This is a Swytch Motor Wheel for a Brompton, spokes look fine to me, nice and straight;

 

[ATTACH type=full" alt="54291]54291[/ATTACH]

 

My motor has 36h and a lot of them for Brompton seem to have 28h like I can see yours is.

 

Your valve for pumping though seems to be like mine inline with a crossover of spokes.. maybe it's just from the angle of the picture but seems like it would be easier to access if it were between spokes that don't cross.

Your valve for pumping though seems to be like mine inline with a crossover of spokes.. maybe it's just from the angle of the picture but seems like it would be easier to access if it were between spokes that don't cross.

 

Crossed spokes ?

 

All radial laced.

Yes,,, your spoke holes in rim seem to be offset at an angle to eachother. Rather than all straight through the centre like mine.

 

I did consider going for the swytch kit and would have been much more straightforward I'm sure.

 

Did you get full kit from them? And finding it all ok or made any modifications to it?

 

 

I will get some pictures over the weekend.

He's used a radial spoke pattern, so there's no angle to any spokes. If yours are angled, then you've done a 1-cross pattern, which is better, but only if the spokes are free to take the correct angle. Why don't you show what you've done? Which spokes (gauge) did you use?

 

The portable battery operated welders all seem to work the same. They use a different principle to normal spot-welding. In normal spot welding, you need pressure to ensure all the current goes through the material yo want to weld. If you use pressure with the portable ones, the resistance is too low and more current than what the device can give tries to flow, and it collapses. The idea is to use less pressure so that you have higher resistance and make more heat . As I said before, If you press too hard, you get no weld; if you press just right, you get a good one, and if you press too light, you get sparks that blow through the metal. Basically, you're using your feel to adjust the quality of the weld. I found the best technique is to press down hard to make sure that the strip makes good contact with the battery, then release the pressure enough just to hold everything in place while I pressed the switch. That's no so easy on the ones that weld with a timer delay because it goes off when you're not ready.

He's used a radial spoke pattern, so there's no angle to any spokes. If yours are angled, then you've done a 1-cross pattern, which is better, but only if the spokes are free to take the correct angle. Why don't you show what you've done? Which spokes (gauge) did you use?

 

The portable battery operated welders all seem to work the same. They use a different principle to normal spot-welding. In normal spot welding, you need pressure to ensure all the current goes through the material yo want to weld. If you use pressure with the portable ones, the resistance is too low and more current than what the device can give tries to flow, and it collapses. The idea is to use less pressure so that you have higher resistance and make more heat . As I said before, If you press too hard, you get no weld; if you press just right, you get a good one, and if you press too light, you get sparks that blow through the metal. Basically, you're using your feel to adjust the quality of the weld. I found the best technique is to press down hard to make sure that the strip makes good contact with the battery, then release the pressure enough just to hold everything in place while I pressed the switch. That's no so easy on the ones that weld with a timer delay because it goes off when you're not ready.

 

 

Ill post some pictures over the weekend, Id say it's currently a 2 cross, not sure about the spoke gauge, I'll find out by measuring.

 

Probably I should get a new rim that has angled holes.. the q70 has 36 holes though so not so easy to find as the 28h rims.

 

 

 

I think a foot pedal would be very useful from what you are saying.. mine was going off as soon as contact was made, so as you say very difficult to control the pressure.

Crossed spokes ?

 

All radial laced.

Indeed it is,, I was confused by the picture angle

Indeed it is,, I was confused by the picture angle

So was I at first. I had to study it to see what it actually was.

Here are some pictures

 

Needs cables tidying still,, but you can get an idea of the spoke pattern and bending.. they are like a gentle s shape bend. 2mm diameter spokes.

 

I can't find a rim available online that has 36 holes with angled holes. Angled ones are available for Brompton with 28 holes and it sounds like a fancy spoke pattern with different length spokes will make that ok to thread 36 hole hub onto 28 hole rim.

 

The battery pack I'm very happy with how compact it is.. I don't know how long the juice will last in reality yet.. but it's 36v 7ah. So in theory at 250 watt it should last 1 hour.

 

The motor is very powerful on full throttle level 5 assistance, I don't see the need for anything more and can see why that's the legal limit for a bike to be honest.. feels like your going down hill when your going up hill with just a little peddling your flying. My partner had a go and it's quite funny to watch someone on a Brompton traveling up hill that fast.

I think those spokes will be OK. I've seen worse. maybe check the tension after a few hundred miles. You'll probably be OK if you can find a rim without eyelets. I'm pretty sure that I used the same rim as you (Sun CR18) when I built one. I used straight 14g spokes, which I cut down from longer ones and threaded them myself.

I found a solution to ease my worries about battery.. a LIPO fire proof storage bag.

for less than 10 quid and what we hear about fires and e bikes surely they should be essential?

I think those spokes will be OK. I've seen worse. maybe check the tension after a few hundred miles. You'll probably be OK if you can find a rim without eyelets. I'm pretty sure that I used the same rim as you (Sun CR18) when I built one. I used straight 14g spokes, which I cut down from longer ones and threaded them myself.

 

 

 

Yes that's the rim I bought,

 

 

Out of interest what tyres do you use on it? I've got the marathons and they are very tight fit on this rim.

 

I'll leave it all be for now and keep an eye on it.. but I can see me threading it onto the original Brompton 28h rim that I removed.. it doesn't have eyelets and the holes are slightly angled to each side.

