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Site last changed August 31, 2021
The Brompton Folding Bicycle FAQ
An Independent User's Guide for the world's most practical vehicle
Dedicated to Richard Lighton.
The first steps to folding wisdom
About this web site
What's it all about?
Commenting
Disclaimers
What is a folding bicycle? What is Brompton?
What is a folding bicycle?
Why is it wonderful?
What is a Brompton?
Is a Brompton really suitable for...?
Can you really ride more than 10 miles on that thing?
It's frail, isn't it?
Can tall people ride a Brompton?
Can children ride a Bromptons?
Won't it fold while riding?
Don't the brake and gear cables stretch and you need to readjust them every week?
Can you ride out of the saddle?
Is it slow?
Speeding on a Brompton
Touring on a Brompton?
All terrain Brompton?
Can you store a Brompton on a boat and not have it rust away?
Reasons not to buy a Brompton
Brompton service
Case Study by Andras Toth, March 1998
Brompton compared to other brands
Brompton compared to Bike Friday
Brompton compared to Birdy
Brompton compared to Bike Friday and Birdy
Brompton compared to Dahon
Brompton compared to Strida
Brompton compared to itself (in younger days)
Which model is meant for me?
C or L or T model
How usefull is the carrier?
3 or 5 gears
Reduced gearing
Do I need a longer or telescopic seat post?
Where can I find out more?
Paper Magazines
The Folding Society
Brompton-Talk
Brompton links
Folding bicycle links
General bicycle links
Brompton shops
Is there some advantage over getting direct from UK vs from Channell in California?
Mail order
Where can I find a second hand Brompton?
How do I inspect a second-hand Brompton?
Where to order custom parts for a Brompton
Tips, tricks & tinkering
Preventing problems - taking care of your Brompton
When you just purchased a (used) Brompton
Regular checks
Infrequent inspections (but do it sometimes!)
Riding issues
How can I go faster?
How can I improve comfort?
Changing the Brompton's gearing set-up
What are gear inches?
Is it normal for the hub gears to go "tick-tick-tick" when you pedal forward?
My heels hit those darn castors!
Waggly rear ends
Adjusting suspension
Rear mudguard too short (the mud striped back syndrom)
Loose frame clamp
Loose chainguard
Undesirable sounds
Why is the Brompton's steering sensitive?
Riding on the sidewalk - is a Brompton a children's bike?
Wobbles and top speed
Folding and unfolding issues
Handlebars suddenly flipping open while folded
Frequent Folding fosters Frame Flange Failure?
Is there a preferred gear to select before folding?
Coping with passers-by: "how much does it cost?"
Carrying or rolling issues
Techniques for carrying a folded Brompton
Stop your rear end from sagging
Put your bike on a diet
Carrying assistants
Rolling on the castors
Improving the castors
Broken castor
Bent rear castor wheel stays (L-model)
Bent front castor wheel stays (T-model)
Taking a Brompton aboard motorised transport
Ensure your luggage is not considered a bicycle...
Can we sit on a folded Brompton?
A Brompton in a bus
A Brompton in front of a bus
A Brompton in the trunk of a car
Don't lose your bits
Bromptons on commercial air flights
Packaging a Brompton - coping with evil baggage handlers
Suitcases to serve and protect a Brompton
Suitcases that turn into trailers
The traveller's dilemma
Inflatable Cases?
Floating cases
Regional information concerning folder transport
Aboard ground public transport
Covers
When and how to leave your Brompton unattended
Take your Brompton inside or leave it outside?
Forced separation - when folders not welcome
Some Bromptons are not mistaken for wheelchairs
Locks
Transporting (more) luggage with a Brompton
The Brompton rear carrier
Alternative front/rear luggage racks
Stowing luggage on the front
The Brompton front carrier block
The Brompton cloth front pannier
Brompton touring bag
Other panniers on a Brompton
Front bag jumping off: front carrier block maintenance
A laptop in the front bag
Saddle bags on a Brompton
Storage of emergency equipment inside the frame
Baby-seats on a Brompton
Dave Holladay
Trailers
Trailer reviews
S'Cargo
Bykaboose
Bike Hod
Folding cargo trailers
Child trailers
The trailer's tyres
Bicycle computers, mirrors...
Bicycle computers on a Brompton
Wireless bicycle computer on a Brompton
Bottle cage
Horns
Dog deterrents
Mirrors
Quick repairs on the roadside
Repair toolkit
Mini pump
Avoid car pumps
Fixing punctures
Changing tyres
Beautifying a Brompton
Mudguards
Damaged Brompton sticker
Paint job
National colours
Frame numbers
Warning!
