I have had two dozen Bromptons since 1996. I bought a lightweight Brompton when they first came out, complete with standard issue Ti extending seat post. It was my main commuting bike for several years. One day, while riding over cobbles, it snapped exactly where yours did. Brompton wanted it back to examine it, and they swapped it for a new steel item. Shortly afterwards they stopped using Ti posts. I should add that I weigh about 230 pounds. I’m just back from another successful 500 mile Brompton tour of France. I’ve never had another Brompton seat post fail in tens of thousands of miles.
Brian you are my inspiration man !!! I have been bike commuting since my cars have issues. I ride my folder 20-35 miles a day. Thanks to your videos It has given me ideas for my next bike maybe a zizzo I’ll see how the the funds look in the coming months but just know Brian we love you dude we are here with you.
Stay safe Brian. If you are considering Titanium seat posts, you should know they are not stronger steel ones. Ti is only stronger per unit mass. We never make Ti stuff the same weight as its steel counterpart. We use less Ti to get the same tensile/ fatigue strength as steel or at least practically close to it. I did notice a fair bit of corrosion inside your seatpost, so Ti will definitely help there. May I suggest the Ti seat posts from Brompfication? These are the only ones I've yet to hear a complaint about. Fits well, grips well, strong and durable. Avoid cheap Aliexpress ones, as their manufacturing tolerances are not great. I heard some horror stories.
Yes, there was some surface rust on the inside near the bottom.. I did know the titanium tensile strength comparison to steel was dependent on mass, but I did not know they used less material. Good to know. Thank you for the suggestions.😁👍
Turn around and look at the sign on your wall...."Keep Calm and Brompt On". Yes, do that and whatever else you need to, to keep on moving and don't stop. Not to dismiss all the hard work you do at your job, but seriously every job I ever had, I was basically on-call 24/7, with very little personal time, and I just lived my life the best I could and that was taking care of a household too. It gets better, believe me. Take care of yourself.
Thank you Brain for the Video's / Vlog's these keeping me alive. You will find a way for yourself to make a good life working balance. Stay always safe ☺
Glad you're okay buddy. A titanium seat post is best Bromy upgrade you can make. The biggest secret is that the most important thing for comfort on a bike is a seat post, not jus wheels and tires. Spend the money and you will discover how the ti flex is like a real spring, but still retains rigidity and strength. It doesn't rust and is lighter. Money very well spent, especially for someone whose first bike go to is a Brompton.
Yes! I agree…. I’ve been thinking about a titanium seat post for a while but did not want to spend the money. This incident was the kick in the butt I needed.👍😁
Fab to see you Brian, always put number one first, you have some dedicated subscribers who love your content but want you to be happy and well. Love the vlog format by the way, great format especially if easier for you to do occasionally on the fly. Keep well 👍🏼🙏
Welcome again Brian, we miss you. I’ve never seen that problem with a brompton. I’ll check this part of my brompton too because is about 14 years old. Best wishes from Madrid
It's great to see you back and that you did not get hurt in that freak event (and it was an excellent reminder to check my seat post) - mostly - go easy on yourself!
Well, once in a life time with a Brompton seat-post. You are safe, the odds happening again are impossible. As for work I am 60 and still work HARD. I learned to limit what gets in my bubble and it helps. I, like you, ride to work everyday and do not own a car and would never change this part. Bikes are easy to repair and cheaper than a car
So I bought a bromptification seat Post last fall and my original steel seat Post is just sitting in my closet. If you would be interested I could sell it pretty cheap. It’s black and original extended seat Post from bike purchase in 2021. There’s not a scratch on it. I’m happy to just keep it but if it could be helpful to you I’d be willing to send it.
Velo orange may have a fender solution for your Bike Friday. Great to see you back. If you are crashing a lot you may want to consider getting bent for commuting.
My crashes are unfortunate accidents stemming from chaotic urban riding. Plus I have a bad habit of going all out when I ride/ taking too many chances. Thank you for the bike Friday suggestion.
