Folding Bikes - Merc Mod/improvement

I am receiving this new Merc, so I amalready thinking about future Mod and imporvement.
The first question: is there a simple way to add a front gear to have 6 speeds instead of standard 3 speeds ?
Thank you

I believe Steve Parry (if you can find him) makes a bolt-on front derailleur clamp to make this thing happen. EvilV has one I believe - Care to chip in EvilV???

Congrats.

Can't help you on your question, but I have one of my own. Are you in England? Most Merc owners that post here are.

Please post pix when you have it set up:).

I am in Italy but the Merc is coming from England...
I think that maybe I will be the uniwue Merc owner of Italy...also if in the Italian forum website (www.jobike.it) there is a guy with two Flamingo...

I've written about this a good few times and am quite often asked about it in PMs - so rather than write it all again I am going to reference a part of a discussion I recently had with Jerrys88 -



I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the shifters. My Brompton came with two thumb shifters already, so I don't really have room to add another! I'm going to look into the Sturmey Archer twist grips that Steve recommended - may decide to go with them.


Jerry,

Glad you traced Steve Parry. He is a bit hard to get hold of I've heard, but his stuff is very well made and his bike modifications are of a high standard.

Here is a link of the campag mirage 9 speed type front derailieur that I used. They are on sale on ebay.co.uk at a very low price, though you might get them in NJ more conveniently. The ebay shop I linked to is owned by a pal of mine. We used to work together years ago. Here is the link to the item. It works for me very well.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/06-Campagnolo-Mirage-Compact-Front-Derailleur-32mm-NEW_W0QQitemZ350177388862QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR?hash=item350177388 862&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72:1683|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318#ebayphotohosting

As for the new shifter you will need, I used an old fashioned second hand friction shifter for a front derailiur that I got with the Steve Parry Clamp. It isn't a bar end one - it just clamps crudely on the handlebar near the brake and handlebar grip. I did not need to remove the grip, so your ergons are safe. Here is a terrible blurred photo of my changer that I just ran out to the garage and snapped hastily.





The cable was easily routed. It's just a matter of common sense so that there are no flapping wires and no sharp bends. I just cable tied my extra one to the general run of cables for the most part and passed it around the other side of the BB tube so that it went smoothly into the socket of the campag mirage front mech.






Good luck with it, but it isn't hard to make this work if you get the right bits. The only hard part to source is Parry's clamp.

Cheers

Tony


There are also threads on the mod. this is just one -

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=8533373&highlight=front+mech#post8533373

By the way Maurice - the MOST IMPORTANT MOD for the Merc is to change the plastic chain tensioner for an alloy one. Anita the importer used to have them - she probably still does. The plastic tensioner will surely break if you ride the bike at all savagely. On bumpy ground with hard pedalling, the chain will get a bit whippy and will jam in the tensioner between the fixed small cog on the tensioner and the rear sprocket on the hub. There is no room and this will result in the fracturing of the tensioner...... It WILL happen, so change it as soon as you can.

After that - change the brake pads for koolstop salmon ones. The braking is poor even with the mod, but it is worse without it.

Apart from these things, the bike is pretty good. I especially like the kevlar tyres. They are very puncture resistant except for the most savage thorns.


If you contact Anita about the chain tensioner, ask her about the 39 tooth front chain ring too. She used to sell these for about £5 which is an amazing price.

Substitute the AT in the following address with the @ sign and contact Anita :

anita.clareATntlworld.com

ok i have the merc i can see somethink that i don't like:
- the saddle (not the original) is too much sporty...I want a very soft saddle and also bigger, to be comfortable in cuty riding
- the 3 speed Sturmey Archer...sometimes it doesn't work...any hint ? (oil, maintenance)

however, I reccomend gringo_gus as a seller....good packaging, honest price, fast shipment....

ok i have the merc i can see somethink that i don't like:
- the saddle (not the original) is too much sporty...I want a very soft saddle and also bigger, to be comfortable in cuty riding
- the 3 speed Sturmey Archer...sometimes it doesn't work...any hint ? (oil, maintenance)

Adjustment. This is about the most reliable hub gear around. Check that the cables are working freely. Unscrew the small adjuster at the pointb where it joins the little gear change chain and when it is free, work the twist grip changer to see that all is working freely. I remember that early on, my gear cable used to jam in the small pulley block near the back end. The cable used to come off the pulley, and jam down the side of it between the pulley and its housing. I sorted that out by undoing the cable and sliding a small plastic tube over the cable so that it could no longer come off the pulley. See picture below - you should see that the gear cable is contained in a tube. I can almost guarantee that the hub is just fine. Problems with these are almost always about adjustment and cable problems.

Today I have tried the bike again...and I have seen that the hub works better if I change gear stopping to ride...may it is a common advice but this is my first sturmey archer :-D
So the most urgent improvement is saddle...any advice for a good and comfortable commuting saddle ?
another problem...when I fold completely th bike I see that the front fork is hanged with the rear fork...but if I take the frame moving up the bike, the front fork moves and the bike do not remains folded...Am I doing somethink wrong...?

Hi Maurizio, if you are trying to lift the bike by the frame when it is folded it will unfold. The thing to do is have the seatpost as far down as it will go, and lift the bike using the front part of the saddle as a handle. Is that what you are asking? On the SA, it is a matter of adjustment, and a little stop/backpedal as you change gear. You already have the alloy chain tensioner installed. Good luck !!
Gus.

Yes it was...thank you! It's my first Merc/Brompton :-D
I have an electric folding bike, but is similar to a dahon so completely different in folding (and bigger).By the way, I think that I need only to use thebike a while to learn. Ah, gringo :-D I also had problems in changing the little wheels with the skate wheels that you provide me...the screws are really tight.
However, I like the bike and I need only time to modify/improve it for my needs.
thanks again