Hi all,
I’m hoping to get some advice on an older Brompton I own (roughly 20 years old). I recently had it fully serviced at Condor Cycles in London — they did a great job overall and mentioned at the time that the hinge pins couldn’t be replaced during that visit due to time constraints, but suggested I bring it back on a future occasion.
Now, I’ve taken it to another Brompton specialist (on your bike), and they’ve told me that the hinge pins can’t be replaced, essentially saying the frame is too old or potentially worn beyond safe service.
That said, Condor seemed confident that the pins could be replaced. I’ve attached a couple of photos showing the hinge area — the pins have never been replaced before, and while there’s a bit of play when the bike is folded, there’s no movement at all when riding or when the frame is locked open.
Has anyone had experience replacing hinge pins on older Bromptons? Is it actually feasible with the right jig and technician? Or is there a known threshold where the frame becomes too risky to service?
Would really appreciate any thoughts before I go any further with this — thanks in advance.
by Emergency_Capital227
2 Comments
They should be replaceable
Brompton do different diameters to account for/ allow for wear
Yes, you just need the short wheelbase (SWB) version which is the exact same length as the current handlebar stem hinge pin. They come in 3 different diameters and you need a special tool and reamer for the job which not every Brompton workshop has but Condor, Brompton Junction and Lunar Cycles can definitely do the job. Without taking it apart the mechanic can’t tell if it’s salvageable so there’s a risk that after the pin has been removed they might tell you that it’s too worn and in that case you will need a new main frame (+ lots of other things)
[YouTube video of how it’s done](https://youtu.be/1BTu-FyW-mI)