Has Our Trip Changed Your Perception of Bromptons?
We’re pretty excited to be going to Interbike this year with the help of our friends from Nashville Bicycle Lounge! We’ll be keeping an eye out for new commuting and touring products so check the site for updates that week. If there’s anything specific you want us to cover, email us. We’ll also be hanging out at the Klean Kanteen booth trying to meet up with readers and other bloggers (details soon!).
We’d also love to relay to Brompton directly how our trip has changed your perception of their bike! If our adventure has inspired you to go on your own multi-modal trip or get a Brompton, let us know. If our trip made you consider incorporating Amtrak or other modes of transportation into your bike tour, let us know (we’re still compiling a document we want to send to Amtrak). Either email us, use our Connect page, or leave a comment below. We think that they’re great bikes capable of some great adventures and we’d love to see them develop their touring luggage line and reach out to the US market more.
It’s been a pleasure following your trip, and it HAS made me re-think folding bikes. I’m not going to run out and get one (I like just having one bike, and I already have one), but I’m glad to see how functional they are for touring, and how multi-modal touring opens up so many more possibilities.
I’m quiet a fan of Amtrak, and one leg of two tours have been on the train. I love that for $20 I get an oversized bike box (no need to take off wheels) as well as my bike taken anywhere in the US I’m travelling.
Thanks again for all the posts of your trip, especially the videos–they were a lot of fun to watch.
I started riding folders as a commute bike in San Francisco over six years ago. I would see a few other folding bikes, but they were rare enough then that EVERYBODY would ask me questions about it.
Nowadays there are hundreds upon hundreds of them in SF every day. I’ve come to prefer them over what I now call “big bikes”. Fast acceleration, as much speed as I could ever want in the city, convenience… there really is no downside.
I’ve tried many brands, but really have come to prefer the mid to upper range of steel Dahons (like the Speed and the Vitesse). It’s great that there is so much choice! Did I miss the post on why you chose Bromptons when you were in the land of Bike Fridays?
I was a follower of your blog on the previous journey and was surprised and delighted by your decision to tour on folders this time. Way to go!
When I got my Bike Friday NWT I learned just how great a small wheeled, short wheelbased folding bike is as a city-commuter bike.
I loved seeing how far we can go with the brompton. I am preparing a 400km bike trip. I will do part of the road “Camino de Santiago” in Spain. The most important route in Europe.
I first thought of a mountain bike, but I have followed your journey from the beginning and now I will do it with a brompton. Thank you.
Sorry if my English is not quite correct.
My girlfriend and I both have fold up bikes (as well as our regular bikes… wait, is that bad to say our fold ups aren’t regular?). They’re one of the other brands… but we find that when we travel out of town by car… we’re more apt to grab the fold ups… as they’re easier to transport and stash in hotels, etc. We haven’t done any touring but would seriously consider now that we’ve seen what you two have accomplished. And the next fold ups might just be Bromptons… again, thanks to seeing what you’ve been able to accomplish on them. And would be great if the fold ups starting modifying the bikes with an aim towards touring. Thanks again for opening our eyes to the possibilities of the fold up.
Because of your successful Brompton adventures, I’m planning to do a tour on my Bike Friday Tikit. While I love the beautiful fold of the Brompton (it would be really easy to carry the Brompton up to my 4th floor apt.), I love the sturdiness as well as the flexibility of parts that can fit on the Tikit. I may even decide to go with a backpack rather than panniers because of you guys. Finally, I want to tour eastern OR- Joseph and the other towns you featured and maybe make it over to Bozeman. I have a school year to plan my trip and figure out my equipment needs before I head to the States next summer. I’ll be following your adventures as well as those folks on “Craze Guy On a Bike”, especially Judy Norris, the 72 year old woman just starting her solo tour of the southern terrer of the US. I mentioned you guys to her and she follows you two too and she rides a Brompton when she is home but a Bike Friday on tour. Check her out, she is so COOL and an inspiration!!!
Should be “Crazy Guy on a Bike”
We are now preparing a tour around Europe, with my wife and our 15 months old daughter.
I already have a Brompton, mainly for commuting, and I think it’s a fantastic bike. So, a few months ago I had this crazy idea: What if I bring the Brompton on our trip?… I started to google for touring on Brompton and that’s how I found your site.
Since then you guys have been a huge source of inspiration for us.
We already ordered a 2nd Brompton for my wife and bought a Chariot trailer for our daughter. We’re now trying to figure out everything else, including the fact that the Chariot is designed for bikes with 26″ wheels… we’ll need to do some modifications.
Keep it going and thanks for the great articles, reviews, videos and photos… I know it must take a lot of effort to keep the quality of this website.
Your adventures on Bromptons has made my girlfriend and I consider buying a pair to use for weekend trips throughout the Northeast. While I regularly bring my full-size bike onboard commuter trains in New Jersey, Amtrak does not allow them on its Northeast trains, so Bromptons would be ideal.
I was already sold on Bromptons as I have two. They’re mainly used for commuting, riding around town and taking on some vacations (by car). Your trip has expanded my thinking about the potential for longer trips on the B’s. I travel around the globe on business so am thinking about taking the Brompton with me on some trips in the future. I’d be curious to hear what you can find out from Brompton, while at Interbike, about the long delayed B-Pod. Also, I’d love to hear more specifics about the gear and clothing choices you made as you scaled back what you carried on this trip.
Last year while in Shanghai I saw folding bikes everywhere and when finishing up my TransAm ride on the west coast I was able to get my hands on Bromptons at Paul’s Bicycle Shop in Eugene, OR. I would consider them for my next purchase, though more likely to buy a used folder as I can’t remember the last time I bought a bike new.
Hey Guys,
I’ve recently started traveling around the country, for work & play, and bought a Brompton from Clever a few months ago. I would say between your Journey and EcoVelos love for the Brompton my decision was swayed to purchase one. I was down in Austin, TX and heard that Freewheeling cycles had a brompton come in… gave it a test ride & loved it. Unfortunately it was a 3 speed and the wait for a custom was quite long, so i called Clever and had them mail me a M6L raw laquer & bought the Carradice bags for it. I carry everything from my camera equipment to tents & most important… beer!
Cheers and thanks for the dedication, journaling, & advice.
Partly inspired by your musings and adventures and mostly by finally getting to try one, I recently got an ML6 with the reduced gearing.
I bought it primarily as a travel bike as they fit almost anywhere and I plan to keep it in my vehicle. That it’s a great bike too is a bonus.
While I have no plans for a journey like yours it’s great to know what these are capable of. None of the other folders I tried spoke to me like the Brompton.
Your two have sparked a love for all things Brompton and rail travel in me . I have traveled with my Brommie to NYC , Philadelphia and Atlantic City dozens of adventured fill times this year alone . Planning on an Amtrak adventure to Portland and Cali soon. I now own two Bromptons. One set up like yours.
Mahalo , much luv from one Bromptoneer to another.
=;D~