I'm planning to take my old Brompton M3L out for some light touring (approximately 80Km). It hasn't been ridden for about a decade I think but it did have a full service just before I stopped riding it – chain looks new. It's been in the garage since then but it appears to be in pretty good condition. My Brompton back light had failed (to be expected – I didn't take the batteries out but it was the switch that had seized). Can I get please get advise on:
- What I should check before setting off (anything that may have seized etc), tyres are Shwalbe Marathon Plus. Everything is standard apart from the 'bung and clip' which was fitted as part of the service.
- Attaching the saddle bag as illustrated – I'm 6' 3'' and would normally ride with the post right out and with the telescopic section extended about 4 or so inches. But, in order to mount the bag I will have to have the post 4 inches less far out and the telescopic section 8 inches out to allow the straps to be attached – is this likely to be a problem? I'm not planning on carrying anything heavy in the bag, a few clothes and that's about it.
- Any advice or recommendations on bar ends – I would like to fit some bar ends to allow me to ride without my arms turned inwards as I think this will cause me some pain.
Many thanks for any advice you can provide. Looking forward to getting out on it again.
by swervoff
1 Comment
1) If you’re planning on folding a lot, maybe re-lube the hinges and their screws. Makes it a lot more smooth. I used WD40 for the hinges and some standard synthetic grease for the screws and have not had any problems. Im not certain that this is the right way to do it but I haven’t had any problems so far.
Also check for any loose screws and if the tires have cracks; if not, I’d ride them.
2) If theres still some part of the upper seatpost (like one and a half inches maybe, or more) left in the lower seatpost you should be perfectly fine.
3) I run Ergon GP3 L grips on my brompton, I did 80km with it in one day no problems. They are a tiny bit too long to actually fit the clamp on the handlebars (they’re clamp-on not just friction fit like yours currently), but I found that they still clamp really well nonetheless.
(Side note: I did break a brake lever clamp while trying to install one, as I moved the lever too far inwards and extended its clamp over the bend in the handlebars, which made it crack when I tightened it. If you push them just far enough that they’re not on the bend, you’ll barely have enough room to install Ergon GP3 L. The S version is shorter but I suppose if you’re tall you might have large hands aswell. So maybe keep that in mind if you choose GP3 L grips.)
You can of course just get separate bar ends as well.
Hope this helps and if you have any questions feel free to ask!