Even though I have a review of the Brompton Toolkit, I haven't really had to use it yet. I've pretty much made my tires as flat-proof as possible and when I am home tweaking things I usually reach for my mechanic's set of tools.
Chris Rust left me a comment describing his frustration in using the toolkit:
Sadly this lovely gadget just doesn't work. The tip of one of my tyre levers broke the first time I used it and the knurled wheel on the end of the spanner bites into my hand painfully when applying force to a tight wheel nut.
And before anybody says Brompton know about the tyre lever problem and are fixing it, the fix appears to be to make the narrow lever wider and the wide lever narrower, the one that broke for me is the wide one.
Here is a link to Chris' full post here.
Like Chris said, I know Brompton is working on a remedy for the tire levers... I hope that they take their time and get things correct this time. Next time I need to fix something I'll make it a point to use the toolkit and relay my experience.
has there been any press releases regarding the redesign of the tire levers? if so, would you mind sharing the url? has the company indicated what owners should do if they find themselves with broken levers?
ReplyDeleteNo press release that I know of. In addition to Chris' testimony I have also heard the same thing from Portapedal.
DeleteStill haven't had to patch any punctures (knock on wood), but sounds like I better keep my non-Brompton tire levers with me for long rides. Given the price of the Brompton Toolkit, I really hope the company is willing to replace broken parts.
DeleteGot a call from my Brompton dealer, Clever Cycles in Oregon, and they will be sending me (free of charge) new tire levers that were re-designed and presumably stronger.
ReplyDelete