Brompton Saddle Height Insert

I use a permanent marker to fix the height of my saddle, but the marking gets erased and I eventually have to guess the correct height. With this new insert from Brompton, you won't have to worry pulling up your saddle as it will lock at the correct height.

It's back! The 2nd Manila Folding Bike Festival is on June 21, 2014!

The 2nd Manila Folding Bike Festival will be held next month (June 21, 2014) at Tiendesitas Mall, Pasig, Metro Manila. If you are new to folding bikes or are interested on buying one, then this is the perfect activity for you. You can meet other folding bike enthusiasts and join a club. You can also see the different kinds of folding bikes out there. I know some bike shops who sell folding bikes will have their own booths there, and you can buy from them directly.

There will also be a bike contest. If you want to enter your folding bike, here are the rules:

1. Participant is allowed to enter a maximum of five (5) bikes.

2. The categories are:

• Best 12" wheel size folding bike
• Best 14" wheel size folding bike
• Best 16" wheel size folding bike
• Best 18" wheel size folding bike
• Best 20" wheel size folding bike
• Best 24" or 26" wheel size folding bike
• Best Off-size folding bike
• Best Brompton folding bike

3. Early registration fee is P250.00 per bike, until June 16, 2014. On-site registration on the day of the event is P300.00 per bike.

Deposit payment to:
Account Name: Jose Ma. Kanlapan
Account No.: 380172577

4. Email a copy of the deposit slip as proof of payment to foldingbikepilipinas@gmail.com along with the following details: 

• Name
• Address
• Contact numbers
• Bike Category
• Bike brand
• Bike model
• Bike color
• Year manufactured

5. In the alternative, you can click on this link to register on-line.

6. Bring your bike to Tiendesitas on June 21, 2014, at 8:00am, and look for event organizers from FBP. Bring your deposit slip and one government issued ID.

Winners will win prizes. I don't know what they are yet, but I'll update this entry when I find out. This activity is organized by our friends from Folding Bike Pilipinas (FBP).

For those of you  who are curious, the first folding bike fair was held back in 2012 at The Collective in Makati City. 

See you in Tiendesitas! Save the date! June 21, 2014!

Brompton is finally coming to the Philippines

After years of having to travel abroad just to procure Brompton parts and accessories, the UK-made folding bicycle is finally coming to the Philippines! The guys at Buzzwheel Marketing Corp. recently snagged the local distributorship and will soon supply the following bike dealers with Bromptons, spare parts and accessories:

Quezon City:
Iron Bike
Cool stuff 168

Makati:
BPM
Bike Town Cyclery

Pasay:
Paulinas (Cartimar)
Paulinas (MOA) [coming soon]

Alabang:
Grantrail Cycle

Marikina:
John Wilkie

For more information, visit the company's FB page at www.facebook.com/bromptonphilippines.

Hay salamat, di na kelangan pumunta pa ng Hong Kong o Singapore para bumili ng spare parts, bags, saddles, carriers, fenders at iba pang accessories.

Brompton Toolkit

This entry is delayed by more than four months since I got the Brompton Toolkit early this year. My apologies for this late post.

The Brompton Toolkit

In the past I carried my tools in the nylon saddle bag which came with the Brompton cover. As convenient as it is, the saddle bag did not fit well with the elegant design of a folded Brompton. To be honest, that bag was ugly.

So I was delighted when Brompton announce that it was coming out with a toolkit that fit inside the bike's main frame. How awesome was that?! So, just for the sake of having a toolkit concealable within the bike, I had to get one. Never mind if dozens of users complained about the flimsiness of the tire levers, nothing was going to stop me from owning this work of art.

As luck would have it a fellow BCP member bought extra from the U.S. He raffled them off in one of our rides last February. Unfortunately, I did not win the right to buy it. But fortunately, one of the winners noticed my disappointment and he offered his place. (Thanks, Eric!) I bought it for PhP 4,000 (approx. US$95.00). Nycewheels sells it for US$79.00.

The toolkit comes with the basic tools a cyclist needs: patches, sand paper, and a ratchet handle with phillips & flat head screwdrivers, as well as allen wrenches. I've used the screwdriver to install my rear light and the allen wrench to adjust my Brooks saddle.

The ratchet handle doubles as a socket wrench. Useful when you want to unscrew a wheel nut.

