Can you Tour on your Brompton Part 3: Post tour opinion, is it any good?

Great video. I have 44 tooth on a 3 speed and do find it better on hills but a bit slower but I like to take my time and enjoy the view.

Great overview thanks!

It's easy to find diagrams here which shows that the small wheels have a higher rolling resistance than more ordinary wheels, even and also with the high pressure, which Brompton uses. A Brompton is a tool for fun and special circumstances!
Of course it is useable for longer distances, but you need to just be more fit to do it (Dutch "Bromptonian" makes stronger, Brompton like, off road versions and frame-repair parts, if unlucky)! And you are easily able to find double chainrings for the front, which will give 12 gears!
I like my 6 gear (Extra light version from a lot of new titanium and carbon parts), Superlight (9,0 kilo) with mudguards and I have gone up hills so steep that even my low gear wasn't enough, so I had to walk (Actually I would consider a lower gear double chainring in front to be just a waste of extra weight!) and I was in doubt going down again, as I had to stop at intervals, before passing some cattle prevention tubes, crossing the road. But my Brompton never let me down and stopped each time, with insane fast spinning wheels!
You are able to find a titanium disc fork (and similar frames) for the front on the internet. Finn. Denmark

Great video and I appreciated your assessment. I just got a Brompton and plan to bring it to Portugal this May (where the roads are generally good). What surprises me about the Brompton is how much quicker it is than I anticipated it would be. And the upright riding position is lovely. Thanks again!

6 gears is plenty mate. Get out riding more, or if you get a massive hill...PUSH IT UP. No shame in that, and I'd bet you (I certainly do) have to do that on a full speed bike sometimes anyway.

Brompton could vastly improve the straightline speed of their bike by implementing a much larger diameter front chainring, and much larger diameter rear gears. If done properly, that little folding bike could be almost, though not quite, as fast as a standard size bike. The only thing that would hold the Brompton back would the bike's smaller 20" wheel size. But a larger diameter chainring, as well as larger rear gears, would partially offset that. If done properly, the Brompton could very well turn out to be the perfect long distance bike to travel with.

Hi what saddle do you use

I can confirm 44T for touring is very necessary at least for me. Speed is not my primary objective, over here in Sussex, plenty of hills, so I needed the 44T.

Very interesting series, thank you. I would also be interested in how you planned and executed the actual route. Paper maps, Garmin, phone or whatever as I am starting to look at a bit more rough stuff/off road. Done some pretty rough cycle tracks on my Brompton and it just soaks them up, great machine.

Hi! Love your content! Are you interested in product review? How can I contact you? Thank you!

Thank you for your 3 excellent videos in this series - I learnt a lot from them, and the campsite was awesome. I might try to do the same trip some time, the Lea Valley looks lovely and suitable for my senior status! Comments on your gear are invaluable. My Brompton arrives next week, and I'll be after a phone mount - which one have you got please?

The Brompton is ridiculously over geared. I like you have an M6L. I started with a 50T chain ring. Then was planning to go to Gran Canaria so opted for a 44T chain ring. On a test ride at home before leaving, I realised this was still not low enough gearing so the night before my flight I fortunately found a spare 39T shimano mid chain ring in my garage which I took with me. First day riding in GC (very steep hills/mountain roads) I swapped the 44T front chain ring for the 39T ring. What a relief having the extra lower gears.

I got a rear rack like your one for my Brompton and also some good Joseph Kousac wheels from SJS Cycles. Both have been brilliant.

I fitted a new mudguard but the one for the rack not the one for the M6L with the seat stays, and then attached the mudguard to the rack mounting at the back.

I mount Ortlieb small front panniers on the rear rack which works really well. Looks neat and tidy as well. No ground clearance issues.

I've got the -12% gearing and I love it. I'm 56 and not nearly in the shape you are so the standard gearing is out of the question. Clevercycles in Seattle has a 40 tooth for sale and I'd likely opt for that if I was carrying as a load over hills. Nice video.

I am riding a M6R and find the stock gearing too high. I have changed the 50 teeth chainring with a 39 teeth shimano CBD 130MM chairing, and gained a new lower first gear. At the same time I lost my old 6th gear wich I hardly used. My old 5th gear is now my new 6th gear.
I went from 33-100 gear inch to 26-80 gear inch.

I've had my M6R for 4 years now. It's the most fun, versatile bike I've ever owned - I'm 55 this year and til my early 40's I used 'full sized bikes'. Its taken me to work and back for a few years and off on a few adventures the since I bought it. Reduced the gearing down last Summer and its made a big difference carrying me and my camping gear around the roads and quite few big hills in Northumberland and Durham. I use the tried and tested method of attaching a small rod/wooden bar tied to the saddlebag loops under the seat, looping the shoulder straps of the rucksack over, then looping the straps you'd use for attaching a tent or sleeping bag on the bottom over the rear wheels and pulling everything tight - means it won't slip forward or backwards, then finally strap the hip belt around the bottom of the seat post which stops it wobbling side to side - absolutely rock solid and detaches in seconds - its a similar size rucksack to the one you've got. On the front, I just bought the bag frame on its own and strap my tent and sleep system to it and cover it with a rucksack rain cover. One comparison you missed between fully loaded tourer and the Brompton is the more space you have, the more 'stuff' you take with you... Oh and you can't just pop into the shops with the tourer, but I just unclip the rucksack and semi-fold the Brompton and push it into the shop with me, no more asking an elderly lady to keep an eye on my gear for me as I rush around the shop only to find there's a huge cue at the till... panic buying the wrong stuff. I love my Brompton, it got me back on a bike after ten years of getting fat and lazy... Enjoy your adventures.

That's not ideal with the rack and both rear mudguard stays all going to the same threaded hole. It would be far stronger with rack on the inside closest to the frame (not inside the dropouts, just the first in the stack) and the stays on the outside. That way the load from the rack has the bolts in shear, not bending. The loads from the mudguard are minimal.

My Father in law put a second ring and manually swapped to a smaller one when he came to a steep hill. I took it to San Francisco and found I could even do most hills there OK.

Loving your videos 👌I cannot wait for some more of your Brompton tours 👍

I have a new Brompton M6R, with a -12% gearing, went on a 38 mile bike ride with some hills and the Brompton handled the hills pretty good, just a little slow going up the hills, not real steep but ride able, you might like it