Extra Brommie Bits...

Having bought a basic M3L Brompton folding bike last year, I bought some add-ons after having decided that life with it would be a little easier with them.

The Brompton folding basket adds more utility to the bike for
carrying various items and IMO makes the bike look more
purposeful, and maybe a bit eccentric - bit like me...

The first was Eazi Wheels - replacement solid rubber wheels for pulling the bike along when folded. Useful over very short distances like in shops etc so I don't need to carry it. The Eazi wheels make this much easier than those that come with the basic bike - I think they should be a standard fitting. You just remove the standard, hard plastic ones and replace them with these. Not quite sure why they aren't fitted as standard, but there you go.

   

Eazi Wheels - much easier to pull the
folded bike around; an option,
but shouldn't they come as standard?
Maybe they will in the not too
distant future?

Front Basket - the simplest and cheapest of
the Brompton luggage - very useful for
small loads - 24 litres, not sure about weight limits though

The second was the folding basket. I missed the convenience of being able to load up the Brompton with stuff like small grocery shops like I could with my other bikes that had racks and baskets. This changes this - a rather nifty simple addition. It consists of a cordura bag fitted over a metal frame with a large plastic moulding that has a slot. The whole thing then slides over the luggage block that you will have either purchased separately (like I did) or, came with the bike. It just slides on and then clicks into place. Pushing a small lever on the luggage block, the basket just slides off and you can carry it by its handles. If the bike didn't come with the luggage block, you purchase one separately at £15, remove the screws from the frame and attach it by the two screws supplied.

The folding basket is the cheapest and most basic of Brompton's front luggage. Others in the range include the S-Bag and the C-Bag. There are also offerings from Carradice, a highly respected brand, although I don't have any of their products yet. Orlieb also make Brompton specific luggage.

The basket capacity is 24 litres, so it's quite large. I would have liked some indication of a weight limit too; on at least one other basket (an all metal one), the instructions say 5kg which I've used as a guide.

Luggage Block - you need one of these before you can fit
the basket or any other front luggage

The large plastic frame moulding in the middle at the bottom
of the frame slides over the luggage block and is the only
attachment to the bike itself.

The fitting block attached to the frame allows the basket to be
stood up when not attached to the bike.

The whole front luggage assembly on Bromptons is fitted to
the main tube, not the forks/steering, so stays facing to the
front.

The whole basket and block fits to the main tube of the bike frame and the forks/handlebars turn independently of it so the basket stays facing forward regardless of how much you turn the handlebars. I rather like this feature. I also like the look of the bike with the basket attached - it gives an extra feeling of purpose. I have also found it very useful and convenient for small shopping trips when I can get say, 3 days groceries in the basket, probably more, if I didn't include tins and bottles.

I have to say that I do like Brompton's accessories. They are certainly made specifically for the bike and work very well. Like many others ie internet reviewers, whilst satisfied with their performance and quality I've often wondered whether they are on the expensive side. However, I have to take into account that they're specifically for this bike, therefore probably low volume and from a small company, and, there's nothing else to really compare them with. Being an accountant, I have a good idea about these things. In the UK, I find a lot of other cycling specific products from bike shops to be expensive say, when compared to more generic products from the larger chain stores. You have to compare like with like.

I've got a few other Brompton goodies on my wishlist and will cover them here as and when I've bought them.

Anyway, website time - what's available and where you can get it:

Brompton Main Site

Brompton Junction

Carradice

Brilliant Bikes.

Shaft Drive

Look - no chain! Shaft drive - rare on push bikes though
popular on motorbikes I believe.

Recently I had a day out in Reading, a town about 15 miles away, that has a hire bike scheme. These appear to be gaining in popularity and I'm liking the trend - a hire bike in Brussels is how I got back into cycling in 2008.

The docking station - these are dotted about all over the town

You key in your account number and pass code - given when
you register and take a bike. £1 per hour.

For me, these bikes demonstrate the forte of pushbikes as transport - short distances in fair weather, but they seem to be either ignored, derided or given token attention at most by many if not most cyclists in the UK. Why is this? Probably because they are heavy and slow, ergo not much use for sports and leisure cycling, still the primary purpose for most pushbikes here. The irony is, if cycling is to be promoted to the masses as a viable mode of transport as many want, these bikes will probably play a key part in doing this.

