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.