Hands On Bike

After the Merida Scultura 5000 road bike has been fitted with a full Ultegra 6870 Di2 groupset, it is this bike's turn to get a full groupset too. The Wheelsport Fantasy mini velo currently has a 1x11 speed setup with a mix of Ultegra 6800 and Dura-Ace 9000 parts.

Before: Mix of mechanical Dura-Ace and Ultegra components

The right shifter, rear derailleur, cassette and brake calipers are Dura-Ace 9000, while the left shifter and crankset are Ultegra. To make a full Dura-Ace groupset, the crankset, brake calipers and left shifter will be changed to Dura-Ace.

Before swapping the components, I wondered how the crankset would look if the Ultegra crank arm is changed to the Dura-Ace crankset.

Before: Ultegra crankarm with Wolf Tooth chain ring and gold chain ring bolts. Looks very good!

Trying to visualize the Dura-Ace crankarm on the Wolf Tooth chain ring...

It actually looks pretty good! The silver on the crankarm actually matches with the silver on the rims and rear derailleur.

Instead of gold coloured chain ring bolts, I will use black chain ring bolts to let the Dura-Ace groupset stand out.

Length of 8.5mm for the chain ring bolts is just right, as the Wolf Tooth chain ring is thicker than normal flat chain rings.

Ta-da! Dura-Ace 9000 crank arm with Wolf Tooth chain ring and black chain ring bolts. Looks good too!

Close up view of the interface between the crank arm and the chain ring

Weighs exactly 400 grams. 25 grams lighter than the Ultegra equivalent.

While reinstalling the chain onto the drivetrain after replacing the crankset, I found that the original 11 speed chain had a few rusty links and did not move smoothly. Therefore, I had to replace the chain too.

Dura-Ace grade 11 speed chain for maximum rust resistance. Also common use with 11 speed XTR.

Dura-Ace 9000 crank arm with Wolf Tooth chain ring installed

Left side Dura-Ace 9000 crank arm

Using the KMC 11 speed MissingLink

Full Dura-Ace 9000 drivetrain! Silver and black goes well together.

With the drivetrain settled, the next component to change would be the left side shifter. The left side shifter was a modified Ultegra 6800 left side shifter, with the internal shifting mechanism removed to save weight. As this is a 1x11 speed setup, the left side shifter only acts as a brake lever, no shifting function is required.

Nevertheless, to complete the full Dura-Ace 9000 groupset look, I decided to put on the Dura-Ace left side shifter too, even though the shifting function will not be used.

Dura-Ace 9000 left side shifter, 184 grams.

Modified Ultegra 6800 left side shifter, with internal shifting mechanism removed.

Shiny Dura-Ace 9000 left side shifter installed. The superior grade of gloss finishing is obvious when compared to Ultegra.

Matching pair of Dura-Ace road shifters. I took the chance to replace the Lizard Skins bar tape which were starting to peel off after a few years of use.

The final component to change to Dura-Ace would be the brake calipers. By swapping the brake calipers with the ones on the Merida road bike, both bikes will have a complete groupset.

Dura-Ace 9000 brake calipers

Lightweight and powerful brake calipers

Full mechanical Dura-Ace 9000 groupset on the Wheelsport Fantasy mini velo!

Black and silver surface treatment on all the Dura-Ace components match nicely with the black and silver colours of the wheelset, and the black and white design of the other components.

This mini velo is still a lightweight mini velo, since it has all the lightweight Dura-Ace components. The final weight of the Dura-Ace mini velo is just under 7.3kg (excluding pedals).

Final specifications of the Wheelsport Fantasy 1x11 speed mini velo with full Dura-Ace groupset

The recent upgrade done on the Avanti Inc 3 was a major change, where the drivetrain was changed to an electronic shifting, Alfine 11 Di2 version. Also, the controls and brakes were changed to a drop bar set up with road hydraulic disc brakes.

It was a good change as the drop bar set up makes it easier to cycle faster, as compared to on a flat handlebar bike. The road hydraulic disc brakes also works well, especially when riding this bike in the rain. It is my version of a road hydraulic disc road bike, that is also an all-weather commuting bike.

However, changing to a drop bar set up also means that the cycling geometry and fit is different from before. I noticed that the pedaling stance seems rather wide, as compared to my other bikes. In other words, the Q-Factor of this bike is wider than my other bikes, such as the Merida Scultura 5000 road bike and the Wheelsport Fantasy mini velo.

Q Factor on a bicycle

This is due to the Deore crankset, which was designed for a triple chain ring. As such the Q factor of this MTB crankset is wider than road cranksets. There are two reasons why I had to use a MTB crankset on this bike.

1) I wanted to use a 42T Gates front sprocket, which is only available in 4 arm, 104mm BCD. This restricted my choice of crank arms to MTB types.
2) The eccentric BB that came with the bike has a 73mm width, which does not allow the installation of road cranksets (68mm BB width required).

When using the flat handlebar setup, this wider Q factor was not an issue for me, as it rides more like a MTB that a road bike. However, after using a drop bar setup, this wider Q factor becomes more obvious. The ride feeling is quite strange and a little uncomfortable when the narrower drop bars are paired with the wide Q factor crankset.

I did some research and found that this Deore crankset has a Q factor of about 182mm, while a road crankset has a Q factor of less than 150mm. This is a huge 30+mm difference in Q factor that will definitely be felt. Reducing the Q factor will make this Avanti Inc 3 ride more like a road bike instead of a MTB.

In order to use a road crankset, I had to overcome the two limiting factors as explained earlier. First, to use a road crankset, I need to change the BB width from 73mm to 68mm. This requires the eccentric BB to be changed.

Secondly, the Gates front sprocket that is available for road cranksets are only available in 5 arm, 130mm BCD. The smallest sprocket available with this specification is 46T, which is larger than the 42T that I currently have. This means that the gear ratio will be changed again.

Stock Gear Ratio: 50T / 24T = 2.08
1st Mod Gear Ratio: 42T / 24T = 1.75
2nd Mod Gear Ratio: 42T / 28T = 1.5
Proposed Gear Ratio: 46T / 28T = 1.64

Once I change the front sprocket to 46T, together with the 28T Alfine Di2 rear sprocket, the gear ratio will be 1.64, which should be fine for my usage.

First of all, I need a new eccentric BB. The Bushnell eccentric BB seems to be the best eccentric BB available on the market, which I why I decided to get it to replace the stock eccentric BB on the bike. However, there were some issues with the order...

I ordered the Featherweight version, which has cutouts to reduce weight. However, they sent the normal (Retro) version without cutouts.

Credit to them, once I notified them of the error, they immediately sent out a Featherweight version of the eccentric BB. Which is why I ended up with two Bushnell eccentric BB. Might as well make a comparison then.

Featherweight version on left with many cutouts, normal (Retro) version on the right.

This Bushnell eccentric BB works differently from my stock eccentric BB. The Bushnell design has two wedges that will push open the two "wings" on the BB, expanding the diameter of the eccentric BB. This design applies a symmetrical load and should distribute the stresses better within the frame.

Strictly speaking, both orders were actually wrong as I ordered a black coloured, featherweight version. Instead, I got a black, retro version and a silver, featherweight version. However, I will just make do with what I have as they have already sent over another eccentric BB at no extra cost to me.

Available in silver or black

Featherweight version on left has cutouts at non-essential areas to reduce weight

Featherweight version is 154 grams

Normal (Retro) version at 211 grams. 57 grams heavier.

Now I have a choice to make. Should I use the silver coloured featherweight version, or the black normal version? It is a choice between weight and appearance.

In the end I decided that the weight difference was insignificant compared to the whole bike weight. The black version would look better as it will blend in well with the black coloured frame.

Black, normal version of the Bushnell eccentric BB will be used

Let's do a detailed comparison of the Bushnell eccentric BB vs the original eccentric BB. Weight, working principle and dimensions will be compared below.

Original eccentric BB. Uses a wedge on one side, similar to old school type quill stems. Also has cutouts to reduce weight.