I’ve had this problem on Bromptons. I weigh 250 of your US pounds (120kg) Titanium is a better option as it should fold rather than crack like aluminium, avoiding a catastrophic failure. I had a 4” Ti sleeve added internally at the seat clamp height to help spread the load, just in case. I ride mine like an mtb…
Ah, there you are! Good to see you're (mostly) safe. I've bent a seatpost, but then I'm an absolute unit and the bike was running a Kousac super firm block. Never had any BB problems with the four Bromptons I've owned (still got two).
I recently changed my BB as well. I had strange noise from it, and I wasn't sure if it was the frame, the suspension, the Seatpost, the hinges or the BB. Smooth as silk now. The stock FAG BB doesn't last all that long.
Glad you're back and in one piece, Brian. Is the titanium seat post stronger? If so, get one (easy for me to say). Are you getting funds from your posts, have you thought of setting up a Patreon ? I'm sure your subscribers would help. Good luck with getting the Brompton fixed !
Yay! Your back! Was wondering what happened to you. I'm looking at getting a Forte for the truck. Thought about the Ferro for budget reasons, but I want the fenders and the rack. Plus, the other amenities. I'm also thinking maybe a Burley Travoy or some kind trailer that would store easily in a semi.
The forte is ok. My favorite zizzo model is the liberte. It’s the lightest for lifting it up into a truck like that. Zizzo does make a trailer, but I’m not sure how good it is?
Glad you weren’t hurt. When you thing of it, the forces acting on the post at the insertion point are pretty large. Additionally , they are oscillating as you move so I’d think a fatigue failure is probably inevitable given how much you use the bike.
Sorry to hear about your Brompton. Maybe you should pick up a spare Brompton? It's good to see you back online. Take care of yourself first, and we will all be very happy to see your videos and blogs when you can get them out. No need to put yourself on a schedule, just do them as you feel like it. Work is what it is. We can all relate to having to work when one would much rather be doing something else. Peace...
First happy you are back filming I missed your videos. I bought 3 zizzo Forte bikes for long distance touring. Very interested in your next videos concerning this bike.
I have the new 2023 zizzo forte but it had a bad issue with the frame that I have to get with zizzo about. I’m hoping they are not getting lazy with their manufacturing process. My older zizzo still have good frames- even though the peripherals are worn out. I will make a video with my finding soon.
Perhaps you can strengthen the seat post around the point where it meets the frame where it has the most stress? Assuming it's hollow, stuff something light like sponge to just below the point then pour something that will solidify and strengthen the post into that section. PS. Can you not get Brompton parts shipped to you?
Hello Brian, I had the exact same thing happen with a brompton titanium telescopic seatpost. It was about 11 years old. I contacted brompton direct to report the fault and they were kind enough to send out a new steel equivalent (as they no longer do the titanium) to my local dealer free of charge.
Hi IBU.. don't have a Brompton so I've been buying the aftermarket parts I want to put on it until I bye one. One of those is a titanium seatpost. My aftermarket list is at $350 for now. Hay, I bet the girls love that company logo hat, ha😎
Several years ago, I had the seat post on my folder break all the way, and yes, I did fall on my back. Luckily, I had my backpack on to help break the fall and it was a quiet day so there were no cars behind me. The seat post was aluminum and like you, I still had enough left to insert what was left and ride home. I used it for a while until I replaced it with a brand new one of better quality. These things can happen without warning.
Ti post really makes a difference in comfort (and weight savings per buck). Worth looking out for info on which ones to get and where to get them from, there are just way too many being sold, and I guess some are better made and thus safer than others. And of course glad you're OK, that is a hell of a scary break to have.
On the subject of hurting yourself; It frightens me when seeing you shoot through intersections and red lights, where most accidents happen. Be safe partner.
Happy you survived another bike failure, sad you suffered another one. Speaking of, when are we going to get the follow up on the bike friday failure? I was looking at one.
Yes, I have a massive back log of videos. I may do the bike Friday issue as a separate video, or I may just finish filming the review video in the next couple weeks. I’ll just have to push that video up in the priority list. 👍😁
@i bike unfolded I love your videos man. Super curious to hear your thoughts on the 23 Forte, and all the other things you couldn't get to in this video. Stay safe man I was sad to hear you've been injured so much.