Forget racing, triathlon or mountains...

Put it this way, I found it thoroughly enjoyable pootling about a town or city riding in areas that are inaccessible to cars but a lot faster than walking. It was also very cheap - once registered via internet, you pay £1 per hour for the bike. To me, this is far more attractive and more likely to popularise cycling than expecting everyone to get kitted out in specialist clothing so they can cycle over 10 miles to work and back each day in all weathers. Maybe that's for later on once you're well into it, but I think it's unrealistic for those wanting to just get from A to B and if anything, might put them off.

Seems many British cyclists look wistfully at the cycling cultures in Holland and Denmark and want something similar here; strange that the heavy slow bikes popular there are often overlooked.

But I digress...

One of the reasons for me wanting to use one of these was because, unusually, they are shaft, as opposed to chain driven.

Shaft driven push bikes have been around for over a century, but have never caught on. Apparently they are less efficient than chains drive something others are quick to point out as a disadvantage. This might be important for sports bikes where every percentage counts in efficiency, speed and weight saving, but, obviously, that's not what these bikes are for.

A northern UK city, Liverpool also has shaft drive hire bikes...could we be seeing shaft drive becoming more popular?

Well I hope so; I have to say that I like the look of the shaft drive; it has something in common  with hubgears really - the major working parts are all enclosed, with no dangly bits. Also, they can only be used with a hub gear - a plus or minus depending on your point of view. They look much cleaner with less maintenance although, I might add, with chains, this is mitigated a lot with the use of a chaincase/guard.

Otherwise, they are similar to other hire bikes; upright riding position on an agricultural step through frame, 3 speed internal  Shimano Nexus hub with drum brakes, dynamo lights permanently on and there is a front rack for carrying odds and sods. There is a double kickstand and mudguards/fenders and a combination lock security cord. To be honest, given their intended purpose, this is the best configuration and probably every hire bike no matter where, is the same. The only difference here is the shaft drive.

Further reading: what shaft drive is and if you want to hire one:

Shaft drive

Readybike Reading

Citybike Liverpool

With nice weather on it's way, might be worth a try.

And if you want your own:

Beixo

Dynamic Bicycles - an American firm, I've just found out is importing into the UK

Biomega - a design oriented Danish firm

All About Chain Guards And Chain Cases And Why They're A Good Idea

Originally this post was going to be just about how I got black chain oil on 4 of my jogging bottoms, but I've since expanded it to cover what I think are important additions to any bike intended to be ridden in your everyday street clothes.

So, I bought a Brompton and it's the first of my bikes without a chainguard (amongst other town bike refinements). Unsurprising given the type of bike it is. it is built first and foremost with compactness in mind. Now, one of these is a chain guard which would detract from this compactness if it were fitted.

But you know when these things aren't there...because you start to notice your trousers have gained another colour - black - from chain oil! Now, thankfully, said trousers, of which there are 4 pairs...are dark blue joggers costing less  than £5 - including a new pair. But imagine if it had been business clothes or white chinos :-0. 3 pairs have elasticated bottoms whilst one doesn't - which is why it got caught in the chain...

My new £3.99 joggers...then again, could
have been a pair of cream/white £75 chinos...
or whatever from one of those fancy boutique
designer label fashion shops...

Now, I've noticed, chainguards are quite rare in the UK, probably because the industry and the majority of (serious) cyclists see cycling as something you dress up for, eg cycling shorts or somesuch. Because for many, cycling is seen as mainly a sports activity or something strenuous - commuting 12-20 miles to work, followed by a shower and change of clothes.

Also, I thought I could get away with just making sure I pedalled in a straight line, theory being my trouser leg didn't touch the chain. But you cannot cycle with your head down all the time looking at your right leg...

Roughly, there are 3 types of chain  coverings: the chainguard - by far the most common and easiest to fit, the chaincase, and the Hebie chainglider.