Finally, the toolkit comes with tire levers. Now I haven't had a flat since I bought the toolkit so I haven't used them, but there are reports and complaints that these levers are easily breakable. In fact according to Nycewheels, Brompton acknowledge this flaw and has suspended the sale of the toolkit until the company can strengthen the design of the tire lever. Anyway, the tire levers looked flimsy from the get-go. I wouldn't have used them if I had to. 

I still like the toolkit. I get to use the wrenches and the screwdrivers, so it's still useful to me. Plus, the design! It's beautiful! I don't regret buying this.

Dropped by Flying Ball in Hong Kong

I was in Hong Kong the past weekend for holiday, and I passed by Flying Ball bike shop over at Lai Chi Kok. I wanted to buy a Brompton Tool Kit. Unfortunately, they were out of stock. : (

I asked if they had stock last week or the week before that. The guy at the counter said they've been out of stock for more than a month, and they don't know when the next batch will come in.

Sigh. I guess, that's that.

Anyway, so as not to waste my visit, I bought spare inner tubes (HK$40.00/each).

LBS: R.O.X.

R.O.X. (short for Recreational Outdoor Exchange) is supposedly the biggest outdoor shop in South East Asia. It has stuff for camping, running, backpacking, and other kinds of adventure travel. It carries brands like The North Face, Columbia, Salomon, Keen and Mountain Hardwear. Nevertheless, I'm featuring R.O.X. on my blog as an LBS because it has one whole floor dedicated to bicycles, including folding bikes.

R.O.X. has a lot of bikes. They have mountain bikes and road bikes like any LBS. But they also carry non-conventional bikes like beach cruisers, tandems, high-end commuters, children's bikes, and yes, folding bikes. For the latter, they carry Giant and Dahon.

If you find it difficult to find and get to my local bike shops like BTC, Sabak, Lifecycle and Tryon, then R.O.X. is for you. It is located right smack in the center of Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. It's Building 1 of Bonifacio High Street. You CANNOT miss it.

Of course since R.O.X. is in a prime location expect to pay more. Unlike in an LBS where you can haggle with the owner to get a 10% or 20% discount, you cannot do the same in R.O.X. Also, although R.O.X. has a resident bike mechanic, don't expect your bike to be fully serviced like at an LBS.

Still, I frequent R.O.X. because sometimes it has bike related products that my LBS does not have like Giant and Trek parts & accessories, and Columbia and Habagat clothes & shoes.

Vincita SL01 Leather Saddle

I was fortunate enough to receive a special Christmas present from the folks over at Vincita in Thailand. They sent me the SL01 Sport Leather Saddle!

It's a pretty neat leather saddle. The SL01 closely resembles the Brooks B-17. I must say, at first touch the saddle feels a bit tough and hard. But I guess, after applying Proofide and a few kilometers riding on it, it'll eventually soften up. I have to confess, though, I haven't actually ridden on it. I'm too lazy to replace the existing saddle on my Brompton. Maybe first thing in 2013, as one of my new year's resolutions! Hahaha! It is cheaper than the Brooks B-17, I can tell you that. It retails for only THB 2,590.00 (or US$84.00 / PHP3,450.00).

The SL01 came with its own rain cover. When not in use, it folds into this small pouch, which will fit a standard size saddle bag. Cool.

I'll share my full review of this product as soon as I've tested it. In the meantime, Happy Holidays, everyone!

Boy Kitchen Easy Fold Clamp for Brompton

The kit comes with 2 clamps, 2 screws, 2 springs and 2 nuts

My friend Marlowe, who shuttles to and fro Thailand, was kind enough to get me a pair of Boy Kitchen's Easy Fold Clamps for my Brompton during his last visit there. For those of you not in the know, the Easy Fold Clamps replace the standard clamps of the Brompton's two hinges. You see, the problem with the stock clamp is that it rotates when you loosen the lever. It can get irritating when you fold or unfold the bike. Because it is loose, you have to hold the clamp in place when you tighten the lever to re-attach it to the bike. (For those non-Brompton owners I am sorry if you did not understand my description--I don't know how else to explain it)

Stock clamp on the left; Easy Fold clamp on the right

Boy Kitchen's aluminum clamp avoids that annoying situation by making one side of the clamp rise higher than the other. The redesign results in the Easy Fold clamp staying in place when loosening or tightening the lever--saving you time and the trouble.

