folding bikes

Quoted message said:

Anyone have any personal experience withg folding bikes? I'm looking
for feedback for a commuting bike. Advantages of some major brands
over others, features to avoid/look for, etc.

I think the very best is the Ritchey breakaway. i have traveled with it
and ridden it and it works very well w/o any of the goofy small wheeled
problems, like finding tires and 56t chainrings. Not expensive,
frame/fork/HS/suitcase for $1350...complete bike for $2500 or so.

Well, I'm looking for something to commute with, e.g. to drag on and
off trains and buses. So I think I'm looking at a goofy small wheeled
bike. I have seen the Breakaways and they are quite nice.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

Anyone have any personal experience withg folding bikes? I'm looking
for feedback for a commuting bike. Advantages of some major brands
over others, features to avoid/look for, etc.

If purely for commuting, it's pretty hard to beat the Brompton. Folds
up to the size of a briefcase and rides reasonably well. For
performance, the Birdy is a good choice but the folded package is
larger. Say, about the size of a medium suitcase. For price, Dahon
wins hands down and some of their upper end models are pretty nice.

An excellent resource- probably the single best resource in the world,
actually- is A to B Magazine from the UK.

http://www.atob.org.uk/

In article <[email hidden]>,

Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

Quoted message said:

Anyone have any personal experience withg folding bikes? I'm
looking for feedback for a commuting bike. Advantages of some
major brands over others, features to avoid/look for, etc.

I think the very best is the Ritchey breakaway. i have traveled with
it and ridden it and it works very well w/o any of the goofy small
wheeled problems, like finding tires and 56t chainrings. Not
expensive, frame/fork/HS/suitcase for $1350...complete bike for $2500
or so.

Not useful as a commuting bike, though, if you need something that will
fold up in 30 seconds to get on or off trains, buses or for storage at
work. The Ritchey is designed as a travel bike, and is brilliantly
designed for that IMHO, but it is not designed as a folder for commuting
office workers and the like.

Tim McNamara said:

If purely for commuting, it's pretty hard to beat the Brompton.

Are the Bromptons made well?

Tim McNamara said:

Not useful as a commuting bike, though, if you need something that will
fold up in 30 seconds to get on or off trains, buses or for storage at
work.

Agree

A true folding bike for commuting purposes should fold
FAST and CLEAN. Quick and easy to fold when entering
train or putting hike in back of car trunk.

I once owned a Bike Friday and altho it folded for
transporting it was NOT what I consider to be a
commuting folder. Agree?

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Anyone have any personal experience withg folding bikes? I'm looking
for feedback for a commuting bike. Advantages of some major brands
over others, features to avoid/look for, etc.

A Giant Halfway is pretty nice. Folds quickly and compactly. The ride is ok.
If this bike came with a Nexus hub it would be a nicer package.
----------------
Alex

Quoted message said:

Tim McNamara said:

If purely for commuting, it's pretty hard to beat the Brompton.

Are the Bromptons made well?

Bromptons are superbly well engineered. All the details work together
to give a compact folded package with all the messy bits folded away,
no loose chain, seat posts etc sticking out.

Less than 15 seconds to fold/unfold to a compact package is the main
selling point.

Also ride really well, you can almost forget you are riding a folder.
Ideal as a commuter, though can be ridden longer distances without
problems - I have one adapted to 12 speed with drop handlebars that has
been on holiday to the alps with me (fits into a 24"x24" suitcase for
easy air travel).

They are harder work to pedal than a "proper" bike (heavier, less aero,
more drivetrain resistance), but if you need quick, compact folding,
then you can't beat it.

Andrew Webster

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Tim McNamara said:

If purely for commuting, it's pretty hard to beat the Brompton.

Are the Bromptons made well?

They have, in general, a good reputation. They do tend to be heavy and
there are some rather weird things reported in the cycling press, such
as rather flimsy brake levers. And they use a three speed hub with a
weird little two-speed derailleur for Lord only knows that reason.

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Tim McNamara said:

Not useful as a commuting bike, though, if you need something that
will fold up in 30 seconds to get on or off trains, buses or for
storage at work.

Agree

A true folding bike for commuting purposes should fold FAST and
CLEAN. Quick and easy to fold when entering train or putting hike in
back of car trunk.

I once owned a Bike Friday and altho it folded for transporting it
was NOT what I consider to be a commuting folder. Agree?

Yes. When I was looking for a folder, I borrowed a Bike Friday for a
month. It was not suitable, with having to remove the stem from the
steerer and ending up with grease on my clothes and work environment. I
bought a Birdy, as Bromptons were unavailable locally at that time. The
Birdy was fine, but I sold it this spring as I wasn't using it much. I
just commute on a single speed and leave it locked up outside- much more
convenient in my situation.

