Page last changed March 2, 2003

Carrying or rolling issues

Techniques for carrying a folded Brompton

• Phil Gough:
  I discovered early in my career as a Brompton-riding and -carrying rail commuter that having about 24lb weight acting as a straight down pull on the upper arm socket was no joy, and if one in fact just picked it up in the unfolded state and tucked the shoulder under the nose of the saddle then you got a balanced load with the weight distributed over more muscles and joints. You can even run with it like this to catch a train. I rarely carry luggage on the rear carrier, but I found that it was easier to remove it first as it upset the balance of the load. At most rail stations the surfaces are usually smooth enough for towing the bike in folded state using the little wheels, carrying the luggage in the other hand.
• Carl Etnier, Jun 1999:
  This may be old hat to many of you, but it was a serendipitous discovery for me today.
  I have carried the folded Brompton either by the nose of the saddle, or by the middle of the main bar, about at the top of the curve. This is reasonably close to the fore-aft center of gravity, but considerably to port of the port-starboard c.o.g. That means that the bottom of the bike swings in towards my leg, and I have to hold my arm further away from my body to compensate.
  Today I discovered by accident that if you hold near the top of the little curved tube that goes from the bottom bracket to the main tube and angle the main tube downwards, it is possible with relatively little force to pivot the bike around the fulcrum of the nose of the saddle on one's wrist, and hold it so the wheels are perpendicular to the ground. This means that the bike can be held much closer to one's body without hitting it, and makes possible a more natural gait.
  • Gary Kendall, Jun 1999:
    I tend to do similar but without rotating the bike, hence a little more strain on the wrists. If all you want to do is get the lateral centre of gravity correct then try turning the saddle slightly to the right, before lifting the bike by its nose.
• Greg Lassonde, Jun 1999:
  I've discovered another way to carry the Brompton that's especially useful for getting up and down stairs. I've developed repetitive motion illness (tennis elbow) from computers and needed an alternative to carrying the full weight. So ... I simply hoist the saddle on my right shoulder and bear most of the weight there. I find that I need to keep the bike a short distance from the side of my leg or the frame clamp will bruise my leg.
  • Phil Gough, Jun 1999:
    Yes, this is the method I prefer, but with the bike unfolded, the nose of the saddle in about at the c.g. point and with the rear half of the bike hanging down behind gives a strain free lift. I even run for trains with it this way.
• Stein Somers, Jun 1999:
  My right hand holds the top tube underneath the saddle. The saddle acts as a spacer between leg and wrist. I leave the left crank in a 6 o'clock position, pedal just behind my right leg, rather than turning it clockwise as prescribed.

Stop your rear end from sagging

• Custfold, Jul 1997:
  Alternative for non folded transfers is to use a strap (like our system [which fits around the seat post, clips into the rear triangle in 5 secs or less, and flicks out to fold equally fast; contact Custfold for details], or a toeclip one), which keeps back wheel up, and then rest nose of saddle on your shoulder. The balance of the bike, with a lightly loaded, or no front pannier, is such that it sits with no strain for hands free activity, in almost any situation - climbing stairs etc.
  The balance of the bike generally, and its neutral handling allow you to dismount, let the bike roll on untouched, and place your right hand onto the frame at the fork of the 'Y', and pick it up cleanly - if you have a wide grip over the top, if not under the frame.
  This can also be done when transferring the hand from the saddle, pushing the bike, down to the frame, and lifting in one clean action - hell this really needs a video for rider training!
• Stein Somers:
  Seen in Weymouth: a simple plastic bar, pierced through by the seat clamp on one side, and with a hook on the other side that catches the luggage rack on the rear triangle. To let the triangle swing freely again, just lift the lever. It is kept up by friction.
• Channell Wasson, Mar 1998:
  We use the Ortlieb Ex-Tremer dray bag back pack. All Bromptons fit into it. $99 US dollars plus shipping of about $20. I take my bike aboard airliners with this bag.
• Custfold, Mar 1998:
  A standard Brompton should fit an average newspaper delivery bag which comes complete with shoulder straps - or there is an Ortlieb bag which can be supplied that a bike will fit in with saddle removed.
  The cheap option is to use the news bag, which can double as a waterproof cover for the front pannier - when riding the bike. Think we'll try and stock some if there's interest.
• Phil Gough, Mar 1998:
  [...] the "rear end hanging down" feature [...] has been useful for me. A 25-lb bike in folded form acts straight down from the shoulder and as he says, is not comfortable to carry any distance, the pain is exacerbated by having to have the arms held away to some extent from the body due to width of the package. If you hoist the bike up (unfolded) and tuck your shoulder under the nose of the saddle the weight is balanced nearer to the centre of the machine and you can sprint up and down the steps to the rail platform with relative ease. The hanging rear wheel helps with the favourable weight distribution and reduces the risk of striking other people compared with a rigid bike.
• Custfold, Sep 2000:
  An alternative to the plastic thingy is to modify the thick part of an Adie handlebar mounted front light bracket - from the days when all bik lighs fitted onto a simple standard bracket, the dimensions of which probably were standardised on the old oil lanterns used on horse drawn carriages. This conveniently curved part will locate against the seat tube and generally stay in place.
• S. Joshua Ogawa, Feb 2003:
  Those Taiwanese made Brompton sold in Japan come with a tiny metal piece on the seat post lever axis that keeps brompton from folding itself when lifted. It's such a great addition to this bike but the UK (European) models lack of it and even in the shop catalogues they are not found. I decided to draw it with a CAD so that people can bring it to a metal shop to have it made. It should not cost too much, it's a simple item that can be made even in a home workshop.
  As there are no many people who can read the CAD files so i made it in JPEG format. If correctly printed it's in scale 1 to 1. If anyone who wants it in AutoCAD DXF or DWG format I can mail it to him/her. [Josh's mail address is ogawa.satoshi at chello.be]
• Rainer Zenz, Mar 2003:
  I didn't know of this tiny metal piece, but I have constructed some similar hooks in autumn. The main difference is: they are mounted vice versa and I think this is the better solution. If they fit well, you need just a fingertip to unlock and they lock automatically (or with another fingertip).
  Unfortunately my metal shop didn't build the last version for months (so it WAS my metal shop) and I couldn't test that version, but there are some photos and drawings from all versions on our site: http://www.bromptonauten.de/umbauten/arretierung.html
  Take a spoke and try out.

