How many PhDs does it take to swap tires on a Brompton?

[Myra Vaninwegen]

In our case, two of them, and it took 1.5 hours! What a nightmare... That funny chain-tensioning
device on the back provided all the problem. Still, we got it done, and the Brommie now sports
Schwalbe Marathon tires, inflated to about 85psi. I can't say it's made a dramatic difference:
perhaps it's a bit easier to push the pedals around. The ride is certainly a bit harsher going from
50psi to 85psi tires.

-Myra

 

[Simon Ward]

Myra VanInwegen <[email protected]> wrote:
> In our case, two of them, and it took 1.5 hours! What a nightmare... That funny chain-tensioning
> device on the back provided all the problem.
I've heard all sorts of nightmares about changing tyres/fixing punctures on the rear wheels of
Bromptons - OTOH, I think a lot of folders suffer from similar problems. My LBS shifts a fair few
Brommies, and one of the things they tell buyers is that they really *should* practice removing
and refitting the rear wheel in the comfort of their own home so they'll know how to do it
(relatively) quickly when out on the road.

It's probably time to be thankful that you did the job indoors

Simon (still holding out for a Moulton ... possibly)
--
Simon Ward, Accent Optical Technologies (UK) Ltd., York, YO31 8SD, UK "Perl is the ideal tool for
the inspired slacker who'd rather sing and dance than spend longer than they need to at work ..."
- http://www.perl.com/pub/a/2002/12/18/hohoho.html

 

[Tony W]

"Myra VanInwegen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In our case, two of them, and it took 1.5 hours!

There's the problem. Too many qualifications -- none of them relevant to the task in hand.

 

[Colin Blackburn]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...

> Simon (still holding out for a Moulton ... possibly)

No point dropping hints if we don't know when your birthday is!

Colin

 

[Simon Ward]

Colin Blackburn <[email protected]> wrote:

>> Simon (still holding out for a Moulton ... possibly)
> No point dropping hints if we don't know when your birthday is!
In about a fortnight. Assuming I don't come down with the 'flu again, my 32nd birthday will likely
be spent in Bognor Regis; I'll be doing the Kennett Valley 200 on the 22nd[1]
- wonder who I managed to upset in a past life

Simon (an R18, please - preferably in maroon if you can wangle it )

[1] - Weather permitting, I'll be the fat bloke on the black Dave Yates fixer (with flat bars)
otherwise I'll be on a blue and orange Marin. I'll still be fat irrespective of the weather ;-)
--
Simon Ward, Accent Optical Technologies (UK) Ltd., York, YO31 8SD, UK "Perl is the ideal tool for
the inspired slacker who'd rather sing and dance than spend longer than they need to at work ..."
- http://www.perl.com/pub/a/2002/12/18/hohoho.html

 

[Colin Blackburn]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> Colin Blackburn <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >> Simon (still holding out for a Moulton ... possibly)
> > No point dropping hints if we don't know when your birthday is!
> In about a fortnight. Assuming I don't come down with the 'flu again, my 32nd birthday will
> likely be spent in Bognor Regis; I'll be doing the Kennett Valley 200 on the 22nd[1]
> - wonder who I managed to upset in a past life
>
> Simon (an R18, please - preferably in maroon if you can wangle it )

Pah, nothing special about 32 (well yes to comp nerds there is.) Since we've missed your 30th you'll
just have to wait until 40!

Colin

 

[Peter Clinch]

Myra VanInwegen wrote:
> In our case, two of them, and it took 1.5 hours! What a nightmare...

One of those cases where the first time I did it I scratched my head quite a lot... and then looked
at the "how to remove the rear wheel" in the manual. It got quite a lot easier then!

> That funny chain-tensioning device on the back provided all the problem.

Yes. Unfortunately I'd played that game *before* I reads the manual.

> Still, we got it done, and the Brommie now sports Schwalbe Marathon tires, inflated to about
> 85psi. I can't say it's made a dramatic difference: perhaps it's a bit easier to push the pedals
> around. The ride is certainly a bit harsher going from 50psi to 85psi tires.

The other thing that I felt needed changed on the default Brompton, aside from the gearing, was the
seat. The one on the Mk2 was awful, on the Mk3 only marginally better. Mine sports the Brooks saddle
now, a big improvement!

If there's no real change I'm at a bit of a loss to explain why it's such hard work (mine's not
noticeably any harder work than my other bikes unless there's a good headwind, much easier than the
MTB with its knobblies). Only if you're riding it in a style putting lots of energy through the bars
and frame and/or at a high speed should you be losing much to a "normal" bike, and a trundly commute
shouldn't need to be doing any of those. Hmmmmm...

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

 

[Simon Ward]

Colin Blackburn <[email protected]> wrote:

> Pah, nothing special about 32 (well yes to comp nerds there is.) Since we've missed your 30th
> you'll just have to wait until 40!
Bugger! Does the fact that I am indeed 20 in hexadecimal (and thus a comp nerd) count?

Simon
--
Simon Ward, Accent Optical Technologies (UK) Ltd., York, YO31 8SD, UK "Perl is the ideal tool for
the inspired slacker who'd rather sing and dance than spend longer than they need to at work ..."
- http://www.perl.com/pub/a/2002/12/18/hohoho.html

 

[Paul Rudin]

>>>>> "TW" == Tony W <[email protected]> writes:

TW> "Myra VanInwegen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
TW> news:[email protected]...
>> In our case, two of them, and it took 1.5 hours!

TW> There's the problem. Too many qualifications -- none of them relevant to the task in hand.

Indeed, after all it is Doctor of *Philosophy*, not Doctor of Bike Maintainance

--
Boy, am I glad it's only 1971...

