Normal Bromptons use tiny 16″ wheels with 35mm (1.35″) wide tyres. This wheel size is key for providing the famous small fold, but it also compromises the performance of the bike in some situations – namely on rougher surfaces such as cobblestones, gravel roads and forest trails.

But you no longer need to compromise – you can now trade some of your Brompton’s folded size for a much more capable bike.

This is thanks to the Scottish bike shop and custom bicycle fabricator, Kinetics, who have created the MTBrompton upgrade kit. I covered this shop’s custom Brompton work in the video above (written version here).

The Kinetics MTBrompton upgrade kit is essentially two things: a taller and wider fork, and a longer and wider rear frame triangle. These pieces will bolt directly to any Brompton frame.

With this upgrade kit, your Brompton will also be compatible with disc brakes, various high-end internal gear hubs and even Gates Carbon belt drive.

And if you don’t currently have a Brompton, you can purchase one through Kinetics and they can customise it to your every need.

Why Off-Road Bromptons Are More Capable

While Brompton folding bikes typically use 16″ wheels with 35mm wide slick tyres, the MTBrompton offers 20″ wheels and 60mm wide off-road tyres.

Don’t worry, the MTBrompton still folds up just like a normal Brompton. However, with the new big wheels, it can handle much rougher off-road tracks.

This is partly due to the larger diameter wheels having a smaller ‘angle of attack’ over obstacles. Larger wheels allow you to maintain higher speeds when the surface is rough, and the extra voluminous tyres will deform more over bumps and depressions in the road, providing a much smoother ride – and more traction to boot.

The larger wheel format also gives you access to off-road tyre treads. You can pick from fast-rolling touring and gravel tyres with minimal tread, right through to sticky mountain bike tyres that have the maximum grip and traction possible.

If you want to achieve the highest average speeds on the road, the 20″ option is about as fast as it gets for a small folding bike. You can even get Schwalbe’s top-of-the-line Pro One road bike tyres in the 20″ size, which literally halve the rolling resistance of a typical Brompton tyre.

The MTBrompton Drivetrain Options

The MTBrompton is incompatible with typical Brompton gears, but that’s ok because you now have the opportunity to upgrade to a higher-performing internal gear hub, and belt drive too!

I’ve written extensively about Shimano Alfine 8 and 11-speed hubs, which are amazing value for money and are definitely recommended on an MTBrompton build.

However, if you want the most efficient and the most durable hub available, you will want to invest in the infamous Rohloff 14-speed hub. This has been my hub of choice for over 150,000km of bicycle touring now.

The MTBrompton Bottom Bracket Height

One compromise that you need to make with an MTBrompton is the height of the bottom bracket shell (BB).

As the Brompton mainframe is unchanged through the upgrade kit, the BB sits around 350mm off the ground, which is 30-40mm higher than a hardtail mountain bike (and 80mm higher than a regular Brompton).

This isn’t a huge deal, in fact, it will help prevent both pedal strikes with the ground, and front chainring strikes on obstacles. But the additional ride height will feel a bit like you’re riding on top of the bike, rather than in it. And your saddle will now be 80mm higher off the ground, making it a bit harder to get on.

This will certainly be noticeable if you’re coming from a 16″ Brommy, but you probably won’t realise it if you spend time on mountain bikes.

The MTBrompton Folded Size

You can expect the folded size to be around 140mm longer, 45mm taller and 80mm wider than a regular Brompton, which is still a very manageable size for an apartment or public transport use.

Kinetics include some “ears” for the bike to stand on when folded. The folded bike is said to roll nicely on the back wheel, so it doesn’t need the typical Brompton rollers.

The MTBrompton Weight

The Rohloff hub version pictured above with Schwalbe Big Ben tyres comes in at 14.6kg (32.2lb).

This is not particularly light for a folding bike, but the Brompton steel frames are known for their durability, and the Rohloff 14-speed internal gear hubs are as tough as they come.

The MTBrompton Price

The MTBrompton upgrade kit is a niche, handmade product that’s made in very small quantities in the UK. The result is an expectedly expensive price tag.

A disc brake upgrade is a necessity on the MTBrompton, as the regular rim brake calipers don’t offer enough tyre clearance for 2.4″ tyres. And the original Brompton hubs are incompatible with disc brakes, so you will need to shell out for a new internal gear hub too.

Here’s the minimum price for the full Kinetics upgrade:
1x MTBrompton rear triangle with a Shimano Alfine 8-speed internal gear rear wheel (£795)
1x MTBrompton fork + 2x TRP Spyre disc brakes + 1x front wheel (£565)
2x Schwalbe tyres (£100)
Total: £1460 (~US $1840)

If you do not currently have a Brompton bike to upgrade, the bike itself adds £1200 to the purchase price. The total for a complete MTBrompton starts at £2660 (~US $3350).

It’s worth noting that Kinetics also offer Kindernay 14-speed, and Enviolo CVT gear hubs for an extra cost. In addition, you can upgrade the Shimano Alfine hubs to electronic shifting (Di2).

If you’re shipping a MTBrompton internationally, you can remove 17% from the purchase price. You don’t have to pay UK VAT, but you will have to pay shipping plus some tax or import duty when the package reaches your country.

Similar Off-Road Folding Bikes

The MTBrompton isn’t the only folding bike with 20″ wheels and wide off-road tyres.

Eerder Metaal over in the Netherlands is making some beautiful custom off-road Bromptons. These bikes have a touch more tyre clearance (2.6″), and the option for derailleur gears, fenders, luggage adapters, travel bags and more.

