Folding Bikes - Skate wheels on a Brompton

Here are the pictures of replacing the standard Brompton wheels with skate wheels. I have posted the details along with the rest of the pictures here (http://iamstuffed.com/blog/2008/07/30/skate-wheels-installed-on-a-brompton/), but here are the pictures for your enjoyment.

Aaaargh....

must get Brompton.... uuuuuunhghhh....

:twitchy:

Aaaargh....

must get Brompton.... uuuuuunhghhh....

:twitchy:

I know exactly how you feel.
--sam

Thanks for useful pics imastuffed. What size bolts did you use?

Have you experienced any heel strike off the skatewheels nearest the seatpost?

Yes jur and lalato get yourselves a Brompton, fab bike! :D

I have the info posted here (I should have made the link more obvious)
http://iamstuffed.com/blog/2008/07/30/skate-wheels-installed-on-a-brompton/

I would have posted everything here, but the forum software only allows 10 images in a single post, and it was tedius converting everything from the html to the [ img ] and [ url ] tags used here. I have many more pictures there, as well as the full resolution pictures.

Here's some relevant info from that page:
"I ended up purchasing eight 76mm 80A inline skate wheels, 16 wheel bearings thingies (608), 8 spacers, and four M6×1.0 in 30mm length. I reused the rear rack wheel screws since I didn’t purchase screws in size M5"

I wanted to do this for my Gekko and probably still will
but the wheels and bearings cost too much.
I'm waiting for a thrift shop pair of rollerblades for $5 or less.
or free, but I'm not holding my breath.

I wanted to do this for my Gekko and probably still will
but the wheels and bearings cost too much.
I'm waiting for a thrift shop pair of rollerblades for $5 or less.
or free, but I'm not holding my breath.

Why not put a wanted ad on craigslist? I bet there are tons of skaters around just tossing their used wheels in the trash.

I think I'm going to replace the trolley wheels on my Carryme with something with bearings like this, except I think I'll use flat cross section skateboard wheels or roller skate wheels as opposed to inline ("rollerblade") wheels like the OP. In my case the Carryme rolls fine since most of the weight is on the 8" pneumatic, but the bearingless rollers are noisy (which draws too much attention) plus I think wider softer wheels would allow the bike to stand more stably on uneven surfaces.

I did mr. makeinu but people were asking too much in my opinion.
if I get a pair, I'll give you a couple. I don't need all 8 wheels.
the gekko uses flat hard plastic wheels, I used to skateboard in the seventies
and used road riders which were wide red wheels, not the tiny stuff used today.

Aaaargh....

must get Brompton.... uuuuuunhghhh....

:twitchy:

:roflmao::roflmao:

Jur: You will NEVER get down to just one bike. You don't have it in your genes to be faithful to just one folder! :roflmao2:

I should know :(

Good. Now I just need to get a Strida and drill one of this racks:

http://www.strida.nl/en/images/store/strida5/14_alloy%20carrier.jpg

I ended up purchasing eight 76mm 80A inline skate wheels, 16 wheel bearings thingies (608), 8 spacers, and four M6×1.0 in 30mm length. I reused the rear rack wheel screws since I didn’t purchase screws in size M5

How are you able to use 5mm diameter screws/bolts with 608 bearings? Since 608 bearings have an 8mm hole in the center, isn't there play/wobble? Skaters are very particular when it comes to axle/bearing tolerances and typically even prefer an integral fit compared to spacers which still leave microscopic gaps.

I was thinking about getting some of these
I figure they're better than overbuilt/overengineered inline skate style wheels because:
1. Wider profile is more stable (ie to keep the bike from tipping over).
2. 688 micro bearings are lighter and should still provide just as much of an upgrade in rolling smoothness.
3. Smaller diameter (36mm) is lighter and maintains the lower height/geometry of the folded bike.

However, like you I need to use 5mm bolts even though 688 bearings take 8mm axles. So I'm wondering what I can do to make it fit. Are there any other Brompton owners with upgraded wheels that have addressed this or is everyone just ignoring the 3mm gap?