Post images of beauty (quote pics sparingly) - see Mod warnings in OP

magicbastarder · 12-08-2022 2:33pm

he bought it from a bike shop rather than privately (albeit a bike shop owned by a friend) at something just north of 2k i think; those wheels are/were over 1k new, i think.

Raam · 14-08-2022 10:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119462581#Comment_119462581

Still around by the looks of it: https://www.focus-bikes.com/gb_en/bikes/road-gravel/izalco-max

I saw an older one on the road recently but not heard much lately.

cletus · 18-08-2022 4:37pm

I was going to stick this into the Photos Taken on Your Cycle thread, but I didn't take it on a cycle, and it is a thing of beauty (well, I think so, anyway)

Citizen Six · 18-08-2022 4:47pm

I think you also need to simultaneously post that in the ugly bikes thread.

cletus · 18-08-2022 5:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119490146#Comment_119490146

I thought it might be divisive, but the rule I applied to it (and any other bike) is "Would I cycle it?"

I most definitely would*

*Caveat; I'll cycle pretty much any bike

Thud · 18-08-2022 10:53pm

https://www.cyclingnews.com/reviews/enve-melee-review/

fat bloke · 14-09-2022 7:30pm

I'd never have considered one of these as beautiful in any way but I just bought one yesterday and I put up 50km on it today over 5 separate spins and my God is it a beautiful bike to ride!!

I am smitten! On a good road you can absolutely tramp along at nearly 40kph!

I'm also only peeking into the Pandora's box of Brompton accessories!!

comete · 14-09-2022 7:39pm

Brompton world champs here he comes!

CantGetNoSleep · 14-09-2022 8:43pm

Never come across anyone who sat on a Brompton and didn't immediately love it. I've done about 3k on mine since 2020, recently went for the electric one which I haven't made my mind up on entirely. No better feeling than zipping past a line of cars on one of these. Also highest resale value you will ever come across, I bought one for the wife for 850 during lockdown, when I got the electric I put it up for sale and sold it in a day for 850.

CantGetNoSleep · 14-09-2022 8:46pm

In terms of accessories you don't need too much - Cateye do a good set of lights that I think might replace those reflectors, you might want to change the grips to something like Ergon's, many people change the saddle although I've gone back to the stock one as I never got on with a Brooks B17, and you can change the rear wheels to give a bit more balance when folded but not really needed. The Brompton bags and shopping basket are fantastic though - just don't get one that is too big for what you need as they can act as a bit of a sail in the wind.

fat bloke · 14-09-2022 9:32pm

I reckon I'll get a bag alright anyway. If I can get one that'll take a little laptop. They're bloody dear though!

Took me ages to get used to the gearing. I was riding it as if the left hand lever was a road bike front derailleur. It's taking a bit of getting used to double levering to go from say 1+ to 2- on the ol sequential gearing speed building.

I went to buy some spare tubes earlier but I see the wheels ain't quick release and the rear wheel looks like it might be a bit quite complicated to remove?

I want to upgrade the little trolley wheels as well cos at the moment it doesn't really roll well at all folded up.

magicbastarder · 14-09-2022 10:06pm

what model is it?

fat bloke · 14-09-2022 10:14pm

Emmm... Brompton...? 😁

I dunno how they're differentiated really to be honest, other than the bars and this has the S-type bars? And it's a 6 speed. Not electric.

Pretty sure it's like the base model.

magicbastarder · 14-09-2022 10:23pm

just that i saw a 13 year old one asking €750...

https://www.adverts.ie/electric-folding-bikes/brompton-m3l/27967249

CantGetNoSleep · 14-09-2022 10:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119619664#Comment_119619664

The naming system used to be great.

M/S/H/P were the four different handlebar types.

2/3/6 number of gears

R/L depending on if you have a rack or mudguards.

Then they completely changed it recently.

You have an S6L it seems

CantGetNoSleep · 14-09-2022 10:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119619417#Comment_119619417

The bags are worth it - just try look at them in a shop as the first one I got was way too big for just bringing a laptop into work.

Gears become second nature very quickly.

I've only had two punctures. Front is easy, rear would be a pain in the ass to change on the go. You can get a little toolkit including patches that fits inside the frame. I've heard of people trying to patch the rear without removing the wheel. Schwalbe Marathon tires tend to do their job though

fat bloke · 14-09-2022 11:05pm

Cheers man. Might be worth having a little Brompton thread on the forum to keep all this info in one place?

14-09-2022 11:26pm

Oh ok they have their own gearing system? Akin to maybe a truck with it's half gears????? Never knew this, this would take me a minute or more to get my head around. The rollout for 50/13 is near 8 meters so a fair clip will ensue there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSewnz008n8

fat bloke · 15-09-2022 8:53am

Yeah it's a Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub but 2 actual sprockets and a derailleur at the back for a sort of low/high in each of the 3 speeds. It's mad until you get used to it, which I haven't quite yet. I keep having to look down at the levers to see which way is +/- or which gear I'm in :)

It's remarkably effective though in terms of a spread of gearing. You could spin up quite a steep hill in 1- and still hit very impressive speeds at the other end in 3+.

It also accelerates very quickly from start or in gear.

Miklos · 15-09-2022 10:31pm

If we’re posting Bromptons…

Mine has a few little upgrades, slightly lowered riser bars, bigger easy wheels, harder suspension, Brooks C17.

Definitely get one of the bags, fat bloke, makes the bike just unbelievably versatile.

fat bloke · 16-09-2022 9:27am

Cool. What bag have you got? I think the Metro Backpack looks like it covers a lot of bases.

Citizen Six · 16-09-2022 10:00am

Lets get this thread back on topic:

Idleater · 16-09-2022 10:06am

My CHPT3 on a trip to the Netherlands earlier this year

seanin4711 · 16-09-2022 10:13am

Delihea Rest frame med, Sensah Empire pro 11 speed and Elite SLR pro 50s shod with 28s. Lovely climber and comfy.

fat bloke · 16-09-2022 11:15am

There's no doubting the Obree bike's efficacy but gosh I wouldn't say it was beautiful.

Tell us about that frame and particularly the group set Seanin, I've been watching some very interesting youtube vids on those bargain Chinese groupsets that frankly make an absolute mockery of the established manufacturers' pricing models.

07Lapierre · 19-09-2022 8:42pm

What a Beauty!

Weepsie · 19-09-2022 9:29pm

Derailleur aside, that's much better

Squidgy Black · 19-09-2022 10:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119639375#Comment_119639375

Be interesting to see if he actually runs the oversized jockey wheels in the race, I thought most pros had done away with them after the initial fad other than on their TT bikes

Citizen Six · 19-09-2022 10:16pm

What benefit are they, and why is it mainly suited to tt bikes?

Squidgy Black · 19-09-2022 10:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119639562#Comment_119639562

Supposed to save watts through drivetrain efficiency but in exchange for potentially worse shifting.

As for why they mostly use them on TT bikes now it’s probably down to the whole chasing marginal gains side of things because of the short distances

https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/9541/wheels-of-fortune-oversize-pulley-wheel-systems

Post images of beauty (quote pics sparingly) - see Mod warnings in OP

Comments