Good weight of 177 grams, lighter than the Bushnell normal version

Side view

Top view. See the different wedge mechanisms.

Original eccentric BB disassembled.

Bushnell eccentric BB. More parts in this design.

One other thing to take note is that the frame needs to be compatible with the Bushnell eccentric BB. The important dimensions are the internal diameter of the frame BB shell, and the overall width of the BB shell.

BB shell internal diameter on the frame is about 55mm

Width is about 66.6mm

Original eccentric BB outer diameter, fits into the 55mm BB shell nicely.

Width of original eccentric BB. 66mm at area that contacts BB shell.

About 73mm wide at the area that the BB screws into. This is the dimension that limited my choice of cranksets to MTB type.

The Bushnell eccentric BB is designed for 53.8-54mm internal diameter BB shells, so the BB shell on the Avanti Inc 3 is too big. Luckily they also provide shims to allow usage of 55mm or 57mm BB shells.

Bushnell eccentric BB outer diameter, too small to fit securely into the 55mm BB shell.

Shim of about 0.5mm thickness is used, to reduce the internal diameter of the 55mm BB shell to 54mm

Bushnell eccentric BB, also about 66mm at area that fits into frame BB shell

About 68mm wide at the area where the bottom bracket cups screw into. This allows the use of road cranksets.

The main objective of this modification is to change the BB width from 73mm to 68mm, so that I can use a road crankset. Next, we will need to use a suitable road crankset, and also get a new front sprocket. Since the sprocket size has changed, a new Gates belt is also required...

In the previous post, the Bushnell Eccentric BB was used to replace the stock eccentric BB on the Avanti Inc 3. This changed the BB width from 73mm to 68mm, allowing the use of a road crankset.

The road crankset that I can use should have a 5 arm design, and 130mm BCD. I would have preferred to use the new 4 arm road crankset, but Gates does not make their belt drive sprockets in that specification. Therefore, I have to select the crankset to match the available belt drive sprocket from Gates.

The smallest 5 arm, 130mm BCD front sprocket from Gates is 46T. This is smaller than the stock 50T, but still larger than the 42T that I was previously using. Together with the 28T Alfine Di2 rear sprocket, the gear ratio will be changed again.

46T, 5 arm, 130mm BCD Gates front sprocket.

Weighs 81 grams

The road 5 arm cranksets that I can choose from are the Ultegra 6700 (on Dahon MuEX), and Dura-Ace 7900 (removed from Merida Scultura 5000). In order to maintain a full Ultegra 6700/6770 groupset on the Dahon MuEX, I decided to use the Dura-Ace 7900 crankset on the Avanti Inc 3. Only the crankarms will be used, while the chain rings will be removed.

Since the Alfine 11 Di2 hub has a blue accent line running around the hub shell, I was thinking if I should use some blue chain ring bolts to match that.

Blue accent line on the Alfine 11 Di2 hub

Blue chain ring bolts. However, too many colours on the crank arm (blue, black, dark grey, silver) makes it difficult to showcase the beauty of the Dura-Ace crankset.

Using black chain ring bolts makes the crankset look less busy, giving a more stealthy look

Gates 46T front sprocket mounted on Dura-Ace 7900 crankarm

Front sprocket needs to be mounted behind the tab to maintain straight chain line with rear sprocket

409 grams for right side crankarm plus 46T Gates front sprocket

A comparison picture of the front single sprockets. Crankarm on the left will be installed on the Avanti Inc 3, while the Dura-Ace 9000 crankarm + Wolf Tooth chain ring on the right has already been installed on the Wheelsport Fantasy mini velo.

Next, due to the change in sprocket size, a new longer Gates belt is required. I have no choice but to order a new belt.

Gates carbon drive belts come in a large box to prevent mishandling (twisting, bending) of the belts

118T, which is the next step up in size from the previous 115T belt.

118T Gates belt weighs 90 grams

With all the components gathered, the next step is to install all of them on the Avanti Inc 3. This modification will allow the use of a road crankset, which will have a narrower Q factor for more comfortable pedaling. This is quite a lot of work and modification required just to change the Q factor! To be continued...

Time to assemble the new components onto the Avanti Inc 3 bike! The new components are the Bushnell eccentric BB, the Dura-Ace 7900 crankset, the 46T Gates front sprocket and 118T Gates belt.

After I had changed to Alfine 11 Di2, the chain line has been moved inwards. Now, since the crankset will be changed, I will need to ensure that the chain line is maintained more or less the same. To make the job easier, I checked the clearance between the right side chain stay and the 42T Gates front sprocket, while still using the Deore crankset. The final clearance should be around this value after changing to road crankset and 46T front sprocket.

2.5mm clearance between 42T front sprocket and right side chain stay

As shown in a previous post, the stock eccentric BB was removed, and replaced by the new Bushnell eccentric BB. A shim was used to reduce the internal diameter of the frame BB shell from 55mm to 54mm, in order to be able to use the Bushnell eccentric BB.

Bushnell eccentric BB installed, with the shim visible around it

A road BB should be used since the width is 68mm and a road crankset is used. Shown here is the SM-BBR60 bottom bracket.

New road BB installed in the eccentric BB

New crankset, front sprocket and belt installed!

Good clearance between the right side chain stay and the 46T front sprocket

This clearance is measured to be about 3.5mm. Chain line is straight.

Black coloured Bushnell eccentric BB blends in well with the black frame

Shiny Dura-Ace 7900 crank arm, with 46T Gates front sprocket and 118T Gates belt

Final picture of the Gates drivetrain

The modification has been completed, and the Q factor has been reduced from 182mm to 146mm. This means a Q factor reduction of 36mm which makes a big difference in pedaling feeling and comfort.

At the same time, the gear ratio has been adjusted due to the changes in sprocket sizes. With the 46T front sprocket and a 28T rear sprocket, the gear ratios of the latest Alfine 11 setup can be seen below. On the Alfine 11, the lowest gear, Gear 1 has a big 29.2% difference from Gear 2, which some people like while some people don't. I personally don't mind having this big step, as it gives an extra low gear for climbing.

Range of Alfine 11 gear ratios with 46T front and 28T rear

With that, the objective to reduce the Q factor has been achieved. At the same time, the adjusted gear ratios means that most gears will be used most of the time, with a top and bottom gear reserved for slope riding.

After completing the modification of the Avanti Inc 3 to have a narrower Q factor, it seemed that the geometry had been dialed in already. However, even after using a road crankset with road drop bars, something still did not feel right.

I found that while riding, the reach on the Avanti Inc 3 seemed longer than the Merida Scultura 5000 road bike. When holding the shifters, I felt that I had to reach further than what I am comfortable with. This is not my intention as the road bike should have the most aggressive posture out of all my bikes, since it is the fastest bike that I have.

During the previous modification to change to Alfine 11 Di2 with a drop bar setup, I used a shorter 80mm stem to compensate for the longer top tube of the Avanti Inc 3 frame. To double check my previous measurements, I measured from the saddle (area where the sit bones contact the saddle) to the centre of the handlebar.

Distance on Merida road bike is about 665mm.

Distance on Avanti Inc 3 is about 668mm.

The distance from saddle to handlebar is almost the same. Both the bikes are using a compact drop bar from FSA, which means a 80mm reach on the drop bar itself. Therefore, the different reach is not from these areas. Finally, I realised that the bracket on the shifters might be different in length.

Ultegra Di2 6770 road shifters, gripping distance is about 100mm from centre of handlebar.

ST-RS785 shifters, with a gripping distance of about 120mm from centre of handlebar.

Finally, I realised that the bracket length on the shifters are different in length, which means a different reach distance. On the Avanti Inc 3, the road hydraulic disc brake shifters ST-RS785 has a bracket that is about 20mm longer, which is probably to fit in all the hydraulic components.

This extra 20mm of reach is the difference that I feel when riding the bikes. As I ride all my bikes often, I am able to feel any subtle geometry differences.

