LeviPounds

I couldn't find anything about this issue anywhere so I'm concerned it is a defect with only mine. My brand new T bag and luggage block is somewhat loose fitting and bounces around in the mount quite a bit over bumps.

It mounts and clicks into place quite well, but there is plenty of up and down movement even when it's clicked into place. There isn't so much left to right movement, but nontheless, I'm finding it quite annoying. Most Brompton luggage reviews claim the system is tight fitting with no rattling but mine is rattling plenty.

Ozonation

I'll try my T-Bag tonight (loaded up), but from last week's outing with my wife's S-Bag, it seemed pretty tight to me. I can't recall any rattling other than what was in the bag itself. It could be that the particular plastic surfaces have a gap inbetween when clicked into place. Perhaps try bulking up the contact surfaces with some paper or other material. If the rattling disappears, then you can either live with a make shift solution, or else replace the mounting black and/or the frame of the bag.

fietsbob

I've used my bike [a Mk 2 3T, then a M3L] off and on for a couple years

More stuff aboard cures that, I never noticed it rattling.
Either the new nylon/aluminum bag frame ,
or the older welded steel frame.

when the load raises enough,
I put a ToeStrap around the bag frame handle
and the steering riser the handle bar is attached to.

to share the load..

It is quick to clip an old toe-strap between the 2..

chagzuki

I had the same issue, I stuck some adhesive rubber stuff on the inside of the frame bracket to dampen things/make the fit more secure.

LeviPounds

Thanks, all. Will try a few things tonight.

Purpleorchid

sugru is a perfect candidate to fix the rattle (and hack/fix other things around the house too). I'm waiting on my batch of sugru to put my Ergon grip plugs in. My last batch expired and was no good anymore. If you ask me, sugru is the invention of the millenium.

Ozonation

Wow! I never knew about "sugru"! I gotta get some!

Purpleorchid

It really is an amazing product. I've used my previous batches to fix: flashlight switches, knife handle that got eaten by the garbage disposal, feet for a glass cutting board, vacuum cleaner wheel attachment doohicky, bathroom fan screw that wasn't long enough (basically spliced two screws together to span the distance), Blackberry keyboard buttons that went missing, and some other things that I am forgetting.

Okay, back to bike related discussions. Right now, my Ergon GP1 plugs have had their "fins" shaved off with a Dremel. When I get my sugru, I'll put a glob on the fins, shove the plug into the handlebar, and remove it to cure overnight. That should give me usable Ergon plugs.

And for LeviPounds, if there is truly some sort of gap on the luggage block, here is how I would hack it with sugru:
1) Put a thin strip of sugru on either the luggage block or bag (I vote bag).
2) Assuming he goes with bag: put a thing snake roll of sugru around the "loose" edge of the bag...kind of like a skinny PlayDoh snake everybody knows how to make.
3) Put some saran wrap on the strip to protect the sugru from getting on the luggage block
4) Then attach the bag to the block. That will conform the sugru to the right thickness.
5) Remove the bag carefully
6) Remove the saran wrap
7) Let sugru cure for 24 hours..you have at least 30 minutes (1hr?) to work with the sugru before it starts to cure, so you can rework it until you are satisfied.
8) Try it out the next day. If it doesn't work, cut/pick off the sugru and try again or try something else.

LeviPounds

Wow, awesome thanks. I've never used Sugru myself, but my IT/engineering friends rave about it. Maybe I can get some from them.

LeviPounds

Purpleorchid, you just got a new Brompton, correct? You haven't found the same problem with your bag?

Purpleorchid

Yes, I got a new Brompton and a C bag, but honestly, I have only been riding the bike and haven't had a need to use the bag yet. So all I did was click it on a couple times to test at first, but never rode with it. <shame on me>

I'll check the bag again tonight to see if I have the up/down movement you describe.

Ozonation

I only got my Brompton last week along with the T-Bag and I'm using it tonight to get to/from an evening meeting. I'm curious to see if I have the same problem. Like Purpleorchid, I just clicked it in and never really paid much attention to, and I haven't had need to use the T-Bag until tonight. I just used my wife's S-Bag last week, and there wasn't much in it.

LeviPounds... about how much weight were you carrying in it?

LeviPounds

No more than a multi-tool, a rain jacket, and a light pair of shoes. I'm sure more weight would reduce the rattle.

