Cleaning ones Brompton

There are some people out there with a Brompton bicycle that is used every day but rarely - if ever - being cleaned. I have not been someone who has ever fallen into that category. I take the view that a clean Brompton is a happy Brompton. There is to follow then perhaps a surprising revelation about another mode of transport where I take a different view but more on that later. 

One of my first purchases when I owned a Brompton for a few months was a Park Tool bike stand. With this I found the cleaning process a great deal easier. It also made things much quicker. 

The other thing I use is a chain cleaning device - again made by Park Tools. WIth a little bit of chain degreaser therein, you can have your chain looking a great deal better and performing well. 

I then clean the frame, wheels, tyres, chainring and sprockets. By the time I have done all that, I have probably covered just about the entire bike. Finally I make sure that it all dried off before applying oil to the chain. In the early days of owning a Brompton, as far as oiling the chain after washing and drying it was concerned, things were hit and miss. I even used GT45 and that alone. For the past few years I have used a specific chain oil (dry in summer and wet in winter) and made sure that I drop a little oil on each roller. (In the early days I applied far too much)!

Once all this is completed, behold...my clean Brompton. I like to keep all my Brompton bikes clean and tidy which is more than I can for my car. I rarely wash it and do not really care a great deal for my car or cars in general. I could afford a much fancier one but have never really seen the point. My Brompton bicycles are looked after to a much higher standard. Perhaps you can tell me what you do with your Brompton. Are you like me? Are you one of the people who rarely cleans it? 

Until next time, stay safe out there people!