Standard hinge clamp set on the left; Easy Fold clamp set on the right

Silly me, I intalled the Easy Fold clamp as is. And as a result, I had a hard time turning the screw because it didn't come with its own lever. I thought to myself, "I don't think it's supposed to be this way." Luckily, I found Boy Kitchen's YouTube video on his product. Apparently, you can pop out the black lever off the stock screw with a hammer and then transfer that lever to the Easy Fold screw. So that's what I did. 

Afterwards, I installed the nut at the end of the screw to stop the lever from turning when the Easy Fold clamp is unfastened from the hinge.

Final product on the Brompton's hinge.

Voila! Installation complete!
No more wildly rotating clamp to deal with when folding or unfolding my Brompton! I wish Brompton makes these their stock hinge clamps!

PS: The two clamp set does not come cheap though. Boy Kitchen prices a pair at THB 1,850.00 or US$60.00. (May be its expensive because it is not mass produced and he fabricates it himself.)

Schwalbe Marathon Tire

After 21 months, the stock Brompton Kevlar tire on my bike's rear wheel finally gave in. The tire tread had worn out and there were at least 3 punctures. It was time to replace it.

I don't like messing with the Brompton's rear hub so I had Mang Nestor of Tryon change the tire for me. He installed the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tire I got from Flying Ball last March.

It's supposed to be heavier and slower than the stock tires, but Schwalbe says the Marathon is better because it has more grip and traction. Also, the Marathon is advertised to be more puncture-resistant than the stock due to its built-in Kevlar belt and thicker sidewall.

We'll see how it handles Metro Manila roads.

The rear rack's bungee cords

To be honest, I didn't install the rear rack to carry things. I have my Touring Carrier (T-Bag) in the front for that. I bought the rear rack mainly for balance and mobility when the Brompton is folded.

When my bike was still an "L" it would tilt (or lean to the side) when folded. Also, I had a difficult time pushing it with only 2 eazy wheels. Now, with the rear rack attached, it is so much easier to roll the bike.

Anyhow, the other day, I finally got to use the rear rack for its intended purpose--to carry things. The missus asked me to buy ice from the convenience store and I was not about to place a bag of ice, dripping with water, in my T-Bag. No, sir.

The rear rack had bungee cords. All I did was place the bag of ice on the rack, secure it with the cords, and "Voila!" (I'm glad Brompton has these bungee cords on all of its racks. My Trek rear rack doesn't)

When my 2 year old is older and bigger, there'll be another purpose for the rear rack--as a child seat. : )

Just when you think you have everything...

Ariel's Brompfication Hinge Clamp Set

When I bought the replacement EZ wheels for my rack and the rubber bung for my seatpost last March in Flying Ball, I thought that would be the end to my Brompton upgrades. And for brief time that was that.

Until I saw my friend Ariel's Brompton. He had the Brompfication Hinge Clamp Set. The Brompfication Clamps perform way better than the stock set because the former do not rotate when unscrewed.

Let me explain. The stock hinge clamps, when screwed, lock the hinges of the Brompton (both on the handlebar post and the main frame). No problem there. But when you unscrew the hinges so that you can fold the bike they become loose and rotate all over the place. And then when you want to fold the bike, you have to position the clamps properly before before you turn the lever bolt. Sometimes, this gets irritating.

With the Brompfication Hinge Clamp Set this problem goes away. An internal spring pushes the clamp away; a locknut prevents it to come loose; and the clamp is designed not to rotate. With the Brompfication Hinge Clamp Set on, folding a Brompton becomes seamless.

I must have it.

Even if it costs 55.80 Euros (PhP 3,000.00)!

Have to save money for this...

Sigh... and the upgrading continues... Damn you, Ariel!!!  

Other upgrades on Ariel's Brompton include a Kamoya suspension and Brompfication Eazy Wheels.

Wippermann Connex Link

Yesterday, Labor Day, I found time to go to the bike shop and have this Wippermann Connex Link installed on my chain. The reason to buy this magic chain link is best explained by the picture below.

Ordinary chain link connectors require a special tool for it to unlink the chain. I have never tried to unlink a chain using this method, but I hear it is quite burdensome.

Allegedly, the Wippermann Connex Link makes unlinking the chain easier. Hence, I bought one in Flying Ball last March for HK$65 (PhP360 or US$8).