Eerder Metaal even shaves down the head tube of the main frame. This allows the fitment of a long fork that clears a wide tyre and fender, but all while keeping the bottom bracket at a reasonable height. As a result, the Xplorer has a 30mm+ lower BB compared to the MTBrompton (315mm with 2.25″ tyres), and a slacker head tube angle for better off-road bike handling too.

Additionally, there are no “ears” for the Xplorer to stand on when folded. It instead sits on four rollers that are neatly integrated into the rear triangle and fender. This allows you to easily roll the Xplorer about with a front bag attached (see video).

The waitlist is significantly longer from Eerder Metaal, and they are priced a bit higher due to the extra custom work (€5500 as pictured above).

Bike Friday offers a model called the All-Packa folding bike, and it has the same wheel and tyre specification as the off-road Bromptons.

The All-Packa is a fair bit cheaper (US $2495) and lighter (12.5kg/27.6lb). As the frame has been designed from the ground up, the bottom bracket height is 75mm lower than the MTBrompton. This height is ideal for gravel riding (the bike’s intended use) but could be a bit low for riding over obstacles.

The Bike Friday All-Packa has a slower and larger folded size (if that matters to you) and uses a typical derailleur drivetrain. The bike is made in the USA and gets a lot of praise in online reviews.

Birdy is the original off-road folding bike company.

While the wheel diameter is a bit smaller (18″ rather than 20″), Birdy uses front and rear suspension to provide a smooth and fast ride over rough terrain. You can expect the Birdy GT to ride just as well off-road (if not better) than the Bromptons with wider tyres.

In comparison to other folding bikes I’ve mentioned, the bottom bracket height is 60mm lower than the MTBrompton and a touch higher than the All-Packa.

Thanks to the monocoque aluminium frame, the Birdy GT is the lightest folding bike of the lot (11.4kg/25.1lb). It’s available in a bunch of colours at prices starting at US $2600 and jumping up to US $4900 if you’d like a Rohloff 14-speed gear hub.

Summary

Bromptons are some of the smallest folding bikes available, and their ingenious design allows them to fold down in just a handful of seconds (the world record is five seconds).

However, the 16″ wheel size with narrow slick tyres is limiting for mixed-terrain riding. And the available gear systems are frankly quite clunky compared to other gear systems available.

The Kinetics MTBrompton upgrade kit allows you to have it all. You can ride comfortably on the dirt and cobblestones without losing the great Brompton fold. And you get a much more refined internal gear hub and brakes too.

For more info, head over to Kinetics-Online.

The post The New Brompton Folding Bike Has 2.4″ Tyres For Off-Road Terrain appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

These are some of the smallest folding bikes available, and their ingenious design allows them to fold down in just a handful of seconds. The bikes are somewhat light, very durable and quite comfortable to ride – plus, you can push them around very easily in their folded state. They are a great bike to combine with public transport, store in an apartment, hide under your desk, or take with you overseas.

But these folding bikes are far from perfect, and there is a large aftermarket industry that aims to make your Brompton better.

For example, you’ve been able to find the components required to build ludicrously lightweight custom Bromptons for many years. I’m talking folding bikes absolutely dripping with carbon and titanium and weighing under 5kg/11lb.

Just this year, Brompton released their own lightweight titanium model – a 7.45kg/16.4lb bike that might not have come about if the aftermarket industry hadn’t paved the way first.

In this article, I’ll be explaining some of the aftermarket features available for Bromptons – including bigger wheels, wider tyres, gearboxes, belt drivetrains and disc brakes. These popular upgrades might just give us a glimpse into the future of Brompton bikes.

Aftermarket Wheel Diameters

Let’s start with the wheel diameter.

Brompton bikes use 16″ wheels with 35mm (1.35″) wide tyres. This wheel size is key for providing the famous small fold, but it also compromises the performance of the bike in some situations.

Studies conducted by Schwalbe tyres have shown that rolling resistance losses are inversely proportional to the tyre radius (approximately). This means that larger diameter wheels have a lower rolling resistance than smaller diameter wheels (using the same tyres).

Some quick maths suggests that switching from 16″ wheels to 20″ wheels could increase a rider’s speed by one kilometre per hour – lopping about three minutes off an hour-long ride.

In addition, larger diameter wheels have a smaller ‘angle of attack’ over bumps and depressions in the road surface, allowing a rider to maintain higher speeds if the surface is less than ideal.

Brompton tyres are often just 35mm/1.35″ wide, which is a touch wider than you’ll find on modern road bikes. These tyres are great on smooth surfaces, but on less than ideal surfaces, higher volume tyres can float over bumps much better – with only a minor increase to the rolling resistance.

Ultimately, folding bikes trade between folded size and performance. Based on the aftermarket options available, it seems lots of people are seeking a more versatile Brompton.

Let’s take a look at the aftermarket wheel options.

There are two common wheel diameter upgrades for Bromptons – 18″ (355) and 20″ (406).

In order to complete a wheel and tyre upgrade, you’ll also need a new fork and rear triangle to match. Kinetics in Scotland manufactures steel forks and stainless steel rear triangles that will suit 18″ x 2.0″ tyres or 20″ x 1.3″ tyres.

The number one reason to use 18″ wheels is to fit tyres with significantly more air volume. 2.0″ wide tyres deform more over cobblestones and dirt paths, which improves both your comfort and speed on these surfaces. This wheel upgrade is likely the perfect balance between folded size and mixed surface bike capability. There are some great 18″ tyre options too, as Birdy folding bikes are built around this spec.

