Turf Zone – SayAhhh
Some people treat bicycles solely as a mode of transport, a means of travelling from point A to point B and back again. Some have no interested in how their bicycle is performing, whether there is enough air in the tyres or if the chain requires lubrication. They just don’t realise or perhaps even care. Some people, one of whom I know well, even ride their bicycle without a front brake, steering that is as wobbly as a raspberry flavoured jelly and gears that passed away months ago.
I am not one of those people. Yes, I’ll admit it, I’m a bit of a bicycle nerd. And being a bit of a bicycle nerds, I love to tinker with my bicycles and having recently purchase a Brompton, or two, or three, I have fresh stock to be tinkering with. So, on this page I want to share some of the tinkering I’ve been doing along with some of the tips and tricks I’ve completing on my Brompton bicycles.
Single Speed Conversion
Soon after I bought my C Line Explore, I realised that the Brompton would be ideal as a single speed, so purchased a 2-speed C Line Urban, replacing the chainring with a 44T and rear sprockets with a single 12T. I also removed the gear shifter, cable and derailleur. A single speed chain tensioner was also added. Love it, so smooth and quiet and you get a great workout on the hills.
Brake Levers
I found the brake lever position on all our Brompton C Line bikes to be most uncomfortable. The stock position seems to be vertical under the handlebars, a most uncomfortable and un-natural position. However, they can be adjusted a little and rotated forward. But not too far or they will prevent the handlebars docking into place when the bike is folded.
Mobile Phone Mount
Prior to purchasing the Brompton, I used a Quad Lock to mount my phone on the handlebars. However, while the Quad Lock does work on the Brompton, my phone, a Google Pixel 8 Pro, is too larger to be able to rotate within the gap between the handlebars. Had my phone been smaller, it would have been fine. The alternative I found was by Intralock. It works much the same as the Quad Lock but does not require the phone to be twisted.
Tools and Spares
I would never cycle far without some bicycle tools and basic spares and the Brompton is no different. The tools kit starts with the Brompton tool kit which fits snugly inside the frame. Next a spare inner tube is carried in the front bag, along with some disposable gloves. Puncture repair patches live with the tool kit. A Brompton pump also lives inside the front bag.
Lighting
I have a mixture of lights for the Brompton bikes, and all get used on my other bikes as well. For daytime running lights, I use a Knog Blinder Road 600 on the front, a Knog Big Cobber mounted high on the seat post and a Knog Blinder Link mounted using the rear reflector bracket. For cycling after dark, I used a Hope Vision R2 on the handlebars with the option of a Hope District Plus on the rear. I use the Hope lights for extended sessions as they have large capacity external batteries.
Tyres and Tubes
One of the first items I changed was the tyres, removing the Schwalbe Marathon Racer tyres and fitting the more robust Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres. The latter has perhaps the highest puncture resistance rating available and are also more comfortable to ride. They are heavier and not as fast as the Racers but cope better with the rough terrain encountered in urban areas. I’ve also added some OKO tyre sealant into the inner tubes.
Rattles and Frame Protection
I hate rattles on a bicycle and will always try to resolve them. The first was an annoying rattle from the roller wheel on the rear mudguard. As the bike will never be wheeled anywhere, the roller wheel only being used to support the bike when folded, I inserted a small length of soft plastic between wheel and mudguard. No more rattle. Other rattles were caused by the brake cables hitting the frame. This was resolved with some clear frame protection tape where required and some self-adhesive Neoprene strip wrapped spirally around the cable, of the type used to weather proof doors. Works a treat.
Handlebar Grips
For the past 15 years I’ve used Ergon GP1 grips on all my bikes, finding them much more comfortable than standard grips. These were also fitted to all my Brompton’s.
Storage Bags
As we keep our Brompton bikes inside the house, and also to help protect the car when we take them with us, all our Brompton bikes are stored inside Ikea Dimpa bags. They only cost £3.00 each and fit the folded Brompton perfectly. They can also be used when travelling on trains and buses where a bag is required and are easily folded and carried when not in use.
Pedals
I find the stock Brompton pedals on the C Line a little on the small side, finding the left folding pedal particularly awkward, especially when wearing boots in winter. I’ve replaced these with flat G Line pedals. The left pedal does not fold but are quick-release with the press of a button and can be clipped to the frame when the bike is folded.
Front Bag
For carrying stuff on the Brompton, I opted for the Borough Waterproof Bag Small with its 9-litre capacity just perfect for my needs. It clips on and off the front carrier block with ease and simply works. Much more comfortable than wearing a rucksack.
Sundry Items
One early modification was to remove the standard Brompton bell and replace with a more effective model. The one I use is similar to the one branded as Spurcycle but at about one-third of the price and are available on Amazon. The ting of the bell is much more noticeable that the stock bell. I’ve also replaced the bolts securing the rear mudguard with Allen head bolts.
That’s all for now.
Copyright ©2025 Gary Buckham. All rights reserved.
