The first thing I did when I got my new LightweightH6LXBrompton was to order a new set of larger easy wheels (At first the original plastic ones, but now with metal wheels), and a double set for my mudguard + a set of carbon clamps for my titanium struts. I intend to give it a the axle shown in the film, with the axle to be extended, and to make it stand.
Excellent video, very helpful! So many choices and videos showing wheels and racks but very few if any address clearance, balance, etc. It would be have been helpful to also include a demonstration of wheeling and steering the rack. Do you know how the Litepro rack compares with Brompton's rack?
At the price the Brompton is selling, there is no excuse not to think of those "glitches". Not only the suspension block would hit the ground when folded, same problem for the left handle grip.
I have just ordered a set of 10 cm easywheels from A.E. China, and now waits for them to arrive. It will give more clearance from the ground when folded.
And my extension axle is aluminium with a carbon tube in the middle, for less weight (I am a 100 kilo man, so it doesn't matter that much, but just for the fun of it! 😁
I really don't know why Brompton don't use Omni wheels.... or even design their own as the only Q mark is durability. They really do work very well. They allow for the bike to be steered while pushing is around. The little wheel on the back of the mudguard is rubbish, quite frankly.
tnx for the video. What kind of wheels did you mount at the top of the bike? When the camera shift up, there is a short view to another pair of easy wheels al the framework
Since the sixties, when the bike was invented, they have made bikes which are likely to be scratched at several points during use, if you don't buy extra plates and parts for its protection. I have lately written to Brompton in England and asked: Why they don't do anything about it, as they know about those places and have put - small ridiculous pieces of "clear tape" at those. But they seems not to care at all (as a former owner of a new 1966 BMC Mini, I'm not at all amazed, because it was the most lousy produced car ever seen!). When I got mine I immediately gave it a car polish all over, and found out that after only two folds, the one tape had mostly worn through, to be covered by a shell for protection. I ordered those as a first, and now have my bike properly protected.
In total Brompton has made less than 1 million bikes in all these years. Only now they can produce 80.000 bikes/year, 5 years ago they were making 40.000/year and 20 years ago 10-15 thousand.
Keep in mind, larger EZ wheels mean a larger folded size. Brompton may be trying to keep size at absolute minimum to fit in regular size luggage (avoid paying airline oversize charges). In the US, regular size luggage is limited to 62 inches combined girth (L + W + H). For example, a 2022 C-Line Explorer 6-speed measures 26" x 23" x 11" (each dimension rounded up to the next inch), which equals 60 inches. That only leaves 2 girth inches for the thickness of the luggage walls, which is cutting it pretty close! I don't think Brompton are dumb. Engineering has its trade-offs.
I assume there's some thing about not changing the original design of the bike written into the designers wishes. I can only imagine, being an English man, knowing these sort of guys, the original bike can't be altered. Hence these non contemporary options. Which has pros, and cons, obviously.
Thanks for this Video. I exchanged those crappy " uneasy wheels" for big Rollerblade wheels straight away..Problem solved. But it's a shame that such an expensive bike should feature completely useless transportation wheels in the first place....
The first thing I did when I got my new LightweightH6LXBrompton was to order a new set of larger easy wheels (At first the original plastic ones, but now with metal wheels), and a double set for my mudguard + a set of carbon clamps for my titanium struts. I intend to give it a the axle shown in the film, with the axle to be extended, and to make it stand.
Excellent video, very helpful! So many choices and videos showing wheels and racks but very few if any address clearance, balance, etc. It would be have been helpful to also include a demonstration of wheeling and steering the rack.
Do you know how the Litepro rack compares with Brompton's rack?
At the price the Brompton is selling, there is no excuse not to think of those "glitches". Not only the suspension block would hit the ground when folded, same problem for the left handle grip.
I have just ordered a set of 10 cm easywheels from A.E. China, and now waits for them to arrive. It will give more clearance from the ground when folded.
And my extension axle is aluminium with a carbon tube in the middle, for less weight (I am a 100 kilo man, so it doesn't matter that much, but just for the fun of it! 😁
Also I have changed the wheel axle on the fork, to titanium.
I really don't know why Brompton don't use Omni wheels.... or even design their own as the only Q mark is durability. They really do work very well. They allow for the bike to be steered while pushing is around. The little wheel on the back of the mudguard is rubbish, quite frankly.
Yep Saves grounding out
Great, informative video, thank you.
tnx for the video. What kind of wheels did you mount at the top of the bike? When the camera shift up, there is a short view to another pair of easy wheels al the framework
Those are alternative screws for the hinge clamps of the folding mechanism. I know them as „H&H Brompton Sheel clamp“.
Why is Brompton not addressing this problem? Millions of such bikes were sold.
Since the sixties, when the bike was invented, they have made bikes which are likely to be scratched at several points during use, if you don't buy extra plates and parts for its protection. I have lately written to Brompton in England and asked: Why they don't do anything about it, as they know about those places and have put - small ridiculous pieces of "clear tape" at those. But they seems not to care at all (as a former owner of a new 1966 BMC Mini, I'm not at all amazed, because it was the most lousy produced car ever seen!). When I got mine I immediately gave it a car polish all over, and found out that after only two folds, the one tape had mostly worn through, to be covered by a shell for protection. I ordered those as a first, and now have my bike properly protected.
In total Brompton has made less than 1 million bikes in all these years. Only now they can produce 80.000 bikes/year, 5 years ago they were making 40.000/year and 20 years ago 10-15 thousand.
Keep in mind, larger EZ wheels mean a larger folded size. Brompton may be trying to keep size at absolute minimum to fit in regular size luggage (avoid paying airline oversize charges). In the US, regular size luggage is limited to 62 inches combined girth (L + W + H). For example, a 2022 C-Line Explorer 6-speed measures 26" x 23" x 11" (each dimension rounded up to the next inch), which equals 60 inches. That only leaves 2 girth inches for the thickness of the luggage walls, which is cutting it pretty close! I don't think Brompton are dumb. Engineering has its trade-offs.
I assume there's some thing about not changing the original design of the bike written into the designers wishes. I can only imagine, being an English man, knowing these sort of guys, the original bike can't be altered. Hence these non contemporary options.
Which has pros, and cons, obviously.
Thanks for this Video. I exchanged those crappy " uneasy wheels" for big Rollerblade wheels straight away..Problem solved. But it's a shame that such an expensive bike should feature completely useless transportation wheels in the first place....