Thanks Mike - just installed my G3 Brompton kit (received after a year of painful waiting!) and referenced your video heavily. Much truer to reality than they Swytch install info. I had the same question about the positoning of the PAS sensor and went with your suggestion. Really appreciate you doing this for the benefit of others like me.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I am glad that you found the video helpful. It’s amazing how many people are buying 3D printed parts to fix the PAS sensor when there is an easy solution that we have both done, and it looks much neater. Enjoy your new electrified Brompton.
Been watching for two years and hands down, the best, simplest and, importantly, most informative Swytch installation for a Brompton I’ve seen. And also the most relevant comments. My kit arriving soon. Huge thanks, big grin. Bravo, Mike Knowles. Stay safe, and happy trails. 🐾🎶
Thank you Mike. Soooo helpful in giving a realistic sense of Swytch delivery times, fitting issues/solutions and folding issues and solutions. Having been looking at Swytch on and off for 2 years with so far unsatisfied concerns about battery position on Ptype/pretzel/butterfly bars I decided to go for it regardless and ordered a couple of weeks ago. Been having cold feet since then but feeling much more confident after seeing your video.
Rebecca, Thank you. Hopefully your kit has arrived by now and you have it fitted. Mine is still going strong and I have added a MAX battery and an OLED controller.
@@mikeknowles6063 Going to be my configuration, too Mike. Are you using the Swytch OLED, or did you find one that fits and is less $$ ? My kit arriving soon.
Very useful. I just received my Switch Kit two days ago and the bike shop that normally installs e-bike kits has stopped due to the fact that, in the owner's words, too labor intensive and he loses money. But from this tutorial, you made it seem simple and easy. Thanks for doing the research and hard work.
Thank you so much for this video, you made everything so clear. I have just fitted my Swytch kit successfully. I’ve never even taken a wheel off a bike before!
Hi, I fitted the early version to my 2021 Brompton and faced my battery rearward for a cleaner front end and easier fold. I did my pedal sensor as you did. Great fun, I have ordered the new batteries. 👌
Thank you for the video Mike. I love the viaduct shot amazing. I fitted a GEN 1 kit to my Wife’s 2001 Brompton in 2021 and thought it a bit expensive so didn’t bother getting one at the time. She then proceeded to whip me up the hills with very little effort so when the Gen 2 kit came out I ordered one. I finally took delivery last week. I don’t have enough space between the left crank and the pivot frame to place my sensor so I have ordered a spacer to locate the sensor closer to the crank disc. My crank disc was too loose even when bolted tight so I pinched a bit of the foam from the other crank arm kit to pack it out and this has worked.
Thank you. The end of the video is in a place called Pontrhydyfen which has an old railway red brick Viaduct and a stone Aqueduct. Both are now on cycle routes. The one I’m on in the video is the Aqueduct, which no longer carries water. Enjoy you newly electrified Brompton. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontrhydyfen dramaticheart.wales/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/The-Richard-Burton-Trail.pdf
Hi Mike. Great to see the Big Apple in Mumbles, just down the road from where I live. My wife and I have a couple of Bromptons which we carry in the back of a 61-yr old Cessna that we fly from Swansea Airport. They only just fit though and it was useful to see your video as clearly the Brompton doesn't fold quite as small with the kit installed and would no longer fit in the baggage compartment on the plane. I had been thinking of getting the Swytch kit but you've saved me a wasted purchase.
Thank you Mark, you are correct. With the bracket mounted to the back of the handlebars and therefore facing outwards when folded, there is an increase in the folded width. My S type would be 32cm wide folded as standard un-modified, but with the Swytch bracket it’s about 38cm wide. It would be good if they made a bracket that somehow worked in conjunction with the luggage block. Coincidentally I had a similar worry about the folded size when I ordered the kit, but luckily the bike still fits (just) in the front boot of my Porsche.
This video and comment got me thinking that an engineering design solution might be possible. How about making the battery mounting block somehow foldable, thus minimizing the obtrusion. My kit, to be installed on the M handlebars, arriving soon. Fingers crossed re all functionality aspects.
@@lonestarlaurel I have a similar issue with a Tern bike, have just rechecked the Swytch website and they now sell a mounting kit for the luggage carrier on the front, since I don't regularly use this I think it is a good solution with keeping the 'fold', have emailed Swytch support to see what they think, and how much the kit is, it's called Bro Block.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. It will be interesting to see how quickly Swytch manufactures the next batch of orders. Hopefully it should be a lot quicker.
Hi Mike, Thanks for the video. I have just installed the same kit with the S bar like yours and managed to have it fold with it mounted to the front. I moved the mount poition by unscrewing the clamp unit and re-attaching using the second set of holes thus changing the position and it folds with a kits whisker to spare. I then employed the extended location post that they supplied. I presume this doesn't help for M bar owners. Was pleased to not have to mount it on the inside. Hope it works for you.
Well done Richard, that is good news, and I think others will find this info useful too. I’ve actually got used to the reverse mounting of the battery, and have used the extra set of holes to fix and conceal the excess cable and unused connectors. Enjoy your electrified Brompton ! And thanks for the comments.
I highly recomend installing brake sensor in every bike. I had accident where my 3000w controller got wet and did full throttle by itself. I had no brake sensors and almost crashed. Good thing i did safety switch in my bike and was fast enough to use it in that moment.
Yes, I can understand the argument for brake sensors especially on bikes with throttles, and with higher wattage motors. The 250W kit with just a pedal cadence sensor I fitted in this video feels safe without sensors. I will say that an amount of caution is required when performing tight manoeuvres to avoid the motor kicking in at the wrong moment. My wife has two e-bikes from mainstream bike manufacturers and neither has brake sensors. Thanks for the comment and your interest in my video. Be careful on your 3000 watt bike - for that, I would want a parachute 😀
Swytch should be rewarding you handsomely for that video. There instructions are utter garbage with some funy music rather than dealing with the details. Thank you very much
Thank you, I am glad you found the video useful. UA-cam is always a fantastic resource when I need some instructions, so I thought it would be great to contribute and give something back.
Thanks so much! Writing from upper NY state - a place where the Brompton is essentially unknown. I've been agonizing over buying the Brompton electric - the one I would want is $5,000 American - kinda crazy. This Switch should make the difference although right now it is Out of Stock - I'll probably bite and buy the Brompton C and add the Swytch when its possible to do it. Watching your video gave me more nerve - I think I can do this myself. Warmest regards and keep on truckin on your Brompton Jennie
Jennie, Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. The Brompton itself is a great bike, I am sure you will like it, either Brompton Electric, a Swytch conversion, or even the standard non electrified version. The Brompton electric has a bigger battery with more range, and a torque based sensor. The Swytch is slightly lighter due to the smaller battery, and uses a Cadence based sensor. The conversion is a enjoyable process if you have a Brompton already, but don’t rule out the official Brompton Electric if you spot on 2nd hand or at a reduced price.
@@mikeknowles6063 I bought 2 Bromptons on sale and one Swytch kit! I'm going to throw them both in the trunk at our upcoming family vacation so we can all have fun and get the concept of how revolutionary the Brompton could be in our lives. Thanks again for the great video
Thanks for the video! Do you have any drag in the front wheel (when the battery is off)? I just bought one, but It can hardly turn 3-4 times before stopping...and it makes it very hard once you run out of battery...
Yes there is some drag in the wheel. I was also a bit worried about it initially. There is another video on my channel where I compare two Swytch wheels, one for a Brompton, and one for a 26inch bike. Have a look at this video and see if it looks similar to how your wheel behaves. After more riding I have become less worried about the resistance. It doesn’t seem to slow me down above 15mph.
Hello, and thank you for the video. My Brompton came with a front wheel dynamo providing power to both front and rear lights. However, after replacing it with the 16-inch Swytch tire motor, I'm unable to connect to my existing front and rear lights. Have you encountered this issue? If so, do you have any adapters that can link my existing electric cable for both lights to the Swytch battery? There are two new round connectors available, but I'm uncertain about their use. Thank you.
I use conventional rechargeable lights. I think this is the best option for the Swytch system. My wife has a Shimano powered electric bike and this does have terminals to wire lights, but this was a £3000 bike.
