5 Bike Hacks for your Brompton (+ Omni Wheels)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มี.ค. 2021
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Here are five new bike hacks for your Brompton folding bike.
#brompton #bikehacks #foldingbike
Rotacaster Omni Wheel Resources:
- Brompton Kit put together by Rotacaster:
www.rotacaster.com.au/shop-pr...
NOTE: Brompton rear racks that are year 2016 or older use 5mm bolts instead of 6mm bolts. Make sure the references below are applicable to your model.
References for newer rear racks (2017 or newer):
Original bushings can be replaced by bearings (each wheel needs two, size 6x16x5mm, ref. 696A-2RS):
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
Longer bolt (needs to be metric):
- Hex Head M6 1.00 x 65mm (could also be 60mm long)
References for older rear racks (2016 or older):
Original bushings can be replaced by bearings (each wheel needs two, size 6x16x5mm, ref. 625-2RS):
www.amazon.com/uxcell-625-2RS...
Longer bolt (needs to be metric):
- Hex Head M5 1.00 x 65mm (could also be 60mm long)
This video is not sponsored by Rotacaster, but they did send me these wheels as samples to test if they would work well on the Brompton. My opinions are shared in the video.
Transcript:
5 Bike Hacks for your Brompton (+ Omni Wheels)
Well, it seems like bike hacks are one of the favorite topics on this channel. Today, I decided to make another bike hacks video, to share some of the new ones I’ve found over the past couple of months. Without further ado, let’s dive into them.
Have you ever struggled to undo the lock nut to remove the wheel? I certainly have. If you’re home, you can use pliers, and it’ll be quick and easy. If out on the road, you can use the piece of sandpaper that comes with your toolkit to improve your grip. If that doesn’t work and you have a spare inner tube, you can use it instead. It will hardly cause any damage to your inner tube and it may give you the extra grip you need to undo the lock nut.
If you lost the mounting bracket for the rear light, you may still be able to attach it to your seat post using a piece of inner tube. Just cut an inch or so from an old tube, remove the saddle from the seatpost, and slide it in. Now, you can easily mount your rear light to it whenever you want. You can use a longer piece of innertube and roll it back on itself if you want to keep something else, like a small multitool.
As you know, the Brompton has a plastic hook on the front fork, that’s used to lock the fork to the rear triangle when the bike is folded. It’s a good practice to protect your chainstay where the hook touches, to prevent the frame from getting damaged and developing rust. I’ve used electrical tape in the past, but that doesn’t seem to last for long, and soon enough it will be completely ripped apart. Use a couple of layers of electrical tape, and on top of that, a few plastic zip ties to resist abrasion. Now, it will last much longer.
This next hack is for those of you who want to carry a Brompton bag on the rear rack. I’ll demonstrate with an S-Bag. Fill the back pockets on the S-Bag with anything you want, lay the bag on the rack and cross the bungee cords over it. The rear pockets will prevent the bag from moving laterally and attaching the bungee cords to this indentation on the rear rack will prevent the bag from moving forward and hitting your heels.
Finally, this is the Omni wheel. This thing is similar in diameter to the Brompton EZ-wheels, but on top rolling like a normal wheel, it also has these rollers that allow it to move sideways. In fact, as the name suggests, it’s omnidirectional, meaning the combination of wheel and rollers allows it to move in any direction. I got these ones as samples from Rotacaster, a company in Australia that seems to make the best Omni wheels in the market. But, what are they used for? Well, by installing these on the rear rack of the Brompton, you’re able to turn the bike a lot easier when it’s folded. Using the Brompton as a shopping cart is a lot more convenient if I have these on, since I don’t have to worry about lifting the bike to change its direction. I’ve used them for grocery shopping for about five times now, and they just got a bit dirty.
Turn Closed Captions on for full transcription. - กีฬา
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Thanks! Most of those tips are handy for any bike, not just a Brompton.
True that!
Those omni-wheels seem an awesome idea!
I think so too!