If you want to achieve the highest average speeds on the road, the 20″ option is about as fast as it gets for a small folding bike. You can even get Schwalbe’s top-of-the-line road bike tyres in the 20″ size, which literally halve the rolling resistance of a typical Brompton tyre.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Vincent at Eerder Metaal in the Netherlands goes a step further and offers custom Brompton builds with 20″ wheels in a 2.6″ width. To make these large wheels work, Vincent uses a custom fork and rear triangle, and he even shaves down the headtube of the frame.

The Xplorer is the ultimate dirt road Brompton – Vincent has tested his bike on lots of mountain bike trails and has found that it’s surprisingly capable. He has built up Xplorers with both derailleur gears and internal gear hubs.

The folded size is 14cm longer, 4.5cm taller and 8cm wider than a regular Brompton, which is still a very manageable size for an apartment or public transport use.

Another interesting aftermarket wheel dimension is 16″ x 3.0″.

This is actually a smaller rim diameter than what is found on stock Bromptons but it allows for the super wide tyres to fold into a very small package. The advantage of this width is that you can run especially low tyre pressures to float over sand, mud or cobblestones.

Brompton Gearbox Drivetrains

Brompton bikes have a few different drivetrain options. You can use opt for no gears (singlespeed), two or four-speed derailleur gears, a three-speed internal gear hub, or a combination between a derailleur and the three-speed hub providing six gears.

The gear range that Brompton offers on these drivetrains is between 133% and 302%. This simply means that the biggest gear ratio is 1.33x times bigger than the smallest ratio on the two-speed bike, and it’s 3.02x bigger on the six-speed bike.

With bigger gear ranges, we can pedal our bikes across a broader range of speeds, which is especially handy for hill climbing or pedalling downhill.

In comparison to other bikes, the Brompton gear ranges are quite small. Road bikes typically have more than 400% range and mountain bikes more than 500%.

To increase the capability of a Brompton, the aftermarket is producing custom rear triangles that fit all of the best internal gear hubs. Rohloff and Kindernay are considered top of the crop and offer 14 gears that are spread across a 500%+ range. Alfine 8 and 11-speed hubs are popular too thanks to their lower cost, and I’ve seen a few bikes with Enviolo CVT hubs too.

Faltradritter in Germany even customised a Brompton frame to house a Pinion gearbox! This gearbox has an incredible gear range of 636% and 18 individual gears, which gives this Brompton owner the ability to ride up the steepest hills and still have gears for the strongest tailwinds.

Belt Drive Bromptons

When you add a gearbox drivetrain to a bike, you can also switch to a belt drivetrain.

Belts are a particularly good fit for Bromptons because they’re ultra-long lasting, aren’t greasy and require almost zero maintenance. For these reasons, I would not be surprised if we saw a belt drive Brompton rolling out of the factory soon.

Disc Brake Brompton Bikes

With the aftermarket providing new forks and rear ends to house bigger wheels, gearboxes and belt drive, this gives them the opportunity to add disc brakes too.

Disc brakes aren’t an essential component by any means, although they are nice in wet conditions and are generally very reliable given that grit cannot work its way into the hydraulic lines. But with fatter tyre bikes, the regular Brompton rim brakes do not offer enough clearance for wide tyres, so in most cases, disc brakes are a necessity.

Bromptons For Tall Cyclists

Brompton frames come in only one size whether you’re 150cm/4ft11 or 200cm/6ft6 tall.

While you can get them to fit a taller rider by swapping a few components, best practice bike fitting requires frames to get longer as they get taller. This is not the case with a Brompton, as the distance from the saddle-to-handlebars remains almost the same, no matter the height of a rider.

I might be a bit biased here as a two-metre (6ft6) tall cyclist, but I would love to see a new Brompton that’s scaled up for tall cyclists. Frame modifiers such as Junik-HPV have successfully extended the length of Brompton frames to appropriately accommodate tall customers.

There is no reason why Brompton couldn’t offer an XL frame size. Sure, it’d fold a bit bigger, but you can bet that tall cyclists would take a bigger fold over a cramped riding position.

Summary

Brompton is in a unique position where they can draw experience and design from the extensive knowledge of the Brompton aftermarket. Perhaps, the ultralight titanium Bromptons today would not exist if the product wasn’t created by the aftermarket first?

There is clearly demand for Brompton models that sacrifice folded size for slightly larger wheels. The 20 x 1.1″ wheel spec would be a great option for mile munchers, and the 18 x 2.0″ size would be perfect for those who want to take their bikes on bumpier roads. The frameset to accommodate these wheel sizes could even be the same.

It’d be great to see premium-level internal gear hubs as an option on Bromptons. These drivetrains are reliable and long-lasting and are already available on other folding bikes such as Bike Friday, Tern and Birdy. If Brompton wanted to be a bit different to the rest, the 6, 9, 12 and 18-speed Pinion gearboxes are very much an option they could pursue.

And belt drive would be the perfect drive option for any of these gearboxes.

Do you think Brompton will expand its bike range in the future?

The post These Gearbox Folding Bikes Will Blow Your Mind (Custom Bromptons) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

With a folding bike I can:
– See more of a country in less time.
– Skip the ‘dull’ areas and move on to places I’m more interested in.
– Go on bike tours with people with little cycling experience (the trip can be less about the bike riding).
– Pack my bike for a flight in minutes.

Folding bikes are all about compromise. The main trade-off is between cycling performance and foldability. In general, the smaller and more compact the bike, the less suited it is for long-distance cycling. For example, 16″ folding bikes have an unbelievably small fold but tend to feel a bit tedious on rides over one hour when compared to bikes with larger wheels.

This guide will look at the things you should consider when selecting the best folding bike for your bike tour.