Dang you're like most of us that go to work and go back home and are too tired on the weekends to really do anything substantial. I'll wait for your content so no worries here, I'm still on a hunt for a folding bike, probably the 23 Zizzo Forte will do but idk, will probably wait for your review. What bike did you end up using?
Feel your pain mate, I had a black Brompton literally snap on me at the front section of the frame (just where the joint is) . It was a very old one to be fair (at the time probs 25 years old) but it was the scariest crash I ever had. I have a red one now but have constant paranoia about my front snapping again 😂
Luckily you didn‘t get hurt on your way to work…but man you didn’t broke your brompton itself🤷🏻♂️ I‘ve got a question for better understanding: Is there any height limit marked on the seatpost? Maybe you‘ll need a longer version (if available) for your size and more stability. And maybe you’re putting to much force into your little brompton…second time broken bottom bracket let’s me guessing it. Anyway and in first place: Stay safe and keep on riding😎 Btw: Nice sky on 6:18 timestamp but ugly ground full of plastic waste I guess…maybe something you or someone else on this place can keep eye on too!?
Stop playing around Brian and get a Tern Verge X18 or X20. Best folding bikes ever made. Sturdy built. Fast, light. Aero wheels.stiffer than a corpse. And beautiful to look at. And crisp v brakes. Not the overkill of the inferior 2nd gen Verges like the X11 or P10. With those awful hydraulic brakes. Bromptons are overrated. And troublesome. I have over 20,000 miles on my X18..And the only thing I've had to replace in 6 years are worn out Schwalbe duranos. Brake pads. And a few chainrings and rear cassettes..
I reckon BROMPTON SHOULD HEAR ABOUT THIS… I am sure this is a default in the steel. Being a decent brand, I believe they will want to get it sorted. As some others have said, a titanium seat post would be the best for your future escapades. Great in-depth video by the way! Looking forward to more from you.
I’m glad you’ll be able to fix your seat post, but remember your job helps you take care of your bikes, it’s good to bring home a pay check, so don’t worry, for now blog’s are ok, hang in there, and keep up the good work 👍👍
I like vlogs - think they're great. Don't worry so much about the doing those riding shots where you have to set up the camera, go back, ride past again, then go back and collect it - I'm not sure if you do those but they irritate the hell out of me when I see it overdone :) I watched a video from BicycleTouringPro of an old Ukraine trip he did. The first half was just like a slide show with voice over telling stories. At first I wasn't sure about it - but then it was really good.
Well according to Brompton when you pull the seat post up and it stops, that’s the max height and it should have enough post in the frame to be adequate. 🤷♂️
Hi Brian. How old is that Brompton? I would contact Brompton and see if you can get a warranty replacement even if you plan on getting a titanium seatpost (good to have spare parts).
My brommie is 3 years old. I ride my bike like i sole it so breakage was bound to happen. I’m just glad I did not crash.👍😁. Maybe one day I will fork up the dough to get a titanium one like you have😁👍
@@ibikeunfolded The best time to upgrade is when something breaks lol. I am glad you did not get hurt again. Please keep up the videos when you have time. Making videos is very time consuming.
