Keeping under pressure with Cycplus Electric Tire Pump A3

What a shocker, a post that’s to do with cycling. Don’t worry folks the legend is still alive and kicking keeping the human healthy. In fact this month (May 2023) the Legend may have a sibling….. 

Anyways on with this little review…

I have had this electric air pump on my list for many yrs.  I have a very good track pump that has served me well since i first got the legend. Early last year I pumped up my tired up just before going to work. By the time i got there my tyre was flat. Thinking it was a puncture I took the inner tube out looking for a hole. Didn’t find one til I got to the value. Seemed when I pumped my tire up I damaged the value. I always have problems with my track pump and the big value attachment on The Legends small wheels and tight spokes.

So I got myself an electric air pump. This pump can basically do any kind of value. Dunlop, Schrader & Presta are covered.

It’s a pretty easy to use. You turn it on, set the pressure you want with the clear digital read out. Attach the value and push the power button. It will pump your tire up to the set pressure and automatically shut down. It’s fully rechargeable via USB and comes with its own charging cable and even a little pouch bag.

It maybe alittle heavy (500grams) to take on a ride cause rechargeable batteries are notoriously heavy, but do able.

 I’m impressed by how quick it topped up my Marathon + tires to 100psi from about 60psi this morning.

Always keep your tyres pumped to proper pressures as marked on the sidewall. When at the proper pressure you get less punctures, less rolling resistance meaning you travel faster, longer with less wasted energy. Only down side is that you will feel the bumps alittle more but thats what padded cycling shorts are made for right.

Cycplus Electric Tire Pump A3 from AmazonUK

till the next ride, bee safe.....

Support your local bike shops

After the snow and rain of the last few months it was time for the legend to get a service. I have known Przemek for many years and has always been the legends fav surgeon  mechanic.

He has personally over seen pretty much ALL of the Legends major upgrades over the years and an all round top bloke. Always good banter whenever i visit.

All the years i have known him he has always expressed that he wanted his own bike shop, so finally he did it and Broda Cycle was born.

So the legend is all serviced and riding smooth as silk. Hopefully will get some rides in this year and see some of you folks too.

Links:

Broda Cycle 

till the next ride, bee safe.....

Compton Cycles for a major service

So it was that time again. I hadn't done much maintenance to my boy over the yrs. Yeah I know i should be reported to the B.A.T (Brompton Abuse Team)  for "Brompton Endangerment" or something. It's been about 3yrs since I have had Bumble B service by myself or a bike shop. I had some time so I booked Bumble B into the best Brompton cycle shop for maintenance in London.

I already knew the answer would be Compton Cycles in Catford. Over the years we have passed by on rides but I don't think we have actually got a service from them. It's abit of a trek for us to get there but worth it.

oooo shinny

Pre Op

After the guys had a quick look over Bumble B they said he would be in surgery for quiet awhile and I should be able to pick him up late afternoon. I was a little nervous but I knew he would be fine but still worried none the less, he is my boy after all.

Well I went walking around London abit, yes WALKING what HELL IS THIS? You don't see half as much just by walking and travelling on public transport I can tell you that now. Cycling is the only way to see a big city in my eyes.

Well you can only walk around London for a few hrs but I was getting abit anxious and was running out of power on my iPhone so wondered back to Compton Cycles. My boy wasn't ready yet so i waited like an expecting father waiting for the baby to be reborn. Yes I said it, B is my baby.  When he was finally brought out to me all I could say was "WOW" Everything was done and he was set for our next adventures. They also gave him a damn good cleaning to which yes I have not be doing alot recently, yes another charge for  B.A.T to list and charge me with.

Reborn again

Well we are ready for the next adventure, are you?

https://www.comptoncycles.co.uk/

till the next ride, bee safe.....

Guess who's back home?

Finally my boy is back home at the HiVE.

His been away far too long and I've truly missed the little guy.

The troublesome top tube hinge is still stiff even though its been changed twice. From what the surgeon (Mechanic Marco) says that the hinge may have slightly bent a little so the pin doesn't just drop though the hole like it should so making it a little stiff to fold. He will be getting a better explanation of whats happened from the high IQ folks at Brompton HQ in the next day or so.

Other than that BBB is pretty much completely overhauled and riding like new. Brompton Junction even gave him a really good clean too which was a nice little surprise. I haven't been looking after and cleaning him as much as I should do the last year or so.

