Folding bike?

daz51

Hey guys,

need some advice on folding bikes. i will be doin a small commute of 2/3 miles each way with no space for a full size bike at the other end. Folding bike is the ideal solution.

First name which springs to mind is of cause Brompton.

No i would like Brompton fold up size without Brompton price.

Can people give me their thoughts / ideas on anything regarding folding bikes?

Regards Daz

ris

if you are looking for brommie sized fold without the handbuilt from english oaks price-tag then you might want to look over the dahon 20" range.

not quite as compact as the brompton (or as neat a fold, but you gets what you pays for) but they are pretty cheap and have a wide range to suit most needs. i know a few people who use them at my work and they seem pretty good.

similarly small fold but i don't think quite as cheap - mezzo, bit odd looking at the front but have good reputation.

Mikelyons

Hi Daz

Agreed that Bromptons are expensive new & most places secondhand but there's
a couple of things to consider

1) Resale is very strong for Bromptons. I bought a second-hand Brompton in 2006 fro £425 & rode it 20+ miles most weeks for 2.5 years. Sold it for over £450 (on Ebay)

2) There's a lot of competion on Ebay - so selling prices are driven up. Good when you are selling, not when you are buying. Good alternatives are gumtree & loot . Sometimes you can spot a bargain when seller does not know what the going rate is.

Mike

Cunobelin

Bromptons are the benchmark - nothing folds as well or as small. However there are alternatives. But please bear in mind extras such as luggage systems, lights and carry bags as most trains now like the bike to be folded and covered.

The compromise you are going to have to decide on is between comfort, handling, ease of fold, folded size and ability to carry luggage.... they all compromise each other and there is no perfect answer. My folding stable comprises a Birdy, a Brompton, an Airnimal and a Thorn Nomad - all of which have different strengths and weaknesses.

There is a magazine / website called A to B whose niche is folding (and electric bikes) and have some good information.

For a look try FoldingBikes.co.uk (otherwise Avon Valley in Bath) to see a typical snapshot of what is available, and the technical details are helpful.... and it is reassuring that with nies from £1300 to £2000 you suddenly realise that Bromptons are not really that expensive!



For a 2 -3 mile ride comfort is not as important, but it is essential that you try before you buy as these bikes handle differently form full size bikes and you need to know how the bike is going to feel for you, sort out how the fold is (for you) and how you are going to manage luggage

simon_ramsey

I re-iterate Cunobelin's advise - think about what you want in terms of ride vs foldability vs price. I had a Strida for a month before I sent it back as it was broken for the second time
and it probably wasn't the right bike for me.

I now have an Airnimal which I love - it is fast, not as easy to fold as Brompton / Dahon etc but for me personally spending an extra 30-seconds to 1 min to fold/unfold and it not been so compact once folded is a worthwhile trade-off for the way it rides. Although at £700 it is fairly expensive. If you are using it for work see if your employer participates in the governments' cycle to work scheme you can get 20-40% off (depending on how much tax you pay). You also need to factor in locks, and safety equipment - helmet, lights etc into your budget.

simon_ramsey

I re-iterate Cunobelin's advise - think about what you want in terms of ride vs foldability vs price. I had a Strida for a month before I sent it back as it was broken for the second time
and it probably wasn't the right bike for me.

I now have an Airnimal which I love - it is fast, not as easy to fold as Brompton / Dahon etc but for me personally spending an extra 30-seconds to 1 min to fold/unfold and it not been so compact once folded is a worthwhile trade-off for the way it rides. Although at £700 it is fairly expensive. If you are using it for work see if your employer participates in the governments' cycle to work scheme you can get 20-40% off (depending on how much tax you pay).

landrew

The Mezzo folds up almost as small as a Brompton and is a lot lighter. The reviews have been very good to so it should give you a decent ride.

The D10 is expensive but the D9 is a good bike and you can pick it up for £489 at CycleSurgery.

If you do not have many hills on your commute the i4 can be picked up at a bargain at the moment. See the link below to CycleSurgery where they are selling for £299.

.http://www.cyclesurgery.com/1025894/Mezzo-i4-Folding-Bike-2008.html

coffeecup

I've a Dahon and it's excellent. The 20" wheels give a better ride that the brompton and mine weighs in at less than 9kg. It doesn't fold as small as a brompton though, so it depends how you want to store / transport it when folded.