Foldability

There are two things to think about when it comes to the folding aspect: folding speed and the size when folded.

Folding speed is only really important if you’re folding and unfolding your bike multiple times per day. The quickest folding bikes take about 10 seconds, some of the slower folding bikes will take 10 minutes or more to disassemble. I prefer bikes that require no tools for the fold like the Tern or Brompton bikes.

Folded size is generally proportionate with any given wheel diameter. You can see below that the bike volume increases around 100 cubic litres at each wheel diameter. I’ve found that with a cover over the bike you can take any size folding bike onto public transport without anyone batting an eyelid. Without a cover, it seems you’ll have a harder time convincing someone it’s ok when the volume exceeds about 200 litres. Having a thin cover for a bike with wheels larger than 20″ is essential in many places.

Example Folded Sizes (HxLxW)
16″ Wheels: Brompton – 585 x 565 x 270 mm (23″ x 22.2″ x 10.6″) / 89 litres volume
20″ Wheels: Dahon Mu Sl – 660 x 820 x 320 mm (26” x 32.3” x 12.6”) / 173 litres volume
26″ Wheels: Tern Eclipse – 810 x 900 x 380 mm (31.9″ x 35.4″ x 15″) / 277 litres volume
27.5″ Wheels: Tern Joe Tour – 870 x 950 x 460 mm (34.3″ x 37.4″ x 18.1″) / 380 litres volume

Performance

The higher-performing folding bikes feel as laterally stiff as a regular bike, and this makes them an absolute pleasure to ride. I was able to comfortably pump out 100-150km per day in the mountains on a Tern Eclipse 24″, but the same can’t be said about a Brompton 16″ (which is suited to sub-50km on the flat). This is due to a few factors: your position on the bike, the gear ratios, the frame/handlepost stiffness and the wheel size.

The best performing bikes tend to use 20″ wheels and up, but just because a bike has big wheels does not mean it is good! Different frame designs, differences in frame/handlepost stiffnesses and the parts on the bike still vary greatly. You’ll need to organise test rides for a few folding bikes to see what feels best for you.

I’ve found that bike weight isn’t particularly important for touring performance, but a lightweight bike is certainly nice for carrying when folded.

Sizing and Fit

Folding bikes rarely come in more than one frame size. This is great if you’re of average proportions and not too fussy, but anyone out of the middle height range will need to compromise significantly. It still surprises me that folding bikes aren’t available in a size range.

The importance of size and fit will depend on how you plan to use your folding bike. If you’re wanting to cover long distances on the folding bike, you’re going to want something that fits well. If you’re pottering around cities and covering short distances, ‘fit’ is largely irrelevant (with the exception of seat height) as our bodies will compromise for short periods.

One of the only manufacturers to offer different frame sizes is Bike Friday. The pakiT model is available in six sizes and many of the other models are custom made for you. If you’re particularly tall (or heavy), Bike Friday is the company you should be looking at closely.

I’ve written much more about ‘fit’ in my review of the Tern Eclipse P18. As a very tall cyclist, I ended up fitting extra-long bar ends to achieve a riding position I was comfortable with for those 100km+ days.

Wheel Size

Folding bikes typically come with 16, 20, 24, 26 and 27.5″ wheels.

It’s best to select your wheel size based on how you plan to use your folding bike. The more regularly you’ll be using public transport, the better it is to go smaller and more compact. If you’re after long-distance performance, you’ll want something with larger wheels and a wider gear range.

For example, my trip to Sri Lanka used public transport almost every day so I picked an ultra-compact Brompton. In comparison, my Thailand trip was mostly 100km rides with buses here and there. I picked a much higher performing Tern 24″ bike for that.

Specification

Gear Ratios
Folding bikes tend to have fewer gears than a regular bike. This will vary in importance based on what kind of riding you’ll be doing. As not all places are flat, your bike should have some low enough gears to help you up the hills. We can measure the gear ratios of folding bikes using gear inches. I tend to recommend a low gear of about 25 inches which will cover most gradients. A top gear of around 70 inches is fine for the city, but you will want greater than 100 inches for a higher-performing folding bike. You can read more about gear inches and how to calculate them HERE.

Internally Geared Hubs vs. Derailleurs
A great way to simplify a folding bike drivetrain is to use an internally geared hub. With the gears located inside the rear wheel they are less susceptible to damage and require less maintenance overall. The trade-offs are that there are bigger gaps between the gears and they’ll add about a kilogram to your bike. Some of the cheaper hubs also run a bit less efficiently than a derailleur drivetrain.

Tyres
The best place to upgrade your folding bike will be the tyres. If you get something puncture resistant you’ll likely enjoy maintenance-free travel wherever you go. Schwalbe do a great range of touring tyres in the smaller sizes.

Price

Unlike a regular touring bike, you can get away with a cheaper folding bike. This is because you’ll likely be covering shorter distances, and you’ll probably be carrying less gear too. That said, more money results in a lighter, more compact, higher-performing bike in general. I’d recommend US $500 as a starting point, but the quality stuff really kicks in after US $1000.

If you’re on a budget and you want to carry 10-15kg or more, you should definitely look into pulling a bicycle trailer. This will reduce the strain on the folding bike, and the trailer will sometimes even double as a carry case for the bike.

Carrying Luggage

There are lots of different ways to carry your gear on a folding bike. My favourite way is to use a ‘luggage truss’ or ‘carrier block’ off the front of a folding bike frame. With these mounts, you can carry up to 31 litres of luggage (Brompton T-Bag). A set of panniers mounted to a rear rack are the next size up (40+ litres), and trailers are the next step after that (70+ litres).

