(music) ok guys welcome back to cycle everyday
thanks to everyone for the support over the past few weeks
todays video is about a comment from a previous video
from Cassey Effinger which was basically how to maintain the Brompton
so I thought it was good to share the pre ride checks I do on the Brompton
before we go anywhere and also how I clean it afterwards.
I have seperated this video up into 2 different areas
and the key thing I think is actually keeping it clean
especially things like the chain so if that sounds good keep watching
lets crack on straight away with the pre-ride checks
the first thing we check is the brakes
the main reason we check the brakes before we go anywhere
is because its a bit awkward
if you are riding along and then realise that your brakes don't work so thats really important
to make sure the brakes work
the next thing we check after unfolding it is the hinge clamps
so the one on the stem and the one on the frame as well. Make sure they are hand tight
the next one is the air pressure in the tyres so make sure they are at 110psi
thats what set ours to as we like it as firm as possible
because thats going to help you as you are going along
generally the more pressure you have in tyres the easier it is to pedal
the last one is this little nut at the end where the gear chain is on the internal hub
this is really important because you need this to change gears
you need to make sure this nut is tightened up. If not there is a risk
that if it isn't tight it might fall out and the gear will be stuck in third
finally, the last thing is to check we have our Brompton pump on the bike
and also we still havent got our Brompton tool kit but we are hoping to get one soon
but we make sure we have our puncture repair and tool kit in the bag
I also bring a little rag with me as well
so if I do have to fix anything I can clean my hands which is useful
so now we are going to go on our commute and see how dirty the Brompton gets
it has rained so I expect it will get dirtier than normal
so we will catch you shortly
music
Ok then guys. We are back from our 36km commute along the canal
and because it has rained the Brompton has got very dirty
its a lot dirtier than it normally would be, but you can see
the canal paths by us are just muddy and you get loads of
leaves and mud at this time of year where you would expect
around the bottom bracket, the chain and gears as well
the key thing for maintenance like I said before is keeping the bike clean
especially the chain. The chain on the Brompton is very low to the ground
so it will wear out a lot faster
just checking it to see how dirty it is and you can see there is a lot of dirty oil
so to start with we give it a rinse off to remove the dead leaves and mud
then what I do is start on the chain using a bit of disk brake cleaner
because it gets rid of the grease to start with
put some onto a rag and then use that
to back pedal when it is on the chain to remove most of the grease
as you can see its removing most of the grease so when we come to scrub it
to get inside the links which is very important
we don't get the brush as dirty and is easier as well
once you have given it a good scrub after a few time use the brake cleaner again
run your finger over the chain to see if you have any oil on it
if you havent then great so now to start washing the rest of the bike off.
I just use car wash and give it a good scrub
get rid of all the dirt and then the bike is ready to be dried.
I always dry off the bike after washing and it is now back to how we like it
nice and clean and ready for the next ride!
or nearly ready for the next ride because the chain is clean
but it has no oil on it at the moment
there is a really important point to raise here we have noticed while cleaning
so in the stem, water builds up
this is the same if you have been in the rain or when its had a wash
I always unclamp the stem and dry it out as water builds up
and it will start to rust over time so dry it our with a towel.
Now back to the chain, its clean and we have let it dry
so now it's time to apply some oil to it.
I always start where the quick-link is so I know when I have done the whole chain.
I always do it through this method where I add a small amount of oil to each link
although others just give a good squirt of oil on the whole chain
personally I prefer this method, so I get oil in the right place and don't have to worry about wiping it off as much
So keep on going in that process round then chain until you get back to the quick-link
now I know every link has been oil on the chain
all I need to do now is back pedal a through times
to get that oil circulating around
and thats pretty much it. The Brompton is clean and ready for the next ride out
So yeah, I use the Brompton everyday, so tomorrow when I ride it
I probably wont check the tyre pressure but I always go over
that little list before I start riding to make sure
everything's working, done up and that I wont loose anything on the ride
hopefully you have found that useful and that it answered your question Cassey
and everyone that was wondering, but thats what we do
I think keeping the Brompton clean is the best way to keep it maintained and last longer
Let me know if I missed anything. Do you do something differently?
Would you add any checks? I would be really interested to know what you guys think.
As always I enjoy reading the comments. Thanks for watching
Thanks for watching and I will catch you in the next one!