Put your bike on a diet

• Leonard Rubin:
  either bulk up at the gym, or put your bike on a diet -- I have reduced the weight of mine to 21 lbs! I am also finishing up a 6 lb. (possibly 5 lb.) folding companion trailer that doubles as a hand cart/luggage cart and is carried, collapsed, on the bike when not hauling a load! (check Genetically Modified Bromptons - Leonard Rubin's UFB ("Ultimate Folding Bike" or "Super-Brompton") project)
• More on weight watching in A to B magazine issue 1 (Where can I find out more? - A to B)

Carrying assistants

Collapsable luggage racks

• De Clarke, Sep 1999:
  Those who have to lug Brommies around airports and so forth (in hard or soft cases) might want to look at the dTUBE folding luggage cart. I just got one to use on my next trip. It could be lighter, but maybe only at some sacrifice of strength; the design is really tasty and the quality is reasonably good for the price. I got mine from a mailorder travelwares catalog.
  Folded up it looks like a smooth aluminium cylinder with some hardware along one side. About the height of a wine bottle and a similar weight, about the diameter of the business end of a baseball bat, maybe a little slimmer. You could definitely find room for it in a mid-size suitcase, but I plan to stick it in the bike bag when not in use.
  Unfolded it looks like a sturdy little alloy luggage cart with minibungie hold-down straps. Rated for 60 lb or so, as I recall. at first glance you wonder how the heck it unfolds, but it's actually simple when you know the steps (like the bike).
• De Clarke, Oct 1999:
  Well here is my promised report on the DTUBE in real life, as opposed to the pretty pictures at the Magellan's catalogue site.
  On the whole I think it is a successful device. Having lugged the Brommie (encased) across Keahole airport (leeward shore of Big Island, Hawai'i) on a previous trip, I would say *anything* that obviates that schlep is wonderful. On this trip I had 4 pcs luggage including the Brommie, total weight well over 70 lbs. Whew.
  The DTUBE unfolds swiftly into its working shape. I rolled the encased Brommie and a laptop case without much difficulty. The Brommie case went on the platform, secured by the mini-bungie, and the laptop strap was hooked over the top of the frame, so the laptop rested against the brommie case. It wheeled very easily and I couldn't possibly have handled the luggage without the cart.
  A caveat: the wheels are quite small and I had to go slowly over rough surfaces. The wheels stand proud of the frame ends by only a small margin, so the frame ends will ground and scrape when crossing very small declivities like (this was annoying) the deeply recessed grout between floor tiles at baggage claim. I had to be careful to cross the grout at right angles: if a wheel slipped into the grout line, there was a godawful scraping noise and a sudden braking action :-)
  The wheels are clearly not going to last forever. They are already abraded and scuffed by the rough surface of parking lots and roadways. I will examine them closely this weekend and see if they look replaceable. I am not sure how long the bungie cord will live either. It's fairly slender.
  You have to be sure to lock all the folding cross members very firmly in place, particularly those at the back of the cart. If not locked with a fair amount of pressure they will come loose over bumps and the thing will start to sag. The reinforcing struts for the "platform" can bounce out of their locating notches when this happens, producing a melodious tinkling (as they drag on the ground) and a quick stop for repairs. However, if you solicitously lock each cross member before proceeding, the cart will hold together. There is a warning note about this on the packaging: believe it.
  You can't stand the cart upright unattended with a tall heavy case (like a Brommie) installed. At rest it leans forward, and... more than once I saw my cart slowly topple over. Quickly I learned to wheel it into contact with a counter or bench before letting go of the handle.
  Although the DTUBE unfolds in a jiffy, mine was not always so willing to fold up again :-) This was a little stressful at baggage check, since I was trying to pack it back into the Brommie case which was being checked -- with 100 anxious people in line behind me there was considerable pressure to get the damn thing folded away and stuffed into the bag before putting the bag on the weighing platform. Of course (Murphy's law) it would always balk at the final telescoping action. Same when getting into ground transport. I spent the first 2 miles of the shuttle ride to my conference in a silent struggle with the DTUBE, while the shuttle driver grinned and asked me where the heck I got that funny looking gadget.
  On the return trip I rearranged the cargo somewhat and put the DTUBE in my carryon duffel bag. Thus I could check the big items and then go wrestle with the DTUBE in decent privacy :-) Airport security did not seem to be alarmed by the big metal cylinder. The laptop worried them a lot more.
  On the whole I still think the DTUBE is a good design. My difficulties in getting it to telescope back down may be due to a deficiency of technique. I did practise before leaving, but what is easy to do in one's living room after a good night's sleep is not always so simple when jetlagged, hungry, and the cynosure of impatient gazes from all 'round.
  You simply cannot beat the small size of the folded package, and for me this is the deciding factor. Hope this info is useful for anyone trying to decide whether to buy a DTUBE. Wheels and a handle built into your Brommie case would be more convenient, but if you don't have 'em then this thing works pretty well.
• Gozum WEH, Oct 1999:
  Got mine yesterday and was quite impressed. The review published here discussed problems with folding the dtube may stem from not reading instructions, the assembly collapses when the body is SQUEEZED and handle folded, these items unlock the pillars. Its exceedingly compact and well made. It reminds me of the mechanics of folding the Brompton, daunting at first, simple and quick when done right.
  Its only potential weak point are plastic wheels, however, many wear prone parts have screwed-on braces and are potentially replacable [bungee cord and wheels]. The documents state the dTube is gauranteed for the life of the owner.
  Worth a look for a compact, portable, and strong hand trolley that can be placed on the Brompton, its pannier, basket or the modified Topeak Quick Release rear Rack.

