Author Topic: Suitcase for transporting Brompton in luggage compartment on coach  (Read 5370 times)

I’m planning a trip to various northern parts of the uk, on the cheap. I’m also expecting my Swytch Brompton kit to be delivered soon, so assuming it works I’ll have an electric Brompton weighing somewhere around 14Kg. I’m wondering if there are any reasonably light suitcases that fit the Brompton whilst allowing a touch of extra space for clothes? I’ll be pushing the 20Kg weight limit with the Brompton hard case, and from images it looks like overkill to me (it’s also very expensive)... however a flexible case might be unwise... though it’s hard to have any sense of how much abuse it’ll be subjected to.

Anyone here done something like this?

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Suitcase for transporting Brompton in luggage compartment on coach
« Reply #1 on: 18 February, 2019, 12:21:34 pm »
Ikea Dimpa and a few sheets of Correx?

whosatthewheel

Re: Suitcase for transporting Brompton in luggage compartment on coach
« Reply #2 on: 18 February, 2019, 12:24:34 pm »
as above...


LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Suitcase for transporting Brompton in luggage compartment on coach
« Reply #3 on: 18 February, 2019, 12:27:56 pm »
HK and I have flown several times with Bromptons in soft bags. They are pretty resistant to significant damage. Remove hinge bolts (which can get bent). We use bubblewrap or cardboard for lightweight disposable padding.

Are you planning on riding to/ from the airport and what are you doing with your airline baggage while you are riding your B?

EDIT - next time I'll read the OP correctly...
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Re: Suitcase for transporting Brompton in luggage compartment on coach
« Reply #4 on: 18 February, 2019, 12:47:50 pm »
Are planning on riding to/ from the airport and what are you doing with your airline baggage while you are riding your B?

Indeed, I don’t know yet, but the more flexible things are the better. If a soft case were adequate that would be fantastic.

Re: Suitcase for transporting Brompton in luggage compartment on coach
« Reply #5 on: 18 February, 2019, 12:58:16 pm »
I'd at least put it in a black bin bag before Dimpaing if you don't want it to be pinched at intermediate stops on the coach. Even if you get a window seat and stay awake, you really *can't* see who is taking what from the luggage hold unless you plan to get off the bus at every stop.

tbh I'd seriously consider paying extra for the train where you can normally easily keep an eye on the luggage racks - and more easily lock your bike to them - and consider the extra cost insurance.

The luggage holds on some coaches can also fill up - especially cheapo Megabus double deckers - and even a bagged Brompton is a pretty huge heavy and unwieldly thing compared to the small/medium suitcases most travellers bring. Any hard case is just going to make it worse.

Re: Suitcase for transporting Brompton in luggage compartment on coach
« Reply #6 on: 19 February, 2019, 10:32:38 pm »
I have a feeling a friend uses one of the sportsdirect xl bag for life like this https://www.sportsdirect.com/sportsdirect-xl-bag-4-life-898116?colcode=89811690 to transport their folding bike unfortunately not 100% whether it is a brompton or dahon they own

Re: Suitcase for transporting Brompton in luggage compartment on coach
« Reply #7 on: 15 March, 2019, 04:24:39 pm »
I just tried Virgin trains live chat to get info on which luggage compartment a Brompton will fit into (I'm more persuaded by the rail option at the moment) and whoever answered didn't seem to have any comprehension of what a folding bike is. They kept talking about registering the bike and keeping it in the bike storage space. I couldn't get any sense of where the bike storage space is in relation to the seats (I don't want to leave my bike out of sight). From their website I get the impression it will fit in overhead storage, but it's heavy and perhaps awkward to lift that way. I think I remember seeing posts online about them fitting under seats, but that might have been on another train line.

Re: Suitcase for transporting Brompton in luggage compartment on coach
« Reply #8 on: 15 March, 2019, 04:34:24 pm »
I don't think a Brompton would fit in the overhead luggage space, but should fit in the luggage racks at either end of the carriage. Obviously they'd fit in the wheelchair space, but I can't recall which coach that is in. On the Virgin Euston-Brum and Euston-Manchester services there are two seats at the back of coach A (quiet coach) that are reserved for cyclists; as most trains don't have bikes booked on them, these are usually unoccupied, and there's enough space behind those that I think you could get a Brommie in there.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Suitcase for transporting Brompton in luggage compartment on coach
« Reply #9 on: 15 March, 2019, 06:21:13 pm »
Brommie fits in the standard Pendolino luggage racks.  I don't think it stands a chance of fitting in the overhead racks, and frankly I'd consider it dangerous to put it there even if it did.