Stuff I considered when choosing mine included:
- quality of ride (I take mine on hols sometimes and its great for doing more than a few miles)
- weight (can I carry it for a short distance and if I put it in a case will it take me over the 20kg limit for check in at an airport??)
- how many gears (I need something that'll go up hills)
- speed of fold & fold size (don't want to be fiddling with the fold when the train is pulling off)
- geek factor (can be minimised but not removed)

The Dahon fold is fast (looks faster than a Brompton from what I've seen) but not maybe as fast as a Tikit. Check out this 17 sec video :shock: where he folds and unfolds with time to spare....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQscBxx7wLE

Mithras

Look at the montague / swiss bike range. I had a Parratrooper on test for 3 months. Loved it!

RyanB

I have both a Dahon Curve D3 (16" wheel) and a Dahon Mu P8 (20" wheel) and I love them both. From what I hear from you, I'd recommend the Curve. Folds pretty good, weighs in about 12kg, Schwalbe Big Apple tyres take some of the thud out of the road, and the hub gears are reliable. Retails about £300-350.

The Mu is great too but for your short commute might be a bit bulky/overkill

Brompton's are great. The fold is excellent and the ride is good. But they are expensive, and if such aesthetic things matter to you, the styling on many other folders like Dahon/Mezzo is just much more contemporary.

It matters to me as it mitigates the geek factor a bit.

MichaelW

You could get two 3-speed clunkers and leave them at the station.
If you need a folder for rail then Dahon is probably your most cost-effective solution.
Airnimals, Montagues etc are not really rail-commute style folders, their folded size is too big.

RockyHopperShow

Daz, I notice you don't actually say that rail ravel will be involved in your commute. With that in mind any Dahon will be good enough. My Trek is Dahon-designed and is very good to fold-down and the ride is acceptable considering the 20" wheels. While It does not fold down to anything like a Brompton the fold is good. By just lowering the seat and loosening the hinge I can (sort of) tripod-stand the bike in the doorway of a train if a rack is not available - very handy. If I had to replace the Trek I would go for the hub-geared Dahon Curve. 3-speeds is enough for short commutes and the rear hub should be pretty maintenance-free. Not cheap though at £399 or thereabouts. But in reality, and considering I use my bike every day, I should be thinking about investing in a Brompton. Next year I might just buy one on a Cycle2Work scheme. My Boardman MTB took up this year's allowance.
Other than that, all I would suggest is avoid anything made by Apollo from Halfords.

cakewalk

If you do not have to use a train or bus then consider a Dahon 20". If you are going by train/bus then I'd consider a Brompton (they also fit under desks very well).

BUT! I've owned both and the Dahon was nothing but trouble. Back wheel split and it took six months to get a spare part delivered - whilst in warrenty. The one other Dahon owner I've spoken too had his frame crack - twice - under warrenty (and he was a streak of p1ss). Spares are a real pain for Dahons in general.

Dahon change models every year - why ? I don't know. Brompton's evolve. I've owned one for three years now (2000 miles a year) and it's never let me down.

You can bet Dahon's very cheaply on eBay. I think that says alot. Though I would like a Speed Pro TT ...

cakewalk

If you do not have to use a train or bus then consider a Dahon 20". If you are going by train/bus then I'd consider a Brompton (they also fit under desks very well).

BUT! I've owned both and the Dahon was nothing but trouble. Back wheel split and it took six months to get a spare part delivered - whilst in warrenty. The one other Dahon owner I've spoken too had his frame crack - twice - under warrenty (and he was a streak of p1ss). Spares are a real pain for Dahons in general.

Dahon change models every year - why ? I don't know. Brompton's evolve. I've owned one for three years now (2000 miles a year) and it's never let me down.

You can bet Dahon's very cheaply on eBay. I think that says alot. Though I would like a Speed Pro TT ...

cakewalk

If you do not have to use a train or bus then consider a Dahon 20". If you are going by train/bus then I'd consider a Brompton (they also fit under desks very well).

BUT! I've owned both and the Dahon was nothing but trouble. Back wheel split and it took six months to get a spare part delivered - whilst in warrenty. The one other Dahon owner I've spoken too had his frame crack - twice - under warrenty (and he was a streak of p1ss). Spares are a real pain for Dahons in general.

Dahon change models every year - why ? I don't know. Brompton's evolve. I've owned one for three years now (2000 miles a year) and it's never let me down.

You can bet Dahon's very cheaply on eBay. I think that says alot. Though I would like a Speed Pro TT ...