Chainguard on my first Kettler

Chaincase on my Gazelle Toer Populaire

The chainguard is easy to fit, but usually, the frame still needs holes in it to attach with the screws. As you can see from the photo, it is just a shield covering some of the chain, but does the job. A chaincase completely covers the chain. Aftermarket chaincases are a lot harder to fit - seem to be specific to the bike and made for the manufacturer eg Pashley and Gazelle, fitted when the bike's being made, but offer the most protection for the chain and your clothes...I bought one and found that if I wanted to fit it to my Kettler, extensive cutting was involved.

Caveats - if you buy something mail order, you could find it may not fit...a problem made worse when factoring a hefty postage and packing expense, especially from the European online shops. Could be a matter of trial and error ...and expense to even find one that fits...Also, some of the chaincases are made of plastic parts that clip together and come assembled so you need to take them apart to fit them...quite difficult with mine. Yours truly broke the plastic clips when taking said case apart...broken before even fitted! :(((

Hebie Chainglider - photo taken by Robert Thomson on Flickr
(Think I've satisfied the legal stuff for using other peoples'
photos on Flickr).

Next up in keeping our trousers (coats/skirts/dresses? - some Dutch bikes like my Gazelle come with dress/coat guards) and chain clean is the Hebie Chainglider. A unique German product, it's basically a plastic sleeve that fits round the chain. Not tried one, but plan to soon. Some might (I did) have reservations about something that looks like it's subject to friction from the chain, but given many German companies use them on their £2K + Rohloff trekking bikes, I'm sure it's fine. I suppose it depends if it's fitted correctly, but it looks easy to fit - just clips round the chain and sprocket - see the short film on the company's site per the link. Speaking from experience, make sure you allow enough time to do it right...;-) Also, make sure you get the right size...they are specific to the number of teeth on the chain ring, as you'll see from the link. The whole thing is £40-50 by the way, with individual fronts/backs costing £20 or so.

Where To Buy (Aftermarket In The UK):

Surprisingly, I couldn't find much even on the internet including ebay. This together with the effort needed to fit them means that it's probably best to buy a bike that already has one, especially a chaincase. With a few exceptions, odds are you won't find chainguards in a typical bikeshop and you'll be lucky to find a chaincase. The Hebie is difficult to find outside London too, so may as well start with the internet. Don't forget many bikeshops do ecommerce as well. You should be able to find something that meets your needs via the links below:

Dutch Bike Bits

Rose Bikes

Fietspunt

SJS Cycles

Park PCS4.1 Workstand

The Park PCS4.1 Deluxe Home Mechanic Workstand.
 I love that Blue! Shame about the scratches and dinks...

S

The part that allows your bike to be rotated through 360
degrees at a range of heights.

The jaws aren't spring loaded which belies how powerful they
are...you notice when you put something in them and the
instructions come with a warning that if you aren't careful,
your frame could be damaged - use the seatpost

There are eccentric hard rubber "feet" that
can be rotated so as to compensate for uneven floors

The difference between the substantial,
heavy duty"shop quality" 1003 clamp
and others like my Lidl below right, is immediately apparent
- your local bike shop has probably got one

Whilst my Lidl workstand, bought for £30 awhile back has given good service, I knew also that I wanted something higher spec, as I was going to get serious with bike maintenance.

The Lidl offers a lot less flexibility when positioning the bike; whilst it can hold a maximum of 30kg, you have to position the bike according to its centre of gravity, if you don't, the bike falls back to it...

But what did you expect for £30? It's still a great entry model, I'm glad I bought it and can commend it.

The next ones up start from £80 or so. They tend to have quite a low weight capacity, say less than 20kg, and whilst offering greater choice in positioning, the clamp is on the simple, crude side. Park themselves do budget models - the PCS9 & 10. The 10 has a better clamp that makes it look particularly attractive for £110-150, depending on where you buy it. It also has the same 45kg load capacity - well above most others particularly in this price bracket - a major plus point.

As most of my bikes are on the heavy side >20kg, especially the Gazelle, I wanted something that could comfortably accommodate this; if I was going to upgrade, I would do it properly...

