# Carrying a Brompton on a rucksack



## swansonj (25 Jul 2017)

My wife and I are picking off stages of the North Downs Way a few days at a time. For the next stage, one option involves driving to the start, walking while carrying the Brompton, then one of us cycling back to retrieve the car. 

We have various walking rucksacks in various sizes (though none big enough to fit the Brompton inside) and plenty of luggage straps. Does anyone have experience of strapping a Brompton to a rucksack, or any other helpful suggestions?


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## Fab Foodie (25 Jul 2017)

swansonj said:


> ...... or any other helpful suggestions?


Yes, clearly you're crazy!


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## Profpointy (25 Jul 2017)

swansonj said:


> My wife and I are picking off stages of the North Downs Way a few days at a time. For the next stage, one option involves driving to the start, walking while carrying the Brompton, then one of us cycling back to retrieve the car.
> 
> We have various walking rucksacks in various sizes (though none big enough to fit the Brompton inside) and plenty of luggage straps. Does anyone have experience of strapping a Brompton to a rucksack, or any other helpful suggestions?



depending on what kind of area the other end is, I'd be inclined to leave a bike chained up. Maybe a pub bike if a questionable place to leave bike. Or ask nicely at a pub or whatever to leave bike


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## GrumpyGregry (25 Jul 2017)

push it/wheel it unfolded?


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## swansonj (25 Jul 2017)

User14044mountain said:


> It'll be way too heavy to carry on a walk like that - coastal paths tend to be quite hilly as well. If it were me, I'd book a taxi to get me back to where the car is. That'll make the walk more enjoyable.


Is it actually any heavier than a rucksack loaded for a few days walking would be, let alone for a camping trip?

(Just looked it up - 12kg - I'm sure I've carried rucksacks, not to mention children, that heavy up mountains before )

We did use a taxi to enable one of our previous stages but the Brompton option seems more satisfying...


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## Yellow Saddle (25 Jul 2017)

Why not just take a walk around the block with it strapped to your back? See if it works for you.
If it works, it works.


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## swansonj (25 Jul 2017)

Profpointy said:


> depending on what kind of area the other end is, I'd be inclined to leave a bike chained up. Maybe a pub bike if a questionable place to leave bike. Or ask nicely at a pub or whatever to leave bike





User said:


> Drop it off at the end first and leave it there locked up.


Yes, that's an option too, and we're looking at options, but it involves driving to the far end to drop the bike, driving back to the start, then driving again at the end. I'm quite resigned to using a car to enable my choice of leisure activity, but that starts to make you wonder which is coming first. 

Which would you say is safest to leave locked up for a day - the Brompton or my Thorn Raven? Because, remarkably in the present company, those are the only two solo bikes I have.


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## Profpointy (25 Jul 2017)

swansonj said:


> Yes, that's an option too, and we're looking at options, but it involves driving to the far end to drop the bike, driving back to the start, then driving again at the end. I'm quite resigned to using a car to enable my choice of leisure activity, but that starts to make you wonder which is coming first.
> 
> Which would you say is safest to leave locked up for a day - the Brompton or my Thorn Raven? Because, remarkably in the present company, those are the only two solo bikes I have.



Mmn, good point. Neither are cheap to lose. Still, I'd not want to carry a brompton very far on my back.


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## swansonj (25 Jul 2017)

User14044mountain said:


> I agree with Adrian but if you have to chose, by my reckoning a Brompton costs the same as a Rohloff hub, so I'd use the former.


There was once a theory that thieves associate hub gears with low-value shopping bikes and don't bother nicking them, and that Rohloffs might benefit from this supposed protection. I would not however want to rely on this theory.


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## Randomnerd (25 Jul 2017)

I've carried a Brompton occasionally - to speed my return journey on a survey walk through woodlands - using a pack frame (search "lastenkraxe"). It isn't great - a lumpy deadweight - but can be done. Enjoy your walks: pay for a comfy taxi.


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## jay clock (25 Jul 2017)

I cannot imagine how unpleasant carrying a Brompton on your back would be

One tip if leaving a bike anywhere is contact a Warmshowers host - even if not near enough they may know someone who is


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## srw (25 Jul 2017)

What's the section? There might be someone on here close enough to the end point to take care of a bike for you.


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## swansonj (25 Jul 2017)

srw said:


> What's the section? There might be someone on here close enough to the end point to take care of a bike for you.


Thanks for the suggestion and for all the other constructive suggestions. 

However....

