Where can I buy a new Brompton stem?

[ExBrit]

I have damaged my Brompton stem. It may only be cosmetic, but I'd rather not take the risk. I've been trying to find somewhere (preferably in the US) that will sell me a new stem for my H type bars. I've been on the Brompton website and left messages for some semi-local dealers but I'm not having any luck. I've watched the YouTube video from Brompton on replacing the stem. I can do that myself. Does anyone know how to get a new stem?
Thanks

 

[steveindenmark]

Sjs or any Brompton supplier.

 

[berlinonaut]

In theory you can get them from any Brompton dealer. In practice it seems currently to be close to impossible for dealers to get hold of frame parts. Even dealers that used to be stockists of frame parts have dried out on supply. Best chances are probably if there is a defect on the existing one (like in your case) that needs to be exchanged, this could possibly make things moving more easily.
In the UK deales are only allowed to sell frame parts when mounting them to the bike themselves, this has been the case for years. Thus official Brompton dealers from the UK are probably no choice for you as you are in the US.
If nothing else works you have to relay on the grey and used markets - on ebay UK there are always a bunch of offerings from people that seem to slaughter brand new Bromptons to pieces and sell them. Other than that possible this guy may or may not be able to help.

 

[Sharky]

Tried googling here in the UK and they are hard to find. Some on ebay, but they all seem very expensive.

Would another option be to take it to an engineering shop or frame builder and ask their opinion on the damage.

 

[mitchibob]

I think it's something that Brompton will only let licensed dealers fit, as critical part of the operation. Same with forks. Certainly, when I went to LBS asking about such things, they were unable to help due to such restrictions. I can semi-understand, but if adequate documentation is provided, I'd have thought many people could replace themselves, and definitely reasonable bike-tech (both owning an adequate torque wrench). Certainly, they lower their sustainability score on this front, if you have to go out of your way to find somewhere to do certain maintenance. Don't make LBSs go through hoops to maintain your bikes... just give them all useful documentation up front.

 

[mitchibob]

I have damaged my Brompton stem. It may only be cosmetic, but I'd rather not take the risk. I've been trying to find somewhere (preferably in the US) that will sell me a new stem for my H type bars. I've been on the Brompton website and left messages for some semi-local dealers but I'm not having any luck. I've watched the YouTube video from Brompton on replacing the stem. I can do that myself. Does anyone know how to get a new stem?
Thanks

What's the damage?

 

[berlinonaut]

I think it's something that Brompton will only let licensed dealers fit,

That's a rule that is as far as I know currently only valid in the UK. The OP is in the US. So this rule does not apply to him.

I can semi-understand, but if adequate documentation is provided, I'd have thought many people could replace themselves, and definitely reasonable bike-tech (both owning an adequate torque wrench).

The parts have been freely available tu buy for decades, the limitation exists since roughly six years or so and only in the UK. As far as I remember there was no official reason given, inofficially between the lines you could read something like "there are too many people out there that produce trashy bikes that way because they don't know what they are doing which damages the brand and is even dangerous".

just give them all useful documentation up front.

The documentation is there and has been for decades. It used to be freely available, but people ignored it - which is part of the problem. A a consequence today the documentation is less accessible and less prominent visible. But with every spare part you buy you still get the according tech docs.

 

[brommieinkorea]

Read this with much interest, as I live in the USA and dealers are non-existant in most of the country. Only one of my Bromptons came from a brick and morter store, and the place is 350 miles(500km) away , so sending things out is not ideal. There isn't a repair task on any bicycle that I can't handle, but access to the proper tools and parts is a problem. Brompton continues to make more places to buy the thing, why won't they do something about supporting the ones already on the road?

 

[mitchibob]

But with every spare part you buy you still get the according tech docs.

Yes, and perhaps I need new prescription for reading glasses, as they're not always the best to follow (at least from certain cable replacements I've bought). Perhaps they need to produce large print Haynes manual.

I hadn't realised that was UK only thing with authorised sellers. I guess they must've figured out how to cover themselves for poorly fitted stems failing in other countries.