For 2 maybe Brompton could work out something with the dealers. People that fly usually fly to big cities that have Brompton dealers. Why not have set of batteries that you can 'borrow' or rent in the country and that can be transported to dealers?
Thanks, I have a single speed which I was thinking about adding an electric aftermarket kit. I've been looking for details regarding the forks. Now that I know that the forks are indeed different then that has made me think about my next step
Love your videos! That hill would be a good pull even with my other bike and a wide ratio, 11-speed cassette fitted. You've got guts to try it with a 2 speed manual...!!!
I may be missing something here. I take it if you get a manual front wheel and use the washers from the electric, you can swap them out within a couple of minutes. Disconnect power lead, swap washers and install wheel and go? I wasn't sure where the forks came in other than to demonstrate the washers and wheel nuts.
@@kentwydell9322 Yes, of course you are right. My enquiry was based on my bike going into Error Code B after only 15 miles. Not good. Still awaiting Brompton HQ sending a box, their Xmas delaying it by 3 weeks or so. I wouldn't have bought an electric if I didn't need the power, but I need a folder for some urgent journeys over the next few weeks. Catch 22 comes round again....
In the opening remarks we were told that the two reasons people are interested in switching to the ‘manual’ wheel are a) to ride without electrical assistance and b) to take the bike on a flight. Neither of these seem plausible. a) you can cycle without assistance by turning the battery to 0 power, or off, or you can remove the battery from its bag, and b) you can take a Brompton Electric on a plane so long as you leave the battery at home. Surely the reason why people are interested is to reduce the weight up front for a more nimble ride? Comparing the ride of a BE with battery removed and one with a ‘manual’ wheel would seem a more sensible comparison exercise (though still a bit pointless!). And maybe weigh the two wheels while you’re at it. 😁
@@TrekCycling no it doesn’t, not with the BE. That’s one of the benefits of Brompton’s electric motor over some other ones (Bosch for example). There’s several videos showing the two front wheels being spun and revolving as a comparison.Here’s one, specifically 6.20 into it: czcams.com/video/BMnqFShmML8/video.html
As a Dane we have a real serpentine road on top of the town of Allinge (To a formerly used ligthhouse), on the island of Bornholm, and I have gone up on my 6 speed Ligthweigth! But even then I had to walk at intervals, also when passing some cattle prevention tubes across the road! This also spoils the real fun of going very fast down again, as you have to brake totally down each time you need to pass the tubes! But my Brompton brakes never let me down while braking, even if I had my serious doubts before the start of the decent!!!
I’ve done Toys Hill. But only going down it😂 Would love to know what max downhill speed you achieve on your Brompton. All in the interests of Brompton science of course. My personal best has been 32.9 mph on an M6L with 9 litre front bag, Marathon Plus tyres, standard 50T front chainring, in Kent. Can just about still pedal, I’ve not been counting but I believe it is about 110 crank rpm. Without a bag, and wearing full Lycra, I guess there might be a few more mph to be gained but pedalling is probably the limiting factor. Pedalling-induced suspension “bounce” sets in beyond 25 so there has to be careful management of this trait. A Brooks B17 saddle is a must (reduces bounce). See, there is definitely science in it…
Just looked through a few historical rides, London to Brighton over night on my 6 speed (no upgrades) and I got up to 62.6 kph (or 38.9 mph) going down hill! No pedalling or it’s appears braking! Pretty certain it was a standard M6L with Marathon racers. Thank you for watching and for the question.
Steep hill asside, I would like to have found out the power differences required (or time differences) to pedal a course over flat or slight gradients, comparing the heavyish motor wheel without battery vs the normal wheel. That would show if there are gains to be had switching wheels when traveling minus battery.
Thanks for another very informative video- and although I should have known, it was disappointing to realise that you can't take an ebike battery on a plane (and in fact its very expensive to even ship the battery on its own as a freight item). If I may offer a compassionate and constructive criticism, it would be that your performance in failing to get up that hill without assistance would- at least in the Great War- have had you court-martialled and put in front of a firing squad at dawn. Luckily we don't shoot people for lacking moral fibre these days (which I think explains why drum and bass music is as popular as it is). Anyway, I very much hope you aren't shot even slightly, because you have a habit of making videos that I have no idea are important until I actually watch them- and then suddenly the subject matter seems absolutely critical. Quite extraordinary.