Straps to help you carry a Brompton

• Savi Maharaj:
  I'm hoping this will be useful information for people (like me) who suffer from arm-lengthening problems when carrying the Brompton. (I live in a fourth-floor flat in an old building, so this is a subject close to my heart.)
  I've started using a shoulder strap which I found on sale at one of those shops that sell remaindered books, low-price CDs and other cheap odds and ends. The strap was marketed as a gadget for travellers, the kind of thing you see on sale at shops in airports.
  It looks like this: there is a fabric strap with a metal clip which goes around the top tube of the bike. This is connected by an elastic fabric strap to a loop which goes over the shoulder and is made of a broad band of fake leather-type material. It's very comfortable and seems to work well. My only concern is that it might soon fall apart -- the materials can't be that great because it only cost 2 quid! I've only had it for about a week so far.
  [...] the strap is called "The Weightlifter" and it comes from:

  The Go Travel Products Co. London Fax 0181 906 2245

  PS: I have no financial interest in this gadget.
  The length is adjustable to some extent. I've adjusted it to suit the height I usually carry the bike: my arm is just slightly bent at the elbow. By the way, I should have explained, the strap is not intended to support the bike on its own -- I still hold the bike in my hand but the strap allows my shoulder to take some of the weight. According to the package blurb, the elastic part of the strap is supposed to allow the load to be shifted back and forth between arm and shoulder (by bending or straightening the arm). I do sometimes let the bike hang from the strap for a moment if I need a free hand for opening doors, etc.
  One other point that just occurred to me: the fact that the bike touches me means that this strap would not be very comfortable for horizontal walking. The bike would bang against my legs. (It does that when I carry it without the strap as well -- I guess my arms aren't strong enough to hold it away from my body.) The strap does help a lot when I'm carrying the folded bike up and down stairs.
• Rob Hague/Somerset,UK, Apr 1998:
  I have been using a shoulder strap made by 'Op/Tech USA'. The middle section is neoprene, with webbing for the ends. I bought it from my local photography shop. It is intended to be used to carry tripods and comes with a quick release buckle on each end. With careful adjustment, one end loops around the folded Brompie hinge and the other end around the seat tube frame bit... Works great...
• Koichi Yoshino, Nov 1999:
  Hello. I use a strap for cooler box. I bought it at a outdoor store for about 9 dollars. It says it can hold about 50Kg. Both ends are adjustable and have plastic hooks. Strap is mede of nylon. I fix one end to the head tube and the other end to the seat post. It doesn't damage the bike frame at all. And I can carry my bike very easily.
• Erwin de Vries, Sep 2000:
  I've made a hook to keep up the rear end of the bike, because I carry my luggage on the back of the Brompton. I took a 4mm thick iron rod (with a plastic outer cover) which is bent to go around the seatpost, then slightly to the rear, and then projects downwards and forms a hook around the top bit of the rear triangle, near the rubber suspension block. No scratching of seatpost/triangle because of the plastic outer layer. I've made the hook just tight enough to grip the triangle when I'm not sitting on the bike. Unhooking the rear can easily be done when the suspension block is compressed a bit (sitting or leaning on the saddle).