It is easy to fix this, as I can just change to a shorter stem. There is no worry of a shorter stem making the steering less stable, as the longer shifter bracket makes up for it. As long as the overall distance from the steerer tube to the gripping area on the shifters are the same, it should feel the same.

Simple FSA stem with a 60mm reach

+/- 6 degrees of tilt, depending on which way you fix the stem

Weighs 115 grams for this 60mm length. If it was a more expensive stem, it will weigh less, probably 100 grams.

Comparing the difference in stem length. 60mm in front, 80mm behind. See how much difference it makes to the handlebar position.

New FSA 60mm stem installed! Short stem indeed.

Now the handlebar reach and height is the same as on the Merida road bike!

With this modification, both bikes will ride more similarly as the geometry is now almost the same.

The Avanti Inc 3 can now be classified as an all-weather commuting road bike

Some rearrangement of the accessories is required, due to the shorter stem. Looks rather cluttered, think it needs more work.

View of the full bike. Handlebar area looks a bit cramped due to the short 60mm stem, but it rides really nicely.

With this change of stem length, the geometry has been nicely adjusted and feels perfect. After testing the bike on a half round island ride, passing through Mandai road, I was pleased to find that the gear range is perfect. The highest gear was just sufficient for continued pedaling even when rolling down the Mandai slopes at close to 50km/h. The lowest gear has not been used yet, but it will definitely come in useful if I need to go up steeper slopes such as in NTU or Mount Faber.

1) Kinetix Pro TT Bullhorn Handlebar
As seen on the Speed Pro TT, this bullhorn bar gives you a special riding posture that is very comfortable. 25.4mm clamp diameter in the middle, 24mm diameter at the ends for road shifters.
$30 firm.

2) GoPro/Shimano Camera Handlebar Mount, Gold Colour

Inspired by the K-Edge handlebar mount, but at a fraction of the cost. GoPro style of mounting, can be fitted to GoPro cameras or Shimano Sport Cameras. Comes with knobs of two different lengths, and adapters to mount to either 31.8mm or 25.4mm handlebars.

$10 firm.

3) GoPro+Garmin Handlebar Mount

Available in two types. 1st type is with GoPro camera mounting, 2nd type is GoPro + Garmin mounting. 3 different types as shown below, different designs but same function.

$10 firm for GoPro only type, $20 firm for GoPro+Garmin type.
Fouriers mount has been reserved.

4) GP3 Ergon Grips
Lightly used GP3 Ergon Grips, with small grip size.
$30 firm. Reserved.

5) Controltech Handlebar Extender
Pair of handlebar inserts that can be used to increase the length of drop bar or bullhorn bar by 20mm. Useful when looking to adopt an aero position on the bullhorn bar.
$10 firm.

6) Aluminium QR Axle Nut Extender
This part replaces the QR nut on your QR axle (either front or rear), and allows you to mount a light or other accessory on it. Available in black or silver. Black mount is slightly longer.
$10 firm each.

7) Cateye Strada Wireless Cyclecomputer
$40 firm for the set.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/sg/en/cateye-strada-wireless-8-function-rd300w/rp-prod28239

8) Bushnell Eccentric BB (Featherweight Version)
Brand new, never installed. Available in silver colour. Usually used for belt drive bikes with a bottom bracket shell internal diameter of 54mm. Can be used for 55mm or larger if a shim is used. For fitting and more information, please refer to the link below.
http://www.bushnelltandems.com/eccentric.html
$100 firm

9) Gates Belt Drive Parts
Gates 24T CenterTrack Rear Sprocket, for 3 spline fitting (Shimano internal hubs) - $30 firm
Gates 42T CenterTrack Front Sprocket, 42T, 104mm 4 arm BCD - $30 firm
Gates CenterTrack Limited Edition Red Belt, 113T - $50 firm
Gates CenterTrack Black Belt, brand new, 115T - $40 firm

10) Tektro RL720 Cyclocross Brake Levers
Attach an additional pair of brake levers on top of your road handlebars, for braking while holding the top of the handlebar. 2 pairs are available. Clamp diameter of 24mm.
$15 for each pair.

11) Gold coloured aluminium brake pad holders
Brake pad holders for road caliper brakes. Lightweight and high quality. Good choice to add some gold bling to your bike.
$20 firm for the set

After changing the rear wheel on the Avanti Inc 3, I realised that I have upgraded both the front and rear wheel on that bike. As such, both the front and rear rims have a higher profile compared to the stock wheelset. The Schwalbe Marathon Supreme tires that I have had for a few years does not seem to match so well to the high profile rims, as the tires has a reflective strip all around.

Also, after changing to drop bars and road crankset, the bike is now a more sporty bike that wants to go faster. As such, I decided to change the tires on the bike to something narrower and hopefully faster.

Having heard of many positive reviews about Continental tires, I decided to try it out instead of sticking to my usual Schwalbe brand. As an all weather commuting bike, I have to ensure that the tires have sufficient grip in wet weather, while also having some level of puncture protection. Therefore, the more race oriented Continental GP4000 is not so suitable even though it is fast.

While browsing through the wide range of tires that Continental has, I came across this Grand Prix 4 Season Tires that seem to provide what I need. Let's take a look!

Continental Grand Prix 4 Season Tires, folding version

28mm wide, for a good balance between comfort, grip and speed. The previous Schwalbe Marathon Supreme is 32mm wide.

The tire circumference is helpfully provided for programming the cycle computer. Max pressure is 115 PSI, which is high for a commuting tire.

Robust race tire due to the layers of puncture protection available.

There is a tread wear indicator on the tire, but I can't find it.

New tires!

Slick in the middle for low rolling resistance, grippy design at the sides for cornering grip

Made in Germany! I didn't realise it came with brown sidewalls though...

284 grams for 1 tire, which is about 90 grams lighter than the previous Schwalbe Marathon Supreme

After changing the tire on the rear wheel, I compared it to the front wheel to see the difference in width. However, there seems to be very little difference in width...

Rear wheel with new 28C Continental tire, front wheel with 32C Schwalbe tire.

Visually, there is almost no difference in width...

Front wheel with Schwalbe Marathon Supreme tires is 30.66mm in width

Rear wheel with Continental Grand Prix 4 Season tires is 30.04mm in width

Front wheel with Continental Grand Prix 4 Season tires is 29.02mm in width

Comparing the front wheels, the Continental tires are about 1.6mm narrower in width as compared to the Schwalbe tires. This is much smaller than the 4mm that the sizes (28C vs 32C) indicates. Seems that the Schwalbe tires were narrower than specified, while the Continental tires are wider than specified, causing this condition.

I was rather disappointed as this meant that this tire change only yielded a small difference in width, when I was expecting more. If I had knew this was the case, I would have gone for the 25C Continental tires (which might turn out to be 26mm in width).

Fresh logo on the Continental tires, as installed on the rear wheel

From far, the brown tire sidewalls are not so visible. Without the reflective strips on the tires, the rim profile looks deeper.

This upgrade turned out to be rather inconsequential as the tire width was not changed much. At least it looks quite good on the bike. After testing it out for a few months, I find that the ride quality is good and feels faster than the Schwalbe tires. However, it may be due to the change in riding posture (from flat handlebar to drop bar) that yielded the increase in speed.

Another mini velo? While browsing Taobao, I came across this mini velo frameset that looks rather interesting. This is a carbon fiber mini velo frameset, which is quite rare as mini velo frames are mostly made of aluminium or steel. The main advantage of this carbon mini velo frameset is the weight, which is much lower than the aluminium Wheelsport Fantasy frameset that I have. The weight will be examined in a subsequent post.

My plan is to get this new carbon mini velo frameset, and transfer all the components from the Wheelsport mini velo over to it. Let's take a look at this frameset and see why I decided to get it!

Java Freccia carbon fiber mini velo frame

No welding on the joints, as they are all molded by carbon fiber sheets

Integrated headset design to save weight. No need to press fit any headset cups, just drop the sealed bearings in.

Down tube tapers from a bladed shape at the head tube to a squarish shape at the bottom bracket for stiffness

Nice glossy finish on the frame!