I installed the Swytch kit on a new C Line Brompton yesterday and went through exactly the same problems (I did exactly the same thing for the sensor). And indeed the battery mount is a design fault. However I found a nice solution that you might like to get the battery facing forward. 1- First I did what Richard did: I moved the mount position by unscrewing the clamp unit and re-attaching using the second set of holes thus changing the position and it folds, but also using the 3rd position (p25 of the manual) with screw hidden) as I think it is a few mm higher. However, it still did not want to fold using the extended location post that they supplied. 2- The mount touches the wheel bars by ~5mm... so after trying different methods and looking at the mount, I saw that the bottom part does not need the extra piece of plastic up to the shape that goes into the battery. I took a metal saw (there is a piece of metal inside) and cut neatly that part... and now it just folds ...so just in case you cange your mind later or other want to do it instead of having the battery facing the biker, I thought I post it.
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my video with some excellent advice and detailed instructions. I think its great that we have all found our own ways to install the kit, working round the issues, and slight differences in our bikes. I enjoyed the process, and perhaps if it had been a more straight forward install it wouldn't have been so much fun. This video has been far more popular than I could ever have imagined, so hopefully the video and comment like yours have been useful to many people.
Thanks for the workaround as I like that the battery is protected by the frame when folded. My Swytch is apparently en route to New Zealand so I'm looking forward to the install once it arrives.
I am about to click pay for the new swytch go+. Your video has really helped. Maybe it is me but I am finding it hard to get info on a couple of things. Does the swytch damage the gearing? And do the brake blocks wear out quicker?
It does not damage the gearing - you effectively have a 2 wheel drive bike. I guess that there may be a very minimal chance of increased brake wear if you travel faster and therefore brake from higher speeds.
Hi Mike, thanks for your video. I will have my set very soon. As reference, how is the performance during climbing. I will take the bike with this kit for a tour with lot of climbing.
Norman, thank you I am glad you found the video useful. It’s difficult to quantify the performance uphill, but I will try. I would call myself a strong rider, live in a hilly area, and mostly use the very lowest power level on the bike. I’m very much treating this kit as assistance rather than propulsion and have been pleasantly surprised . Out of the saddle under high effort you need to be careful not to knock your knees on the battery, but with electric assistance this level of effort is unusual. I can imagine that a user who was expecting this tiny motor and tiny battery to propel them up long steep hills without any user effort they might be disappointed. As I’m sure you’re aware tyre pressure is also critical for the performance of any Brompton, electrified or not. By far the best upgrade I made to the Brompton for climbing and everyday use was to switch from the standard 50 tooth chainring to a 44 tooth. To me, the Brompton with a 50 chainring seemed overgeared for the type of riding I used it for. Hope you enjoy your new electrified Brompton.
Great video Mike, I’m still learning about Brompton world, and just landed to your video and swytch ones. What advice would you give for a puchase? buy a brand new c line and a swytch kit, or go directly for an electric born Brompton electric? (Talking about c line in both cases, I suppose) thank you and keep up making such great videos!
Great video, I am currently following along installing mine. One question: I find the front cable tie for the pedal sensor is obstructing the way for the seat tube when folding the bike... Did others struggle with that too? Any solutions? Sadly the adhesive on my sensor was no good, relying on cable ties.
Emilie, Thank you. This is a good question, and something that I should have shown in more detail on the video. So, for the pedal sensor I used two cable ties. The rearward one is easy, it goes behind the seat tube on top, and underneath. The front cable tie is the tricky one, if goes in front of the seat tube on the top, and then behind the seat tube underneath. It seems odd, as you thread them this way, but when they tighten it all seems secure. On the underside you should find that there is a slight protrusion of seat tube (not seat post) which prevents the ties from moving even when the seat post is fully extended. Finally I used a third small cable tie to secure the wire for the sensor to the rearward cable tie. This is to make sure there is no strain on the sensor during the folding/unfolding process. Hope this all helps.
Thanks Mike for your useful video! It made me easier to install my Brompton Swytch kit. I noticed that the battery level shown in the display (I have stadard display as yours) is always different from the charge level shown on the battery. As an example on the battery a 3 led level is shown whereas on the display 1 led level (or blinking so no power available) is shown resulting in a limited range. Did you noticed the same behaviour with your kit? Another question: do you know if there is a front light compatible with Brompton frame that can be connected to throttle cable?
Yes, I saw similar differences between the display and the lights on the battery.This seems to be normal, and the correct and trusted level is that shown on the display. Since making the video, I have purchased and installed the OLED display, and this has the same characteristics. I don’t think there is any way to connect lights to the kit without taking it apart and hacking into the wiring which personally I wouldn’t do. There are some great rechargeable lights available these days, I’d recommend some Lezyne Zectos which I recently put on my wife’s bike.
Hello Mike Thanks for your video I have a question : when you fold your Brompton is there a part of the frame that puts pressure on the PAS causing this one to be tilted hence causing jerks in the engine when pedaling (this is the situation i am facing with my swytch kit mounted on my Brompton ) ? if no you may have a different version of Brompton (mine seems to be older than yours) , I could send you a photo if my question is not clear . Thanks Axel
Axel, I don’t seem to have any issues with the disk of magnets. I did initially have an issue where tension in the cable was moving the sensor during the fold. This was alleviated by allowing some slack in the cable. This doesn’t sound like the problem you have. I am aware that the Brompton design has changed very slightly over the years, but I don’t know what those changes were. If you’ve tried Swytch themselves for support and still have issues please can I suggest posting a question with picture on the ‘Swytch Bike Chat’ Facebook group. This is a big community of users and someone may be able to help.
hi. thanks for the video. i have had mine delivered as well. i think ive assembled it correctly but the power seems a bit weak esp compared to the Brompton Electric. What has your experience been RE the power of the motor? thanks.
Thank you. I’ve not tried a real Brompton electric but I have tried other electric bikes, and it seems comparable to me. If anything the initial take off with the Swytch seemed more speedy. I think it’s worth double checking that you have the wheel size set correctly. Mine came set to 28 inches , and there was a big difference when I set it correctly to 16 inches.
This is a good question. Unfortunately I don’t have an answer. I am trying to order an OLED display from Swytch as a replacement for the standard display. There are some posts on the Facebook ‘Swytch Bike Chat’ discussing replacement displays, but I’ve not seen anything promising yet. If you find a suitable aftermarket display please let us know, perhaps via the Facebook group. Although I was initially disappointed with the standard display, it does work, is easy to change assist level whilst cycling, and gives access to all of the settings. The only downsides are it’s large size, and old fashioned appearance.
hi i’ve also got the Swytch Air installed on a brompton bike and was puzzled why it gives up after only 12km on a flat terrain on light mode (level 1-2) … thinking my battery was faulty. has anyone actually reached 15 km with Air?
Hi Mike, I was wondering if it would be possible for you to do a video (or send to me directly) of just spinning the motor wheel manually to see how long it spins based on the added resistance of the motor; mine has quite an (unexpected) amount and I'm not sure if it's normal, despite assurances from Swytch...
Good idea Chis, the video is up in my channel now , thanks for the inspiration. Mine also has a lot of resistance, and in the video I compare it with a non Brompton Swytch wheel with interesting results. ua-cam.com/video/gJiIUOcLWtk/v-deo.html
Hi Mike, great vlog, hope you're enjoying your Swytch Kit. I experienced the very same issue, with regard to the fold. I released two vlogs on the matter, '2022 Brompton Swytch Kit' & 'Brompton Swytch Kit battery mount update'. It has prompted quite a few frustrated comments, and I tend to agree, Brompton should have sorted this issue at the design phase. But still, it's a great ride with the kit. Happy riding. Mal.
Thanks Mal, I watched the first of your videos just after I had started filming mine, and I laughed when I saw that we had both found ‘the empty box’. I agree, the ride is great, and electrification seems to suit the Brompton well. For me, the change of orientation of the handlebar battery mount is not a problem, apart from the original instructions, and promo pictures being wrong as you pointed out in your 2nd video. At least with the reverse orientation we have the advantage of being able to remove the battery after folding or before unfolding. Thanks.
@@mikeknowles6063 What about cycling with the swytch on the bike but not in use.... My point is would this not be great just for Hills on Touring.... ? and turned off when on the flat or descending ?
Hi Mike (and all). GREAT video. I went through the same process than you during the installation. Wish I would have seen your video earlier (would have saved me re fitting the battery mount 😊). For those waiting, I have myself been through a (very) long delay with regards to original expected date. Likely they overestimated how efficient they could be. Having the kit with me, long wait is almost forgotten. I just need to understand why I have a blinking red light in my display every now and then: anyone has experienced it ? In my case, wait is proving to be truly worth having the kit.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, I hope you are enjoying your newly electrified Brompton. The ‘Swytch Bike Chat’ Facebook group may be a good place to ask about the flashing red LED you see.
hi Mike thanks for this video. I was just wondering what equipment you used to film that amazing footage on the viaduct. especially from behind but also the footage from the front as you're cycling, it's so zoomed out and effective. If you could let me know that would be brilliant. Best wishes!
