Aussie on a Brompton

My thumbs have survived today’s task: fitting Marathon Plus tyres onto Ralph, my Brompton Alfine 11-speed. No big deal, you might say? I’m sure some would understand the struggle & pain that can accompany M+ fitment but I’m also sure not many would recognise the significance of my achievement; my Alfine hub is laced to one of those wonderful Sun rims – that have virtually no well, or valley, to the rim profile! Boy, can they be tough for fitting any tyres, let alone the rugged M+ tyres?

I recall the pain when I fitted a new Kojak to the rear wheel. I have never damaged my thumbs as much with a tyre fitting! At the time I hoped never to have to go through that again but now Ralph needs to be readied for an all-terrain trip (& I’d been getting nervous about retaining the Kojaks for it). However, I was confident (or maybe just hopeful?) that I had the answer? You see, some time back I came across some much thinner rim tape – & promptly squirreled it away for future use. Fingers crossed today!

I can’t say that it ALL went well; just the fitting! When I had trouble fitting the Kojak, I never expected to have trouble getting it off! So it was: I actually failed (initially) to get the tyre off with tyre levers! My usual practice is to use a pair of Michelin plastic tyre levers – but no luck! I thought a third lever may do & I then proceeded to destroy a few non-Michelin levers before turning to another Michelin set. Ouch, a Michelin bent & ruined?! At this point I stopped to rest & think. Of course, get rid of the rim tape! A slash & tug of the Velox rim tape & I soon had most of it out – & then had no trouble removing the tyre with my remaining Michelin levers!

From this point it was all straight-forward; first rummage into my squirreled bits box & extract my expected salvation – some BBB 16mm rim tape! (16mm width to suit the flat profile Sun rim, as compared to the 13mm I use on the Brompton rims). On went the tape, hey presto with the tyre (well, a teeny bit of a struggle – after all, we’re talking about M+ tyres!). The front wheel was next & here there’s nothing much to say – easy enough & the thumbs were holding up fine!

The important stats: (rim tape thickness)
Velox – 0.60mm
Zefal – 0.60mm
BBB – 0.35mm
– it made all the difference!

Updated: 29/6/13 – pic of Sun rim profile –

Ergon hand grips? I’ve found it bloody hard to do a concise write-up that covers all aspects – so I’ve given up & just present these pointers, comments & notes –

My favourite? GP2-S (wonderfully comfortable for me on Ralph, my S bar Brompton – more so than I expected? because of increased body weight onto S bar bikes, definitely a must!?)

S = small grip size, concentric along length of grip
L = large grip size, ovalised along grip (messy for trimming length?)

GP1 has no bar end, uses cap
GP2 has shortest bar end & likely suitable for S, M or H bar clearances when folded (using them on S & M bar bikes)
GP3 is longer bar end & tried on S bar bike without fold issues – although GP3 does get close to the rear edge of the front wheel when folded (but I didn’t need the longer bar ends)
GP4 & GP5 are longer (make sure they work with the fold! do you really need them?)

I expect the bar caps & ends are all interchangeable (I’ve swapped between 3s & 2s without swapping grips).

Ergons available in 2 lengths: shorter for bikes with grip-shift gear changers, longer for everything else (although I’ve just remembered that there’s a 3rd version that has grip-shift length on one end only!). The shorter grip-shifts may not suit larger hands but don’t need trimming for length to fit with the brake levers (hope I’ve got that correct?). Longer grips will probably have to be shortened for any model bars, depending on brake levers used (& width of hands?). eg My S bars have Shimano brake levers (similar to the latest Brompton brake levers?) with more clearance than earlier Brompton brake levers but moving the levers inwards to avoid cutting the grips wasn’t desirable (fold clearances to cables? grips too wide for my ergonomics?). Moving levers further inwards probably impossible with M or H bars? Grips may be better “notched” (rather than a straight cut) when used with earlier brake levers?

No experience of BioCork grips. May have seen negative comments somewhere about their suitability in sweaty conditions?

Notes:
1. Ergons only clamp to the bars on the bar cap/end area. Make sure you trim enough grip length to ensure the grips are properly clamped!
2. If I was shopping for another set of GP2-S for my bikes & all I could see were GP2-L, GP3-S or GP3-L grips then I’d take them & don’t expect that I’d have any issue for comfort/use?

M bars GP2-L with late model 30° brake levers (my trimming not the neatest?) –

S bars GP2-S with Shimano (Alfine) brake levers –

M bars folded – GP2-L close to ground but ok (bar ends rotated upwards for riding would probably contact the ground when folded?) –

S bars folded – GP2-S plenty of clearance to ground –

I needed an extra tool for maintaining my Bromptons recently & thought it was time to think about serious servicing (ie just preparing; nothing necessary yet). Aside from a sole Brompton dealer in the city area, I’m probably now more knowledgeable about Bromptons than most local bike shops. Converting Robinson, my first Brompton, from 3-speed to 6-speed BWR was an interesting first-up project & it was “highly educational” in researching specs, gear ratios, parts requirements & sourcing. Obtaining parts & accessories has been an issue, with choices of traveling for them, ordering locally (too slow/traumatic?) or ordering online. Here I’ve found a good appreciation of Bromptons is really handy in ensuring I end up with the correct parts. I expect that taking a Brompton in for major servicing is going to very inconvenient for travel or turnaround time (not to mention the worries of local shop service quality or understanding?) & so who better to trust with the work than me? “How hard can it be…?”

So, I’ve now got myself prepared with the various specialised tools that I’ll probably need. (Of course, whether I take the plunge & use them is another matter but we’ll see.) I’ve also found that Internet research on maintenance issues beforehand is a wonderful thing – as long as you think to do it. My recent boo-boo with Ralph’s Alfine 11-speed rear hub dust cap was a bit sobering but it just looked so much like a snap-on rubber seal & it came off & went on (mostly) & all was well – until I put the rear wheel back on. Hmmm… lots of drag in the chain & unrideable? Numerous strip-downs & reassemblies later, I turned to the Internet & found an exploded diagram of the hub parts – & noticed a funny-looking tool. More research & then it hit me: it was to screw on the dust cap! And who would have expected the cap to be secured with a left-hand thread? Hmmm… (Something in my defence was that the dust cap was rather chewed-up & the “tighten/loosen” directions were unreadable. I had thought the marks on the dust cap were from the chain coming off (Ralph does some funny things at times) but on closer inspection I think someone’s “butchered” the cap through not using the correct tool for removal/installation? A new dust cap – & the correct tool – later & Ralph is purring like new.)

Here’s my Brompton “extra maintenance” tools collection (some new although others have seen service on other bikes) –

Top row –
Alfine hub right hand dust cap tool
36mm headset spanner set (thin & thick)
Crankset removal tool
Bottom bracket spanner
Bottom row –
Cable cutter
Circlip pliers
Relevant cone spanners

I’m still undecided about the Alfine 11-speed hub lubrication plans… create a DIY oiling kit? purchase the genuine Shimano item? & of course, sorting out the oil to be used?

Finally, a pic of my “office” – ideal for little wheels TLC?