folder fanatic

Perhaps this is the reason (coupled with the almost equal to the purchase of a new new Brompton even this year's model price) that this bike is still for sale as of today, 21 April.

jur

I'm interested in this - did you flush the hubs and switch to oil, or what?

saxdiva

I don't know if L.A. is really much of a hotspot for folding bikes. Few of us have multi-modal commutes; when I can take transit to work, it requires careful planning and a 6-mile ride to the train station (a hilly one at that) at either end. Mid-level folders sell quickly, but a Brompton at that price is probably more of an investment than most Angelenos are prepared to fork over.

element5758

awesome bikes

chagzuki

I wiped the grease from the internals but didn't clean it off completely. My main concern was to make sure things were sealed as well as possible as I'd read that the new SA hubs will leak oil excessively and my first attempt saw oil seaping out through the press fit in the shell and the ball ring threads. So I used some sealant called 'Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure' on the shell join, both from the inside and outside, and put PTFE tape on the ball ring threads when assembling, plus filled the cone labyrinth seals with grease. I then dripped a lot of synthetic ATF through the axle. . . I thought I'd put that much in that It'd escape quite quickly but several weeks on and there's been zero leakage. Really, not a drop has escaped. . . I'm surprised because from looking at the design I'd assumed that a fair amount would cme out through the ball cage bearings. This might mean that oil isn't circulating to that region, in which case I suppose I ought to make sure I grease it when assembling.

jur

Thanks for those tips. Few more Qs: To make the sealant penetrate, did you clean those cracks to rid them of oil? Also, is the press fit the left side onto the shell? Then, what did you use to unscrew the ball ring? Lastly, is the ball ring a RH thread?

I have 2 new 5 speed hubs meant for Bromptons and I will give one the treatment to see the effect.

chagzuki

I tried to clean out the grease from within the join (which is on the left side of the shell) but I couldn't see any easy way to do it bar white spirit, and I'm allergic to solvents. So I tried water and washing up liquid but I don't think it really did much since the surface tension is too high, i.e. the shell is waterproof but not oil-proof. I'm sure white spirit would seep through quickly. . . however, it appears that applying sealant from both inside and out has worked. . . originally I tried using an artist's acrylic medium as a sealant but it didn't work. . . perhaps an oil based paint might. . . then again, it might not dry.

Unscrewing the ball ring requires the official sturmey archer tool since the notches are rounded and a punch isn't going to be effective, as it is on older designs. Well, I suppose you might be able to do it but I wouldn't want to damage or mark the shell so it seems worth paying for the tool despite it being overpriced.

Yep, it's a right hand thread.

erg79

Yep.

Plus, instead of the OP wondering why the Craigslist seller's wife would prefer a cruiser over a Brompton, I'm wondering why the seller went out and bought a Brompton for her if he wasn't sure that she would like it!

folder fanatic

Southern California (which includes Los Angeles) is a place for recreational riders. While that does not automatically exclude other riding usages and styles, this is what the bicycle means to these residents. Always have and apparently always will. Not only limiting to the recreational style, but the communities here seem to gravitate towards the cheapest bike they can get their hands on. Any expensive bike around here is used/owned by people who are very into bicycles in general or rarely actually substitute a pedal powered vehicle like the bike for car ownership.

Examining the original ad taken from my first post answers your question I think: ".........I love my Brompton so I bought one for the wife. Unfortunately, she seems to prefer her beach cruiser bike so... here it is......."-https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv...733858823.html

It's a matter of preference and taste when it comes to choosing a type of bike over another. I know the feeling that the husband feels. My sister thinks any bike that folds up is stupid-end of matter. I integrated my bicycles into my life far more than my sister or anyone else around here usually has done so. Therefore I tend to gravitate toward specialized bicycles like ones that fold up and/or separate. I am making an educated guess here but I think that the wife probably just rides a a basic boring bike as a cruiser just to please or placate her "very much into bikes" husband. I would not be a bit surprised that he "surprised" his wife with a gift that he would like, but she-not so much. I see it all the time here in our shared City Of Los Angeles and it's surrounding cities.

It's so obvious that this poor man is trying to fix his rather expensive mistake & recoup his loses by looking for someone to bail him out by taking the bike off his hands-at the full price he paid for it last year. Too bad the economy here makes people hesitant to buy used at that price when, for a few hundred dollars more, they can create their own brand new Brompton with it's "B-Spoke" design-it-yourself most popular option added with full manufacturer's, as well as the additional protective coverages (i.e. additional & necessary free or low cost at the very least 1st and annual tune-ups, dealing directly with Brompton in the event of the bike being a complete lemon, etc.) when purchased from one of our (at last count 3) local Brompton dealer's, warranty.

What would you-or most in their right minds-would choose to do?

Azreal911

That's overpriced for a year old brompton, especially the pink should easily knock off $200+ on that bike to even make it enticing. True for an extra bit more you can easily get a custom coloured brompton and specs to suit your needs. Hmmm just checked on nycewheels with their custom brompton builder it's only around $200 more plus taxes for the exact same build. But with that you can get at least a brand new bike and they have quite a few choices on the free colours available. And the biggest plus of all is the warranty from the same shop you bought it from is worth quite a bit. And to even think of repainting that bike it would easily go for over $100+ with all the troubles and your time on taking it apart.