Seat stays are joined to the seat tube BMC-style.

Aero shaped seat post, with hidden seat clamp wedge for a clean look

Riveted front derailleur mounting, for brazed on type FD

Press fit bottom bracket, in order to save weight. Hope it does not cause any problems...

Only part of the cabling that runs external to the frame. Two holes for RD cable and FD cable.

Special tubed portion that guides the FD inner cable from the cable guide at the bottom...

...and out from the rear of the seat tube. If designed correctly, the inner cable will not rub on the edges of the tube. This also means that water will not enter the frame through this hole as it does not lead into the frame.

Rear triangle of the frame

Aluminium rear derailleur hanger. Note the exit point on the chain stay for the RD cable.

Flared rear triangle design, 130mm OLD. Can use either road caliper brakes or the special aero V brakes.

Java Freccia carbon front fork

Even the long steerer tube is made of carbon for weight savings

Angled mount for the bottom headset bearings already molded into the carbon steerer tube. No need to press in a crown race.

100mm OLD, for 451 sized wheels

Can use either road caliper brakes or the special aero V brakes

Usually, it can be risky to buy a carbon frame from an unknown source. However, since this is a Java branded carbon frame, I am not too worried as Java is already quite an established brand in the folding bike and mini velo market. Moreover, this Java Freccia bike model is also being sold locally, which means that this is unlikely to be a frame with dubious quality.

After studying the frame and fork in greater detail, I found that the quality and design is quite good. The surface finishing is nice and glossy, with well defined edges and smooth surfaces. There are also little touches here and there which shows that some thought has gone into frame design. Generally, the build quality is quite decent, which is what I expected from Java.

In the next few posts, I will write in greater detail about building up this carbon mini velo, and what are the differences between this and the Wheelsport mini velo.

After taking a close look at the Java Freccia carbon mini velo frame and fork in the previous post, let us now see exactly how lightweight this frameset is.

By building the bike up from a bare frame, it makes it easy to measure all the weights exactly. The main objective of this project is to build a mini velo that is as lightweight as possible.

From some research, I have the weight comparison of some popular and more well known mini velo framesets.

Wheelsport Fantasy (aluminium frame, carbon fork): About 2.3kg
Tyrell FX (aluminum frame, carbon fork, folding): About 3.1kg
Tyrell CSI (aluminium/carbon frame, carbon fork): About 2.15kg
Tyrell PK1 (titanium frame, carbon fork): About 2.45kg

As you can see, the lightest frameset, which is the Tyrell CSI, still weighs about 2.15 kg as it is mostly aluminium with a carbon rear triangle and fork.

The Java Freccia frameset will beat all these frameset weights by a large margin, if the claimed weight on the website is to be believed.

Java Freccia claimed frameset weight: 850 grams for frame, 360 grams for fork, giving a frameset weight of only 1210 grams (1.21 kg)!

I know that these claimed weights are often overly optimistic, and are usually too good to be true. Even then, the difference with the other frame weights are so big that there will definitely be weight savings even if the actual weight is not as light as claimed.

Frame: Claimed weight is 850 grams, actual weight is 1060 grams. Quite far off, but still lightweight.

Fork: Claimed weight is 360 grams, actual weight is 412 grams. Smaller difference than the frame.

Claimed frameset weight: 1210 grams
Actual frameset weight: 1472 grams

Although the actual weight is higher, just as I expected, it is still considered a very lightweight frameset, as it is more than 800 grams lighter than the Wheelsport Fantasy mini velo frameset!

This is a significant weight saving as the frameset weight has been reduced by more than one third.

How about the weight of the other frame components, such as the headset, carbon spacer, carbon seatpost and etc?

Headset bearings, compression ring and cover. 58 grams. No headset cups required as it is integrated into the frame for weight savings.

Specifications of the headset bearings, in case anyone is interested to know.

More carbon goodies. Carbon top cap by Controltech, 27 grams.

Carbon spacer weight, 63 grams before cutting. 120mm long.

As this frame uses an aero shaped seatpost, the aero seatpost is also included. This also means that I cannot use the modified FSA SL-K seatpost which only weighs 206 grams.

Aero carbon seatpost that comes with the Java Freccia frameset

Aluminium plate that clamps the saddle rails onto the carbon seatpost. Quite a common design nowadays.

It even has a special rough coating on the seatpost to prevent seatpost slippage. Similar to that found on the clamping areas of carbon handlebars.

There is an aluminium insert that extends about 10cm upwards from the base of the seatpost, presumably to strengthen the seatpost without adding too much weight.

This seatpost is also quite lightweight! Only 213 grams, only slightly heavier than the modified FSA SL-K seatpost which weighs 206 grams.

Seatpost clamp design, which has two wedges at the side that pushes a third wedge against the seatpost to clamp it in place.

Seatpost clamp mechanism weighs 27 grams

It also comes with a rubber cover to prevent water entering the frame through the seatpost area

Complete assembly of the seatpost, seatpost clamp and rubber cover onto the frame. This seatpost clamp design gives a very clean look to the frame, with nothing sticking out.

As described in the previous post, the frame and fork has special mountings to accept aero type V brakes. However, since I am using standard road caliper brakes, these mountings are not required. As such, it is a good idea to block off these holes by inserting a bolt.

Aero type V brakes seen mounted at the rear of the front fork

To save a tiny little bit of weight, I decided to use nylon bolts instead of steel bolts to seal off these holes.

Nylon bolts, not for any load bearing usage. Perhaps only suitable for decorative purposes.

4 M6 mylon bolts only weigh 2 grams

Nylon bolt sealing off the holes on the fork

Same for the holes on the rear triangle of the frame

In summary, this carbon frameset saves over 800 grams over the Wheelsport mini velo frameset, which will result in a super lightweight mini velo.

The next post will show the frame geometry comparison between this new Java frame, the Wheelsport frame and also the Merida Scultura frame.

It has been more than two years since I built up the 2x10 speed Dahon MuEX from scratch. From a mechanical shifting 2x10 speed system to a electronic Di2 Ultegra/XTR hybrid, it has worked very well. As far as I know, it is a unique setup as I have not seen other Di2 folding bikes with this setup.

Recently I decided to change out the grips for something more comfortable for longer rides. The original grips which was installed was a normal lock-on type round grip which was taken from the Polygon mountain bike. It is lightweight and looks good, but due to the normal round profile, it can be uncomfortable on the wrist for longer rides due to no support for the palm of the hand.

Original "Entity" branded grips transferred over from the Polygon mountain bike

In order to improve the wrist comfort, I have considered changing to Ergon grips for a more comfortable grip and more palm support. However, the concern was whether the extra material on the grips will interfere with the folding of the bike, as the grips will come very close to the front wheel rim during folding.

After deliberating for a long time, I finally decided to get the grips to try out. Hopefully the Ergon grips will fit and not interfere with the folding. If it does interfere, I can always put it on another bike instead.

The Ergon grips which I chose was the basic version, the GP1. I had a choice of small size or large size to choose from, and I chose the S size after comparing the two in the shop.

Ergon GP1 grips, small size

Standard type, with both the left and right side the same length

Weighs 165 grams for the pair

Once again, a picture showing the original grips before changing to the Ergon grips

Weight of the Entity branded grips, 110 grams. This means a weight increase of 55 grams when changing over to the Ergon grips.

Ta-da! New Ergon grips installed. The shifters and brake levers had to be shifted a bit as the grip lengths were a bit different.

Looks more comfortable with the new Ergon grips!

Finally, checking the clearance of the grip with the front wheel rim and tire during folding. Luckily, there is no interference.

With this new Ergon grip, it is much more comfortable for the wrist on longer rides, as there is additional support for the palm of the hand. I have used Ergon grips on my Dahon Boardwalk before, before the flat handlebar was changed to a bullhorn bar and then a drop bar. These type of grips are highly recommended for flat handlebar bikes due to the extra comfort it gives.

