My Brompton folding bike had to go to bicycle hospital today. Just 6 months in, the dynamo has started to engage every time I go over a bump, causing the dynamo head to try its best to detach itself and move onto the rubber of the tyre causing a loud screeching noise. The dynamo has become rather loose and even with a tight bracket, rattles about. I think something has broken in the engaging mechanism (I have no idea about dynamo terminology!), and it’s tricky to ride the bike at all.
[flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/chough/4500746904/]
Thankfully the bike is still under warranty and Brompton have recommended a local bike shop who will have a look at it and replace it free of charge if deemed faulty. Despite having looked after it well, adjusting the gears and cleaning the chain, I also decided to put it in for a service just for a checkup.
The people at Fudges Cycles were very helpful, and I had a good chat about the pros and cons about changing the handlebars (I have the “P” type) to the “M” type (I’m still undecided). With the risk of sounding like an advert, they’ve got a really impressive range of Bromptons in stock in some amazing colour combinations.
I’ll get it back as good as new by Wednesday with a bit of luck.