My new Brompton rear wheel with wide range Sturmey Archer hub arrived today along with a new front wheel.
The wheels are both the new double walled type that were introduced for 2013 bikes. First impressions are good. They look better than my old wheels however saying that the original wheels have been on many adventures.
A lovely new hub |
No pressure washers for this one - ever! |
Everyone seems to say that the new rims are slightly heavier than the old ones. I don't have a suitable scale which I could weigh them on but if anything, they feel ever so slightly lighter to me. I could of course be wrong.
That double walled rims do look pretty good |
I have put both of the wheels on and taken the bike for a short spin around the block. The bikes does feel pretty good and the gear change is back to what I remember it being before suing pressure washers, degreasers and what have you. Never again I tell thee!
The rim tape is different too. It is yellow for a start, instead of the blue we were all used to. It is also a much better fit. I have been told that Brompton will eventually use a fabric rim tap at some point but this is a step in the right direction.
Putting my London Edition Marathon Plus tyres on to these new rims was easy. There really wasn't the huge struggle putting them on these new rims when compared to my old ones. Putting Marathon tyres on was not easy and this can only be a good thing especially if one is unlucky and gets puncture out in the field. Performing this task will be easier.
Another purchase was a new M-type handlebar and the new 2013 back foam grips. I bought these I intend to replace my current brake levers, which are now quite rattly. They say that you should change your handlebars after every three years or so many thousand miles - probably not really needed. I took the view that if I fitted some new brake levers and grips I may as well go the whole hog.
I have not decided whether I will be getting the new Brompton brake levers, the version they replace or a different make. I will need to think about this a little more. The only other jobs I need to do is to replace the gear and derailer cables, replaced the bottom bracket and perhaps the chain set. I will again have to deliberate more about whether I do this.
With a new Orange Titanium Brompton on the way you might be asking why I am spending money on my old bike? Well, I don't really want this original Brompton to go to seed. I want it maintained and remain as up to date as I can. It is my intention to use this Brompton on journeys I don't want to take the gorgeous Titanium one on. The addition of the new wheels has already given this bike a new lease of life and long may it continue.
Now you look after this hub properly now you hear me :P
ReplyDeleteThe manual says the aluminum parts, such as the handlebars, should be replaced at 5000 miles or earlier if they are subjected to hard use. There's a support bar they make for the M handlebars that takes the stress off them and allows for a much longer life (although 5000 miles seems pretty long in the first place.) I put the support on my Brompton because I thought I could use it to mount my iPhone. Turns out the thing is too thin for a decent mount but now I guess my handlebars will last just about forever.
ReplyDeleteThere is a light bracket available that would be thick enough for an iphone mount but probably not long enough. Mounting to the bar itself should be ok but would need adjusting to not interupt the fold as would a space saver although this may have the same problem.
DeleteI've just ordered new hinge clamps from Brompfication as I figured the 6 year old / 10,000 mile clamps might be liable to break... Oh, handlebars you say? I've got Race Face MTB bars - wanted the 23" width - on my S-Type. Is this an excuse to get some new carbon bars?
ReplyDeleteHi I just bought my 2013 m6 brompton and I have a feeling that I don't have the new 2013 rims on it is there that I can see the key difference between the two? Thanks Nicholas
ReplyDeleteHave a look at my pics. The new rims are much better. I hoe that you do have them!
DeleteI have noticed you did not buy the ultralight front wheel...but hsve just seen on the Brompton website that the ultralight is listed.....out of stock indefinitely....does this mean there have been more failures of the hub...or is it the rim...do you know and what will you end up with on your titanium bike
ReplyDeleteHello. I didn't buy the ultralight front wheel for my original bike as I wanted to keep things as original as possible. One did however come with my Titanium bike as standard. It is a brilliant wheel. You can buy the wheel if you look around. As for the availability of Titanium Brompton bikes, there is a shortage of ti parts. This has happened before and after a few months they are back. Hopefully this will be the case. Luckily owning a Titanium Brompton I won't be effected.
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