spambait11

Your explanation and diagram are crystal clear; thanks!

Now you have to redesign your avatar.

Simple Simon

Hey Pixel .. Brill !

14R 

Just a friendly reminder that your bike ROCKS!

EvilV

Just found this. That's a lovely looking bike Pixel. As for the seat post having an affinity with gravity. I think that is a feature of the clamp and the frame design of the Merc. The alloy takes a lot of compression force to get a good hold of the standard seat post for sure. I had that sinking feeling until I thoroughly degreased the post. Now, it takes a long long time to move even a millimeter.

LittlePixel

Thanks for the comments - the bike was invaluable fun when I went over to NY for christmas. Biking in Manhattan - paths = excellent; Streets/Avenues. So many blimmin' trafficlights!

The post seems to have settled down now - I think I was maybe just not running the quick release tight enough...

boldav44

Got any pics of your bike in N.Y? Great Job BTW!

Dave

jur

Hey LP... I haven't had a chance to comment yet... but I LIKE!

Found a way to plug those rim holes yet? My black tape dots are holding out remarkably well, none have come off yet.


But... I thought the frame was a Merc...?

LittlePixel

It is a Merc but it's a Brompton™ design and I like silver decals!
I haven't plugged the rims yet but may well use electrician tape as those velocity plugs will stop stuff getting to the tyre, but not into the 'aero' section of the rim. A little blob of epoxy glue might be an idea too but definitely messier.

EvilV

What did you do with the old back wheel Pixel (assuming that you bought a whole Merc and not just the frame). I am thinking of buyng a spare rear wheel with hub. I can get one from the supplier for £42 delivered, but if there was another new one lying around, unloved, I could do a deal on that perhaps. I aim to keep my bike running for ever, so I am amassing spares. One never knows whether a small supplier will continue in business. Actually, I could be persuaded to take on other spares if they were reasonably priced.

LittlePixel

Hey EvilV - so sorry I never saw this post till now. Yes I have a bunch of parts;

The rear wheel was dissassembled I'm afraid though - originally I was going to use the stock rims so it got delaced before my mind turned to Velocity rims. But I have the rims, tubes, tyres, SA Hub and twist-grip parphenallia, though I think the cabling got canibalised.

Also have rack, bars, handlepost, cranks, rear triangle; pretty much everything you don't see on the bike really. I could just bundle them up for you and send them by parcelforce - PM me with whatever you think a fair offer would be - they're just sitting there for now and - as you say - it's always good to have spares so I'd be happy to see them go to a good home for not much more than the cost of the postage....

easy racer

Hi Littlepixel,

Great Bike! I'm glad to hear you are enjoying it.

Regards, andy

P.S. It's great building up one of these little bikes, isn't it.

mulleady

LP I clicked on all your links at the bottom of your forum signature. Great set of bikes, both technically and in terms of aesthetics. You could run a business doing mods lol! 8.8kg is perfect, what a light bike, perfect for flat urban terrain, especailyl if you are already quite fit.

Wanted to ask you aren't flying BA to NYC with this lovely bike I hope?!

LittlePixel

That flight was around christmas last - and thankfully not through the dreaded BA terminal 5! It went Virgin on the way out and Air India on the way back and was happily unscathed both times...

Fit? Not really - I live near a big hill in Crouch End and it's sometimes enough to put me off riding being so near the start of a ride into town. Hope to get fitter though if I'm to amount to a hill of beans in the Smithfield Nocturne folding bike race in June...

LittlePixel

Totally - it took a while to get all the parts but I love it. I actually PMed you the other day asking about skinny Moulton mudguards like the ones you used to have on yours... I wondered if you had any leads on a stockist...?
Huw

easy racer

Hi Huw,

Sorry I missed that.
I think I got the Moulton mudguards from my normal place, as it is so close, which is Avon Valley Cyclery.
I don't think they advertise them on their website, but they can get them for you for around £20-£40.
The only thing I do remember is that the stays, for the 'guards, are from Inspired Cycle Engineering. Though they may do both the guards and the stays, if you ask them nicely.
I did that because the Moulton stays are next to useless, as they are not man enough to hold the Brompton once folded. I guess it's a bit much trying to ask them to do something they were not designed to do, though.

It was a stroke of luck that one part, from one manufacturer, fitted the parts from another.

Good luck, andy

alecw35

heard the Ferrari badge being called the ....Dancing Donkey


I saw a tv show about a frame builder. He drilled rims, he had a metal band to put in the rim well. Just Drilled in the set holes in it

phatatude

Flippin Sexy Bike Huw...

LittlePixel

Jus' bumpin this to show off tyres, brakes and tensioner (Thanks Somnatash!) recently added. I say recently. My camera broke and only now have I been able to take new shots. The parts've been fitted for months.

Tyres are ISO 349 .75" Primo (Pr1mo) Champs, more commonly fitted to racing wheelchairs. They're high pressure, skinny as a gnat's chuff. Test conclude they're very fast, seemingly sturdy and a pig to fit. I won't mention the p**cture word in case of jinxes but none of those have happened yet. These are shod on a pair of 32h Velocity Aerohead rims, a bit skinnier than the previously fitted machined AeroHeats.

A bit of fettling with a dremel has also allowed me to fit a matching Campag Centaur skeleton brake caliper to the front too which is a nice light and minimal addition to the bike. The cable goes upwards now too which is a nice way of keeping rain out of the cabling. Routing neater. And it stops. Probably a bit better than before.

Here she is trying to look all sultry and tuff in the fading light yesterday:

SesameCrunch

She's a real beauty, she is!!

invisiblehand

What is the reach of a standard set of Brompton brakes? I thought that they were long ... >50mm.

Simple Simon

Off the cool wall !!

ChiapasFixed

ooo yes!
nice one!
i am very curious about this non-integrated-rear-triangle-folding-fixies thing
not too familiar with the eliptical path of the brompton, how much longer if at all does the chain get during folding?
think i could odd a setup like that on my airnimal joey?
congrats on a super slick ride mate!!

mconlonx

LittlePixel, fantastic looking bike! Very drool-worthy.

Say--what are those handlebars you're running? Something specific, or just some upside-down city bars of unknown provenance?

jur

Absolutely fantastic!

bykerouac

Always a pleasure to see this objet d'art of yours LP! I think this is the most beautiful Brompton variation to grace this forum, thanks for the update. I really like that minimalist brake, and the clean straight brake line. Will a Campagnolo Delta brake fit?

Any plans to visit NYC again?