So it quickly turned out I needed more ground clearance and less rolling resistance for my MY 2025 C Line rack. But when researching, I quickly got intimidated by confusing details on wheel sizes, wheel types, bearings, rubber properties, obsolete rack versions, required hardware, bike stability, pedal clearance, parking brake function.
As it turns out, these are all non-issues, yet I do not remember a single tutorial saying (bypassing Reddit’s numbered-list bug):
Step 1 – Simply buy two pairs of 80 mm G Line roller wheels (part# Q103695).
Step 2 – Fit them in five minutes using the included screws and a 5 mm allen key.
Step 3 – Enjoy your bike as if nothing had changed.
… which is why I am posting it here.
At €40 per pair the wheels aren’t cheap, but neither is the bike. The Brompton now just zips along through the grocery store on its sealed roller bearings, the standard seat post (with its almost new bung) still reaches the ground with about 5 mm to spare. The entire wheel assembly is only 5 mm wider than the original one (screw head to screw head), so no heel strikes. I also like that my Brompton's understated look remains virtually unchanged. It’s like the wheels had always been there – which raises the question: Why weren’t they?
I am quite pleased so far. Let me know of any different experiences.
by darehitori
4 Comments
Can confirm. Faffing around with abysmal quality Ali wheels is not worth the excitment. I have learned along the way that Brompton original parts are worth the asking price. They just work as intended.
Will this fit a 2021 C line?
You can get big roller wheels for £10-20 on Aliexpress so I don’t think you need the GLine ones. Roller wheels aren’t something that’s at risk of catastrophic failure.
The engineering of it is debatable but you can also get an extension bar to set on the wheel slots to raise the bike up even further, and push out one wheel further horizontally to add stability.
For £40 you can get big omniwheels, which will also let you turn your bike without picking it up. At the cost of adding a notable clacking sound to the roll.
The standard wheels aren’t great, but Eazy wheels work fine too and are cheaper and smaller so even less chance of heel-strike.