Interesting video. Odd, and somewhat pointless, to attempt such a fierce climb on an unassisted 2 speed? I have a standard 6 speed electric Brompton. For the sake of exercise I switch the motor off quite often. I’ve done about 1,000 miles unassisted, with battery and motor in situ. Having owned 8 other non-electric Bromptons (3, 5 and 6 speed) my subjective conclusion is that any extra effort needed to propel the unpowered eBrompton is barely noticeable, especially on modern Marathon Racer tyres at 100psi. So, I would not go to the bother and expense of swapping out the front forks and wheel if I wanted to do without the battery.
I don't think that swapping out the forks was in the plan. Hanna just had the forks to demonstrate that the standard wheel will fit the electric forks without any modification. I agree with you that the proposition of fitting a standard wheel to the electric in order to enhance the workout is pointless. However I don't agree that the video itself was pointless; as it did answer the question as to whether the standard wheel could be fitted without modification to the electric. Whilst it did underline the obvious fact that pedalling is harder without electric assist, it was both amusing and charming.
Would the drag from the hub motor, however, make it worth switching out the wheel? This is something I’m actively considering if I decide to travel with my electric sans battery.
@@TrekCycling The good thing about the Brompton is that, unlike some other hub-driven motors, there is virtually no drag when it is spinning in forward rotation. In my experience there is more drag from a standard Brompton’s hub dynamo when switched on, than from an unpowered electric Brompton motor. This is also evident when the 25kmh assisted limit is reached on an assisted Brompton - unlike other bikes, the transition from powered to unpowered is smooth and barely noticeable. On other bikes the sudden additional drag feels like a boat anchor.
Good idea! It's always good to explore your own personal limits. Occasionally! It's an even better idea to know what you can do if , say, you have problems with the electrics but need to keep on using the bike. Did you need to reset the brake blocks? There's not much latitude on these little rims.
Many thanks for watching and for your comment. Hmm not sure I’m going to give into the hill! I’ll be back! But you are right, I think it showed how good the motor is! The brakes were fine and did not need adjustment, but as you said it’s always good to check.
I'm wondering if it's possible to take not only the front wheel and swap for the standard one but also remove the electric battery block to fit the standard one?
😆 I give her kudos for trying, I wouldn't have bothered trying on a 2 speed 😏. I'm a wimp and I automatically looked for a 6-speed Brompton as the only choice for me 😄
Thanks for watching - and commenting She was surprised and disappointed ... that hill will be conquered on the two speed I am sure! A 6 speed would have been too easy?
Thanks for the kudos We'll be back ... she is determined to beat it! Yes - a 6 speed would be much more sensible It will also be interesting to try the new 4 speed P Line when we get the chance!
@@brilliantbikes a six-speed might be too easy on an 18% grade for her but for me, I don't mind a bit of a struggle but I don't think I could do it with less than a 6-speed at my experience level... I'm going to research Hills in my area and go see what kind of ability I have with how steep a grade i can climb now. Thanks for the motivation.
tldr: yes, you can change standard wheel AND standard axle onto electric, reusing the electric tab washers. Read on if you want dozens of men asking why she didn't try a 6 speed on the hill instead.
Why did you not use a 6 speed Brompton? You posted months ago that you recommended 6 speed for open country cycling over the 2 speed. The bottom gear is really low & may have made a diference ( Or may not 😪)
Ah… well we chose the 2 speed as, firstly it is our favourite colour, then we added some pretty tyres and we thought it would be a good challenge! It was and I guess shows how powerful the motor is. And you are correct, with the 54 tooth chain ring the gearing is high and the 6 speed would have been better suited! Thank you for watching!
Thank you for watching! Yes I am pretty sure I would have made it on a 6 speed. We choose the 2 speed to make it hard, really to show how impressive the power of the motor is 😀
@@brilliantbikes A fair point but I think some people would like to know just how practical/rideable the 6 speed is (or the P line) in a non-electric configuration. How about redoing it and adding a bike weigh in and a side by side test with an normal C line? We know how good it is with the motor but you have already identified use cases where you might want to swap out the electric wheel. You could cover what wheel options there are... what do you do with the cables... luggage options without a battery (although they are limited of course)... what say you?