You can read my article dedicated to carrying luggage on a folding bike HERE.

Summary: The Best Folding Bike

Folding bikes are all about compromise. Like standard bikes, there is no best folding bike for all occasions.

In general, it can be said that bikes with larger wheels (and therefore a larger fold) tend to perform better but are less suitable for public transport. On the other hand, the ultra-compact bikes are not as good for covering those longer distances but are super easy to transport.

The 20″ wheel size is often the best balance between performance and folding size. With this wheel size, your bike can perform exceptionally provided it uses a smart frame design and component choice. The 20″ bikes will also fold to be less than 200 litres making them easy enough to get onto any form of transport.

The post Guide: How To Choose The Best Folding Bike For Bicycle Touring appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

This film takes you to our experiences of Jaffna, Anuradhapura, Dambulla, Sigiriya Rock, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Yala National Park, Mirissa and Galle.

LOGISTICS: We used cardboard boxes to pack the folding bikes for our flight, and left them in Colombo for the return leg home. We didn’t pay anything extra to fly with them, and they weighed 15kg (33lbs) at check-in. Buses are very frequent and always took us. The bikes almost always ended up in the luggage compartment at the back of the bus. We’ve had no problems on trains either, in fact, the Bromptons will stow overhead! The Brompton C-Bag (22L) has been the perfectly-sized bag for our needs. If you’d like to lug around a bit more, go the Brompton T-Bag.

SHOT AND EDITED BY: Alee Denham
MUSIC: A fully sick Mononome live set
GEAR LIST: 5kg total
CAMERA: Panasonic V700 Camcorder
THANKS: Nick @ Brompton Australia, Velo Cycles Melbourne

The post Video: Three Weeks In Sri Lanka On Folding Bikes appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

With this kind of pleasure and ease, Thailand is the ideal destination for people of all skill levels and travel experience. All you need is a bike, a change of clothes and a sense of adventure.

Read the full MAE HONG SON CYCLE GUIDE

Read my TERN ECLIPSE FOLDING BIKE REVIEW

See my 8.5KG GEAR LIST FOR THAILAND

See the MAE HONG SON GALLERY

The post Video: Cycling The Mae Hong Son appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

Read the full MAE HONG SON CYCLE GUIDE

Read my TERN ECLIPSE FOLDING BIKE REVIEW

See my 8.5KG GEAR LIST FOR THAILAND

The post Gallery: Cycling One of the World’s Best Road Loops appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

The next day I woke up to find folding bikes everywhere. Folding bikes are the ‘norm’ in Bangkok, with Bromptons, Dahons and all kinds of cheap folding bikes weaving through the heavy traffic. Every bike shop has an extensive range of folders in all shapes, (wheel)sizes and colours.

I decided on Thailand as my destination to find out how capable the Tern is as a travel bike. My testing ground is the Mae Hong Son (MHS) loop in the north-west of the country, a well-known scenic ride for motorcyclists and cyclists alike. It’s also one of the hardest road loops in the world, a perfect challenge for a folding bike which normally thrives in cities. At 660km in length, with 4000 bends and 13000m of climbing – this was shaping up to be the ultimate folding bike test!

My PART ONE Review Covers:
– A general overview of the bike
– How it rides
– How it folds
– How you can carry luggage
– How you can make it fit someone really tall

My Bike Setup for Thailand

As I am almost 200cm tall, fitting the Tern Eclipse was never going to be perfect. For whatever reason, folding bikes only come in one size, optimised for someone of average height. You can’t really make much of an adjustment to the reach or height of the front end either. To make the Tern comfortable I installed the longest bar ends I could find. When I’m at the tip of the bar ends my reach is closer to what I’m familiar with, but it’s still very frustrating that I can’t get to the same position as any of my other bikes.

I fitted my SPD pedals to the bike as I can’t imagine travelling without them. I also swapped out the saddle for one that is far more comfortable on longer rides. I found the stock saddle good without lycra for up to 50km, but on anything longer, it chafes my derrieres.

To carry my luggage I’m using the Tern Kanga rack in combination with an Ortlieb pannier that’s been flipped on its side. This setup is super easy to take on/off the bike, is secure and is 100% waterproof. See PART ONE of this review for more details.

How Does the Tern Eclipse P18 Ride?

The Tern Eclipse instantly exceeded all my expectations of how a folding bike would ride. Unlike many other folding bikes, the Tern feels stiff like a regular bike. The stiffness gives you the confidence to ride hard, both up and down hills. There were times when I exceeded 80km/h with all my gear and the bike still felt stable and capable of more. I found that the front load actually damped the steering, enhancing the way the bike handled mid-to-high speeds. The front-load also stopped the front wheel lifting on steep climbs.

The frames’ handling is good at low speeds too. The steering is light enough to effortlessly squeeze in and around cars while riding through traffic. With a front load, it requires just a little more rider input to make the turns.

In order to increase the comfort for folding bike touring, I’d suggest using nice wide tyres (2.0”+) with supple sidewalls, and a saddle which offers a lot of flex (perhaps a Brooks if they work well for you).

The Clamps

The frame and handlepost clamps started creaking after a few thousand kilometres. In order to stop the creaking I ended up simply tightening the clamps. The only issue now is that it’s harder to undo the clamps for a fold, and anything less tight still results in a creak. This could be problematic for people with limited strength in their hands, but it’s ok for me.