As with any frame, the geometry is important as it affects how the bike rides and also the handling. Since I have the Java Freccia bare frame, it is a good idea to compare it with the other bikes to see the differences in geometry. The weight of the frameset components had already been checked previously.

Java Freccia carbon mini velo frameset

Overlaying the new Java frame onto the Wheelsport mini velo for comparison

I tried to line up both the front and rear axles, but the bottom bracket does not line up. The geometry seems to be quite different...

Different top tube design, although the horizontal top tube length seems to be similar

Bottom bracket for the Java frame seems to be higher up

Front axle lined up nicely, acting as a datum for comparison

Rear axle of Java frame does not match up nicely, suggesting a shorter chain stay length

Seat tube angle and location seems to be similar

Head tube of the Java frame is much higher, which should translate into more stiffness at the front end since the exposed length of the steerer tube is shorter.

Steerer tube of the Java fork ends about 40mm below that of the Wheelsport fork, which means a more aggressive riding geometry.

That concludes the frame comparison with the Wheelsport mini velo. With a shorter steerer tube, it will mean a lower handlebar height for the Java Freccia mini velo and thus a more aggressive riding posture.

Next, I also compared the frame with the Merida Scultura 5000 road bike.

Just to double check: The Wheelsport handlebar is quite a bit higher than the Merida handlebar. The Java handlebar height should thus end up pretty close to that of the Merida road bike.

Overlaying the Java Freccia frame onto the Merida Scultura 5000 road bike, using the bottom bracket area as the datum.

Top tube height is obviously lower on the mini velo frame

Steerer tube height is about the same as that of the Merida road bike. This means that the handlebar height of the Java should be close to that of the Merida.

After doing more research, I finally found some details of the Java Freccia frame dimensions. What stood out for me was the chain stay length, which is short at only 380mm! This is quite a bit shorter than the 405mm on the Merida and the 420mm on the Wheelsport.

Frame dimensions of the Java Freccia frame

The major findings from this frame comparison is the difference in head tube length with the Wheelsport frame, and also the short chain stay length. A short chain stay length usually means a more agile but also less stable ride. Nevertheless, all these numbers should only be used as a reference, as the ride quality and characteristics ultimately depends on riding the actual bike. It may or may not have a big effect on the ride at all.

With the frame and fork weighed, and the geometry comparison completed, it is time to prepare the frame for component assembly! All the components will be transplanted from the Wheelsport mini velo wherever possible, as this Java mini velo will replace the Wheelsport mini velo.

First, let's install the headset. This is easy as there is no need to press fit any headset cups into the frame.

Placing the lower headset bearing onto the fork. The crown race is already molded into the bottom of the steerer tube.

Placing the compression ring on top of the upper headset bearings

Placing the cover on top of the headset compression ring. The carbon spacer will then press onto this cover.

The carbon spacer was purchased separately, and I had to estimate the length required. 120mm is too long for this steerer tube, so some cutting is required.

Inserting the compression plug from the top cap into the steerer tube, in order to judge the length of the carbon spacer that needs to be cut.

As I plan to use the 80mm Controltech stem which is originally used on the Avanti Inc 3 (it turned out to be too long for that bike), I measured the stem height to determine the amount that needs to be cut.

Available space between top cap and 120mm spacer: 13mm
Space required for Controltech stem: 40mm
Space required for 5mm spacer on top of stem: 3-5mm

Therefore, I will require about 43mm of clearance between the carbon spacer and the top cap, so that I can fit the stem (with 40mm height) and spacer (5mm height), while ensuring that the spacer protrudes from the steerer tube by a few millimeters.

This means that I will need to cut about 30mm off the carbon spacer, trimming it from 120mm to approximately 90mm.

Using a carbon saw (similar to how I cut the FSA SL-K seatpost), instead of using the pipe cutter (when I cut the carbon spacer for the Wheelsport mini velo), I was able to obtain a relatively good and flat cut.

Final height between the 90mm carbon spacer and the top cap is about 43mm, which is perfect. If anyone else intends to build a bike with this frameset, a 90mm carbon spacer will be just right.

Controltech stem installed!

As pointed out earlier, this frame uses a press fit bottom bracket, not a traditional threaded bottom bracket. I would have preferred a threaded bottom bracket, as it makes it easy to install or remove the bottom bracket. However, the advantage of press fit bottom bracket is lighter weight, as there is no need to have metal threads on both the frame and the bottom bracket itself.

I was not sure which press fit bottom bracket to use, therefore I had to do some research to see what bottom bracket will fit this frame. The frame shell width is about 86mm, while the internal diameter is about 40.9mm.

Specifications for Shimano press fit road bottom bracket

With this confirmation, this frame will accept a Shimano press fit road bottom bracket.

Surface of the press fit contact area looks rough, but it is actually quite smooth to the touch, which is ideal. Will use some fine grade sandpaper to prepare the surface before installing the bottom bracket.

The main issue with press fit bottom brackets is creaking sound during usage, which is almost always due to poor fitting between the bottom bracket cups and the frame. It can be due to poor press fitting tolerances, or just failure to prepare the surfaces properly. Some people prefer to use loctite to prevent any movement that will cause creaking, but this makes it super difficult to remove. I prefer the other school of thought, which is to apply grease at the contact areas, so that in case it does move, it will not cause creaking sounds.

While prepping the frame for assembly, I also studied the cable routing for this frame. This frame is designed for internal routing, which keeps the exterior of the frame clean and tidy. However, this also makes it more troublesome to install or service the cabling.

Cable stoppers on the frame, which clips into the hole on the frame via a smart snap fit design.

Snap fit design of the cable stopper makes it easy to remove the stoppers for easy cable installation.

Upon closer inspection, I found that there are two different stopper designs. The first is for shifter cables, where the outer cap will be stopped by the cable stopper. The second is for the brake cables, where the outer casing will run straight through. The difference is a step inside the cable stopper.

Cable stopper for shifter outer casing, which holds the outer cap and allows only the inner cable to pass through. The inner cable will then be exposed while running internally through the frame.

Cable stopper for brake outer casing, which has a through hole that allows the whole brake outer casing to pass through, with no exposed inner cable.

Testing the cable guide under the bottom bracket, to determine how to route the cables through the frame. The route shown here is for the rear derailleur inner cable.

This bike will have a 1x11 speed drivetrain, similar to that on the Wheelsport Fantasy mini velo. Therefore, I only have to be concerned with the routing of the rear derailleur inner cable and also the rear brake cable.

I was not too happy with the exposed inner cable running under the bottom bracket, as it will collect too much dirt and affect shifting accuracy. In order to prevent this, I decided to run a plastic cable liner to protect the inner cable from dirt.

The cable liner is the same as the one found inside the shifter outer casing, and the easiest way to get it is to cut open the shifter outer casing and extract the plastic liner from the inside. Another advantage of putting this plastic liner is to make it easier to install the inner cable later on.

Splitting the shifter outer casing to obtain the plastic liner

Running the plastic liner from the front of the frame...

...under the bottom bracket...

...and out from the right side chain stay.

During the installation of the inner cable, it will be easier to thread the inner cable through the whole frame, since the plastic liner is already there to guide it through. After that, the plastic liner will need to be trimmed so that it does not touch the outer cap on the outer casing at either end. This liner is supposed to "float" on the exposed section of the inner cable which is inside the frame.

Next, the wheelset, crankset, rear derailleur and chain was transferred over from the Wheelsport mini velo. The next step would be to install the rest of the components!

Java Freccia mini velo half assembled. To be continued!

In the previous blog post, the bike was already shown as half assembled, with the wheelset and drivetrain transferred over from the Wheelsport mini velo.

Next, I tried to install the road caliper brakes onto the frame and fork, but ran into problems. Although there is no problem mounting the brake caliper onto the bike, the brake pads cannot reach the rims of the wheels! These are standard Dura-Ace 9000 brake calipers, so there should be no issue unless there is some problem with the frame.