Many thanks watching and for the question. They are Garmin Vector power meter pedals. We have planned to compare the max power with and without the motor, but as I failed without the motor with thought that the stats weren’t required!
@@brilliantbikes I was going to comment to ask what the power difference was, but as you say - no ride - no power to compare. I bet it would have been quite the difference though.
You are correct, we did a similar hill last year comparing the 2 and 6 speed electric with and without power and on the different power levels. This time we just changed the front wheel to a standard one. Thank you for watching!
Interesting video! May I please ask you a question? If you would go and buy a new Brompton today. Witch model would you buy if the money is not a problem? I would very much like to know your answer as the Brompton professional ! Thank you!
Well just one Brompton? If I had to have only one…… then I would have a titanium 6 speed (Explore) with M bars (Mid rise), but it would have to be a Black Edition! Not sure if you can get this configuration anymore!
@@brilliantbikes P line is black edition and light. Do you thing that the P line is worth the money? I am consider this choice! But also think about the electric one. Thank you very much for your tips 🙂! I love your videos!
Yes, it is and it is great with the power off, it is a good point. But we have been asked so many times by people if they can use a standard wheel to save weight, we had a spare wheel so thought we would give it a try! Thank you for watching!
I love this video. I own a 22’ edition Brompton Electric and I have a question. Is it normal to experience rolling resistance when the battery is off (but connected)? I ask because if I ride the bike without the battery it rides like a normal Brompton. However, if I ran out of power and continue to ride the Brompton with the battery connected I experience a significant amount of rolling resistance. Thank you
Interesting observation. I have recently received my 1st ever Brompton (BE 4 speed) and have tried it with battery assistance 0 and with no battery fitted, and I don't feel any significant difference.
My wife's solution is two Bromptons. One electric, one acoustic.
Thanks for watching - and for making us laugh out loud!
That's a good idea. I used to have a manual Brompton. It was hard work reaching down to the pedals; so I changed it for a leg powered one.
Lolllll
For 2 maybe Brompton could work out something with the dealers. People that fly usually fly to big cities that have Brompton dealers. Why not have set of batteries that you can 'borrow' or rent in the country and that can be transported to dealers?
I'm in the USA but family is in the UK so this would be an excellent solution to take my bike with me.
I have electric 6 speed. I would change out the front wheel for flying and for weight. Thanks for showing the possibilities.
Thank you for watching!
Hope it helped.
@@brilliantbikes So just to be clear, changing out the wheel seemed easy and safe? This is a scenario I’m considering as well.
I'm assuming that the electrical connection remaining on the bike was taped over?
Thanks, I have a single speed which I was thinking about adding an electric aftermarket kit. I've been looking for details regarding the forks. Now that I know that the forks are indeed different then that has made me think about my next step
Exactly my conclusion.
I opted for Brompton ..I’m sure that they would have used standard forks if they could have !
Love your videos! That hill would be a good pull even with my other bike and a wide ratio, 11-speed cassette fitted. You've got guts to try it with a 2 speed manual...!!!
Oh and I was sooo close! Not annoyed at all! Thank you for watching.
Love the outtakes! And an interesting comparison. Please keep the videos coming! All the best, Rob in Switzerland
Thank you for your nice comment and for watching.
We will keep watching them coming 😀
I may be missing something here. I take it if you get a manual front wheel and use the washers from the electric, you can swap them out within a couple of minutes. Disconnect power lead, swap washers and install wheel and go? I wasn't sure where the forks came in other than to demonstrate the washers and wheel nuts.
I think that you answered that one yourself in your final sentence. I don't think that actually swapping the forks was suggested.
@@kentwydell9322 Yes, of course you are right. My enquiry was based on my bike going into Error Code B after only 15 miles. Not good. Still awaiting Brompton HQ sending a box, their Xmas delaying it by 3 weeks or so. I wouldn't have bought an electric if I didn't need the power, but I need a folder for some urgent journeys over the next few weeks. Catch 22 comes round again....
A beautiful Bromptonian ❤️
Thank you! Love the Bromptonian name!