Bags to carry a Brompton

• Channell Wasson:
  A dry bag [Ortlieb X-tremer] is now available for the Brompton which has straps to allow it to be carried as a knap sack. It is completely water proof and quite comfortable when used on one's back for carrying the Brompton.
• Frank Tompson, Jun 1998:
  I bought a very basic big plastic woven bag (red/white/blue check design) with a zip top and 2 carry handles in a market yesterday. It is a bit of a squeeze, and frustratingly is not quite big enough to enclose the whole bike (at least with a rack fitted) as the saddle and the handlebar stem hinge/front carrier block project above the zip line. However, it gets you 90% of the way there, and would be good enough to tidy things up sufficiently to save you getting slung out of the saloon bar of the pub.
  The carry handles actually go all the way under the bag and up the other side, so although it all looks very flimsy, it seems to be fairly robust, while at the same time being very light, folds small, and at UK 1.50 pounds (say, US2.50 dollars) hardly breaks the bank. Carrying is somewhat easier than by the saddle or the frame.
  I saw these when I was in Australia recently and suspect they might be manufactured somewhere in the third world, so they might be available fairly widely.
• David Henshaw - A to B Magazine, Jun 98:
  We've come across these before - they will just take an 'L' type with standard seat pillar, and are available in a lot of markets and other places for 1.50 or less... excellent value. I think they're called Parrot Brand, and I seem to recall they're made in China.
• Dave H, Jun 1998:
  We found these to be the universal Chairman Mao suitcase for carrying the spare universal Chairman Mao change of suit in China in 1988, they are very versatile, and began appearing in the West around 1990 ISTR. Various sizes are available. The stitching and zip are a little weak, and the material can fray if seams are damaged, or a serious cut occurs. Warning in China/HK do make sure you can identify your bag - a bit like finding your Brompton at a Transport Conference :-)
  Meantime at Custom Folder we're making a Brompton sized shoulder bag (like posties sack) for £39.98 and a very basic shoulder strap and attaching slings to slip over the saddle and front hinge and carry the bike on a strap over your shoulder (£12.50).
• Ian R. Platt, Feb 1999:
  The Taiwan Neobike version has a shoulder bag that looks OK, it matches the black covers on the UK models in looks, but I don't know about the details of the fabric as I have no experience of one. They are priced at 6,000 Japanese yen here (=GBP 30) If required, I could make further enquiries.
• Custfold, Feb 1999:
  Ortlieb produce a stuff sack which is intended for canoe expeditions, as do Mad River Canoe (in their Voyageur Range) - Channell sells the Ortlieb, although attempts to track this mega-bag down for UK sale have been difficult, as the UK ranges seems not to get such a large item. The bag has roll-down seal and is nominally watertight with welded seams - the degree to which it will float is not known.
  I would like to find a slightly different proportion of York Box - of which the current York 200 makes a fine folding trailer & rucksack, seat (for 2 waiting at an station), floats with up to 200lb inside, and carries a spare Brompton inside (as shown to Bicycle Doctor in Mcr) but with the lid off as the shape is not quite right. The York 80 makes a fine watertight and floating front pannier and it is really frustrating that the economics of importing them is so poor (they take up a lot of volume for very little weight, and freight charges are based on an optimum density - so I'd pay 100% charge for something which in theory was only 5-10% of the potential consignable load. We might get something but....
  If any Transpond travellers are wanting a useful item to bring over to Europe then pack your stuff in a York 80, which is exactly the size limit for going in the overhead lockers and can be easily fastened to the Bromptom pannier frame. But if carrying one full of papers you'll need to beef up the front block fixings (they are only rated at 16Kg against 30+Kg with the box) - You got home with stuff in the soft holdall you put in the box.
  Meantime a very effective way of carrying the Brompton is to use the newspaper delivery bag (a larger version of what bike couriers use) - we have made some enhanced versions selling for around £40 with slightly looser dimensions and full velcro shut flap and will make more once we have moved in to new premises (next week we hope) Our s-mail - send SAE for pic. Tightwads might try their local free paper and buy a bright yellow or orange bag with printed name - 2-3 super hot washes removes this - at a cost of around £5, or mugging/bribing the paper boy to win one. It isn't perfect - the fit is tight, and you need at least 1 strap to tie the flap over but it works.
• Stein Somers, Aug 1999:
  There's also the slightly mysterious Carradice "Brompton Carrying Bag", a limited offer advertised in "A to B" issue 12. Is it the one shown at the Cycling & Leisure Exhibition, NEC 1 March 1999 http://www.whooper.demon.co.uk/foldsoc/cycleis.html?
• Ian Charles, Aug 1999:
  I don't know if it was the one shown at the Cycle & Leisure Exhibition but I bought two last week for our Brommies and so far they seem to be very effective and a significant improvement over the original bag, albeit at an extortionate price (I did however manage to negotiate a ten percent discount). I bought them through the ad in A2B.
  Main advantages - carrying: the support strap is well placed to enable the weight to be 'shared' between the arm and the shoulder; and fitting: the all-round zip makes it much easier to put on and remove.
  It doesn't fit as tightly as the original which in some circumstances can be a disadvantage. For example, we're taking the bikes in the car on holiday and want to cover them but will not be carrying them. The closer fitting 'original' bags will be used on this occasion. On the other hand, the space may provide us with the opportunity, long considered, to find some inflatable material, such as a couple of pillows, which could be inserted between the bike and the bag and thus provide lightweight protection when travelling by air (despite the reassuring experiences recently contributed, we've often suffered minor breakages and damage)
  I suppose compared to the fragile-looking jacket at over five times the price, which someone in a bike shop tried to sell me the other day as the only way to stay dry when it rains, the new Carradice bag may not be such bad value after all.
• De Clarke, Sep 1999:
  The airline gave me no grief on the return trip with the brommie safely in a cordura bag that I got (used) from Channell. I checked it as a suitcase with no questions asked. However, the brommie and bag, even with shoulder strap, was a monstrous burden to lug around the airport after reclaiming it from baggage check. I really can't carry it very far, so will have to fit wheels to the case or else invest in one of the recent dinky luggage carts that fold up to teeny size (and could be stored in the bag with the bike when not used).
• DRMLyons, Oct 1999:
  On a recent trip to New York I took a large rucksack and managed to wedge it diagonally from the rack up against the seat post, secured with the bungees. The machine was a little top have when pushing by hand, but the overall ride quality was acceptable. For shorter distances I carried it on my shoulders. Personally I think a decent rucksack is far more practical than a suitcase.
