Tuesday, November 18, 2014

The Brompton Toolkit

It must be fun being a Brompton engineer.  Take for example the beautifully designed Brompton Toolkit.


Need to tighten a bolt or repair a flat tire?  Just pull on the little ring, remove the outer shell, and here's what is magically revealed:


On one side is a ratchet wrench set, with magnetically secured double-ended bits fitting every hex screw on the bicycle, as well as flathead and Phillips screwdrivers.  Built into the ratchet's handle is a 15 mm wrench, and a self-adhesive tire patch with sandpaper is tucked into a space at the end of the toolkit.


On the other side of the toolkit are two tire levers, into which are carved 8 mm and 10 mm wrenches, as well as a spoke hook.


I actually didn't even know about the spoke hook until I happened across mention of it online.  So perhaps there are other things this amazing little device can do that I haven't even figured out yet!

Now, you might be saying: ok, that's fine, but where do you store it while riding?  That's where the truly ingenious part comes in.

Let's have another look at the toolkit all back together again:


Both ends of the lightweight toolkit are capped with hard rubber, the top of which flares out just a bit.  Like all bicycles, the Brompton's frame is hollow.  But unlike almost all other bicycles, on the Brompton you have access to that hollow space.

Have you figured it out yet?  That's right, into the frame it goes!


The rubber flare and a magnet keep the toolkit perfectly secure with no movement or rattling whatsoever.  When you open the bike into riding position, the frame closes over it and you have no idea there's a toolkit inside.  Fantastic!  I used the toolkit on my first few rides to make minor adjustments, and now it's wonderful just knowing it's always there.

1 comment:

  1. So amazing ! I like the little white graphics on the tube of the bike and toolkit storage.
    from Leah

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