Because BBB is so clean I can see there are a few areas of paint that have come off so Brompton Junction gave me a fresh batch of touch up paint to sort that out when we have the time. 

till the next ride, bee safe.....

Complications...

I had a call yesterday afternoon from the head surgeon (mechanic) at  Brompton Junction London.

There was a slight complication with BBB's routine surgery (overhaul) as I was supposed to pick him up that day.

Nothing serious but the head surgeon (mechanic) wanted to keep him in a few more days. Everything went to plan other than the hinge replacement didn't take as well as it should and the surgical team wanted to do it again just to be safe. Which gives me a few more days to get some other bits and bobs ready for his return to the HiVE.

Pre Op

So in the mean time I'm riding red "Loaner" Trust me its not LEGENDARY!!

Red is a S6L and its the first time I've ridden a S Type. Finding that I'm pushed forward quiet alot and a lot more weight is on my hands and wrists so I'm glad I didn't get a S type back in the day. I will be glad to have BBB back thats for sure

The Loaner "RED"

Yes folks you heard it here first, the LEGEND will be out racing at the Rapha Nocturne London Folding Bike Race. The race starts around 17:30 on the 10th June so be there to cheer on the legend's return.

till the next ride, bee safe.....

More legendary? Damn straight

Back in July I found out that Brompton had released the Black Edition Brompton parts that you could buy. Thanks to my partner in crime My Orange Brompton for giving me the heads up.

I always had the plan to change out parts on Bumble B to be black as soon as I saw the Black Editions.

As always Brilliant Bikes came though for the legend as always.

• Brompton BLACK crankset with 44T "spider" chainwheel
• Brompton BLACK brake caliper - front - dual pivot
• Brompton BLACK brake caliper - rear - dual pivot
• Brompton BLACK brake lever set aluminium (pair)
• Brompton BLACK headset 1 1/8", steel

I could have installed all this myself but I didn't have the proper time to spend doing it properly. Lucky my personal cycle engineer is near by and was happy to sort my boy out.

Within 5 mins of being in the shop my boy was on the bike stand and getting a worked on. I think they really love BBB and it shows in their work.

Original headset

I had to go back to work & leave my boy overnight but I knew he would be fine. I'd be lieing if I said I wasn't missing him badly. Hoping he wasn't missing me too much but we both knew it was for the best. 

Turned out he needed a little more work that planned. The bottom bracket was basically dead so needed replacing.

New black edition brake levers

Black edition Spider crank & matching 44T Chainring

My guy forgot my custom yellow chainring guard but I had an idea. Why not get black bolts as I needed slightly longer bolts for it to fit on the chain wheel anyways. Abit of digging & he found some. 

It's the little things that matter.

Bling Bling baby

Looking good there Bumble B but if I find some brake pad holders in yellow they will be changed out. ;)

Front Brake Caliper

Turned out the rear brake caliper was also pretty much worn out and dead so it was a good thing I was changing everything out.

Rear Brake Caliper

48hrs later my boy was ready. As always Mamchari Walthamstow did a AWESOME job on my boy.

His back and up to speed as always. I can guess that Bumble B is about 98% finished, just spokes, hubs & saddle rails to be done and the legend will be DONE ! 

til the next ride, bee safe

BBB

Death of another rim

Over the last few months I have been getting the sense that BBB's rear wheel rim maybe wearing out. Under braking I would feel a "pulse" as it were. It's happened before so I know the signs well. 

Ever since I got the new black AeroHeat rims I have been looking after them much more than the double walled original Brompton rims. Even with all the care I have taken with them the rear rim visibly split. 

I basically came back from meeting up with the LBC gang that was having a ride down to the Olympic Velodrome at the Olympic Park. I wasn't on the ride itself but needed to see a few folks as I had some Brompton bits from "Ben's Box of Goodies" (once again thanks Ben)

On closer inspection I could see the rim had actually split on both sides of the braking surface as you can see with the photos below.

Splitting Aero Heat

Opposite side also splitting

It was an emergency so I went straight to my local bike shop ran by Noah who now had his own bike shop just down the road from me. Noah was the first person to ever service BBB so I knew I could trust him with my boy.

Noah changed the rim over to a spare original Brompton rim I had but told me that the AeroHeat Rim had some structural cracks. I didn't know about this and thought I had just worn it out but check this next photos out for the true horror. Another 2 huge cracks *shock horror*

HUGE crack #1 :(

These cracks where on the opposite side to each other on the INSIDE of the rim where the rim tape goes. I wouldn't normally remove the tape to look so I wouldn't have seen it myself with my normal checks.