Marathon tyres are a tight fit on Brompton rims, especially the Plus, thats normal.

 

I have stopped using Marathon Plus and have switched to Continental Contact Urbans. They roll very well, seem to be highly puncture resistant, are cheaper and much lighter than Marathons. Easy to fit too, especially to folding version.

Yes that's the rim I bought,

 

 

Out of interest what tyres do you use on it? I've got the marathons and they are very tight fit on this rim.

 

I'll leave it all be for now and keep an eye on it.. but I can see me threading it onto the original Brompton 28h rim that I removed.. it doesn't have eyelets and the holes are slightly angled to each side.

I used a Marathon Plus. I wasn't able to get it on myself. Normally, I never use levers to put a tyre on, but this one wouldn't go on with my motorbike tyre levers. I had to take it to a bike shop, and the guy there couldn't get it on either until he went deep into his tool store and pulled out a 2ft long tyre lever. Using all his strength, he finally got it over the rim.

I used a Marathon Plus. I wasn't able to get it on myself. Normally, I never use levers to put a tyre on, but this one wouldn't go on with my motorbike tyre levers. I had to take it to a bike shop, and the guy there couldn't get it on either until he went deep into his tool store and pulled out a 2ft long tyre lever. Using all his strength, he finally got it over the rim.

 

 

I feel you with that,,, I took it off to change the inner tube today. I only just manage to do it with 3 metal tyre levers making the smallest steps around the wheel and pretty much hoping for the best I don't pop the inner tube in the process. I'm not looking forward to getting a puncture in the rain with this one. At least I can fold it up and get on the bus.

Edited September 30, 20232 yr by pears_91

I feel you with that,,, I took it off to change the inner tube today. I only just manage to do it with 3 metal tyre levers making the smallest steps around the wheel and pretty much hoping for the best I don't pop the inner tube in the process.

 

Never had a significant problem myself with the Marathon Plus, but then the rims I have used them on are the 28 hole rims specifically for the Brompton.

Never had a significant problem myself with the Marathon Plus, but then the rims I have used them on are the 28 hole rims specifically for the Brompton.

It's just that Sun CR18 rim that's tricky.

I feel you with that,,, I took it off to change the inner tube today. I only just manage to do it with 3 metal tyre levers making the smallest steps around the wheel and pretty much hoping for the best I don't pop the inner tube in the process. I'm not looking forward to getting a puncture in the rain with this one. At least I can fold it up and get on the bus.

The MP tyre stops you from getting punctures. That's why you volunteer to go through that pain.

The MP tyre stops you from getting punctures. That's why you volunteer to go through that pain.

 

 

I've got standard marathon

 

I've always had punctures from time to time even with marathon plus on my old bike. It's the downside of living in Sheffield the steal city.. scrap, screws, nails, nuts, bolts and glass all over the place.

You can't spoke a 28h rim to a 36h motor, you need a 36h rim which has exactly the same dimensions as the original Brompton 's to fit the original tyre. Some vendors on the net don't supply kits specifically for Brompton so you get the right motor but wrong rim.

You can't spoke a 28h rim to a 36h motor, you need a 36h rim which has exactly the same dimensions as the original Brompton 's to fit the original tyre. Some vendors on the net don't supply kits specifically for Brompton so you get the right motor but wrong rim.

 

 

Hi whoosh,,

 

I can't see me going down the threading onto 28h rim route, but from what I have seen online it is possible. route as the examples I can find wouldn't solve my problem anyway,, they use a crazy spoke pattern and they don't go into alternate holes on the rim,, so if they were angled they wouldn't be angled in the correct direction for this kind of spoke pattern anyway. So I would still get spokes bent and at even worse angles.

 

 

There doesn't seem to be any 16inch 36h rim out there with angled spoke holes available in the UK.. some that look like they might be from AliExpress but they don't provide enough details for me to be sure. But I'll keep going as it is for now and update if I have any problems in the long term.

 

 

I don't know if it's bedding in, or if my mind is adjusting but it doesn't look as bad to me now as it did when I first threaded them.. and if I do have any problems maybe there is a different spoke material that is more forgiving and will handle the bend,, such as titanium.

Your spoke pattern is OK. The issue I mentioned was to have the same sized rim that fits the original tyre without efforts. Here is my wheel fitted with the original schwalbe Racer. I thread the wheels myself. My kit was a prototype, the rims we use now are silver.

 

Edited October 1, 20232 yr by Woosh

Your spoke pattern is OK. The issue I mentioned was to have the same sized rim that fits the original tyre without efforts. Here is my wheel fitted with the original schwalbe Racer. I thread the wheels myself.

 

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Ahh on,, sorry yes I have 2 problems,

The tyre tight fit and the spokes bent..

 

both not ideal and if I was starting again a 28hole motor would be better for a Brompton conversion... but on the other hand this q70 motor I am pleasantly surprised how good the finish and materials are, how powerful it feels and it does fit perfectly in the front forks.

 

What motor did you use?

Same Q70

Same Q70

 

Ok looks good, and yours is 28h?

 

The one I bought was from BMS and is out of stock now but they only have advertised 36h.

 

I wonder if it's been discontinued

Edited October 1, 20232 yr by pears_91

36h. It took me a while to sort out the rim. It took me a while to find the right profile and got it bespoke made.

36h. It took me a while to sort out the rim. It took me a while to find the right profile and got it bespoke made.

[/quote

 

Would you sell a rim by any chance?