ilovebicycling

I've always liked the design and fold of the Brompton, but what irks me is the way the cables are routed to the back of the bike. It just seems so "dangly" if that's the word for it. Has anyone found a way to make the cables management more visually appealing?

BTW, I don't own a Brompton but will oneday. If not a genuine one, then a Merc or the new Dahon 18 incher.

mulleady

You are right in a sense but believe me it never causes a problem and works fine on fold and unfold.

I believe Flamingo bikes of Taiwan came up with the same fold but with cable routed internally. It certainly looks neater. See below:

Corsaire

I've heard and seen on Youtube that it's a real pain in the butt to change a flat on the rear tire, a loooong process.....is this accurate?

Corsaire

Dahon.Steve

I never had a Brompton but it probably takes the same time as most 16' inch folders with a hub gear. I can change a flat in about 15-20 minutes on my Dahon Piccolo. With more practice, you get faster. It really depends how fast you can find the glass which made the puncture in the first place. If you have to wait for the patch to dry, now we're taking major time.

makeinu

How about switch to a single speed and drop the rear brake? Then there won't be any cables going to the back of the bike to be poorly routed.

vik 

You can just patch the tube without removing the wheel from the bike. That should take 5 mins tops including letting the glue dry.

somnatash

I also like the clean look of no cables going to the rear - like makeinu suggested and Little Pixel did: in a single speed with no rear brake.
Anyway, form follows function here. If you are going to try to reroute cables be prepared to end up with a loosing situation. With some other Folders cable routing is afterthought and you might have to arrange the cables during the fold or they can get caught in some wrong place or make big loops which catches stuff while carrying the bike. Brompton cable routing was designed with the fold in mind. The cables don't get in the way, not while riding nor while folding but end up in the right place, tight along the bike without the need to touch them.

mulleady

Do you like the fFlamingo bikes or do you resent them copying Brompton's folding mechanism? Certainly I like the internal cable routing adaptation.

somnatash

soso, while I like see no cables, I still think to have them outside is a more straightforward affair (easier repair, no holes/water in frame). One would have to see how Flamingo cables behave within/after the fold. From the pics you posted I suspect all those front cables will loop out in a catchy way, I cant see how they can end neatly near the bike.
A pic somebody?

"resent"? No, I am not into all this ranting about brompton copyright or clones, also I stay clueless how people engage in dissing brompton factory for not doing this´n that. Copying (when legal) is a form of compliment, no? Did you know I own a Merc (lays slaughtered under my bed the poor thing)?

Perhaps my last post sounds as if I am over defensive to brommi critics? In another post you stated that brommi is a "second look bike" which virtues only become notable after time. Well, for me it was "love at first sight". I was sure to make mine even before riding, but you are right - the longer and better I know the bike the more I have to admire its inventor. That in parts came with trying to modify "everything" and see how difficult that was because every inch is already so well in harmony. (note that the urge to modify in my case rose more from that week female attitude to alter the beloved than from discontentment)

mulleady

Not at all your some of your modifications have inspired some of my impending or future upgrades! The Somnatash Brompton may become a thing of urban legend eventually

I agree about people ranting off about Brompton as a company. They are one of those unique private manufacturing companies that so far haven't jumped on the corporate bandwagon and become faceless and totally profit obssessed in the process. Bromptons are expensive and conservative in their development for many good reasons that their most outspoken critics fail to know, or refuse to understand. No-one has to buy a Brompton and the most worn cliche that it uses 'old fashioned parts' and is 'archaic' completely miss the point about its intended purpose. Sure it can have improvements but Brompton don't deny that and are incremental and careful with their product development strategy. It's all about longevity and folding quality allied to a decent ride (not a perfect one). The Brompton is a compromise bike between fold and ride and a brilliant one at that. Only someone who is blinkered or a Brompton fanboy/fangirl would fail to appreciate the other folders and what they excel at. For example you desire the Pacific Carryme and I desire a Dahon superlight performance bike but we also love our Bromptons. Try telling that to some on the Brompton Yahoo user group. This is why i like this sub-forum so much and continue to visit here one year on.

Of course, one could say the same for many of the folding bike companies including Dahon and Bike Friday who still show some responsiveness to customers. The founder of Brompton Andrew Ritchie is a pioneer in his field but very humble about it all. I rang Brompton's marketing department the other day for some permissions to publish photos for an article I'm writing and they got back to me within 2 hours. I always find them so friendly and pleasant.

From a personal point of view, I have come to consider my Brompton of 3 months the best gadget I've ever owned and my friends call me Inspector Gadget because of the amount I've gone through in the past (mostly electronic in nature)!

LittlePixel

+1!
That's what I did - the frame looks so much cleaner with none of the cabling to the rear. They make it worse for themselves with the dual rear shifter - it starts to look like a transatlantic cabling ship!

mulleady

Isn't eliminating all cabling from a bike a bit like removing hair from one's head and becoming completely bald in the process?

Some cabling. albeit neat, is surely part of a bike's character?

porschetoyz

OFF TOPIC:
Yeeeesss, but, I luv it when I learn something new, phrased so wonderfully.

ON TOPIC:

itsmoot

Internal cabling sometimes causes problems, the joy of routing replacment cables being an obvious one. There are old threads in the mechanics forums about others.

My folder gets considerable ogling from roadies and MTBers, and I've noticed the long lengths of cable dangling from my handlebars get the strangest looks. So, FWIW, I doubt anyone but yourself would even notice how the cables are routed on the frame.

ilovebicycling

Yes, I am the dangly cable "noticer." Probably the only one in this world, ya thinks? Not.

mulleady

No not at all. But the Brompton has a certain logical design to it all based around the fold. I'd like to see the roadie types bring their bikes into the office or pub like I do lol!

I say ogle away!