Hot answers tagged folding-bicycle
12
In my opinion, this should NOT be done.
Bicycles are very versatile, and one can not only use a single all-purpose bike for many purposes, but also to have/design specialty bikes, as it is the case of a Strida. And, by the way, is the case with a lot of child-carrying specific bikes and/or equipment.
But, as it seems to me, a Strida is a SPECIALTY BIKE NOT ...
9
Some folding bikes are quite good for long distances. Unfortunately, most of them seem to be optimized for short hops, by design (or by the fact of their design limitations). You're correct in thinking that more expensive folding bikes can be much easier to ride, where the money is going for stuff like custom configuration or (even a custom-built frame). ...
7
My stable contains two folding bikes, and I love them both. I use them for different purposes. If this is going to be your only bike and you want to use that bike for cargo (with racks, etc), I recommend against using a folding bike unless it's one with larger wheels.
Disadvantages of folders:
For offroad riding, nothing beats a standard rigid-frame ...
6
There no bike on the market that is very good at folding and also very good at “biking”! So you have to decide if you care most about the folding or how well it works as a bike. For a bike to fold into a small space it must have small wheels. Small wheels are never as good a ride as full sized wheels.
The Brompton is consider to be one of the best ...
5
Get a Dahon Vitesse. This is the 7 speed model with aluminium frame. This is a personal recommendation as I have been riding mine for years, I bought it for one particularly tricky commute and have not stopped riding it since. Folding time is 10-20 seconds depending on urgency, I too am 6'3" which means it is easy to get the height right for the seat as that ...
5
The Brompton owner's manual states:
SECTION K: ROUTINE REPLACEMENTS.
Planned replacement is advised to ensure both safety and good performance. The suggested intervals between replacements are for bicycles subjected to normal use: the most appropriate timing depends on the conditions of use and your riding style.
ALUMINIUM COMPONENTS: as on ...
5
The best thing to do is make your own studded tires from the old tires you have. You can buy roofing nails for very cheap, and put lots of studs on the tire (most commercially available studded tires don't have that many studs).
Push the nails through from the inside of the tire, wherever you want them. It's a good idea to put some on the rolling surface, ...
5
From your comments, it sounds like you're hoping to find a folding bike that folds up fast, but is also light enough to carry up stairs easily and small enough to fit through turnstiles and on the train with no problems. All for well under $1000.
This may be impossible. There are cheap folding bikes (under $500) and there are lightweight ones that fold up ...
5
I'd recommend getting a cheap used aluminum frame bike (a beater), a good lock, and a bottle of oil. Then, I recommend you lock it on the street most of the time. I recommend cheap so that you won't worry about it while it's parked on the street. I recommend aluminum so that it is light enough to haul up to your apartment for those extended periods when ...
4
Larger wheels have lower effective rolling resistance. That is, they roll over obstacles more easily and smoothly because the larger diameter doesn't allow them to fall into gaps as easily. Which means on actual roads you'll roll more easily with a larger wheel. Everything else is much smaller differences.
However, I think the angular momentum may work ...
4
I've commuted by bus + 12 km Strida every workday for about a year and a half now.
Before my purchase, I researched the folding market thoroughly, and came to the conclusion that Strida was by far the best option. I've never regretted that decision, and even bought a Strida for my wife for casual riding (found one new on dba.dk for 2.250 DKK) due to my ...
4
First off you will need to have a think about what kind of riding you want to do. For roads you'll want a touring bike, and for off road, a mountain bike. The key differences are:
Weight - riding rough trails and off road requires a strong frame. This will impact weight
Suspension - again, this adds weight, but can be essential on really rough terrain
...
4
A well-configured folding bike that is designed for long-distance riding should not be noticeably hard to ride.
Possible issues:
Poorly configured: Check the normal things: Are the tires properly inflated? Are brake pads rubbing? Are the wheels true? Is the chain properly lubricated? Are the bottom bracket spindle and axles free of play, not ...
4
I've had a couple of non-folding mountain bikes on a sailboat for 5 years. I opted for smaller frame non-folding bikes for performance, and there is a hatch they barely fit through.
Of course, rust is the major problem. Banging around in the waves and in the process of storing them is a potential problem. Because of this, there are no drink holders, ...
