Can a folding bike climb?

[Kell]

Because it was a hideous BSO from Amazon, that was far, far worse than a Halfords Apollo

Oh I know it was sh*t.

but I’d like to know what, specifically, caused it to be that much slower.

I think they said it weighed almost three times as much as his hill climb bike at 15+ kg.

The Brompton was lighter than the cheap bike, but only had two gears.

But was it just the weight? Or did it have really bad hubs and a sticky bottom bracket? Was all the weight in the wheels? Was there tonnes of friction through the gears?

Probably all of the above.

 

[mitchibob]

Hard Knott Pass is doable on Brompton, in February. I can confirm though... feet went down. Nearly binned it on the slippery cattle-grid before I even hit the proper steep bits. First feet down was to take off waterproof to avoid boil in bag. 2nd, just pain from one shoe slightly over-tightened. Pretty sure there was third stop, and that was just mixture of pain, rear wheel slipping on stream that was road for a while, oh, a car is coming down, that's an excuse for a breather so I can zig-zag the rest of it.

I reckon one advantage to Brompton in this situation is that it's easier to get going again if you have to stop on that kind of gradient ;-)

While I'm sure I'll try it again one day, really don't think it'll be any easier on a road bike. But I reckon me on a lightweight road bike, and Andrew Feather on a Brompton, he'd still get up in about a 3rd of the time I would, and not be quite as ruined.

Plus, forearms really get a workout on the brakes coming down the other side!

Still worth it!

 

[ExBrit]

Hard Knott Pass is doable on Brompton, in February. I can confirm though... feet went down. Nearly binned it on the slippery cattle-grid before I even hit the proper steep bits. First feet down was to take off waterproof to avoid boil in bag. 2nd, just pain from one shoe slightly over-tightened. Pretty sure there was third stop, and that was just mixture of pain, rear wheel slipping on stream that was road for a while, oh, a car is coming down, that's an excuse for a breather so I can zig-zag the rest of it.

I reckon one advantage to Brompton in this situation is that it's easier to get going again if you have to stop on that kind of gradient ;-)

While I'm sure I'll try it again one day, really don't think it'll be any easier on a road bike. But I reckon me on a lightweight road bike, and Andrew Feather on a Brompton, he'd still get up in about a 3rd of the time I would, and not be quite as ruined.

Plus, forearms really get a workout on the brakes coming down the other side!

Still worth it!

I fixed the problem for you Have a great ride.

 

[TheDoctor]

Uphill I guess no big problem. 50mph downhills on a Brompton would be a different matter all together

It's doable. Coming off the Col de Mort d'Imbert into Manosque I was doing about 55 mph. If I ever get the Brommie to the top of Ventoux or something similar, I reckon 60 + mph could be on the cards 😲

Hmmm. Ditchling...

 

[mitchibob]

Hmmm. Ditchling...

I think I got close to 70kph on Coldean descent (coming off Ditchling), but way too scared to wave at the speed camera!

 

[mitchibob]

I fixed the problem for you Have a great ride.
View attachment 625902

Except it was Winter!

 

[2bikes4adventure]

Revisiting GCN’s Folding Bike Challenge

 

[a.twiddler]

An interesting video, paricularly the segment on Brompton frame flex. The statement at the end, "For most of us it's not how fast we climb, or who arrives first but if we get to the top without having to dismount and push the bike" rang true for me. In the real world, for this old git at least, whatever I happen to be riding, that is the important thing. When I said further up thread in response to the OP that of course folders can climb, this is what I had in mind, though other posters were focused on being able to beat/keep up with a dedicated lightweight DF bike set up for climbing. Perhaps I should have made myself clearer.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Bikes don’t climb, the rider does. Bikes descend…