Thursday, May 30, 2019


Watch this four days ride in Japan on a Brompton. It starts in Tokyo and includes sites of Mount Fuji ending in the historic city of Kyoto.

Watch full video here
0

Sunday, May 26, 2019


Cycle touring is a passion of mine and bringing a bicycle along is my favourite way to discover new places. In the last eight years I have used a Brompton folding bike. I can definitely say that it exceeded my expectations and performed so well that it has become my bicycle of choice for my cycling tours ever since.
I fly packing the Brompton into a soft folding bike bag and my setup to carry all I need on my tour consists of a Brompton T-Bag at the front and a standard rucksack fitted on top of the bike rack in a way I described in this article. 
Over the years it has become a tried and tested way to carry luggage on the folder and having been used by Brompton travellers all over the world. It offers a stable and well balanced ride and is extremely versatile in any multi-modal tours where some kind of transportation is an option. 
If needed, you are able in just a few minutes to switch from a fully loaded bicycle to a packed setup that you can hold in your hands and carry on a car, bus, train or plane.
Every bicycle traveler loathes the difficulties of transporting bikes to destinations, finding boxes to pack things, and shift around two or more panniers at the same time.
This setup prevents all that and makes it all very easy and mostly hassle free.
Concerns about the reliability of a Brompton folding bike as well as its comfort and ability to cope with hills, descents and generally long days of riding with the weight of my luggage, proved to be unfounded. Touring on a Brompton has just been a pure joy. 
I believe there are three conditions and a few trade-offs worth considering before you begin cycle touring on a Brompton; if these don't seem too much of a limitation I would have no hesitation recommending it.

  1. You are planning a tour on decent, mostly surfaced roads.
  2. You will not be touring in extreme cold temperatures.
  3. You will not be for any extended time in remote areas where self efficiency is a must.

 ( 1 ) Brompton's are sturdy bikes and can withstand more abuse than you imagine but still their small wheels and thin tyres are not best suited to rough terrains and muddy tracks. I have at times cycled on unpaved roads and you will be able to cope with the odd exception by walking, but if that is the condition of most of the roads you will travel on, an expedition touring bike or a mountain bike will be a better choice. Mud, due to low clearance of the mudguards and limits on the choice of tyres, is something that Brompton are definitely not made for.

( 2 ) This might be a bit more arbitrary and you can probably prove me wrong but I have found that my setup has to be really compact and light in order to work best and provide the benefits that a folding bike brings in the first place. Traveling in freezing temperatures means having to carry much more weight and gear in order to be comfortable during the tour. Each kilograms you add to your setup will put further strain on the bike and make it harder to be carried on public transport if needed.

( 3 ) Bromptons are reliable bikes but they are not bullet proof; they also use a lot of specific and proprietary spare parts. Traveling for an extended period in remote areas means that should you have a technical issue, you might not be able to fix it. Adding to that the likelihood that no transportation is readily available, your tour will not be much fun. Traveling remote areas involves being self sufficient i.e. carrying a lot more stuff than you would otherwise. Carrying lots of water and food and all the gadgets and utensils that make it possible, is not an easy option on such a small bike.

Reliability

in over 10000 kilometres I have had hardly any reliability issues to report, probably on a par or even less than on mountain bikes or touring bikes I have used in the past. In all my tours all I had to cope with were punctures and several tyre replacements. I find the key is to properly maintain your bicycle and ensure that it is well tuned and fully functioning before setting off on a tour. My strategy here is to be more proactive than I would be on another bike. I regularly replace parts that need changing after a recommended mileage. Chain and sprockets are swapped when needed, gear cables and brake cables are also newly fitted every few years, to limit the possibility of failures while I might not be able to source spare parts.
Marathon tyres even on such tiny size are exceptionally tough. One thing to consider though is that the rear tyre will wear out faster than on larger wheels. It is only natural that the small wheels increased contact results in increased wear too; I always bring one or two spare quality tyres for Brompton's 16" wheels as these are not always easy to find in bike shops around the world. In the past I have simply swapped tyres when I felt that they were not evenly worn but a tyre failure shouldn't be a reason to wreck your plans and one or two spare tyres are small, not too heavy and can be easily carried.  
Wheels always performed faultlessly, staying perfectly tuned to the last day.
I always carry several replacement spokes too, again due to the fact that should you need to fix the wheels, a shop might not have the right size. These are stored in the hollow tube holding the rucksack. 
Something I am always aware of is to try and be gentle on the bike. While climbing a steep hill I refrain from any temptation of standing on the pedals and rocking the bike as I would do on a mountain bike or a racer. When the road is bumpy and uneven I ride in a very conservative way and do not hesitate to dismount and have a little walk if I believe it safer for myself and the bike.