Thank you Matthew. Most of the video is filmed on a GoPro 7, but the bit at the end with me riding the bike is using an Insta360 X3. It’s a camera that films everything in 360 degrees, and you choose the framing and zoom once you download to a phone/iPad/PC etc. The camera is capable of somehow ignoring the selfie stick from the captured video giving the effect similar to being followed by a drone. There is another video on my channel that shows it off a bit better “Blue Sky Ski Day…… “ if you’re interested.
Thanks Mike. I fitted my kit today, BEFORE watching your video. Every point you raised is covered in the latest instruction manual... which I never read until AFTER watching your vlog. I will be re-fitting the kit tomorrow exactly as you have done with cables attached to existing cables, putting the sensor on the the spacers supplied and which I didn't know even existed, and the control on the LEFT HAND SIDE. On your vlog. Mate, fantastic. Firstly, it felt as though I'd popped around to a mate's house to see/learn how to fit a Brompton kit - just like how knowledge was originally passed on. Then you went into GCN mode with the riding and the music - absolutely brilliant. And, how did you create a video that hides the camera stalk? Mike, thank you so much for your efforts. I could see the video cuts and know there was some really involved editing there just to show something to a very small audience. Well, 65 comments to data and 200 odd likes ain't bad.
Paul, thanks for the great review of my video. I never imagined it would be viewed so many times when I posted it to UA-cam. The sequences at the end with me riding the bike were filmed using a new camera I have called an Insta360 X3. it’s an amazing bit of kit and there is another video on my channel which shows it off a bit better called ‘“Blue Sky Ski Day…..”. I am also a big GCN fan so I am flattered by the comparison. Hope you enjoy using your new electrified Brompton.
Excellent stuff. I have the mk2 Pro version and was wondering if it is worth upgrading to the mk3. Do you have a speedometer? If so, I'd love to know what the difference in torque is between a battery that's fully charged and when it's half full. One indication of this may be the max speed you can get up to at various battery levels. My typical journey there and back is 12miles and is pretty hilly but usually get home with about 1/2 charge left. However, the journey back is noticably less zippy. I'm a little concerned that the smaller batteries will make this effect even more noticable as the battery will have discharged much more than my huge Mk2 Pro battery after 12miles. Thanks for pointing out the bike folding issue. Something to consider as it looks like it sticks out a bit.
Thank you. I don’t have a speedometer on the Brompton, but I am not noticing a significant performance drop as the battery discharges. I run mine on the 60% power option, and on the lowest assist level , and have pedal assist only (no throttle). Comparing the specs of your battery versus the new mk3 ones, I think you’re better off sticking with what you have. The motor is the same, so The only advantages would be the aesthetics and cleaner design of the mk3. Maybe wait for a mk4 which has some newer, lighter, longer lasting battery technology.
Thank you. Is it too heavy ? I don’t think so. My Brompton S6L with kit installed is now 14.4 kg without the battery and 15.1 kg with the Air battery. I would recommend carrying it with battery detached and in a pocket or another bag. Depending on which Brompton you have, yours may be heavier or lighter to start with. The Swytch website says that the folding Air kit adds 2.2 kg, and a Max kit adds 2.6 kg. The difference in weight between the Air kit and the Max kit makes me wish I had chosen Max rather than Air. You get double the range for an extra 0.4 kg. If your trip is multi day, away from home don’t forget that you will also need to carry the charger which is another 0.5 kg.
Hello Mike, I bought this kit for my Brompton in max version and I am very disappointed because I do not exceed 21 km distance with a full charge on flat and windless terrain, can you tell me what your autonomy is?
Dominique, when the video was made I had just the Air battery and the basic controller. My range with the Air battery was around 16km. I have now purchased the Max battery and the OLED controller. I have only used the bike once with this new configuration , making three journeys in one day, carrying laptop etc in front bag, and with some hills. The total was 35km and the display still showed I had 2 bars of battery remaining. It’s difficult to say for sure but I have the feeling the OLED display is improving my range too, but I have nothing scientific to back this up. I think I should point out that I consider myself a fairly strong rider, and weigh 70kg. I use mainly the lowest power level 1, only switching to level 3 for one short 12% hill. I do not have a throttle, and the kit is working pedal assist only. My tyres are inflated to the optimum pressure.
It's such a shame I didn't find this video before I'd installed the handle bar mount! Still at least I know mounting it so the battery faces inward will work. Off to do that now. Thanks!
It’s a fiddly job making sure all the shims are in place whilst the bolts are tightened isn’t it. I’ve found the reverse mounted battery is not a problem and have got used to it now.
the music is ok but not appropriate. Loved your time and effort explaining everything. well done. Silence is much better or sounds of the road/traffic.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment under my video. My audio quality from a GoPro camera is not the best, and I use music to hide as much wind noise and clicks and bangs as I can. Have a look at some of my cycle travel videos on my channel and see if you prefer the music tracks on these videos. Thanks again, I hope your Swytch install has gone well.
I have now been able to buy a MAX 180Wh battery for £280 including delivery from the Swytch shop. There is no option in there to buy the Air 90Wh battery separate from the kit.
When you order a kit you are able to order multiple batteries. At the moment they don’t have batteries in stock to sell you an additional battery. They will add you to a waiting list for when more batteries are available if you request via a support ticket.
Thanks for taking the time to film and post this video. You will have saved me time and frustration when my kit arrives later this month. One question...is there a particular website you went to when you found issues like the pedal sensor and bike battery having to moved to the inside of the handlebars? thank you
Thank you. When I installed my kit in early January, there was much less information around, and I was just using google to search for help. The Swytch website now has more info on Brompton specific install ‘challenges’. Also on Facebook there is the ‘Swytch Bike Chat’ group that has a lot of useful advice. To me, it was part of the fun of installing the kit, but could see it might be useful to make a video. Pedal sensor positioning - support.swytchbike.com/hc/en-gb/articles/10196928432529-Brompton-Pedal-Sensor-Disc-fitting- Handlebar bracket (page 38)- www.swytchbike.com/manual.pdf
Thanks Mike. You would have thought they would get the instructions right. I imagine a lot of head scratching for people who haven't watched your video. Can I ask do you feel any resistance pedaling with the motor off? And how much did yours cost? Thanks
Thank you. I can’t feel any significant resistance when pedalling with the assist switched off, but If you spin the wheel with your hand when the bike is lifted, there is some resistance. My Air kit for Brompton cost £554 including delivery, when I ordered it in May 2022. The prices seem to have increased since then.
Thanks for the great video! I just got my kit for my Brompton and am currently installing it. In the manual it mentions rubber covers for the wheel nuts but I didn't gee them and I noticed you don't seem to have them on either. Did yours not come with them either?
Thanks Calvin. There were no rubber covers with mine, I don’t think the Brompton version needs them because of how neatly the cable exits the axle. Coincidentally, I have just finished an install for someone else, with a 26 inch wheel, and this does have rubber covers. Everything is much chunkier on the 26inch wheel and I think the rubber covers are there mainly to prevent you injuring yourself on the bolts which protrude quite some way.
@@mikeknowles6063 Ah, I see. Thanks for letting me know. Yeah, someone else with the Brompton kit also told me they didn't get rubber nut covers so I think you're right about it not being needed for us.
I've just purchased a Brompton and will be electrifying it in accordance with UK law soon lol and lol some more. 0n a side note can you please tell me what programme you use for your Insta 360 camera I've got a half decent laptop it's not an Apple laptop, I've had the 360 camera since late 2018 and have III filmed shed loads of stuff during the first lockdown as I reside in central London I was on a illegal electric bike at the time so I was covering central London In world record Never to be repeated Super Quicktime, With The camera and Invisible selfie stick strapped to my Chopa handlebars With zip ties. The police THOUGHT I was using some sort of radar or photo shooting Google Maps For Google, I was zipping in and out of Whitehal and the mall at that point. There were no 360 gadgets then Like there is now For securing your stick on your bike So I have to use zip ties However I have never viewed The now terabyte load of footage as my computer at the time was not powerful enough to accept the 360 programme, I'm pretty sure things have changed now so I if you Tell me what programme you use that will be most helpful,
Thank you, it’s on my to do list. I will test whether it is possible to change it to the US maximum assist speed. Too busy with unassisted bikes lat the weekend.