Seatpost and Collar

If you’re riding in all weather conditions, you’ll find that grit works its way into the seat tube making the seatpost difficult to drop. It’s essential to clean out the seat tube regularly to ensure that you can fold your bike (or adjust your saddle height quickly). I also found that the quick release collar assembly must be regularly cleaned to maintain its function – it can be really hard to undo if you are lazy!

Brakes

Although the Tern’s v-brakes had enough stopping power on the MHS loop, we went through brake pads really quick due to the combination of wet conditions and steep mountain roads! If I was on a longer tour I’d definitely choose a model with disc brakes because they stop quicker in all-weather conditions and the brake pads simply last longer. The only issue is that Tern’s disc models are less sporty than the P18, making them 3-4kg heavier (you do get stronger and more durable components).

Gear Range

It’s all about gear ratios on a folding bike! You can have just as high and low gears as a standard touring bike with the right cogs, taking you up and down any mountain. For the MHS, I was geared almost perfectly for my strength, but for other riders looking to do a similarly challenging ride, you may want to change the rear cassette to something with a bit more range. The smallest gear on the Tern Eclipse is 26 gear inches, which is higher than I’d recommend for a super hilly tour.

Choosing a Wheel Size

Tern makes folding bikes with two wheels sizes: you can choose 20” on the Verge series or 24” on the Eclipse series. The reason that I am not on a 20” is that the seat can’t extend high enough for me. If I had the choice, I’d probably take the smaller/lighter pack size of a folding bike with 20” wheels. In this case, the Verge packs 12% shorter in length and 5% smaller in width/height than the Tern Eclipse.

It’s hard to say whether the Tern Eclipse with it’s bigger wheels is faster than the Verge. You tend to ride at slower speeds on a bike tour, so the difference between the models really is negligible – on smooth tarmac, both bikes roll along fast enough. If you were planning adventures on rough roads, you’d be better off with 24″ wheels because they roll better over holes and depressions. If you’re on smooth roads, the 20” will cruise along fine.

Travelling on a Folding Bike

This is the best part about folding bikes – they are a dream if you’re putting them in cars, buses, trains and boats. Folding bikes allow you to travel in a completely different way because you simply don’t have to plan anything around the bike.

For a folding bike to be worth the sizing/comfort compromises, I’d want to fold it at least 5x on a trip. If I was doing a point-to-point or loop tour, I’d definitely prefer to ride my regular touring bike.

Pros of the Tern Folding Bike

– Excellent for taking on any transport or storing
– The frame is stiff enough to feel like a regular bike; it’s surprisingly capable
– Well-made frame and components
– Wide range of gears (26-111 gear inches)
– Great at carrying a light loads on the front

Cons of the Tern Folding Bike

– One size fits all: you’ve got to be lucky to fit one perfectly!
– Less comfortable than an ordinary bike
– Not as good on rough roads due to the small wheel diameter
– Sometimes harder to obtain good quality tyres/tubes
– Frame/handlepost clamps are sometimes hard to undo

Summary

Tern has set a high benchmark for how folding bikes should ride and feel – the Eclipse is stiff, capable and fast. If I was buying a folding bike for a multi-week trip in the mountains, I’d definitely opt for a model with disc brakes and perhaps an even smaller gear. For shorter trips in dry conditions, you can certainly get away with the P18 – as it comes it’s built to last.

The biggest limitation of folding bikes is sizing. I have no idea why folding bike manufacturers don’t offer a full-size range. If I could get a folding bike that put me in the same position as my standard touring bike I’d certainly use one for more of my travel.

The post Review: Tern Eclipse P18 Folding Bike (2/2) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

It isn’t a self-supported trip in terms of shelter and food; we’ll be spending our nights in hotels and will be eating out of restaurants along the way. One of the focuses of this trip is to capture what it’s like to travel in Thailand, so I’m bringing 2kg of camera gear; that works out to be almost 25% of my total gear weight!

8.5kg is a bit more than I was hoping to get away with. There’s a good 500g which I’d be prepared to cut out if I had to, but really, what’s 500g when we’re talking 100kg of rider/bike/gear? A bidon of water? I’ll take that extra comfort, thanks.

Bags: 1588g
– Ortlieb Backroller Plus Rear Pannier (835g)
– Ortlieb Ultimate 5 Handlebar Bag + Camera Insert (646g)
– Musette Bag (107g)

Clothing: 3817g
– 1x Long Sleeve Shirt (206g)
– 1x T-shirt (162g)
– 1x Singlet (144g)
– 2x Undies (154g)
– 2x Shorts (331g)
– 1x Rain Jacket (533g)
– 1x Socks (43g)
– 1x Cycling Kit (345g)
– 1x Kask Helmet (246g)
– 1x Oakley Sunglasses (29g)
– 1x Shimano SPD Sandals (1037g)
– 1x Birkenstock Sandals (587g)

Tech: 1813g
– Panasonic GH4 Camera (882g)
– Rode Lavalier Microphone (21g)
– Knog Qudos Camera Light (131g)*
– Gorillapod Hybrid (191g)
– Gorillapod for iPhone (68g)
– Airstash A02 Card Reader (38g)
– Apple iPhone 5 (131g)
– Chargers, Cables, Batteries, Adapters, SD Cards (482g)

Spares: 553g
– Topeak Bike Pump (120g)
– Park Chain Breaker (76g)
– Park Tube Patches (3g)
– Multitool (142g)
– Tube (157g)
– Chain Lube (55g)

Toilettries: 543g
– Toothbrush and Paste (32g)
– Exfoliating Glove (13g)
– Deodorant (40g)
– Shampoo (50g)
– Soap (30g)
– Travel Towel (96g)
– Beard Trimmer (123g)
– Suncream (50g)
– Insect Spray (50g)
– Basic Medical Kit (59g)

Misc: 236g
– 1x Passport (64g)
– 2x Plastic Cups (60g)*
– 2x Spoons and 1x Knife (77g)*
– Universal Plug (14g)*
– Elastic Washing Line (22g)*
– Sawyer Water Filter Bag (127g)
– Notepad and Pen (45g)
– Bike Lights (80g)

*Strikethrough items I didn’t end up using

The post Unfolding Thailand 8.5kg Gear List appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

Front Rack and Panniers

Most 20-24” folding bikes can cater for a front rack. These mount at two points on the fork, typically at the end of the fork legs and at the crown. This setup will allow you to use two panniers with a total weight of between 10kg (Tern, Dahon) and 22kg (Bike Friday).