Comfort

The great benefits in portability means that you have to do some compromises in comfort; these are less noticeable than you might think. With a six, 12% reduced gearing bike setup, you are able to climb most hills or even mountains where gradients are not too extreme. You will find them adequate gear ratios to cover most terrains, fast descents, flat sections etc. Using a Brompton makes you more conscious of how much weight you take with you; you will travel light and this makes you faster or as fast as any cycle tourists you might encounter along the road. On descents the opposite is true. Always be aware of rolling on small wheels and therefore more cautious and focused.  Your pace and the daily distances you are able to cover will likely match those of other tourers and their more traditional setups. 
A front T-Bag with the heaviest load and a lighter rucksack at the back turns up to be a very efficient way to load the bike. It is well balanced, secure and the handling of the bike feels more stable than unloaded.
Having a rucksack instead of dedicated bike panniers is much more versatile. If you want you have the ability to take a day off the bike and go for a trek and when you have to take the bike on buses or trains you have a fast way to put luggage on your shoulders while having your hands free to carry the folded bike and T-Bag.
Older Brompton versions had brakes deficiencies especially on long descent but more recents models, certainly from 2013 on, come equipped with adequate brakes and feel secure on the steepest descents even with the extra weight you are carrying.

Conclusion

In my opinion Brompton offers the best setup for a multi-modal tour, where the odd transfer by other means of transport is involved. There might be times where the road is too steep and you might need to break your cycling with a short walk but I turn this limitation into an advantage. It becomes a good chance to use different muscles and I have found out that a folding bike loaded this way is extremely comfortable and easy to push.
To me these compromises are well worth it and I found touring with a Brompton folding bike, an easy and fun way to cycle travel.


19

Saturday, May 25, 2019



You cannot climb mountains with a Brompton

I was the first to believe this. When I decided to use a Brompton Bicycle for touring I was extremely careful in choosing a route that wouldn't entail much climbing. Cycling the US Pacific coast on a couple of occasions I limited my efforts to uphills that never took me over 1000 metres and grades that seldom exceeded 6%. The reliability and total fun of touring with this bike brought me this year to do something a little more daring, cycling in the canadian Rockies and in the end I was able to tackle pretty hard climbs that I would be hard pushed to climb on any other bike I could chose. I cycled along the Icefield Parkway both ways,  climbing cols over 2000 metres and more challenging even,  Duffey Lake Road from Lillooet to Pemberton in British Columbia ascending 1500 meters often as steep as climbs in the european Alps. All it took were a few minutes pushing the bike where the road was just too steep but these were out of well over two hours of climbing time. I am by no means a strong cyclist, I don't necessarily train before my tours. I get fit as days go by so a sensible first consideration is to not plan the steepest of climbs on your first few days when your body needs to get conditioned to the effort needed to cycle long distances.
 I reached the conclusion that it is indeed possible to climb mountains on a loaded Brompton and the limitation are not that much different from those you have to consider when touring on a heavy loaded bike.
On a Brompton you can chose ( and you should! ) the six reduced gearing option and if this is not enough to get you going, walking is more efficient! On my softest gear while climbing the most difficult sections on Duffey Lake I would cruise at  5 or 6 kmh just above walking speed. Should I need lower gearing I would be better off pushing the bike up when I needed.
I believe this is the same on any bike loaded for touring; you end up using the softest gear and should you go below the five kilometres threshold it hardly makes sense pedalling and it becomes easier pushing the bike to get over the toughest parts. Of course it goes without saying that tourers on touring bikes or mountain bikes will in the end carry much more weight than you do and I often found that to the contrary I was faster while climbing than they were!

You can't ride too far with a Brompton

Another myths I used to believe. Ideally a day ride on my tour will not be so long that I am not able to stop frequently, eat loads and take all the beautiful pictures and videos and still make it to a campsite by 4pm. Talking about distance on average I find that 70 or 80 kilometres is an ideal distance.
Of course sometime we have constraint on times or it is necessary to ride longer to get from point A to B, so what then?
Surprisingly, I found that covering long distances on a Brompton is not impossible either. On a recent tour where I had to cover longer distances than I would have liked I completed several days where in the end my speedometer was just short of 130 kilometres. Indeed this is on par with the longest distances I ever covered on tours with my mountain and I was twenty years younger too!
2

Friday, May 24, 2019




If you are looking for a well tested solution for securely attaching a regular backpack to a Brompton bike, I thought I would share some pictures clearly showing how it works.
It has been tested in multiple tours I have so far taken on a Brompton and used by many Brompton cyclists; this simple hack works really well. You can use any backpack you might already have but I find that a 45L capacity is about the perfect size. The  shoulder straps are harnessed over a horizontal bar ( I use a empty tubular metal but any thing sturdy would work. Broom stick anyone? ) attached to the saddle by means of leather straps.  A couple of large sized zip ties also do the job really well if you don't want to buy similar straps. The waist strap is tied to the seat post as a way to further secure the backpack as well as giving it more stability. The Brompton rack bungee chords are then tied to the bottom of the sack to make sure it doesn't shift forward and hinder pedalling. Another benefit of this system is the fact that it is very quick to dismount the rack and put it back where it belongs, on your shoulders!
This setup is very stable and makes a rucksack the perfect cycle touring solution on Brompton.