Park Tool are a premium brand company making bike maintenance things. They've been around about 50 years. They do do a range of workstands to suit most budgets but most of their other products are professional quality and this is reflected in the price.

The Park PCS4.1 is for the hobbyist, but has what Park calls a "shop quality" clamp, the 1003C that they claim is found in more bike shops than any other. I've certainly seen a few in some that I've visited. It has a heavy, cast aluminium clamp with powerful jaws, the capacity of this workstand, provided you keep the bike centred over the two legs is 45kg. The jaws come with rubber inserts and a warning that they could damage the bike's frame if you aren't careful. I clamp my bikes by the seatpost so as to avoid this happening.

The two legs fold up for storage.

I'd had my eye on one of these for some time, but wasn't quite willing to part with the £275 or so recommended retail in the UK for awhile. In the US where they're made, they're roughly the same amount in dollars which works out a lot cheaper sterlingwise, but the postage charge to the UK bumps it up to pretty much the same in pounds...

Some places on Amazon were selling for £220 and I was all but ready to buy at this price until I saw it going for £182 at Singletrack bikes in Scotland. I snapped it up! Sure I've seen some vendors on the 'net selling just the clamp for that!

Proof of the pudding - holding 50lbs of bike; to be honest, I wouldn't need to
 have held it so high, I'd just rotate the clamp. It would help if you're tall
though. As per the instructions, make sure that the bike is held centrally
between the two legs otherwise  it can tip over - and it nearly did...

There's a few minor gripes: the stand came packed with minimal padding within a thin cardboard box and had some dinks and large scrapes off the lovely blue paint. I did wonder at first whether it was shop soiled. Then again, it'll pick up a few with use. The clamp looks a bit rougher than in the photos here and on the internet, sort of unfinished aluminium casting. Still, given what it's for, there's no need for it to be nice and shiny/blemish free.

Park Tool official site

Alternatives - I haven't seen any of these up close, but I'm sure they'll meet your needs and there's plenty of reviews on the internet - try Bike Radar.

Feedback Sports. Some pretty nifty stuff here...looks like they fold up real compact and come with a bag.

So, Just As You Thought You Had Things Down Pat...

After several months puncture free on the Kettler Spirit I get two on the rear wheel (the harder to fix) in about a fortnight.

No problem I thought, I know what I'm doing, I'll have it repaired in less than 20 minutes, might manage it in 10, after all, I've done this enough times...

Wrong...

First, decide to disconnect gear cable from Nexus hub whilst bike is on ground. Struggle with this...because it's hard to remove the pinch bolt from the cassette because the bike's down low, so decide to mount bike in workstand by seatpost; struggle with this as well...Forgot the amount I had to adjust the clamp and which way the bike should be so that the frame doesn't get in the way of closing the clamp!

Having mounted bike at last and disconnected gear cable, I remove rear wheel and remove tyre.
Remove inner tube. Inflate slightly until I can locate puncture hole. Nothing. Inflate some more. Nothing. Repeat until at last I can feel the air coming out - another tiny puncture - feel inside the tyre to see if there's anything sticking through - nothing. No sign of whatever it is that  has caused so much aggravation...

Next, mend puncture with puncture repair kit; apply rubber glue which you're supposed to leave for a minute before applying patches. Apply patch and leave until I can remove the sticky cellophane with the patch left on the tyre. When I try to remove cellophane, patch keeps coming off with it...Leave until it comes off without pulling the patch off, which doesn't happen. Enough! Gingerly remove cellophane whilst pressing patch on tube...

Ehhhhnyway, patch affixed, slightly inflate tube and insert into tyre. Inflate and reattach to bike, Next, need to get the chain tensioned correctly and the wheel centred within the chainstays.  And this is where the fun starts...should be 15mm gap each side. Get the chain tight enough, pulling the axlenuts back, find that the wheel isn't central. Get the wheel central and the chain's slackened! Use socket wrench to tighten (having to switch clockwise/anticlockwise to tighten/untighten). Then digital caliper to measure gaps and ensure wheel centred.

And in between, the top of the telescoping bar holder (keeps the front fork and handlebars stable facing forward) keeps coming off...adding and lengthening the time it takes to what should be a simple task...

