Hi all,
I just wanted to share my latest adventure with you. A buddy of mine and I went on another cycling holiday during the last week of September and the first week of October. We headed south to escape the autumn chill in Germany.
Once again, I took my trusty Brompton with me, and we had an absolute blast! The route was mostly flat and very enjoyable. In total, we covered 600 km, staying at B&Bs along the way. The weather was great for the most part, and there were plenty of bike paths and considerate drivers.
Tour on Komoot
(Note: The GPS stitching messes with the speed data, and there’s an error with the elevation reading.)
Now, likely you're curious about how my Brompton held up. Here are some changes I made compared to my previous cycling trips (Latvia and Marseille-Genova ):
Schwalbe Almotion Tyres
These are fantastic for touring. You don’t need to worry about going off-road—they handle it much better then other 16 inch brompton tyred.
H&H Duo Chainring (33/50)
We initially planned a hillier route, but ended up changing it due to two days of rain. So I wanted to prepare for hills. I really like the range this chainring gives me. If you’re carrying around 20 kg of gear, you'll appreciate the lower gear. And on flat roads, the 50T keeps you in the second hub gear often, which is more efficient.
by.Schulz Z.1 Fold Pedals
They look downright ridiculous. But I heard pedals break, mine started creaking and I really didn‘t feel like explaining an italian dentist to put my teeth back in, I decided to swap them out before they failed. I went with platforms to reduce wear on my shoes. I was surprised by how much larger they are compared to the stock pedals—it’s great for foot flexibility. The folding mechanism still works perfectly, and they don’t stick out awkwardly.
However, they are heavy and very expensive.
Ditching the Dimpa for the Brompton Transport Bag
Since we were taking high-speed trains, packing up the Brompton is a good idea. My handlebars are too wide for the Dimpa bag, which had ruined the zippers. The new Brompton transport bag is pricey, but much more comfortable to carry.
Lastly, one snag: My inner tube exploded while cycling down into Trieste. The heat from braking caused the tire to overheat. I was aware of the risk and had stopped once to cool it down, but I was impatient for the nice meal and it went pop on the last meters.
by holger-nestmann