Really useful - especially the sensor placement! Anyone fitted the ‘broblock’ to the front for lower battery mounting? Appe[arently this should help with centre of gravity being a bit lower, but unhelpful no instructions on fitting.
Thank you, Personally, I didn’t order the parts to mount the battery in place of the luggage block because I regularly use a bag on the luggage block. In the future I may investigate fabricating a bracket in aluminium to combine the battery mount and a Brompton luggage mount. You are correct, it would lower the centre of gravity, but also don’t forget, the Swytch batteries are not as heavy as on most e-bikes.
No, in the case of a Brompton with its 16 inch wheels, setting a larger wheel size would make the maximum speed slower rather than faster. Not very rebellious. Maybe on a bike which actually has 700c wheels you could set a smaller wheel size to raise the maximum speed. Whether this should or should not be done is another question.
@@mikeknowles6063 I'm pretty sure I average 18-22 mph on my C line 2 speed, without being an e bike, and with a tailwind it spins out at 24-25 mph, and although there may come a time when I'll need to e bike it I think only 15 mph assistance when it's 20 mph in the US is just wimpy wall flower, but I'll try and get a test ride all the same. I've been riding steel racing bikes for nearly 30 years so am not I guess the average rider, no pride intended, and e power is certainly helpful in winter head winds and climbs on a Brompton. It's hard to ride a racing bike at only 15 mph unless your just gently warming up so the current 'law' is pointless in that case.
Looks like there is a user configurable setting, accessible via the standard display where you can change the maximum speed from 15mph to 20mph without any wheel size hacking. www.swytchbike.com/manual.pdf
@@mikeknowles6063 19mph on 'US' settings with my fat body. Considering it's not often traffic in London gets that high, it's adequate. I rarely get to go that fast in London but there's odd occasion where I have to transition to 100% people power and when that happens, the transition is quite smooth. It's only those days when it's cold and windy and you just want to get home, I really wish it could go a bit faster. And going up big hills with the wind in your face is the biggest benefit you get out of pedlecs anyway.
How did you manage to get a kit delivered? Are you getting paid by them ? I ordered a year ago and still waiting to be delivered. Just get a false promise of “ shipping next week” for the last four months. Don’t waste you time and money on SWYTCH
I think you should ask for a refund, that sounds like too long a wait. I ordered this kit in May 2022, and it arrived in late December 2022. At the same time, I also ordered a second Max kit for brother in laws 26 inch wheeled bike, and this has only just arrived. Oh , and no, I have no connection with Swytch, I just thought it would make an interesting and useful video.
@@mikeknowles6063 I have asked for a refund and they just keep saying please wait . I am afraid I will lose my money. There are many others in similar situation. I wonder if they are running some kind of a Ponzi scheme .
@@airportdocumentaries yes I did finally receive the kit ( in two parts). Installed it and seems to work okay. The battery level fluctuates for some reason.
@@mdab007 Which one did you order Max or the standard swytch? And would you recommend it? I'm thinking of buying a Brompton soon and would like to find a good electric conversion kit.
The Air battery you see in the video is 90Wh and 36V , so I think that equates to 2.5Ah . There is also a bigger Max battery available that is 180Wh 36V , so that one should be 5Ah I think.
@@mikeknowles6063 That is tiny. The range must be terrible. I have an ebike with a standard 6ah battery and when it was new I could get about 15 miles on pedal assist. It's starting to die after about 2 years of heavy use. I can only get about 9 miles now and i might upgrade to a 10ah battery.
Yes the Air is a tiny capacity battery, so tiny and light that it fits in a jacket pocket, and the Brompton looses none of its portability. Range with the Air battery for me is about 16km or 10 miles which is just about as far as I ever go on the Brompton, as I just use this bike for non Lycra appointments around town. I’ve tried it with a Max battery too, and this seems to double the range. I agree it’s still not a huge range but I wouldn’t want a heavier battery on a bike like a Brompton. Hopefully battery technology will improve over the next few years and we can all have lighter, longer lasting, cheaper batteries.
@@mikeknowles6063 They should just make the controller separate from the battery. It looks like everything is consolidated to one unit. This way, you could attach any battery you want and also lower the price of the kit.
To be truthful, it would have been easier to fit a proper electric bike conversion kit, than waiting for the custom wheel, with a good size battery, but each to there own.
Not really. You'll still have to get a custom wheel from somewhere. Bromptons have narrower axle widths than most bikes so that's another thing to be aware of. You may as well get it from the same place as all the other bits and know that all the parts are compatible. At least for the first go at converting a bike to an e-bike. Most other Brompton conversions involve bending forks, drilling holes and other non-reversible modifications. With the Switch kit, you can totally reverse the process without devaluing your Brompton. I looked at loads of options to upgrade my Brompton and this fact alone persuded me to go the Swytch route. It's not the fastest, it doesn't go as far and it's power is based on cadence, not pedal torque so it has got a few compromises but it's cheap and doesn't devalue your bike in the process of fitting it. It's also really light which is a huge benefit for a Brompton. I would not choose a Swytch kit for my offroad trail bike where torque, control and battery size are really important but for my Brompton cycle to work, it's only beaten by the official Brompton e-bike.
The price is variable with how long you are prepared to wait. If you’ve joined the queue for the latest batch of orders, an Air kit like mine is £699 for delivery in April or £625 for delivery in June. A max kit is more. Sign up on the Swytch website to get the latest price offers, there is no commitment to order, they just send you a link with prices.
Wow last time i checked the kit costed 1200€ when i want to have it in 1 month and around 600€ when you want to have it in 9-12 months all only for that, that it doesnt fit in the front and back 👎👎👎
Yes I agree it does now seem expensive. There are now cheap e-bikes on the market which make converting a bike look less attractive,.It does work very well though.
Thanks Mike - just installed my G3 Brompton kit (received after a year of painful waiting!) and referenced your video heavily. Much truer to reality than they Swytch install info. I had the same question about the positoning of the PAS sensor and went with your suggestion. Really appreciate you doing this for the benefit of others like me.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I am glad that you found the video helpful. It’s amazing how many people are buying 3D printed parts to fix the PAS sensor when there is an easy solution that we have both done, and it looks much neater. Enjoy your new electrified Brompton.
I feel silly asking but what is a G3 Brompton kit ??
@@lonestarlaurel 3rd generation Swytch kit
Been watching for two years and hands down, the best, simplest and, importantly, most informative Swytch installation for a Brompton I’ve seen.
And also the most relevant comments. My kit arriving soon.
Huge thanks, big grin.
Bravo, Mike Knowles. Stay safe, and happy trails. 🐾🎶
Thank you Mike. Soooo helpful in giving a realistic sense of Swytch delivery times, fitting issues/solutions and folding issues and solutions. Having been looking at Swytch on and off for 2 years with so far unsatisfied concerns about battery position on Ptype/pretzel/butterfly bars I decided to go for it regardless and ordered a couple of weeks ago. Been having cold feet since then but feeling much more confident after seeing your video.
Rebecca, Thank you. Hopefully your kit has arrived by now and you have it fitted. Mine is still going strong and I have added a MAX battery and an OLED controller.
@@mikeknowles6063 Going to be my configuration, too Mike. Are you using the Swytch OLED, or did you find one that fits and is less $$ ?
My kit arriving soon.
Very useful. I just received my Switch Kit two days ago and the bike shop that normally installs e-bike kits has stopped due to the fact that, in the owner's words, too labor intensive and he loses money. But from this tutorial, you made it seem simple and easy. Thanks for doing the research and hard work.
Thank you Mike! I will be attempting this with two Bromptons tomorrow. You've just simplified the task.
No problem, thank you. I hope your stall went smoothly.
Thank you so much for this video, you made everything so clear. I have just fitted my Swytch kit successfully. I’ve never even taken a wheel off a bike before!
Thank you, I am glad that you found it useful and are enjoying your new electrified bike.
Gratified to read your comment, Margaret. Thank you. That’s me, too, soon. Feeling a bit better now. lol Stay safe and happy trails.
Hi, I fitted the early version to my 2021 Brompton and faced my battery rearward for a cleaner front end and easier fold. I did my pedal sensor as you did. Great fun, I have ordered the new batteries. 👌
I agree, the rearward facing battery is arguably better than having it front facing.