8

Thursday, May 23, 2019




Here is the complete list of what I carry while bike touring with a Brompton. This setup works really well for me and has been improved as a result of several tours and several thousand kilometres on the bike.  I assume one is not touring in extreme cold temperatures. The ability to carry luggage on the Brompton is limited therefore it is crucial to limit the things you bring, finding an efficient way to pack them by having weights well distributed and making them easy  to access during your tour.

Everything you need is carried on the bike inside two bags.  A front T-Bag with a capacity of 30 Litres and a hiking backpack of 40 litres capacity sitting over the rear rack of the bike.


Backpack content:



Things that are used less should obviously be put in the least accessible place. The bike bag is only used to carry the bike on the plane, therefore it is stacked at the bottom of the backpack. Over this I put all the bike tools and repair kits as well as all the toiletries and water bag. Next are one or two folded Dimpa bags that are used to cover the bike for short transfers on bus or trains and if needed to cover the bike at night. Then I would put the bungee chords and slippers and sleeping bag. Finally, I reserve the top for my charger and cables and clothes things that I might want to access during the day. My Thermarest mattress is a little wider so I just strap it to the outside of the backpack and secure it with the bungee chords of the rear rack.

T-Bag content:


The front T-Bag contains most of the valuables and things that need to be accessed easily while you are cycling. With its clip it is easily removed from the bike and is therefore never left unattended. In the inside zip pocket I usually keep my passport and other travel documents. At the bottom of the main compartment I insert my lightweight tent and cable accessories. Next I put my jacket and depending on the weather my sweater, gloves and hat. On top I keep my camera, Go Pro and all the cable and accessories I need to take pictures or shoot movies during the ride.
My iPhone is usually strapped around my neck with a lanyard and rest in my shirt pocket. This makes it easy to access it securely at any time while riding or still. This always leaves space for food when I do my groceries during the day or before setting up camp. The T-Bag has also two rear pockets, one I normally use for a water bottle as it fits perfectly the other one I generally use to keep my wallet and my gadgets charger should I need to re-charge things on the go. The outer mesh pockets are very spacious and are an excellent place to keep my lock, repair gloves and bananas or energy bars that are consumed regularly and are convenient to access at any time.

Clothes:




In the picture above you can see all the clothes I take with me while touring. It might seem very spare but I assure you it is all you need to be comfortable and warm enough to tour in most weather conditions. Most garments come in sets giving you the ability to always wear a clean set while you wash and dry the other one. In order to be light I choose clothes that are comfortable not only for cycling but also provide a good option for all the time I spend off the bike. The only cycling specific garment I take with me is one pair of cycling shorts. These I normally wear under my light trousers at the beginning of the tour when I am not used to be on the bike for long hours and the padding will make this transition more comfortable. The downside is that they are not quick to dry so I limit their use to the minimum necessary to ride comfortably. I still use underpants while wearing them as this will keep them much cleaner and should you wish to, you will be able to wear them a few times before a wash. I have talked about the great qualities of Merino wool in another article, suffice to say that my merino base layers and socks provide odour free and comfortable wear for many days without the need to be washed. Zipped trousers are used in their short version during the ride and the extensions can then be zipped at other times allowing for a very flexible use. Long johns are very useful to provide extra warmth with a very little addition to space and weight. I mostly wear them at night while camping. Riding long hours each day doesn't mean that one cannot keep clean during a tour. A very useful trick I figured out is that wearing light and quick drying underpants that are washed each day under the shower (perfect sponge too...) or with some water is a great way to keep clean; having two pairs of them means that you can wash the pair you used during the day, wear the clean ones for the night and the following day while the others are put on the outside of your luggage to dry. This works a treat and also brings a degree of theft deterrence while you shop! All the clothes that are not worn during the day are stacked on top of each other and rolled. I then put them inside an Exped 8 Litres waterproof compression bag. Once at the campsite I can have easy access to them when I need to get changed. Also this bag design, without buckles and straps makes for an ideal pillow.
As far as shoes I have used a light pair of trekking shoes, again avoiding the cycling specific solution.  Yes it is more efficient to have clipped shoes that you can attach to pedal and very stiff soles that don't bend while you pedal but my view is this. Clips might had a little speed and distance to your day but come at the risk of being tied to the bike. Even those who are used to them might not react as quickly when their bike is fully loaded with weights. Bike shoes might not be as comfortable when you are off the bike too.  I next plan to try riding on Keen sandal type shoes which are much used by cycle tourists and seem to offer a good balance between riding and comfort.
12




