I saw something the other night that looked a lot like a normal Brompton apart from it was an ebike that took off from the lights very quickly and it had mini slick fat tyres of approx 4-5 inches on it. Very dark grey/Matt black. Looked very cool.

Well I’ve had my first real ride on the bromnie, finished work early (after 4am start ) and as I had it in the van decided to take care of some unfinished business.
Sunday afternoon I did a 40 mile in an effort to push my veloviewer square beyond 11x11, and failed I also managed to catch a wasp in my collar and now have a red itchy patch the size of a hand on my neck

I unload the bromnie and again enjoyed the transition into a fully capable bike, i ended up riding 15 miles with 900ft of climbing, it was a real effort compared to the Fargo but somehow very satisfying, no wasps but I did manage to miss 3 squares by tiny amounts, one was close to the van so I nipped down a handy track for a bit of off-road.

I can see lots of impromptu rides like this in the future, I may investigate methods of expanding the gear range although it could be a slippery slope.

It’s coming to London with me next week, should be slightly easier to get in the hotel lift compared to the Fargo

"gear range" - swapped my chainring for a smaller one once. Much better. Then one day I noticed the ring was massively bent - like-someone-had-driven-over-it bent - rest of bike was fine, so absolutely baffled how it had happened! Swapped back to original ring. Wierd.

There’s been an e-Brompton in the local Evans window for a couple of months, only 2800 or so.

A bit late for BDS but they’ve just announced the Brompton Explorer with 6 gears and a smaller chain ring and a cambium saddle

"Brompton Explorer" eh? Explorer sounds suspiciously off-roady to me . I've heard about manufacturers jumping on the bikepacking bandwagon, but Brompton?! Still, they must have heard about Reg's GigPacking escapades and realised there's a new niche for them to sell into

The Brompton Explorer

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2BI3XlIYd_ ... _copy_link

So it is a bikepacking Brommie then! Can't see what tyres it's got. Bit irrelevant because the fat version will probably be along soon. I can't keep up, my head's spinning.

BigdummySteve wrote: ↑Mon Sep 02, 2019 8:11 pm I may investigate methods of expanding the gear range

and

BigdummySteve wrote: ↑Mon Sep 02, 2019 8:11 pm although it could be a slippery slope.

This would tick both of those boxes

http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/foldin ... hloff-kit/

I tour a lot on a Brompton with up to 20kg of Luggage and did not like the six speed found it weird spacing so had a 11 speed Alfine fitted. Transforms the bike but however not cheap but I use it a lot. I used Graham Tiller for this but think he has retired for the moment. The Rollhof is too low geared for the 16" wheels requires a massive front ring apparently. I have a Surly Ogre fitted with a internal gear and double chain front this my be an option but who knows. Also have a 3 speed Brompton with -18 gets up any hill. Cheers Peter

Ben does an Alfine as well, I just picked the Rollhof as it was the most expensive option

http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/foldin ... fine-kits/

Having said Heinz Stucke in his late 60's did 55,000k over 9 years, touring on a standard 6 speed Brompton including the Dempster Highway. I would have paid the premium for the Rollhof over the Alfine. Kenetics may have some different options to what I was given. Had no problems with the Alfine 11 though and it suits the bike. Cheers Peter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh2Y68z ... e=youtu.be

Alastair humphries, product placement, making it look fun, trains yada yada. I don't care, I'm jealous, that looked great!

EDIT - warning, it contains a fire!

They've beaten us to it Ben! I'm giving up and going home. Really enjoyed that (apart from the f1re obviously). That was a hell of a long selfie stick they used for the overhead rafts shot...

Not sure how much longer I can do without this raft. With the Brom it'd be an unbeatable combo. TBH could have done that with a 'normal' Brom.

I’m enjoying the bromnie, got to my client with 40 minutes to spare so grabbed the bromnie and found an excellent cafe around a mile 1/2 away, no chance I’d walked (time ) or driven (same).
Job was short, so rather than repeating the boring 2 1/5 hour drive back I pulled the bromnie out and went veloviewer square hunting, 18 miles and 1k of climbing later I finished my drive home in a much better frame of mind. I’ve fitted in nearly 50 miles this week, I’d not bothered if id had to go home or load up the Fargo just in case a riding opportunity came my way.
Sunday I’m off to that London again for a course at three mills studios, I’m going to pack the bromnie bag, dump the van an wave goodbye to the stress of London driving.

Oh bromnie’s are SUb standard off road

See! It's got you. You're bitten n smitten. You're in lurv. Tolejer .

benp1 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 06, 2019 12:59 pm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh2Y68z ... e=youtu.be

Alastair humphries, product placement, making it look fun, trains yada yada. I don't care, I'm jealous, that looked great!

EDIT - warning, it contains a fire!

It is a great film, but the fire thing irked me so I did comment on the Al's youtube feed this morning and his answer was

I too am a big fan of 'Leave No Trace'. The fire was lit on a stony river bend - the next time the river levels rose with rain every trace of it will be gone forever.

I guess its a shame that wasnt clear, or even better the fire scene wasnt in it at all.

Anyway, glad enjoying your Brompton, Steve. Leant mine to my BiL this week to scoot around Henley. He is a convert.

RIP wrote: ↑Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:43 pm See! It's got you. You're bitten n smitten. You're in lurv. Tolejer .

Nar it’s just a bit of fun on the way home, although the Fargo does seem high maintenance in comparison

Anything (non-brompton due to cost ) that you can 'backpack' sensibly? I've been thinking of getting work to buy one.

I ask as for work I have some long linear walks that I need to inspect from time to time. Sometimes I've took my standard bike and driven to leave it at the end then drove back to the start to do the walk, get the bike and cycle back to the car.

Carrying a light bike in a back pack would save the driving back and forth. They really aren't ridable routes.

Found this sort of thing...

https://www.thisiswhyimbroke.com/uk/fol ... k-bicycle/

sean_iow wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:44 am Ben does an Alfine as well, I just picked the Rollhof as it was the most expensive option

http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/foldin ... fine-kits/

Thnaks for that!
I've just picked up a Brompton a few weeks back and now I've convinced myself that it needs Di2 Alfine gears
Time to start saving...