The instruction manual says to mount it rear facing/facing the saddle
This helped in my decision making. Just ordered the switch Go for my Brommie. Thank you
Thank you for the video Mike. I love the viaduct shot amazing. I fitted a GEN 1 kit to my Wife’s 2001 Brompton in 2021 and thought it a bit expensive so didn’t bother getting one at the time. She then proceeded to whip me up the hills with very little effort so when the Gen 2 kit came out I ordered one. I finally took delivery last week. I don’t have enough space between the left crank and the pivot frame to place my sensor so I have ordered a spacer to locate the sensor closer to the crank disc. My crank disc was too loose even when bolted tight so I pinched a bit of the foam from the other crank arm kit to pack it out and this has worked.
Thank you. The end of the video is in a place called Pontrhydyfen which has an old railway red brick Viaduct and a stone Aqueduct. Both are now on cycle routes. The one I’m on in the video is the Aqueduct, which no longer carries water. Enjoy you newly electrified Brompton.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontrhydyfen
dramaticheart.wales/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/The-Richard-Burton-Trail.pdf
@@mikeknowles6063 thank you for the information. If I am in the area I will definitely check it out.
Hi Mike. Great to see the Big Apple in Mumbles, just down the road from where I live. My wife and I have a couple of Bromptons which we carry in the back of a 61-yr old Cessna that we fly from Swansea Airport. They only just fit though and it was useful to see your video as clearly the Brompton doesn't fold quite as small with the kit installed and would no longer fit in the baggage compartment on the plane. I had been thinking of getting the Swytch kit but you've saved me a wasted purchase.
Thank you Mark, you are correct. With the bracket mounted to the back of the handlebars and therefore facing outwards when folded, there is an increase in the folded width. My S type would be 32cm wide folded as standard un-modified, but with the Swytch bracket it’s about 38cm wide. It would be good if they made a bracket that somehow worked in conjunction with the luggage block. Coincidentally I had a similar worry about the folded size when I ordered the kit, but luckily the bike still fits (just) in the front boot of my Porsche.
This video and comment got me thinking that an engineering design solution might be possible. How about making the battery mounting block somehow foldable, thus minimizing the obtrusion.
My kit, to be installed on the M handlebars, arriving soon. Fingers crossed re all functionality aspects.
@@lonestarlaurel I have a similar issue with a Tern bike, have just rechecked the Swytch website and they now sell a mounting kit for the luggage carrier on the front, since I don't regularly use this I think it is a good solution with keeping the 'fold', have emailed Swytch support to see what they think, and how much the kit is, it's called Bro Block.
Great video, showed it to my dad and he found it very entertaining :)
Thank you, entertaining and informative I hope.
Thanks for posting this Mike, I just signed up for notification on the next Swytch kit batch and was interested to see this.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. It will be interesting to see how quickly Swytch manufactures the next batch of orders. Hopefully it should be a lot quicker.
Hi Mike, Thanks for the video. I have just installed the same kit with the S bar like yours and managed to have it fold with it mounted to the front. I moved the mount poition by unscrewing the clamp unit and re-attaching using the second set of holes thus changing the position and it folds with a kits whisker to spare. I then employed the extended location post that they supplied. I presume this doesn't help for M bar owners. Was pleased to not have to mount it on the inside. Hope it works for you.
Well done Richard, that is good news, and I think others will find this info useful too. I’ve actually got used to the reverse mounting of the battery, and have used the extra set of holes to fix and conceal the excess cable and unused connectors. Enjoy your electrified Brompton ! And thanks for the comments.
I did the same for my H handlebars and it worked great.
What is the extended location post? I don’t believe my kit included one.
Thank you for the video Mike, very helpful
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment Louis
Very nice, did you feel a compomise on your knees with the battery facing inwards?
I highly recomend installing brake sensor in every bike. I had accident where my 3000w controller got wet and did full throttle by itself. I had no brake sensors and almost crashed. Good thing i did safety switch in my bike and was fast enough to use it in that moment.
Yes, I can understand the argument for brake sensors especially on bikes with throttles, and with higher wattage motors. The 250W kit with just a pedal cadence sensor I fitted in this video feels safe without sensors. I will say that an amount of caution is required when performing tight manoeuvres to avoid the motor kicking in at the wrong moment. My wife has two e-bikes from mainstream bike manufacturers and neither has brake sensors. Thanks for the comment and your interest in my video. Be careful on your 3000 watt bike - for that, I would want a parachute 😀
Thanks, Mike. Your video has been of great help!
Thank you Saimiri, I am glad it was helpful. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Swytch should be rewarding you handsomely for that video. There instructions are utter garbage with some funy music rather than dealing with the details.
Thank you very much
Thank you, I am glad you found the video useful. UA-cam is always a fantastic resource when I need some instructions, so I thought it would be great to contribute and give something back.
Ditto, on that comment. Bravo, Mike.
Thanks so much! Writing from upper NY state - a place where the Brompton is essentially unknown. I've been agonizing over buying the Brompton electric - the one I would want is $5,000 American - kinda crazy. This Switch should make the difference although right now it is Out of Stock - I'll probably bite and buy the Brompton C and add the Swytch when its possible to do it. Watching your video gave me more nerve - I think I can do this myself.
Warmest regards and keep on truckin on your Brompton
Jennie
Jennie, Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. The Brompton itself is a great bike, I am sure you will like it, either Brompton Electric, a Swytch conversion, or even the standard non electrified version. The Brompton electric has a bigger battery with more range, and a torque based sensor. The Swytch is slightly lighter due to the smaller battery, and uses a Cadence based sensor. The conversion is a enjoyable process if you have a Brompton already, but don’t rule out the official Brompton Electric if you spot on 2nd hand or at a reduced price.
@@mikeknowles6063 I bought 2 Bromptons on sale and one Swytch kit! I'm going to throw them both in the trunk at our upcoming family vacation so we can all have fun and get the concept of how revolutionary the Brompton could be in our lives.
Thanks again for the great video
Thanks for the video! Do you have any drag in the front wheel (when the battery is off)? I just bought one, but It can hardly turn 3-4 times before stopping...and it makes it very hard once you run out of battery...
Yes there is some drag in the wheel. I was also a bit worried about it initially. There is another video on my channel where I compare two Swytch wheels, one for a Brompton, and one for a 26inch bike. Have a look at this video and see if it looks similar to how your wheel behaves. After more riding I have become less worried about the resistance. It doesn’t seem to slow me down above 15mph.
Hello, and thank you for the video. My Brompton came with a front wheel dynamo providing power to both front and rear lights. However, after replacing it with the 16-inch Swytch tire motor, I'm unable to connect to my existing front and rear lights. Have you encountered this issue? If so, do you have any adapters that can link my existing electric cable for both lights to the Swytch battery? There are two new round connectors available, but I'm uncertain about their use. Thank you.
I use conventional rechargeable lights. I think this is the best option for the Swytch system. My wife has a Shimano powered electric bike and this does have terminals to wire lights, but this was a £3000 bike.
I installed the Swytch kit on a new C Line Brompton yesterday and went through exactly the same problems (I did exactly the same thing for the sensor). And indeed the battery mount is a design fault.
However I found a nice solution that you might like to get the battery facing forward.
1- First I did what Richard did: I moved the mount position by unscrewing the clamp unit and re-attaching using the second set of holes thus changing the position and it folds, but also using the 3rd position (p25 of the manual) with screw hidden) as I think it is a few mm higher. However, it still did not want to fold using the extended location post that they supplied.
2- The mount touches the wheel bars by ~5mm... so after trying different methods and looking at the mount, I saw that the bottom part does not need the extra piece of plastic up to the shape that goes into the battery. I took a metal saw (there is a piece of metal inside) and cut neatly that part... and now it just folds ...so just in case you cange your mind later or other want to do it instead of having the battery facing the biker, I thought I post it.
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my video with some excellent advice and detailed instructions. I think its great that we have all found our own ways to install the kit, working round the issues, and slight differences in our bikes. I enjoyed the process, and perhaps if it had been a more straight forward install it wouldn't have been so much fun. This video has been far more popular than I could ever have imagined, so hopefully the video and comment like yours have been useful to many people.
Thanks for the workaround as I like that the battery is protected by the frame when folded. My Swytch is apparently en route to New Zealand so I'm looking forward to the install once it arrives.
What is that solution...to get battery forward and still fold?