In the opening remarks we were told that the two reasons people are interested in switching to the ‘manual’ wheel are a) to ride without electrical assistance and b) to take the bike on a flight. Neither of these seem plausible. a) you can cycle without assistance by turning the battery to 0 power, or off, or you can remove the battery from its bag, and b) you can take a Brompton Electric on a plane so long as you leave the battery at home. Surely the reason why people are interested is to reduce the weight up front for a more nimble ride? Comparing the ride of a BE with battery removed and one with a ‘manual’ wheel would seem a more sensible comparison exercise (though still a bit pointless!). And maybe weigh the two wheels while you’re at it. 😁
Wouldn’t the hub wheel sans battery cause a bit of drag, though?
@@TrekCycling no it doesn’t, not with the BE. That’s one of the benefits of Brompton’s electric motor over some other ones (Bosch for example). There’s several videos showing the two front wheels being spun and revolving as a comparison.Here’s one,
specifically 6.20 into it:
czcams.com/video/BMnqFShmML8/video.html
@@petergilbert72 Thanks.
As a Dane we have a real serpentine road on top of the town of Allinge (To a formerly used ligthhouse), on the island of Bornholm, and I have gone up on my 6 speed Ligthweigth! But even then I had to walk at intervals, also when passing some cattle prevention tubes across the road! This also spoils the real fun of going very fast down again, as you have to brake totally down each time you need to pass the tubes!
But my Brompton brakes never let me down while braking, even if I had my serious doubts before the start of the decent!!!
Your a wonder woman trying that hill. I love a determined woman,thanks for another great video.
Thank you for watching!
I will be back to conquer that hill 😀
Nice end of year video! Stay safe in 2022!
Thank you so much for watching. Happy New Year, hope you have a lovely 1022!
I love that you did the experiment in normal clothes; nothing more ‘Brompton’ than that!
This presenter is my new secret crush :)
Thank you so much for your lovely comment.
Well what else do you ride your Brompton in on Christmas Day 😀
@@brilliantbikes well, indeed. 🥰😅
I’ve done Toys Hill. But only going down it😂
Would love to know what max downhill speed you achieve on your Brompton. All in the interests of Brompton science of course. My personal best has been 32.9 mph on an M6L with 9 litre front bag, Marathon Plus tyres, standard 50T front chainring, in Kent. Can just about still pedal, I’ve not been counting but I believe it is about 110 crank rpm. Without a bag, and wearing full Lycra, I guess there might be a few more mph to be gained but pedalling is probably the limiting factor. Pedalling-induced suspension “bounce” sets in beyond 25 so there has to be careful management of this trait. A Brooks B17 saddle is a must (reduces bounce). See, there is definitely science in it…
that's how I did Cheddar Gorge - lots of fun :-)
Just looked through a few historical rides, London to Brighton over night on my 6 speed (no upgrades) and I got up to 62.6 kph (or 38.9 mph) going down hill! No pedalling or it’s appears braking!
Pretty certain it was a standard M6L with Marathon racers.
Thank you for watching and for the question.
Pain is weakness leaving your body.
Tell me about it!
Must try harder!
Steep hill asside, I would like to have found out the power differences required (or time differences) to pedal a course over flat or slight gradients, comparing the heavyish motor wheel without battery vs the normal wheel. That would show if there are gains to be had switching wheels when traveling minus battery.
Many thanks for watching! We sort of aimed for the extreme!
Thanks for another very informative video- and although I should have known, it was disappointing to realise that you can't take an ebike battery on a plane (and in fact its very expensive to even ship the battery on its own as a freight item).
If I may offer a compassionate and constructive criticism, it would be that your performance in failing to get up that hill without assistance would- at least in the Great War- have had you court-martialled and put in front of a firing squad at dawn.
Luckily we don't shoot people for lacking moral fibre these days (which I think explains why drum and bass music is as popular as it is).
Anyway, I very much hope you aren't shot even slightly, because you have a habit of making videos that I have no idea are important until I actually watch them- and then suddenly the subject matter seems absolutely critical.
Quite extraordinary.
Thank you so much for your comment. Made me giggle! I will be back to that hill! But I guess it shows how good the electric is!
