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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A Brompton and a Train in Devon

  

 


A Brompton folder combined with a train ticket can make it really easy to explore the best parts while skipping what is less interesting or places one has already seen. In this ride along the South Devon coast Andy makes the best of the ease with which our favourite folder can be easily transported.

Watch the video here

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Transporting a Brompton Hardcase vs Soft Bags

  


Folding bikes have a great advantage. A small footprint that makes it easier to pack them ready for transport. How you pack them depends on the risk you are willing to take and to a certain extent the type of tour you are planning.

There are two main choices here. You could use a hard case or go for a soft bag.

Hard Cases

They use their hardcore shell to protect from damages and have lots of padding on the inside to further ensure your bike will be found as you left it no matter what happens. They are usually expensive, large and cumbersome but on the plus side quite comfortable to move about as they typically include wheels for easy rolling. Airlines charges vary. As a general rule you will find that a bicycle carried in this type of luggage falls into the ‘sport equipment’ meaning that extra fares will apply. You will pay more due to the weight but also the size of the package. You might often need to check in your luggage at special gates designated for Extra Large items. They do not have much space left for anything else beyond the bike. This means that you will have to carry much more weight in the cabin. Often airlines will not let you bring more than one bag for example and will also want to know the weight. You see where this is going. This can result in additional charges, adding to the frustration of negotiating through stressful situations.

As far as affecting what kind of tour you will be able to have, a hard case poses a practical problem too. You will have to store it somewhere when you start cycling. For a tour from point A to point B, you'll need transportation to return to the starting point once you've completed your journey.

Provided the above conditions are not too limiting, a hard case ensures that your bike will be safe and undamaged.

Soft Bags

Especially when traveling by airplane, soft cases are not as effective as hard cases in protecting your bicycle. On the other hand, they provide you with the freedom to decide where to stay and how to travel. Being light and foldable, they can be carried as part of your luggage, giving you the flexibility to use them when taking transportation in the middle of a tour. You can find an effective bag for not much more than the cost of a cup of coffee, and being lightweight, they minimize the chances of incurring extra fees during transport.

Certainly, the last thing you'd want is for your bike to get damaged during transport. With a soft bag, extra attention and care are essential when packing. Enclose the bike with soft items, and for a Brompton with a rack, I have found it crucial to place a sponge or some kind of soft padding at the bottom making sure the bike is not resting on the rack which if dropped with some force can bend it and damage it. Consider also inserting cut-down cardboard as an extra protective layer around the frame of the bike.

Soft cases are the only type I've used for all my touring travels. Experience has taught me how to compensate for their vulnerability with the ideas you've just read and more, which you can also find in my videos on the subject.





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Bike Packing South England on a Brompton

  

 


The combination of Covid 19 restrictions on all travel and the forecast of good and dry late April weather, spurred me to finally take a tour of England, what has been home away from home for many years. In this tour, started from central London, I followed mostly National Cycle Network routes available on www.sustrans.org.uk, moving South and the West to Land's End and returning to Bath, my final destination. 




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Freitag x Brompton Backpack

  

 


Freitag, the Zurich based bag manufacturer and Brompton have announced their collaboration in producing a new backpack, the F748 Coltrane. It is the perfect companion to a Brompton as it is designed to clip on to the front carrier block of the bike. Freitag is world famous for giving new life to used materials and the F748 is no exception and it is made of recycled truck tarps and shoulders straps and all straps and handles are manufactured using discarded seat belts.

The bag is 19L capacity, is water repellent and each one of them is a unique piece with its patterns and colours. It's a great backpack as it is but, if not used on the bike, it is also possible to remove the aluminium frame by unfastening a couple of velcro straps and sliding it out. As far as storage the bag is simple but very functional. In the main compartment you will find a pen loop holder, the nice touch of a matching leather mud flap, 2 thin compartment, one with padding material meant for tablets or laptops, as well as a zippered inner compartment. On the outside there is a zippered pocket for things you want to access easily, even while seating on the bike. The bag has a second zipper for easier access to the laptop compartment.

Retailing for £ 320,00, this is an expensive bag so what else do you get for your money?

For one thing you get Freitag renowned build quality which is apparent in the stitching and attention to details. With a little care you get a unique and trendy bag that will probably outlast you and bring a lot of joy into your commute with a Brompton. I was surprised at how comfortable it feels as a backpack despite the frame and how soft the seat belts strap feel on the shoulders. What I loved most though has to be the ease of shifting from cycling to wearing it as a a comfortable backpack, Brompton on one hand, able to walk easily into the office or grabbing a latte at my favourite café. Nothing could make it easier than this bag and a Brompton, they really are a perfect match.

Watch the video review here

https://www.brompton.com/freitag | https://www.freitag.ch/brompton





#FREITAGxBROMPTON

#frtg #ridewithfreitag

#bromptonbicycle

#mybrompton



 


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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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One Problem with Brompton

  

 


It doesn't matter how much we all love these little bikes they are not perfect. If there is one issue that disappoints most Brompton owners is their shifting system. Although Sturmey Archer is a solid and reliable gearing system, it is let down on a Brompton by poor shifters and plastic components that at times can get jammed and prevent from changing gears. When gears options are already limited with a maximum 6 gears available as standard, any malfunction in the ability to shift is quite limiting. 

Watch the full video here

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