Tuesday 25 June 2013

Titanium Orange Brompton Evolving Slowly...

I bought this bike because I have always wanted a Titanium version. I bought the M-type as I wanted something that was an all rounder and I loved the classic, almost timeless shape. My Titanium Orange Brompton is slowly but surely evolving.

First I changed the pedals to clipped in. The Shimano M780's are quite lightweight and more or less the same weight as the original Brompton pedals...perhaps even a tad lighter.

Next the saddle. The 530g Brooks was replaced by a Specialized racing saddle that saved me over 300g. I have to say that this saddle is surprisingly comfortable! It's titanium rails allow a certain amount of flex that keep things stiff but allow vibrations to be dampened. It is quite effective in this regard. In addition to this gel sacs are strategically placed at vital areas to add further help.









Today I changed the standard Marathon tyres that I ordered with this bike and replaced them with the slick Kojak tyres I had bought and only used once at the indoor Nocturne. When I had finished fitting them the bike felt very light when compared to my Original Orange Brompton. (And that was with the Hope Vision 1 front light and Garmin Edge 510 attached).










Going out on a little test run the bike felt fast, nimble and a different animal to what it had been before. The Kojaks grip the road well and the reduced rolling resistance is palpable with each turn of the pedals. They also reduce the weight by 400g.















As for the pedals I have to report that I really, really like them. It is still a bit of a learning curve but when going back to the standard pedals on my Original Orange Brompton they don't feel right somehow?











The next step will I suspect for me to take the mudguards and front carrier block off. This will reduce the overall weight by a small amount but it will create less drag.

This is all quite ridiculous I know with all this weight watching but this is quite an addictive game. Will it all male me faster? Almost certainly not!! I do wonder however whether when I next try to ascend something like Ditchling Beacon or tackle the 120 miles of the infamous Dunwich Dynamo whether carrying less weight will assist me? I think it will.

The data for my test run is as follows:

Time: 23:09.02

Distance: 6.47 miles

Average speed: 16.77

Maximum speed: 27.84 mph

Calories: 514

Ascent: 164 metres

7 comments:

  1. Hi I will be interested in how you get on removing the mud guards, I intended removing them for the London Nocturne only to find that the front mud guard stay and the clip to hold the front folded are entwined, and as I was traveling down on public transport I felt the fold was more important than the weight saving, so the guards went back on.

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    1. Hello there. As I just wrote in reply to another comment you can buy the nylon hook specially made for non mudguard Brompton bikes. Makes all the difference.

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  2. Nice. Beware of taking the mudguards off... it makes the bike very unstable when just the rear wheel is folded. Mine tipped over 4 or 5 times this weekend after taking the rear rack and mudguard off. I'll be putting those back on ASAP.

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    1. Hello Fernando. Many thanks for the advice. I had mudguards off for a while when I had my raw Lacquer S2L. Found that all was okay as far a stability went. (Did you get the nylon hook that is specially made for non mudguard Brompton bikes)?

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  3. For the pedals: there are several options to get pedals that work with AND without a cleat under your sole. With the M780 you can only use your Brompton with cleats. And there are clip less pedals out there that could be removed (MKS) - also a nice option for a folding bike.
    Anyhow: orange Bromptons rule :)
    Cheers,
    Detlef

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    1. Hello Detlef. I was considering the ones you suggested but went with the 780's as I liked the look and weight of them.

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  4. You'll be shaving your legs next!

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