• De Clarke, Oct 1999:
  I tried the Ortlieb pack and returned it to Channell. It was the dickens of a job fitting the bike into the pack, and then getting it out again. I couldn't see undertaking this struggle at a bus stop. Channell says that if you pre-bag the bike in slick nylon fabric it is easier... still seems like major hassle.
  Once stuffed into the pack, it's a rather unwieldy and heavy load (well, I'm fairly short) and doesn't ride well on the back. My back anyway. The straps weren't too comfy, considering the weight of the Brom. If you are quite tall, broad in the shoulders, and strong, then it might work for you.
• Channell Wasson, Oct 1999:
  The Ortlieb dry bag back pack needs a second look maybe. There is a technique to using it. Like so many things these days it must be learned.
• Ian Charles, Oct 1999:
  The new Carradice bag is very good - it's not a back pack but a shoulder bag. It has a very well-positioned hand grip to take the strain off the shoulder and the all-round double zip makes it very easy to put on the bike. I haven't taken it by plane yet (plan to do so in a week or two) but I think that there is enough room to put one's clothes on the outside to act as padding.
• Ian R. Platt, Oct 1999:
  The Taiwanese Brompton also has a shoulder bag that looks good. it costs about ¥4,000 (approx £20) here in Tokyo, I think. I guess they would be obtainable separately, and considerably cheaper elsewhere.
• Mccoy, Andrew, Oct 1999:
  I have a Taiwanese Brompton and Bag. The bag is attractive, but not terribly useful for carrying the bike any distance, neither is it useful for checking as luggage on planes.
  The problem with carrying is that the Brompton is just too bulky to comfortably carry on a shoulder strap - there is always some part of the folded bike trying to attack another part of your anatomy. Most successful is to attach the shoulder strap to the folded bike, leaving the bag's zipper partially open at the top. At least then the bike is not "flopping about" inside the bag as it is being carried. It's still awkward to carry though.
  In terms of using the bag to check onto a plane as luggage, the bag is not tough enough, and holes will appear where the bike rubs through to adjacent luggage as the plane vibrates its way across the miles while the Brompton snoozes in the hold. This problem could probably be used by the application of bubble wrap to the bike inside the bag. Also the airline handlers managed to bend one of the zippers on the bag pocket, so that no longer works either. IMHO, the problem of rough airline handlers can never be solved! As an aside, the Taiwanese Brompton uses a pressed metal clip to hold the fold closed. This clip was bent out of shape and also stripped a considerable quantity of paint from the stay on the bike during the aformentioned plane journeys.
  The bag does look good, and it is very impressive to rock-up to a new place with the bike enclosed and then proceed to remove the bike, unfold, fold the carry bag into the mini seat-pack bag and ride away. Observers are so stunned they almost applaud!
  For those trying to disguise the Brompton on a train or in a building this bag could well be the answer. Although the big red BROMPTON logo may be something of a give away to astute observers.......
• Koichi Yoshino, Oct 1999:
  I also have a Taiwanese Bag. But I rarely use it because it's a little heavy to carry around. When I need to disguise my bike, I use a shoulder strap and UK cover that has no flap but a rectangle hole on its top. The hole is wider than flap hole. The shoulder strap is attached to the folded bike directly. So I can also hold the flame from the top hole of the cover. And I can roll it steering with the shoulder strap. It is pretty comfortable.
• Olivier Pascaud, Sep 2001:
  I use the Dahon Double Play rucksack for the B. and [...] it's the 16 inch model. Flat, the bag is about 90 x 57 x 31 cm.
  The Bromton bag is just a cover. The Double Play rucksack is a bag that you can close and it's a Backpack or can be carried on your sholder. Folded into it's own pocket the bag is a bit less than 30 x 20 x 8 cm.
  • Ian Charles, Sep 2001:
    The [bag] I received first [in error] is very much like the Carradice [with top zip and shoulder strap], slightly less convenient to use, and not fitting as tight (although as has been pointed out, this could be an advantage if you want to put more padding in or carry clothes etc), and it also has a small zipped side pocket. I was charged about 26 UK pounds including delivery which makes it less than half the price of the Carradice.
    The correct (rucksack) bag I ordered from Dahon has now arrived and I'd like to offer a few comments, although others I know such as Olivier have used it far more extensively.
    The quality seems to be fine as far as I can see and it looks reasonably waterproof. At under 30 UK pounds, it seems very good value. I know the Carradice has come down a lot in price and is now around 34 pounds, but the Dahon does offer quite a lot more.
    Like the Carradice, it zips all round and has a good single shoulder strap and two carrying handles, but not the tension handle which eases the weight when using the shoulder strap. However, this probably doesn't matter much because in addition, of course, it has back (rucksack-type) straps and a chest strap to go between them which helps to stabilise the rather unwieldy package when carried this way. Furthermore, it has an internal pocket and also an external pocket which doubles as the carrying pack when the bag is folded - and even comes with hip belt. All in all, a good product and I think relatively good value for money.
    Apart from wishing I had some better skills at origami getting it to fold into itself in the hip bag, I have one further observation on its use: the plethora of handles, straps etc would need to be dealt with (taped or tied down) if it was being used to transport the bike by air. If that was the only use to which I was putting the bag, and was likely to carry it on my back, I think the original B bag or the Carradice would be more convenient.
    And Olivier was of course correct - the smallest (16 inch) size is just right, tight but not too tight in places, and a little loose in others which means clothes can be included. I haven't carried it a long distance yet but it would seem to me that one should put the bike in the bag with the handlebar rather than the folding pedal facing one's back. Anyone with a bad back should also bear in mind that it's OK once on the back, but lifting it and getting into position without assistance could be a little painful. But overall it seems to me, having had both the Carradice and the original B bags, that this one is just as good, more versatile in many ways and only moderately less convenient in others.
• Colin lamont, Nov 2002:
  Dutch Army Canvas "sausage" Kit Bag (five pounds sterling in 1993)! Vulnerable parts (non-folding right pedal, castors) removed; pipe insulation taped to extremities (to protect them & bag); bag padded with clothing, etc. in plastic bags. No problem except rear luggage carrier occasionaly needs straightened on arrival. Bag (with some luggage) is roled up and carried on rear luggage rack, with remaining luggage carried, to train station or local accomodation, in brompton front panier, (cabin luggage) handlebar bag & rucksack.

