Flight time
When you’ve got nine hours on a plane during the day there’s a variety of activities to keep yourself occupied… I stuck to watching movies… and Kym planned a couple of our rides in Tokyo.
Transiting with Bags..
Unfortunately suitcases are a necessity when travelling to Japan, especially when taking our Bromptons. While packing last weekend Kym said ‘I just want to travel without this stuff..!’, but I highlighted we would not get the experiences of cycling in fabulous places without the Bromptons so we have to put up with a very short term problem for long term happiness. To be fair I think he would like someone else to do all the packing (don’t we all!).
The Brompton suitcases themselves are large, but small enough to fit within the size requirements for normal luggage by the airlines. They are easy to move… but annoying from the perspective of travelling from ADL to SYD collecting them, getting on a bus to the international terminal side to the hotel and the next day checking in for the international flight to Japan.
In lifts people look at our suitcases with a quizzical look on their face… and I usually pipe up ‘they’re folding bikes’… which is usually met with ‘ah that’s so wonderful… I did wonder what amount of clothing would be inside..’.
Transiting is a necessary part of the journey… but we are always pleased to have checked in… seen off the bags, got through the gates and made it to the lounge… oh and find a seat. With just enough time to ensure there are enough ebooks/audiobooks on my phone for the plane journey.
Ah… here we are – again!
Holidays overseas are a wondrous thing, especially if you’re exploring new places. While we’ve visit Japan many times, we find ourselves returning… and continuing to search out places not yet visited on our bikes.
If you’re new here – welcome! You are either here to live vicariously through our holiday adventures (good and the wrong turns) as hopefully you’ve enjoyed our past adventures, or you’ve an interest in Brompton bicycles and keen to see where we ride in Japan once again.
Now if you’ve followed this blog for a number of years (… at least 20 years of holidays) you’ve probably recently been receiving additional posts about the Adelaide Bromptoneering rides… don’t panic we’re just maximising our online site. Those new to the blog had the opportunity to choose just Adelaide Bromptoneering posts or just Brompton or Bust holiday posts.. so thanks for signing up… and welcome all!
202511 November 2025 Social Ride – Silver Brewing Co
| Time | 11:00am Sunday 23 November 2025 Add all rides to your calendar |
| Location | Silver Brewing Co 200-206 Gouger St, Adelaide SA 5000 |
| Route | 25km – Adelaide, Mile End, Marleston, Plymton, Morphettville, Marion, Edwardstown, Keswick https://www.strava.com/routes/3417363352115547378 GPX Route [to be provided] |
| Coffee Stop | Oaklands Wetlands Reserve Bring your own coffee in a thermos Baked goods to be provided (let us know if you’d like to bake some baked goods for us) |
| Register | Please let us know you are coming… |
October Adventure Ride report from the rear
The October 2025 Adventure ride ventured to the suburban frontier of Mount Barker. It is a ride that lived up to its name as we traversed wild lagoons, new frontiers of development, wagon wheels, forrest obstructions and inappropriately located temporary fencing. In total we rode around 22km and climbed 276 metres on the October Long weekend.
We all congregated in an unsuspecting semi-industrial car-park on the outskirts of Mount Barker, let’s just say the photo opportunities at the start were limited. One challenge all cyclists face when driving to the location of a ride – is remembering to bring everything you need (…I’ve done this myself in the past so I can claim no superiority). While you can probably get by without gloves (not ideal)… unfortunately by South Australian law – a helmet is definitely a required item, and thankfully we all had them! Especially when within the first kilometre we cycled past a Police breathalyser testing station – hooray for being legal.
It all started in 1999 with the construction of the Laratinga Wetlands as part of a waste water solution for the local area…. (thanks Kym for the informational update on Council services) now if this is what a waste water solution looks like – I say bring them on! There was some works underway (temporary fencing blocked our way), and thankfully we were able to still take in this view. We stopped for the obligatory Brompton photo – and it was indeed lovely to cycle through and see many groups of individuals and families enjoying their Sunday.
Rubber Ducks come in many forms and sizes … and this yellow one promoted the Wok the Duck. It’s a Thai restaurant that also does coffee, cakes and snacks. Opening hours are great, and the location was perfect for the ride, and it overlooks a waterway with ducks (no surprises there). As a plus, it was good to get out of the sun/cool wind for a half way stop.. and talk all things Bromtpon and cycling.
No obstruction would stand between us an our goal … getting to lunch! Across the path there was an exceptionally large limb down. Afterwards we did think we should have laid the Brompton’s around this devastation to match one of the riders pose in the photo. Although it’s probably not a good promotional point for future rides!
Earlier in the week we had heard the Council were undertaking some works in the area and some temporary fencing was blocking access for the main path just out the tunnel direct to the town… however it looked like a number of people had the same attitude we did, and went through the gap to reach the tunnel back towards the Prancing Pony for a well deserved lunch!
Puncture – 1 ; Bromptoneers – 11
Thanks to everyone who drove out to Mt Barker for the ride… and apologies for the delay in this ride report.
