Aussie on a Brompton

No, not a new Brompton, just “a few little changes” to Clarence & now in S2RE-XX guise? (Yes, a strange model number – just my label for “rack with no mudguards & an extra-light Superlight”!)

My last posts of Clarence depicted an S6R Brompton & so the life-changes continue. When I think back on how Clarence has changed, I recall that the original build was a M6L but then converted to S6L before my purchase (thanks BA). Later a Brompton rack was added but now, after the latest component changes it’s really only the mainframe that remains from the major bits that came down the 2014 production line?

So why a 2-speed conversion? Since my Chpt3 Rudolph has proven to be so good for me, certainly in comparison with Clarence’s rather sluggish performance (with my health condition), I wondered what a lightened Clarence would offer. Easy enough to shed the rack & guards, I first swapped to a 2-speed wheel that I acquired during the Cheeky shop close. What a lively, easy-rolling feel that provided, & immediately with a bike weight equal to Rudolph. In concert with lower gearing changes for Rudolph, I also further lowered Clarence (from a 40T chainring to the smallest that would fit; a 38T ring). Sure it’s not some monster-geared speed machine; acquiring “MyVirus-08” has put paid to my being able to use that.

What I now have is a minimal-geared 2-speed Brompton, able to climb smaller hills & still provide an adequate speed on the flats & smoothly free-wheel down. The lack of weight & 2-speed hub combine for another benefit; the ability to easily roll Clarence when needing to walk up those hills too tough for riding. Totally enjoyable on all terrains, with 12-17T sprockets that provide a lower gear than Rudolph’s 3rd & a higher gear than Rudolph’s 4th.

The “extra-light Superlight” part of Clarence’s 2-speed conversion came about progressively during the considerable Covid-19 “StayHome” time of late. No long-term plan, just regularly finding bits that would suit Rudolph &/or Clarence. A greater appreciation of component weights & judicious shopping, often to address a particular issue, employing/learning mechanical skills & hey presto – Clarence has lost over 3kg! (An example of an issue could be the 2-speed swap highlighting the amount of drag in internally geared hubs. Aside from enabling the easy rolling, this showed the mismatched weights of the Brompton pedals & created the likelihood of “shin strike” when the cranks can rotate under gravity. My 150g lightweight pedals have replaced the 400g standard pedals, saving weight & my shins.)

Clarence vs Rudolph is now the experiment; what & where suits each bike will take time to decipher. A luxury of choice perhaps but such different characteristics that are both delightful to ride.

Strange times, folks? Stay safe & keep up with your social distancing. Presently no lawn bowls & club activities, no travel, etc so plenty of reasons to blog post? Various things have happened with our Brompton family & I’ll start with my Chpt3.

I have been unable to pin down exactly what makes Rudolph so good for me to ride. From the first outing I’ve almost been able to keep up with Mrs Aussie, whereas a health condition usually sees me trailing far behind. Is it the fat & fast tyres? Is it the lighter weight than our other Bromptons?

Whatever the reason, I’ve also had the desire to avoid mods to Rudolph that moved away from the special Chpt3 look. Thinking now that Rudolph’s lightness should not be sacrificed, any changes would have to be for a very good reason. After all, most common mods (eg grips or saddle) also add weight & so I had to be careful & picky when thinking I could improve anything.

A great improvement for me has been the smaller chainring. The gear range is now far more useful, with a much-needed low 1st gear & the ready use of the highest gears (where previously I would rarely need 6th gear). Shifting through all gears during a ride provides an enjoyable flowing treat.

A rack makes a Brompton so practical for movement when folded (& stability when parked). I’m sure Andrew Ritchie never originally intended an E model Brompton & probably would agree that the folding frame geometry is flawed without mudguards or rack. (If the angle of the mainframe hinge was different, the folded E model would sit evenly on both wheels & so avoid its tilt toward the left – making it vulnerable to toppling over.) About a quarter of the weight of a standard Brompton rack (& that’s ignoring the weight of mudguards & stays), the lightweight rack suits an E model perfectly.

Another notable weight reduction is the lightweight pedals (fixed on the right, removable on the left), more than making up for the rack weight. I’ve been noting the weights of all my Brompton component changes & it’s surprising what a difference there can be. Overall, Rudolph is now lighter than original & ideally setup to assist with any weight reduction of my own?

While attempting to keep Rudolph, my CHPT3 Brompton, as standard as possible, some mods have been happening (more on that soon?). This lightweight Brompton (probably?) won’t be seen with flashy wheels, more Ti, etc, so you’ll have to look hard to see changes from original.

Having said that, today’s mod fits the bill; a subtle little weight reduction that retains the original look? (Sorry, any weight weenies will have to do their own estimations for the grams saved.)