Re: Suitcase for transporting Brompton in luggage compartment on coach
« Reply #10 on: 15 March, 2019, 10:20:35 pm »
There are vertical luggage racks for large suitcases at the end of every carriage on a Pendolino. Suitcase icon here:
https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/-/media/vt/files/pdf/components/map%20of%20seats/pendolino/pendolino.ashx

Note that the doors at the end of Coach A are only openable by staff (for cyclists using the unfolded bike space), so if you want to keep your eye on the bike that's the best luggage rack to put it to put it - although probably not really necessary.

You may encounter a Virgin Voyager (diesel) train on some routes. They're pretty similar:
https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/-/media/vt/files/pdf/components/map%20of%20seats/voyager/voyager.ashx

Re: Suitcase for transporting Brompton in luggage compartment on coach
« Reply #11 on: 16 March, 2019, 10:23:18 am »
Note that the doors at the end of Coach A are only openable by staff (for cyclists using the unfolded bike space), so if you want to keep your eye on the bike that's the best luggage rack to put it to put it - although probably not really necessary.

You need a bike reservation to use the bike spaces, don't you? I reckon there's enough space between the last row of seats in coach A and the bulkhead to get a Brompton in there, but most people do seem to just put them in the luggage racks - very occasionally I've seen someone use a cable lock to secure them, but that's unusual. On a quiet train I might try and get an empty table and put it under there if I were really worried.

Depending on where you're trying to get to, you might be able to take another TOC's trains - e.g. both London Northwestern and Chiltern have walk-up bike spaces, as do (some?) CrossCountry services.

Re: Suitcase for transporting Brompton in luggage compartment on coach
« Reply #12 on: 16 March, 2019, 11:19:27 am »
A good while ago I bought a Delsey suitcase in which a Brompton would fit. It was very big and I don't know if it would make you push the 20Kg limit. At the time it was the only one I could find to fit the bike in. I used it to fly to Budapest & back a few times on cheapo airlines, so I suppose it was light enough.

I did fly with the Brommie in the Brompton soft case & it did incur damage to the mudguard stays, easily fixed, but I had gone to some lengths to pad it with old jumpers and stuff around the vulnerable bits. I wouldn't fly with one in such a case again, but on a train, with more control over things, maybe you'd get away with it.
Haggerty F, Haggerty R, Tomkins, Noble, Carrick, Robson, Crapper, Dewhurst, Macintyre, Treadmore, Davitt.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Suitcase for transporting Brompton in luggage compartment on coach
« Reply #13 on: 16 March, 2019, 12:26:03 pm »
Note that the doors at the end of Coach A are only openable by staff (for cyclists using the unfolded bike space), so if you want to keep your eye on the bike that's the best luggage rack to put it to put it - although probably not really necessary.

You need a bike reservation to use the bike spaces, don't you?

Yes, that's one of the best things about Virgin trains.  If you've got a reservation, you know there's going to be room for your bike.

Re: Suitcase for transporting Brompton in luggage compartment on coach
« Reply #14 on: 16 March, 2019, 07:22:28 pm »
Just in terms of suitcase size (though it appears I'm not using one after all) surely the folded size would be considerably reduced by removing the saddle? The form factor might actually be reasonable that way.

bhoot

  • MemSec (ex-Mrs RRtY)
Re: Suitcase for transporting Brompton in luggage compartment on coach
« Reply #15 on: 16 March, 2019, 07:23:28 pm »
There are also luggage racks towards the middle of the carriages on Pendolinos, which could be a better place to keep an eye on it depending on where you are sitting. I have put mine on lower and upper levels at various times.

Re: Suitcase for transporting Brompton in luggage compartment on coach
« Reply #16 on: 13 April, 2019, 07:22:22 pm »
Well, I made it on the train, and cycled round as much of Liverpool as I could. I must say, I was right to try to research this in advance. On the way there it was all fine, I had a seat reserved near the luggage rack and the carriage was quite empty. However on the way back (on a Friday), with an open return it was chaos: trying to lock the Brompton in the luggage rack with loads of people boarding the train (the rack is by the entrance) was not a relaxing experience.
But overall it was a worthwhile endeavour. The Brompton allowed for a level of freedom and flexibility that enabled me to get a very good sense of most of the city in a single visit. Great city, and I'm probably going to move there quite soon.