Tern Go-to Bag
 

I've been very pleased with the quality and convenience of the Tern Go-to Bag for the Tern Luggage Truss. Very well made. If you need to carry around a 14" laptop, this is the bag for you.
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The drawback of this front mounting solution is the weight limit of 7kg (which is the total front weight, including the weight of the bag).

For the Brompton front block its 10kg what makes a difference of more than 50% in net transportable weight (such bags topically weight 1.5 to 2kg, so its 5 to 5.5kg load for the Tern solution vs. 8 to 8.5kg for the Brompton front block).

Thanks for that. Here I was talking about the quality of the bag for folks that have the Dahon front block and the Tern Luggage Truss. And you inject the irrelevant and tired Brompton is better bit. So what? Where does Brompton come into the picture? What if I don't need to carry more than 7kg? What if, in this case, the bag and its contents (laptop, reading glasses, keys, cell phone and TWS earbuds) come to 4kg, well below the limit? But yeah, you're right. I should ignore the fact that this fits my needs already, ignore all other benefits, advantages and sunk costs of what I own, sell everything and get me a bike with a Brompton front block? Oh wait, I already have!

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We won't discuss the heavy markup of Brompton and Brompton front block items, and the fact that there is no bag of the same quality, function and price for the Brompton front block as the Tern Go-to Bag for the Tern Luggage Truss.

People constantly inject useless Brompton references in most posts. They can't seem to understand the fact that if you wanted a Brompton and it's kit, that you would have a Brompton. It's just how some individuals here are.
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That's right. If I wanted a Brompton, Birdy, etc. I would have bought one. They are easily available here and can easily afford them. I simply choose not to buy those cultist, overpriced, highly proprietary items with features that I don't need.

The thread was about a product for the Dahon front block and Tern Luggage Truss (TLT). On a recent thread someone asked what I attached to the TLT so I thought this might be useful to him and others. But he apparently felt threatened by the Other that he needed to turn it into a Brompton vs. the Other comparison. Quite tone deaf.

In the six years that I've been using the Dahon front block and the luggage truss, even on extended tours abroad, I have never found myself needing higher weight capacity. I tour light, Credit-card touring. This is what I carried on the TLT when I toured the entire length of South Korea.
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On tour in Taiwanhttps://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3ada1222bc.jpg
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On tour in Balihttps://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ce52254e5b.jpg

It's a common theme with these folks. They don't question in the first place whether, for example, the smallest fold or a higher capacity front block are actually needed. I myself use what I actually need, not what brings me prestige, a sense of belonging to an elite group, inducts me into a cult or provides me a lifestyle.

My daughter has Tern BYB and I bought both front rack and luggage truss CMT which looks a little different, is closer to the frame but still uses klickfix. Also bought quick release screws so they are easily interchangeable. Very versatile.

Incidently, are you happy with that (LitePro? TWTOPSE? Other?) luggage block?

It is a $5 Syte brand part made out of Al-alloy. The bolts that came with it were too long so the bolts you see here are from what I had on hand. I haven't put it through its paces so I cannot make a pronouncement on its quality. I won't be putting 10kg on it, that's for sure. It looks and feels solid, though.
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I am very impressed! I do not want to detract from the main topic, but could you briefly comment on adequacy of the gearing for the challenges you obviously faced and on any tools you carried along to cope with possible breakdowns. Thanks.

I'll answer your questions when I get home. In the meantime here are two brief video clips. The first one is of in central Korea. It is what how Korea looked like up until the 20th century.

The second is of in Taiwan. It is the collision of these plates which gives Taiwan its high mountainous spine. I recorded the vids with a GoPro on my helmet so pardon the amateurish nature.

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South Korea's Five Rivers Cycling Path that traverses the country from end to end

Gearing
In Taiwan I had a SRAM Dual Drive with a 11-36t cogset and 47t chainring. Very wide gearing. In the ROK (Republic of Korea) I had just a 11-36t cogset with the same 47t chainring. I shifted into the 36t cog only sporadically but I was carrying less weight. BTW, I am still using that same Litepro crank set with the 47t chainring six years later. Taiwan is more mountainous and steep than the ROK so wider gearing is needed there..
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Taiwan's Taroko Gorge is out of this world

Tools
I only carried a multi tool thing, zip ties and tape. Very little in the way of tools.
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Breakdowns
None. No flats either. On tour I swear by Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 42-406 (discontinued but I've got three pairs in reserve). Though I got an annoying creaky saddle midway through the ROK. Both the Dahon Dash and FSIR Spin 5 acquitted themselves very well. If touring is the litmus test of durability and dependability, they passed with flying colors. The FSIR still rides today like it's new.
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Puzzled by how little it took for the gears for S Korea, I checked the 4 Rivers trail and it indeed seems mostly flat, but there is one peak in the middle. My biking experience with S Korea was very brief, just around Busan, but, in spite of somewhat built up gears by then, I had to resort to walking at places to reach elevated neighborhoods.

No breakdowns is pretty amazing. You must maintain your bikes well, but very limited luggage, not straining the bikes, presumably helped somewhat too. We are leaving onto some short tour tomorrow morning and there is presumably a lesson there we should use.