@@harleysoltesthe solution I gave? Yes. I am currently using the Swytch kit forward and can fold nicely.
I am about to click pay for the new swytch go+. Your video has really helped. Maybe it is me but I am finding it hard to get info on a couple of things. Does the swytch damage the gearing? And do the brake blocks wear out quicker?
thanks for the info.@@wgh-cs2nw
It does not damage the gearing - you effectively have a 2 wheel drive bike. I guess that there may be a very minimal chance of increased brake wear if you travel faster and therefore brake from higher speeds.
Hi Mike, thanks for your video. I will have my set very soon. As reference, how is the performance during climbing. I will take the bike with this kit for a tour with lot of climbing.
Norman, thank you I am glad you found the video useful. It’s difficult to quantify the performance uphill, but I will try. I would call myself a strong rider, live in a hilly area, and mostly use the very lowest power level on the bike. I’m very much treating this kit as assistance rather than propulsion and have been pleasantly surprised . Out of the saddle under high effort you need to be careful not to knock your knees on the battery, but with electric assistance this level of effort is unusual. I can imagine that a user who was expecting this tiny motor and tiny battery to propel them up long steep hills without any user effort they might be disappointed. As I’m sure you’re aware tyre pressure is also critical for the performance of any Brompton, electrified or not. By far the best upgrade I made to the Brompton for climbing and everyday use was to switch from the standard 50 tooth chainring to a 44 tooth. To me, the Brompton with a 50 chainring seemed overgeared for the type of riding I used it for. Hope you enjoy your new electrified Brompton.
Great video Mike, I’m still learning about Brompton world, and just landed to your video and swytch ones. What advice would you give for a puchase? buy a brand new c line and a swytch kit, or go directly for an electric born Brompton electric? (Talking about c line in both cases, I suppose) thank you and keep up making such great videos!
Buying a Brompton electric will cost you about 1k more
@@AlexWaite yes, this is pretty clear, matter is about performances, weight, autonomy and so on.
Perfe t vidoe exactly what I'm looking for
Thank you. I am really happy that the video has been useful for you and so many others.
@@mikeknowles6063May I ask if riding up a steep hill is Easy, Okay or Challenging
Great video, I am currently following along installing mine. One question: I find the front cable tie for the pedal sensor is obstructing the way for the seat tube when folding the bike... Did others struggle with that too? Any solutions? Sadly the adhesive on my sensor was no good, relying on cable ties.
where did you run the cable? under the frame?
@@danielezefiro7492 Yes, pretty much as seen on the video.
@@spet2904 my cable runs over the lower part of the frame so I do not have this issue.
Emilie, Thank you. This is a good question, and something that I should have shown in more detail on the video. So, for the pedal sensor I used two cable ties. The rearward one is easy, it goes behind the seat tube on top, and underneath. The front cable tie is the tricky one, if goes in front of the seat tube on the top, and then behind the seat tube underneath. It seems odd, as you thread them this way, but when they tighten it all seems secure. On the underside you should find that there is a slight protrusion of seat tube (not seat post) which prevents the ties from moving even when the seat post is fully extended. Finally I used a third small cable tie to secure the wire for the sensor to the rearward cable tie. This is to make sure there is no strain on the sensor during the folding/unfolding process. Hope this all helps.
Does the swytch go kit comes with the mount on brompton handlebar
Thanks Mike for your useful video! It made me easier to install my Brompton Swytch kit. I noticed that the battery level shown in the display (I have stadard display as yours) is always different from the charge level shown on the battery. As an example on the battery a 3 led level is shown whereas on the display 1 led level (or blinking so no power available) is shown resulting in a limited range. Did you noticed the same behaviour with your kit?
Another question: do you know if there is a front light compatible with Brompton frame that can be connected to throttle cable?
Yes, I saw similar differences between the display and the lights on the battery.This seems to be normal, and the correct and trusted level is that shown on the display. Since making the video, I have purchased and installed the OLED display, and this has the same characteristics.
I don’t think there is any way to connect lights to the kit without taking it apart and hacking into the wiring which personally I wouldn’t do. There are some great rechargeable lights available these days, I’d recommend some Lezyne Zectos which I recently put on my wife’s bike.
Hello Mike Thanks for your video I have a question : when you fold your Brompton is there a part of the frame that puts pressure on the PAS causing this one to be tilted hence causing jerks in the engine when pedaling (this is the situation i am facing with my swytch kit mounted on my Brompton ) ? if no you may have a different version of Brompton (mine seems to be older than yours) , I could send you a photo if my question is not clear . Thanks Axel
Axel, I don’t seem to have any issues with the disk of magnets. I did initially have an issue where tension in the cable was moving the sensor during the fold. This was alleviated by allowing some slack in the cable. This doesn’t sound like the problem you have. I am aware that the Brompton design has changed very slightly over the years, but I don’t know what those changes were. If you’ve tried Swytch themselves for support and still have issues please can I suggest posting a question with picture on the ‘Swytch Bike Chat’ Facebook group. This is a big community of users and someone may be able to help.
hi. thanks for the video. i have had mine delivered as well. i think ive assembled it correctly but the power seems a bit weak esp compared to the Brompton Electric. What has your experience been RE the power of the motor? thanks.
Thank you. I’ve not tried a real Brompton electric but I have tried other electric bikes, and it seems comparable to me. If anything the initial take off with the Swytch seemed more speedy. I think it’s worth double checking that you have the wheel size set correctly. Mine came set to 28 inches , and there was a big difference when I set it correctly to 16 inches.
What aftermarket displays are compatible? Anything from KT or Lishui?
This is a good question. Unfortunately I don’t have an answer. I am trying to order an OLED display from Swytch as a replacement for the standard display. There are some posts on the Facebook ‘Swytch Bike Chat’ discussing replacement displays, but I’ve not seen anything promising yet. If you find a suitable aftermarket display please let us know, perhaps via the Facebook group. Although I was initially disappointed with the standard display, it does work, is easy to change assist level whilst cycling, and gives access to all of the settings. The only downsides are it’s large size, and old fashioned appearance.
hi i’ve also got the Swytch Air installed on a brompton bike and was puzzled why it gives up after only 12km on a flat terrain on light mode (level 1-2) … thinking my battery was faulty. has anyone actually reached 15 km with Air?
Hi Mike, I was wondering if it would be possible for you to do a video (or send to me directly) of just spinning the motor wheel manually to see how long it spins based on the added resistance of the motor; mine has quite an (unexpected) amount and I'm not sure if it's normal, despite assurances from Swytch...
Good idea Chis, the video is up in my channel now , thanks for the inspiration. Mine also has a lot of resistance, and in the video I compare it with a non Brompton Swytch wheel with interesting results. ua-cam.com/video/gJiIUOcLWtk/v-deo.html
Hi Mike, great vlog, hope you're enjoying your Swytch Kit. I experienced the very same issue, with regard to the fold. I released two vlogs on the matter, '2022 Brompton Swytch Kit' & 'Brompton Swytch Kit battery mount update'. It has prompted quite a few frustrated comments, and I tend to agree, Brompton should have sorted this issue at the design phase. But still, it's a great ride with the kit. Happy riding. Mal.
Thanks Mal, I watched the first of your videos just after I had started filming mine, and I laughed when I saw that we had both found ‘the empty box’. I agree, the ride is great, and electrification seems to suit the Brompton well. For me, the change of orientation of the handlebar battery mount is not a problem, apart from the original instructions, and promo pictures being wrong as you pointed out in your 2nd video. At least with the reverse orientation we have the advantage of being able to remove the battery after folding or before unfolding. Thanks.
Totally agree Mike. Safe Bromptoning. Cheers.
What is the weight before the Swytch ? With the Swytch added complete with battery ? and with the Swytch but with no battery ? Thanks Mike nice Video
Thank you,
My Brompton, without kit, about 12.7 KG , yours might be lighter or heavier
Kit added, without battery 14.4 KG
Add the Air battery 15.1 KG
@@mikeknowles6063 What about cycling with the swytch on the bike but not in use.... My point is would this not be great just for Hills on Touring.... ? and turned off when on the flat or descending ?
Hi Mike (and all).
GREAT video. I went through the same process than you during the installation. Wish I would have seen your video earlier (would have saved me re fitting the battery mount 😊).
For those waiting, I have myself been through a (very) long delay with regards to original expected date. Likely they overestimated how efficient they could be.
Having the kit with me, long wait is almost forgotten.
I just need to understand why I have a blinking red light in my display every now and then: anyone has experienced it ?
