Brompton World Championship tips

Mods to go faster if you are riding in the 2017 Brompton World Championships

It's summer, and Brompton World Championship race season

It cumulates with the London race (finale) which includes winners of the previous races.

Below is a list of the BWC schedule:

London / BWC final - 29th July 2017

Still to run are:
18th June 2017 - New York City
4th June 2017 - Monza, Italy

Already run races are:
29th April 2017 - Korea
23rd April 2017 - Japan
22nd April 2017 - Spain (Barcelona)

If you are there to race, not just enjoy the moment (which is also fun) - then we have added our top tips:

1/ Remove mudguards and rack
It's all about weight right?

Removing mudguards and rack will save you some weight (especially the rack), and if you are pushing very hard the flex can sometimes cause a slight rub of the tyre against the mudguard (especially if stays have got bent during transit!)

Remember - the front mudguard keeps the brake cable from rubbing on the front wheel when turning - so ideally you should fit a cable protector.

2/ Fit kojak tyres
Reduce rilling resistance.

"Who loves ya baby?" - Schwalbe Kojak tyres are named after the famous New York TV detective played by Telly Savalas - they are totally bald!

The reduced rolling resistance provided by the slick tyres will add speed - and they are lighter than any of the other Brompton tyres.

3/ Pump up the volume (tyres)
Flat / under-inflated tyres make you work harder

Check your tyre pressures and pump up to the maximum.

Heavy duty tyres such as Schwalbe Marathon Plus are so solid that you can't really tell how hard they are just by squeezing with your fingers. This even led Schwalbe to redesign the side wall as so many people were running them effectively flat!

4/ Change to a larger chain ring
Spider chainrings make this simple(ish)!

In 2013 Brompton introduced the Brompton Spider Chain Ring- the biggest benefit of this (in our opinion) is the increased flexibility of gearing.

Previously to change from (for example) a 50 tooth (standard 3 speed) to 54 tooth (high geared) chainring, the whole chainset would have to be replaced.

Brompton Spider Chain Ring / Crank Set

Now just the chain ring (and chain) can be exchanged to give you higher gearing and more top speed.

5/ Practice / get fit
Get out and ride

People always talk about saving grammes on their bike to make it go faster / more efficient .... but most of the weight is the rider.

Getting out and exercising will make the biggest difference to your ride performance :-)