Cycling UK Forum

Does anyone have any experience of good a Brompton is for leisure rides? (as opposed to short commutes for which it's intended)

I only do moderate distances (max say 40 miles) having returned to cycling in late middle age. I currently ride a Marin hybrid modified with 700 x 23 thinner faster wheels. It's great, fast and easy but I find it a hassle to take a full sized bike by car on the bike rack, so I can ride in new areas. I weigh 92kgs. Most grateful for any input on this.

Hi Robin,

The Brompton will take 110kg rider + 20kg luggage. No problems there.

I recommend a look at the Yahoo Brompton forum and table your question. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/BromptonTalk/ This is a very helpful site. Several members complete 100 mile + rides and tour with full camping kit. A to B magazine is also informative.

I am at retirement age, have a Brompton with M bars, fizik saddle and 6 gears with reduction. Also a Dawes Tourer with drop bars and 18 gears.

The Dawes is my ride of choice for 30 mile leisure rides. It is about 2mph faster than the B due to different handlebars and lower body profile. The large wheels soak up Surrey's bumpy roads better than the B. The B has rear suspension. Rolling resistance can be reduced with 100psi Marathon tyres. Lower pressures a little for comfort.

That said the B is such fun to ride and opens up many possibilities. You can fit into cars, buses, trains boats or planes easily. This enables linear rides or travel further afield. You can call it a day and hop on the bus if the weather turns bad. Combine with a bus pass if old enough! Brompton is also great in traffic. I enjoy exploring towns and cities using lanes and paths. The luggage system is brilliant.

I was introduced to the B by an experienced tourist with a stable of bikes. He recons that if he could have only one bike it would be a Brompton. We have ridden many miles round the lanes of France. Bromptons are also good conversation starters.

They have good resale value, are UK built and have excellent spares backup. Highly recommended.

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Scott W.

Thanks Scott for a great reply. It sounds like it would be a good buy even though slower than my current road/hybrid bike.

Small-wheeled bicycles are generally just as good as regular bicycles on a good road surface. You may wish to wear padded gloves and get a sprung saddle for really long rides or rides where the road surface may be less than ideal. I've been riding around a vintage Raleigh Twenty for a number of months, and the only major difference in handling is when I see holes or cracks in the road surface.

I use my Brompton for cycle-camping tours, as well as the Raleigh Royal. I expect the Brompton to perform as well except in very hilly terrain. In general, fully laden, I travel at about 1 mph slower than when on the touring cycle. Consequently I expect mainly to cover 100 km per day instead of the 100 miles I would do on the touring cycle when travelling far. Unladen, I have several times exceeded 100 miles on a day ride on the Brompton, on one occasion taking 8h15 for this distance, despite three serious climbs in the Jura. In Wales I found myself out-climbing the other campers since I did not have a 'granny gear' in which to twiddle! so my slowest practical pedalling speed came out at about 5 mph. Modifications include reduced gearing and Brooks saddle. Camping gear is about 23 kg total, added to my 60 kg 65-year-old frame.

I have done rides of 50-80 miles on mine, and i am a new cyclist. I am considering changing the chainset to make it easier on hills, but will wait to see how much stronger my legs get first. There are lots of hills that i used to struggle on that are now easy!

The gear upgrade costs about 65 quid at my bikeshop, including chain, coggy thing, and labour, and maybe the plastic thing.

Dont let the brompton put you off long rides unless it is very hilly, and if it is - get the reduced gearing.

(The 6 speed gears are a waste of money i reckon)

I wouldn't try and put you off a Brompton but it you have a car with a tailgate you should be able to get a hybrid bike in and out of your car if you take off the front wheel.
I can even get my tourer into the back of my Golf if I take off the front wheel and a friend can get his hybrid into the back of his Ford Ka.
2 mountain bikes go into the back of the Golf with front wheels off.
Putting the front wheel back on takes less than a minute.
jonty

The answer is yes, but with some small modifications.

- use proper pedals (SPD M520s are cheap and good, or at least something with toeclips)
- get the harder suspension block (a no cost option)
- fit bar ends to an S-type for an extra hand position. The S-type gives a pretty ideal riding position if you're between about 5'10" and 6'.
- ensure you specify the extended seatpost option (no cost) if you have the saddle higher than 28" from BB to saddle top. The stock seatpost is too short for most men if you ride any distance, although it does permit the smallest fold.
- consider changing the saddle and grips, which are both horrible
- the standard gearing of the 3-speed is rather high, and a 14T sprocket in place of the factory 13T will drop it by about 8%. You will normally need an extra link in the chain.

I am considering using mine for the Dunwich Dynamo this year (112.7 miles, or about 125 including getting to the start). It'll be fine.

rogerzilla wrote:The answer is yes, but with some small modifications.

- ensure you specify the extended seatpost option (no cost)
- consider changing the saddle.

The 'telescopic' seat post DOES cost extra. Thats the post for someone over about 6 foot 2

The saddle is fine I think. I have put a £10 gel cover on it though.

Re: pedals - this is my stock right pedal after 1000 miles -

I may use this opportunity to buy fancy spd pedals.

Nutsey wrote:

rogerzilla wrote:The answer is yes, but with some small modifications.

- ensure you specify the extended seatpost option (no cost)
- consider changing the saddle.

The 'telescopic' seat post DOES cost extra. Thats the post for someone over about 6 foot 2

Agreed. I'm not quite 5'11" and I have the extended post pulled all the way up to the stop (very convenient!). I suppose I could gain another half inch, if I needed to, by moving the Pentaclip up the narrow section of the seatpost, but the extended seatpost is still going to be too short for most people over 6'.

rogerzilla wrote:- fit bar ends to an S-type for an extra hand position. The S-type gives a pretty ideal riding position if you're between about 5'10" and 6'.
- ensure you specify the extended seatpost option (no cost) if you have the saddle higher than 28" from BB to saddle top.

Completely agree about the S bars, but at 5'10" with a 32" inside leg I find the stock seatpost just about perfect, with the pentaclip upside down and at the top of the narrow bit of the seat tube. Try this before you buy - it is much easier to be able to pull the seat post out until it stops and know you have the right position than to faff about with a slightly longer seatpost and never quite get the right height.

Brompton is not the only good folding bike. If 700x23 tyres and a fast easy ride is what you like, but want something that can more easily be put in a car, I think you might be better suited by an Airnimal Chameleon Performance.

rbrian wrote:

rogerzilla wrote:- fit bar ends to an S-type for an extra hand position. The S-type gives a pretty ideal riding position if you're between about 5'10" and 6'.
- ensure you specify the extended seatpost option (no cost) if you have the saddle higher than 28" from BB to saddle top.

Completely agree about the S bars, but at 5'10" with a 32" inside leg I find the stock seatpost just about perfect, with the pentaclip upside down and at the top of the narrow bit of the seat tube. Try this before you buy - it is much easier to be able to pull the seat post out until it stops and know you have the right position than to faff about with a slightly longer seatpost and never quite get the right height.

I have the extended seatpost pulled out to the stop. It is very convenient.

Yes it is - I completed the Land's End to John O'Groats on mine in June, 70 miles a day for 15 days. My brompton is the MR6 - 6 gears with no adaptions. However, I would say that because a lot of the road surfaces in the UK are poor, it does make for rocky riding sometimes. Also, I had to use a front bag to carry my route instructions on - and this acted like an enormous anchor. the gears got me up all the hills, though.

It was very comfortable to be able to ride in an upright position though, and also being able to make slight adjustments to the saddle height so easily made a big difference to comfort on the long distances.

I'd recommend adding those things that go on the end of handlebars though, so that you can change your hand position.