Brompton Rolling Wheels Upgrade, Pt. 2

As you recall, I upgraded the original rolling wheels that come with the Brompton to roller blade wheels as covered here: http://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2009/03/roller-blade-wheels-upgrade-for.html In that post, I mentioned that I was looking for some larger diameter wheels because the roller blade wheels did not allow you to roll the bike. Well, I finally found some reasonably priced Razor Scooter http://www.razor.com/ 98mm wheels that I installed on the Brompton. I paid $3 for them. You can also get them at regular price at a toy store like Toys R Us for around $10.

The installation was pretty simple. Each of the Razor wheels come with two bearings. You simply remove one of the bearings since the Brompton screw is not long enough to encompass both bearings. I did not tighten the screw too much.

How did the upgrade work? Good. I am now able to roll the bike via the fully extended saddle seatpost, but only by pushing it forward. I had visions of pulling the bike like upright luggage with pull-out handles, but that doesn’t work. Pushing it forward also has its quirks as the bike wants to lean one way as the load is not evenly balanced. It helps to hold the saddle with two hands as you push forward so you can control it from tipping to the right. As with the other roller blade wheels, there is no interference with heel strike.

Overall, I’m satisfied with the new wheels. Pushing the bike forward saves you from lifting the bike say across a lobby or tight spaces where you can’t or shouldn’t ride. Looking at the wheels takes some getting used to since they are bigger and a lighter color than the old ones. Maybe I’m not used to them being on the Brompton. They just look huge.

Here’s the bottom line with this upgrade:

Pros:
1) Able to roll the bike (only by pushing forward, though)
2) No heel strike issues
3) Low cost
4) Wheels can be found most everywhere

Cons:
1) Bike wants to lean one way as you’re pushing forward

Dumped! By Snow, That Is.

Ugh! As I type this, I am seeing some snow flurries out my window. The forecasters have predicted 1-2 inches for today in the immediate Washington DC metro area. In years past, such a snowfall would have generated much excitement. This year, it’s just a nuisance. You see, we’ve gotten around 56 inches of snow this season.

I read somewhere that we’ve gotten more snow than Buffalo or Cleveland this year. Even more, it has not warmed up enough to melt some of the snow that has fallen. It hardens by the sides of the road or in mounds of ice on the street. These mounds are very dangerous to maneuver by bike so I’ve been relying on public transit to get to work. Only the major thoroughfares have been plowed/cleared and I mostly take the side streets to avoid cars breathing down my rear tire. Maybe I’ll consider studded tires next year if we have another winter like this. I’m sure if I order studded tires tonight, it won’t snow again this season.

This is what your typical residential street looks like 3 days after the last major storm. Only one lane is somewhat paved and it's only good for one car.

Miscellaneous Bike Stuff For Sale.

Ah, this bike hobby of mine. Pros: great fun, exercise, wind in your face. A definite con: buying a lot of bike stuff that you end up never using. Hence the purpose of this post.

I’m selling the following bike stuff that I need to unload. Most of the stuff is either new or used once. Email me to arrange payment. I take paypal, money order, personal check (must clear before I mail), cash. Prices include shipping in the continental U.S. If I need to ship to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or the territories, email me before hand and I’ll tell you how much extra to send me to cover the additional shipping charges.


Downtube 8H front suspension fork $40 ***SOLD***


I took this off my 2009.5 Downtube 8H, 1 1/8" diameter, threaded, for a 20" wheel, 100mm wide, can accomodate disc brakes as well. Nothing wrong with it, I just felt it didn't have the bounciness of the older DT forks. I rode this fork for about 200 miles. Actual weight of the fork is 3lbs 4oz (for the weight weenies out there). Some further specs are shown in the pix.

NEW Bern Muse Helmet size Large $40 ***SOLD***

Brand new helmet. Never worn it. Still has original tags. A little too big for my melon. Color is brown. A small Bern logo in front is pink, which suggests it is for women, but if you scrape that off (Presto!) it’s a man’s helmet. Bern helmets look really cool; not like traditional bike helmets.

