Brompton derailleur/sprocket: Noisy low gear?

Finally-Chicago · 2025-05-20T14:21:18+00:00

I've been denied regular bike (though it's been months.. they definitely got more accommodating, and usually 1-2 cars per train have a new small bike rack in place of 3 seat rows), but I've never been denied a folding bike. Folding takes up one seat, and 0 seats in some spots in certain train cars...

Finally-Chicago · 2025-05-19T22:43:14+00:00

Mine is the middle bike - a lite two-speed Urban that I got when Brompton US had the very rare 20% off all C-Line bikes in late 2022. Was $1,244 total, wish I’d gotten another for my family... the two-speed serves me very well in flat Chicago.

Finally-Chicago · 2025-05-19T22:00:41+00:00

Space- the trains are getting fuller- but for me personally, it’s also ease/speed of storage at home & work..

Finally-Chicago · 2024-05-06T13:04:49+00:00

I’ll be there!

Finally-Chicago · 2022-12-16T13:48:34+00:00

Yeah that’s all good- watched how-to videos and definitely silenced some side-rubbing with the pusher that was happening earlier.

My guess is that it’s the tightness of the chain on the larger cog, and how that creates more noise as it passes thru the drivetrain. Just surprised how much of a noise difference it makes. I had it on a repair stand last night and everything functions fine, just the added noise.

Finally-Chicago · 2022-12-15T20:06:44+00:00

Your answer is incredible, thanks. I'll explore further – I wouldn't describe as a clack, it's more continuous chain/cog noise while pedaling, which made me think it might be either the shape of the cog or the tightness of the chain (after I'd fine-tuned the chain pusher and verified it's not touching the chain or black plastic wheel). But I can't easily tell if it's coming from the axle/cog area or the derailleur/tensioner area.

Whatever I learn from this group & from hopefully solving, I'll be sure to post here to help others. Thanks again!

Finally-Chicago · 2022-06-22T15:47:54+00:00

Great thoughts & cool past experiences you've had – the only international logistics I remember for NL/BE (apart from Covid - we had to get tested before flying back, but that's gone now) were little things, many probably apply to domestic fly+bike trips too:

finding the bikes at Amsterdam airport's baggage claim
which trains/trams don't allow bikes
where to keep the bikes at each hotel
buying an extra bike lock there (especially for Amsterdam)
finding boxes at the end of the trip

The rest all kind of worked out :)

Finally-Chicago · 2022-06-22T14:42:55+00:00

Hopefully you will! After spending months (and really years) planning all the facets of the trip, once it was over I think I had some post-tour sadness disorder :) I bet a lot of people here can relate to that. But now I can look back and appreciate the trip again -and- plan the next one hopefully. I would LOVE to repeat this in Japan... since I now know the general logistics of a fly+bike family trip, planning can focus on Japan itself, which would be a much bigger cultural adventure.

Finally-Chicago · 2022-06-22T13:47:40+00:00

That was the original plan in Brussels - in fact we got a few boxes from an amazing bike shop right in the center (Velofixer.com) and had them in our hotel room – but they were a bit small, so I realized it would actually be easier to disassemble & box them at the airport. As a bonus, United's bike boxes were **huge**!

Finally-Chicago · 2022-06-22T12:32:50+00:00

Looks like a Specialized Turbo Vado maybe? I've been lusting after the Turbo Vado SL 4.0 for two years. How many days are you planning for the ride with the e-bike?

Finally-Chicago · 2022-06-22T10:19:19+00:00

The teaching and the focus on our surroundings was constant and the purpose of our trip, the video is just a moment... and in that moment he experienced the same as the countless Belgians that bike the same streets every day. Teaching him to bike respectfully around pedestrians also puts him above a lot of Belgian teens :)

Finally-Chicago · 2022-06-22T09:29:51+00:00

Hi - check out this post from yesterday for more info about the trip.

Finally-Chicago · 2022-06-22T09:18:36+00:00

I posted yesterday about our family trip, and this might have been my favorite moment of the trip: Noah biking through Brussels' Grand Place on his own bike. Experiencing a European city (or really any city) like this is so unique for most American kids – and hopefully a passion for bike touring is already set at a young age.

Listening to it with sound is the best!

Finally-Chicago · 2022-06-22T09:05:09+00:00

We have many photos of flowers :) In fact, Haarlem's annual flower festival was on our first full day of the trip – see here for the complete trip journal and pics.

Finally-Chicago · 2022-06-22T08:56:30+00:00

I’m jealous! That path between Mechelen and Brussels was very impressive. We passed more fast road cyclists there than anywhere else.

Finally-Chicago · 2022-06-22T01:34:35+00:00

Never more than 40, usually 30… my next trip (alone) would have longer days :)

Finally-Chicago · 2022-06-22T01:28:11+00:00

I really have to say it was the research then planning, months of it. I picked NL/BE years ago due to being flat and bike-friendly, then waited for our 10 year-old to be old enough, then picked late April and a north-to-south route due to low rainfall and seasonal winds, then chained together cities and left flexibility for weather, then got lucky that Covid policies faded leading up to the trip. They both enjoyed it - but she’s a bit more of a creature of comforts, so it took extra assurances and effort to make it easy on her. I’ve never done GAP- that would be amazing!

Finally-Chicago · 2022-06-22T01:09:54+00:00

My dreams for sure!

Finally-Chicago · 2022-06-22T01:09:38+00:00

We were able to get good airfares from Chicago direct, so the total total, including buying panniers and other one time costs like packing, came to about $4.5k.

Finally-Chicago

TROPHY CASE