Repeat, over and over. Lost count how many times...

Hands black with chain oil - wash twice...

While we're about it, remove chainguard so we can better see what we're doing, give it a bit of a clean too, then, at last, the wheel is where I want it and I can replace the chainguard.

Bike ready to ride...

My goodness - is that the time?! One and a half hours it's taken :-((( - started at 0920, finished 1050, not the best start to the day...

So, how did the 10-20 minutes turn into one and a half hours? Maybe a bit of planning beforehand wouldn't go amiss and something to hold the chain tension and wheel position wouldn't either...What about self sealing inner tubes, tyre liners, Marathon Plus tyres - then again, had a few punctures with these last year? Learn not to underestimate how long a theoretically simple job will take...

Any ideas?

Got Me A Brommie!

So, got me a Brompton folding bike. Another off the shopping list.

Free standing - useful for parking

Fully folded with the seatpost locking the fold - a compactness unmatched
by other folders - well, those with 16 inc or greater, diametre wheels anyway.

In the opinion of many, the best folding bike - the Brompton has a cult following. Nothing else compares for compactness; there are others matching the quality and even a lot more expensive - the Moultons especially and some of the German folders, but the ingenuity of the Brompton puts it into a class of its own. The company has won numerous awards for export etc. Also, I think a bike that folds is likely to have an added level of complexity for this, so will be more expensive.

It's currently my most expensive bike - £890; for some reason, stockists don't sell them at a discount, so you cannot shop around. Mine is a basic M3L, a 3-speed, and probably the cheapest - they go up to about £1500 if you add some of the options available, like 6 speed derailleur gears, dynamo lighting etc.  There are a huge number of options: I plan on purchasing the following in the near future: a Brooks saddle (it's a scaled down one for the Brompton), Eazy Wheels for towing - the ones that come with the bike are OK for flat, indoor floors but not very good outside, and some luggage - probably the A-Bag which fits on the front. 

Other premium brand companies like and the German luggage company, Ortlieb, make products especially scaled down for this bike.

I consider it a public transport bike - I can ride to the train station, fold it up, get on the train, get off at my destination, unfold it and ride it about at wherever I've stopped off. I think this is one of its key strengths. You can enjoy days out without having to walk, use a bus or find somewhere to park if you have a car. Some people take this further and take them touring say, around Europe and this appeals so it's something I might do in the near future.

Some question the price, which does seem pretty expensive and the accessories certainly are - even I have to wonder at the prices charged. You are looking at another £400 if you want titanium bits which shaves a grand total of about 1 kg off the weight. Maybe for the man/woman who has everything including £400 in the bank they cannot think what to do with? Then again, it's evident from mine that everything is built up to a standard and specific to it - the bike itself has no generic parts - everything is scaled down to keep the bike compact - even the 3-speed hubgear, a Sturmey Archer is of modified design. This combined with what is probably low volume production goes some way to explaining the price...

Many buyers pay nearly £200 less - the 20% VAT (sales tax). This is because they buy the bike through the UK's Cycle To Work scheme whereby they can purchase any bike up to £1000 through their employer tax free and pay it off in instalments over 12 months. An incentive to get more people cycling to work, it's also an opportunity for many to indulge...and I don't blame them. I would if my employer was a member of the scheme. I believe the Brompton is a very popular purchase for those who have access to this scheme.

Mine weighs between 12-13kg as opposed to about 18-20kg+  for my Kettler full sized bikes; yet the steel frame and the bike's design give a similar ride of bikes nearly twice the weight. It rides like a full size bike. This is surprising - you may expect something so small and light to wobble all over the place, but it doesn't. Another thing I've noticed, it seems to be nippy, quite fast. I think this is down to the 50 tooth chain ring - 12 more than on my full sized bikes.

The 50 tooth chain ring - probably why the bike accelerates quickly, plus its size.

This black rubber bung thingy is a form of  suspension - acting as a
buffer between the rear of the frame and the front.

The pedals stand out as little masterpieces - they look like they've been
machined from solid blocks of aluminium and the left hand one folds
upward to reduce the width of the bike when folded - another thoughtful touch.