Rolling on the castors

• Stein Somers, Oct 1997:
  The Brompton method of unclipping the handlebars and lifting and pulling the folded package is not satisfactorily because
  • you still have to continuously carry half the weight, and the plastic castors add a lot of drag to that
  • keeping equilibrium is hard (probably I miss care and patience)
  • and you have to uncover the package whenever you want to move it
  
  Outside trains I'm happy carrying it beside me, particularly since I dumped the folding pedal (Spotlight on pedals - The Brompton folding pedal folding too far). But sometimes I have to walk through several carriages to get to where I'm supposed to sit. In the small corridors you have to hold the folder out in front or behind you. Not only quite tiresome, but the chainring peeks out of the package and leaves lube stains (unless it's covered, which I always do now). You can't use a luggage trolly in a carriage corridor, can you? Nor can you unclip the handlebars. The bike should have decent castors so you can always roll it.
  • Stein Somers, May 1999:
    This is why some people mount in-line skate wheels instead of the standard castors. They have a larger diameter, so that the front wheel is lifted from the ground, and obviously roll better. You can push the folder by the saddle without lifting anything, and steer by applying sideways force. Once the castors are aligned properly, the folded package will roll in a straight line so you can button your coat while you approach the unfolding site (AKA the launch ramp :^)
• Tom Vogt:
  On inspecting those silly little wheels the pulling option seems to be an far fetched. However, I was surprised to see how well it works when, this summer, I witnessed Jane Henshaw wheeling here Brompton around with ease. It takes a bit of skill to keep the bike balanced but works quite well (again, on smooth surfaces).
• David Goldfarb, May 1999:
  The front wheel touches the ground when folded on my L3, but it rolls freely, making the bike more stable when pulled in that position.
• Jonathan Brickley, Jun 2000:
  All I do is fold the brompton normally and leave the handlebar in the upright position.As you say,the front wheel can catch on the ground, so I tip the bike over and run it on the mudguard wheel and the nearest rack wheel.I find it rolls along great on 2 rather than 3 wheels! You can drag it behind you quite easily...
• Giles Robinson, Jun 2000:
  I found this "front wheel contacts the ground" a problem too. I stuck a bit of wood to the underside of the frame where it touches the back wheel when folded. This raises the frame, and thus the front wheel, allowing free pulling. Not elegant, but it works. You also need to rotate the plastic thingy that, with the seat post, locks the folded bike together.
• Carrying or rolling issues - Improving the castors

Improving the castors

Removing the original castors - they're stuck!

• Alasdair Baxter, Sep 1998:
  I had to go down to the local engineers' suppliers and buy a super heavy duty screw driver before I could get the castors off. That put a further £8.00 on to the total price of the conversion.
  I didn't put the new wheels on using Loctite because a small tube of the stuff costs £6.00. Is Loctite a belt and braces approach or has anyone had the problem of the castors working loose due to vibration etc? I have a niggling doubt as to whether I should actually buy some Loctite after all.
• David Edge, Sep 1998:
  Harissa (1997) has lost a castor a couple of times and all three of us have suffered from loosening of the front carrier block, so we have invested in some.
  Yes, the old castors are a beast to get out!
• Todd Bettenhausen, Dec 1999:
  Ask a competent mechanic to use an "impact driver" on them... this is a device resembling a screwdriver which imparts a sharp, sudden torque when struck with a mallet on its butt end. Usually a moderate blow is all that's required, with little or no damage to the fastener.
  • Bob Gelman, Dec 1999:
    Any motorcycle service shop will have one of these. I'm sure they'd give your bolt(s) a whack gratis just for having the fun of seeing your "funny bike".
  • glassonde, Dec 1999:
    any auto or machine shop should also have one ... I'm a former machinist (1976-1981), have an impact wrench in my tool box, and dragged it out last weekend to used for the first time in 15 years ... on a plastic soccer player from a fusball game ... I'm sure your Brompton will hold up just fine with the appropriate whack