In my case, wait is proving to be truly worth having the kit.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, I hope you are enjoying your newly electrified Brompton. The ‘Swytch Bike Chat’ Facebook group may be a good place to ask about the flashing red LED you see.
hi Mike thanks for this video. I was just wondering what equipment you used to film that amazing footage on the viaduct. especially from behind but also the footage from the front as you're cycling, it's so zoomed out and effective. If you could let me know that would be brilliant. Best wishes!
Thank you Matthew. Most of the video is filmed on a GoPro 7, but the bit at the end with me riding the bike is using an Insta360 X3. It’s a camera that films everything in 360 degrees, and you choose the framing and zoom once you download to a phone/iPad/PC etc. The camera is capable of somehow ignoring the selfie stick from the captured video giving the effect similar to being followed by a drone. There is another video on my channel that shows it off a bit better “Blue Sky Ski Day…… “ if you’re interested.
Thanks Mike. I fitted my kit today, BEFORE watching your video. Every point you raised is covered in the latest instruction manual... which I never read until AFTER watching your vlog. I will be re-fitting the kit tomorrow exactly as you have done with cables attached to existing cables, putting the sensor on the the spacers supplied and which I didn't know even existed, and the control on the LEFT HAND SIDE.
On your vlog. Mate, fantastic. Firstly, it felt as though I'd popped around to a mate's house to see/learn how to fit a Brompton kit - just like how knowledge was originally passed on. Then you went into GCN mode with the riding and the music - absolutely brilliant. And, how did you create a video that hides the camera stalk?
Mike, thank you so much for your efforts. I could see the video cuts and know there was some really involved editing there just to show something to a very small audience. Well, 65 comments to data and 200 odd likes ain't bad.
Paul, thanks for the great review of my video. I never imagined it would be viewed so many times when I posted it to UA-cam. The sequences at the end with me riding the bike were filmed using a new camera I have called an Insta360 X3. it’s an amazing bit of kit and there is another video on my channel which shows it off a bit better called ‘“Blue Sky Ski Day…..”. I am also a big GCN fan so I am flattered by the comparison. Hope you enjoy using your new electrified Brompton.
Excellent stuff.
I have the mk2 Pro version and was wondering if it is worth upgrading to the mk3.
Do you have a speedometer? If so, I'd love to know what the difference in torque is between a battery that's fully charged and when it's half full. One indication of this may be the max speed you can get up to at various battery levels. My typical journey there and back is 12miles and is pretty hilly but usually get home with about 1/2 charge left. However, the journey back is noticably less zippy. I'm a little concerned that the smaller batteries will make this effect even more noticable as the battery will have discharged much more than my huge Mk2 Pro battery after 12miles.
Thanks for pointing out the bike folding issue. Something to consider as it looks like it sticks out a bit.
Thank you. I don’t have a speedometer on the Brompton, but I am not noticing a significant performance drop as the battery discharges. I run mine on the 60% power option, and on the lowest assist level , and have pedal assist only (no throttle). Comparing the specs of your battery versus the new mk3 ones, I think you’re better off sticking with what you have. The motor is the same, so The only advantages would be the aesthetics and cleaner design of the mk3. Maybe wait for a mk4 which has some newer, lighter, longer lasting battery technology.
Will a front Brompton Bag still fit?
Just what I was looking for. Thanks! Btw, is the swytch box heavy? Planning to hard carry it in my next trip.
Thank you. Is it too heavy ? I don’t think so. My Brompton S6L with kit installed is now 14.4 kg without the battery and 15.1 kg with the Air battery. I would recommend carrying it with battery detached and in a pocket or another bag. Depending on which Brompton you have, yours may be heavier or lighter to start with. The Swytch website says that the folding Air kit adds 2.2 kg, and a Max kit adds 2.6 kg. The difference in weight between the Air kit and the Max kit makes me wish I had chosen Max rather than Air. You get double the range for an extra 0.4 kg. If your trip is multi day, away from home don’t forget that you will also need to carry the charger which is another 0.5 kg.
Oh! Thanks for that. I’ll think about it more then.
Hello Mike, I bought this kit for my Brompton in max version and I am very disappointed because I do not exceed 21 km distance with a full charge on flat and windless terrain, can you tell me what your autonomy is?
Dominique, when the video was made I had just the Air battery and the basic controller. My range with the Air battery was around 16km. I have now purchased the Max battery and the OLED controller. I have only used the bike once with this new configuration , making three journeys in one day, carrying laptop etc in front bag, and with some hills. The total was 35km and the display still showed I had 2 bars of battery remaining. It’s difficult to say for sure but I have the feeling the OLED display is improving my range too, but I have nothing scientific to back this up. I think I should point out that I consider myself a fairly strong rider, and weigh 70kg. I use mainly the lowest power level 1, only switching to level 3 for one short 12% hill. I do not have a throttle, and the kit is working pedal assist only. My tyres are inflated to the optimum pressure.
It's such a shame I didn't find this video before I'd installed the handle bar mount! Still at least I know mounting it so the battery faces inward will work. Off to do that now. Thanks!
It’s a fiddly job making sure all the shims are in place whilst the bolts are tightened isn’t it. I’ve found the reverse mounted battery is not a problem and have got used to it now.
@@mikeknowles6063 possibly the fiddliest part of the installation process!
Thank so much for this one! Also great music 😊
Thank you, I am glad you found the video useful. A good soundtrack makes all the difference doesn’t it.
the music is ok but not appropriate. Loved your time and effort explaining everything. well done. Silence is much better or sounds of the road/traffic.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment under my video. My audio quality from a GoPro camera is not the best, and I use music to hide as much wind noise and clicks and bangs as I can. Have a look at some of my cycle travel videos on my channel and see if you prefer the music tracks on these videos. Thanks again, I hope your Swytch install has gone well.
where is this city ?
This city is amazing !
The outside shots were in Pontrhydyfen in Wales.
how much extra is a 98 wH battery as a spare?
I have now been able to buy a MAX 180Wh battery for £280 including delivery from the Swytch shop. There is no option in there to buy the Air 90Wh battery separate from the kit.
can you buy another battery if that one dies? how does it work? i do not see on their website
When you order a kit you are able to order multiple batteries. At the moment they don’t have batteries in stock to sell you an additional battery. They will add you to a waiting list for when more batteries are available if you request via a support ticket.
Thanks for taking the time to film and post this video. You will have saved me time and frustration when my kit arrives later this month. One question...is there a particular website you went to when you found issues like the pedal sensor and bike battery having to moved to the inside of the handlebars? thank you
Thank you. When I installed my kit in early January, there was much less information around, and I was just using google to search for help. The Swytch website now has more info on Brompton specific install ‘challenges’. Also on Facebook there is the ‘Swytch Bike Chat’ group that has a lot of useful advice. To me, it was part of the fun of installing the kit, but could see it might be useful to make a video.
Pedal sensor positioning - support.swytchbike.com/hc/en-gb/articles/10196928432529-Brompton-Pedal-Sensor-Disc-fitting-
Handlebar bracket (page 38)- www.swytchbike.com/manual.pdf
Thanks Mike. You would have thought they would get the instructions right. I imagine a lot of head scratching for people who haven't watched your video. Can I ask do you feel any resistance pedaling with the motor off? And how much did yours cost? Thanks
Thank you. I can’t feel any significant resistance when pedalling with the assist switched off, but If you spin the wheel with your hand when the bike is lifted, there is some resistance. My Air kit for Brompton cost £554 including delivery, when I ordered it in May 2022. The prices seem to have increased since then.
@@mikeknowles6063 thanks Mike I suspected there would be. The Brompton electric apparently has no resistance but is so expensive!
Thanks for the great video! I just got my kit for my Brompton and am currently installing it. In the manual it mentions rubber covers for the wheel nuts but I didn't gee them and I noticed you don't seem to have them on either. Did yours not come with them either?
Thanks Calvin. There were no rubber covers with mine, I don’t think the Brompton version needs them because of how neatly the cable exits the axle. Coincidentally, I have just finished an install for someone else, with a 26 inch wheel, and this does have rubber covers. Everything is much chunkier on the 26inch wheel and I think the rubber covers are there mainly to prevent you injuring yourself on the bolts which protrude quite some way.
@@mikeknowles6063 Ah, I see. Thanks for letting me know. Yeah, someone else with the Brompton kit also told me they didn't get rubber nut covers so I think you're right about it not being needed for us.
