Still thinking about getting a Brompton but this is a supposed bike path/park path in my city. This is part of my commute to work. There are many irregular paths like this that are poorly paved, tree roots underneath the path and potholes.
Really like the fold of a Brompton but I don’t know if it’s better to get a 20 inch folder because of this. I would like to store it in my small apartment, under my desk at work and put it in my car for trips.
I rented a Brompton for a day, felt I was watching the road intensely for any irregularities to avoid cause of the bumpiness. But I don’t know if the bumpiness was cause of how old and unmaintained the rental was or whether tire pressure was not optimal, or just nature of 16 inch wheels.
superfoodtown on
You are good, just don’t hit the big part
superfoodtown on
You are fine just don’t hit the big part
TrunkMonkey3054 on
My regular commute finishes on a cobble stone laneway – which makes your path look like an airport runway.
So no, it isn’t poor terrain for a Brompton – but is does require a little bit of setup to make it comfortable.
Here are my suggestions:
1. Put all your gear into a bag that sits on the **front luggage block** (most important) the weight out front helps smooth the ride on any variety of trails
2. Check and adjust **tyre pressure** weekly. You may find 90% or 80% tyre pressure more comfortable for that stretch. Then again you need to balance that with the rest of your trip that may be on smoother trails.
3. Depending on your weight you may want try a different **suspension block** on the rear triangle. I would guess a rental comes with the firm suspension block as standard.
4. Consider a **Brooks sprung saddle** like the B17 Flyer. They are still quite firm, but take out some of the vibration. Also you wont wear out your pants as fast. Many benefits to a Brooks saddle!
5. **Rent a 20 inch folder** and see if it is any different? I suspect it wont be. If anything you will probably be slower, and have to exert more effort to cover the distance you would on a Brompton.
tenoreco on
Tire pressure in general
Consider for overall wheel stresses and best handling, it is best to match Brompton tire pressure to rider/cargo weight. For examples, 150 pound rider = approx. 75 psi, while a 240 pound rider = approx. 100+ psi. Plus or minus 10 psi from the “ideal” pressure is reasonable, based on ride conditions, such as wet/rain, ice, loose grit, rough/smooth pavement, temperature, …
5 Comments
Still thinking about getting a Brompton but this is a supposed bike path/park path in my city. This is part of my commute to work. There are many irregular paths like this that are poorly paved, tree roots underneath the path and potholes.
Really like the fold of a Brompton but I don’t know if it’s better to get a 20 inch folder because of this. I would like to store it in my small apartment, under my desk at work and put it in my car for trips.
I rented a Brompton for a day, felt I was watching the road intensely for any irregularities to avoid cause of the bumpiness. But I don’t know if the bumpiness was cause of how old and unmaintained the rental was or whether tire pressure was not optimal, or just nature of 16 inch wheels.
You are good, just don’t hit the big part
You are fine just don’t hit the big part
My regular commute finishes on a cobble stone laneway – which makes your path look like an airport runway.
So no, it isn’t poor terrain for a Brompton – but is does require a little bit of setup to make it comfortable.
Here are my suggestions:
1. Put all your gear into a bag that sits on the **front luggage block** (most important) the weight out front helps smooth the ride on any variety of trails
2. Check and adjust **tyre pressure** weekly. You may find 90% or 80% tyre pressure more comfortable for that stretch. Then again you need to balance that with the rest of your trip that may be on smoother trails.
3. Depending on your weight you may want try a different **suspension block** on the rear triangle. I would guess a rental comes with the firm suspension block as standard.
4. Consider a **Brooks sprung saddle** like the B17 Flyer. They are still quite firm, but take out some of the vibration. Also you wont wear out your pants as fast. Many benefits to a Brooks saddle!
5. **Rent a 20 inch folder** and see if it is any different? I suspect it wont be. If anything you will probably be slower, and have to exert more effort to cover the distance you would on a Brompton.
Tire pressure in general
Consider for overall wheel stresses and best handling, it is best to match Brompton tire pressure to rider/cargo weight. For examples, 150 pound rider = approx. 75 psi, while a 240 pound rider = approx. 100+ psi. Plus or minus 10 psi from the “ideal” pressure is reasonable, based on ride conditions, such as wet/rain, ice, loose grit, rough/smooth pavement, temperature, …