Brompton Touring Setups

Hi, this is Pam and Gilbert from 2 Bikes 4 Adventure.

For many years, we've been traveling around the world on our folding bikes. In this video, we'll review various touring setups to help you prepare for a cycling adventure on your own Brompton.

Touring with an unusual bicycle is nothing new, in fact that's how it all started in 1884.

Using a high wheeler also known as a penny farthing Thomas Stevens was the first cyclist to pedal around the globe. His small handlebar bag contains socks, a spare shirt and a revolver. On the frame, he attached a raincoat that doubled as a tent. This setup

foreshadowed what ultralight bike packing would ultimately become more than a century later.

Like the high wheeler of old, the Brompton is an unusual touring bike that comes with its own baggage carrying challenges. The front carrier block is rated for a 10 kilogram maximum load, the optional rear rack has the same 10 kilo limitation.

The Brompton has a total load capacity of 110 kilos which includes all luggage as well as the rider.

For multi-modal travel, we should ideally be able to carry all our belongings bike and luggage for a relatively short distance without needing to unfold the bike or requiring any assistance.

We aim to keep our gear as light as possible and reduce the number of separate items we have to carry.

If we need to fly we want to stay within check-in and carry-on allowances to avoid surcharges.

For some low-cost airlines, this could be as low as a five-kilogram limit for carry-on.

Three major criteria influence our baggage selection. They are total storage space, often indicated in liters or cubic inches, waterproofness, whether it is made of waterproof material or needs a rain cover, and purchase price. The simplest way to meet these criteria could be to buy a dedicated

touring bag. If the ideal bag for our needs doesn't exist or is too expensive,

touring bag. If the ideal bag for our needs doesn't exist or is too expensive, we can repurpose a bag we already know and figure out a way to attach to our Brompton.

When deciding on a specific bag size, we have to bear in mind that the larger the volume, the heavier the bag is likely to be when loaded. It's helpful to have an easy way to estimate the weight of a loaded pack based on its initial volume.

If the bag was to be filled with water, we could apply the classic one kilogram per liter relationship but we plan to pack more than liquid for our trip. Since we'll have a mixed load of clothing equipment toiletries and other items, we need to use another calculation .

While the total luggage weight ultimately depends on the ratio of its contents, a good rule of thumb is to assume a load factor of 400 grams per liter. Following

this rule, a fully loaded 25 liter bag or 1500 cubic inches would weigh 10 kilos or 22 pounds.

Despite the claims of bag manufacturers, it's the material of the bag and the construction technique used in this fabrication that determine how it will perform under rainy conditions.

Multiple pockets and zippers, while practical, often come at the expense of waterproofness.

Industry standard ratings certify how water resistant an item is. The Ingress Protection or IP level varies from one for a light vertical rain to eight totally submerged underwater for more than 30 minutes. Good touring waterproof bags are usually rated IPX3 against horizontal rain, IPX4 against splashing from any direction or IPX5 against water jet from any direction.

Ortlieb displays the IP rating for its bike touring bags, most other bag brands rely on a rain cover to protect the contents and do not provide the IP rating. In our experience, we deduce that it falls between IPX2 and IPX3.

Should we select a waterproof bag or rely on a model with a rain cover?

Waterproof bags are usually heavier and more expensive for an equivalent volume but provide more secure protection than a rain cover. Rain covers may also be awkward to install if items are attached to the outside of the bag and can complicate access to the contents.

On the other hand, waterproof bags tend to have fewer internal and external compartments to easily organize and quickly access our gear. If we plan to travel often, investing in a good quality fully waterproof bag is probably worth it. Nothing is more disappointing than finding the contents of your bag all soggy after a day in the rain. Unfortunately, I've had that experience in the past.

If on the other hand we plan to travel by bike under mild weather conditions and have a way to dry items overnight if necessary, a quality bag with a rain cover may be adequate.

For long term camping trips, the higher the IP rating, the better. In all cases, if you have any doubt about the waterproofness of your bag, we recommend you increase the protection level by containing your gear in zipper lock bags or by lining your luggage with a large plastic bag.

Good bags can be expensive. For our purposes, we'll indicate the price range you may expect for categories of bags. The one coin symbol identifies the cheapest option, which would involve reusing a non-Brompton specific bag you already own.

Two coins identify Brompton specific solutions in the $150 to $300 range using US dollars for the rate.

Three coins identify particularly expensive solutions over three hundred dollars.

It may be that your ideal bag doesn't exist, is not easily available in your country or is too expensive for your budget. Our next video will present some low-cost do-it-yourself (DIY) solutions that Gilbert has created to fill our own needs.

As we go through the most common ways to carry luggage on the Brompton, we will also indicate cumulative maximum volume and weight load in the upper right corner.

Brompton and third part party suppliers like Vincita and Carradice offer a wide selection of bags compatible with the front luggage block. For many years, the largest bag available was the non-waterproof 31 litre T or touring bag, an old favorite among long distance Brompton travelers.

Its cavernous main compartment made it an obvious choice for cyclists with a lot of items to carry at the risk of exceeding the 10 kilogram limit. Smaller bags in the non-waterproof series included the 25 liter C Bag and 20 liter S Bag. Depending how minimalistic we are willing to be, whether or not we're camping and the duration of our cycling adventure, we feel the ideal touring

bag should be between 20 and 30 liters, the sweet spot for our trips being around 25 liters.