Admittedly, it's not really a problem. The bag stays on the luggage block just fine, it just has more movement than I'd like. It's probably just me being anal. I don't like my bikes making too much noise over bumps I guess.

Purpleorchid

Maybe avoid the bumps? Although, if you're riding around downtown Toronto, that's kind of hard with all those streetcar tracks. I remember having to navigate potholes and hop over the streetcar tracks while cruising between U of T and Eaton Centre area on rollerblades way back in the day. I'm surprised I never got flattened by a vehicle or taken out by the tracks.

jur

Yep mine rattles too. Been thinking about putting in a rubber strip.

When you use sugru, and need only a small bit, how do you prevent the rest from setting? Or are you forced to use the whole lot at once?

fietsbob

See DIY below .. #24

jur

Not exactly... it is a putty when not set so you can work it by hand unlike caulk which is mega-messy. The inventor went through years of development to get a putty-like silicone that sticks to everything.

Ozonation

Okay... I had my MacBook Air, a fairly heavy journal, bag of "stuff" (cables, USB, etc.), an extra vest, some fruit, a water bottle (full), a modest bike kit (allen keys, tape, etc.) in my T-Bag - probably weighed about 10 to 15 lbs in total. I rode pretty hard for a good hour in total over potholes (ouch), railway ties, hard gravel, etc. I have to report that I didn't encounter any looseness or rattling whatsoever. So, I guess your luggage block and/or rack insert is just a little loose.

No shame in being particular about it! I suspect all Brompton owners are very specific about what they want or like - after all, look at the bike we all bought.

Purpleorchid

My C Bag (empty) has about 1-2mm vertical movement when attached to the block. If I ever get bothered by any rattling, I would put a thin layer the sugru on the upper surface of the bags' receiving trapezoid. A small dot may be enough too.

Jur - You can get sugru in small packs, and you need to use a pack right away. So gather multiple things to fix at once. The smallest pack has enough sugru to make a ball ~15mm in diameter. Too much to fix the luggage block wiggle, for sure.

LeviPounds

Sigh. I don't want to start another new thread about this..but I am having more problems after yesterdays ride. After only a week and a half, both the rear hinge and headset have come quite loose. The rear hinge now has considerable visible left to right movement causing the bike to flex dangerously while riding. The headset is also beginning to rattle around a little bit. This can't be normal.. I'm only 180 lbs, 6'1. I've put probably 200 kms on the bike in a week and half, but surely this shouldn't happen so soon.

After doing some forum searching, I'm reading that the loose hinge (or sheered bolt) does happen to some Brompton, but usually not this early. Taking it into the lbs tonight.

Ozonation

Ahh... that doesn't sound good. When you refer to the rear hinge, I assume you mean the main pivot by which the rear wheel tucks under? I didn't think it would have that much latitude to flex sideways. I assume it's more than just a simple tightening?

I've only had my bike for about a week-and-a-half too, so I'm a bit paranoid about encountering problems. No LBS has any experience with Bromptons here in Windsor.

LeviPounds

Yeah, the pivot point for the rear wheel. Lots of sideways flex that wasn't there when I received the bike. It doesn't seem like something I can do myself since the loose bolt is on the drive side which would mean the whole crank and chainring would need to be removed.

chagzuki

My Brompton was second-hand but clearly hardly ridden and I found the headset cups hadn't quite settled in. Over the course of the first month the headset would become loose as the cups were pushed slightly further into the bushes and I had to tighten the headset to compensate. I'm guessing this is a common issue.

As for the rear frame, it clearly hasn't been loctited properly with the mega-strength stuff they use. I'd probably prefer to fix it with lower-strength loctite to make the rear pivot easier to service.

bbmike

Make your own sugru substitute:

https://www.instructables.com/id/How-...ru-Substitute/

Ozonation

Ah... took a look at my bike and I see what you mean. Access to that particular bolt is partly obstructed by the chain and chain guard. Given that the bike is so new, it's probably worth to head back to the LBS (Curbside Cycle?). Otherwise, I wonder if there is a way to access the bolt. If you remove the chain, I wonder if you can sneak in an allen key head, or maybe a flexible screwdriver. I know some screwdrivers have "pivot" head points that allow you to insert the point in at an angle. Not sure if there are allen key variants of this.