one bike

[martinf]

More takes on using a "folding" bike for touring.

About 12 years ago I bought a Moulton TSR frameset, that I built up with the same type of gearing as Mickeg, a SRAM dual-drive with 3 internal gears and a 7 or 8 speed dérailleur cassette. The TSR uses 20" wheels, it performed well on fast day rides and was quite good for on-road touring with a reasonable amount of luggage fitting onto the Moulton specific front and rear racks. But it wasn't as good as a fat-tyre full size bike for rocky or sandy paths and had less total luggage capacity, so a bit constrained for camping or for holidays with my wife, when I carry most of the luggage.

Rather than fold, the frame of the Moulton TSR could be split in the middle, and the seatpost and bars removed to make a package a bit smaller than a full-size bike with the wheels removed. I found dismantling the bike inconvenient in practice and hardly ever used this feature.

I already had Bromptons for commuting and survey work. The fold is very compact and quick, but a Brompton is less comfortable to ride than the full-suspension Moulton TSR and a full size bike with 26"x2" tyres. The Brompton gear range was also insufficient for some types of touring.

So I rationalised my bike stable, and sold the Moulton on (they keep their value well). I bought a Thorn Raven Tour with 26"x2" tyres, while tweaking one of my Bromptons to make it slightly more comfortable and more suitable for hilly touring.

The current iteration of my touring Brompton has titanium forks and handlebars to improve comfort and a custom rear triangle with integrated rear rack and Rohloff hub. It is as quick to fold as a standard Brompton and only slightly wider, so still very compact. Weight is about 12.3 Kg without luggage. Compared to my Raven Sport Tour day bike, there is a slight performance penalty. I haven't got reliable figures for this, but I reckon about 5% slower with a similar light load, partly because of the more upright riding position on the Brompton, partly because of the less efficient tyres. Luggage capacity is quite good, about 28 litres in the front bag (which is mounted on a luggage block on the frame, so more stable than front panniers), when more capacity is needed I carry a 48 litre rucksack bungeed to the rear rack and stabilised at the top with a strap to the saddle.   

[PH]

Then the one I would probably keep if restricted to one, an Airnimal Joey Rohloff, it’ll do at least 90% of what the above two will, just not as well. I’ll comfortable sit on it for a 200km Audax, it’ll just be a touch slower. I have a Radical Designs trailer to go with it, so it’ll carry any load and then pack into the trailer bag to be transported by any mode.

At the risk of going off-topic can you clarify what's good and bad about the Joey?

I'm not sure I can.  I like riding it, but not as much as my other bikes, there are no bad things, the good thing is that it folds.  That's it really, it can do most things my other bikes can, but as already said, just not as well and it can be taken places where my others can't.  I can bag it for the Eurostar, or to take on a coach (Something I planned a bit more of before the pandemic) or on many trains that would otherwise need a reservation, or in the boot of a hire car, or as luggage on a coach holiday. ( I try to avoid flying)
I'm on my second, the first when I needed a work folder once a week, it was OK for that and in the couple of years I had it I don't remember using it for anything else.  Then the commute changed from weekly to daily and the fold became annoying and I swapped it for something easier. and of course immediately missed it.  Couple of years later I got the chance of a clean second hand one and later converted to Rohloff. It's very much my travel bike, if I don't need to pack it I'll use something else. Not because it's bad, because I have better.   
Here it is in the Picos, I toured with friends, mostly on touring bikes, I'd rather have been on the Mercury, but I wasn't hugely disadvantaged. It was an extra holiday that I hadn't planned or  budgeted for, so instead of the £300+ ferry I spent £65 on the coach.
D4 After a long gradual climb - PH by Paul, on Flickr

[mickeg]

...
Here it is in the Picos, ...

Is that with the Racktime rear FoldIt rack?  That is the rack I bought for mine, and I bought the extra long rods to the seat stays for it.
https://www.racktime.com/en/racktime-products/system-carriers/racktime-product/foldit-adjustable

I put it on the bike to test fit, but otherwise have not used the rack for anything.

[PH]

Is that with the Racktime rear FoldIt rack? 

