25 Miles By Brom

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Today I rode back from Didcot to reading on the Brom, together with a
slight detour on the way to work (it's a nice day) total mileage for
the day is not far short of 30.

A trip of about 25 miles by Brom is, in my view, somewhat slower than
the tourer or the 'bent, you really notice when you turn into the
wind. Moderate climbs are faster than the 'bent, anything more than
about 1 in 8 challenges the 12% lowered gearing, anything above about
25mph and you spin out. Clipless pedals would help.

All that said, it was not worse than riding that distance on any
flat-bar bike. Some mild tingling in the little finger of my left
hand at 10 miles wore off after a couple of miles, and the discomfort
in my knees at 12 miles was rapidly traced to the seatpost having
slipped down a bit...

Still not a bike I'd choose to ride long distances, given the
alternatives in the bike shed, but 25 miles is perfectly practical.

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

Thanks for feedback Guy - interesting. I've decided to build a hack bike up
for my daily 24 mile commute - I think
I'll inevitably buy a Brom at some point tho... - now must save up for those
expensive lights...... and a lock or two...

My big move up to North Yorks is a month away - so I'd better get cracking!

Graham

Response to Just zis Guy, you know?:

After the Harry Potter sub-thread, IRTA 25 miles by Broom!

Quoted message said:

Clipless pedals would help.

Can't you get clipless pedals for the Brompton? Like a lot of people,
I've got a folder on my medium-term wish-list (somewhere between a new
freezer and a bigger house), and I remember wondering just that; I would
*really* miss clipless pedals now.

--
Mark, UK

"Let the gods avenge themselves."

"Mark McNeill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Can't you get clipless pedals for the Brompton? Like a lot of people,
I've got a folder on my medium-term wish-list (somewhere between a new
freezer and a bigger house), and I remember wondering just that; I would
*really* miss clipless pedals now.

You can just put them on. You lose the folding pedal, but that isn't that
much of a pain.

(clipless would be better than the clips+straps my wife's brom sports..)

cheers,
clive

Mark McNeill said:

Can't you get clipless pedals for the Brompton? Like a lot of people,
I've got a folder on my medium-term wish-list (somewhere between a new
freezer and a bigger house), and I remember wondering just that; I would
*really* miss clipless pedals now.

You can but half the pleasure of the B is the utter normality of it
which wearing special shoes etc would spoil. Far better ridden in
everyday wear ;-)

--
Tony

"I did make a mistake once - I thought I'd made a mistake but I hadn't"
Anon

Mark McNeill said:

Can't you get clipless pedals for the Brompton?

The cranks are just standard cranks, so you can put on any pedals you
want. The full fold requires the left pedal to fold, a standard feature
on any Brom except the budget C model (IIRC), though it's not the end of
the world if it doesn't do this.

Quoted message said:

I've got a folder on my medium-term wish-list (somewhere between a new
freezer and a bigger house), and I remember wondering just that; I would
*really* miss clipless pedals now.

A typical Brom trip for me is a shortish local hack. I do miss the
clipless on these a bit, but not as much as I don't miss having to
change into special shoes any time I go anywhere and walk/sit around in
shoes that aren't as nice for walking/sitting around in as what I'd
otherwise wear when I get to the other end. Looked at in terms of the
before and after journey segments, clipless are more of a pain the
shorter the journey. If I'm doing a long journey I'll generally take
the 'bent, not the Brom.
Having ridden nothing but clipless for years on the grounds they make
riding easier it did take a while for this to sink in, but having a bike
you don't need to dress for is wonderfully liberating. If I only had
/a/ bike I'd run clipless on it, at least most of the time, but with
several in the armoury at my disposal it's very good to have one where
special clobber isn't needed.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

"Peter Clinch" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A typical Brom trip for me is a shortish local hack. I do miss the
clipless on these a bit, but not as much as I don't miss having to
change into special shoes any time I go anywhere and walk/sit around in
shoes that aren't as nice for walking/sitting around in as what I'd
otherwise wear when I get to the other end. Looked at in terms of the
before and after journey segments, clipless are more of a pain the
shorter the journey.

I tend to alternate between bikes for my commute -- largely depending on
which is top of the pile. The hybrid has convetional flat pedals -- so no
problem -- ordinary shoes.

