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I can only speak for myself, but I rode the Gravel Superhighway (Marriotts Way) and Bure Valley Path last year, about 40 miles (?) and TBH it was exactly how I you’d expect. I have a 6 speed with flat bars. Whilst it was fun for the first bit, it’s crush, hard packed chips like a towpath, once you hit the softer sandy bit there was a lot of wandering and the front wheel wanted to dig in a lot. The fact I had a bag on the front didn’t help. I’d put my stuff on the rear rack or in a backpack next time. Then you get to the dirt and lumper bit, it was dry so no mud to contend with, it was jarring to say the least. If you like the way your Brompton rides you’ll be fine, if you find it odd you’ll find it extra odd. The main issue is you can’t air down the tyres to help with traction and comfort or you’d get pinch flats, due to the size of the tyres. The good point is you can get a train taxi bus back so can follow trails without having to find a loop back or retracing your ride out. Would I do it again? Yeah I would, in fact the bike lives in the car just in case.
If you can spare the space go for it. A slightly difficult ride is better than no ride. -
Echo Chaley, it’s fine (but a bit bumpy) of towpath type gravel that’s been bedded down, but I find it gets pretty uncomfortable when the going gets rough eg farm tracks or bridleways. If a normal person would take a normal mixte/hybrid/Dutch bike on the path then it’s be fine, if it needs a more specialised bike or a normal person would only go on a mtb then you may have less fun.
However bike ride > no bike ride so give it a go and if necessary one can always walk parts of it.
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It's loads of fun, and as other have mentioned, so much better than no bike.
It gets difficult when it's muddy, poor traction and if you have mudguards they tend to clog.
Give it a go!
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Chaley
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@h2o
People who mentioned riding gravel on the last page - can you elaborate a bit more on how it was on the Brompton? Am going to Devon for a week and while I would love to take my gravel bike, I’ll be the only cyclist in the group and it might be overkill. But it would be nice to get out and explore a bit as well, so if I don’t I’ll at least take the Brompton - but having not really done any distance on gravel on the thing, I’m wondering how well prepared I will be…