Another reason for switching to a regular wheel maybe for when the bike is several years old and battery/motor are knackered
Is there anyone out there who has actually had to pay for a new motor?
Lovely. Thank you
Thank you so much for watching!
Interesting video. Odd, and somewhat pointless, to attempt such a fierce climb on an unassisted 2 speed? I have a standard 6 speed electric Brompton. For the sake of exercise I switch the motor off quite often. I’ve done about 1,000 miles unassisted, with battery and motor in situ. Having owned 8 other non-electric Bromptons (3, 5 and 6 speed) my subjective conclusion is that any extra effort needed to propel the unpowered eBrompton is barely noticeable, especially on modern Marathon Racer tyres at 100psi. So, I would not go to the bother and expense of swapping out the front forks and wheel if I wanted to do without the battery.
I don't think that swapping out the forks was in the plan. Hanna just had the forks to demonstrate that the standard wheel will fit the electric forks without any modification.
I agree with you that the proposition of fitting a standard wheel to the electric in order to enhance the workout is pointless.
However I don't agree that the video itself was pointless; as it did answer the question as to whether the standard wheel could be fitted without modification to the electric. Whilst it did underline the obvious fact that pedalling is harder without electric assist, it was both amusing and charming.
Would the drag from the hub motor, however, make it worth switching out the wheel? This is something I’m actively considering if I decide to travel with my electric sans battery.
@@TrekCycling The good thing about the Brompton is that, unlike some other hub-driven motors, there is virtually no drag when it is spinning in forward rotation. In my experience there is more drag from a standard Brompton’s hub dynamo when switched on, than from an unpowered electric Brompton motor. This is also evident when the 25kmh assisted limit is reached on an assisted Brompton - unlike other bikes, the transition from powered to unpowered is smooth and barely noticeable. On other bikes the sudden additional drag feels like a boat anchor.
@@john3892 Thanks.
Good idea! It's always good to explore your own personal limits. Occasionally! It's an even better idea to know what you can do if , say, you have problems with the electrics but need to keep on using the bike. Did you need to reset the brake blocks? There's not much latitude on these little rims.
Many thanks for watching and for your comment.
Hmm not sure I’m going to give into the hill! I’ll be back! But you are right, I think it showed how good the motor is!
The brakes were fine and did not need adjustment, but as you said it’s always good to check.
I wonder if you could jury-rig a connection to the brompton's electric motor and a custom battery? If so a Li-Go or similar solution (
Many thanks for watching! I enjoy a good challenge- but not good at failing!
We’d stay away from rigging anything! Sorry!
I'm wondering if it's possible to take not only the front wheel and swap for the standard one but also remove the electric battery block to fit the standard one?
We would not recommend removing the front carrier block of the electric unless you did not want it to be an electric anymore!
Thanks for watching
An 18% hill on a 2 speed was never really going to happen was it?
😆 I give her kudos for trying, I wouldn't have bothered trying on a 2 speed 😏.
I'm a wimp and I automatically looked for a 6-speed Brompton as the only choice for me 😄
Thanks for watching - and commenting
She was surprised and disappointed ... that hill will be conquered on the two speed I am sure!
A 6 speed would have been too easy?
Thanks for the kudos
We'll be back ... she is determined to beat it!
Yes - a 6 speed would be much more sensible
It will also be interesting to try the new 4 speed P Line when we get the chance!
@@brilliantbikes a six-speed might be too easy on an 18% grade for her but for me, I don't mind a bit of a struggle but I don't think I could do it with less than a 6-speed at my experience level... I'm going to research Hills in my area and go see what kind of ability I have with how steep a grade i can climb now. Thanks for the motivation.
tldr: yes, you can change standard wheel AND standard axle onto electric, reusing the electric tab washers. Read on if you want dozens of men asking why she didn't try a 6 speed on the hill instead.
Love your videos. Thanks for sharing. Is it possible to DHL your battery to your holiday destination in order to use the Brompton electric bike?
I missed the bit where you swapped out the forks ...
We were just showing the differences. We kept the electric forks in and used the standard wheel.
