The humble Brompton bicycle. The most iconic folding bike, suited for short and easy commutes. So what would happen if you created an off-road, monster Brompton? Si and Alex take their Brompton bike build to gravel tracks and mountain bike trails to see how well it shreds!
00:00 Intro
02:48 Ride start
05:30 Top speed test
08:39 Road review
09:37 Mountain biking
13:20 Summary
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48 Comments
Would you convert your Brompton? π²
You guys have got to get that bike to Sam Pilgrim to see what he can do with it!
i think its a great little bike, but wow the price kinda kicks it out the ball park, i think for off roading it does need wider handle bars, the tyres look great and would surely help take the hit out of pot holes, i would buy one if cheaper.
I think a bit wider handlebar would add also a lot of comfort and handling π
You mad buggers!
Keep it up… Biking should be fun; and this is.
Hack or Bodge?
I'd never do this conversion myself but I'm so glad GCN did. So much fun! You guys were genuinely laughing like kids! Great fun video!
brilliant photobomb for rock paper scissors lol
I loved that time Emma went and won the Brompton championships whilst filming a GCN video.
ha interesting. I've repurposed my 15 year old birdy as a gravel bike, 18 inch wheels & rim brakes, front & rear elastomer suspension so it kind of works. 8 speed alfine is quite limited though
Lend it to Sam Pilgrim it will be the most awesome bike he ever riden.
I would put an Alfine Hub on my Brompton , saves the clicking and clunking of the Sturmey Archer.
Just add a Veer belt drive and it will be PERFECT!
That looked like a hell of a lot of fun! I love it when you guys do crazy shitπ€£π€£
Roadies! π
You should loan that to Sam Pilgram!!!
hell ya can we get blaky to breaky
Would love to see the MTBrompton with wider bars. Like… REALLY wide bars π
Rock, paper, scissors is always best of three!!!!
Can you not put drop handlebars on it????
What kept me from getting a Brompton was always the non-standard components and tiny wheels. I wouldn't build it for mountainbiking but with semi slick tires in that width it would be great for bad cycle paths. The question is, how its folded size now compares to a Birdy (full suspension btw), Vello or other high quality folding bike. Because size is the only quality any of these can compete against my folding recumbent bike. π
40k along the narrow kennet & avon canal path? you guys are nuts!
I have sold my gravel bike and maintained only the brompton. Made some few simple modification to ride as good as the gravel bike, so far so good! Everyone who cycles should have a brompton!
Put the mud guards back on, use a slightly smaller chainring, and a bit less aggressive tires and you could still commute on it and ride gravel jut fine. The disk brakes and 11 spd are brilliant additions. Yes, it is expensive, but there is a place for this bike, or some version of it.
Wasted your time on the Brompton, should have ridden an Estarli e20 or better still e20 sport with front suspension folding electric bike. You just canβt have more FUN
I'M SO GLAD YOU DID THIS, just so I didn't have to! I had the fleeting thought, but then came to my senses.
Whatever next? Bikepacking on a Brompton?
Idiots – the towpath isnβt a race track- the tow path is a share space for everyone
Guys, this is getting out of hand.
One of Brompton's weaknesses according to ME: the ridicoulosly thin wheels that give that iconical kid's bycicle look and you RESOLVE IT
You know, if you used gravel king style tires, and slightly longer crank armsβ¦.oh and a gear ratio comparable to 11-32, the rambuntious brommie might actually work. Wouldnβt convert my Brommie though!!
39t crankset, a set of vee rubber goodie goodie tires- my brompton sees lots of dirt roads and single track just getting around
I thought of Blake immediatey!
Si should ride it in the next western league CX race!
I want one!!! π€©
Why's this not on GMBN? And why are you calling it a gravel bike? It has flat bars and Schwalbe Smart Sam tyres: clearly a mountain bike! You even said you were gonna " shred" on it! π
Before I heard of Kinetics and Eerdermetal, I had a similar train of thought.
I called it The Brompton Dirt Dog.
I'm curious to see GCN compare a few more folding bikes on gravel/ENDURO trails.
Montague Paratrooper, maybe?
it would be cool if you did a video with rich and/or Blake from gmbn on that bike on some more "gnarly" tracks
Sounds like they accidentally discovered xbiking
Hey great video guys, a lot of fun! For my part, I got fed up of having my work bikes stolen (lost 2 in the space of 2 weeks) so I bought a fold up bike and took it into the office and stashed it under my desk. Then I thought if I put better tyres on it I could ride home down the canal tow paths. Viola! I put 20 inch bmx tyres on and it became a demon bike, jumping over obstacles no problem, I sought out dirt tracks and trails to ride home on. It got me blooming fit as I didnβt want to stop riding it, and looked forward to the commute. Iβve retired now but still love my folder, itβs definitely a versatile throw in the boot of the car fun bike. It comes away to the seaside with us now so I can get my cycling fix. Love my road bike and my mountain bikes too (donβt want them to feel left out!) Cheers, keep up the great work!
I've ridden my Brompton on gravel in it's vanilla format, and it's lots of fun. No gnarly stuff, but otherwise very doable. Under-Biking is fun.
Brilliant fun watching you two doing that!!π
Test a Birdy. Good on gravel from the shelf
How green England appears mid December, most trees still have leafes on. . It is getting a south sea island, If we would stop using bikes pretty soon
I guess it is steeper than it looks but you guys need to get off the tarmac more often! Great video though and please have Blake on GMBN ride it and have his thoughts
i'll never understand Brompton and their pricing. Insane.
Ranger bike and multiple other foldable mtbs exist
GCN: but off-road Brompton go brrrr.