Carrying a Brompton on a rucksack

[swansonj]

My wife and I are picking off stages of the North Downs Way a few days at a time. For the next stage, one option involves driving to the start, walking while carrying the Brompton, then one of us cycling back to retrieve the car.

We have various walking rucksacks in various sizes (though none big enough to fit the Brompton inside) and plenty of luggage straps. Does anyone have experience of strapping a Brompton to a rucksack, or any other helpful suggestions?

 

[Fab Foodie]

...... or any other helpful suggestions?

Yes, clearly you're crazy!

 

[Profpointy]

My wife and I are picking off stages of the North Downs Way a few days at a time. For the next stage, one option involves driving to the start, walking while carrying the Brompton, then one of us cycling back to retrieve the car.

We have various walking rucksacks in various sizes (though none big enough to fit the Brompton inside) and plenty of luggage straps. Does anyone have experience of strapping a Brompton to a rucksack, or any other helpful suggestions?

depending on what kind of area the other end is, I'd be inclined to leave a bike chained up. Maybe a pub bike if a questionable place to leave bike. Or ask nicely at a pub or whatever to leave bike

 

[GrumpyGregry]

push it/wheel it unfolded?

 

[swansonj]

It'll be way too heavy to carry on a walk like that - coastal paths tend to be quite hilly as well. If it were me, I'd book a taxi to get me back to where the car is. That'll make the walk more enjoyable.

Is it actually any heavier than a rucksack loaded for a few days walking would be, let alone for a camping trip?

(Just looked it up - 12kg - I'm sure I've carried rucksacks, not to mention children, that heavy up mountains before )

We did use a taxi to enable one of our previous stages but the Brompton option seems more satisfying...

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Why not just take a walk around the block with it strapped to your back? See if it works for you.
If it works, it works.

 

[swansonj]

depending on what kind of area the other end is, I'd be inclined to leave a bike chained up. Maybe a pub bike if a questionable place to leave bike. Or ask nicely at a pub or whatever to leave bike

Drop it off at the end first and leave it there locked up.

Yes, that's an option too, and we're looking at options, but it involves driving to the far end to drop the bike, driving back to the start, then driving again at the end. I'm quite resigned to using a car to enable my choice of leisure activity, but that starts to make you wonder which is coming first.

Which would you say is safest to leave locked up for a day - the Brompton or my Thorn Raven? Because, remarkably in the present company, those are the only two solo bikes I have.

 

[Profpointy]

Yes, that's an option too, and we're looking at options, but it involves driving to the far end to drop the bike, driving back to the start, then driving again at the end. I'm quite resigned to using a car to enable my choice of leisure activity, but that starts to make you wonder which is coming first.

Which would you say is safest to leave locked up for a day - the Brompton or my Thorn Raven? Because, remarkably in the present company, those are the only two solo bikes I have.

Mmn, good point. Neither are cheap to lose. Still, I'd not want to carry a brompton very far on my back.

 

[swansonj]

I agree with Adrian but if you have to chose, by my reckoning a Brompton costs the same as a Rohloff hub, so I'd use the former.

There was once a theory that thieves associate hub gears with low-value shopping bikes and don't bother nicking them, and that Rohloffs might benefit from this supposed protection. I would not however want to rely on this theory.

 

[Randomnerd]

I've carried a Brompton occasionally - to speed my return journey on a survey walk through woodlands - using a pack frame (search "lastenkraxe"). It isn't great - a lumpy deadweight - but can be done. Enjoy your walks: pay for a comfy taxi.

 

[jay clock]

I cannot imagine how unpleasant carrying a Brompton on your back would be

One tip if leaving a bike anywhere is contact a Warmshowers host - even if not near enough they may know someone who is

 

[srw]

What's the section? There might be someone on here close enough to the end point to take care of a bike for you.

 

[swansonj]

What's the section? There might be someone on here close enough to the end point to take care of a bike for you.

Thanks for the suggestion and for all the other constructive suggestions.

However....

We started this north downs way malarkey a couple of years ago when we realised we had term times free of children. The stretches that were nearer to us we did train to start - walk with overnight kit - stay in some convenient pub - walk again - stay again / walk - train home. Even though we were only actually doing two or three days at a time (one block each university term), that felt as if we were being true to the spirit of long-distance walks. Now we're getting to the far end at Dover, that pattern doesn't work as well and we're using the car more. The trick is to preserve at least the illusion of doing a proper long distance walk. Summoning a taxi to whisk us back to a b&b at the end of the walk, or making prior arrangements to stash and retrieve a bike, is logically no worse than using a car to drive to the start - but it would perhaps feel one stage more removed from the ideal of the self-sufficient walk...

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Terrible things, scruples.

 

[srw]

Assuming that you have already investigated Professor Google's guide to the bus routes of Kent and found it wanting, I can only suggest doing what @Yellow Saddle suggests and trying an experiment.

Personally I can't imagine anything worse than carrying a heavy bike across hilly terrain on your back - except possibly riding any of the standard Bromptons across hilly Kentish lanes.