NEW Ergon GX3 Bar Ends $65 ***SOLD***

Never got a suitable bike to install these on. Still in original packaging. From the description on the package: New for 2009 the GX3 introduces a longer full size race bar end. Featuring rubberized anti-slip inlays, the lightweight ergonomic shape provides enough room for the whole hand. The use of advanced materials keeps weight to a minimum, while the user benefits from an additional hand position, and increased leverage when climbing. Glass fiber Composite Bar end. MSRP=$84.99.

Terry Fly Titanium White Men's Bike Saddle, $75 ***SOLD***

Got this for a roadbike that I still haven’t bought yet. Still in original packaging and haven’t installed it to any of my bikes. From the box: Terry Precision Fly men's bike saddles feature a textured leather cover and a center cutaway to reduce pressure. Flat across top. High-density support foam in rear. Color: White. Weight: 255 grams.


NEW Schwinn 12 function bike computer $12

Never opened. Everyone needs one of these.









Specialized Dolce Leather Saddle $25

Has the ergonomic center cutout. Cromoly hollow rails. 6 1/2” width at it’s widest part, 10 ¼” length. Black leather. Tried this saddle on my Brompton and did not work for me.

Best Mirror for the Brompton

As I’ve mentioned before, I really like the Mirrycle bar end mirror (http://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2008/08/review-of-mirrycle-mirror-best-mirror.html). However, I can’t really install it on the Brompton because I tend to fold and unfold the bike many times. I guess it would work if the Brommie was never in a folded state.

I'd like to recommend the Zefal spin handlebar mirror (MSRP $19.99). The Zefal spin gives you a smaller “window” to look behind, though. It’s a compromise you make for having a mirror on a folding bike. Another positive is that you can fold the mirror “in” and, when you unfold it out, it tends to stay at your personal viewing angle. Finally, folding the mirror in does not interfere with folding/unfolding the Brompton.

Give the Zefal spin a try. I think you’ll like it for your Brompton or other folding bike. (Tag: Review of the Zefal spin handlebar mirror.)

Brompton vs. Dahon Mu (folded state ONLY)

Alice got herself a Dahon Mu P8. Thought I'd post some pix of my Brompton compared to the Mu. The Brompton wins as it has a more compact, elegant package. It's not a total blowout, though. Keep in mind that the Mu comes with slightly bigger 20" wheels. Maybe if I get a chance to babysit this MU I'll give it a full review. Enjoy!

Bike saddle protection: Target bags rock!

As I’ve mentioned before, I leave my bike outside the subway station while I spend my (typically) 9 to 5 day at the office. With my bike exposed to the elements, I usually cover my saddle with some sort of plastic cover to primarily avoid moisture from rain. I was trying shower caps for a while and they worked well, but the moisture caused the elastic part to lose its elasticity. This would cause the wind to blow the cap away. I would get these shower caps for free when staying at hotels.

After a while, I ran out of shower caps. I even bought a fancier one at the dollar store which also sagged out from the elastic part. So, I decided to go with the free plastic bags that you get at the grocery store. These are ok, but the plastic is thin and tears easily. And, some of the bags have predefined holes at the bottom (huh?). I don’t know why some have these, but maybe the manufacturers put them there so air can escape when packing them.

One bag doesn’t have these problems: the Target stores bag. These are thicker than your typical grocery store bag and they don’t come with holes. Best of all they’re free. The thickness of the plastic makes these bags last a long time.

New dedicated commuter: Review of 2009 Novara Fusion

Woo hoo! Got a new ride! Found this at REI and the folks there let me apply a coupon. MSRP is $899, but I paid a little over $700 with tax. I think this is going to be my modus operandi: buy a new bike at a significant discount, ride it awhile, then sell it for what you paid for it or make a little profit(!). Lather, rinse and repeat. Ride a new bike for free or get paid for doing it! Anyway, on to the review…

This bike is like a tricked out Mercedes Benz. It’s got little accoutrements (big word, huh?) that make it stand out from other Internally Geared Hub (IGH) or city commuting bikes. A MBenz has things like heated seats, wipers on the headlights, air conditioned glove boxes, etc. Same with the Fusion. This bike has things like a bell in the brake levers, leather wrapped grips, dynamo power light...I like the color of this bike, which REI calls “Espresso”.