I thought damn I've been riding with that for at least a couple of months as that is when I noticed the "pulse" under braking. As you can see it hasn't been knocked or hit anything as the rim looks in good shape and lots of metal on the braking surface.

When I got the AeroHeat rims on BBB the original double walled rims where relatively new so I saved them. I didn't think I would be changing the AeroHeat rims so soon.

So the Stats I have for this Rear AeroHeat Rim:
Brompton BWR 6sp hub & Velocity
Born:     May 7, 2015
Died:      Apr 16, 2016
Mileage: 3,047.7 miles

Quick message to Phoenix Cycles and looks like I can get it changed under warranty where I got the AeroHeat rims originally so BBB is there now getting another AeroHeat so his all matching again. The whole reason why I got both rims changed back then when only the rear rim had worn out was that he could be in line with his color scheme.

I currently have a loan Brompton which happens to be black and yellow so not to much of a shock for anyone seeing me without the legend who should be sorted over the next few days.

til the next ride, bee safe....

Shredding tyres

Yesterday was an interesting commute to work. 

Had to fight a major head wind which isn't new to me & the legend but about a mile from work the front wheel felt odd. I had a look and I saw I had a slow puncture happening. Just about managed to get to work before it was fully flat & unriddable. 

When I got home I had a good look at the tyre and I saw this. 

Yeah pretty bad. Pretty much shredded the front tyre with 6 deep cuts & looks like we've gone though sand paper to boot. I don't remember going over anything as shape but 9 times out of 10 you hardly ever see what causes punctures to begin with. 

So BBB is off the road till I get some new tyres delivered from Brillant Bikes, which have been ordered since last night. Give schewble Marathon's a go again as I've have had 4 bad Marathon +'s lately. 

til the next ride, bee safe

Another good tyre goes bad.....

Right in really annyoned.

A few days ago just about to commute home I found another flat tear tyre. Ok I'll just go home by bus & fix in comfort. 

I get home and replace inner tube and checked the tube and found a huge hole. Checked the tire but found nothing to suggest anything went though. 

Very odd. 

Put new tube in, inflated & found yet ANOTHER Schwalbe Marathon Plus side wall failure. I think this is about the 3rd or 4th one I've had in a short space of time too. 

So I spent the 3hrs trying to get this new Schwalbe Marathon Plus,  on but would it? 

No it wouldn't go on. I've just come home from a long 12hr shift at work so probably over tired. Threw the wheel on the floor and went to bed. 

That was over 3 days ago & this morning I just tired an experiment. I took the inner tube out completely and just tried to put the same tyre on. It went on with not to much trouble with just my thumbs. Within 10 mins.  

My theory is that the new completely flat inner tube was sitting in the central channel in the rim that the tyre needs to sit in to finally fit onto the rim properly. But because I was overtired from work I didn't see it. 

I got 2 new Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires here but they will be the last ones I ever purchase. I'm going back to normal Marathon tires

I may get more punctures as a result but atleast i'll get the proper mileage out of them before I need to change them.

NOTICE: This is an old entry that I didn't publish back in December 2015. All sorted now with the my last set of Schwalbe Marathon +

till the next ride, bee safe.....

Epic Epping & pushing the envelope again!

Once again the London Brompton Club (web | fb group) had a great ride planned with David P leading as always. I had been looking forward to this ride as it goes right past my local area and also further north and into Epping Forest.

This morning I made sure I was FULLY fueled up and ready to go.

Legendary fuel

 Also packed a couple of bananas & cereal bars just to be sure.

Looking at the weather, it was going to be slightly mild but may drizzle for a few hrs on and off before some heavy rain in the evening. This ride would be finished before the evening no problem in needing heavy waterproofs. My small waterproof jacket and my big over trousers that I always have packed in my Carradice Zipped Roll Saddle Bag would be more than enough. I need to get some compact overtrousers as my Altura Night Vision Over Trousers are heavy and take up ALOT of room in my Zip Roll bag.

Off we went to the meeting point of Charing Cross Station, commuting to my local station I could see the weather being overcast and hoped the rain would hold off till we had finished the ride and back home at "The HiVE" 

Arriving at the station I saw a familiar group of faces & of-course Bromptons. A group of Bromptons always draw attention and as I was walking towards the group I over heard a few passers by commenting on seeing the Bromptons, some even wishing they had one as they looked like alot of fun. 

I piped up and said "Hell yeah, ALOT of fun :D" with a big smile on my face. 