Hi How about spoke, Must buy another or can use, stock
The new wheel has spokes that are shorter than on a standard Brompton front wheel. Is that what you are asking ?
@@mikeknowles6063 Thank you, for information
I've just purchased a Brompton and will be electrifying it in accordance with UK law soon lol and lol some more.
0n a side note can you please tell me what programme you use for your Insta 360 camera I've got a half decent laptop it's not an Apple laptop,
I've had the 360 camera since late 2018 and have III filmed shed loads of stuff during the first lockdown as I reside in central London I was on a illegal electric bike at the time so I was covering central London In world record Never to be repeated Super Quicktime, With The camera and Invisible selfie stick strapped to my Chopa handlebars With zip ties.
The police THOUGHT I was using some sort of radar or photo shooting Google Maps For Google, I was zipping in and out of Whitehal and the mall at that point.
There were no 360 gadgets then Like there is now For securing your stick on your bike So I have to use zip ties
However I have never viewed The now terabyte load of footage as my computer at the time was not powerful enough to accept the 360 programme, I'm pretty sure things have changed now so I if you Tell me what programme you use that will be most helpful,
Wondering if to upgrade an A line?
Yes it will work on an A line or a C line. I would be wary of installing on a P line with its titanium front fork.
Super! We need speed test!
Thank you, it’s on my to do list. I will test whether it is possible to change it to the US maximum assist speed. Too busy with unassisted bikes lat the weekend.
Really useful - especially the sensor placement! Anyone fitted the ‘broblock’ to the front for lower battery mounting? Appe[arently this should help with centre of gravity being a bit lower, but unhelpful no instructions on fitting.
Thank you, Personally, I didn’t order the parts to mount the battery in place of the luggage block because I regularly use a bag on the luggage block. In the future I may investigate fabricating a bracket in aluminium to combine the battery mount and a Brompton luggage mount. You are correct, it would lower the centre of gravity, but also don’t forget, the Swytch batteries are not as heavy as on most e-bikes.
Do your knees knock on the battery?
I seem to have plenty of knee clearance. I am 178cm and my Brompton has S type bars and a standard seat post.
Can you make it go faster by choosing a 700c wheel size. I'm such a webel.
No, in the case of a Brompton with its 16 inch wheels, setting a larger wheel size would make the maximum speed slower rather than faster. Not very rebellious. Maybe on a bike which actually has 700c wheels you could set a smaller wheel size to raise the maximum speed. Whether this should or should not be done is another question.
@@mikeknowles6063 I'm pretty sure I average 18-22 mph on my C line 2 speed, without being an e bike, and with a tailwind it spins out at 24-25 mph, and although there may come a time when I'll need to e bike it I think only 15 mph assistance when it's 20 mph in the US is just wimpy wall flower, but I'll try and get a test ride all the same. I've been riding steel racing bikes for nearly 30 years so am not I guess the average rider, no pride intended, and e power is certainly helpful in winter head winds and climbs on a Brompton. It's hard to ride a racing bike at only 15 mph unless your just gently warming up so the current 'law' is pointless in that case.
Looks like there is a user configurable setting, accessible via the standard display where you can change the maximum speed from 15mph to 20mph without any wheel size hacking. www.swytchbike.com/manual.pdf
@@mikeknowles6063 Give it a go and report if I may be so bold.
@@mikeknowles6063 19mph on 'US' settings with my fat body. Considering it's not often traffic in London gets that high, it's adequate. I rarely get to go that fast in London but there's odd occasion where I have to transition to 100% people power and when that happens, the transition is quite smooth. It's only those days when it's cold and windy and you just want to get home, I really wish it could go a bit faster. And going up big hills with the wind in your face is the biggest benefit you get out of pedlecs anyway.
Looks ratty. How good is the assistance ?
How much is this kit?
The price varies depending on battery size, and how long you want to wait for delivery. Check the Swytch website for the latest price.
ARCC make a kit for the Brompton, they use Bosch power tool batteries.
Yes, I have seen the ARCC kit in another UA-cam vide, it looks good and I especially like the idea of using easily available power tool batteries.
How did you manage to get a kit delivered? Are you getting paid by them ? I ordered a year ago and still waiting to be delivered. Just get a false promise of “ shipping next week” for the last four months. Don’t waste you time and money on SWYTCH
I think you should ask for a refund, that sounds like too long a wait. I ordered this kit in May 2022, and it arrived in late December 2022. At the same time, I also ordered a second Max kit for brother in laws 26 inch wheeled bike, and this has only just arrived. Oh , and no, I have no connection with Swytch, I just thought it would make an interesting and useful video.
@@mikeknowles6063 I have asked for a refund and they just keep saying please wait . I am afraid I will lose my money. There are many others in similar situation. I wonder if they are running some kind of a Ponzi scheme .
@@mdab007 Are you still waiting? Just call your bank and do a chargeback
@@airportdocumentaries yes I did finally receive the kit ( in two parts). Installed it and seems to work okay. The battery level fluctuates for some reason.
@@mdab007 Which one did you order Max or the standard swytch? And would you recommend it? I'm thinking of buying a Brompton soon and would like to find a good electric conversion kit.
that battery is tiny. how many amp hours is it?
The Air battery you see in the video is 90Wh and 36V , so I think that equates to 2.5Ah . There is also a bigger Max battery available that is 180Wh 36V , so that one should be 5Ah I think.
@@mikeknowles6063 That is tiny. The range must be terrible. I have an ebike with a standard 6ah battery and when it was new I could get about 15 miles on pedal assist. It's starting to die after about 2 years of heavy use. I can only get about 9 miles now and i might upgrade to a 10ah battery.
Yes the Air is a tiny capacity battery, so tiny and light that it fits in a jacket pocket, and the Brompton looses none of its portability. Range with the Air battery for me is about 16km or 10 miles which is just about as far as I ever go on the Brompton, as I just use this bike for non Lycra appointments around town. I’ve tried it with a Max battery too, and this seems to double the range. I agree it’s still not a huge range but I wouldn’t want a heavier battery on a bike like a Brompton. Hopefully battery technology will improve over the next few years and we can all have lighter, longer lasting, cheaper batteries.
@@mikeknowles6063 They should just make the controller separate from the battery. It looks like everything is consolidated to one unit. This way, you could attach any battery you want and also lower the price of the kit.
What's the tune?
Keep on Movin’ by King Canyon
@@mikeknowles6063 Great 👍
To be truthful, it would have been easier to fit a proper electric bike conversion kit, than waiting for the custom wheel, with a good size battery, but each to there own.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment on my video with your opinion.
Not really. You'll still have to get a custom wheel from somewhere. Bromptons have narrower axle widths than most bikes so that's another thing to be aware of.
You may as well get it from the same place as all the other bits and know that all the parts are compatible. At least for the first go at converting a bike to an e-bike.
Most other Brompton conversions involve bending forks, drilling holes and other non-reversible modifications. With the Switch kit, you can totally reverse the process without devaluing your Brompton. I looked at loads of options to upgrade my Brompton and this fact alone persuded me to go the Swytch route.
It's not the fastest, it doesn't go as far and it's power is based on cadence, not pedal torque so it has got a few compromises but it's cheap and doesn't devalue your bike in the process of fitting it. It's also really light which is a huge benefit for a Brompton.
I would not choose a Swytch kit for my offroad trail bike where torque, control and battery size are really important but for my Brompton cycle to work, it's only beaten by the official Brompton e-bike.
How much is a Swytch kit for a Brompton? Cheers
The price is variable with how long you are prepared to wait. If you’ve joined the queue for the latest batch of orders, an Air kit like mine is £699 for delivery in April or £625 for delivery in June. A max kit is more. Sign up on the Swytch website to get the latest price offers, there is no commitment to order, they just send you a link with prices.
@@mikeknowles6063 thank you I just wanted an idea… that was super helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply.
Too much clearer than the video available from Swytch 😅
Thank you. I am glad that you and many others have found this video useful.
Send Swytch money and you will never see the money or a product again.
This kit took about 7 months to arrive, and I’ve had another delivered now after about 8 months. How long have you been waiting for your kit ?
Wow last time i checked the kit costed 1200€ when i want to have it in 1 month and around 600€ when you want to have it in 9-12 months all only for that, that it doesnt fit in the front and back 👎👎👎
Yes I agree it does now seem expensive. There are now cheap e-bikes on the market which make converting a bike look less attractive,.It does work very well though.
Just on packaging alone I don’t think I can support this company.