# Brompton touring



## smith4188 (25 Jan 2017)

A few good folk on here have mentioned touring on a Brompton. How were your gears configured? I think Brompton does a 1-, 2-, 3- and 6-gear version as standard but I've heard of people modifying up to 11 gears. How easy is it to upgrade to 11? Also, what was your average or typical distance per day? Thanks in advance for your wisdom.


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## Fab Foodie (25 Jan 2017)

smith4188 said:


> A few good folk on here have mentioned touring on a Brompton. How were your gears configured? I think Brompton does a 1-, 2-, 3- and 6-gear version as standard but I've heard of people modifying up to 11 gears. How easy is it to upgrade to 11? Also, what was your average or typical distance per day? Thanks in advance for your wisdom.



Hi @smith4188
I've done a couple of trips on my B and found it a good machine. Starting at the beginning I have a secondhand S6L with the 50T chainring (Std). On my first tour in 30 or so years I cobbled together some old kit, packed a tent, full kit and rode 60 miles without issue. I did resolve to swap the chainring for the -12% 44T option after grunting up a few hillsunloaded:







Not the slickest, but it worked a treat!

Still fully loaded I found the 44T a struggle on steep and long inclines. Also I missed the 50T top gear when unloaded and racing downhills.

As I was contemplating a tour in the Outer Hebrides the next step was to swap the Brompton Chainset for a cheap Stronglight 50/34 double. It fitted just fine with no mods (a couple links out of the chain might help) but it was ready to go. Cost of upgrade £50. OK, you can fit a front derailleur and lever with a bit of ingenuity, but for me that's over-complicating things.
Effectively I use it as a 2 range system. If I know I've a hilly day I use the 34 which hauled me over the hills of Harris without issue. Flattter days, use the big ring. Simples. When I tour I'm not in a rush.






It worked a treat for me anyhow.

There are expensive mods with Rohloff or Nexus gears, but this works for me, weigh's bugger-all and maintains the simplicity.

Unless you want to travel far or fast, the Brompton's a treat. Unladen I've done 100 miles happily in a day so it's comfortable. Easy to get on trains etc
It and all my kit fits happily inside my Banshee 200 with me which is an advantage. Also forms part of a tarp set-up!






40 to 50 miles laden on tour is enough, I like to see stuff.


Cheers
FF


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## TheDoctor (25 Jan 2017)

I've done a few Brompton tours.
My most recent was in Provence - TGV to Avignon, mostly following the Luberon route http://www.luberon-apt.fr/index.php/fr/bouger/a-velo but with a trip to Sault to do Ventoux and the Gorge de Nesque, and then down to Isle sur la Sorgue and back to Avignon. Probably about 280k or so, and about 55k each day. I could have easily done more, but I wasn't trying to make it a route march, plus I was kinda-governed by where hotels were, and my desire to be in Apt on Tuesday night to get a bus to Sault on Wednesday morning. That bus saved me 25k of climbing on a busyish road.
I was on a bog standard M6R with T-Bag, bar ends and SPDs. I've since modded the bike with a 44/34 chainset to eliminate the 99" top gear (which I didn't really need) and give me a lower gear. The 34 ring drops the gearing still further, by about a gear-and-a-half. There's always a day when you want a gear you haven't got!


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## TheDoctor (25 Jan 2017)

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/weekend-in-champagne.85424/

Here's the write-up I did of my first Brompton tour - a few years ago now... I didn't have the T-Bag then, but after fighting with a rackpack I saw the light.
FF has got his bike rather more loaded than I had mine!


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## Fab Foodie (25 Jan 2017)

TheDoctor said:


> https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/weekend-in-champagne.85424/
> 
> Here's the write-up I did of my first Brompton tour - a few years ago now... I didn't have the T-Bag then, but after fighting with a rackpack I saw the light.
> FF has got his bike rather more loaded than I had mine!


I did have a kitchen sink on board. I now has access to a T-bag. Me and Wimpers got 18kg of groceries in it last week!


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## Fab Foodie (25 Jan 2017)

London Brompton Club has a lot of expertise on Brompton gear mods.


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## Hill Wimp (25 Jan 2017)

User said:


> Don't remind me... I'm going again tomorrow and I haven't got over yesterday's aches yet.


