Brompton owners

my marathon's got a puncture on day 1 of brompton ownership, a floor tack went through

Well no punctures with the marathon yet, but it's not exactly inspiring much confidence. Had a dodgy slide on a raised white line and then had a proper front wheel skid when a tramp strolled out in front of me yesterday evening. Don't know how I didn't stack it.

Oh and it feels slooow as well, compared to the Brompton kevlars. Don't know if that's just in my head...

I'd stick with the kevlars if I were you, best blend of everything imho

I may well switch back... Although after fitting the marathon greenguards the other night, I did go online and buy another pair from wiggle (as they're only £13 apiece at the mo'). How many punctures have you had with the kevlars over how many miles?

Oh, and I bought some Ergon GP1 grips. I originally got cheap chinese copies of the ergo grips with little bar ends, but the bar ends are useless, take up a bit of room on the bars and kinda stab the mudguard when folded, so have gone for the real thing. Massive improvement over the standard grips.

I've had 2 flats in what must be 10k miles, and to be fair I get my money's worth out of the tyres (I run them all the way down). One was definitely due to that and the other was some glass that I saw too late, I knew it could happen as soon as I rode over it.

Fingers crossed I haven't now cursed myself but I really rate them and they are often available on decent deals from CS, Evans etc

Haha fair enough, maybe I was just unlucky getting one within 100 or so miles. I'll give 'em another try as they definitely seem to roll faster and have better grip than the marathons.

I had marathons on my brompton when I had one. They were always a bit dodgy in the wet (much like the m+ on my commuter). I just rode that much slower and tried not to fall off. I did not use enough and in the 200 miles that I did do, they were fine on the rubbish, glass strewn cycle path that runs parallel to the A40.

Last January I decided to treat the S2LU Ti to some of Brompification's finest from SJS.
Included in which were some Brompification Ti axled pedals.
Since which time the bike has probably done no more than 250 dry miles - I mainly use it for going to and from the station when I visit mother - which isn't that often, and not that far - less than a mile at either end.
Today, I noticed there is play between the LH pedal axle and the pedal body.
I could feel it when pedalling, and it is clear to see when you wiggle the pedal by hand.
Not impressed. I would've expected higher mileage from a premium priced component.
SJS will be getting a call on Monday.

Brompitication is no longer, worth finding out the warranty tho.

So I believe, Ed.
But my purchase / contract / deal was with SJS - and they appear to still have stock
'Optimist'
We'll see on Monday - I can't see them being overkeen to take one for the team from a supplier who is no longer trading.....
Watch this space.

Update:
So, after a bit of phone chat this morning, covering such items as bushes always having a little play, bushes needing time to bed-in and an invitation to send them a video showing the slop. After seeing this: https://www.flickr.com/video_download.gne?id=31224957140 there was consensus that there's no way the pedal should behave like that.
In the absence of replacement pedals, SJS offered to send me a bush / bearing replacement kit, so that I could fit it.
I suggested that I send them the pedal,so that they can fit the kit - to which they agreed, with a promise that getting it back to me before Crimbo shouldn't be a problem.

So, it has gone back to them today first class / signed for, and I've gone from being mildly apprehensive to being mildly optimistic.
In the circumstances, I'm struggling to see what more SJS could offer.

More later.....

My Brompton

Rad

Thanks :) Needless to say, it needs more titanium and fancy bits. I put the old Brompton Kevlar tyre back on and it rides much nicer.

Hah I love the Kojaks - they're very nice and fast, however, they just skid when you have to stop in an emergency, and I'm not sure whether it's just me, but they feel ROCK hard - I keep having to check I've not got a puncture as it feels like I'm on the rim over some harsher bumps!!

Gotta be better than the Marathons, I kinda thought it couldn't make that much difference and it must just've been that changing my tyres had coincided with when the wind had changed from the freezing northerly to the warm southerly (and thus prevailing headwind), but that's bullshit as it's much nicer riding on the original tyres. Faster, grippier and much less slippy.

How to get two bromptons into a Ferrari Testarossa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxF4TRIuH4g

I'm sure we've all had this problem at one time or another.

God I hate it when that happens - right up there with when they don't bring me a shucker for my oysters.

Snap

Doppelbrommer.

I hit them on purpose, adds some excitement to my ride in.

My Brompton sounded awful this morning and wasn't shifting gear. Was fine last night. Got the gears working again by jiggling the derailleur whilst stopped at lights and stopped by a Cycle Surgery to borrow some lube, liberally lubed the chain and all the bits of the derailleur, but made me realise that the poor thing needs a good clean already. For some reason I thought it'd be bombproof, but doesn't really seem to be the case.

It is during summer but winter roads require a bit more care and attention.

For some reason I thought it'd be bombproof, but doesn't really seem to be the case

Think about how close the derailleur is to the tarmac.

This is all.

I've had seizure from the rear derailleur twice now since August. Just use plenty of WD40 on the chain pusher assembly.

You calling him fat?

No, I'm calling him a bloated manatee.