Even the most reliable of bikes are subject to wear and tear during a tour and any part has the potential to fail and stop you on the road. Like most cycling tourists, I am not an experienced mechanic and in a dozens tours with different type of bikes I have so far completed, I mostly had to deal with fixing punctures and  some basic gearing or brakes adjustments.
Although some people are doing exactly that, I would not recommend a Brompton bike for unsupported extreme expeditions or round the world trips where you will be spending weeks without the chance to access basic facilites or other forms of transportation should you need to.
Even if you were a skilled Brompton mechanic, the limitation on the amount of gear you can carry with you, means that you could easily find yourself without the right tools or spare parts to be able to fix it and continue.
Bromptons are mostly built with proprietary parts that are not easily accessed in remote areas and your run of the mill local bicycle shop might be at a loss in trying to get your bicycle back on the road.
Where this folding bike excels instead is in multi-modal touring and short to medium tours where you will have access to alternative transportation in case of emergency and if possible access to shops where spare parts can be found. The latter is not a must provided that you are happy to take the risk of an unlikely failure that could stop you from cycling; even in this situation having a folding bike that you can easily pack away and a rucksack you can quickly put on your shoulders makes for a good chance that your touring holiday will not end in total frustration.

BEFORE YOUR DEPARTURE

(1) Before you set off on a tour, always make sure that your bike is in good conditions. Like I said above Brompton's are sturdy bikes but if you have the bad luck of running into a major failure, they are not as easy to fix as a regular mountain bike or racing bike. Before starting my tour I usually service my bike at a Brompton dealer, as they are the expert and know what are the parts that mostly need looking at for wear and tear. I am not sure it makes any difference, but I do mention to them that I am going on a tour and ask them to pay special attention to critical parts such as wheels, chain, etc.

(2) In the last few years global popularity of Brompton bikes has rapidly grown meaning that dealers are now rapidly expanding and can be found more and more in towns and cities all over the world. Access to them while you are touring in your destination might not be as difficult as it used to. I usually take a flight to the starting point of my tour and as much as possible I pick a destination that will have a Brompton dealer available should I need to. I haven't had the unfortunate event of a bike damaged by airline transport but this is obviously a possibility and if you are not far from a Brompton dealer, once arrived you will probably be able to repair the bicycle without losing too much time or having to change plans. Further along these lines, if this is an option, do some research and know where easily accessible Brompton dealers can be found along your touring route should you need to get some spare parts, fix things or simply having a check on your bike during your tour.

WHAT YOU MUST LEARN

(1) The most likely repair you will have to carry out during your tour is a puncture tyre. The procedure for removing the tyre from the wheel and replacing or fixing an inner tube is the same that you would follow on any other bicycle. What is trickier on a Brompton is removing the rear wheel in order to replace the inner tube. I found the Brompton Technical Guide youtube videos a valuable resource to learn to do so. Do not rely simply on watching the videos or read manuals though, as always practice only makes perfect! To be prepared start by removing the rear wheel at home where you have access to all your resources should anything go wrong. Once you are a little bit confident the next step is to take your Brompton for a day ride and do the same repair by the side of the road without having access to videos or manuals. That way you will be well prepared and much more confident once you start your tour and a puncture will be just a minor frustration and a good excuse to have a break and enjoy the scenery!

(2) Replacing the tyres. Small wheels mean that your tyres will wear out much quicker than you think. Even the best of tyres if you are cycling past 1000 kilometres will start to show some wear and tear, especially in the rear wheel. After my first extended tour on a Brompton where I had to swap rear and front tyres half way through my journey I decided it is a good idea to bring two new tyres with me in case I need. Being small means that they are lighter and that they can be easily slid on the outside of my backpack, a perfect and unobtrusive way to carry them for any emergency. In my experience 16" tyres in most countries are associated with children bikes and even though you could access a bike shop easily you might not find a spare Schwalbe Marathon in that size and what is on offer might be completely unsuitable for your purpose.

(3) Adjusting a Sturmy Archer gear cable. In order to have your gears perform well it is sometime necessary to adjust the little chain alignment. If you removed the back wheel you had to learn to losen that anyhow so it should be something you are familiar with already.

(4) Lubricating the bike. This is straight forward but again a Brompton bike is built in a different way and it is important to know which parts need lubricating and which part don't. Any extended tour involves you cycling for days and chances that you will also encounter bad conditions such as rain or dust on the road means that your bicycle will need some more attention in this department too.

(5) Learn to carry out basic safety checks. These are often found in the manual that came with your bike. Make sure you do this before you start your tour in order to assess the condition of the bike after it was transported to your destination. Get into the habit of having a quick check each day following the manual recommendations.

WHAT YOU SHOULD LEARN

If you are inclined to, it will certainly help learning a few more advanced repairs.