October 2025 Update
Brompton Adventure Ride in Mount Barker – Sunday 5 October
The route is now available from Strava or as a direct GPX file download. We leave 11:00am from the Prancing Pony car park. If you intend to ride this Sunday, please let us know through the registration link. The route and registration links are available from the 2025 Brompton Adventure Ride – Prancing Pony – Mount Barker post.
Travelling Adelaide Bromptoneers
Adelaide Bromptoneers were in Jeju Island, Munich and Canberra in the last month. Here are some photos shared with us.
Spring Clean
Richard has been having a bit of spring clean to free up some space. If you are interested in any of the items listed below leave a comment on this post and I can put you in touch with Richard to discuss the price etc. He can bring items requested to Sunday’s ride.
- Superlight carbon extended length seatpost from T-line (will fit all Bromptons)
- Advance mudguards with titanium stays (non-rack type) from T-line, I believe these will fit, or can be made to fit any Brompton without a rear rack.
- B&W soft bag (non padded type)
- 1 x Schwalbe One, 2 x Schwalbe Kojak, all have minimal wear.
- Brompton beanie
- Hobby Japan Brompton plastic kit
Favourite Rides
We did so much great cycling in 2024. I think, amongst my favourites were the three days we spent on Fukue Island (one of 140 that make up the Gotō Islands) near Nagasaki in Japan.
The photos show some of the highlights. If you’d like learn more about the routes (including Strava routes) we took you can read our posts about the ride here.
Where would you like to go in 2026?
We have begun planning the 2026 routes for Adelaide Bromptoneering. If you have suggestions about the routes leave a comment on this post. You can do this by replying to the newsletter or leaving the comments directly on this post on Bromptoneering.blog
November Social Ride
The next ride is a park ride along some of the popular bike paths in South Western Adelaide. The ride will be a little longer than the normal Adelaide Bromptoneering Social Ride but very flat!
| Start/Finish Location | Silver Brewing Co |
| Date | Sunday 23 November 2025 |
| Time | 11:00am – 2:30pm |
Supercycle Sunday September – Ride report from the rear
A beautiful spring day beckoned for all riders to visit Adelaide City Council’s Supercycle Sunday and/or the Kidical Mass ride. For this bonus Adelaide Bromptoneering ride, we opted for a separate indirect ride from Victoria Park to Light Square – the location of the Supercycle Sunday celebrations. We chose this option because we thought that there were more than enough small wheels on the kids bike at Kidical Mass!
8 Bromptoneers turned up – not bad for late bonus addition to our ride program. As you can see the weather was perfect.
As usual the indirect route was taken. We took the option of the brown path, heading through Victoria Park, East Terrace and then South Terrace through to the West Terrace Cemetery and up towards Light Square. The original route details are available from September 2025 Bonus Social Ride – SuperCycle Sunday post.
Light Square was the stopping point for coffee and talking all things Brompton and bicycles. With any bike event there is always the potential for running into other Brompton owners – and today was no exception. The Brompton was newly acquired as a hand-me down from the Netherlands! The owner featured in this photo had worked out the folding process and was pleased to be featured in the picture. Kym and I weren’t sure if this was the owner of the Brompton or their son or perhaps a joint-owner – but regardless it’s always great to have another Bromptoneer in Adelaide!
There were lots of fancy cool bikes on to be seen at the event – in addition to the Bromptons! Before heading off it was recognised we would arrive for lunch too soon, and a longer route was required. Leaving light square we navigated through Adelaide (yep, the route went the wrong way ending at main intersections with no lights – but not problem we took a the footpath for a block!). There was a quick stop for a Brompton photo with some new street art. I decided to fully fold the Brompton to prevent it from falling on the other bikes, unlike a couple times earlier in the day. Once again we were quickly back on the bikes weaving our way through to South Terrace when happened to pass by Brook who was enjoying Sunday lunch with friends (wave).
The return trip included a bit of Unley. This was the double bonus in burbs of the double blues – as it didn’t feature on the original route. The rest of the ride took back lanes and roads through Unley, weaving our way back through to the parklands and back to the beginning.
Lunch was had a Victoria Park Social Club – which was super busy. Pizza and a beer was the easiest and quickest decision for lunch. While the ride was just over 22km… many commented ‘oh… not really hungry enough to finish the whole’ pizza… Not true – I am surprised any pictures managed to get taken because it all quickly got hoovered up.
202510 Brompton Adventure Ride- Prancing Pony – Mount Barker
| Time | 11:00am Sunday 5 October 2025 Add all rides to your calendar |
| Location | Prancing Pony 42 Mt Barker Road, Totness SA 5250 |
| Route | 21km circular route, Totness and Mount Barker Strava Route GPX Route |
| Coffee Stop | Wok the Duck 1 Aston Parade , Mount Barker, SA, Australia, South Australia |
| Register | Please let us know you are coming… |
September 2025 Update
SuperCycle Sunday Bonus Social Ride – 14 September 2025
The route is now available from Strava and as a GPX File. We leave 11:00am from Victoria Park. If you intend to ride this Sunday please let us know through the registration link. This allows us to inform Victoria Park Social Club how many to expect. The route and registration links are available from the September 2025 Bonus Social Ride – SuperCycle Sunday post.
