After a year of using the Ortlieb Ultimate Six, I'm still impressed by how practical and well-designed it is. It looks like it was made for the Brompton. What I still don't understand is why Ortlieb doesn't offer factory mounts for the Brompton carrier block. Because of that, I ended up designing custom adapters in CAD and 3D printing them myself.
This year I spotted an Ortlieb E-Glow at a great discount and couldn't resist. It has a built-in LED strip powered by USB that illuminates both the inside of the bag and the area around it. The bag also has standard bottle cage mounts on both sides. I installed quick-release MonkeyCages so I don't have to keep bottle cages attached when I don't need them, although I'm also considering switching to Fidlock mounts for a cleaner, more modern look. Overall, the E-Glow feels just as modular and engineering-focused as the Brompton itself.
The mounting system is completely different from the Ultimate Six, so I had to design another adapter. The Ultimate Six uses slide rails, while the E-Glow has a four-bolt mounting plate. I removed the original mount entirely and replaced it with my own adapter. I've been riding with it for several months now without any issues.
The Ultimate Six remains my daily driver for carrying the essentials on city rides. When I need extra capacity, I mount the E-Glow on the rear carrier block. Both bags are completely waterproof, the bottles stay outside the main compartment, and the LED lighting is a nice bonus whenever I have to ride on busy roads after dark.
My wish for Ortlieb: official Brompton carrier block mounts and a larger bag in this style as an alternative to the S-Bag. I'd be first in line to buy one.
by DonnyMug
2 Comments
Confused on the seatpost bag mount while you have a rack.
Ortlieb used to offer a variety of bags made for the Brompton front mount about 10 years ago. Not sure why they stopped.