(1) Fixing a broken chain. I never had a chain failure on my trips but it does happen. If you have the right tools with you it could be the difference between being able to fix it there and then and continue cycling as opposed to having to itch a ride to the next town. The good thing about a broken chain is that you won't need a Brompton specialist to fix this, any local bike shop will be able to quickly offer help and repair it.

(2) Fixing a broken spoke. Again not something I had to deal with on a Brompton so far. This is a tricky repair mostly due to the difficulty of truing a wheel once a spoke is replaced, an art in itself. If you can learn this it is something that again might save you a long walk to the next town. I haven't mastered it myself and for this reason, one thing I do make sure is that I carry spare spokes with me. This is important because like a chain every bike shop will be able to help you but might not have the right spoke sizes for your small wheels! Again children bike's spares are not always of the quality you need for your more 'grown up' bike!

(3) Replacing braking pads. If you are going on a 2000 kilometres or longer tour you might have to swap your braking pads too. This is a straight forward procedure and even though I never did change them during a tour they are small and compact enough to carry and I always make sure I have a spare set just in case.

SPARES AND TOOLS YOU SHOULD CARRY


2 Spare 16" inner tube
2 Schwalbe Marathon Kevlar ( expensive but lighter and easier to replace )
Patches and glue for fixing tubes
Selection of Spokes ( rear and front wheel use different sizes )
1 set of Brake Pads

EXTRA SPARES YOU COULD CARRY

Brompton Front Carrier Block & Clip
1 Sturmey Archer Derailleur unit
Chain repair kit
Screws and Bolts

TOOLS YOU NEED

Brompton Pump
Wrenches: 8mm, 10mm, 15mm
Allen keys: 2mm; 2,5mm; 3mm; 4mm; 5mm; 6mm
Lubricating Oil
Tyre Levers
***
All the right keys and wrenches sizes as well as tyre levers are included in the Brompton Toolkit. A little expensive but it fits inside the frame and is very compact and ideal for the job.
***
Plastic Gloves ( why get your hands dirty! )
Chain Pusher ( if you know how to repair a chain )
Spoke Wrenches (if you can replace a broken spoke )

6

Tuesday, May 21, 2019


Here are some ideas regarding how to best pack and carry your gear on a tour using a Brompton. Despite being sturdy bikes, touring on a Brompton entails obvious limitations on what you can take with you but the following setup works exceptionally well provided you will stick to decent surfaced roads and travel where temperatures are not too cold. The greatest benefit of this system together with the compact fold of the bike is that in ten minutes you are ready to transform your fully loaded bike to a conveniently packed setup, ready to be taken on a shuttle bus a train or  plane should you need to take a transfer during your tour. The backpack goes on your shoulder, on one hand you hold the folded bike stored in a light Dimpa Bag, on the other simply carry the T-Bag. It really works! To secure the backpack on the rear rack of the Brompton a metal bar is fixed horizontally under the saddle by means of a couple of leather straps. This allows a secure support for the backpack shoulder harnesses that is stable and easy to remove. Further reading and close-up pictures.

Below I listed the content of each bag on a typical setup for a tour that can last from a week to a month or even longer. Of course there is room for improvement and my list might not fit your needs but provided the load and volume is similar it will work just as well.

Front Bag: ( Brompton T-Bag )



Inside Compartment

  • Light tent
  • Camera
  • Go Pro
  • Gadgets cables and accessories
  • Gloves, Woollen hat
  • Gore-tex Jacket
  • Long sleeves light jacket
  • Extra space can carry food to take to campsite at the end of each day
  • Passport in zipped inside pocket
Outside Pockets

  • Ready access food to eat during ride
  • Water Pet Bottle
  • Oil to lubricate chain
  • Repair Gloves
  • Mobile phone
  • Wallet
  • Chamoix Leather ( Perfect as a towel at the campsite )
  • Combination Lock


Backpack:


Top Compartment
  • Spare clothes in compression bag ( 1 light underpants, 1 merino long sleeved shirt, 1 merino socks, 1 long johns, 1 light down jacket, 1 short sleeved shirt, 1 light knee pants with zip extension ) This compression bag can function as your pillow at night!
  • Cables, plugs and chargers in compression waterproof bag

 Centre

  • Sleeping Bag
  • Toiletries bag
  • Light plastic flip flops
  • Portable Radio

Bottom

  • Repair tools
  • 2 spare inner tubes and repair kit
  • Extra bunjee chords
  • Heavy duty gaffer tape
  • Dimpa Bag
  • Light Bike Bag ( Used only for flights at start or end of trip )
Outside

  • Sleeping mat (tied to backpack with bungee chords)
  • 2 spare tyres around backpack
  • Helmet if not worn

Clothes:




In the picture above you can see all the clothes I take while touring. It might seem very spare but I assure you it is all you need to be comfortable and warm enough to tour in most weather conditions. Most garments come in sets giving you the ability to always wear a clean set while you wash and dry the other one. In order to be light I choose clothes that are comfortable not only for cycling but also provide a good option for all the time I spend off the bike. The only cycling specific garment I take with me is one pair of cycling shorts. These I normally wear under my light trousers at the beginning of the tour when I am not used to be on the bike for long hours and the padding will make this transition more comfortable. The downside to them is that they are not quick to dry so I limit their use to the minimum necessary to ride comfortably. I still use underpants while wearing them as this will keep them much cleaner and should you wish to, you will be able to wear them a few times before a wash. I have talked about the great qualities of Merino wool in another article, suffice to say that my merino base layers and socks provide odour free and comfortable wear for many days without the need to be washed. Zipped trousers are used in their short version during the ride and the extensions can then be zipped at other times allowing for a very flexible use. Long johns are very useful to provide extra warmth with a very little addition to space and weight. I mostly wear them at night while camping. Riding long hours each day doesn't mean that one cannot keep clean during a tour. A very useful trick I figured out is that wearing light and quick drying underpants that are washed each day under the shower (perfect sponge too...) or with some water is a great way to keep clean; having two pairs of them means that you can wash the pair you used during the day, wear the clean ones for the night and the following day while the others are put on the outside of your luggage to dry. This works a treat and also brings a degree of theft deterrence while you shop! All the clothes that are not worn during the day are stacked on top of each other and rolled. I then put them inside an Exped 8 Litres waterproof compression bag. Once at the campsite I can have easy access to them when I need to get changed. Also this bag design, without buckles and straps makes for an ideal pillow.
As far as shoes I have used a light pair of trekking shoes, again avoiding the cycling specific solution.  Yes it is more efficient to have clipped shoes that you can attach to pedal and very stiff soles that don't bend while you pedal but my view is this. Clips might had a little speed and distance to your day but come at the risk of being tied to the bike. Even those who are used to them might not react as quickly when their bike is fully loaded with weights. Bike shoes might not be as comfortable when you are off the bike too.  I next plan to try riding on Keen sandal type shoes which are much used by cycle tourists and seem to offer a good balance between riding and comfort.

Some Further Packing Light Wisdom

With a little experience one finds out things that work and things that don't. Often it is just about trial and error but we also learn and get inspired by what other people do. Hopefully you will find some of these tips useful and take some of them with you on your next tour!

  1. Merino Wool: It took me forty years to figure out but I hope it will come faster for you! Basically this is the best gift you can give yourself if you are serious about touring. These are expensive but with some care they last long and their benefits make the purchase very worthy indeed. Merino wool garments keep your body temperature cool when hot and warm when the weather gets cold but mostly can be worn for weeks on end without the need to be washed and they dry extremely quickly too. Odours are neutralised by the natural fabric and can be worn much longer than any other sport dedicated material. Recently NASA tested every material conceivable in order to chose the best for astronauts planning long stays in space and guess what material came on top... Merino Wool. I use two long-sleeved shirts that i change every week or so. They are on my skin during the cycling day, are removed while I take a shower and then are back on on my skin for a night sleep! Long sleeves I found work best no matter the temperatures and weather you will find. In hot and sunny places the long sleeves will keep your forearms from sunburns and if it gets cooler the long sleeves will keep your arms warmer too.
  2. Merino Continued: As you are there get yourself some Merino wool socks too for the same reasons...
  3. Use normal light trousers: The temptation to go for cycling gear is natural but I found in my experience that this is not a good idea. Cycling trousers have the benefit of a chamoix padding to make your ride more comfortable but they have many shortcomings too. They smell really bad after just a day riding ( yes I do take showers every day... ). This means that pretty much every day or two you will have to wash them and the padding makes the drying process a long one. Usually you would wash them in the evening at the campsite when temperatures are cool and end up drying them by putting them soaked wet, tied somewhere outside your bags during your next day ride. I usually do take a pair with me to use at the start of my tours when my rear hasn't yet become too friendly with the saddle... After a few days riding, a better solution in my opinion is using normal light short trousers possibly with zipped extensions that can be attached in the evening as this will serve a double purpose and can be used when you need to look just a little bit smarter at the restaurant, etc. Now for the most secret and intimate...underwear. A great way to stay dry and clean during your tour is to simply bring with you two pairs of light and quick drying underpants. At the end of the day you wash the one you were wearing while you take a shower ( by the way they make an excellent sponge too... ),  and put on the clean ones for the night and the next day ride. Quick drying materials mean that your washed set will be probably dry by the morning but as you only need them the next day in the evening you have plenty of time to just hang them on your luggage during the day so that they can dry in the sunshine. Pants strapped on your cycling bags are also good theft deterrents! 
  4. Use normal shirts: Again as above! Usual wisdom says that it should be good to wear lycra shirts with cycling pockets behind and so on... If you want my advice, don't! Bring with you two short sleeved shirts with buttons and pocket at the front instead, the kind you would use for trekking. I wear these over a Merino base layer. It looks much more stylish, is more  comfortable and chances are you might even be complimented on your cycling style! If you wear Merino wool on your skin the shirt will be just an extra layer on top that won't make you too hot and will be so much more useful when you are not cycling and it is time to go to a restaurant or cafe to recharge body and soul! I bring two shirts with me, one I wear and the other one is a spare to get changed after I get a chance to do some laundry. I heard people saying that they don't like Merino on their skin as it is itchy but I believe this is mostly due to the quality of Merino they have used. I don't like that feeling myself but have found that thin base layer of 100% Merino Wool are most comfortable on your skin. 
  5. Everything in twos: I just realised that it seems that everything comes in twos but the bike and the tent... Two base layers, two underpants, two socks, two shirts and even two tyres as you are not likely to find Brompton size good tyres outside main cities.
  6. Compression Bags: These can also be waterproof if needed but they mostly function very well to keep your gear tidy and in place. Cables, chargers for your gadgets, and clothes can all be organised in small packets and easily found when needed. Your spare clothes compression bag will be the most comfortable pillow at night too so try to choose compression bags without straps and buckles. Usually roll down tops work best. See an example of the kind I use here.
  7. Gadgets: That is where it gets hard and we all tend to bring too many of those... I still take a very heavy DSLR camera for my photos but more and more light gadgets that do it all come on the market and make it easy for us to carry less around. Smartphones are today capable of taking decent pictures, amazing HD videos, help you keep connected to friends, check maps on the internet and much much more. There is no reason why a smartphone is all you probably need. If you are like me you can't resist taking your iPad with you too and a small radio for weather, news and entertainment at the campsite!
  8. Cooking Gear: Come on, why did you tour on a Brompton anyway! This is a no brainer...just don't bring anything of this sort! You don't have the space for it, if you are touring with a Brompton chances are that you are not crossing the desert or Siberia and you will be just fine eating out here and there and getting stuff from groceries. Trying out local food is a great part of the enjoyment so make the most of it and stay light!