The tourer has SPDs -- so (MTB) cycling shoes. No problem -- they are one
of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I own, fine for sitting and were
(until the sole began to wear below (or is that above) the line of the cleat
making then a bit less comfortable for walking -- but still fine for a mile
or two.

Frankly, the difference is so marginal as not to be a consideration.

T

Mine wears standard Brompton Folding pedal most days. Prolonged rides
see a switch to Shimano combined flat/SPD pedal. This looses some of
the folding, and adds width (of pedal) and means that the bike can only
lie on the handlebar side (not the best). Removing the folding pedal
requires careful socket selection due to tight clearances.

You can get _removable_ MKS pedals from Bike Friday, these have been
adapted to be SPD by at least one individual. But no main stream
folding SPD to date.

Longest ride on mine is 200K. I'd do it again.

regards
daren
--
remove outer garment for reply

Peter Clinch said:

Mark McNeill said:

Can't you get clipless pedals for the Brompton?

The cranks are just standard cranks, so you can put on any pedals you
want. The full fold requires the left pedal to fold, a standard feature
on any Brom except the budget C model (IIRC), though it's not the end of
the world if it doesn't do this.

Quoted message said:

Having ridden nothing but clipless for years on the grounds they make
riding easier it did take a while for this to sink in, but having a bike
you don't need to dress for is wonderfully liberating. If I only had
/a/ bike I'd run clipless on it, at least most of the time, but with
several in the armoury at my disposal it's very good to have one where
special clobber isn't needed.

My general hack bike has double sided pedals on so I can hack into work
on the flats or ride evenings/weekends/to York on clipless. Folding
double sided pedals would be a cool idea.. Wonder how hard that would
be to do? Would there be much of a market?

...d

Peter Clinch said:

The cranks are just standard cranks, so you can put on any pedals you
want. The full fold requires the left pedal to fold, a standard feature
on any Brom except the budget C model (IIRC), though it's not the end of
the world if it doesn't do this.

If you are really desperate apparently you can get a pair of the MKS
detachable pedals and a pair of the MKS clipless pedals, swap the axles
over and you have a pair detachable clipless pedals. In theory you
could buy a second pair of the detachable rat trap pedals and then could
choose which pedals to use any day. All you need then is a bag hung off
the back of the saddle to pop them in when detached from the bike.

--
Tony

"I did make a mistake once - I thought I'd made a mistake but I hadn't"
Anon

Just zis Guy said:

All that said, it was not worse than riding that distance on any
flat-bar bike. Some mild tingling in the little finger of my left
hand at 10 miles wore off after a couple of miles, and the discomfort
in my knees at 12 miles was rapidly traced to the seatpost having
slipped down a bit...

A slipping seatpost does seem to be a common problem.
Mine usually slips about an inch on most trips, making me think I'll
need an extended one.

Of course I could give up cakes - but that's just being silly.

John B

"daren" <[email hidden]>typed

Quoted message said:

Mine wears standard Brompton Folding pedal most days. Prolonged rides
see a switch to Shimano combined flat/SPD pedal. This looses some of
the folding, and adds width (of pedal) and means that the bike can only
lie on the handlebar side (not the best). Removing the folding pedal
requires careful socket selection due to tight clearances.

The folded Brom with the dual-sided Shimano pedal is a much more awkward
package to carry, according to my SO.

A 15/16" imperial socket is needed to remove the folding pedal. (We
bought ours from Lloyd's Motor Spares)

Quoted message said:

You can get _removable_ MKS pedals from Bike Friday, these have been
adapted to be SPD by at least one individual. But no main stream
folding SPD to date.

Quoted message said:

Longest ride on mine is 200K. I'd do it again.

I did the Gridiron...

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.

JohnB said:

A slipping seatpost does seem to be a common problem.

Never happened on mine, or its predecessor (a least while I had it).
Don't recall my other Bromming pal in Dundee having it happen to his old
or new one.

Quoted message said:

Of course I could give up cakes - but that's just being silly.

I could probably do with cutting down cakes for general health and
fitness reasons, but the existing diet doesn't make my seatpost slip...