As always big smiles and greetings to everyone attending the ride, there was supposed to be a decent amount on this one but a few couldn't join us at the last min for various reasons :(

The LBC has gathering

Graham's IRONMAN

On seeing me David gave me Anne's present which I was very curious about.

Latex gloves oo-er misses

I had to laugh as I wasn't expecting this but Anne remembered when I helped her with a puncture on the LBC Ride: Gravesend Loop ride we was on that I said about getting some bigger gloves to carry when on a ride in case of emergency repairs. If no one knew about that they probably end up with other ideas to why I would need large latex gloves. :D

With a short briefing from David about the ride we was heading we headed out of Charing Cross Station to Epping Forest & back

Master Jedi Navigator David P

Off we rolled wondering though central London, even though it was dull we all had smiles on our faces as we was all on our Bromptons.

Near Spitalfields Market

Smiling all the way

Passing Look Mum, No Hands

The roads I noticed where abit slippery in places so was glad we finally got on to the Regent Canal system.

This part of the route is one I know very well as its my local haunt for riding in the summer time along the Regent Canals from central London to northeast London past the Queen Elizabeth Park and beyond. I was looking forward to heading further North this time to Epping Forest as I haven't been that far yet.

Just before Londonfields Park we passed though a very what I would consider POSH market. All kinds of cheeses, olives, cakes, designer clothes (made by the sellers themselves I would guess), cold & hot meats.

Local market place

As we approached Londonfields Park. I remembered a couple of years ago The Dunwich Dynamo started here and the Legend and I came down to the start point to see some of the hardcore London Brompton Club riders off on their 120 mile night ride to Dunwich Coast. Yesterday I had bought my return coach ticket for Dunwich Dynamo XXIII on 4th - 5th July 2015, yup I've bitten the bullet all right.

Another little toilet break here and I noticed that Francis M's Brompton with his new Blue rimmed wheels he got from overseas. I have to say they are pretty damn sexy and when BBB's rims need replacing I would love to get a pair of black ones with yellow spoke nibs (is that what they are called?) & black spokes. I think that would look awesome.

Thank you John M for correcting me "nipples"

Francis's sexy blue rimmed front dynamo hub wheel

All ready to get going?

As we was along the Regent Canals I noticed there was ALOT of people rowing and appeared to be in training as well. Sometimes we would come across their trainers on the path shouting out advise/orders to the rowers while cycling to keep up. As soon as I saw this I instantly thought of Chris Bridge who is a Rowing Cox and has a pretty loud voice. From what I heard of these Cox's Chris Bridge could easily outshout them without even trying.

Rowers in training

Short break at Tottenham Lock

David Parkinson leading the way

Not long after this I felt BBB's rear brake doing something odd. I've felt this only once before and I was hoping it wasn't what I thought it was. I had been worried about my rear rim as it looked pretty worn and have actually ordered a new rear wheel a few days ago because of the hub issues.

Well I'm afraid the rim failed on the drive side of the rim.

Worn out 2013 Brompton rim

2013 Brompton (Double rim wall) BWR 6 Speed RearWheel:
Born: Apr 24, 2013
Died: Feb 28, 2015
Mileage: 6,617.4 miles


I've basically worn out BBB's rim & it can't handle the pressure of the tire and pushes out. Every time the wheel goes round I can feel it rubbing the brake block on that side. It isn't has bad as when I wore out the 3 speed rim back in 2013 though when I actually broke though the rim itself.

3 speed rim back in March 31st 2013

Lucky though as we was only a couple of miles from HiVE so we didn't have far to limp home.

The LBC gang continue without the legend :'(

Seeing my club cycling off into the distance I couldn't help but feel disappointed by failing to complete another ride. I know there was nothing I could do about it as it was a mechanical failure not a person failure like the LBC Ride: Gravesend Loop.

I hate not completing things that I have started to do, I like to focus totally on that task till I have completed it. If I have failed at certain things I learn from my mistakes, try again and at the very least go further than I did before. Bumble B will be out of commission till I have the replacement wheel which will be in around a week or so. While his out of commission I may take him to my local Brompton dealer to get his rear hinge replaced & could even see about a loaner Brompton.

I even heard that just after I had to retire that someone had a puncture, infact by the end of the ride there was 4 punctures & a leaky value. This ride had a big "body count" as it where. Had we angered the cycling gods in someway? who knows......

Until the next ride.....peace
BBB

Garmin Data: LBC Ride: Epic Epping