James H Haury

Bike fit is also very important.If a bike doesn't fit you riding it is torture. Just having a handlebar that comes back a bit make a huge difference with my DAHON.I used to have a bull horns bar on my DAHON but it affected the fold adversely so I switched to a mountain bar that comes back a bit and better handgrips. Combined with a Lepper wide leather saddle and a suspension seat postI have a fairly comfortable ride.

folder fanatic

Update!!!!!!

Apparently the ad has been removed:

".........This posting has expired.

(The title on the listings page will be removed in just a few minutes.)......"-https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv...709089029.html

It only could be one of 2 reasons.

He found a suck-er, buyer or He took the ad off Craigslist himself or just let it expired (no takers).

You decide.

HGR3inOK

Perhaps a legitimate buyer made a reasonable offer, and the seller accepted it.

-HANK RYAN-
Norman, Oklahoma USA

ztrawhcs

If it says the posting has expired, that probably means no takers. Ads on CL expire after about 30 days and automatically come off the site. If he sold it and took the listing down, it would have said something like This listing has been removed.​

blakcloud

I purchased two Bromptons last year for the wife and I and I can honestly say we are not enjoying them like I thought we would. Our full size bikes are much better at everything but folding. She has ridden her twice, me about 10 times. They now sit in a closet for back up bikes for guests and the occasional ride by us.

I thought we would travel with them more but everywhere we go you can easily rent bikes. Plus she travels to Japan monthly so she bought a bike and just leaves it there in a covered bike parking lot. I tried commuting on mine as I am a daily commuter but the bike is uncomfortable and my full size is just better. In the end the Bromptons just don't make sense for us. Lesson learned I guess.

folder fanatic

I do admit myself that I rarely pull my Brompton or my vintage era Raleigh Twenty out of their respective storage bags as I rarely use any bike anymore for various reasons. That does not mean that it was a waste of money-far from it. It is not how much you use a given product, but whether or not it is a good fit for the situations it is needed for when you do use it. Where I happen to reside, it is a very high probability of all out bike theft (nothing deters these desperate hordes of people-no matter what the bike lock companies come out with). Plus assuming that they are not successful at gaining custody of the bike, they simply strip off as many parts as they can get away with. So the only bike useful here are the collapsible folding/separating ones. Full size bikes might just be better at most everything, but long ago I decided to choose a bike I know I can keep track of than something that might not be there when I return for it, even all locked up in recommended hardened U Locks.

Especially for the basic reason why I use bikes in the first place; as a means of reliable transportation during times of transit strikes and/or natural/man-made disasters The folding/separating bikes are flexible enough to be transported within private cars/trucks/taxis/buses/trains or be ridden on it's own power. That's why still be happy about your folding bike purchase. Especially the most flexible bike of all-The Brompton!

folder fanatic

Another Update-With Another-apparently better buy even used-Brompton For Sale As Well!

The ad for the pink Brompton is still up here: https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv...775176670.html. Same price & ad.

Another Brompton has appeared on my local Craigslist:
BEAUTIFUL BROMPTON M6L TITANIUM 6-GEAR FOLDING BIKE - $1600 (MID-CITY)

"..........THIS IS A BROMPTON M6L, TITANIUM, 6-GEAR, Folding Bicycle purchased at Bfold Brompton specialists in Manhattan.

Bike Cost: $1,427 (ex Tax).

Additional parts & costs:

Special Apple Green Colour: Cost $50

Extendable Titanium Seat Post (no longer made): Cost $150

Brooks Saddle (VERY, VERY slight damage, courtesy of the TSA): Cost $125

Cloud 9 Comfort Saddle: $30

Brompton Front Carrier Block: Cost $37.50

C-type Carrier Bag: Cost $178

C-Type Folding Pedal: Cost $70

Full Mudguard Set: $82

2 New Brompton Tyres & 2 new Spare Tubes (boxed): Cost $130 (Inc. shipping)

PLUS two only partially used Brompton tyres

Adjustable Mirrors left & right: Cost $30

Clip-on lights, front & rear: $30

Weather-proof Brompton bicycle cover (to cover bike when folded)

TOTAL COST: $2,339.50 (ex' Tax)

SALE PRICE: $1,600 -- FIRM: (if you think the price is high, check out what lesser Bromptons are selling for on E-bay)

The bike has seen about 30miles, if that. It was an expensive gift (purchased in 2007) for someone who's not into biking. It's in excellent condition except for a few small scratches. Have more pictures (Craigslist only allows 8) including pictures of all scratches. Recently had brakes and gears serviced at Flying Pigeon L.A. If you've been considering a Brompton, have a look at this one before forking out for a new one. No time-wasters please. Reply via E-mail. Bike can be seen/ tested over the weekend. Thanks........."-https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac...818598963.html

Comes with lots of extras (which adds up the price even new very quickly). Any interested potential purchasers here?

Purpleorchid

That's a nice price!

folder fanatic

Especially with all those expensive-to-buy Brompton Accessories. They certainly do add up even purchased over a long period of time.

folder fanatic

Update The Titanium Brompton has been sold-a very quick sale for sure!

This posting has been deleted by its author.

(The title on the listings page will be removed in just a few minutes.)-https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac...818598963.html

The pink one ad only expired. I doubt anyone picked it up.

GeorgePaul

Ad for pink Brompton: https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv...822330315.html