Brompton P Line in Emerald Green: My Fitness & Touring Setup
Gear · Published 7/26/2023 ·
I’d been a little let down by the M6R model, so this time I picked up a Brompton P Line in the new Emerald Green color, meant for fitness rides and for doing a cross-country tour. It’s the P Line with some titanium parts, and the drivetrain is an external 4-speed. The front is a 50T, and the rear is 11, 13, 15, 18 — though I had the 18 swapped out for a 21T before delivery. I’d missed having a proper low gear, and the 21T gives me an edge on climbs while still letting me cruise on the 11, 13, and 15 the rest of the time, so it’s no problem. Some people ask about shifting trouble when you have to jump straight from 15 to 21 instead of going to 18, but in actual riding it doesn’t cause any issues. The demo bikes at the shops run fine too, and swapping to a 21T is becoming a popular move overseas as well.
It pretty much lives in my trunk these days. The photo above is from before I’d ridden it at all. The handlebar is a low bar — what used to be called an S bar, the type that stretches out long and straight. The old M bar made it hard to mount accessories and tough to get into an aggressive position, so this time I went with the low bar. As you can see in the photo, I’m setting this one up for fitness and for long-distance touring. It came delivered with all the parts that create wind resistance, like the mudguards, stripped off. Because of that, new parts like the E-type hook and the guard went in, so the cost actually went up — but rolling performance improved dramatically, and it’s a setup where holding an average of 25 km/h is easy.
I’m not using the stock saddle — I mounted the smallest size of the Specialized Power Comp. It’s a saddle I’ve used before and it’s comfortable. The stock saddle is comfortable too, but I figure the best saddle is the one that fits your own backside the best.
The stock grips are the number one thing on my removal list, but the Ergon grips were out of stock, so I’ve put in an order and I’m waiting. Since this is before I’ve posted any ride impressions, I’ll just say this much: these grips genuinely make your wrists ache, and the pain starts creeping into your palms too.
I bought a front bag from a brand called Hangang. On long-distance tours you have to carry and move all the stuff you need — jersey, windbreaker, underwear and so on — and since I don’t have a rear rack or anything, a front bag became essential. I needed to pick the smallest one with the best storage. The Ortlieb mini O-bag isn’t made anymore, and there seem to be similar products out there now, but they looked like they came with a lot of restrictions, so I went with a light soft-type bag instead, and picked one in the same green family.
I’m installing a Lixada cowl product. I’m planning to mount a GoPro at this spot, and a Garmin trip computer in the middle section.
With the setup above, including the Brompton tool kit, it weighs about 10.40 kg. You might wonder why it’s over 10 kg when I don’t have a rear rack or much of anything else… well, it’s because it’s loaded with parts up front — a Navi 800k headlight, a tail light, a stem bag, the Brompton tool kit, NKS Silvan Stream pedals, and so on — so it’s ended up a bit heavier than stock. Removing the mudguards is a great setup for cutting wind resistance on long rides, but it leaves you vulnerable to a dirty bike and dirty clothes. That said, everyone already rides road bikes and MTBs without mudguards, so since this is no longer my everyday city bike but a fitness bike, I figure it’s not a problem.
The Brompton has plenty of downsides, but I think it’s a bike with a lot to love. It has all the basic features of a good bike for long-distance travel, yet it folds down the smallest, is light for a folding bike, and depending on how you set it up — it’s not quite a road bike, but it can put down better speed than an MTB. There’s something genuinely appealing about it.
Its biggest downside is the high price, but in a world where a road bike setup can blow past 12 million won without blinking, I find myself living in a strange place where the Brompton’s price doesn’t really look like a problem anymore.
I’m thinking of starting with the cross-country tour, beginning at the entrance to the Ara Waterway and going all the way to the Nakdong River, 433 km out.
Thank you.
#BromptonPLine #EmeraldLacquer #BromptonTuning #SBar #HangangStemBag #HangangFrontBag #BromptonCrossCountry
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