Thanks! Again! On the lookout for more on the bags from Barcelona. xo
Your Brompton videos are great, thanks for the tips.
I am in the market for a Brompton and really appreciate the detail of your videos.
Great video. Put together so professional like. Loved all the info. Thanks for sharing Victor!
Glad you liked it!
Love it!!!!!! keep em coming and Keep Safe!!
Thanks! Will do!
great video with useful hacks. so glad to hear your thoughts on the omni wheels, their hardnesses and how they stack up to the Go Rack! great content as always!
Happy to help! I've done a bunch of research about them in the past, and thought it would be a good think to document my impressions and inform the community!
Your video is so delicate , neat and well done... Such a pleasure to watch.
Thank you!!
Thank you for your kindness! It's really inspiring to receive comments like yours. Keeps me going. Have a great Sunday!
Awesome. Thank you for sharing.
I just got my brompton because of you, and I'm slowly gearing it all up
Like the omni-wheels, almost want to get back to commuting to try some of your previous recommendations out
Hey I am a subscriber, and I just wanted to say that I know these videos take a great deal of work and it shows. These are the best Brompton tip vids out there-thx
Creativity shows itself then best in the simple things. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Great! As usual!
Love these videos
great video!
Nice inner tube hack!!! Gotta remember that one..Thanks Victor..
One can get very creative with some old inner tubes!
I love the omni wheels idea
The omni wheels seem great! Not a brompton owner yet but I find your channel very informative.
Me too !
I love the brompton, i wish i can buy one later
Well done. I always enjoy your videos
Thank you very much!
I like it that you come up with different ideas and test out different products on your Brompton. I have been to a couple of Brompton dealers. Whenever I mention one of your hacks or other non-Brompton products to them they say either that they could no longer service a Brompton with a hack on it or they say don't do it, it will ruin the bike.
If a Brompton dealer ever refuses to service my bike because I have a rear view mirror or a piece of inner tube on my seat post, I'll e-mail Brompton right away and complain about it.
I saw this post at a facebook page. I like your channel, wish you came out earlier (2014-2016) when I was using my Brompton on a daily basis until I had money to buy a Jeep. Nowadays, I roll around in my brand new hybrid, brommie’s been snoozing.
Great video again, love it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Awesome. Thank you
I was doing the same research for Omni wheel from Rotacoster these days hahaha. Thanks for sharing!
I spent hours researching these wheels from them without coming to a conclusion of which hardness/bearing combination I should try. Then I called them, explained the application I'd have for these wheels, and they were kind enough to send me these samples to try and inform the community. Thanks for watching!
Victor... You are a Brompton Ninja! I love the idea of the rotawheels, but the noise would drive me nuts! Probably a worthy trade-off for the ease of movement so I’ll be off to their website in a moment! There are bazillions of uses for used inner tubes - you have offered some superb suggestions! Keep riding and hacking and Stay Safe - love your well produced and interesting videos 👍🤩
Ahah that's a cool name! The noise put me off for a minute when I first tried them on, but after taking the bike to the grocery store I realized it wasn't bad (the softer ones). And yes, we can get very creative with some old tubes and zip ties!
Although he’s now lost the stealth element when in rolling mode 😂
Thanks a lot..very helpful channel
Hi Victor
Love the Hacks!
Specially the sand paper. It is verry useful!
Congrats!
👍🏻😊👏🏻
Thanks Chris!
I just ordered omni wheels a week ago, after a few months of postponing. If only I'd known you were going to make a video about it... :) Let's compare notes :)
Omniwheels are genius
Thanks for sharing
Superb video
Thank you so much 😀
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great job just what I need to make bike better thank you
Nice work with the Omni Wheels! Im doing a mod for my B using Roller Ball Transfer Bearing Caster. I hope it works. Cheers.
I wish I learned about all these tips 10 years ago. Thank you for all of these tips
Lol. Right. Same thing here.
Love this videos. Greetings from Argentina
Glad you like them!
