berlinonaut

Nope, wrong assumption. Plus there is a recommended level of torque for the bottom bracket - "tightened fully" is not something commonly used in mechanical manuals anyway.

This is what the Brompton's bottom bracket looks like (this is one that got exchanged during the recent recall, the actual ones are a different brand but follow the same principle mechanically).



When properly mounted as supposed it will turn freely as long as it is not defective.

2_i 

Difficulty to turn a mounted BB with fingers grabbing the axle is very normal as fingers cannot deliver much torque. Even a slight push of the cup against the bearing or axle can make rotation with fingers difficult. For pedaling this is completely irrelevant as pedaling legs deliver humongous torque by comparison.

desastar

May be so, but I’m convinced we have gained at least 100 Watts! Lol

fietsbob

One thing about using the plastic, is ... it wont corrode or rust.

2_i 

If you use a log scale where 100W is just about the same as 0.1W, then I agree

fietsbob

..And.. here is another, limited run, Colour.. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeands...s-in-precision

Barbour Green..

Caliwild

I finally picked up the bike yesterday! Will post photos soon... The black lacquer looks amazing in the sun. Almost takes on an olive hue. Works very well with the black edition components. And the saddle is much nicer than I anticipated so I'll just leave that on for now.

linberl

Congrats!!! Enjoy the ride =)

Joe Remi

I can't wait to see pics. I have no need for a Brompton at the moment, but I might buy one of these anyway!

Caliwild

Here are a few pics... not sure the images capture the black lacquer, as it looks even better in person...

linberl

Oh, that IS pretty! I didn't realize the black lacquer was like raw lacquer with black tones, I thought it was more like an opaque paint. That is just lovely.

Caliwild

Thanks! It sold me on the bike. The nickel one looked great in person too...

Joe Remi

It looks crazy! That's a compliment ;-)

Caliwild

Ha! Thanks! It's like understated bling!

ttakata73

If Bruce Wayne rode a B that would be it. Sweet!

Caliwild

Update: Loving the bike so far... Glad I didn't go titanium. You don't feel the weight at all while riding around. I didn't realize the new handlebar grips are so nice. Was thinking I'd swap them out but there is no need. The old Brommie grips were horrible IMO. Also glad I didn't spend the extra bucks on a new headset or bottom bracket. Bike runs just fine without these. And the Schwalbe Marathons actually roll better than expected. Might upgrade to Kojacks later but puncture protection trumps speed on a bike like this... and the 6 speeds are essential for the terrain near me. Love this thing!

DaKineDatFolds

Curious, where did you purchase your Brommie from? Did you order it online?

Joe Remi

Good on you for buying the one you really wanted, it sounds like it worked out great!

I just ordered a Crust Lightning Bolt road bike with a finish like yours, it's kind of a green lacquer. Cool, eh? 👍

https://crustbikes.com/products/lightning-bolt-2/

Caliwild

Very nice indeed... Looks like the perfect frame with great tire clearance and a cool rando style...

linberl

FWIW on my pakiT, I found the Kojaks actually MORE flat resistant than marathons. Why? Because it seems the kojaks just roll over glass and junk on the road; the marathons get the same crud caught in the tred and then in can work into the tire and tube. The kojaks don't pick up anything =).

berlinonaut

This is very unusual - my experience is the opposite and I'd assume the one of most other people, too. Consider yourself happy and never change those tires!

Joe Remi

That's whatcha call precision. I think Linberl is great at dodging debris with skinny tires, so fatter grooved tires are just a nuisance to her! 👍

linberl

Honestly I expected to hate the kojaks. I was sure I'd hate flats up the wazoo. None. zip. Now i've cursed myself of course. But with the Marathons I used to spend time after every ride picking crap out of the treads, glass bits, metal bits, whatever. All of my flats were from stuff that had worked through the rubber down into the tube over time - not one blow out, just slow to moderate leakers. The stuff doesn't stick to the kojaks so it's either a blow out or no flats. Now that I've jinxed myself, we'll see what happens, lol.

Caliwild

Long term update: I ended up selling the black lacquer Brommie a little while back as I needed the money for another project, plus I got exactly what I paid for it! (I guess Bromptons really do keep their value). I soon realized that I really miss having a Brompton. So, for Christmas I treated myself to a new metallic graphite super light S2E-X... I wasn't considering a titanium version but once I rode this specific bike (it came with Schwalbe One gumwall tires), I was blown away. I also ended up splurging on some Brompfication parts, including their hinge clamp set, the rear seatpost clamp, the titanium seatpost and the titanium handlebars. I've also upgraded the saddle to a Fabric Scoop race and the grips to Ergon GE-1 (black w with oil slick clamps), which are the same type of grips they fit to the CHPT3 version. Total bike weight is exactly 21 lbs right now. I am very impressed with the quality of the Brompfication parts. And I will say that this bike is definitely snappier, lighter and more comfortable than my prior Brompton (the 6 speed black lacquer one).

PS: I just removed the crappy Brompton bell and will be throwing on my Spurcycle one (best bell in the world!). I also removed the front luggage carrier block (never use it). Any ideas of how to plug the two holes? Would something like this work? https://www.backcountry.com/problem-...SABEgJurPD_BwE

Thanks for listening!

Caliwild

PPS: I'll post some photos soon...