Touring on a Brompton ?

[shane]

Touring on a Brompton, anyone done it?

Having toured about 20,000km since 2009 from everything between -30 and +50 degrees, I have a better idea what I want from my next trip. No purist bullshit, not endless 1000's km of the same scenery, no big cities or build up of people.

I suspect a Brompton could be the way forward, get a bus during the boring bits and just cycle when theres wilderness and beautiful scenery. The only downside I see is I prefer off road most of the time nowadays.

Anyone got experience touring with Bromptons and the practicalities of it all?

Cheers

[pq]

I've come across people touring on Bromptons, but the tiny wheels aren't great off road.

If you can cope with bigger luggage an Airnimal might be better - it folds pretty small but has 24" wheels so is a more versatile ride.

[cjs]

Hi,

This may be of interest...

http://travellingtwo.com/our-bikes

Their slant..

With that in mind, we bought a Brompton folding bike in 2011 and followed that up with a Dahon Speed TR in 2012. We’ll eventually publish a detailed review but in short: the Brompton is great if you want to do a lot of commuting with a little touring on the side. It’s so easy to fold but doesn’t have many gears or much capacity to carry luggage, at least not out-of-the-box. The Speed TR on the other hand is a super little tourer. It feels very solid and is all set up for touring but the folding is more awkward, so it’s the reverse of the Brompton: great if you primarily want to tour, with a bit of commuting thrown in for fun.

[rualexander]

Have a look here http://pathlesspedaled.com/2012/08/the- ... k-is-here/
They have toured extensively with Bromptons and have developed a good luggage carrying method using the front bag plus a backpack attached to the rear rack and saddle loops.
They have a lot of good videos on their website showing the Bromptons in use and of their tour of New Zealand.

Heinz Stucke is also using one, similarly set up. http://www.brompton.co.uk/pages/9747

[LollyKat]

Endt-to-end on a Brompton:
http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?p=498168#p498168
http://www.users.waitrose.com/~ianclare/brompton%20trip%20log.htm

and lots of other long-distance tours by Brompton to be found by google.

[clanton]

I have seen a guy touring on a Bike Friday in a remote part of Southern Patagonia and later met him - on the same bike - on Mt Ventoux! So they seem to do pretty well too.

Another folding bike option that I like the look of is the Montague Paratrooper - maybe not small enough for your needs though?

[shane]

Thanks for the replies,

I agree that larger wheels would be better but I already have a Brompton . Going for a pint with Travellingtwo in a couple of weeks to grill them about their experience.

[RickH]

This page may have some food for thought.

I've also managed to find an article from the ALC* magazine from Summer 2009 (which I've screengrabbed from the PDF - click to enlarge - I can email anyone the PDF of the magazine if they PM me an address) from a couple who used Bromptons & CarryFreedom trailers to train & bike to the York show.

Rick.
(*Association of Lightweight Campers section of the Camping & Caravanning Club)

[shane]

For a trailer option, this is quite interesting too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLAEjkJ5-3Q

[subfusk]

Having got fed up with the problems of trying to book a bike on to trains in this country I bought a Brompton P Type last Feb (2012) I used it a fair bit including the outer Hebredies end to end and from Berwick on Tweed through the Wark Forest, Pennines to York. First and formost it's not a bike it's a Brompton! You either love them or hate them - I love them. Great fun to ride and comfortable when touring with a reasonable load, as I had no time limits I averaged 40 miles a day, but I am 66 and when younger would have looked to cover 55 with no problems. Also very flexible. In the bad weather I just popped it into it's bag and booked into hotels as hand luggage. This May for my first tour I am planning to ride from Bordeaux to Orange including touring the Carmage. I will be camping with the odd B&B if and when weather dictates. Yes you do look daft with the massive front bag and diddy wheels. Oh and be warned small children do tend to jump up and down and wave when they see an old boy on his big barbie bike. But it is great fun and thats as it should be.

[stephenjubb]

For a trailer option, this is quite interesting too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLAEjkJ5-3Q

Brilliant but at €519.95 man that is expensive.

[hoogerbooger]

Hopefully I've managed to attach a picture providing my evidence of touring on a Brompton 6-speed in Ireland with full camping & cooking gear. (p.s. I had a small rucksack as well). Managed to rig up standard Ortliebs by adding an extra bar to the rack between the rollers and using a Rixen & Kaul kwikfix & bar on the handlebars. This worked well. Loaded to on a bus in a minute or two.


Not enough gears. I Killed my knees and a pedal on the hills. Proved well balanced on a smooth roads, but not easy on mud and bumps. Daily distances have to be less than a bespoke tourer particularly as going gets bumpy/hilly. Worked well with the buses & you can keep it safe in tent at night. It's as much about the journey as the destination & I thought touring on a brommie was a good laugh.

anyone toured on a brompton with a schlumpff speed drive. looks good on paper.

Brompton in Antrim

[shane]

For a trailer option, this is quite interesting too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLAEjkJ5-3Q

Brilliant but at €519.95 man that is expensive.

My thought exactly, the downside of the trailer is also doubling your chance of punctures, extra rolling resistance etc.

First and formost it's not a bike it's a Brompton! You either love them or hate them - I love them.

Agree totally, I'm totally smitten with mine and now use it for most stuff instead of my two custom build spendy spendy bikes

Managed to rig up standard Ortliebs by adding an extra bar to the rack between the rollers and using a Rixen & Kaul kwikfix & bar on the handlebars. This worked well. Loaded to on a bus in a minute or two.

Yeh spotted you ortlieb solution too late, should of just bought the frame for the front instead of a bag and just put a front pannier on there....

Have no issues with shorter days and the occasional bus or whatever, have already done enough of the tough guy testosterone and stupid stuff. Now I just want wilderness and wild camping 4-5 days a week with great views, then the city, people, booze and good food for a couple of days in between.

Very torn between a Brompton trip or an extreme winter trip next time round, but first work to get some freedom credits then travel again, in the mean time have some Brompton weekends planned to see if I like it as much as a pack mule as I do a BMX

[John Holiday]

Yes,it's perfectly possible,but maybe not quite so comfortable as a Heavy Tourer,eg. Thorn Raven.
Have used both & both have their advantages.
One point that several have mentioned is the lack of gear range,
I have solved this on my older 6-speed Brompton,my adding an additional smaller chainring (outer), purchased from Spa Cycles at Harrogate.If I know I am going to be climbing,I just manually drop the chain onto the 38 tooth ring.

[shane]

@John,

Yup thinking of doing something similar once the new cranks come out, seems the easiest way to get a low granny gear