What Bike?

AlexS said:

It is a while since I have been able to cycle but I want to take it
up again. I shall only be doing short distances on the flat and want
a suitable bike but can not find one in the shops where off-road
bikes with full suspension and racers rule.
I want a small wheeled bike, Melton style, that I can store easily
but not a folder. I don't need any gears and it must be light. I
don't mind paying a little extra for quality but forget the titanium
frames. Any suggestions please.

You probably mean "Moulton", and unfortunately those set you back either a
fair bit (Pashley TSR range) or lots and lots (Alex Moulton bikes).

A Pashley TSR basic model might be what you are describing, but that I
suspect might be more money than you are implying in the above posting:
http://www.tsr.uk.com/bikes/tsr8.php
They have a handful of dealers around the country.

The "real" Alex Moulton company makes bikes from £1500++++.

Slightly cheaper than the Pashley-TSR is an Airnimal Joey:
http://www.airnimalfoldingbikes.com/M_JoeySport.php
Yes, it does fold, though Airnimals are designed as "decent ride first, fold
second".

The other common makers of small wheeled bicycles are folding types; the
main brands are Brompton (small specialist UK firm) and Dahon (big far
eastern maker with vast range of different folders at differing weights,
specifications and prices). Some of the Dahon range might well do what you
require if you can accept a folding cycle.

A "sensible bike" these days tends to be called a "hybrid" in the cycle
trade. They usually have normal "large" wheels (either 700c size (as on
racing bikes) or 26 in (as on mountain bikes), normal road use tyres (fatter
than on racers, thinner than nobbly off-road tyres). And they exist, just
try a different bike shop. You should find something of decent quality from
£200/£250 upwards.
Ridgeback might be one makers name to look out for. They have several bikes
from £200-ish, including the "Rapide Neutron" which has sensible low
maintenance 8-speed hub gears and decent quality lights included for well
under £500.

- Nigel

--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

AlexS said:

It is a while since I have been able to cycle but I want to take it up again.
I shall only be doing short distances on the flat and want a suitable bike but
can not find one in the shops where off-road bikes with full suspension and
racers rule.
I want a small wheeled bike, Melton style, that I can store easily but not a
folder. I don't need any gears and it must be light. I don't mind paying a
little extra for quality but forget the titanium frames. Any suggestions
please.

Dahon Vitesse?

EFR
Ile de France

<AlexS> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I want a small wheeled bike, Melton style,

Wot? Pork pies for wheels?

(Seriously, the question has already been answered properly)
--
Pete
http:[email hidden]/Stuff

in message <[email hidden]>, AlexS (''😉

Quoted message said:

It is a while since I have been able to cycle but I want to take it up
again. I shall only be doing short distances on the flat and want a
suitable bike but can not find one in the shops where off-road bikes
with full suspension and racers rule.
I want a small wheeled bike, Melton style, that I can store easily but
not a
folder. I don't need any gears and it must be light. I don't mind
paying a
little extra for quality but forget the titanium frames. Any
suggestions please.

What you're describing sounds like a Moulton, although Moultons tend to
be fiendishly expensive. Most small wheel bikes these days are folders,
and most folders are heavier than they would need to be if they didn't
fold. Nevertheless it might be worth looking at Birdies, Bromptons and
Dahons and even perhaps the Airnimal, all of which do fold but are
nevertheless good bikes.

http://www.alexmoulton.co.uk/
http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/html/birdy.shtml
http://www.bromptonbicycle.co.uk/
http://www.dahon.com/
http://www.airnimalfoldingbikes.com/

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

X-no-archive: No, I'm not *that* naive.

AlexS said:

I want a small wheeled bike, Melton style, that I can store easily but not a
folder.

As others have already pointed out, ITYM "Moulton". Moultons are
still there but are a bit OTT for a little work on the flat.

Why particularly /not/ a folder? They're much easier to store and
the good ones don't compromise much on ride. The Brompton is
available as single speed, two, three or 6 speed, stores
/incredibly/ easy and folds quick enough that taking it on a bus or
in a taxi is a non-issue, and it has 16" wheels. It also has a
range of excellent accessories to make it even more practical.
Take the quick and compact fold as a bonus and even without it it
seems to hit all your marks quite well.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

AlexS said:

It is a while since I have been able to cycle but I want to take it up again.
I shall only be doing short distances on the flat and want a suitable bike but
can not find one in the shops where off-road bikes with full suspension and
racers rule.
I want a small wheeled bike, Melton style, that I can store easily but not a
folder. I don't need any gears and it must be light. I don't mind paying a
little extra for quality but forget the titanium frames. Any suggestions
please.

Thanks everyone. It's odd though that I cannot get a small wheeled bike that
does not fold. Even if it is well designed and the ride is not compromised I
will be paying for a feature that I do not really need and I thought that
Microsoft were the masters of that.

AlexS said:

Thanks everyone. It's odd though that I cannot get a small wheeled bike
that does not fold.

No Moultons have ever folded -- but some of them can be taken apart with a
little work with an allen-key. Some of them don't come apart at all, in
particular most of the 1960s models and the "speed" versions of the
1990s/2000s models.

If you are just restarting cycling after a lay-off I would suggest that
you do not get a new bike until you are sure that your needs are not going
to change after a while. Get a second-hand one and use it until you are
sure that you know enough about what you need to specify a new one.