This is the peak in the middle of which you speak. It is only about 560m from memory. And it is a more gradual climb from the north, the direction from which I tackled it, than from the south.
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47t x 11-36t ~ 26 gear-inches.
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I was only carrying 4.6kg (plus a 2L of water and my 75kg frame at the time) around. No need for higher gearing on the three of the five Four River trails I did.

The highest mountain in the ROK is only 1,900masl. Taiwan peaks at nearly 4,000 and has over 250 peaks over 3,000m, making it not only high but densely high. It's by far the most mountainous place in East Asia and climbing can be quite daunting there. I was born in a country roughly the size of the ROK and which has 37 volcanos, one topping out at 4,200masl. On a clear day I can see a 3,100m peak here from my home in Bali. The landscapes of places like these, born in plate boundary locations and of plate collisions or volcanism are qualitatively different. That's Taiwan, that's Bali, that's my country of birth. The ROK's terrain is not of that exaggerated, daunting type. At least not along the Four Rivers paths.
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Touring light has positive effects beyond weight:

• easier & quicker daily packing and unpacking
• Less strain on the bike & mechanical complication
• Better aerodynamics
• More agility and nimbleness when you ride into town.

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I am puzzled by your surprise that I suffered no breakdowns. Road and surface conditions are far from bad, quite good actually, in the ROK, and my gear and equipment were solid.

Very good points :thumb:

Let's take the current trip to the Czech Republic. One out of the 3 folders got its rear rack shoved when traveling as checked luggage by air, which locked the rear wheel. There was some provisional straightening applied to get the bike going. The rest will be finished after returning to the base. First tour day involved some riding along agricultural roads, designated as bike trails too and one stretch had some pavement remnants intermixed with gravel parts. A member of our party hit hard an edge of the pavement stretch resulting in a flat. Later, when the bikes were parked, another member of the party knocked his bike that fell onto another bending its kickstand. That much and it has been just one tour day.

No, no such mishaps. But then I am careful and methodical, and travel alone with no one else to spoil the party. The probability of an accident happening to a group is higher than the probability of an accident happening to a group member alone. That's why I travel in a group of one.😉

The photos of this bike above the luggage options you're using on it were a great help for me in preparing for a ride I did along the Shimanami Kaido back in October 2018, and the Shimanami Kaido + Tobishima Kaido in November 2020. So a very belated thank you for that! FWIW the load capacity of the Tern Luggage Truss works just fine for me, and I suspect the 7kg figure is quite conservative anyway. Any more than 7kg total and you're carrying to much stuff!

Dahon Speed D8 (modded to 10 speed with Zee RD - again thanks for the tip) on (near) Okumura Island, Seto Inland Sea, October 2018
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Tern X11 on Kamikamagari Island, Seto Inland Sea, November 2020.
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Happy to hear it helped and it all worked out well for you!

​​​​​ One day I hope to tour in Japan too.

I cycled up that pass once again on my recently completed tour of South Korea, this time from south to north, in order to hop over from the Nakdong to the Ocheon river paths. Once again, a 11-36t cogset was all that was needed given my load.

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The hillier, more climb-intensive of the several official cycling paths in the ROK is the East Coast path rather than the Four Rivers path. In the former one travels essentially from bay/cove to bay/cove, and must climb out of one to reach the other. The other factor impacting choice of gearing along the East Coast is head winds.

No breakdowns either on this second, longer tour. The only times I took out and used the multi-tool thing that I carried was to adjust the rear brakes so they would not rub against the rim after unfolding the bike. Other than that zero mechanical problems and breakdowns, or tire punctures.

I hope to tour Japan (Kyushu), hopefully later this year. I see that you carried no tent suggesting that you were finding lodging along the way. Is this correct? If so, can you share your experience on the range and ubiquity of accommodation along the way. Thanks.

You're correct with your assumption that I found lodging on the way. The sign pictured in the second photo says Minshuku Kamagari, and its the name of the place I stayed along Tobishima Kaido on the way to Hiroshima. I also stayed a night at Guest House Tokonoma, which was great. I also stayed in several bike friendly business hotels that either had an indoor bike parking space or let you take your bike into your room. I think you'll find a great range of minshuku, ryokan, and hotels to choose from throughout Kyushu, and most will be bike friendly.

Wow, I would love to go on a bike trip (without camping). I should plan on it.

I see you use the Kanga rack, which has been out of stock for almost 2 years.

So I bought the Tern HQ bag. I really like it.

Here it is bulging because I put in some papers, headphones and a compact waterproof jacket. Usually it's just my 13" laptop, a USB cable and a phone.

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Tern HQ bag on the Verge X11
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Lots of very useful pockets

I ended up buying the Tern Go-To bag when I needed to carry more stuff, but I don't use it much or when the weather is threatening.

Nice. Yeah, those two bags, the Go-To and the HQ, are very well thought out and constructed.

The Kanga Rack has also been sold out for years in Indonesia, but I came across it in a bike store in Japan just last week. I thought of buying one as spare or to resell back home...

I am still in search of an Brompton-type front block to Dahon-type front block KlickFix caddy so i can use these three items on my bikes that have Brompton-type front blocks.

I’ve found better availability of the Rixen and Kaul Vario Rack when searching the internet, which appears to be exactly the same as a Tern Kanga Rack.