Brompton owners

You must be over the moon after the ride.

@Clefty - Our team photos didn't make the shortlist, some of ours are better than some of the ones that did. Me no understand.

Others are encouraged to go vote anyway!

I have some Brompton questions:
My gf has a old 5 speed Brompton. She does not use the full range of gears so I was planning on changing the front chainring to a smaller one and fitting a 2 speed rear wheel.

Do I have to buy a Brompton chainring, whats the BCD and is it 1/8?
Will a 2 speed wheel drop in there a or are the frame spacings different?
Cheers

No you don't need a Brompton chainring, but the older Brompton chainsets are one-piece so you may need to replace the whole thing.

If you'll be running 2-speed it will be a 3/32" chain.

2 speed wheel will fit in the same dropouts but you'll need the derailleur/nudger.

I bought a new 2 speed wheel from Fudges Cycles the other week for £45, which is a bargain, see if they've got any left!

Anyone seen or used the Brompton hire scheme? Sounds awesome, especially since I've wanted to give one a go for ages.

yes, there is one at Ealing Broadway station, you are shit at the internetz

http://www.bromptondock.co.uk/our-docks/london/ealing-london-borough-of-2522/

@Clefty - Our team photos didn't make the shortlist, some of ours are better than some of the ones that did. Me no understand.

Others are encouraged to go vote anyway!

Yeh I thought that, maybe cos we left off the last two and didn't get back in time? I think Mr BumbleBee got all his mates to vote - they ran away with it.

Next year we go with a full team and win it!

yes, there is one at Ealing Broadway station, you are shit at the internetz
http://www.bromptondock.co.uk/our-docks/london/ealing-london-borough-of-2522/

I know, you muppet, I got an email about it the other day which prompted me to posed the questions. I wanted to know where else it was and if anyone had used it.

"
BROMPTON BICYCLE HIRE SPECIAL OFFER
You can rent fold-up bicycles from the Brompton Dock outside Ealing Broadway Station. They're great for travelling by train or tube, or if you suddenly need another bike for a visitor. Now in conjunction with Brompton we can offer a special deal to anyone receiving this Ealing Cycling Campaign newsletter.

**Register with Brompton Dock by the end of June 2014 for just £1 and get two days of free cycle hire.. with this special promotion code *Free2Ride – register by Monday June 30*th 2014**
It’s your chance to cycle in maximum style and with minimum expense – and it’s free for two days when you register for just £1!
Join as a leisure member for £1 with the Free2Ride code and get 2 free consecutive free hire days
 (The 2 days free hire must be used within a week of registration)
A British design classic, Brompton folding bikes are the only bikes that can be taken on all public transport, even during peak times, making them ideal for commuter and business trips as well as leisure use.
You’ll also swerve parking charges, fuel bills and traffic jams. So, for a convenient, healthy, environmentally-friendly and affordable way to travel around the city, give Brompton Dock a try.
To benefit from this offer, individuals must register online to become a member before claiming the free, two-day consecutive bike hire offer. **Registration costs just £1 with your special promotional code *– Free2Ride* **
Brompton folding bikes are available for both long and short-term hire with a choice of tariffs to suit all needs. What’s more, Brompton Dock is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
**Freedom has two wheels! **
Find out more here: Home | Brompton Dock"

just got my recently refurbished frame back from sand blasting and clear coating - looks brilliant, much better than I could have imagined. Not sure it comes across in the photos but it looks almost a metallic finish.

3 Attachments

Where from? Brompton did that for you? ££?

Where from? Brompton did that for you? ££?

nope, Ben at Kenetics up in Glasgow. Quite expensive because all the bushes/pins have to be removed prior to powder coating and then put back together. I was going to do it myself but everything pointed to a DIY job not lasting. £200

wow

Looks good.
Both the frame and the CAD cross section.

Looks good.
Both the frame and the tolomeo.

.

Anyone seen or used the Brompton hire scheme? Sounds awesome, especially since I've wanted to give one a go for ages.

I paid the optional £20 membership for this a while ago as I figured it was worthy of some support regardless of whether I actually got round to using it.

Anyway, last week I picked up a Brompton in South London (a practically new 3spd with mudguards, dynamo lights and a pump) and used it for a long weekend - then returned it to a North London dock 4 days later. All for the princely sum of £10.

Would use again...

It does exactly what it says on the tin... really good idea, although it could use some more docks. The one in North London mysteriously disappeared for a few weeks too - I was delighted to see it return as I was fearing that it might the start of the scheme scaling back rather than rolling out further...

I'm on a weight saving mission with the Brompton. How much do you think I would save switching from 5 speed rear wheel to single? I cant find any stats anywhere on the internetz.
Also if I went 2 speed can I choose any cog size of am I limited to set combos? It would be nice to retain a similair ratio as the 2 easiest gears on the 5 speed.
Kojak tyres are half the weight of the Marathons I have which seems an easy saving too.

not sure about the 5 speed but from the brompton website it states the folowing:-

single speed lightest (obviously) and then +0.19kg for the 2 speed, +0.74 3 speed and +0.92 for the 6 speed

Switching from 5 speed to single should save you just over a kilo. Kojaks are indeed much lighter than Marathons, but in my experience they're rather fragile. OK in the summer, not so good in the winter.

Sorry more questions. So I buy a single speed/ 2 speed wheel. Can I put any size cogs on that in either guise. If single speed is it a standard single speed cog? If 2 speed can I have any combo of cog size?

I know I need to buy the derailleur thing? Is there a dedicated 2 speed shifter?
Cheers

this may help, seems like normal sprockets work, with spacers

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s3/sh/4bae9f26-2252-4be9-8229-314d0a13c754/3118242aa4dcc174f4c493cf5828165e/res/133a58c6-bd38-46f2-8a6a-ec61dcdaafe7/2%20to%203%20Speed.pdf

Yeh I thought that, maybe cos we left off the last two and didn't get back in time? I think Mr BumbleBee got all his mates to vote - they ran away with it.

Next year we go with a full team and win it!

My sentiments exactly!

The finish time or completing all the tasks was never a requirement. I think it purely how legible the photos are. The quality of some of our phone cam shots is just not there. I didn't expect to win, but our Waterloo shot should have got an honourable mention.

So next year DSLR and laptop and some more thinking about the actual photos.

The whole exercise is a marketing play for Brompton so the more marketable your activities, the better.

^^^^ @sacredheart. Yeah it is std 9 spline shimano fitting. You can run up to 18t at pinch but will need to check that the sprocket doesn't hit the frame. I run a 17/12 with no issues

Anybody know what length bb I would need to fit the square taper centaur chainset I've just bought off eBay to my 2 speed brompton.

Does anyone know the exact colour of the brown Brompton Brooks saddle? Is it brown, tan, or honey?

Need to order some matching Brooks grips as a gift for somebody. :)