Tim McNamara said:

I
just commute on a single speed and leave it locked up outside- much more
convenient in my situation.

Understand

But Id like a good commuting folder myself

Something I can fold up FAST and easy and out in trunk
of car if needled

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Tim McNamara said:

I
just commute on a single speed and leave it locked up outside- much
more convenient in my situation.

Understand

But Id like a good commuting folder myself

Something I can fold up FAST and easy and out in trunk of car if
needled

Brompton, Birdy or upper end Dahon.

Quoted message said:

Tim McNamara said:

If purely for commuting, it's pretty hard to beat the Brompton.

Are the Bromptons made well?

http://www.adventurecycling.org/resources/brompton.pdf

Adventure Cycling did a review of a Brompton a few years ago. If the
link above does not work, do a search for Brompton in their Library
Archive.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Tim McNamara said:

If purely for commuting, it's pretty hard to beat the Brompton.

Are the Bromptons made well?

http://www.adventurecycling.org/resources/brompton.pdf

Adventure Cycling did a review of a Brompton a few years ago. If the
link above does not work, do a search for Brompton in their Library
Archive.

Adventure Cycling also reviewed the "Downtube VIII" in their April
issue. The review seemed generally favorable, but doesn't appear to be
available online. These bikes are apparently only available via Ebay or
factory direct: www.downtube.com
Mark

Check www.dahon.com. These bikes use to be pretty crude, but they
improve every year and are a good commuting bike for a multi-modal
computer. The fold in 15 seconds. There is a bag you can get to carry
them over your shoulder and onto a train. They have a huge range of
models from under $300.00 to about $1,000. Even the least expensive
would be good for a multi-modal commuter.
Alan Acock

Quoted message said:

Well, I'm looking for something to commute with, e.g. to drag on and
off trains and buses. So I think I'm looking at a goofy small wheeled
bike. I have seen the Breakaways and they are quite nice.

I went for the extreme- small and super light, a Panasonic
"Traincle" mostly because I stumbled across one on
Craigslist a while back. I had researched them before
but never thought I would actually find one in the US.
I ended up paying $850.
That is either very expensive or the cheapest
titanium bike you could ever find.

I haven't a clue where you could find one in the US.
Here's a Japanese URL:

http://www.panabyc.co.jp/products/compact/index.html

The "Traincle" is now known as the 6500 and 7500 (for
their weight I assume- 6.5kg and 7.5kg)

It just depends on how small, how portable, and
how far you want to ride. The Panasonic is way
at the "small portable" end of the spectrum.

The positives:
The Panasonic weighs around 15lb (titanium frame and fork).
There is nothing out there in that weight class. Nothing.
(A titanium Brompton S2L X weighs over 21 lbs.)
To put it into my trunk I don't even completely fold it, just
unclip the main tube hinge lock.

It is just so light and small, I never worry
about locking it up. It just goes on all my errands
with me into the shops.

The negatives:
Lots of negatives. There isn't a wide range of ultralight
saddles for upright riding, so the saddle I have (titanium rails)
comes from a racing bike (it appears). You could put a comfy
saddle on it though. But it would be heavier.

Not for riding where tire punctures would be a problem.
The tires are super thin as are the tubes. The only place
I know to get the tubes/tires is direct from National
in Japan. My bike shop could provide 2.5" 14" tires that
would probably be more suited to commuting than the
1.5" that come with the bike. But they would be heavier.

Not sized for large riders. It has a huge nitto seat post
but fully extended it would probably best work for someone who
is 5' 8". I'm 6'2" and I tolerate the I-just-came-
from-the-circus look.

Mine is one speed, but the 7.5kg version has 8 speeds.
But it's heavier.

This is a bike you would cycle 4 miles on, not 10 (it's
niche in Japan is that it is sized to fit into a Japan
Railways locker, so the commuter picks up his bike at
the station and rides to his office building).

In the end, I was more interested in the ultimate
portability of the folding bike, so that's why I
bought it. If I was going to be traveling by air
and wanted a bike for touring I'd go with a Bike Friday.
But I could never justify one of the Brompton-class
bikes because they were still too bulky and too heavy
and portability was my top priority.

An unexpected bonus, it's great for quick dog
walks. The wheels are so small you are close to the
ground and easy to steady yourself if the pooch
takes off in the wrong direction (by putting your
feet out).

A link to all sorts of Japanese folding bikes can be found at
http://nagoya.cool.ne.jp/alform1/jfbl.html

A link to get contact info (email, fax) is provided
(in English) by the Japanese Bicycle Promotion Institute:
http://www.jbpi.or.jp/english/jbg.html

regards
Jeff