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Peter Clinch said:

JohnB said:

A slipping seatpost does seem to be a common problem.

Never happened on mine, or its predecessor (a least while I had it).
Don't recall my other Bromming pal in Dundee having it happen to his old
or new one.

ISTR it being mentioned on the Brommie List.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Of course I could give up cakes - but that's just being silly.

I could probably do with cutting down cakes for general health and
fitness reasons, but the existing diet doesn't make my seatpost slip...

You clearly need feeding up ;-)

John B

JohnB said:

A slipping seatpost does seem to be a common problem.
Mine usually slips about an inch on most trips, making me think I'll
need an extended one.

Mine did the same until I tightened the nut half a turn.

I am interested to see 200k on a brom..Did you do it with other people
on normal bikes?What adaptations did it have and what sort of average
speed did you do?

I have been looking at the Airnimal joey.Has anyone done a good
distance on that? Or got anything good or bad to say about the
Airnimals for Audax riding? Do people keep up with the group on them?
TerryJ

Quoted message said:

I am interested to see 200k on a brom..Did you do it with other people
on normal bikes?What adaptations did it have and what sort of average
speed did you do?

I have been looking at the Airnimal joey.Has anyone done a good
distance on that? Or got anything good or bad to say about the
Airnimals for Audax riding? Do people keep up with the group on them?

I've seen a chap on a couple of 200km Audaxes on a Brommie. Only major
modifications were clipless pedals and a GPS.

In message <[email hidden]>

Helen Deborah Vecht said:

"daren" <[email hidden]>typed

Quoted message said:

Mine wears standard Brompton Folding pedal most days. Prolonged rides
see a switch to Shimano combined flat/SPD pedal. This looses some of
the folding, and adds width (of pedal) and means that the bike can only
lie on the handlebar side (not the best). Removing the folding pedal
requires careful socket selection due to tight clearances.

The folded Brom with the dual-sided Shimano pedal is a much more awkward
package to carry, according to my SO.

A 15/16" imperial socket is needed to remove the folding pedal. (We
bought ours from Lloyd's Motor Spares)

Or use a 24mm one, easier to find and less than 0.2mm difference in size

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You can get _removable_ MKS pedals from Bike Friday, these have been
adapted to be SPD by at least one individual. But no main stream
folding SPD to date.

Quoted message said:

Longest ride on mine is 200K. I'd do it again.

I did the Gridiron...

--
Gwyn Oakley
Maes-y-Deri, Rhydlewis, Llandysul, Ceredigion
Telephone: 01239 851752
email: [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

I am interested to see 200k on a brom..Did you do it with other people
on normal bikes?What adaptations did it have and what sort of average
speed did you do?

I've not seen any Bromptons on audaxes, but I know someone has done L-E-L on
one...

Quoted message said:

I have been looking at the Airnimal joey.Has anyone done a good
distance on that? Or got anything good or bad to say about the
Airnimals for Audax riding? Do people keep up with the group on them?

I've seen both (I think) Chameleons and Joeys on numerous audaxes and they
don't seem to have any performance prombles. Plus they have a /really/
splendid[1] head tube badgey wossname.

1 - vested interest alert - TWFKAML designed it...

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
My other motto is in Latin.

Dave Larrington said:

[email hidden] wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have been looking at the Airnimal joey.Has anyone done a good
distance on that? Or got anything good or bad to say about the
Airnimals for Audax riding? Do people keep up with the group on them?

I've seen both (I think) Chameleons and Joeys on numerous audaxes and they
don't seem to have any performance prombles. Plus they have a /really/
splendid[1] head tube badgey wossname.

I bought a Chameleon recently. It rides very nicely, more nippy than my
Thorn Brevet. My longest ride on it so far is 100km.

The SKS raceblades on the Cameleon are less effective than the full-size
mudguards on the Thorn. On a recent wet ride large amounts of spray were
thrown up over by back and the seatpost pack. I will probably not use
the Chameleon much on wet rides.

I don't see any problem with using it for rides up to 200km once I have
got a comfy saddle and sorted out my arrangements for carrying two
bottles and a bag big enough for food and spare clothing. The bag and
bottles are currently competing for space behind the seatpost.

Mike