Aloha from Hawaii Victor, Love your channel! That inner tube on the seat post is a great idea! I'll share one inner tube idea also for the chain stay, I cut a small strip of inner tube, then cut again so it folds open. Wrap around the chain stay and use Gorilla Glue/Super Glue to bind the tubes into itself. Careful not to glue the tube to the frame. When it dries, you can stretch and turn the seam inside for a cleaner look.
I never thought of gluing the inner tube like you suggested. When using inner tubes as frame protection, your method probably looks a lot better. Thanks for sharing your idea!
Have the same infini red light from many years ago, it's perfect to use ir attached on helmet when i do road cycling or commute. Thanks for your videos
I used it as a helmet light for a loooong time, until the battery started lasting 20-30min. It was really great as a helmet light.
Thanks for the tips. One day I will have enough saved for a Brompton.
Second hack my favorite
I'm glad you liked it!
Brilliant 👍
Thanks Thorsten, great to see you here!
I was looking into this and they’ve upgraded the wheel to be more quiet!
Excited to hear about the GoRack update. I hear they're going to add rack function back in.
They will indeed!
Nice tips bro, new friend
Just what I wanted to see
Awesome!!
Just got my brompton recently and have been binge watching all videos. Thank you for the amazing content. Just curious to know more about your shopping bag... was it a DIY?
I'm glad to hear that! That is a shopping bag for the Brompton Electric by Valeria's Bike Accessories, in Barcelona. They have bags for both the e-Brompton and standard one, and they are absolutely beautiful. I'll talk about them in the next couple of weeks.
Yes, congrats on the new bike!
Bromptons are sooooooo awesome!! Enjoy!!
I don't even own a Brompton and I find the videos fascinating.
Thank you. Have a hey bike Mars but it’s too big for me. Looking at Brompton. Your videos are convincing me it’s well worth the investment. Using it as a shopping cart ! I’m in nyc. That is brilliant! Going to the store in nyc today to see it in person.
Tell them about my channel! Haha
Hi Jntmarie, Kindly advise if you find a great store in NYC for the Brompton's. Other than the Hey Bike Mars' size being too big for you, would you recommend it to others? Where did you purchase it? Thanks, Happy Trails,phil
개 꿀 팁 감사합니다!
Brilliant videos and info as ways. Thank you would the go rack still work if you don't have mudguards (extra xwheel) or a rear rack?
Hi, thx for the ideas. I like the tool racks that you pushed out of your space. Can you share a video about them? Thx. Boris
👏👏👏
Tell me more about that front shopping bag for the ebrompton- I want!
Thank u
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for this video, you have just sold me the s-bag :)
It seems that you have a lot of different bags. What are those, and how often do you used them, and for what purpose do you find them fit?
Hello. Before all, thanks for your videos. They helped me a lot while choosing my Brompton and accessories. I was about to order these rotacaster wheels but just noticed they're the same size as the 4 original wheels of the Brompton back rack. And recently I noticed that my front wheel (bike folded) sometimes rubs the floor and the rolling isn't as smooth. I'd be glad to know if you have the same problem after installing the 5cm rotacaster wheels ? Kind regards from France 🇫🇷🙂
Hi Victor! I have added various upgrades to my M6L since I bought it in January this year. Among these, I earlier added a rack and your idea of the omni-castors. However, since adding a wheel extender and wheels, I have noticed that one of the omni-castors no longer touches any surface when rolling. It is not consistently so when rolling with the handlebars but it is when I am rolling the bike with the seat raised. Can you, or anyone else, recommend what I should do to remedy this?
Hi Victor! Really impressed with the Omni wheels until I heard the noise, thanks for pointing it out and giving an honest review on this. I wanted to ask you also about your side mirror, can you tell which mode it is, as I see it doesn’t affect the folding of the bike. I use ergon gp1 grips so should work just fine with these. Thanks in advance!
I've just fitted the 50 mm OmniWheels. They work fine except I am finding the reduced clearance a bit of a problem at times compared to the Brompton 60 mm Eazy Wheels they replaced. The next size up in the OmniWheel range is 80 mm which might be too tall. Anyone tried that?