"I won't spend 30 bucks on an Uber" - 5 minutes later: "I might put a 250 bucks titanium seat post on it" 😂Everyone’s free to spend their money however they want 😉
Good to see you back. So bad to hear about the bike friday, zizzo and now Brompton having issues. Can you only take folding bikes inside? Would something like a Montague be too big? It's a full size collapsible mountain bike
It's great to hear from you again but too bad it's when another disaster hit you (almost). That up-tube the seatpost goes into is so short on the Brompton that I don't wonder it snaps there. I'm also guessing that the telescoping seatpost is weaker and under more stress than the one piece seatpost. Maybe you need to lose some weight? Just kidding! You're probably in incredible shape from biking so much. On the work-life balance subject, it's a question of financial independence. As long as you are chained to a salaried job, that job has to take priority over fun. I was very intrigued by the so-called "FIRE" movement (Financial Independence Retire Early) that started in the 1990s with the book "Your Money or Your Life." It basically advocated reducing your expenses and increasing passive income to where they matched, reaching financial independence! Yes, that was a different era with a stock market that was booming. But the power of compounding still holds. If one invests in a portfolio of dividend paying stocks, so-called "aristocrats" because they consistently increase their dividends every year, and reinvest the dividends, over time you can reach that point of financial independence. You seem like a frugal person, so maybe there aren't many ways to change the expenditure side of that FIRE equation. The income side might have more room for improvement. I know RU-vid doesn't pay as much as it used to, but maybe if you opened "Buy Me a Coffee" or Patreon accounts, a bit more would trickle in. I went the stockmarket route, and even with a few setbacks (in 2008 and 2020) I am sitting pretty here retired since turning sixty. Actually I thought I had reached FIRE in 1997. My wife and I sold the house and moved to Europe. After we traveled everywhere, we got bored and went back to work. For me teaching English was fun and brought in some extra money. I now live in Japan where I taught English for 15 years. Knowing I could always fall back on my American "nest egg" sure was a load off my mind and now I am completely living off it.
Brian, I’ve been contemplating buying a Bromtpon for a while now. I’ve watched lots of videos, including many of yours. I have to say that this video gave me pause on moving forward with my plan of being a Brompton owner. 3 years just doesn’t seem warranted to have the seat post break. You seem like a reasonable rider that wouldn’t be overly abusing the bike. Hmmm.
Welcome back! Curious what you think about designing a folding 26" bike for backup needs to get to work. How would you spec one out? Would it's size still meet your needs to get thru gates, etc. Would it be light enough and yet more robust, and perhaps safer in very bad weather? Urban paratrooper style?
I am a psychiatrist. Let me give you advice on your issues of not having a work-like balance. 1. Stop pushing yourself to exhaustion. Your fans will understand that you are in the climbing stage. 2. Temporary Pleasure: Vlogging appears to be pleasurable to you. Perhaps in the end (when you get to 1M+ subscribers) you will be able to spend more time seeking your pleasure. At the moment, you are burning the candle at both ends. Pleasure should be planned so that you don't torture yourself all day long being tired at work - which is the primary source of you being able to live. So set yourself up for pleasure time. _Schedule it_. Do your job as needed, and plan your pleasure time as if it is a 'vacation'. Mini vacations! 3. Stop worrying and apologizing. You don't owe us anything. 4. Have fun. Your work sustains your financial needs (be happy about that!). Your vlogging is fun! At least you aren't homeless on the street with bike issues. So relax. Mind frame 1: Work mode. Mind frame 2: Pleasure time. But remember..... too much pleasure leads to you torturing yourself at work all day long being tired and not knowing how to accomplish all that you wish. Your 1st priority is to survive. Your Last priority is hedonism. Hedonism never paid any bills or fed you, so don't mix the two if you can help it. 5. Thank you for the subject matter that you produce. Step back and schedule. Everyone wishes for your success. And everyone knows that success takes time. There's no rush unless you think that your life will end in a rush. We will all be cheering for you on this journey. 6. Discipline of self is tough when we have competing work-pleasure wishes. Drop off what you don't need. Toss out the extra garbage. And relax. No one wants you to burn yourself out. BE the example everyone else wishes they could be. No one really wants to work 16 hours a day. So don't do it. 7. Just be YOU. Don't wear yourself out because of other's demands. I think you will grow into a new person and be more successful when you finally embrace yourself enjoying the work-life-pleasure balance that you are seeking. Sometimes all it takes is to say something.... and then some expert will dispense charitable advice that can help transform you. So be YOURSELF and have fun doing it! Both Responsibility and Pleasure equally balanced. I have faith that you can do it. Let's go on your journey and watch how high you can go!
Does your zizzo or Brompton handlebar stem creak when you're pushing hard? It seems like my zizzo was putting to much leverage against the stem joint and I was afraid my handlebars would snap off like your seatpost. I ended up replacing it with a turtle stem and BMX bars and it seems much more solid. I actually felt safe enough to put a bafang kit on and cruise around at 30mph.