4
I would go with a Dahon myself such as this one: Dahon Eco
Dahon has been around for a long time and is well known for manufacturing folding bikes. I have a friend who uses a similar bike to commute more than an hour each day. It is fairly reliable. He travels mostly on side streets.
I myself uses a Brompton M6R but only for short range commutes or for ...
4
There's a footnote on page 3 of the PDF brochure you linked:
Approximate unfolded size L:1430 W:550 H:1000 Wheelbase:980 BB height:300 (mm) mm mm
Approximate folded size L:690 W:310 H:630 Volume:0.134 (mm) m
Ori is designed and tested for use by riders weighing up to 100kg
3
The best advice I'm seeing here is to go to your bike shop and try out a few bikes. When you have a few test rides behind you, then you'll have a better idea of what questions to ask.
What this boils down to: Test-ride a few bikes, buy one, have fun with it. Everything else is details.
Bike types
I'd concentrate my search on hybrids and hardtail ...
3
Brompton is certainly a well known name in the bike industry. As such, I have faith in their ability to produce a quality folder.
The £129.99 bike uses a design which is sub-optimal for a folder, since a single failure point has the option for the bike to collapse into the folded or partly folded position. Which is not to say it will fail, only that it ...
3
This is an interesting question, well suited to this site! The problem is a common one for touring cyclists wanting a 25-32mm tyre and mudguard, where the solution is to 'get a bike with cantilever bosses'. You have a compound problem of short reach, a measurement you could do with measuring.
The dual-pivot brake doesn't offer a lot of tyre clearance, but ...
3
Aluminum in general has a useful fatigue life of about 5 years. Which is why most manufacturers have started limiting frame warranties to 5 years. Fatigue Life data for 6061 alloy here.
If your folder has been ridden regularly over the 7 years you've owned it, then consider replacing them. If it's been lightly used, or mostly garaged, then you're are ...
3
I had an earlier version of the downtube about 5yrears ago.
Mixed feelings, it has some nice features - folding pedals, nice chain guard, comfortable position and a bit of suspension to make up for the small wheels.
Component quality left a bit to be desired, a nine speed no-name rear with friction twist grips to select! It folds - but only in a store ...
3
I work in a well known high street cycle shop, and from my experiance customers who've bought Dahon have had nothing but problems. The bike has some serious problems. We make more money from repairing Dahon than selling them. My advice is that you buy the best you can afford, and the best folding bike by far is the Brompton, it wil last you decades. I hope ...
3
If you have an old inner tube available cut a section slightly longer than your seatpost. Slip it over the seat post and zip tie it in place. It will act as a somewhat water/dirt resistant boot, similar to what mountain bikes have on the front shocks. You may have to look for a fairly wide tube to fit over the post. Check with your local shop to see if they ...
3
How tall are you? I am 6'1", but I have a boy's mountain bike with 24" wheels, which I got used six years ago for 80 dollars. This is fine, because I raised the handle bars as far as they can go, and for eight dollars, I replaced the seat post with a much longer one. In all regards except size, it's a normal mountain bike with a decent spring-loaded front ...
3
If you're only using it for riding a bit around town, possibly using multi-modal train or bus connections (they are popular with London tube riders), small shopping trips, or commuting to work and you are not concerned about doing fast road rides, off road riding, or super long rides then a folding bike could be a good fit.
I borrowed a folding bike and ...
3
It's a definite MAYBE. You'd have to rebuild the "bolt on" hubs you have to replace the solid axles with hollow ones, or replace the wheels entirely. You'd not have "lawyer lips". And the existing axles may be oversize and QR wheels might not fit well, or there may be other reasons why the skewers will not clamp tightly enough on your frame.
2
I have two links for you:
First you can by Schwalbe Ice Spiker tires at MEC in Canada (The reviews are quite favorable).
Here is a list of different studded tires on the market.
2
Downtube is well-thought-of, and they ship internationally. They also accept returns, although you'd be out the money for shipping.
Dahon has several bikes under $400US/$412CAD - the Boardwalk and Eco (and the 7-speed Speed is you can stretch your budget a little). Dahon is likely the best choice for a budget folder, and they have dealers in Canada.
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