The Inspiration for Adelaide Bromptoneering
Meet Mayumi-san the person who inspired us to start Adelaide Bromptoneering.
Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail
The Melbourne Brompton Club held a rail trail ride on the last weekend in August. There were a total of 15 Bromptoneers that took part. There were 3 from Adelaide, 1 from Geelong and 1 from Maryborough. That means 10 came from Melbourne. I arrived a day late after heeding the tornado warning from the BOM over the South Eastern Freeway on the Friday. I joined for the Sunday return ride to Warrnambool.
It was a good opportunity to catch up with old friends and meet new Brompton friends. Here are some of my photos.
New Melbourne Route Library
I stayed in Melbourne for the week following the Port Fairy rail trail ride. I prepared and tested 5 new rides in Melbourne. They all follow the Adelaide Bromptoneering formula. That is a loop ride of around 20km (although there is one longer non loop ride) exploring the suburban backstreets, starting and finishing at a brewery with a coffee stop along the way.
This builds on the 4 pastry tour routes that I mapped out and tested last year. So when you visit Melbourne with your Brompton, the Adelaide Bromptoneering site has a library of 9 super fun rides. They all include Strava/GPX routes, commentary and photos. If you have any questions leave a comment on the relevant route page.
To make life easier, I have created a new page that brings together the Melbourne Route Library I’ve include some photos to whet your appetie.
October Social Ride
The next ride is an adventure ride around Mount Barker. There are more hills compared to the normal Adelaide Bromptoneering Social Ride. If you’d like to give it a go – don’t worry – please do. We will have a tail-end Charlie to ensure that no one is left behind.
| Start/Finish Location | Prancing Pony, Totness 42 Mt Barker Road, Totness SA 5250 |
| Date | Sunday, 5 October 2025 |
| Time | 11:00am – 2:30pm |
Footscray – The long way around to Southern Cross Station
| Location | Footscray Station |
| Route | 35km one-way route to Southern Cross Station Footscray, Maidstone, Maribyrnong, Essendon, Parkville, Brunswick East, Carlton North, Carlton and Melbourne. |
| Food Stop | Gordon Street Bakery 142 Gordon St, Footscray VIC 3011 Keeper Brewing 122 Weston St, Brunswick East VIC 3057 Madeleine du Proust 253 Lygon St, Carlton VIC 3053 |
| Make a day of it | Nearby recommendations Pipemakers Park Melbourne Zoo Take a deviation up the Upfield Line Brompton Junction Royal Exhibition Building Hill of Content Bookshop |
| Helen’s Rating | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🥑 |
| GPX/Strava | https://www.strava.com/routes/3397720026295237112 |
| Date ridden | 6 September 2025 If you have ridden these route and have any updates that need to be made, then leave a comment on this post. |
Helen and Diane were joining us for the this Saturday ride. Helen had flown in the night before. Diane was going to meet us at Footscray Station on Saturday morning and return home from Southern Cross Station on Saturday night. It’s only a 6km ride between the to. But that’s way too direct for an Adelaide Bromptoneering Ride. Instead, we opted for a 34km route.
We took the train to Footscray Station – our meeting point. Helen was in desperate need for a fresh pastry. Our first stop was designed to meet that desire. Gordon Street Bakery had two shop fronts with nearly all of its space dedicated as a kitchen. It had a limited but very high quality range of options. My chocolate and almond croissant was still warm. It was irresistible.
Shortly after Gordon Street Bakery we came across a memorial to the Korean War and some fine views of the city. I just hope that by the time you arrive the temporary fencing is removed.
We rejoined the Maribynong River Trail for a few kilometres. I had plotted a route on the side of the river that I hadn’t ridden before. Unfortunately, it was a very busy Saturday morning with a bonus rowing regatta and sausage sizzle. Fortunately for you, I have adjusted the route to the quieter side of the river taking advantage of the cycling bridge instead of the road bridge.
To get to where we needed to be, we had to leave the river trail and climb up out of the valley. This is done on Afton Street. I am pretty sure you’ll be hiking the bike. At its maximum the gradient is 16%! After that, there is a pleasant ride through the suburbs of Aberfeldie and Essendon.
We then joined the Moonee Ponds Trail. It certainly gives a different perspective of the Melbourne entry statements that most Adelaideans see when they drive into Melbourne. It was a lot of fun!
At the intersection of the Capital City Trail and the Moonee Ponds Trail we took the Capital City Trail towards Brompton Junction. Just before Brompton Junction we took a few Brunswick back streets to get to our lunch destination, Keeper Brewing. They had a flatbread special on Saturday. We took them up on their offer.
We travelled through the delightful cycling streets of Carlton North to our desert stop. I first discovered Madeleine du Proust on my 2024 pastry tour. I go back whenever I can.
We had some spare time. So, we didn’t take the direct route back via Little Collins Street. Instead we hiked our bikes through the Botanic Gardens. While the Strava route doesn’t show it, it is pretty easy to get there by following the continuation of Exhibition Street. We said farewell to Diane and her Brompton at Southern Cross Station. She took the V-Line back to Castlemaine where her car was waiting. A truly multi modal day.
The route taken is shown below.
