it off again, played about with it, did some comparisons with my partner's B and put it back together again. It now works fine.

Too many variables in the playing about phase but can only assume I did something that meant the folding mechanism wasn't right.

I often use my other Brommie as a reference when fettling. Especially when refitting the chain tensioner, no matter how often I refit it I never seem to get it right first time.