Brompton owners

You don't happen to know anywhere that will do a test ride on one in London do you? No one answering the phone at Fudges cycles so far

Ah I missed your expanded reply, thank you, good input!

yes these are all good reasons to probably swerve birdy, especially the greater dealer/general knowledge available around Brompton modification.

I had noted from pictures that the cable routing opening looks a bit dicey

Are you the person who works at Sjs/has your username changed?

hi! yes ... not sure whats going on with my username...

Of course, and I agree. I just really didn't like the ride feeling of the Brompton.

No, sorry. I only rode one ages ago at a London cycle show.

You can restore it yourself--click on your username and go to 'Edit profile' (in the top right hand corner).

It’s like comparing a classic mini to a new bmw.

If it's a Brompton project then hopefully they've redesigned it for Ti. Over on the CTC forums there was the tale of someone who'd spent £lots on what was basically a Ti pattern parts build, only to be disappointed once it became clear that just replicating the tube dimensions made it very noodly.

Can't say I am v impressed with brompton ATM.

Got a new b75 a few months back . It's been used maybe once a week since then, if that, and the other day I noticed the seat post was very hard to put down and take up when folding and unfolding.

Took it into my nearest Brompton dealer, a shop on forest road in E17, and the geezer there starts saying the seat post is bent and that brompton probably won't replace under warranty as it could be down to my aggressive riding style. Wtf? I weigh 12.5 stone which is well within the weight tolerances. My missus has a Brompton too and that one we've had no problems with.

They've retained the bike to speak to brompton but if I get a call saying I'm going to have to wear this I shall be most unhappy.

Shop issue not Brompton... it’s a £20 post, I’d just give you a new one and follow up with Brompton later.

That's kinda what I thought would happen but the bloke (who to be fair was nice enough) started sucking his teeth saying it doesn't matter how new the bike is these things happen etc.

The other issue, to be fair to him, is that I got the bike from Evans in central London but I don't work there anymore so it was more convenient to take it to a local authorised Brompton dealer for them to look at it. I've got the paperwork for the bike and the receipt etc.

How can a seat post be deemed a consumable part ?!

Ouch.

If you were local come to sjs.

Happy to fix anything, doesn’t matter if you got elsewhere. I mostly take pity on Evans customers.

Just go to the junction in convent garden and get a new post

Hello!
I have an M type currently and want to make the front end lower. Looked at just putting flat handlebars on but no bike shop in London is willing to cut the cables to size for me. What is the exact difference in height between M stem and S stem so I can buy a riser bar and fit S cables on?

Have a spare post and willing to swap for the bent one as I was just going to use the post for leverage.

Oh wow that's very kind I wasn't expecting that. I'll wait to see what this bloke comes back to me with hopefully this week and be in touch if he isn't helpful CIF that's ok ?

but no bike shop in London is willing to cut the cables to size for me

?

That is fine, it is a standard length seat post.

Makes no difference if the post is bent for me.

The difference in height at the bars is 89mm. The length of the stem isn't shown on any of the Brompton diagrams, which is different between pre- and post-2017 M bar shapes.

tbh I think there's enough other variables (bar width, bar angle, cable angle, etc) that knowing the difference in height isn't going to help you. I'd leave the M cables on and eyeball how much excess you need to lose.

Mechanics say it will take too long to work out the length needed. Folding and unfolding. Faff.

mechanics, ha.

Yeah, I can imagine. The problem with titanium tubing is that almost all of it is designed for aircraft hydraulic and fuel lines, which happily is pretty close to what you’d want to use for a diamond frame bicycle. It’s when you start going outside of the usual diameters and gauges that it’s a problem, because getting ti tubing drawn to your own spec is very spendy indeed. I’m an ex-licensed aircraft engineer and I’ve never seen a gauge of ti tubing like that of a Brompton main tube in any commercial aircraft. Military maybe, but that’s not my field.
The Brompton main tube is pretty thick gauge stuff and to equate that in ti would take some proper stress analysis work. Ti is strong but relatively stiff and brittle compared to steel. If it’s Brompton doing it then you’d hope they’ve done it properly.

I’ll do it for you. Whereabouts are you? I’m in N16.

I had a similar experience with all brompton dealers (read: cunts) took it to SBC they did it quick.

Holborn area. But really busy so would be easiest to just drop into bike shop and collect it when I am free. Thanks for the offer though!

I'll try that later this week. Cheers