Originally Posted by
cplager
This is not what you had in mind, but I'll post it anyway.
The
Cruzbike Quest 451 can be packed into a single suitcase (including wheels).
David Byrne rode his Cruzbike Sofrider (lower end model) around the world (48,000 Km).
Here's David and his wife Julie (on a Cruzbike Quest with 559 wheels):
Hmmm... I was thinking that David Byrne is a Montague man. He looks quite different in that photo, too.
As for best choice for touring, it depends on what you mean by touring. Head-down-eat-up the miles on the bike touring is very different from multi-mode in city, hop a regional flight grab a bus interspersed with half day riding touring. If you want to do both be prepared for compromises, but in the end it will work.
Can't comment on the LTH of BF but I have done some touring on the Brompton. The 16" wheels are fine on pavement but once on a rough stretch of the Camino de Santiago I would have loved to have had 26" MTB tires. The 16"s were okay on a 30 mile stretch of dirt/gravel converted train track but larger would have been better - the bit of shock absorption was appreciated though. These were the only concerns we've had with tire size.
We have done some eight hour days in the saddle. A more aerodynamic riding position would have been appreciated those times, but we were fine, just a bit slower. If you plan to do a lot of that kind of riding, think hard about your choice.
I've tried to hit the downside and will say that, for us, the upside has made it worthwhile. Obviously the quick fold and stash is a great boon for multi-mode in town hopping light rail, bus or taxi. But also handy if you want to grab a bite in the coffee shop while waiting for a bus - just bring it in. Handy if you were sent to the wrong bus stop and have to make a mad dash across town to get there just in time and not have to try to disassemble the bike and pack it before the bus departs. Handy to meet the size and weight limit on a euro regional flight.
I looked hard at alternatives to the luggage before opting for he T-bag which is great - well designed, well made and versatile. Lived out of it for three weeks have have done numerous shorter duration trips. Also looked hard at alternatives to the B-bag for transporting the bike but in the end wanted good protection with the ability to transport it on the bike w/o hassle. We strap ours to the top of the T-bag when traveling between cities / connections but some come up with other ways to transport it. We did not get the rack when we bought our bikes - dealer talked us out of it based on how we planned to travel but you may find it useful if you go w/ Brompton.