Mike

AlexS said:

AlexS said:

It is a while since I have been able to cycle but I want to take it
up again. I shall only be doing short distances on the flat and want
a suitable bike but can not find one in the shops where off-road
bikes with full suspension and racers rule.
I want a small wheeled bike, Melton style, that I can store easily
but not a folder. I don't need any gears and it must be light. I
don't mind paying a little extra for quality but forget the titanium
frames. Any suggestions please.

Thanks everyone. It's odd though that I cannot get a small wheeled
bike that does not fold. Even if it is well designed and the ride
is not compromised I will be paying for a feature that I do not
really need and I thought that Microsoft were the masters of that.

Alternative view; you are getting the folding function cheaper than if it
did not fold.

If the bike folds, the frame maker can sell to both the folding market
(fairly big) and the non-folding market requiring small wheels.
The total volume of bikes sold has a big influence on the end price.
So, if the maker made different folding and non-folding versions, the cost
would be higher for each.

I don't think a non-folding small wheeled bike is much smaller than a normal
upright. You save a little in overall length, but not much.

- Nigel

--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

AlexS said:

Thanks everyone. It's odd though that I cannot get a small wheeled bike that
does not fold.

You can, Moultons being a prime example.

Quoted message said:

Even if it is well designed and the ride is not compromised I
will be paying for a feature that I do not really need

Most bikes, folding or otherwise, have gears, and since you don't
want those either if you get a Moulton (or numerous other choices)
then you have the same problem with a different feature. I
selected a Brompton in particular because it's available as a
single speed.

You may not need a fold now, but once you've got one it soon
becomes something you take advantage of, at least in the experience
of several posters here. I didn't have any obvious use for a
folding bike before I picked up a second hand Brompton, now I would
be loath to do without it and it's my default bike for short range
work around town. Aside from anything else it makes the options
for securing it so much more versatile (I'll often fold it (15
seconds) and carry it in to a place rather than leave it out to get
rained on and or subject to vandalsim).

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

AlexS of At home in the north Midlands of England. said:

I want a small wheeled bike, Melton style, that I can store easily but not a
folder. I don't need any gears and it must be light.

Serious question, why a small wheeled bike? As you have found out from
other people's answers, small wheels are used to reduce size in order to
make folding feasible. What is it you want that small wheels will provide?
If we knew this, then maybe we could come up with alternative ways to
achieve what you want.
--
Steph Peters
Chorlton Wanderers Cycling Group
Monthly slow and easy rides from South Manchester
http://www.sandbenders.demon.co.uk/cycling/chwan.htm

Steph Peters said:

Serious question, why a small wheeled bike? As you have found out from
other people's answers, small wheels are used to reduce size in order to
make folding feasible.

That is one benefit, but the original Moulton used small wheels for
other reasons, like they make a step through frame easier to construct
sensibly, you eliminate toe overlap problems, it becomes safe to hang
your shopping off the handlebars, the wheels are stronger and as long as
you use high pressure tyres and a bit of suspension the losses in
rolling resistance are actually minimal.

I think a lot of people use big wheels because they equate big wheels
with "proper bikes". I am often asked by folk if it's not terribly hard
going fast or uphills with such small wheels on the Brom, as if the
concept of gearing was completely alien.

Quoted message said:

What is it you want that small wheels will provide?
If we knew this, then maybe we could come up with alternative ways to
achieve what you want.

This remains a good question though... In the meantime here's a small
wheel bike that does not fold that I'd love to use around town:
http://kinetics.org.uk/html/spirit.shtml

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

In article said:

It is a while since I have been able to cycle but I want to take it up again.
I shall only be doing short distances on the flat and want a suitable bike but
can not find one in the shops where off-road bikes with full suspension and
racers rule.
I want a small wheeled bike, Melton style, that I can store easily but not a
folder. I don't need any gears and it must be light. I don't mind paying a
little extra for quality but forget the titanium frames. Any suggestions
please.

Sounds like a job for Mr. Burrows.
<URL:http://velorution.blogspot.com/Bikes%20-%20Burroughs%202D.jpg>

AFAIk the 2D is not in series production, but if his palm were crossed
with silver...

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
Mr. Charles Kennedy (Krankieburgh): Would the Prime Minister care to
comment on a report in today=3Fs Guardian that he: =3Farrived late for a
meeting with Jacques Chirac, smelling of alcohol, and with body language
suggesting a total disregard for the rights of ethnic minorities, lone
parents and laboratory animals=3F?

AlexS said:

Thanks everyone. It's odd though that I cannot get a small wheeled bike that
does not fold.

Oh but you can...

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gareth.evans490/Taifun/IMG_0160.jpg

I'm just not sure that's quite what you had in mind.

"Bob"
--

Email address is spam trapped, to reply directly remove the beverage.

AlexS said:

Thanks everyone. It's odd though that I cannot get a small wheeled bike that
does not fold. Even if it is well designed and the ride is not compromised I
will be paying for a feature that I do not really need and I thought that
Microsoft were the masters of that.

There's a few non-folding-small-wheels models from Dahon, look at the
'groove' and 'hammerhead' models:
<http://www.dahon.com/whatsnew/bikes.htm>

Me said:

AlexS said:

Thanks everyone. It's odd though that I cannot get a small wheeled bike that
does not fold. Even if it is well designed and the ride is not compromised I
will be paying for a feature that I do not really need and I thought that
Microsoft were the masters of that.

There's a few non-folding-small-wheels models from Dahon, look at the
'groove' and 'hammerhead' models:
<http://www.dahon.com/whatsnew/bikes.htm>

Thanks. That is the sort of thing I am after.