No it's something cheap and unbranded that came from a local store, I had to modify it to take Tubus long struts. It doesn't interfere with the fold, but it does make it a bigger package. I remove it to bag it, it's not a big job.
I also have a Brompton and the fold is chalk and cheese, though IMO so is the ride, I can't imagine I'll ever choose to tour on it, though I've met several doing just that.

[mickeg]

...
I also have a Brompton and ...

I have been intrigued by the Brompton, but quite frankly I do not not need anything that folds that small, if I owned one I suspect I would ride it a half dozen times in the first few months and then never ride it again.  I am retired, do not commute anywhere, I rarely use my Joey which is my only folder so I can't imagine that a second folder would get any additional use.

Photo is from my Joey with the Racktime FoldIt Adjustable rack.  I have it set for the high position, there are three positions.  But I removed the rack once I found that I had the seatstay rods that I needed for it.  It looks like it should be set much lower, but I would need the bottom of a pannier to be above axle level for my Sram Dual Drive shifting mechanism to work.

[PH]

I don't have many photos showing the rack when it isn't obscured by panniers.  It's fairly close to the wheel and also has the mudguard mounted to it, so it's either both or neither. I have some modified (Shortened) Ortlieb Front Rollers which suit it fine.  Might get away with slightly larger, I haven't tried.  Apologies for the unseasonal photo 

Ride-4 by Paul, on Flickr

My first Joey had a full size Tubus rack fitted which did sit high, though I used the lower rail.

untitled (1 of 4) by Paul, on Flickr

The other thing with folding bikes is the one size advantage, every home should have a guest bike and one anybody can ride adds to the versatility.

[tyreon]

A fascinating topic of conversation and a good look into peoples cycling profiles and choices.

I dont think I could have too many bikes. Not theseadays. I am not doing the mileage and the city where I live is being crowded in on all side by increasing growth in other cities and towns,and constant inbuilding. Having lived where I live for more years than I have expected,I am now tired of the routes to escape 'bush' than I was. I would have to ride some 20 miles to escape into open country. On the one shorter route it maybe 10 miles. My main cycling is now urban cycling(for shopping)with one or two excursions to break free of urban blight. I ride a recently purchased ladies Dawes Duchess. It has an upright ride and doesnt attract unwanted attention from bicycle thieves(I have,in the past,had two bicycles stolen)

I have and Orbit and a Thorn for overseas touring,but through age and health,now choose to tour overseas on a folder: Dahon.

I cant envisage just having one decent bike as a does-all. Where I now cycle I would have to have it festooned with 6 D locks. Then take  anxiolytics(maybe its just me!)

Why has France stolen all the best cycling countryside and geography . Look at all the myriad of spider-web road networks,the varied scenery,respectful car drivers...

[mickeg]

I am currently at nine, thus one for each day of the week plus two spares.

But a few of them rarely ridden.  I have not ridden the two spares for at least two years.

Redundancies, listed below.

 - My light touring bike can do anything that my rando bike does, thus the rando bike is redundant.

 - And my light touring bike can do almost everything my road bike does, but the road bike is a bit quicker, and the road bike has a Ritchey Break Away frame that can be split for packing in a smaller case.  Thus the road bike is almost redundant, but not quite.  That said, I have never packed it in the smaller case to travel anywhere and I am not sure if I ever will.  I got lucky and got the road bike for about one third of the manufacturer suggested retail, new in box with factory warranty.  That is the sole reason I bought it, the price was screaming - take me home.

 - My three speed is only used for errands, and same with my Bridgestone, thus the three speed is redundant.

 - My 1961 Columbus tubing Italian bike is fitted with downtube friction shifters front and rear, and has a narrow range on the rear freewheel.  Have not ridden it for a few years because I hate friction downtube for shifting the rear.  I like the ride of the frame, but that is the only redeeming factor, thus this one is redundant.

Thus, four of the fleet could be considered redundant, I could get by with only five bikes, as follows:

 - Folder
 - Errand bike
 - Light touring
 - Medium touring
 - Heavy touring.