The product is really small. It's about half an inch long. It's way smaller than the box it comes with. And the only reason why the box is bigger is to accommodate the instructions. Mang Nestor, the Brompton expert in Tryon, didn't even bother to read the legal sized document. The guy knew how to install this link. So, I let him be.

Anyway, after Mang Nestor installed it, that's the link (inside the blue circle). With the Connex installed, it's supposed to be easier to find, and quicker to unlink the chain. No need for the special tool.

PS: Apparently, there are different links for different chains (10-speed, 9-speed, 8-speed, etc.). For my Brompton, I got the 8-speed. Please talk with your LBS' mechanic before purchasing one.

My Brompton 'Upgraditis' List

Started with a Brompton M6L last October 2010. Then in the course of 18 months, I made a few changes and replaced some stock parts and accessories.

1. Replaced stock saddle with Brooks B-17.
2. Attached Cateye rear light.
3. Installed Panaracer Flat-aways in tires.
4. Replaced stock rollers with skate wheels.
5. Replaced skate wheels with 2 EZ wheels.
6. Bought a Brompton Touring Bag.
7. Bought a Vincita B-132 Travel Bag.
8. Replaced stock grips with Ergon GC2 Grips with barends.
9. Had a child bike seat fabricated similar to IT Chair.
10. Installed Cateye Micro Wireless Bicycle Computer.
11. Replaced stock 50t chainring with Brompton 44t chainring.
12. Replaced stock "L" rear fender with Brompton Rear Rack to make it an "R." 
13. Replaced stock rear rack rollers with 2 EZ wheels.

I now have a modified Brompton M6R.

Happy with my current set-up. : )

Flying Ball Bike Shop and then some

When we were in Hong Kong, my friends and I made it a point to pass by Flying Ball Bicycle Co. Ltd., the authorized dealer of Brompton. The shop is located a few meters from Exit B1 of the Lai Chi Kok MTR Station. 

The bike shop is owned by Mr. Lee. Sayang kasi on the day we visited, Mr. Lee was not there. He was in Taiwan to attend the Taipei Cycle Show. Sayang, wanted to meet him. They say he's nice. Anyhow, one of his supervisors was there to assist us. For the life of me, I forgot his name. I think it's Peter.

Flying Ball doesn't only sell Bromptons. The bike shop sells all kinds of bikes including road bikes, mountain bikes, kiddie bikes and other folding bikes. Unfortunately, taking photos is prohibited while inside the shop so I couldn't show you the bikes and the accessories. I managed to snap this single photo when no one was looking.

So what did I do in Flying Ball? Well, aside from ogle at all the Bromptons and accessories, I did buy a few trinkets. First, I bought a Flying Ball Brompton Tool for HK$100 (or P550). It's really just a wrench with the 2 sizes of Brompton hex nuts. I don't think it's worth the money I paid. But it's okay, I bought it as a souvenir.

The next thing I got was this Minoura BH-100C Bottle Cage Holder. Price was HK$150 (or P825). I bought this because it mounts on the handlebar and it positions the water bottle right in the middle. I haven't installed it yet. So I'll blog more about it after I do.

I also purchased a Wipperman Connex Link for HK$65 (or P360). It's supposed be a chain connector that does not require any tool to remove or link the chain. Ang laki-laki ng box, pagbukas ko ang liit liit lang pala. To be honest, I don't touch my bike's chain, so I had no idea that there was an issue worth fixing. But Diane bought it, so I bought it. Pa-install ko kay Mang Nestor sa Tryon.

And then I bought some Brompton parts--like a replacement EZ wheel and a seat post rubber bung.

From Flying Ball, the group also paid a visit to Wing Fung Bike Shop, the authorized dealer of Moulton bicycles in Hong Kong. The 2 shops are 3 blocks away from each other.  

Moulton bikes are more expensive than Bromptons. Technically, they don't fold, so they're not "folding bikes." Moulton bikes are detachable. So why buy them? Well, friends swear that Moulton bikes handle roads really well.

Wing Fung is also the dealer of Tyrell bikes. These are high-end folding bikes. I didn't even dare ask how much they cost. I mean, why bother?

The Tyrell bikes may look fast, but they fold ugly.

No, thanks. I'll stick with my Brompton M6R.

