Originally Posted by
berlinonaut
I would not agree to this. This would basically mean any product that undergoes changes at any point in time would be immature... The changes on the Brompton aluminium rack that I am aware of are pretty subtile:
Thanks for all the details - indeed this rather sounds like tweaking. The indentations in the rack for straps make sense as in my version the straps have hard time finding a space for themselves.
Originally Posted by
berlinonaut
The Brompton rack is rated for a load of 10kg - in fact it carries far more than that.
Obviously after you fold the bike it pushes down with a weight of 10kg
. When you are placing the bike on the ground the force is even greater.
Originally Posted by
berlinonaut
Sitll bent rack stays are common - for a reason. As some other parts on the Brompton the rack acts as an protection device, in this case for the folded bike. If too much force is applied, the stays will bend. They donate themselves to protect the rear frame.
Still, the reaction does not need to be this inelastic. A bike is generally a pretty rugged structure and the stays in the current Brompton rack are pretty feeble.
Originally Posted by
berlinonaut
A similar protection mechanism exists with the roller wheels: The old small standard wheels rolled badly but protected the bike as the took the force, suspended a little bit and at excessive force broke before the frame did. Same with the new standard wheels since 2015 (?). Just that they roll much better and are at the same time more flexible than the old version. The easy wheels that you are using lack this protection - this may be the reason for your issues. So for airline travelers the easy wheels are not the best choice. Same goes for inline-skate wheels: Those are furthermore too heavy and too hard - longterm chances are that your rack gets bent and the little ears on the frame that carry them break.
I am not happy with the roller wheels either. They are EZ-Wheels and some I bought just a month ago. All the arguments you give can be applied to a suitcase. Yet with a suitcase I can walk for blocks and for EZ-Wheels the length of a driveway is a challenge and half a block a major undertaking. After rolling the bike for half a block on EZ-Wheels they are all bruised up. I have skate wheels on order for a trial, first a pair, but after your arguments I may look into wider, but still rubber covered, aftermarket wheels.