folder for The BCQ

[canny colin]

I have Started the British Cycle Quest , 402 places to visit in the UK . I would like to finish this century !!!. But would prefer not to use  Dino juice to get me to the extremes of the country . Has any one used a Riese & muller  birdy for touring the country with the aid of train travel . I am over six foot tall , and looking to cycle about 100 km / 150 km when i reach my destination . Any other recommendation . I would like to put the folded bike in to the  luggage compartment .
Has any one tried the Rinko method of transporting a full size bike on the UK train net work . Thanks colin 

[grams]

If you're booking in advance, and you will be for reasonably-priced long distance train travel in this country, getting a bike reservation and taking a full size, assembled bike is surely going to be the first choice.

Rinko is popular in parts of the world where bikes on trains are completely banned or expensive. It could easily require 15-30 minutes of messy dismantling/reassembly at each end. It's fine at the beginning or end of a long trip but you wouldn't want to do it more often.

Otherwise, Brompton. UK trains have pretty tiny luggage racks* and not much matches the combination of folded size and rideability.

That's my thoughts anyway.

(* which is also going to make rinko a bit of a challenge on domestic UK trains, especially if you don't like arguing with jobsworths)

[canny colin]

Thanks grams . I was trying to get away from booking a bike reservation . Its just been a complete mess for me trains cancelled and no room on the next & bike space double booked . I have tried a Brompton but I think i will personally struggle with the distance  I want to cover . colin   

[bludger]

If you've got the budget for it, airnimals seem like the way to go for me. They fully comply with the rules re folding bikes so no booking required.

[Paul H]

Good luck with the BCQ, I'm hoping to hit the half way mark this year, as I've been saying for the last three, it's only taken 17 years so far! 
Nearly all me train travel has been with a full sized bike, I've obviously been lucky, 100's of trips and only two issues, one having to wait an hour to get on the next train and the other a taxi provided when a delay meant missing the last connection.
I do have an Airnimal, 24" wheel Joey, not the easiest fold, not hard just not instant. It's fun to ride, a little slower than my other bikes, but not by much. They come up secondhand from time to time and good condition examples fetch around £500. I've been traveling by coach with it, not as comfortable as the train, though a good bit cheaper and IMO the bike is more secure.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Testing a few years back suggested that a birdy was slower than a brompton.

If I were doing what you are doing, I would go down the airnimal route. Speed of fold will not be the main criteria, you will want something that can fold small enough and rides well.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

That Birdy vs. Brompton test result was because of slow Birdy tyres. I’ve not checked whether there are fast Birdy 355 tyres now.

[canny colin]

Thanks for all the replies . The Airnimal bikes look ideal  will have to plan a trip to Cambridge and try a demo and nab a couple of BCQs  ( it's becoming quite addictive ) .In the mean time  I will try booking a full size bike on a train and seeing how i get on .Last time I tried was with virgin on the east coast main line . I have heard the new operator is a bit better . Coach travel looks a great  idea , also a folding bike will open up opportunities for lifts off wagon drivers . I used to travel all over the place  in my youth for the price of a full English breakfast . Paul H I will look out for your name appearing on the list of finishers . Bonne chance  colin   

[SA_SA_SA_SA]

Tern have a new compact (but 20in) folder, the BYB, which looks quite impressive (although no IGH option yet and the long cage derailleur idler is rather close to ground); sort of like a 20in brompton:

https://www.ternbicycles.com/bikes/byb

Note that tern make a hub dyno and integrated front lamp with rack rear lamp but for some reason this is not shown in  their (UK) video of a  the byb ridden in the dark....

[Sergeant Pluck]

That’s a neat fold. And 13 kg is not too bad.

[canny colin]

That tern looks impressive not sure if the double fold will be double the trouble in the future . But the cargo mounts look good .I am going to give public transport a wide berth at moment . colin 

[canny colin]

Holy thread rejuvenation .
I have been looking at a s/h 24" wheeled tern node .Its cheapish , I can get  under the large luggage pack size for northern rail with minimum disassemble  in to a bag . Should travel ok on crap roads , 8 speed rear, I can fit a triple on the front for cheap easy gears . I am a bit worried about wear to the hinge mechanise and how to carry luggage tent , sleeping bag , food and kitchen sink . I have silly big feet so I recon panniers are out , Wonder if a rucksack partially full on the back rack  and a bag on the front would work . Then on arrival at train station stick front bag into rucksack , fold bike into a carry bag , Then I only have two large bags to fight with . Any thoughts  Colin