Re; the tip about storing a multi-tool on the seat post, mine is stored in the side pocket of my Brompton Electric bag.
I'm not sure about the omni wheels but I can see the potential for further refinement.
I agree. For starters, it could come in black!
Nice one how a video for rolling on rougher surfaces ?
Hi Victor, have you tried to use belt drive instead of chains? Appreciate it if you could make a video about it. Thanks.
Polycarbonate film works good as a phone screen protector... wonder if it would work protecting the chainstay from the hook... You also might try an actuall hex-nut on that shifter chain... then *put a wrench on it* ... or maybe one of those threaded standoffs you sometimes see in electronics... that would give you a larger surface to grab...
Nice video! Can the omni wheels be enough to push the bike around or do I need to get the rear rack with wheel, like yours?
Hi Victor, could you please show me the close up pic of the Omni wheels that you installed on your rear rack. Or a clip of how you installed them. Thank you 🙏
Hi Victor, do you have any experience of removing rusty part from the inner tube of the frame? Just got mine less than a month, I realize some rusty part on the seat post part and the main from which you can see from the folding part. Thanks
I do a thousand things with the air chambers. I find the it most versatile of the bike parts. I liked the training wheels! but here in BR only in the supermarket it is possible to use. The floors are bad.
Fair enough!
Hey Everyday Cycling I am excited, just got my Brompton today!
Now I too want to install the Rotacoster Omniwheels on my cycle but I am not sure what size to get. I seem to have missed the size and the link you shared is not working for me somehow. Can you help me out with the size of the wheels.
Hi, nice video! Do you think it's possible to replace the single wheel of the rear mudguard with an Omniwheel? If it's possible, could you also tell me what parts are needed for the modification? Thanks a lot
Dear Victor, I thank you for your Channel. Two thumbs wayyyy up. I want to get the Omni Wheels, for my Brompton, Tempest Blue just like in your clip. What a the specific specifications for this? Thank you so much.
Still want the GoRack in Black :-)
Hello from Scotland. I’ve just fulfilled a long held ambition and have bought a second hand Brompton ML6. I am very pleased with it but have a question that you may be able to help with. It has no rear rack and, when folded the front wheel is touching the ground so making it very difficult to wheel around on the rollers. Have you come across this problem before?
Hey man, thank you for your videos! I tried to find the GoRack you mentioned in 5:13 but I could not find it in your videos. Do you mind sharing the link with me ?
I got my foldie after your awesome videos and followed all your hacks. The latest one on Omni wheel is superb. Gonna get one. The one you had is it - 50mm Rotacaster 2-PACK with 6mm bushing - 60A?
Yes, but I ended up replacing the bushings with 6mm bearings. The 6mm bushing won't work well.
Hi! Do you recommend the rack?...I know is more stable,but how frequently you use ?
Can we use 4 omni wheels for the brompton? Would we have to go up a size so the bike is raised a bit as the 60mm wheels look quite small.
Hi, just wondering....would it be easier to steer if the rotacaster were installed at the rear instead of the front?
which bag are you using in the shopping trolley part of the video ?? thanks.
What is thatbag u use for putting things in while marketing for groceries?
What about the saddle? Você acha o cambium muito melhor que o selin original que está na elétrica?
I don't want to put my spring leather Brooks because it is almost 1kg
Bonjour,
A question: Where did you get your front bag you used as shopping bag on your electric Brompton bike?
Hello
I am new to this channel. I wish i knew it sooner. Can you send me the link for the right bearings for Rotacastor s omniwheel?
? Omni-wheels on carpet, how wwell do they perform. That and rough sidewalks are my rolling problem .
I have been using a roller cart if I anticipate that, and am looking at the Sidewinder,/GoRack but with shipping that approaches $300.
Where did you get that wheel extender? I mean who makes it, and how do I purchase it ?
I need a replacement for the plastic part that holds the two wheels together. Is there a place to buy the part? Anybody got a 3-D printer?
do you still prefer the go rack to this omniwheel setup?