Why did you not use a 6 speed Brompton? You posted months ago that you recommended 6 speed for open country cycling over the 2 speed. The bottom gear is really low & may have made a diference ( Or may not 😪)
Ah… well we chose the 2 speed as, firstly it is our favourite colour, then we added some pretty tyres and we thought it would be a good challenge! It was and I guess shows how powerful the motor is. And you are correct, with the 54 tooth chain ring the gearing is high and the 6 speed would have been better suited!
Thank you for watching!
“Help me, this wheel is getting heavy.” I think you may find that in order to do so it would have to break the law of conservation of mass.
Many thanks for watching!
Even the PhD in biochemistry has not helped me… hay ho maybe I just need to get stronger!
Would you have been able to get up the hill on a six-speed?
The two-speed's not really designed for steep hills, is it?
Really like your videos, BTW.
Thank you for watching! Yes I am pretty sure I would have made it on a 6 speed. We choose the 2 speed to make it hard, really to show how impressive the power of the motor is 😀
@@brilliantbikes A fair point but I think some people would like to know just how practical/rideable the 6 speed is (or the P line) in a non-electric configuration. How about redoing it and adding a bike weigh in and a side by side test with an normal C line? We know how good it is with the motor but you have already identified use cases where you might want to swap out the electric wheel. You could cover what wheel options there are... what do you do with the cables... luggage options without a battery (although they are limited of course)... what say you?
Now do the same test down hill.
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee 😀😃😀
Thank you for the suggestion and for watching
There’s a reason I bough a 6 speed electric- probably the non-working knee!
We agree the 6 speed is fab for climbing, with or without a bad knee.
Thank you for watching!
What pedal do you have on your Brompton bike as I see you are using cleats on shoes and do you keep your folding pedal ¿
Many thanks watching and for the question.
They are Garmin Vector power meter pedals. We have planned to compare the max power with and without the motor, but as I failed without the motor with thought that the stats weren’t required!
@@brilliantbikes I was going to comment to ask what the power difference was, but as you say - no ride - no power to compare. I bet it would have been quite the difference though.
I thought you’ve done that hill before comparing electric & normal, but they were six speed, unless I’m speaking with forked tongue ,
You are correct, we did a similar hill last year comparing the 2 and 6 speed electric with and without power and on the different power levels. This time we just changed the front wheel to a standard one.
Thank you for watching!
Interesting video! May I please ask you a question? If you would go and buy a new Brompton today. Witch model would you buy if the money is not a problem? I would very much like to know your answer as the Brompton professional ! Thank you!
6 speed electric if money no object. The 6 speed isn’t much more than the 2 speed, but makes the bike much more flexible
@@chrisiden Thank you!
Well just one Brompton? If I had to have only one…… then I would have a titanium 6 speed (Explore) with M bars (Mid rise), but it would have to be a Black Edition! Not sure if you can get this configuration anymore!
@@brilliantbikes P line is black edition and light. Do you thing that the P line is worth the money? I am consider this choice! But also think about the electric one. Thank you very much for your tips 🙂! I love your videos!
Why go to the expense of buying a standard wheel, its designed to be used without a battery if needed.
Yes, it is and it is great with the power off, it is a good point. But we have been asked so many times by people if they can use a standard wheel to save weight, we had a spare wheel so thought we would give it a try!
Thank you for watching!
I love this video. I own a 22’ edition Brompton Electric and I have a question. Is it normal to experience rolling resistance when the battery is off (but connected)? I ask because if I ride the bike without the battery it rides like a normal Brompton. However, if I ran out of power and continue to ride the Brompton with the battery connected I experience a significant amount of rolling resistance. Thank you
Interesting observation. I have recently received my 1st ever Brompton (BE 4 speed) and have tried it with battery assistance 0 and with no battery fitted, and I don't feel any significant difference.
of course you can't fly with the battery - you'd need to add wings for that ;-)
Ah I need more Red Bull to give me the wings!
Thank you for watching.
I would just buy another motorized wheel and put it on the back. MORE POWARRR
We are so impressed with the power of the bike! It’s great fun!
Thank you for watching!
poorrrr thing.. why are u being subjected to such torture? it is like a scene from the blair witch...... until your mascara ran.....
Lol! Thank you for watching!
I volunteered for the torture! Strangely I enjoy a good challenge….