Rear Rack and Panniers

Again, most 20-24” folding bikes can cater for a rear rack. These mount from near the rear dropout and up to the top of the seat stay. Rear racks can carry two panniers and a rack-pack bag to a maximum capacity of 25kg. When you carry weight on the rear of the bike it has less of an effect on the bike’s steering, than on the fork. You can also mount racks/panniers to 16″ folders, but the bags tend to drag when cornering given the lack of clearance – it’s simply not recommended.

Luggage Truss (Tern, Dahon)

Tern and Dahon Bikes come with a ‘luggage socket’ on the front on their frames. This low-capacity luggage solution (7kg max) is excellent because when you load it up, it doesn’t affect the bikes steering at all; you can even ride your bike around corners without your hands on the bars!

My favourite setup has been using the Kanga Rack and an Ortlieb pannier on its side. This 100% waterproof setup is easy to take on/off the luggage truss, and while you’re riding along bumpy roads it’s super secure.

There are a number of different ways to utilise the socket:
– Klickfix handlebar bag
– Klickfix basket
– Tern Kanga Rack and any bag you like
– Tern Kanga Rack and a 31L drybag
– Tern Kanga Rack and a pannier

Postrack + Bag

Some people with light loads will prefer the PostRack system with a Biologic Commute bag. Clamp the rack onto the seatpost, connect your bags and go.

CrossRack / Extenders

Another light load mounting option is the Xootr CrossRack which can take one pannier and will mount from either your handlepost or seatpost. This is especially good for folding bikes that lack luggage sockets or any rack mounts. It will also allow you to use a pannier that you may already own.

Klickfix makes a similar product called the Extender with Handlebar Adapter. You can use this adapter with any of the Klickfix accessories, such as the Vario rack or handlebar bag.

Carrier Block (Brompton)

The carrier block by Brompton is annoyingly a different size to what is offered by Tern/Dahon, although people have modified these blocks to fit all styles of folding bike. Like the socket, luggage weight is carried by the frame itself, which doesn’t affect the steering of the bike. The Brompton block has an exceptional carrying capacity (10-15kg), as well as lots of luggage options available too.

Note: Brompton’s 16″ wheels are too small for traditional racks and panniers

Here are some carrier block luggage options:
– Brompton bags (up to 31L capacity)
– Brompton folding basket
– Brompton Carrying Frame + any bag you like
– Kinetics front rack for two panniers
– Twin pannier mount (custom)
– Brompton Carrying Frame + front pannier (there’s an upright pannier hack too)

Brompton Rear Rack and Hiking Pack

Many people have made custom kits to attach their hiking packs to the back of their Bromptons. This allows you to have everything all in one bag that is easy to carry.

Brompton Rear Rack with Pannier

A Brompton can carry a pannier on the top of its rack. You’ll need to move the pannier clips inwards and use a strap to keep it down, but it seems to work surprisingly well. Have a closer look at ShaneCycles for mounting instructions.

Bikepacking Bags

The lightest weight option available is using bikepacking bags.

These bags strap onto your seatpost and handlebars, providing a small amount of space for an overnight trip. Check out the following bikepacking bag brands for more: Revelate, Adipura, AlpKit, Bike Bag Dude, Oveja Negra, Blackburn.

Trailers

Trailers can be a great solution for folding bikes.

They take the weight off the bike and allow you to move your luggage around when you get to your destination. There are even folding trailers available from companies like Burley. If you’re carrying more than 10-15kg and you have a budget-folding bike, I recommend using a trailer, as it will put less strain on your bike. Look for trailers that are 16-20″ compatible.

The post Carrying Luggage on a Folding Bike (Brompton, Tern, Dahon) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.

Folding bikes have recently piqued my interest after a few less-than-ideal situations around the world with the tandem. The most stressed I ever felt when travelling was not when I was getting hassled in the street, when I ran out of water or when the distance to the next town seems impossible. No, it’s when I have to put my bike on other forms of transport.

My uneasiness lies within the unknowns of bikes on transport: the chance I won’t be able to travel with my bike because of its size, the additional costs associated with driver demands, and whether the bike will be damaged in transit.

If I was going to choose to take a bike on mixed forms of transport, it had to be folding. But I did have a few concerns. Will a folding bike be less enjoyable to ride? Will it be durable enough for the demands of touring? Will it be harder to ride long distances, up great mountains? Will my 6ft6/198cm frame even fit on a folding bike?!

I had to find out.

Tern has provided me with a 24” folding bike to test out on the Mae Hong Son loop in Thailand. The numbers are almost enough to put most people off trying it on a regular bike, let alone a folding bike: 660km, 13000m of climbing and 4000 bends. I will be using alternative forms of transport before and after the big ride to test how my stress levels sit through the transit process. I will also be assessing how a folding bike changes ones travel experience for better and for worse. This is going to be fun!

