It is time to grab that Brompton and head out further afield on a city escape. Our selection of day trips are easy, whether it be for a seaside jaunt or a cultural getaway.
We took one of our demo Bromptons (which are available to trial at our London store) to test out on day trips. Our guides start from London, as that is where Condor is based, but our day trip locations are accessible by most major towns and cities. All the routes involve a little bit of pedalling so you can explore further than the average pedestrian, but there are options if you need curtail your day.
We've created routes that you can download to your Wahoo or Garmin, as well as interactive Google maps.
Our Brompton Set Up
Rye & Hastings
How to get there: a 1 hour 10 minute train from London St Pancras to Rye
Ride length: up to 25 km
After hopping off the train at Rye, wiggle through Rye's cobbled streets and grab some breakfast. The route heads out of Rye west toward Hastings. You'll ride along the sea front on dedicated bike path. There is a climb up to Hastings Country Park for grand views across the cliffs and an unusual descent into Hastings via the Edwardian cliff funicular. Go window shopping through higgledy-piggledy streets in Hastings Old Town, full of curiosity shops, pubs, bars and ice cream parlours. Dip through a maze of alleyways and tiny passages before taking on a game of mini golf on a World Championship course. As the sun sets, continue west to St. Leonards Warrior Square to take the train back to London.
Discover the full route and more here
New Forest
How to get there: take the train for 1 hour 30 minutes from London Waterloo to Beaulieu Road or Brockenhurst
Ride length: up to 30 km
Best ridden in autumn or the final days of summer, the New Forest is packed with car-free, cycle-friendly paths, which weave you through the thousands of wild ponies and ancient woodland. Our route is a circular ride, but you can end it early as our loop passes through the larger village of Brockenhurst, which has a train station.
Discover the full route and more here
Edinburgh Weekender
How to get there: a 4 hour 30 minute train from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley
Ride length: up to 15 km (day 1) and 35 km (day 2)
Whilst Edinburgh isn't strictly a day trip from London, there is plenty to see and do in the Scottish capital and an abundance of cycle paths to use. Taking your Brompton for a weekender is a great way to see more.
Day one begins with a slightly touristy sight seeing tour; a lap of Arthus seat, a ride around cobbled streets of Old Town, and time to hit up a few museums, too.
Day two utilises the bike to go further afield and visit the Victorian seaside town of North Berwick, which has beautiful sandy coves and excellent seafood eateries. Or you can ride through the Colington Tunnel and admire the biggest mural in Scotland and onwards along the Water of Leith, visiting the Botanic Gardens along the way.
Discover the full route and more here
Oxford
How to get there: a 1 hour train from London Paddington to Oxford
Ride length: 12km
All aboard for Oxford, steeped in some of the most architecturally stunning buildings in the UK from libraries to bridges, and even cinemas featuring Palladian domes.
Let’s start with a spin into Oxford and past Christ Church Cathedral onto the bike path alongside the River Thames. We're off the beaten tourist track, en route to see a shark. Specifically a sculpture of a shark sticking out of the roof of a row of terraced houses. The work titled ‘Untitled 1986’ was commissioned by an American student in 1986 and created by John Buckley in response to nuclear weapons and Chernobyl.
There is a quick 2km descent to the Magdalen Bridge. Here you can rent a punt, fold up your bike and take it along. Go before 10am to be first on the river and you’ll see bright kingfishers on the banks. Feeling hungry? It must be time for one of the most quintessentially English activities, a cream tea. There’s only one place to eat them: the Vaults & Garden café. Signposted by the presence of an antique bicycle with a flowerbed in its basket, it’s a gorgeous 14th-century building surrounded by colleges (Oriel, Brasenose, Murton, and All Souls). Next we’ll climb the tower at the Church of St Mary The Virgin for the best view of Oxford. It is located in Radcliffe Square near the cream tea stop, so you can keep your Brompton folded.
Back in the square, take a wander or light pedal around the impressive Sheldonian Threatre and Bodelian Library before heading up Park Street to the Pitt Rivers Museum. Entry to the museum is free where they have on display a gigantic First Nations Totem Pole taken from the Haida Tribe in Canada. Final stop on the tour is Ashmolean Museum, one of author Philip Pullman’s favourite buildings. On the way we’ll pass Oxford University’s famous Balliol and Trinity. Depending on your timing you can head back to the station from here or onto the bike path that runs on a mini island through Castle Mill Stream, and head to Jericho for a late afternoon drink.
We utilised the Brompton luggage system for our day trips and weekend to Edinburgh. Our bags of choice were the Brompton Borough Roll Top Bag Large and Brompton Metro Messenger Bag. Both bags utilise waterproof fabrics as well as two external back pockets with roll top closure, an ideal place to keep water bottles and your camera or phone for tourist snaps.
We took a D-lock and fitted it to a strap on top of the Brompton Borough Roll Top Bag Large. We used the D-lock on longer train journeys when we weren't able to sit with the bikes.
The Bromptons we used were C Line Explores from our demo fleet. One was the low (formerly S Type) handlebar and the other was a mid (formerly M Type). The 6-speed Explore bikes in the C Line range are equipped with mudguards for all weather riding; afront a carrier block for Brompton luggage; plus a folding pedal to make carrying and storing your bike super easy.
There are a few little extras added such as Brooks Cambium C17 saddles and a little custom Wahoo strap we made using repurposed light loop. This allowed us to navigate with a Wahoo without the mount getting in the way of the fold because it could be easily removed.