Alternative castors

• Leonard Rubin:
  For a luxurious roll, I have also successfully upgraded (replaced) the castors with the smallest size (44mm) inline skate wheels available. (For the machine shop crowd, these can be thinned to half width with even better results).
• Custfold, Sep 1997:
  [...] an adapted set of lineskate wheels, which can be fitted with no additional parts or machining to a Brompton T model.
  The first production models are now out to the public - I'm doing an introductory price until November - can s-mail details. If demand reaches appropriate levels the kit will be packaged and available widely through retailers.
  Have just checked the width of the wheels which replace those odd shaped rollers that used to catch my heels (usually its women who have the problem as they cycle with feet closer in). The OEM width is 155mm, the kit width is just under 140mm, an that include projecting bolt heads at approx 4mm each side - a dome cap socket screw can be substituted at small extra cost.
  I have also thought through a method of providing a 4 wheel kit for the L model, and hope to be working on this early in October - suffice to say there will be a Y bar with the 2 wheels which fits in place of the single castor once a neat bracket is sorted out.
  • Will they raise the folded package enough to clear the front wheel?
    Well it seems to - on a smooth surface, if you're going off-road, dragging the Brompton around I'd suggest fitting the 72mm wheels instead of the 64mm ones which are double the price to buy and a bit wider (doesn't affect 140mm dimension though). My seatpost will catch if pushed right in.
  • Does it come with all spacers and screws and requires no drilling?
    Effectively yes, but may need a little adjustment if rear roller holes don't line up exactly due to casting tolerances.
  • How to get it?
    I'm in Glasgow PO Box 15174 G4 9LW, as in The Folder, now known as A2B adverts, and listings. I'm hoping to have a means of accepting $ in smaller quantities soon so that I can send things to US more easily.
  (To fit wheels directly the rack will need drilling out for 6mm - M6 -bolts, may require lights to be re-seated, and also have a front roller width of over 160mm).

  My experience, and reports form users is that once fitted the bike then needs a brake to park it when folded - usually achieved by dropping the seatpost down a bit further, or fitting a 1" rubber bung in the bottom (extending post). The standard kit uses slimline black 64mm wheels, although clear 72mm wheels can be used at extra cost - approx #1/wheel.
  The fitted bike will travel over a smooth surface for great distances, and usually gets rolling on as little as 4% gradients. With a high saddle I usually push on this, but the kit will allow the bike to run on the rear set only holding the saddle slightly higher, and under its nose.

• Stein Somers, Nov 1997:
  At last I have decent castors on my T5, in the form of Custom Folder's capable castor kit. Installation is easy and so is compensating for the imperfect horizontal alignment of the original castor mounting points.
  The result: a folded Brompton freed in one dimension. It floats effortlessly and silently along a line (or rather a curve; straightening the curve was a bit harder). By raising the saddle, the package can easily be steered with a slight push starboard or port. Now "carrying" a folded B has become as much fun as pushing the shopping trolley when I was young. I even leave the pannier clipped on so I don't have to carry any weight anymore.
• Custfold, Nov 1997:
  [would like a set for my 1988 model with the original chromium tubed carrier]
  The front wheels will obviously be OK, but I'm not sure how well the back set will lock on to the smaller section of steel frame available. Alternatively I do have some alloy carrier frames to swap with broken alloy or steel ones, but I'll have to recall if the mudguards for the steel frames are the same - no m/g stays, and 2 brackets fro front/rear connection to carrier frame. If this is so then you can fit the new carrier on in place of an old steel one.
• Channell Wasson, Oct 1997:
  Go to a skate board store and have skate board wheels installed. If you can fine the thin style skate board wheels as used by racers, they might appeal to you more for lightness. I use mid-sized ones but the larger are even better for pulling the bike along train platforms.
• Channell Wasson, Jun 1998:
  Would you like to use skate board wheels instead of plastic main frame roller wheels? More durable, roll easily when towing bike along platforms, look sharp, AVAILABLE NOW IN Brompton RED OR Brompton BLACK. Can be shipped first class postage immediately. The red wheels have black inserts as bearing retainers. The black have subdued printing on one side saying "Huricanz".The complete kit includes two high quality wheels, four sealed bearings, two axles, and mounting screws with lock washers. In 10 minutes they are on and you are off again amazing the world. Here is the price for complete kit: USA $19, UK 14 English pounds. Price includes postage charges for England, USA and Europe. Send to C.M. Wasson 423 Chaucer St., Palo Alto, CA. When the money arrives, the wheels will roll to you. Checks or credit card ok
• Ian R. Platt, Sep 1998:
  I fitted some inline skate wheels in stead of the rollers: nice idea, but unless you're crossing a billiard table...
  I could only get 1.7cm thick wheels and standard diameter (about 6. 5cm? - I can't remember at the moment), each of which have two bearings, one each side of the wheel. Yes, they stick out a bit, but they do allow the beast to roll across normal pavements. They are the usual, cheap ones, i.e. 'hard'. They haven't caused the bike to run away yet. Any other type seem to be on an exponential rate of costs. I have yet to get the bung for the bottom of the seat pillar to provide a brake for the machine, the shop has been shut for the last two days. I shall continue to search for thinner wheels, if they are not more expensive. Total cost, wheels + bearings: £8.
  The axle sizes of the wheel bearings was slightly larger than the diameter of the bolts which needed to be a bit longer than the originals on each case. I used thin-walled plastic tubing (the heat- shrink type (very thin-walled) in one case, and some used 'normal' tubing on the other. It seemed to beef up the axles for the wheels just enough.
• Custfold, Sep 1998:
  That is because the normal way to fit these in lineskates is by putting an axle sleeve through the wheel and the bearings onto the sleeve, the bolt (M6) then passes through the sleeve in a well known engineering method of fixing bearings to provide rigidity without undesirable forces from tightening the wrong bits against each other. We use standard sleeve system on our skatewheel conversion kit, but as there is no need for 2 bearings in the duty that we use it for, we save weight (4 less bearings), and reduce the width of the front rollers by 15mm. Our wheels are not the cheaper 1 piece units as the bearings are not a good fit and the fixing system we use works a lot better with the CalPro units.
• Elaine Sewell, Sep 1998:
  You can buy two things from skate shops to remedy the problem of larger diameter bearing holes. The first is a thing called a "top hat" which is top hat shaped (strange that !) piece of plastic and presses into the bearings, you need two per wheel (one for each bearing). The second is simply an aluminium sleeve that fits between the bearings.
• Graham A. Patterson, Sep 1998:
  So, the wheels at the rear of the carrier should have a low position for load carrying, and a high position for wheeling. The adjustment for position shouldn't involve any weight penalty, and would ideally be automatic when the back is flipped under.