 

[Ben Tansley]

"Myra VanInwegen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In our case, two of them, and it took 1.5 hours! What a nightmare... That funny chain-tensioning
> device on the back provided all the problem. Still, we got it done, and the Brommie now sports
> Schwalbe Marathon tires, inflated to about 85psi. I can't say it's made a dramatic difference:
> perhaps it's a bit easier to push the pedals around. The ride is certainly a bit harsher going
> from 50psi to 85psi tires.

Only 1.5 hours? Oh good, I thought the T6 looked easier than the old T5.

--
Ben

 

[Mike Causer]

On Wed, 05 Feb 2003 11:20:36 +0000, Simon Ward wrote:

> Simon (still holding out for a Moulton ... possibly)

Easy! Go to Moulton dealer - hold out your wallet.

Or, have friend who knows you like Moultons and needs to clear some space - hold out your hands and
have a Moulton placed in them.

That's how I came by my Moultons ;-)

Mike (Working on aquiring Number 3, which is in the back yard at current orkplace)

 

[Matsav]

"Simon Ward" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Colin Blackburn <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Pah, nothing special about 32 (well yes to comp nerds there is.)
Since
> > we've missed your 30th you'll just have to wait until 40!
> Bugger! Does the fact that I am indeed 20 in hexadecimal (and thus a comp
nerd)
> count?

Pinched from various other .sigs...

"There are 10 types of people in the world. Those that understand binary and those that don't."

--
MatSav

 

[Trog Woolley]

While stranded on the hard shoulder of the information super highway [email protected] typed:
> In our case, two of them, and it took 1.5 hours! What a nightmare... That funny chain-tensioning
> device on the back provided all the problem. Still, we got it done, and the Brommie now sports
> Schwalbe Marathon tires, inflated to about 85psi. I can't say it's made a dramatic difference:
> perhaps it's a bit easier to push the pedals around. The ride is certainly a bit harsher going
> from 50psi to 85psi tires.

I just have a BAppSc, which is why it only took me 20 mins. Did you check that you put the Marathons
on the right way round? If not you'll need another couple of hours to change them... I reckon you
are better off ditching the Marathons and switching to the Brompton kevlar 42ft tyres; lighter in
weight and you can take them to 100psi for less rolling resistance.

--
Trog Woolley | trog at trog hyphen oz dot demon dot co dot uk (A Croweater back residing in Pommie
Land with Linux) Isis Astarte Diana Hecate Demeter Kali Inanna

 

[Peter Clinch]

Trog Woolley wrote:

> I reckon you are better off ditching the Marathons and switching to the Brompton kevlar 42ft
> tyres; lighter in weight and you can take them to 100psi for less rolling resistance.

The Marathons will go to 100 psi as well (that's what the sidewalls say on mine, and that's what I
pump them up to...). There's still more rolling resistance than the Brompton tyres, but they seem a
little better in the wet according to my pal who usually uses Bromtpon's own.

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

 

[David E. Belche]

"MatSav" <matthew DOT savage AT felthamscouts DOT org DOT uk> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
>
>
> Pinched from various other .sigs...
>
> "There are 10 types of people in the world. Those that understand binary and those that don't."

Nice one! Veering OT, but in a similar vein, have a look at;

http://www.framleyexaminer.com/advertcalendar/presents/binarycalc.html

Made me chuckle, anyhow....

David E. Belcher

Dept. of Chemistry, University of York

 

[Alan Collier]

On 5 Feb 2003 15:08:40 GMT, Simon Ward <[email protected]> wrote: ...
> Bugger!
On 5 Feb 2003 13:20:29 GMT, Simon Ward <[email protected]> wrote:
> Bognor Regis;

IIRC you're not the first to say these words in close proximity!

Alan

 

[Myra Vaninwegen]

Trog Woolley <[email protected]> wrote
> I just have a BAppSc, which is why it only took me 20 mins.

Either you're much more mechanically inclined than we are, or you had access to the manual! We got
ours used and so had to start from scratch.

> Did you check that you put the Marathons on the right way round? If not you'll need another couple
> of hours to change them...

I did check the markings on the tire to put them the way they're supposed to go, but I really don't
think it matters much either way. If I had made a mistake I'd have just left them that way.

> I reckon you are better off ditching the Marathons and switching to the Brompton kevlar 42ft
> tyres; lighter in weight and you can take them to 100psi for less rolling resistance.

The fact that the Brompton tire is a bit lighter is pretty much irrelevant with the Brompton, being
as it's not a very light bike in the first place, I'm not riding it very fast, and the wheel
diameter is so small that the usual argument about rotating weight is even less relevant than usual.
I could inflate the Marathons to 100psi if I wanted to (that's the max inflation on the tire), but I
prefer the slightly more cushy ride of 85psi. I chose the Marathons because I have good experience
with them. I have Marathon Comfort on my fixer, Marathon City on the tandem, and used Marathon XR
while touring in Ireland. They are very puncture resistant, reasonably long-lasting, grip well
enough for me in both the wet and the dry, and have reflective stripes along the sidewalls. They
even have a dynamo track if I wanted to install a dynamo. I'm not going to risk an unknown tire for
a few grams of weight loss!

-Myra

 

[Ian Walker]

<snipping of talk of Brompton Tyres>

I'm getting on well with my Brompton Kevlars, but am looking forward to the new Schwalbe tyres that
AtoB reported in their last issue (due to appear sometime soon, IIRC). These were cited as having
something like 30% lower rolling resistance than normal, so I'll be watching out for them.

Ian

--
Ian Walker, Department of Psychology, University of Bath. Remove the yummy paste in my address to
reply. Homepage: http://www.drianwalker.com