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Saturday, May 18, 2019


Let us begin by saying that provided you service your bike before touring and regularly maintain it in good conditions throughout the year, not much can go wrong.
Over many years of touring with a Brompton I never had a single critical failure that stopped me from cycling. All I had to deal with were punctures, tyre replacements due to the fact that tyres on 16" wheels wear out quicker and little else.

What can go wrong

I would like to highlight a failure that I have experienced a couple of times. This is something that can happen when you are transporting the bike by plane in a soft bag like I do. Brompton bikes fold in a very clever way which keeps most fragile parts like the gearing system on the inside and well protected. One downside to the way they fold is that naturally the rack that you use to carry your backpack folds at the bottom and becomes the base of the bike. If the bike bag is dropped or put under a lot of pressure when put into the cargo what can happen is that the stays bend. This can cause the rack and the attached mudguard to rub on the tyre. Each time this has happened to me I was able with some pulling and pushing on the stays to make the wheel freely spin again but should the damage be more serious I feel it is important to learn how to remove the rack. Being able to do so you have the option to disassemble the mudguard and see if that solves the problem or coming to the worse remove the rack entirely and at least be able to cycle on by carrying the backpack on your shoulders. This is not ideal but in the worse case scenario when the rack is badly bent you at least have the option to carry on and see if it is possible to fix it along the way.

I believe that the good reliability I enjoyed depends on two main factors.

( 1 )

I try to be proactive and change parts that are more vulnerable to wear and tear. Brompton has some recommendations on replacing parts, especially Aluminium components. They recommend changing hinge clamp plates, handlebar and chainset every 7000 kilometres and for them to be checked regularly when the bike is serviced. 
A stretched chain will wear out the sprockets quickly so this should also be changed regularly, probably every 3000 kilometres or so.
Brake and gear cables will also wear out and fail so I make sure that every few years I replace them before they let me down while I am away.

( 2 )

I am always aware that I am riding a Brompton. Remember that certain parts of the bike and especially the handlebar are not meant to be put under the same kind of weight and pressure that you would a handlebar on a sturdy mountain bike. I sometime do see people using their Brompton uphill in ways that it is not meant to be. Standing up on the pedals and rocking the handlebar puts extreme pressure on these parts. I never stand on the bike. If the road is too steep I get off the bike and walk instead. I have heard of one rider experiencing a handlebar failure that resulted in a fall and an injury. I haven't had a chance to ask how this happened but I assume that this was due from not following the two points I just highlighted. If parts are abused and never replaced when they should be, you greatly increase the risk of something like this happening.