Using improved castors

• Alasdair Baxter, Sep 1998:
  A few weeks ago, I fitted a Dave Holladay set of skate wheels to my Brompton T5. Thereafter, it moved like quicksilver but when I towed it with a piece of rope it became quite unstable if the wheels hit an irregularity in the surface of the station platform. On one occasion, I was only able to stop it falling on to its side by yanking up the rope to suspend the bicycle.
  Being quite tall, it hurts my back to hold the bike by the back of the saddle and wheel it along on the two rear castors. What I really need is some sort of handle.
  It occurred to me that Doggie Technology might be the answer. Were I to get hold of the handle used by blind people to control their guide dogs, I could then get hold of a small dog collar which would slide over the nose of the saddle. I could then fit the handle to the collar and pull the bicycle along without having to stoop too low and also the rigid handle would give me a better degree of control over the stability of the bike.
• Stein Somers, Sep 1998:
  I raise the upper stage of the telescopic seat post, or rather I leave it where it was unfolded. My hand, in a natural position, pushes the saddle forward, and slightly sideways for steering. The bike may be covered with the saddle sticking out (a Brooks B-17 will just pass through the hole in the Brompton cover). My local train station is slightly downhill so the bike almost rolls out the door by itself. The only rolling problems I have are:
  • bar ends scraping the ground and/or one of the castors
  • keeping the castors lined up to maintain a straight line

Broken castor

• Custfold, Jan 1998:
  Learn the step-over dismount, which can be done at moderate speed with practice.
  1. Lift right foot off pedal and place forward of left foot with calf brushing main frame (practice this coasting along down a slight hill)
  2. when you feel confident drop the right foot to the floor and in close succession lift the left foot from the pedal (and start walking/running) AND let go with the both hands from the 'bars, allowing the bike to roll free for a few seconds.
  3. Bunny dip as required to grasp the main frame in the Y if the unit on the top tube (this can be practised when walking alongside the bike hands off bars, grap frame) and lift the bike. If an anti swingunder strap is fitted the bike will lift as a unit, and the nose of the saddle will rest on your shoulder, allowing hands free for other activity.
  As you can see the training breaks down to 3 elements just like learning to ride a bike - Controls, Balance, Pedalling. With further practice the rider can follow through neatly to running up or down a flight of steps (carrying the bike) in one seamless flowing move.
  With a 'free' rear end the back wheel will swing and upset the balance momentarily, until it is grasped with the frame (and consequent dirty hand)
  The use of lineskate wheels (Carrying or rolling issues - Improving the castors) overcomes the problem of breaking the plastic ones.

Bent rear castor wheel stays (L-model)

• Jeff Stone, Feb 1998:
  I have to push in on the fender supports almost every time I unfold the bike to raise the fender a little off the tire. Of course, the more I do this the weaker the fender supports become, but what else can I do?
• David Cox, Feb 1998:
  Bending the stays out again seems to work and they and the chromo-plastic guard have lasted 4 years of hard use in all weathers.The spring in the stays protects the guard/fender but it is tempting to fold with a flourish which does the damage. I also found that the frame mini-wheels soon got splayed after going in the luggage to the States. Judiciously bending them out restored a bit of castor action on ultra smooth surfaces.
• David Henshaw, Feb 98:
  Fender/mudguards are not generally a problem on the British-made Brompton. A deliberate decision was made to use light fender stays that would bend, but not be destroyed, in the event of over-enthusiastic folding, or every day airline handling. The stays get bent fairly easily, but they're easy to bend out, by applying even pressure on both sides at once. They should last for years - my six year old bike, with 15,000 miles on the clock has just had new stays fitted because the mudguard eventually cracked up. If you are bending the stays regularly, I'm afraid you're being too brutal in the fold! 1998 Bromptons have a different fender/mudguard/stay assembly (the old supplier went bust) that has yet to be tested. I have very little knowledge about the Taiwanese bike, except that Brompton are very concerned about the quality and attention to detail.

Bent front castor wheel stays (T-model)

• Phil Gough:
  Yes, the same thing happened to me after about four years of daily commuting by train. One of the tubes eventually snapped off. This made the folded bike unstable and it would fall over when the train stopped. I made some enquiries about brazing it back on but was told (correctly or not, I don't know) that it would be difficult to align a repair and make a strong joint. I therefore forked out £50 (fifty pounds sterling) for a new rear fork assembly, which was superior to the original in having the properly aligned little pulley wheels for the 5 speed hub gear which is now trouble-free, something that the old one never was. However, it might have been nicer to have hung on to the 50 quid, or bought a front bag instead. It never occurred to me that sitting on the saddle of the bike when folded may have caused it.
• Channell Wasson:
  Suggest you go to a hardware store (iron monger) and buy a six inch nipple of 1/2" id galvanized pipe. Remove the caster wheels and then slip the pipe(nipple) over the bent wheel stay and straighten it by eye. On the new Bromptons this wheel mount stay seems to be beefed up a bit. If you have bent the new style, you will need a larger inside diameter pipe to make the repair. Hope you can make sense of this.

The Brompton Folding Bicycle FAQ