Finally, all EZ Wheels on my bike's rear rack

I recently changed my rear rack's stock rollers with EZ Wheels to complete my Brompton M6R. The stock rollers are really useless. With it, when the bike is folded, the rack almost touches the floor! So much so that on some occassions the rack the the fender get scratched. I don't know why Brompton still fit these tiny rollers on its racks.

See the difference if all 4 wheels are EZ wheels? At least there's half an inch space between the floor and the rack.

And this is what my complete M6R looks like with child seat.

My M6L is now an M6R!

Fenders only (left); Fenders and Rear Rack (right)

My Brompton M6L bike is now an M6R--that is, from having fenders only to one that has fenders and rear rack! I bought the rear carrier assembly for $170 from clevercycles.com through my friend Barnett. It arrived the other day. I read the instructions and it looked complicated, so I brought it over to Tryon to have Mang Nestor take a shot at it.

Mang Nestor hadn't installed one yet, but I had faith in him. I was lucky he wasn't working on any bike that Saturday afternoon. He took one long look at the instructions and then proceeded to uninstall my rear L-fender.

He had no difficulty in taking the L-fender out. The challenge was installing the rear carrier assembly. Many nuts and bolts that went to god-knows-where. I'm glad it was Mang Nestor doing this 'coz if it were me, I would've gone insane with the installation.

After a few minutes of unscrewing and screwing, Mang Nestor got to attach the R-fender and rear rack to my Brompton's rear frame. A little tweaking here and there (to make sure the wheel doesn't hit the fender when rolling), and everything was fine!

After he was done with the rear rack, I asked Mang Nestor if he could shorten my chain. I had my chainring replaced earlier and I noticed the chain sag a bit right after. No problem! Hit two birds with one stone! Nice!

The L-fender. What to do with it?

Now that my whole Brompton upgrade is complete (replaced the stock saddle with Brooks B-17, replaced my stock grips with Ergons, replaced the stock chainring with a smaller one, bought a touring bag, and now installed a rear rack), I don't know what to do next except ride the damn thing! :D

Happy biking, everyone!

My Brompton Rear Rack is here!

Because of my cheapness (or kuripot-ness), when I bought my Brompton last year, I settled with the M6L model rather than an M6R--that is, just have fenders instead of having fenders AND a rear rack. The upgrade would've cost me $80.00 more.  At that time I thought I was spending too much already. I mean, if the Brompton bag was attached in front naman, then what do I need a rear rack for, right? I thought, nagsasayang lang ako ng pera.

Back in Manila, I realized when it (the rear rack) becomes useful--when rolling the bike in its folded state. You see, when my M6L is folded and I have to transport it, I have no choice but to carry it. Although fitted with EZ wheels, it is still hard to roll the bike on just 2 rollers. It wobbles. It tips over. But when my friend Al folds his S6R and needs to transport it, all he has to do is push. That's because his rear rack's 4 wheels make it easy for him to roll his bike. The rear rack makes the folded Brompton more stable and let's it glide on most types of floors.

So, when my friend Barnett told me he was buying a Brompton in the US, I jumped on the opportunity and asked him to order a rear rack for me. This time around the rear rack cost me $170.00 as a separate item! Geez, I should've bought it together with the bike when I had the chance! Would've saved $90 in the process! Sigh.

Photo courtesy of nycewheels.com

Oh well, okay lang. Ang importante, andito na! Can't wait to have it installed by Mang Nestor at Tryon!



Installing a 44T chainring on my Brompton

A few days ago, I blogged about a Brompton chainring I bought from Flying Ball (courtesy of my friend, Claro Alcantara) which recently arrived from Hongkong. I ordered a size 44T to replace my 50T stock chainring.
I would have done the installation myself (yeah, right, Kris!), but I did not have the right tool to remove the existing chainring. So last weekend, I went over to Tryon over at JP Rizal in Makati and had Mang Nestor, our Brompton expert mechanic here in Metro Manila, work on it.

The above photo shows Mang Nestor removing the 50T chainring from my Brompton. He used a special kind of wrench to un-bolt the chainring from the bike. Below naman is the side by side comparison of the 44T chainring and the 50T chainring. 

44T (on left) and 50T (on right)

Here is Mang Nestor installing the 44T chainring on my folding bike. The whole process (removal AND installation) took less than 5 minutes.

Hopefully, with a smaller chainring I'd now be able to use all 6 gears of my M6L and, more importantly, get to pedal uphills more easily.

The 44T Chainring installed on my Brompton.