Showing posts with label Links. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Links. Show all posts

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Brompton Bags Touring Setups

  

In this video the guys behind 2Bikes4Adventure share their insight and obvious expertise gained in many years of bike touring on folding bikes. They discuss the pro and cons of the various bags that are available for Brompton and share ideas of well tested and more original setups that can be used to carry luggage while touring on folding bikes. 

Watch the video here

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Touring on a Folding Bike

  

For all those interested in a Folding Bike Touring manual I have published "Touring on a Folding Bike"  It is meant as a guide on how to travel and explore the world using a Brompton but also any other reliable folding bike. Discover the advantages of touring with a small and easy to carry bicycle and the amazing opportunities it opens up for the keen cyclist. Hopefully you will find some good advice, fruit of several years of experience on a Brompton folding bike. 
While the book is mostly for the less experienced cyclists, maybe thinking to tour for the first time - at least on a folding bike - I hope that even the more experienced bike tourist will find some valuable and useful advice. For those that have followed my YouTube Channel, while some of the information has been covered in the videos, the book provides more insights into the process I follow before and during a bike tour, in what I hope is an easy to read and well structured way. 

Find the book here


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Brompton 2004 M3R Rebuild

  


A fascinating video on how to restore an old Brompton to its former glory. The M3R even though bought with a good price and running was really in a bad condition so I decided to just stripped it down and rebuild it. It is a good way to spend time also learning the bike mechanics. I had fun doing it and although the finish is not as good as a Raw Lacquer Model as expected from an amateur like me. I think it turned out well! Please enjoy the video! 

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3 Brompton Compatible Multitools

  

Another very informative video by 2Bikes4Adventure. Very few bike multitools are compatible with Brompton bicycles, and here they review 3 of them plus a few additions to tools you may already own. A must watch for every Brompton enthusiast. Head to their Youtube channel and don't forget to subscribe!

Watch the full video here


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Brompton Factory Tour

  

 


I managed to get on the last Brompton Factory Tour in Greenford for this year. It was a great experience. I definitely learned a lot about the Brompton Bicycle that isn't as obvious through their marketing. I definitely recommend doing this tour. Huge thank you to Nigel for extending our tour and answering all our questions.

Watch the video here

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Unfolding Travels

  

I am pleased to announce the publication of 'Unfolding Travels' a collection of journeys, of course all completed on a Brompton folder. This collection of stories includes trips taken over the last decade on my trusted Bronte. The bike has now been retired and I am waiting for a suitable replacement to carry on with further travels. The ten chapters, as well as 50 original drawings, cover some of the most epic roads in the world such as the Karakoram Highway, Manali-Leh and the US Pacific Coast and more.

The book is available on Amazon as a kindle ebook as well as paperback. If you would like a sample chapter, I have included a link to a PDF file you are able to download for free and read.

GET THE BOOK ► https://amzn.to/2C2m4DI
GET THE PAPERBACK ► https://amzn.to/32nFqxO
GET SAMPLE PDF CHAPTER HERE




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Flying with your bike

  

We know the benefit of a Brompton is that it can be disguised into a regular piece of luggage so that you can avoid paying any extra fees but here is a useful resource that helps find out which European airlines are best when you are traveling with your bike.

Read full article here 
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Touring on folding bikes. The Pros and Cons

  

I have been throwing around the idea of getting a folding bike for cycle touring. I took test rides on a Brompton and a Bike Friday but haven’t pulled the trigger and bought one yet. I have put together this list of pros and cons of touring with a folding bike to help me make a decision. Hopefully it helps you too. For an analysis of 8 of the best folding bikes for touring, skip to the second half of this article.

Read the full article here
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AhPek Biker

  

AhPek Biker


Malaysia based blogger Jotaro has a good selection of articles on bike touring with a Brompton as well as experience in cycling tours with other folding and regular bikes.

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Packing the Brompton for Air Travel

  


Travelling with the Brompton to far away places by air is convenient but you have to be careful on how to pack it and protect the more sensitive or protruding ends. Many use hard cases or semi-hard cases; but if you are ending your cycling tour at a point other than your start point, these hard cases are going to be a problem carrying around on the bike.
I frequently travel with a Brompton that is packed into an IKEA Dimpa Bag. It's a soft bag so some additional protection has to be done. This bag folds into a small, convenient piece, making it easy to carry around. Now the things is to ensure that the protection boards and pieces used are also foldable and easily carried on the bike.

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Brompton Touring Light Packing 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 tips useful and take some of them with you on your next tour!


  1. Merino Wool: It took me 40 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 also neutralised by the fabric allowing for them to be worn much longer than any other sport dedicated material. 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! 
  2. Merino Continued: As you are there get yourself some Merino wool socks too...
  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. A better solution I found is using normal light knee trousers possibly with zipped extensions that can be attached in the evening or if you want to be smarter at the restaurant. Under those I wear light and quick drying underpants. When I end my day I take the spare ones with me to the shower, wash myself and the used pants under the shower and put on the clean ones for the night and the next day ride. Usually the pants are thin and will be pretty much completely dried in the morning if not they won't take long to dry once the first sun comes out!
  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... Don't! I just wear a short sleeved shirt over my Merino base layer. It looks amazing and was often complimented on my cycling style on the road too! 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 and will not make you look like a weirdo when 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 a week or when needed.
  5. Everything in twos: I just realised that it seems that everything comes in twos but the bike... Two base layers, two underpants, two socks, two shirts and even two tyres as you are not likely to find Brompton Spares 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. Remember that your spare clothes compression bag can make for the most comfortable pillow at night too!
  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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Crazy Guy On a Bike

  
www.crazyguyonabike.com
The ultimate database and since 2000 a great online journal resource for cycle tourists. If you want to cycle in a particular place around the world and are planning your route, chances are that you will find someone who has cycled it before here!
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