A chain tensioner is fitted

The standard wheels the bike comes with so you can tow
it along folded. These work OK particularly indoors on nice
flat floors, but less so outside. Brompton do the Eazi-wheels
option to make this easier. I think these should fitted as standard

The modified Stumey Archer 3 speed hubgear made by Brompton themselves.
My first 3 speed. OK, but would prefer more gears. Brompton do a 6 speed
which uses the same gear plus an extra cog/derailleur.

The two-tone colour plus the obvious quality makes it quite a looker attracting a few looks and compliments. I find this a bit surprising given that in my town, there's quite a few about - must be because the others tend to be filthy...

A coupla niggles: the tyres have to be pumped to 100psi pressure - it says on the side and they seem to lose this pressure pretty quickly, dropping to 80psi or so within a couple of days, meaning you have to pump them up more frequently. I can't help but feel that the frame's paint finish is a little delicate, picking up dings and scratches a little easier than on my other bikes. Also, not really a niggle, it's just that I'm used to my Kettlers and Gazelle which have racks and chainguards, my Brompton has neither, although a luggage rack is available as another option. So I can't carry anything and on one or two occasions, my trousers got caught in the chain. That will be the same with any bike without a rack or chainguard though.

One thing I noticed with the seatpost fully extended, is that it's just right for me, but I'm below average height/inside leg measurement (5' 7", 30"). This suggests that it would be too short for the majority of males at least, thus necessitating the purchase of the extended seatpost options, and thus extra expense - from Brompton. However, I haven't read or heard any criticisms regarding this, so maybe it's just me.

To conclude, a great little bike, amongst the best, certainly the most compact and it's popularity is no surprise. Some people have more than one. The company is also continually improving it. 

See more on the Brompton site:

Brompton

Geraldine And A Massive Sense Of Relief...

Wow - over 3 months since my last post! Well overdue for another...meaning TBM has been going for over a year.

Now, I'm not blase about bike security; but I do match the precautions taken with the length of time the bike is going to be left unattended, using the wheellock for short periods outside shops, cafes etc(which is what it's meant for) and adding a security cord for longer periods. I plan to get a D-lock in the near future too. I wouldn't leave any of my bikes anywhere overnight unless it was a purpose built area with CCTV. So, recently, I had parked the Gazelle outside a supermarket and locked it using the wheel lock attached to the bike. The location is pretty central with plenty of security and CCTV. So, I was quite comfortable leaving it where it was freestanding with just the wheel lock on whilst I did some grocery shopping.

Anyways, I do my groceries and walk back to where I parked it outside the library opposite the supermarket, and...it's gone!!! Feelings of shock and to be honest, embarrassment came over me. Now, looking for reassurance, I told myself, whomever took it would have had to carry 23kg of bike around with them because of the lock so, not exactly worth the effort. Plus, I've yet to see a bike of that type in my area, unlike say, London, and they're rare there too, not exactly the most opportune target for a bike thief. So, I go walkabout around the shopping centre and car park, expecting to see it somewhere after the thief decided it wasn't worth the effort...nothing!

Now, noting the CCTV overlooking the place I'd parked it, I go into the supermarket and ask the security guard who watches the screen/console whatever it's called if he'd seen anyone take a large black bike, and yes he had, it was someone in a bright yellow jacket; he picked it up and took it round the corner - which I took to be the back of the library/service area at the back of the shops. I go back there and cannot see anything! Intriguing...but where's my bike???

Asking about, it turns out the man in the yellow jacket (like a hi-viz vest) is another security guard/caretaker and he has some sort of shed/lockup next to the library where he's put the Gazelle. He put it there because I'd left a little black bag (nothing valuable - it cost £1, but he wasn't to know) in the basket and he feared it would be a target for thieves. Which was nice of him, but it did give me a nasty shock...

So what's Geraldine all about then?

Well, some people give their bikes a name - especially bikes like this and the security guard, full of praise for the Gazelle and reckoning it cost £2000 (it cost less than half that actually) bet that I'd christened it Geraldine; I hadn't, but I have now.

So, Geraldine it is; what's yours called?