1 2 3 4 levels

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? And why not? Pro's & con's of small wheeled bicycles Hub vs. derailleur gears 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? Yes but I'm really heavy... Frame material Can tall people ride a Brompton? Honking up a hill 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 A to B Velo Vision The Folding Society Brompton-Talk Brompton links Folding bicycle links General bicycle links Brompton shops USA & world UK Japan Denmark The Netherlands Belgium Germany Italy Australia Taiwan If you're close to the Far East 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 Retension spokes Toss out abbrasive brake blocks Grease Regular checks Basic brake care Infrequent inspections (but do it sometimes!) Replace the brake cables Check the handlebars Check the frame clamps Check for frame cracks Check for loose pivot bolts Check the front carrier block Check suspenion block pretension Check rim thickness Check for handlebar cracks Grease the front hub and tighten its cones Riding issues How can I go faster? Rolling resistance tests Suspension versus efficieny (biopacing?) 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 Localising the nosiy culprit Clanking Squeaking Creaking Cracking Ticking Clicking Screaming or scraping Rattles from the rear Noise from the front Silencing a whiny generator 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 Collapsable luggage racks Straps to help you carry a Brompton Bags to carry a Brompton Rolling on the castors Improving the castors Removing the original castors - they're stuck! Alternative castors Using improved 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 Legal matter - is it still a bicycle? Don't lose your bits The problem The cure Another bit not to loose Bromptons on commercial air flights Testimonials In the cargo, do I need to let some of the air out of my tyres to prevent them from bursting? 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 Belgium France Germany Netherlands UK Hungary Europe USA 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 Stowing luggage on the rear carrier The rear carrier's bungee straps Weight capacity Heal hindrance Adding a rear carrier to an L-model Reparing the carrier Alternative front/rear luggage racks Stowing luggage on the front The Brompton front carrier block The Brompton cloth front pannier Is it waterproof? Making it waterproof 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 Bicycle computer technology Wireless bicycle computer on a Brompton Wireless bicycle computer installation Bottle cage Horns Air Zound 2 Dog deterrents Mirrors Quick repairs on the roadside Repair toolkit Mini pump Pre-2000 Bromptons MK3 Brompton's mini-pump Alternative mini-pumps 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 I've taken out the allen bolt to remove the stem - now what? It's as solid Headset lubrification (or not) Spare parts you may need one day The Brompton spare packs Spotlight on tyres Preventing punctures Is it worse on a Brompton? Cause analysis Airless tyres (Greentyre): a scientific analysis Summary of cures Tyre liners (Mr. Tuffy and allies) Slime Airless tyres Tyre pressure Time Insanity Alternative valves Fat or slim tyres? Alternative tyres Schwalbe Brompton Mk3 tyre Riding feeling Do slicks slip? Which one is quicker? Which one lives longest? How do they resist punctures? How hard is puncture repair? How do they cope with tyre-side bottle dynamo's? Is there a difference between Primo and Pr1mo? Tyre pressure Optimal pressure Maximal pressure How does over inflation contribute to rim failure? Tyre sizes Spotlight on wheels (rims, spokes and hubs) Broken spokes The problem Replacement spokes The cure? Rim design: is the spoke angle wrong? Rims worn out Victim's accounts Explanations (anodized rims, brake blocks etc.) Alternative hubs Pantour suspension front hub Loose/worn front hub Problem Cure: adjust for wear & grease the bearings occasionally Ditch the cage New bearings Alternative front hub Alternative rims Alternative wheel sizes Building a (small) wheel Spotlight on brakes Stock brake effectiveness How to improve brake power? Brake blocks Alternative brake blocks Brake cables Break not brake (old models) Replacing the brake cable (old models) Replacing brake cables (new models) Alternative brake handles Alternative brakes Better calipers? Dual-pivot brakes Fitting the Brompton dual pivot brake upgrade V-brakes Magura hydraulic rim brakes Coaster brake Hub brake 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 How visible is the light while the bag is fitted? Front light lens falls off Rear light Front spotlights Electrical power supplies Battery power Batteries versus original Brompton lights Tyre-side bottle dynamo power Rim-side bottle dynamo Bottom bracket dynamo Hub dynamo (BromSON) Dynamo charged battery backup 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 Is tightening the quick release seat clamp bad? Getting it up or down Crunchy sound while retracting the seatpost / stuck post Removing rust spots from the seat post The rubber bong: an invention to keep your seat post clean 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 Ultralight Titanium seatposts Carbon fibre seat post Comfy saddles Terry Brooks Spotlight on handlebars Broken handlebars Victim's accounts Theories The different faces of Aluminium (scientific) Cures 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 Failure design Hub internals explained 7 or more speed hub gears Hub gear efficiency Why is highest and lowest gear in a 5 speed less efficient than highest and lowest in a 3 speed? Lubrification 1 speed 5 speed versions Spotlight on the rear sprocket Jammed sprocket Replacement rear sprockets Lighter Bigger 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 White Lightning Chain falling off while riding over bumps or while unfolding What to do when it happens Why it happens and how to avoid it 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 Channell Wasson designed and sells a front derailleur kit for the Brompton. Can Channell's setup be made to accommodate TRIPLE rings? 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 Versus soles 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