Quite a big clearance between the front caliper brake and the tire

Even when the brake pad is shifted all the way down to the lowest point, it still cannot completely clear the tires

Same for the rear, the brake pad cannot clear the tire completely

As you can see, there is quite a big gap between the rear caliper brake and rear tire

I actually contacted the bike frame seller from Taobao via WeChat, but we were unable to resolve the problem. He told me that his other bikes are able to fit standard Ultegra brake calipers, although the brake pad holder has to be right at the bottom of the slot, at the limit. Dura-Ace and Ultegra brake calipers have similar dimensions, so I am not sure why it does not fit.

The factors affecting this are:
1) Brake caliper reach
2) Position of brake mounting point on frame, relative to wheel dropouts
3) Diameter of braking track on wheel rims
4) Width of rims or thickness of brake pads (small effect)

It seems to be that the frame dimensions are right at the limit where the brake pad is just unable to reach the rims properly. Almost there but not quite there, it is short by only 1 to 2 mm.

Actually this is easy to solve, I just need to use brake pad extenders, like what I used on the Dahon Boardwalk or Dahon Vitesse when I used road caliper brakes on those frames.

Aican brake pad extenders, which lowers the brake pads by about 10mm.

Weight of Dura-Ace 9000 brake pad holder and mounting hardware which is super lightweight at only 9 grams. Think it uses a titanium bolt and aluminium washers.

Aican brake pad holder, slightly heavier at 12 grams

Weight of hardware from Dura-Ace brake pad holder

Weight of hardware from Aican brake pad holder

If I combine the Aican brake pad holder with the Dura-Ace hardware, it is also lightweight at 10 grams

Testing the Aican brake pad holder with Dura-Ace hardware on the brake caliper

With the brake pad extender, the reach of the brakes is sufficient to reach the rims. However, what I don't like about the Aican brake pad holder is that the rounded area for adjusting the angle of the brake pad does not really work. Upon tightening the bolt, the brake shoe will be tilted to one side, no matter how I adjust it prior to tightening. Also, the squarish design is not nice looking, and it extends too much.

I found another type of brake pad extender by Ridea, which lowers the brake pad by 6.5mm instead of 10mm. Best of all, it has its own lightweight hardware which is also titanium. Although they are pricey, it should be worth the money.

Ridea brake pad extender which lowers the brake pad by 6.5mm. Looks much better than the Aican type, and also comes with its own brake pad.

Weight of Ridea brake pad extender is 10 grams. Slightly heavier than the Dura-Ace type, probably due to a bit more material from the extension.

However, there is one downside to this change, as I am unable to fit the SwissStop brake pads into the Ridea brake pad holders. There is some difference in dimension which makes it too tight to fit. I also cannot fit the Shimano brake pads into the Ridea brake pad holder.

Therefore, I have to use the Ridea brake pads, which at least seem to be of decent quality. Hope it works well with decent stopping power. Pictures will be shown later when the full bike is completed.

Finally, with the insufficient brake caliper reach issue resolved, I can move on to install the rest of the components onto the bike!

In Part 4 of this bike project, I showed that the drivetrain of the bike was already installed. Prior to that, I had to first install the press fit bottom bracket into the frame, before the crankset can be installed.

I have never installed a press fit BB before, so I had to do some research to make sure I do it properly. Also, I have heard of some cases of press fit BB causing creaking sounds during pedaling. Therefore, it was even more important that I do the installation properly to avoid any creaking later on.

As already checked previously, this frame accepts a Shimano type press fit BB. To ensure good performance and low weight, I chose the Dura-Ace grade press fit bottom bracket. Although it is not the smoothest bottom bracket around, the sealing should be good, while it is also relatively cheap and lightweight.

Dura-Ace grade press fit bottom bracket, SM-BB92

Plain looking bottom bracket, with the two press fit diameters at both sides

Press fit bottom bracket cups are made of engineering plastic, PA+GF for strength while also being lightweight

Press fit BB weighs only 55 grams, which is lighter than threaded type BB

Using the proper press fit tool for pressing the bottom bracket cups into the frame. It is very simple, basically a threaded rod with correctly sized plates at both ends to push in the cups.

Done! Greased the contacting surfaces and managed to press in the cups easily and fully.

Installing the press fit bottom bracket was actually quite easy. The resistance felt just right, while the cups were able to enter fully until they were flat against the frame. Hopefully there will be no creaking sound when I ride the bike later on.

After the press fit bottom bracket was installed, the Dura-Ace 9000 crankset was then installed without any issue.

With the drivetrain and brakes installed, the next thing to install would be the controls of the bike, which is the handlebar. Since the handlebar and shifters will be the same as that on the Wheelsport mini velo, I can transplant the whole handlebar setup over without removing the shifters.

The shifter inner cable will be changed, since the old one is already worn out and is also a bit too short. The brake inner cables can be reused. However, all the outer casing will need to be changed as the cable entry point for the shifter cables into the frame is different, while the brake cable routing has been changed from semi outer casing (with external cable stoppers) to full outer casing.

In this case, there is no choice but to remove the bar tape to redo the outer casing coming out from the shifters. No problem, since the bar tape is due for replacement anyway.

Handlebar setup shown as removed from the Wheelsport mini velo, before installing new inner cables and outer casings.

After much work, the handlebar setup is completed! New cabling all done up nicely.

80mm Controltech stem matches nicely with the colours on the FSA K-Force carbon handlebar

Rear shifter cable enters the frame at the downtube for neat internal routing

Rear brake cable enters the top tube from the front, and exits at the rear. Clean internal routing for this frame.

Using the same lightweight Selle Italia SLR Kit Carbonio Flow saddle on the new aero seatpost

Front single drivetrain for this bike. Look at the massive bottom bracket junction for stiffness!

Full Dura-Ace 9000 1x11 speed drivetrain!

Left side view. Since the bottom bracket bearings are fitted within the frame, this frame can be wider than an equivalent frame with an external threaded bottom bracket.

Using a custom tool to center the handlebar with the front wheel. The idea is to place the jig on the stem and handlebar, while a laser pointer will indicate the centreline of the handlebar, which is where the front tire should be.

Once done, just line up the front wheel with the laser pointer and the handlebar should be perpendicular to the front wheel.

During this alignment, I found that there are a few issues that can affect the accuracy of this laser guided handlebar alignment jig.

1) The placement of the laser pointer within the jig itself will affect the accuracy. If the laser pointer is tilted just a couple of degrees off, it will not be accurate anymore.
2) The laser beam may not exit the laser pointer exactly straight. This can be remedied by rotating the laser manually during calibration.
3) Distance from handlebar to front tire can affect the accuracy, especially if the laser is tilted to one side slightly.

In my case, the jig is for reference only. Final alignment is still based visually and my feeling during riding.

This bike is almost completed! In the next post, the full bike build will be shown, along with the bike weight (it is really lightweight!) and the component specifications.

The Java Freccia carbon mini velo is almost completed! All that is left to do is to fine tune the adjustments and it is ready to go.

Java Freccia carbon mini velo, built up with Dura-Ace 9000 components

Looks great!

During my test ride, I found that the riding geometry is really low and aggressive, due to the low handlebar height. In fact, after comparison, the handlebar height is even lower than the Merida Scultura 5000 road bike! It is too low for comfort, which is why I decided to flip the stem to make it more comfortable.

Handlebar height on the Java mini velo is even lower than the Merida road bike

Controltech 80mm stem was originally installed with a downward tilt

After flipping the stem to be upward tilting, the geometry is better and almost the same as the Merida road bike

Another view of the full bike with the geometry properly set up

Full bike weight is only 6.7 kg inclusive of pedals!

Full specifications of the bike. I did not use any boutique super lightweight components, all can be found easily. Theoretical weight is equal to actual measured weight. Only 6.3 kg without pedals!

Completed bike spotted in the wild

Using the Ridea brake pad extenders with Ridea brake pads

Same for the rear wheel. Braking power is better than expected.

Java Freccia carbon mini velo project completed!