What you should be able to do

( 1 ) Fix a Punctures: This is a basic knowledge you must have if you want to be able to tour. Keeping your tyre pressure as high as the tyre allows will limit the chances of it happening but on a long tour it is likely that you will have one. It is not difficult to fix but on a Brompton you often have to remove the back wheel in order to do it so make sure you know how to do it.

( 2 ) Replace a Tyre: As mentioned 16" wheels tyre will wear down quicker than larger sized tyres. I use Schwalbe Marathon tyres and in my experience these will last anything up to 2000 kilometres. Of course this will vary according to the condition of the roads you are riding. Depending on the length of your tour you might get away without doing so but changing a tyre should be something you are able to do.

( 3 ) Adjusting the chain tensioner: This ensures your gearing is well functioning. I find it easier to remove the tensioner when I take off the wheel and each time I do so I must refit it and make sure all gears are functioning. If the gear cable should fail again you would have to be able to adjust this so it is an important skill to have.

( 4 ) Remove the rack: As it was highlighted above this can become an issue if you have the bad luck of your bike being damaged during transport. A badly bent rack could stop your rear wheel from spinning and at times the only solution is for you to remove it.

( 5 ) Fix a broken chain: If you have a well maintained chain and take care to replace it when it needs it is unlikely that you will experience a failure. One thing to consider is the fact that a chain failure is critical and you won't be able to continue. I like to be prepared and I always carry some spare links and a master link that I can use in case the chain snaps. When you replace your next chain ask your Bike shop to keep the old one for you and use it to practice how this is done.

( 6 ) Replacing brake pads:  Being able to replace a worn brake pad will ensure that you are always safe on the road. I always carry a couple of spare pads just in case.

( 7 ) Replacing cables: Replacing gear and brake cables is not critical but it could be a helpful skill to have. Even if you are not able to replace them yourself, do carry some spare cables with you as Brompton cables have sometime different specifications ( ie gear cable ). Having some spares you will be able to at least have it fixed whenever you find a bike shop along the way.

( 8 ) Replacing spokes: I never had a broken spoke while touring on a Brompton. Replacing a broken spoke is not too difficult but what is difficult and takes a lot of practice is truing a wheel. This is something I am not able to do. Like in the case of cables I always carry some spare spokes from the back wheel and possible for the front wheel too. If I break a spoke I have at least the option to have it fixed at a bike shop and continue on the tour.

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Sunday, May 5, 2019




Transporting a Brompton folder by airplane to your tour destination is much easier than any other bike. The way a Brompton folds is clever as far as reducing its size to a minimum but crucially in the way the fold protects the most vulnerable parts. Derailleur and gear shifters as well as brakes and chainset are neatly tucked inside the fold and not easily damaged if mishandled. 

Hard Case vs Soft Case

For those who want a bullet proof system to carry the Brompton by plane the B&W Hard Case though not cheap, will protect the bike better than most suitcases as it is designed around Brompton bikes.
I find that this limits your choices as far as touring goes. I like to be free to design my tour as I wish and more often than not this means starting from one location and ending somewhere else. A hard case is not ideal for this as you will need to find a place to store it once you start your tour and get back to the same location when it is time to return home. If you mostly take tours that start and end in the same location this won't be a hard thing to plan as most hotels if you stay on the first night will be happy to store your empty case and let you collect on your return.
If you are willing to trade a little security and ship your Brompton in a soft bag that you can pack small and carry with you during your tour, you have the perfect setup to be free to make choices as to where you start and end your trip and always know that all your gear is with you and ready to be backed whenever you need. In my experience so far and reading from other people who do use soft bags to check in the bike on planes the likelihood of the bicycle being damage is pretty slim.

How I Pack my Brompton



I get hold of a heavy duty soft bag that will fit the bike without leaving too much space. Ikea Dimpa Bags are just perfect for Bromptons. I always carry a spare along with me as they are really light and compact and can be used to quickly pack the bike when you need to take a bus or train along the way.
I remove the saddle and remove the clamps and screws that hold the folds of the bike. The only extra thing I then do is to tightly tie some heavy duty rope between the frame and the front wheel as you can see from the picture. This is an extra step to further secure the bike fold and ensures that the plastic hook that keeps the front wheel attached to the frame is not over strained. 
I line the bag with few pieces of cut cardboards to the bottom, the top and all sides to further protect the package.



Finally I put the saddle and T-Bag in plastic bags and insert them in the empty spaces together with my sleeping mat and wrapped bike tools I need. These will fill up the few spaces available and also function as shock absorbers if the package is put under some pressure. 
After zipping the Dimpa Bag I then put it inside a soft bike carrying bag that is easy to fold and adds some further protection and is easier to handle while transporting it to and from the airport. This is not exactly sized to a folded Brompton and leaves quite a bit of space to the back and front of the bike. This further space can be used for your tent or other non valuable and light things you might be happy to store there. To make the bag more compact I usually buy some Black heavy duty tape and wrap it tight around the bag.


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