We started this north downs way malarkey a couple of years ago when we realised we had term times free of children. The stretches that were nearer to us we did train to start - walk with overnight kit - stay in some convenient pub - walk again - stay again / walk - train home. Even though we were only actually doing two or three days at a time (one block each university term), that felt as if we were being true to the spirit of long-distance walks. Now we're getting to the far end at Dover, that pattern doesn't work as well and we're using the car more. The trick is to preserve at least the illusion of doing a proper long distance walk. Summoning a taxi to whisk us back to a b&b at the end of the walk, or making prior arrangements to stash and retrieve a bike, is logically no worse than using a car to drive to the start - but it would perhaps _feel_ one stage more removed from the ideal of the self-sufficient walk...


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## GrumpyGregry (25 Jul 2017)

Terrible things, scruples.


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## srw (25 Jul 2017)

Assuming that you have already investigated Professor Google's guide to the bus routes of Kent and found it wanting, I can only suggest doing what @Yellow Saddle suggests and trying an experiment.

Personally I can't imagine anything worse than carrying a heavy bike across hilly terrain on your back - except possibly riding any of the standard Bromptons across hilly Kentish lanes.


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## rowan 46 (25 Jul 2017)

A stupid idea perhaps but what about one of those baby stroller /trailers? push the bikes in the stroller then hitch to one of the bikes and ride back to the car


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## chriscross1966 (26 Jul 2017)

one of these? https://www.amazon.com/bluesprite-Lifting-Backpack-for-Brompton/dp/B015R12JHI


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## swansonj (26 Jul 2017)

Well, the existence of those two products suggests that the concept of carrying a Brompton in a backpack isn't quite as barking mad as some people (including my wife) have implied...


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## Trickedem (26 Jul 2017)

My wife and I are doing the same. Just one section to do in Kent; from Shepherdswell to Dover. We've mainly used the train, but we have used taxis and buses. Pm me if you'd like to borrow my shopping bike, which is in the category of 'unlikely to be stolen' !


There is no way I'd consider lugging my Brompton more than a couple of miles.


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## swansonj (29 Jul 2017)

One Brompton, padlocked (with two different U locks and a cable lock to two separate fence posts) this morning at the intended finish point of today's walk, before driving on and leaving the car at the start - and I'm happy to confirm it was still there when we arrived back at the same point after the walk. Only got to get away with it on two more days now....


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## ufkacbln (29 Jul 2017)

My wife uses a wheelcair, but can manage short distances on foot

We had a system

Find a pub for lunch
Drop her and wheelchair off at start
Park car in Pub, and walk back
Do the walk, sometimes with her walking and me in the chair

Finish at pub, have lunch

It only requires planning

As an aside...

We had a mobility scooter prior to the wheelchair, and were on Catbells' access track

A couple of serious walkers objected vociferously about the scooter.

So i introduced myself as a representative of them "Disabled off road racing club" and explained we were researching the route for next years event where we expected a thousand scooters and wheelchairs being timed across the route

Watching them fume was a brilliant (if petty) revenge for their discrimination and I can only imagine the Grink in the local papers in the next week or so


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## rualexander (29 Jul 2017)

https://flic.kr/s/aHsjE8b4LF
Works well, no problem with the weight if you are used to any sort of backpacking.
I just used a small daypack and attached my Brompton to it with bungees.
That walk was about 5 miles.
Good option for making a round trip out of what would otherwise be a there and back walk.
I've subsequently bought a backpack harness (backpack with no bag part) from Polish company Wisport but they don't seem to list it anymore. Other makes of harness only backpacks are available from elsewhere.
Cheapest option is just to adapt what you already have of course.


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## pjd57 (2 Aug 2017)

Brompton luggage idea.


View: https://twitter.com/KineticsGlasgow/status/892775107336314880


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## jefmcg (2 Aug 2017)

pjd57 said:


> Brompton luggage idea.
> 
> 
> View: https://twitter.com/KineticsGlasgow/status/892775107336314880



This is in the wrong thread.


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## pjd57 (2 Aug 2017)

jefmcg said:


> This is in the wrong thread.


No idea where it should be so took a punt on this


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## jefmcg (2 Aug 2017)

pjd57 said:


> No idea where it should be so took a punt on this


LOL. 

Fair enough, but it deserves it's own thread.


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## pjd57 (2 Aug 2017)

jefmcg said:


> LOL.
> 
> Fair enough, but it deserves it's own thread.


Probably does.
But I'm not a bromptoneer, or whatever their generic name is.

But I know the Kinetics bloke


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## chriscross1966 (9 Aug 2017)

pjd57 said:


> Brompton luggage idea.
> 
> 
> View: https://twitter.com/KineticsGlasgow/status/892775107336314880



I have got to get me one of those for touring....


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## palinurus (9 Aug 2017)

This article from A to B magazine might be useful


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