Thanks for this video. I bought a pair of the Omni wheels from their UK distributor and although the fitment was slightly different (I bought ones with built in bearings), I'm really happy with them. I take my Brompton on the train and these Omni wheels (along with a pair of larger easy wheels on the rear) make a huge difference moving the bike around while folded.
Hi, I'm in the UK and want to get the wheels from the UK distributor - did you get the part number OW50-2-60-P2? I wonder if its even better with 4 omni wheels as opposed to 2 omni wheels and 2 eazy wheels?
Hi! I am super interested in the Omni wheels, just wondering, have you run into any quality issues with them? I am in a brompton chat group, some people say they are very easy to break.. what has been your experience? Thanks!
HI Victor, Nice Shopping bag. I like them. Where did you get it from? btw, I like the Omni wheels too.
That's from www.valeriasbikeaccessories.com
I ordered the omniwheels and I'm kinda 'studying' your video how to exactly put them on my Brompton. Hopefully, they'll turn out just fine. Fingers crossed.
Btw: I really love your videos, learned so much about my Brompton and specially about the hacks.
Thank you so much Victor!! Wishing you good luck and GBU always, amen!
Hi! I dont have a brompton rack. I was wondering Does the omniwheel fit on part of the original brompton rollers if i dont have a rack?
😅😅
Hi Victor! Another great video! The rotawheel omni-castors caught my attention and after much research I have found an agent here in Scotland. Now, a few questions if I may. Why did you not consider the solid grey PBT roller with no bush? Apparently PBT is polybutylene terephthalate???? I had no idea what that was but googling brought up its hardness and toxic qualities. The load capacity is excessive at 40kg but the colour would blend in better with my black Brompton. Any advice?
Hey Michael, the solid grey PBT roller is 99A hardness, completely solid. It's basically a hard piece of plastic, and I imagine it will make a horribly loud noise when rolling. They're probably more brittle as well. The representative at Rotacaster suggested the 99A hardness would be unsuitable for our application and didn't even send me those. After testing the 95A I tend to agree. The orange (60A) has the hardness of a tire tread. You can feel a little give when pressing on it with your finger nail. I agree the black one would look a lot better on the Brompton. I'll send them some feedback as well, to make a 60mm wheel with 60A hardness in black. It would be the ideal solution for us. For now, it's just ta hack! hehe
I want that wheels! But any other parts should I get?
Hey! In the beginning, ist this the bike workshop at Georgia Tech?
Will the t-bag fit on the rack as well?
Hi, great video. I have received my omni wheels. How do you remove the bushings that they come with to fit better bearings?
For anyone else wondering, the bushings can just be hooked out with a small screwdriver. I would definitely recommend replacing the supplied bushings with bearings as it makes a big difference. I originally ordered the harder wheels, but as described in the video, these are quite noisy. I've ordered some additional softer compound type wheels as my use case will be using the wheels in a supermarket and I won't be using them over rough ground.
I ordered some of these from Rotacaster as a kit designed for Brompton, but I think I have given up on installing them... There is empty space within the wheel between the two bearings, so when you torque down the bolt it puts force on the bearings' inner race and locks the wheels up. Do people just neglect to tighten the bolt? I hear a lot of people losing omniwheels from them falling off during rides, so I am wondering if that's the case.
I tried putting washers and such inbetween the bearings to support them, but didn't have much luck. The only solution that seems to work is to have a second nut to tighten onto the first nut, similar to hubs or threaded headsets. This should work fine but honestly I'm tired of fiddling with it at this point; just going to stick to the easy wheels for now.
Just an update: Found a good solution for the Omni Wheels. I ordered some unthreaded aluminum sleeves to put between the bearings of each wheel and support them. Just pop one of the bearings out and place it between. Specifically the sleeve needs to be: M6 size, 18mm length, 13mm or less outer diameter.
Now that I added that, I can torque the nut down plenty tight without locking up the Omni Wheels. Hope this helps someone!
cant find the reference link for the bearings, bushing and bolts ?