Folding Tourers

chameleonsvox

Hi, I'm new to the fourm so hi everyone, forgive me for posting this across the cycle touring forums if you've already come across it.

What with all the increasing hassles of taking a bike on planes and trains these days, I'm seriously considering getting a folding tourer. I'm specifically looking at the Dahon Speed TR and the Bike Friday WT respectively, although the latter comes in at almost twice the price. I've been researching the pros and cons of both models..

I was wondering if anyone here had any direct experience with folding tourers, or any advice concerning getting one.. Thanks in advance..

Mark

cpeachey

We have a Bike Friday Tandem TwosDay which packs into 2 cases weighing 20kg each including panniers, tools, trailer etc. Small wheels are "livelier" but you soon get used to them. The BF rides very nicely with a full set of loaded panniers. We typically fly and get a bus/taxi/train to the city centre, find a hotel and leave the cases there for 2 weeks whilst we tour. The tandem takes 40mins to either assemble or dis-assemble. The "trailer" works but we do not like it as a permanent attachment. I have ridden a BF solo with drop bars and found the whole steering column moves a bit (like rowing a boat). Our tandem has straight bars and the steering column is a lot more rigid. BF's are imported from USA by
http://www.bikeshop.uk.com/
in Bath. They are "made to measure" but not in the same league as our Roberts tandem.
Going through airports is a breeze...tandem? what tandem?.
Chris (Tandem Club tech officer)

cpeachey

General comments.
Weight and bulk is of major importance. Keep the case size/weight within the (20kg) allowance. (Ryanair only allow 15kg)
Carry maximum hand luggage. 1 Large full pannier usually ok. Use a bar bag that will fold flat (no rigid frame).
I only have 1 pair of Shimano SPD touring shoes, (no spares), these are ok for hotels, resturants etc.
Bike...hub gears are heavy, a standard derailier setup is lighter.
Tools...only carry the essentials.
Tyres...20" come in 406 and 451 size. 406 is the standard recumbent size.
Weigh everything and wear your heaviest clothes.
Chris

Brian NZ

Another option is to have a standard size bike, preferably on 26" wheels with S&S couplings. It may take longer to pack and unpack but I feel the extra ride quality worth the effort after trying BFs ourselves. As a solo bike it fits in a 158cm bag and weighs in just under 20kg. All standard airline checkin luggage. It has transformed our air travel.
Take care Brian & Sue

priory

Dahon jetstream xp
I am 6ft2+ so need to add the stem and bar-end extensions for longer reach. With these on my position is the same as on my other bikes, but more adaptable. If you are tall think about your fit on the bike.
It goes in a standard size large suitcase from charity shop if I remove wheels and seatpost and pull out the top part of the stem. I suppose the speed tr will fit similarly.I leave the sddle bag on with tools in it and pad the bits with clothes.
If you book it on as a bike that takes your weight allowance up to32kg on my last flight, but the rules are constantly changing. bike plus suitcase and padding and luggage does take your weight surprisingly high quite easily. I have booked it on as a bike rather than hope to get it through as ordinaary luggage, but that was before the prices went up.
it does light touring well, but it is easily overloaded on the back. the front wheel starts to feel very light and unstable if you put too much on the carrier.
TerryJ

GyatsoLa

I've done a little touring on a Birdy folder - its surprisingly stable as the bags fit very low to the ground. But I think that unless you are going to take a lot of train/bus/air trips the disadvantages of folders outweight the benefits - most are quite vulnerable to damage in transit (they are usually not designed to survive being tossed into a cargo hold and having a few hundred kgs of bags thrown on them), and parts are a problem - I met a couple in Ireland on a Bike Friday tandem who's holiday was cut short because of a technical problem that meant they had to have a spare sent from the States (no BF dealers in Ireland).

Personally, I think a proper touring bike with S&S coupling is the way to go for most keen bike tourers.

magfos

My partner and I have tourer reasonably extensively on Bike Friday NWT's and have been very happy with them.

They are a little twitchier in the steering and a little harsher than a full size bicycle but handle a load very well and are comfortable for a long day's ride.

They are great in Europe when you want to take a train including TGV & ICE or other public transport.

Fiends of ours have just purchased a second pair of NWT's. Because of the peculiar problems that we have with most airlines travelling from OZ to Europe through Asia (20kg max allowance with no sporting goods except as excess baggage), they will have one set in Europe and one in Oz so they are never without a BF touring bike.

scottgeniusltd2005

plenty of people tour on bromptons. granted gearing would need sorting from stock but not impossible. bonus is the smallest folder package and weight.

mroli

Chameleonsvox - if you're interested in the Dahon and want to talk to someone about it, can I suggest a visit to Fudge's Cycle Shop in London and speak to the owner Andrew - they do great prices on the Dahon range and he is an enthusiastic and proactive Dahon seller. He would be a good person to talk to I reckon and also their mechanic is good.

chameleonsvox

Thanks for tip mroli, but actually I'm in Los Angeles, I was just looking for a tourer that I could easily transport around the States over the next few months.

I finally opted for the Dahon Speed TR, an 08 model that had been discounted down to around £450 including tax. I need to make a few modifications to it, but at that price I can afford to.

Thanks to all for the advice.

Gotte

The best advice I can give is that you'll never know which is bes until you try. I've got a coulple of full size tourers and a couple of folders (20"). I really like riding my folder around town. I think the farthest I've taken it is about 20 miles, and I found that the very thing that makes it an entertaining ride, the snappiness, the bite, the gnarliness of ride, is the very thing that really puts me off riding it for 30 miles plus.
Of course, I don't know your intended mileage, but, last tour I went on, there were a couple of 45 mile days, some up hill, in a headwind, and a bit of rain, and I tell you, I think it would have been a lot harder on a folder.
It's nothing to do with wheel size (well, not directly, anyway), but rather the constant need to hold the steering. I feel when riding my folder that the reason it's fun is that I'm fighting the handling a bit, but a 700c just kind of goes. It may feel a little less inspiring after being of a 20 inch, but after 30 miles, I imagine that predictabilty is a benefit.
But that's just me. You may very well enjoy the characteristics of a 20" ride. But like I said, you'll never know until you try (though by that I mean, try for a day or two, and see how it feels).