Yet another bike building project has been completed, and I am very pleased with the results. This mini velo is very lightweight at only 6.3 kg without pedals. Also, it rides really well, despite the short chain stays. Braking power using the Ridea brake pads is actually quite good, and I don't miss the SwissStop brake pads. Shifting performance with the Dura-Ace groupset is of course top class, while the Wheelsport Smart 1.0 451 wheels roll really well.

Despite my initial worries, there has been no creaking sounds from the press fit bottom bracket, while the integrated seatpost clamp has not given me any problems with slippage. Other than the insufficient reach from the road brake calipers and the slightly tricky internal cable routing, there has not been any real issues with the installation.

I have tested it while riding with some road bikes, and this mini velo actually feels just as fast as my Merida road bike! The weight difference is felt most during climbing, where this bike just keeps moving instead of dragging you back like on some heavier bikes. Carrying the bike up the stairs or anywhere is a breeze due to the low weight. It is currently my favourite bike to ride as I have rediscovered the joy and fun of riding a mini velo!

Here is a short review of the Lezyne Lite Drive Pump which was designed for the high pressure tires of road bikes. I was looking for a slim and lightweight pump for the Java Freccia carbon mini velo, and this one seems ideal.

All black pump with a simple pump mount

Hose is stored inside the pump body itself, and can be reversed for Presta or Schrader valves

Full length of the pump when extended with the hose

Comes with a rubber ring to push against the pump handle to prevent rattling noise due to looseness

89 grams without mount

Exactly 100 grams including the mount

This is a lightweight and functional road mini pump that will match well to any bike. With the hose attachment, it makes it easier to position the pump during pumping, and also prevent the valve from being damaged by the pumping action. A good addition to any bike.

Time for a new bike! I have owned and modified many bikes, but have never owned or modified a Brompton before. Before this, I never had a need for a Brompton as I have my other Dahon folding bikes if I need a compact fold. Now, I plan to put a child seat on a bicycle, and I have thought about which of my bikes to put the child seat.

I prefer to have the child seat in front of the rider, which means that all the bikes with drop bars are out. This means that the Java Freccia mini velo, Merida Scultura 5000 road bike and Avanti Inc 3 cannot be used. As for the Dahon MuEX or the Dahon Vitesse, only rear placement child seats can be installed on the seatpost, which will add on more weight to the rear of the bike and possibly make it easier to tip over backwards. Also, it will be good to put the child's weight at the front of the bike to balance out the rider's weight, instead of adding more weight to the rear of the bike.

Bobike child seat mounted on Brompton

Then, I came across the Bobike child seat mounted on the Brompton, and I knew that it was the one that I wanted. Problem is, I did not have a Brompton. I considered getting replica Bromptons such as the Cigna or the 3Sixty, but I was not too impressed with the folding which is still not good enough. Besides, I was reminded of the Flamingo bike that I had previously which was a Brompton replica, and it was just not good enough. Instead of having to fix problems here and there from getting a replica bike, I decided to get a real Brompton and also get a chance to study the real thing.

Initially, I had considered getting a 3 speed Brompton, but 6 speed Bromptons are more common. Besides, no harm having more speeds just in case I need to climb up slopes with extra weight from the child.

I also considered getting a second hand Brompton, but since I was totally unfamiliar with a Brompton, I am not sure what to look out for when getting a second hand Brompton. There are many proprietary parts on a Brompton, and replacements can be hard to find or are costly. Therefore, after checking out the bikes at the local distributor, I finally committed to getting a new Brompton M6R.

There was also a choice of getting the pre-2017 models, or the new 2017 models. For me, the main difference was the shifters, where I liked the 2017 shifters just a little bit better. However, the price difference was $500, which is a lot just for different shifters. Therefore I got the pre-2017 models which are less expensive.

Brompton M6R in Lagoon Blue on all frame parts!

Pre-2017 model, with older shifters

3 speed shifter for the Sturmey Archer hub. At least the brake levers are nice.

2 speed shifter for the 2 speed rear derailleur. Foam grips, not so nice.

2 speed shifter is integrated with a bell

Lagoon Blue handlepost for M bar

Front caliper brake with front reflector and front mudguards

16 inch 349 wheels, with 15mm nutted axles, and fitted with Brompton Kevlar tires

Cable routing to enable proper folding with just the right amount of cable slack

Handlepost and frame hinge clamps, with aluminium clamp plates and plastic levers

From the local distributor

Brompton saddle mounted on the unique Brompton saddle clamp that mounts the saddle forward for a compact fold

Stock elastomer suspension with a Firm rating instead of the softer Standard type

12% reduced gearing with 44T front chainring, on an old school square taper crankset

Rear drivetrain and shifting components. Looks rather haphazard with lots of exposed bits.

Indicator chain that controls the 3 speed hub, along with the 2 speed side swing rear derailleur and the chain tensioner

Rear caliper brake. Note that both caliper brakes have cables that route from below instead of from the top.

Rear rack with stock easy wheels for rolling the bike along when folded

Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub, special Brompton Wide Ratio version, paired with 16/13T sprockets for 6 speeds

In parking mode, with just the rear triangle folded under the frame

Square taper bottom bracket, looks like it can be removed with a standard bottom bracket tool

Zefal pump included with the Brompton bike and cradled in its unique mount

Close up look at the 2 speed side swing rear derailleur and the pulleys

Made in London

The chain tensioner takes up the chain slack when the rear triangle is folded to prevent chain drop

Brompton fully folded. Very compact!

About 2cm of clearance between the foam grip and the ground when folded

Weighs 12.3 kg stock, including the Zefal pump

This bike will be mainly used to carry the child when I cycle, so that everyone can ride together. Cutting weight from this bike is not necessary as there is not much point. Reason being that this bike has a heavy steel frame, and so any weight savings from components will be quite insignificant. From my experience, reducing the bike weight from 12 kg to 10 kg does not make a big difference, as it is still relatively heavy. Also, putting a child of 10+ kg onto the bike will negate any weight loss. Lastly, there is no need to carry the bike when folded, as I can roll it along most of the time.

I have already identified a few areas on the bike that can and should be improved, and these upgrades will be made soon. These upgrades will not make the bike any lighter or ride any faster, but are mostly cosmetic and functional upgrades.

After getting a Brompton M6R for myself, my upgrading instinct has kicked in. As with all bikes, I will identify areas that are not up to my standard and see if it can be upgraded. On the Brompton, there are a few areas that do not seem to belong on a premium bike. The parts that I am referring to are the injection molded resin parts that belong more to a supermarket bike than a bike that has a starting price of around $1800.

There are a few of these parts around, such as the shifters, the chain tensioner, the hinge clamp knobs, the roller wheels, and a few clips here and there. Although they function well, they do not provide the premium feeling that a Brompton should have. Imagine a premium Mercedes car with plasticky interior trimmings, that is the feeling I got.

The very first component that I want to upgrade are the hinge clamps. I have always been a fan of Dahon's folding clamp mechanisms, which are well engineered, easy to operate and nicely designed. If the Brompton has Dahon's clamp mechanism, that would be the best of both worlds.

Brompton uses a very simple clamp that basically holds both sides of the hinge together, using a simple but cumbersome rotating knob to press the clamp against the tapered surfaces of the frame. This removes any free play between the joints and does not need any adjustment over time, since you are basically adjusting it every time you use the clamp.

One annoying aspect of this hinge clamp design is that when you loosen the knob, you have no idea how far you need to rotate to loosen it sufficiently to free up the joint. Loosening it generously only encourages the clamp to rotate after becoming loose, causing it to be misaligned against the frame. All this creates the cumbersome feeling as I always need to fiddle with the clamp position to align it, before tightening the knob.

After loosening, the clamp will rotate and not be lined up with the frame. Also, there is no stopper to let you know when the clamp is loose.

Plastic knobs on a premium bike? Rather disappointing...embarrassing even.

Same for the hinge clamp on the handlepost

I wanted to get rid of the plastic knobs which do not belong on a premium bike such as the Brompton. After looking at a few aftermarket hinge clamps, I found that there is actually a solution to prevent the self rotation of the hinge clamp after loosening. This is exactly what I am looking for.