Blimey Reg you will be a stick insect by April.

We will never recognise you.


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## reppans (25 Jan 2017)

Count me in too... This bike has rekindled my interest in bike touring (after quitting decades ago) by erasing most of my touring "issues." (Although recently getting into ultra-light was big factor too.)

M6R with -12% gearing. 40-50 miles/day for me too - I like to do things, other than ride, along the way. I've been working on the efficiency differences to my 700x32 CX/gravel bike and think I'd only go ~2 miles further on that bike (on road).


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## steveindenmark (26 Jan 2017)

Rocky, did you ride up to Hamburg from Rotterdam and what was it like? I have ridden the Danish section and found it to be pretty boring.


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## psmiffy (26 Jan 2017)

steveindenmark said:


> I have ridden the Danish section and found it to be pretty boring.



ditto



steveindenmark said:


> Hamburg from Rotterdam



ditto


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## smith4188 (26 Jan 2017)

Thanks for all the info. Looks like I'm going to have to splurge on one.


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## Fab Foodie (26 Jan 2017)

smith4188 said:


> Thanks for all the info. Looks like I'm going to have to splurge on one.


Enjoy!
Bear in mind the big Brompton Touring bag can't be used at capacity on an S-type as full it fouls the break levers.
Rolled-down it's OK.


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## Mrs M (26 Jan 2017)

The more I see and read about these lovely little bikes the more I want one 
Have planted a wee seed in Mr M's head about getting a couple in the future, so we can take them away at weekends and holidays, days out, etc 
Wish me luck


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## Blue Hills (26 Jan 2017)

I have the 5 speed one - very nice as no derailleur. Not been made since the turn of the century but good second hand examples may be available. Have thought of touring on it for a while but decided I'd stick with my more conventional bikes - easier packing. Is there a reason for this Mr Primrose? - a new book in the offing?


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## Fab Foodie (26 Jan 2017)

Mrs M said:


> The more I see and read about these lovely little bikes the more I want one
> Have planted a wee seed in Mr M's head about getting a couple in the future, so we can take them away at weekends and holidays, days out, etc
> Wish me luck


You won't regret it :-)


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## smith4188 (28 Jan 2017)

Blue Hills said:


> Is there a reason for this Mr Primrose? - a new book in the offing?



Perhaps. I have a cunning plan for 2018, but I'm just trying to work out the feasibility of it all. It would be a very different sort of bike adventure, and one that opens up wonderful, additional opportunities to die. I can't wait to tell me mum about it. She's going to go mental.


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## Hill Wimp (28 Jan 2017)

smith4188 said:


> Perhaps. I have a cunning plan for 2018, but I'm just trying to work out the feasibility of it all. It would be a very different sort of bike adventure, and one that opens up wonderful, additional opportunities to die. I can't wait to tell me mum about it. She's going to go mental.


Give us a clue


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## Blue Hills (28 Jan 2017)

smith4188 said:


> Perhaps. I have a cunning plan for 2018, but I'm just trying to work out the feasibility of it all. It would be a very different sort of bike adventure, and one that opens up wonderful, additional opportunities to die. I can't wait to tell me mum about it. She's going to go mental.


You're taking your mum along on this dodgy trip?


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## smith4188 (28 Jan 2017)

Hill Wimp said:


> Give us a clue



:-) OK. As well as a folding bike, it also involves a folding boat.


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## smith4188 (28 Jan 2017)

Blue Hills said:


> You're taking your mum along on this dodgy trip?



No, but she's predicted my death on every ride I've done so far. This one might give her more justification.


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## Hill Wimp (28 Jan 2017)

smith4188 said:


> :-) OK. As well as a folding bike, it also involves a folding boat.


intriguing


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## campagman (28 Jan 2017)

smith4188 said:


> :-) OK. As well as a folding bike, it also involves a folding boat.


Does it involve Origami?


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## TheDoctor (28 Jan 2017)

smith4188 said:


> :-) OK. As well as a folding bike, it also involves a folding boat.


FFS! Don't leave us hanging. This sounds really intriguing. Probably highly daft, but since when has that been a contraindication?


