Brompton owners

I have a post 2017 Brompton with the M stem and handlebars. I’d like to have a lower handlebar from the stock setup and love the look of the bike with the S stem and flat bars. But I am quite tall and I think the stock S setup is a bit too low for me. My dealer proposed a swap to H stem and flat bars, which would put me a bit higher from the S setup but lower than M and with the flat bar look I like. Am I stupid for even thinking about this and should I just replace my current bars with the JK mid rise bars and deal with the riser bar look?

Am I stupid for even thinking about this and should I just replace my current bars with the JK mid rise bars and deal with the riser bar look?

Yes and yes.

YMMV

I'm 6'2'' and moved from 'M' to 'S'.

I really like it; I have a 580mm seatpost which I believe is the 'extended' seatpost. I like the drop position, but it depends on what position you like and how 'quite tall' and 'flexible' you are. I have the seatpost at its highest point, and if I don't extend it all the way which sometimes happens, I find it really annoying as I'm in 'chimp on a bike' territory.

Also this page might also point you in the right direction

https://www.thebromptonman.com/handlebars1.html#/

I’m 6’5 and use the telescopic seatpost. I do like quite a bit of handlebar drop on my bikes and am quite flexible. Maybe I should go and test the S version before deciding anything. The extra reach would be nice too. I do think that I will just end up buying the JK midrise bar.

I suspect the drop might be too much and your weight might be pitched too far forward.
I previously had the telescopic and it annoyed. My mate who is 6'4'' initially had the telescopic/'M' set-up and where I 6'3'' then the telescopic might be my friend.

I also suspect your dealer is doing their best to satisfy your desired position.
Yes, test ride the flat bar, but just remember you might be comparing 'extended' vs 'telescopic'.

I look forward to a pic of the JK mid-rise

Hope everyone is doing well
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Love brompton

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The mid rise bars will drop it 30mm but you can also have the benefit of the extra width which makes the bike massively more stable and fun to ride.

Cables stay the same, ignore sjs who say you need H type cables, this is bullshit.

Also 6,2 and ride a low bar telescopic seatpost 2-speed.
Commute is about 21 miles each way and have no issues but have orang-utan arms…

I find the ride position is nice and fast and prefer it to the upright bars which feel a little cramped.

How can I figure out ideal cable lengths if I want to set my M bar - H stem Brompton up with Euro style brakes?

I’ve had it in this configuration for a couple of years now but after a cable change 6 months ago the rear shift cable started catching occasionally on the luggage block, and the front outer cable has worn through the outer plastic sheath ( 🤷).

https://www.thebromptonman.com/cable-lengths.html#/ might get you started, but I don't know if you will have to opt for the longer of those 2 or see if those are actually what you are currently using.

I find myself very sensitive to slight changes in seat height on my Brompton. Or maybe it’s just that I rarely get the saddle height right first time, but by the time I notice I am well on with my journey and CBA stopping to sort it out despite either side of knee pain (when a bit too high) or riding inefficiently (a bit too low). I do judge it with finger widths when I set it but clearly not very well.

Any other tricks / solutions for quickly setting the height correctly? I think I remember something about a scribed line but I am a bit dubious about that.

https://brilliantbikes.co.uk/brompton-handlebars-and-seat-posts/1804-brompton-saddle-height-insert.html

There's a sleeve goes inside the frame and can be trimmed to set the correct height.

https://www.condorcycles.com/products/brompton-saddle-height-insert?

I should have said that I have tried the insert. I found I could never get it quite right, either 5mm too high or 5mm too low. I still have both said inserts so maybe I need to give them another go, but I was wondering if there were other solutions. Is there a Brompton seat post that has markings?

Ah fair enough.

It's not long enough to set the height for my wife's Brommy so I've been wondering about getting a telescopic post and chopping it down such that she could just pull it up to full height and it'd be right.

I'd need to work out if it'd still go low enough to lock the rear fold but if you're a more normal size (Mrs M_V is 4'11) then that should be less of an issue.

Current method of ensuring correct height for Mrs M_V's seat is just a sharpy line around the post/ It does wear off but takes a good few raises and lowerings of the post to do so.

Electrical tape around the bottom of the seat tube, only needs a few wraps. I’ve used it for years. It’s basically free, and easily adjustable.

If you find it a few mm out, you could always raise the saddle holder-jobby (pentaclip?) as there's easily 5mm of adjustable height on the top of the seatpost

matumura kohki scrowave suspension spring arrived in the post today
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i like

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Similar to Sergeant_Pluck for my dad I used hockey tape/adhesive fabric tape - like you'd use to finish your bar wrap. Worked perfectly for him. Until the bike was stolen.

It was on a Ti seatpost, but I can't imagine that made a difference.

Are the Bromptons with the multiple round stickers in the main frame, stolen hire bikes?
https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fbrompton-bike-hire-experience-in-london-genius-v0-m4qlqvjf041b1.png%3Fauto%3Dwebp%26s%3Dc813f8a294dc21945e944de5f8124d8fc9142f33

Cheers all.

Rubberducky, it’s not that I can’t get it high enough, more that’s I am too often finding myself not quite right on it, even when I tried the insert.

Recycled, that sounds like my kind of technology.

M_V, black seat post but perhaps there is a suitably tough and thin white marker that would work.

Tippex pen?
Actually, that would probably be too thick and scrape off easily.
I used to use a sharpie on mine, but then found that I'm lucky enough to have the seat post at the right height for me when it is fully extended.

Sharpie will show in a blueish tone in a black seatpost. In my experience this method will still create a small difference each time you adjust the saddle but on the plus side it will also allow you to compensate for different shoes soles or other factors that can affect saddle height

Hello fellow lucky soul! There's not many of us.