THE RIDE: Even though the bike is heavy (mine weighs 33 lbs), it can really roll fast. This may have to do with the 700x32 Vittoria Randonneur thin tires. You give it one pedal stroke and off you go. The drawback to the speed is that the ride is kinda rough. You’re better off sticking to pavement primarily. I am a fan of front suspensions because I do a lot of curb jumping, cutting through parking lots, and basically encountering many potholes or dips in city asphalt. I may have to ride this bike when I’m fairly sure I’ll be sticking to city streets and more “traditional” commutes.

To improve the harshness of the ride I will swap out the very nice leather saddle, which my sit bones do not agree with. And, look into Ergo or other ergonomic grips that will allow me to absorb the bumps from the front. The leather grips that come with this bike sure look nice, but don’t provide any padding at all. I would do padded gloves but, 1) I’m always in a hurry and can’t find them quickly enough and 2) I’m not sure there are any full finger padded gloves for cold weather riding.

SHIMANO NEXUS 8 HUB: My Fuji Kyoto had the Nexus 7, which was a great introduction to IGHs. When you compare the Nexus 8 to the Nexus 7, the 8 is quieter and allows you to shift when pedaling. When you shifted the 7, you pretty much had to be not pedaling or stopped. If you didn’t, you would be greeted with a significant clunking noise. This Nexus 8 is much smoother. Of course you get 1 extra gear, which increases the range. This bike comes with trigger rapidfire shifters, which psychologically may suggest that the shifting is more precise than the 7 on the Kyoto, which uses twist shifters. The 46T front crankset with the 20T rear cog gives this bike very good granny gearage for my area, which is hilly. As I’ve mentioned before, IGHs are great for city riding because they allow you to shift while stopping.

DISC BRAKES: I am anxious to try these brakes on a rainy commute. Rim brakes work good in most situations, but rain and other noxious weather is where disc brakes shine. I googled another review of the Fusion http://www.readingfordummies.com/blog/archives/2009/03/08/novara_fusion_update.html and there was a concern that some water/ice could pool in the cable housing below the bottom bracket (where the rear brake cable runs) in subfreezing commutes. This could cause the rear brakes to not engage. I don’t think I’ll have a problem with this since I usually tend to favor the front brake when stopping. And, the weather here is not so bad that it freezes AND precipitates. This only happens a few times per year. We’re such wimps in cold weather here that I think that all schools and employees are usually given the day off in such conditions. Still, this could be a mass tort lawsuit waiting to happen for REI.

LIGHTS: The front Basta Pilot halogen light is powered by a dynamo hub in the front. When rolling, the the top light illuminates and there is a circular ring of leds that flash on/off. Very nice. Again, the light is meant more for cars to see you rather than to fully light your way forward. If you do a lot of night riding, I would invest in a good LED setup to supplement this Basta light. The bottom part of this light seems to be a reflector only. There are 3 positions for the switch in this light. 1=off 2=on and 3=on. There is no difference between positions 2 and 3. I’ve tried them both and the light output and flashing seem the same. Anyone out there have the same experience?

The rear fender has a light sensitive blinkie that comes on in low light conditions. It is battery powered. It works! The flashing is not that bright, but should give you some visibility to cars and such. I will also supplement a good Planet Bike blinkie so that cars are sure to see you.

SUMMARY: This is a fine, dedicated commuter that is outfitted very nicely. Time will tell how it holds up as I pile on the miles.

PROS: Speediness, IGH, Fenders, Dynamo Powered light, Stock Blinkie light, Disc brakes, Bell, Color scheme

CONS: Weight, Stiff ride, No Chainguard, Stock Saddle