There's no way back after this!
Caution: think before you tinker
Channell's bike
Maintenance at home
Removing a wheel
Rear wheel removal
Removing the rear triangle
Bike repair stand for Bromptons
How to apply the right torque?
Adjusting the stearing bearing
Disassembly of the steering column
Headset lubrification (or not)
Spare parts you may need one day
The Brompton spare packs
Spotlight on tyres
Preventing punctures
Alternative valves
Fat or slim tyres?
Alternative tyres
Tyre pressure
Tyre sizes
Spotlight on wheels (rims, spokes and hubs)
Broken spokes
Rims worn out
Alternative hubs
Loose/worn front hub
Problem
Alternative rims
Alternative wheel sizes
Building a (small) wheel
Spotlight on brakes
Stock brake effectiveness
How to improve brake power?
Brake blocks
Brake cables
Alternative brake handles
Alternative brakes
Changing brake cable routing
A little modification I made to keep water out of the brake cables
Getting the brake clearance equal
Do the 'toe in'
Spotlight on lights
What lights to I need - overviews.
Front light
Front light and standard pannier conflict
Rear light
Front spotlights
Electrical power supplies
Wiring
Where to mount a bottle dynamo?
Slipping tyre-side dynamo
Auto-engaging bottle dynamo
Blown tail lights
Spotlight on the seatpost and saddle
(Mis)using the saddle adaptor pin
Keeping it up
Getting it up or down
Crunchy sound while retracting the seatpost / stuck post
Replacing the seat post's sleeve in the frame
Keeping it straight
Telescopic seatpost
Adjusting the seat post after unfolding
Rail saddles on a telescopic seatpost
Telescopic seatpost versus long seatpost
Can one shorten a Brompton seatpost?
How to make your own telescopic seatpost!
Alternative seatposts
Comfy saddles
Spotlight on handlebars
Broken handlebars
Alternative handlebars
Rotating the handlebars
Bar ends
Handgrips
Twist-grip or other gear changer for the 5 speed hub
Stem (steering column) failure
Spotlight on the (hub) gears
Sturmey Archer
Gear calculators
Is it normal to feel a lot of resistance pedaling backwards?
Hub gear troubleshooting
Adjusting Sturmey Archer hub gears
The funny roller thing
Hub gear breakdowns
7 or more speed hub gears
Hub gear efficiency
Lubrification
1 speed
5 speed versions
Spotlight on the rear sprocket
Jammed sprocket
Replacement rear sprockets
Turning a 5 speed into a 10 speed
Is it normal that the sprocket looks loose and wobbles?
Rear derailleurs
Spotlight on the chain
When to replace the chain?
Chain lubrificants
Chain falling off while riding over bumps or while unfolding
Chain skipping in snowy/icy weather
Narrowing down to 1/2 x 3/32 chains?
Super link in the chain
Guarding the chain from road spray or yourself from greasy chains
Spotlight on the front chainring
Does the Brompton use a special crank, or can I find a suitable replacement at any decent LBS?
Is the chainring integral to the crank, or can I replace just the crank arms?
What special tool or tools do I need?
Is there also any routine servicing I should do while I have the crank arms removed?
Multiple front chainrings
Spotlight on the bottom bracket
Is maintenance required?
Geared bottom bracket - the Schlumpf Mountain Drive
Spotlight on pedals
Toe clips/clipless pedals
The Brompton folding pedal
Removing the Brompton folding pedal
The Brompton folding pedal folding too far
Genetically Modified Bromptons
Front suspension
Brompton Recumbent Conversion Kit
Leonard Rubin's UFB ("Ultimate Folding Bike" or "Super-Brompton") project
Aluminium Brompton clone?
Electrically powered Bromptons
Wish lists
Treats to ride your imagination wild
Stories featuring Bromptons (all true)
Dam(n) good
Babe magnet
All is well that ends well...
More trailer
Catastrophic failure of Brompton in traffic
Guards
Savi's SA-5 saga
The Kaidor Cruise
Brompton Adventure
The world's most southerly Brompton...
Love at first sight
More love at first sight
A really good use for a Brompton
Brought to justice
10 drawer falling cabinets
Conductorial excitement
Conductorial excitement, part 2
Morocco
Aeroplanes
Arnold conquers New York
Try a little tenderness
A little ride report.
Brommie in Hawai'
Indochina
Local Hero
A collection of silly comments from passers-by
Names of Bromptons (all truly silly)
Hardware IDs
The roots of Brompton itself
The Brompton patent
Variations
The Brompton Folding Bicycle FAQ