Interrail with Brompton trip

[roubaixtuesday]

At Scuol in the Engadine

Brilliant tour and anecdotes.

You're doing my entire year in a short tour I think... we were in Amsterdam last week, got the train through Haarlem, and very excited to see Scuol, planning to ride through there on a trip to do the Stelvio in June.

Where next, Sardinia??

 

[robjh]

Brilliant tour and anecdotes.

You're doing my entire year in a short tour I think... we were in Amsterdam last week, got the train through Haarlem, and very excited to see Scuol, planning to ride through there on a trip to do the Stelvio in June.

Where next, Sardinia??

Not Sardinia but hopefully Sicily

 

[Oldhippy]

Fabulous, it shows how great integrated travel is almost normal in Europe and highlights how very backward, pathetic even it is in the UK.

 

[robjh]

It's an Abus Bordo Granit+ that cost £85 in Decathlon (and a bit more elsewhere). It feels as secure as these things can be but is unfortunately too short to give much flexibility for what you lock to - a D-lock would have been as good. I think you can buy longer ones but this already weighs 1.5kg.

@Rocky this is the lock in use

 

[Rocky]

@Rocky this is the lock in use

View attachment 685571

Thank you!! I'll get one - I know it's a little heavy but with everything else I'll be carrying hopefully it won't weigh me down. Did you sort the front wheel clicking noise? My 3 speed hub has always rattled - apparently a fault in some Brommies. You get used to it after a while - all I wanted was reassurance I wasn't about to experience a catastrophic fail.

 

[All uphill]

Fabulous, it shows how great integrated travel is almost normal in Europe and highlights how very backward, pathetic even it is in the UK.

A week ago I would have agreed with you @Oldhippy and I mostly still do, but my Dutch son and his partner are travelling on UK trains at the moment, and are saying how good they are, and how friendly and helpful the staff are compared to the horribly congested trains they use at home.

Food for thought.

 

[robjh]

Thank you!! I'll get one - I know it's a little heavy but with everything else I'll be carrying hopefully it won't weigh me down. Did you sort the front wheel clicking noise? My 3 speed hub has always rattled - apparently a fault in some Brommies. You get used to it after a while - all I wanted was reassurance I wasn't about to experience a catastrophic fail.

The front hub clicking was much less today. There's obviously something not running smoothly in there, but it'll have to wait.

 

[robjh]

If you are going to buy inner tubes, then get them in Italy rather than Switzerland as they are half the price. I went to buy a spare on my first day in Italy, and was so relieved at paying only €5 that I bought two.

Some more Brompton pics, from the last few days:

Crossing the river Po

Under the bed on a night train

At the end of my bed

 

[robjh]

I have just been stopped by a guy in the street in Italy who wanted to admire the 'the mythical Brompton', and we chatted with my fairly basic Italian about my trip, and both agreed that they were great bikes. 'Numero uno' he said.

Here's a picture from Palermo

 

[dimrub]

Lovely trip. Just FYI: if you can't find a 16" tube for your Brompton, you can do with 18" - most children bikes use that, or even 20". It will not be ideal, but it will work.

 

[robjh]

I have now been through Austria and Hungary with short stops in each, and am currently on an afternoon train heading towards Slovakia.
The Brompton has continued to be a great bonus on this trip as it has allowed me to not only get around towns, but get out of town too. I haven't done many rides over 30km, but a combination of bike and train (which of course is free for me with interrail) has got me out of Innsbruck, with a great descent back to the town, and yesterday I rode a good way along Lake Balaton before catching a ferry across it and more trains back. I am getting very adept at carrying the Brompton with two bags on my shoulders, and making quick decisions about when to fold and when not.

I've had only one awkward bike moment when an Italian guesthouse owner saw the bike and shouted 'no!'. I shouted 'si!' and some arm-waving and irate Italian ensued until suddenly it was all resolved, he found a place in the cellar lock-up for the bike, and we were all mates again. I felt quite pleased with my Italian that night!

Near Imst, up the Inn valley from Innsbruck

Fulpmes above Innsbruck. Got up here by tram and rode 400m down

On the Lake Balaton circuit cycle route

Note Brompton at the foot of the stairs - crossing Lake Balaton

 

[oldwheels]

Just come on this thread a bit late.
I had the same clicking noise in my front hub and all it needed was a touch of grease. The Brompton factory seem to put in the very minimum which will do for a couple of miles but you really have to regrease all the bearings to be on the safe side I found.

 

[robjh]

Just come on this thread a bit late.
I had the same clicking noise in my front hub and all it needed was a touch of grease. The Brompton factory seem to put in the very minimum which will do for a couple of miles but you really have to regrease all the bearings to be on the safe side I found.

The clicking has disappeared again entirely now, but I will give the hub a service when I'm home.

 

[robjh]

You think you're the only one in town, and then this

in Košice, Slovakia

 

[oldwheels]

The clicking has disappeared again entirely now, but I will give the hub a service when I'm home.

If it is the standard hub it only takes minutes to do. I hope the lack of clicking does not indicate the balls have broken up but that would be pretty obvious with wheel wobble I think.