One downside of upgrading a Brompton is that the components cannot be found cheaply on Taobao, unlike those for Dahon or other folding bikes. Seems that the supply of these aftermarket parts are strictly controlled to maintain the higher prices that Brompton owners are willing to pay.

Anyway, I found the hinge clamp set from Imperium Cycle that look good and has the self aligning function.

Hinge clamp set in all black colour, made of aluminium

The various parts of the hinge clamp set and what they do

The pair of hinge clamps, for the frame and also the handlepost

They are virtually identical, except for the silver bolt at the end which has slightly different lengths. The silver bolt with the step is for the handlepost.

Machined lever for lightweight image. Feels much better than the plastic knobs.

One side of the clamp is longer than the other, and this is what keeps the clamp aligned after loosening the knob.

Comparing the new clamp with the stock clamp. The clamp plate on the stock clamp looks quite a bit thicker.

New hinge clamps weigh 62 grams a pair

Stock Brompton hinge clamps weigh 105 grams a pair

The silver bolt at the end is reversed (left hand) threaded, to prevent self loosening when operating the clamp.

Using a size 4 Allen key to tighten the silver bolt into the black bolt.

One problem I found during installation is that the frame hinge will get in the way of the Allen key when I am tightening the silver bolt. Even with the ball end of the Allen key, I am not able to engage the silver bolt properly to tighten it. To solve this, the next version should have 2 flats on the silver bolt, so that we can use a wrench to tighten it instead of an Allen key.

The silver bolt acts as a stopper during loosening, which is designed to stop when the clamp has retreated far enough to free up the joint.

At this point, the shorter side of the clamp has cleared the frame, while the longer side is still engaged to prevent self rotation of the clamp. Ingenious design!

Both hinge clamps installed!

All black aluminium hinge clamps and levers look more befitting of the Brompton

This upgrade is a must for me, as it solves the two main issues of the stock hinge clamps. First, there is a stopper which stops the knob when the clamp has been fully loosened. This makes it easy as I just need to twirl the lever until it stops, without thinking how many turns is required.

Second, the long-short clamp design ensures that the clamp is aligned with the frame or handlepost at all times. When I need to tighten the joint, I just close the joint and tighten the knob. No need to fiddle with the clamp to align it. Much faster and fuss free than the stock design.

If you are a Brompton owner who folds and unfolds the bike a few times a day, this is a highly recommended upgrade as it makes operating the hinge clamps much easier, and you will wonder why did you put up with the original clamp design for so long.

For a Brompton, one of the main advantage over other folding bikes is the ability to roll the bike easily when folded. The ability to roll the folded bike eliminates the need to carry a heavy bike when moving through the MRT station or into a shopping mall. This is especially important for a bike such as the Brompton, as the steel frame makes it heavier than many other folding bikes of equivalent specifications.

The "R" in the model type M6R refers to the inclusion of the rear rack, which has two more Eazy wheels (in addition to the two on the rear triangle), giving a total of four Eazy wheels for stable and easy rolling. The stock Eazy wheels (as the rolling wheels are called) seem to be made of a rubber outer ring fitted onto a plastic center core, which is then fixed to the frame or rear rack using a bushing type construction.

This bushing type construction is simple and cheap, but tends to have more friction when under rolling under load. There are many different types of aftermarket Eazy wheels for Bromptons, all of which claim to offer smoother rolling and better appearance. In the end, the main deciding factor is the appearance of the Eazy wheels.

Stock Brompton Eazy wheel. Picture was taken before I upgraded the suspension block to the BikeFun type.

New Eazy wheels by Imperium Cycle. Uses sealed bearings which should be smoother than using bushings.

The wheels are sold in pairs. What I like about these set of wheels is the silver 5 arm design.

Comparing the width to the stock Eazy wheels, they are narrower by about one-third, which will be good for more heel clearance during pedaling.

As for the diameter, the new wheels are a bit larger. 60mm diameter vs the stock wheels which are 54mm in diameter. This will create an additional ground clearance of about 3mm.

New aluminium wheels weigh 61 grams...

...while the stock plastic wheels are a bit lighter at 55 grams.

Stock Brompton Eazy wheels have just a bolt, a bush and a washer through the center of the wheel.

New Eazy wheels installed onto the rear triangle! Installation is easy, as it is just a matter of removing the original ones and screwing in the new ones.

Looking good!

After that, the Eazy wheels on the rear rack will also need to be changed. This means that two pairs of Eazy wheels are required for the four wheels on a "R" type Brompton. However, the swapping of Eazy wheels on the rear rack is not so straightforward...

Comparing the bolt length. New bolt is much shorter than the original bolt on the rear rack, which also holds the roller for the bungee cord.

New bolt is about 10mm shorter than the original bolt.

Since the new bolt is shorter, it means that the bungee cord cannot be attached to the roller on the bolt any more. I tried using a generic M6 bolt to replace the bolt from Imperium Cycle, but it does not work as the diameter of the bolt head needs to be of a specific diameter to avoid pressing on the sealed bearing in the wrong place. If the wrong bolt head size is used, it just jams up the whole Eazy wheel. Therefore, I have no choice but to use the shorter bolt for the new Eazy wheel.

As the new Eazy wheel is slightly larger, it will touch the rear rack. A washer is needed to create clearance between the wheel and the rear rack.

With both Eazy wheels installed on the rear rack! Note that both wheels are supposed to be installed to the right side of the rack mounting.

Close up look of the bolt and the nylon locknut. The bolt is barely long enough to cover the locknut.

All four new Eazy wheels installed!

How it looks when the rear triangle is folded down

Just a bit more clearance between the rear rack and the ground, due to the larger Eazy wheels.

Brompton fully folded. The silver wheels seem to fit the overall look of the bike quite well.

Clearance with the stock foam grips. Just a bit more clearance than the stock condition.

Rolling the folded bike around with the new Eazy wheels is definitely smoother than using the stock Eazy wheels, although the stock Eazy wheels are not too bad in the first place. I would say that this is more of a cosmetic upgrade than any functional (performance?) upgrade.

After upgrading the hinge clamps to the better looking and more well designed Imperium Cycle hinge clamps, and also upgrading the Eazy wheels, the next upgrade for the Brompton M6R would be the suspension.

The stock suspension comes in two different hardness, the Standard type and the Firm type for those who are heavier or just want a more responsive ride. I opted for the Firm type, but I still felt that it was a bit soft, especially during hard pedaling when the bike will bob with every pedal stroke.

There are many aftermarket suspension blocks available for the Brompton, in different designs and many different colours. For me, the criteria is to get a suspension block that is more firm, and also in a colour that matches the Lagoon Blue frame colour.

Original Brompton Firm suspension block, which is basically just a rubber block for dampening the road vibrations. Picture taken before upgrading the Eazy wheels.

I came across the BikeFun suspension block, which has a rather nice looking external coil and comes in many colours to perfectly match all the available Brompton colours. Of course, I will need the Lagoon Blue suspension to match with my bike frame.

BikeFun suspension unit, with matching Lagoon Blue spring coil.

It comes with two rubber blocks of different hardness. The one with the white dot is the firmer block, which is what I will use.

BikeFun suspension unit weighs 70 grams, mainly due to the heavier steel spring coil.

Original rubber block only weighs 33 grams

Installation was quite easy, just need to follow the instructions to see which part goes where. For this Brompton, lightweight components are not necessary as no matter how many components I upgrade, the heavy steel frame will prevent any meaningful overall lightweight bike.

Blue suspension installed on the bike! The colour matches perfectly with the frame.

The suspension looks like it came stock with the bike. And it actually should, instead of just a rubber block.

With the new suspension, the ride feels more rigid and much more responsive. I can feel just a little bit of suspension, but not so much that it causes the bike to bob during pedaling. Some time ago, I had the Flamingo bike which is a replica of the Brompton, and it really bobbed quite a lot during pedaling, which makes it inefficient for faster rides.

Best of all, it looks good and matches perfectly with the Lagoon Blue colour of the Brompton frame!

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