Hi all. Maybe I should be called paranoid pete, but my question is should I worry about this ? I have swapped the clamps on my merc to brompton clamps; but already, with little riding (up and down the street), they are worn in the middle, like this:



Is that a problem? There are similar signs, but of less wearing on the original merc clamp, which I could switch back to, but with the brompton finger-spinner bolt, which is what I wanted:



Its because the braze on the clamping bit on the frame stickc out.



I could be worrying about nothing, but I really don't fancy the bike coming apart under me - advice really welcome. Thanks in anticipation.

Hi pete ;-)

imho no need to worry! Either use of clamp should be fine, but using the brompton clamp is better. Why: Actually I just checked my brand new brompton clamps (never been mounted) and they exactly look like yours in the above picture. Maybe you overlooked that before mounting? Also on my Brompton the mounted clamps look like that (no difference, hence no visible wear). I don't think its wear. I think they are manufactured that way, exactly for 2 reasons: 1. not to get stressed at that brazed middle point. 2. If you look on the frame part of the hinge, you see, that the hinge has a thin/slim part exactly where the brompton clamp is making a slight curve to the outside and so the clamp doesn't stress that slim frame part in the middle of the hinge.

If you just check the clamp once in a while, which I would propose anyhow you should be save.

thanks somnatash - maybe not paranoid, but the equivalent to hypocondriac. BTW the merc, now with a brompton telescopic, and temporary bar ends while I await some smaller ones from kinetics is otherwise now a very cool purchase. Gonna post details soon

You are welcome.
Yeah, post some pics in the name your bike thread. I ought to do that also, only not yet managed. Look forward to see your "Mercton"

I agree with everything Somnatash says - the clamps are fine and have not just bent but are in fact made that way to focus the grip on four points away from the centre of the hinge.
+1 on seeing your pix on the name-your-bike-thread.

@somnatash - your syntace clamps went in the post today so expect them soon!

I have never had cause to worry at all about my Merc locking clamps. They are completely secure and solid. I give them a little twist now and then just to make certain no interfering kid has loosened them when it was parked outside a shop or whatever. They would never loosen on their own, and I can't conceive of any way they could fail in use either.