On Tuesday, November 29, 2016 at 6:33:35 AM UTC-8, Minh wrote: > > > - grips-i have the foam ones now, thinking about the ergon ones, there > seems to be some debate on whether they fit w/o cutting on the M bars > > The foam cores are fine and durable. I'm still on my fairly ratty ones after 8 years of on-n-off commuting on my M3L.
> - brake levers-the stock ones feel terrible to me, i'm leaning towards > some older suntour mt levers > > My Brompton has the old school levers that look like VO City Bike Brake Levers <http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/components/brakes/levers/city-bike-brakes-levers.html>, except with a plastic body. They're fine for my use. > > - upgrading the easy wheels/fender wheels, mines a little wobbly. i'm > also thinking of adding the rack but not for carry capacity but instead > just to get it more stable folded up and rolling, if i can do that another > way--the EZ Wheel Extender kit? then i'd prefer not to add a rack > > I too thought about adding a rack for rollability. However, after adding the factory Eazy Wheels, I've not had that thought. Nevertheless, there are 3rd party offerings that extend the wheel width-wise <http://www.bromptonaustralia.com.au/bikefun-brompton-accessories/eazy-wheel-extender-silver.html>, for a more stable platform, even if the factory setup with Eazy Wheels doesn't really topple over easily. > > - front bag options, how big is "too" big, which bags are you using? > C-bag, s-bag, t-bag other? > > Ahhh...if you're a Rivendell bag collector, you may end up with a substantially smaller bank account with your Brompton. There are all sorts of bags, from Ortlieb to Brompton's own "Game bag". I have a few (ahem) but the one I use most is a converted Ortlieb "Office bag", made from an old Office bag, the stock Brompton carrier and some P-clamps. It's weather-proof and plenty big enough for my commute into work. My biggest one is the Demano Brompton bag <http://demano.net/en/brompton/381-diagonal-mar-brompton.html>, which is roughly equivalent to Timbuktu's largest messenger bag. I'll like to point out that I don't know why Brompton dealers don't send testers out with a loaded front bag. Such a setup is significantly more stable than the "naked" Brompton with its tiny wheels and low trail geometry (markedly different from most bikes). > - Some of you mentioned going with the dyno option, my two Rivendells > have dyno-hubs because i never want to worry about having lights (or worry > about charging them) since i need a way to get home, but with the > Brompton, > i would just fold it up and call a taxi. Is it that useful to have them > over a battery light? But i will stop in at a dealer to look at how the > wiring is run if i do decide to go dyno hub. > > I retrofitted my Brompton with a Schmidt dynamo hub and a B&M Lumotec IQ2 Eyc light (battery rear). The wiring is minimal (short fork blades) and don't interfere with the fold at all. If you can spare the cash, just do it because it relieves one from worrying about charging the battery. Plus on the Brompton with its folding handlebar (where one usually puts a battery light), it's useful to not have the light stick out in the folded package. > - Do you carry a lock? I know that you should be able to take these > into wherever you're going but do you keep a lock in case of emergency? > which one has worked for you? > > I don't carry a lock with my Brompton and don't see the need to. Everywhere I go, I can just fold and bring it along. I occasionally eat at fancy restaurants in SF, and I just coat-check the thing – the staff is usually so enthralled with it that they are more than happy to deal with it. If I go shopping with it, I just throw it on the cart. So far, I'm batting 1.000 for not needing a lock and not having to need a lock. > - Have you had to carry a 'cover' for the bike folded to take them to > certain places? I have the brompton bag that covers it but not sure if i > need to carry it around. > > Nope. People without Bromptons are usually quite surprised by how small and neat it folds, so that positive curiosity works to my favor in not having to disguise it. > - Are the Schwalbe the only tire options--i'm generally happy with > them in the bigger sizes, but just wondering. > > Brompton has its own line of tires, but I like the Schwalbe Kojaks the best. They roll well and don't puncture too easily. > - Are there alternatives for the stock shifter? it's very kludgy to > me, but i'm not sure i would really change gears often enough to change > it, > i'm use to riding single speed so i may end up using this bike as a single > speed with bail-out gearing > > My stock shifter has lasted me 8 years without issue. It's not fancy, but the Brompton isn't a fancy bike. A few suggestions: 1. I'm on my third set of pedals, both folding and fixed. I don't know why they keep dying on me, so I keep spares now. 2. The rear fender gets a bit more beaten up than the front, and tends to crack around the brake. 3. It's kind of a bear to fix a rear flat because you have to deal with the internal hub. Be sure you practice this before your first rear flat. I like to carry a bone shaped box wrench <http://www.banggood.com/615mm-Bike-Bone-Shape-Spanner-Wrench-Repair-Tool-10-Hexagon-Holes-p-923706.html> as it has all the sizes I need for a fix. 4. The plastic sleeve for the seatpost at the seat tube tend to squeak, so if you're chasing down a noise, don't forget to look there. 5. There are many Brompton aftermarket parts out there for you to explore, from titanium bits and pieces, to leather goods of all kinds. My poor wallet... Cheers, Benz -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. 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