The Tern Eclipse P18

The first thing you notice with the Tern is that the frame and components are of high quality with outstanding attention to detail throughout. The shape of the hydroformed aluminium frame is sleek and modern, the welds are smooth and the paint is a bright gloss with a mild pearl through the yellow. The frame and handlepost clamps are a focal point given the nature of this bike, and they don’t disappoint either with a lovely shape and finish. The Physis handlepost is definitely a standout – it’s forged from a single piece of aluminium and has a brushed look. I’m told only a few factories around the world can 3D forge a complicated component like this.

The seatpost is over 600mm long which suits my outrageously long legs just fine (I actually can’t get the seatpost high enough on the 20” version of this bike, the Verge). Biologic saddles and grips are ergonomic and turn out to be particularly comfortable, even without cycling shorts or gloves. The Syntace adjustable stem is a beautiful piece of engineering – just undo the two bolts and set it to whatever stack and reach you like.

SRAM X7 MTB gearing is employed offering super snappy gearshifts; in fact, when you first test ride the bike this is one of the most noticeable things about it. The gear range is impressive, with a compact road crankset (50-34t) at the front and a 11-32t cassette at the rear. This translates to 26 gear inches in the smallest gear and 111 gear inches at the top, which allows me to spin happily at below 10km/h, right through to 60km/h! That should be enough to get me up and down the 20% gradients in Thailand, although if I was carrying more gear on this trip I might want lower gears, perhaps a 34t at the top of the cassette.

The brakes are as good as it gets for a v-brake. It is obvious that the hardware such as the cable, noodle, housing and pads are high quality. As a result, the braking is super light with nice modulation at the lever.

The wheels are the weakest link on the Eclipse as they’re a tad heavy for a 20″ wheelset. You might have heard the phrase, “strong, light, cheap – pick any two”, well these wheels are affordable and durable. If I were designing the Eclipse to this price point, I would too preference durability over a lighter weight.

Speaking of weight, the bike weighs in at 12.5kg which is respectable for a folding bike of this size and price of US$1250 (co-incidence that the weight and pricing numbers are the same?!).

How does it ride?

The Eclipse has exceeded all my expectations of a folding bike. Having spent some time on Bromptons and various budget folders, they simply do not compare in terms of performance. The main reason: frame stiffness. There are minimal losses in the handlepost, frame and seatpost, which results in the feeling of a bike with a much larger frame structure. In fact, I’ve ridden regular bikes that are less stiff! Given the seatpost is so long, there is a good amount of vertical flex to smoothen out the road too.

Large 24” wheels (for a folding bike) contribute significantly to the feeling of a regular bike, rolling quite well through depressions in the road. The slick and wide Schwalbe Kojak tyres are fast, making the bike super nippy around the streets.

The wide range and number of gears make riding any road very easy. Just pick the right gear for the conditions and you’re good to go! This is no 3-speed city bike.

How does it fold?

You can fold the Tern in about 10 seconds.

There are four steps:
– Turn the handlebar 180 degrees
– Release the handlepost clamp so that the bars rest by the wheel
– Release the frame clamp so that the bike folds back on itself
– Undo the seat clamp to drop the saddle

How do you carry luggage?

There are a few different ways to carry goods on the Tern:
– Front and rear racks with pannier bags with a capacity up to 35kg
– Biologic rear postrack with commute bag (14L, 10kg capacity)
– Frame luggage truss with a Kanga rack, basket or handlebar bag (7kg capacity)
– Bikepacking bags

Check out my megapost on carrying luggage on folding bikes

Given the light load I need for Thailand, I’ve opted for the Tern Kanga rack in combination with an Ortlieb Backroller Plus pannier mounted sideways. The pannier clips on very securely to the Kanga, so I have lots of confidence it won’t fall off. When I take the bag off, I take the Kanga rack with it –the Klickfix system is the quickest way to get the bag on and off the bike.

The best thing about this setup is that the weight is mounted to the frame socket, rather than the fork or handlebar. I’ve discovered that the weight here doesn’t affect the bike’s handling, including riding around corners with no hands! It’s a great option if you have less than 7kg with you.

The only issue with the Eclipse/Kanga rack combo is that bags sit high, so you can’t carry anything tall or your luggage will hit the handlebars when turning.

How do you make it fit someone tall?

The Eclipse is only available in one size, which is great if you’re of average height, but not great for me. The seat height is fine, but the seat-to-handlebar reach is a full 15cm shorter than what I use on my mountain bike. That’s fine around town, but may be a concern on a long day in the hills. Tern bikes don’t use a regular stem system, so there is not a lot of options in that area. I’ve decided to use the longest bar ends I can find to stretch out the reach up to 20cm!

Other options I’ve considered include:
– Modolo or Humpert comfort bars with built-in bar ends
– Nitto bullhorn handlebars
– Brompton P-type handlebars in a horizontal fashion
– Nitto Promenade handlebars facing backwards

Barends are the quickest and easiest option to fit. The bar ends I’m currently using are from a 1990 Trek mountain bike, but I have some super long Procraft iGrip XLs (20cm) on their way from Germany. Other long bar end options are made by TransX, RavX and Profile Design.

#UnfoldingThailand

I’m looking forward to putting the bike through its paces in Thailand. I’ll try and get it on to as much transport as possible to discover whether it changes the way I travel on a bike. The cycling loop I’ve picked is super hard, so it should push the Eclipse close to its limit. Will the Tern Eclipse be as capable as a standard touring bike? I’ll find out soon.

PART TWO is now available.

The post Review: Tern Eclipse P18 Folding Bike (1/2) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.