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## rualexander (28 Jan 2017)

smith4188 said:


> :-) OK. As well as a folding bike, it also involves a folding boat.


http://www.brompton.com/News/Posts/2015/Journey-60-Degrees-North


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## reppans (29 Jan 2017)

^^ good boat to pair with the Brommie.. ~ 11 lbs all in.


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## smith4188 (29 Jan 2017)

Aye, rualexander, I've seen that video. I can't imagine their adventure would have been much fun with stronger winds. My idea's a little more "yachty" than that, and hopefully a lot longer. Have a google for the Seahopper Kondor. But if it's unfeasible with the Kondor, then the inflatable that reppans posted might do the trick. It wouldn't be quite so romantic though.


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## TheDoctor (29 Jan 2017)

A folding bike and a folding yacht? 
That's ruddy insane. That's the stupidest idea I've heard in a long while.
Well done!
*approves*


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## TheDoctor (30 Jan 2017)

I would expect nothing less of you


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## Brains (4 Feb 2017)

With one of these




You can carry one of these




A canoe can also carry a sail, there are a number of kits out there.

We met a Belgian guy towing an 'Old Country' 14' canoe cycling up the Rhine on a folder. (Dahon I think)
When he got to Switzerland he was going to put the bike in the boat and float all the way home again
900km in each direction!


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## smith4188 (4 Feb 2017)

It's great to know I have more options than I originally envisaged. But for the route I have in mind that massive trailer would sort of have to come with me even on the sailing parts of the ride.


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## hopless500 (5 Feb 2017)

User said:


> It's almost as barmy as my half-hatched plan involving a canoe, a Brompton and the canals of England....


I wanted to put a bike on my kayak. It was vetoed by Mr Hop


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## Brains (5 Feb 2017)

smith4188 said:


> It's great to know I have more options than I originally envisaged. But for the route I have in mind that massive trailer would sort of have to come with me even on the sailing parts of the ride.



No need for a big trailer, check out the lower picture of the red canoe in my message above, the canoe has a hitch mounted to the hull and the wheels are on a bogey, so the hull becomes the trailer chassis

A very quick goggle search bought up this item, but there will be many more out there
https://www.amazon.com/Seattle-Sports-Paddle-Cart-20-Pounds/dp/B007812JIA






I'd suggest you join up with the Song of the Paddle forum, canoeing and cycling have a surprisingly large amount in common
http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php/42211-Cycling-forums?highlight=cycling
They even have a cycling sub forum, and a sailing canoes sub forum


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## ufkacbln (5 Feb 2017)

I have always used the Airnimal for touring

However for "City touring" the Brompton is unbeatable

Travel to a City with the Brompton as "luggage" then find a city base and explore


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## TheDoctor (6 Feb 2017)

For Eurostar touring the Brompton is unbeatable too!


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## Crankarm (11 Feb 2017)

TheDoctor said:


> For Eurostar touring the Brompton is unbeatable too!



^^^^


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## Crankarm (11 Feb 2017)

I have done a couple of excellent tours on my Brompton L6 in France in the Pyrenees for 3 weeks and around Norfolk in 2004 - 2007, but sadly no further tours since. Really enjoyed them, kind of miss them, but I now tour on a proper fixed touring bike. The Brompton though scores heavily where you have to take transport such as the Eurostar or TGV to get to the start of your tour if time is short, but even with a proper touring bike there are still ferries and the TER trains in France. The Brompton was surprisingly stable when loaded up front and back given it is a folding bike but it did suffer from a little bit of swaying which was manageable but still you have to be careful. Maybe I was carrying too much. It certainly was a talking point in France, many a local was interested in it. I really enjoyed riding around Paris on it. Maybe I'll tour again some time on it just for a change. In fact it hasn't had much use the last few years despite having a new rear hub two years ago. There are Rohloff Bromptons but I couldn't justify the cost and in any case the 6 speed is just fine. I climbed the col d'Aubisque and Tourmalet on it no problem and it was fine on the cobbled streets in Paris.

As for carrying a collapsible boat on it ................. What a paper boat?? LoL.

Check out Iohan Gueorguiev. He is the real deal adventurer, bike and canoe.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ0KNj5WUvk


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