Through the years I've used two generations of the 25 liter C-Bag. While larger bags are available, i didn't feel i needed any extra space as we're not camping and we prefer to travel light.

Having the right size bag can be liberating, forcing us to limit our enthusiasm for packing extra "just-in-case" accessories or resisting the urge to buy unnecessary souvenirs along the way.

It also reduces the risk of exceeding the weight limit of the front carrier block or the airline carry-on policy.

In 2020, the T, C and S bags were discontinued and replaced by the slightly smaller Borough Large and Metro Messenger bags, part of an expanded line of Brompton branded bags. The Borough Large bag has a capacity of 28 liters, a loss of 10% of interior space from the T-Bag.

The 25 liter C-Bag has been replaced by the 23 liter Metro Messenger bag, so a bit smaller.

We have not tried this bag to see how restrictive the loss of space would be.

It may still be possible to find some of the older bags in stores or on the secondhand market.

I found my rain cover option to be adequate in moderately rainy weather conditions whereas ever since the days when we used Ortlieb Front Roller panniers on our Birdy bikes Gilbert prefers fully waterproof bags. Until recently, the only large waterproof option for the Brompton was the 20 liter O-Bag. Manufactured by Ortlieb, this IPX3 bag did not use their usual roll top design,

favoring a more easily accessible flap over top.

Extremely well made with a price to match, the interior space was however surprisingly limited despite the advertised 20 liter capacity. This made the old bag more suitable for shorter trips or commuting than for a month-long adventure, except for the dedicated minimalist.

In 2020, Brompton replaced its O-Bag with two new bags, the 20-liter Metro Waterproof and 25-litre Borough Waterproof. The Borough Waterproof seems very promising, but we've not had a chance to try it.

Borough Waterproof. The Borough Waterproof seems very promising, but we've not had a chance to try it.

Something else to keep in mind when selecting a front bag is the extent that the closing mechanism permits a range of adjustments. Sometimes we need extra capacity on a temporary basis such as when we carry food back after a trip to the supermarket.

Some bags are notorious for their lack of adjustments.

Once we have selected our front bag, if we need additional space and our Brompton is not equipped with the rear rack such as the L or E model, an easy option would be to attach a bike packing seat bag.

Various brands sizes and options are available. A larger seat bag can carry 15 liters or more to greatly expand the bike's carrying capacity. Bonus, there's no need to pay the premium associated with Brompton branded bags. Waterproof models are also fairly common.

Terry Hilbert has an interesting video on his setup. We provide a link to his video in the description. The advantage of this approach as opposed to a rear rack is

the description. The advantage of this approach as opposed to a rear rack is the option to revert to a fairly lightweight bicycle when we're not using it for touring.

If our Brompton is an R model with a rear rack, it opens up additional cargo carrying options. The simplest solution is the Rack Bag, a 16 liter bag specifically designed for the Brompton.

options. The simplest solution is the Rack Bag, a 16 liter bag specifically designed for the Brompton.

Its narrow profile avoids heel strike but it needs to be removed from the bike to fold.

Off the bike, it can be easily carried with the provided shoulder strap. Note the bag is not waterproof and doesn't come with a rain cover. Vincita also offers a Brompton specific rear rack option.

If you have a rack bag from a bigger bike, it's worth testing to see if it works on the Brompton.

For those tourers requiring substantially more space to carry camping equipment, a popular solution is to use a regular backpack, let's say 50 liters and attach it vertically between the rack and the saddle. Noth Russ from the Path Less Pedaled and Gianni Filippini from the Brompton Traveler channel have excellent videos describing the necessary steps to secure the bag to the bike,

there are links in the description. Such a solution can easily bring the total available volume upward of 80 liters. Note that it would be easy to exceed the 10 kilo rear rack limit with this setup.

If 80 liters is not sufficient, we can attach a trailer to our Brompton.

Various models are available including the Burley Travoy, which accommodates up to 60 liters or 27 kilograms or Radical Design Cyclone Chubby with its massive 100 liter or 40 kilo cargo space.

Video links are provided in the description. Such a solution could be appropriate for family outings when a large amount of equipment is required but not all riders are at the same fitness level. At this point, we're no longer in ultra light or bike packing territory

fitness level. At this point, we're no longer in ultra light or bike packing territory and the possibility of intermodal transport is seriously compromised. On the other hand, some trailers can double as suitcases to pack the Brompton for air travel. Of course,

all these different solutions can be combined in various ways to give you the cargo space you need.

As far as our own typical setup is concerned, in addition to his DIY 25 liter waterproof front bag Gilbert usually adds a small handlebar bag to easily reach items like camera equipment, cell phone or pocket knife.

His rear rack is used on some trips to carry our folded corrugated plastic packing material.

On my bike, in addition to the C-Bag, we use the rear rack to carry an insulated lunch bag containing the day's supply of food and drinks.

We use the existing rack bungee to secure it in position. This bag, purchased in a Dollar Store, can be easily collapsed when not in use and by separating fragile food items and liquids from the front main bag, prevents possible mess. That's also very easy to clean up when a spill does occur.

Our life obligations may not permit us the time to travel around the world like Thomas Stevens did more than a century ago, but a Brompton and the proper luggage setup is all we need to create our own long distance adventure.

We hope this video helps you set up your Brompton to realize your dreams of cycle touring.

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