Touring: Brompton or 20" Dahon/Tern?
 

Hello

If you've done a lot of touring on folders and have good experience with either the Brompton or 20 inchers like the Dahon/Tern, which would you recommend that is comfortable even for 150km whole-day rides, and up occasional steep hills?

As for cargo, I only carry a single, 10kg bag.

I'd rather not go for Bike Friday since they're a bit pricey, basically not distributed here, and appear to disassemble rather than fold.

Thank you.

Bike Friday , made for you, with your choice of sizes, colors and drive train , dont need a distributor .. They are shipped direct from Oregon..

Steep hills on a Brommie will be tough with standard gearing unless you're a super-athlete. You can always have the gearing lowered but it costs extra. Brommie really best for smallest folded size rather than touring, though of course some might disagree.

Dahon/Tern: I have a Dahon Speed Pro TT. Even with wide-range gearing, would not be my first choice for the type of riding you envision. Fit is not ideal for me and I have some quibbles with the bike's design and handling.

I'm with fietsbob on this one and second the Bike Friday recommendation. Even without dealers nearby, you can have one shipped to you, or if you feel like a road trip, Avon Valley Cycles in the UK could set you up. There is a reason they are the Cadillac of folding bikes - the ability to set one up and build one specifically around you is something most folding manufacturers don't do.

I agree with the above posts.

A Brompton doesn't have the gearing I'd want (although people have toured with them).

If you want to use a Dahon or other random 20", get one where you can put at least a double (if not a triple) crankset on it.

Remember that you'll be riding this bike a lot. Make sure whatever you get, it fits you well. This is where Bike Friday really shines, but with care, you can do this with many other folders as well.

You could get one thru Kinetics ? Recumbents, Folding Bikes, Custom Bicycles | Brompton Forks & Rear Triangle, and get it with a Rohloff or Alfine with Disc Brakes ..


Swiss -Mountain Drive on my M3L gives the 3 speeds in the hub a second run through in low range. it was plug and play for me to install .


with a 349-35 wheel 50:13 ... direct.. 82.4~61,8~46.4 ... low range .. 33~24.7~18.5 ..

Thanks for the tips.

I'll read up the Schlumpf Mountain Drive as an alternative to lowering the gears on the Brompton. I'd rather keep the 50t chainring when touring in flat areas.

As for Bike Fridays, I guess I could order parts from dealers in neighboring countries in Europe if need be.

the 130 BCD will take any single speed type chainring.. (omitting the shift ramps , etc.) you can order it with the 50t. of course the chain ring is included

Mine came stock with a 54t , so I use a 15 t hub cog.

see E.1.6.1. Brompton - torque lever http://www.schlumpf.ch/hp/schlumpf/faq.getriebe.engl.htm#C

the speed drive , is an overdrive ... with a 34t ring , kicked into High it acts like a 54t.

[site said with 110 spider option, the standard Chainring has to be made with more clearance around the gear case,
so fitting say a stainless Surly 34t you need to do a little file work ]

+1
Bike Friday.

dual drive hub is excellent option also on a folder. Consider upgrading a downtube or simular.

Which bike fits you better?

In general, the variety of quality 406 tires are better. I'd pick a 20" model.

Most of the parts are pretty standard. You might consider calling them and discussing your worries from the lack of a local distributor. You might discover that they have experience with other owners in France.

Thanks for the feedback.

I have a 20 inch Dahon. I've never ridden it for more than 2 hours at a time.....my butt starts to hurt but I'm not sure that it' the bike's fault.

It's all about the compromise, though. It's wonderfully small and maneuverable and a blast to ride, but it is a bit creakier than my full sized bike and I do occasionally wish for slightly higher gearing. Mind you that I already have a front double cog and the outer sprocket has ~58 teeth. There is only so much you can do with small wheels. No matter how fast I'm pedaling, there is always some giraffe on a full sized bike leaving me in the dust.

If I had to ride a bike all day continuusly and needed folding, I would probably reach for my Montague full sized bike.

You can fix the gearing if you want to.

I've got a 20" Capreo wheel with a 9-26T cassette and a 50T large chainring. I top out at just over 106". With a 58T up front, that would be 123". Nary a 700c bike geared any higher...

As far as all day comfort, it depends a lot on what you do to the bike. If you've got the same spacing between handle bars, seat, and pedals as your regular bike, then you're good to go. Not easy, but possible with many folding bikes.

My wife and I regularly tour on 2008 model Dahon MuP8 and Speed P8's, respectively. I find them to be very comfortable. It seems to me that what counts is the distance between the pedals, seat, and handle bars. Granted, we only do 40-45 miles per day. But then that probably has more do to with our age, 72, than to the bikes.