Folding bikes - a warning

Surf-Matt

A quick warning - a mate has one of these and pulled the handlebars off when pedalling hard.

Another guy I know did the same, the bars folded, he fell forwards and snapped his tibia and fibia (lower leg) and has utterly stuffed his lower leg ligaments. I reckon he could actually be crippled for life.

Both were decent makes, both were well maintained.

Basically they don't seem to be able to take anything more than light pootling - any hard pressure that a half decent cyclist can exert kills them.

Aidy

You could help by telling us exactly which folding bikes they are, rather than tarring them all with the same brush...

Bit like saying "All bikes are dangerous, my mate's one broke".

will3

Any you haven't mentioned if you were going surfing or not when they broke.

Surf-Matt

One was a Dahon (a Dawes I think), the other I'm not 100% sure but I think it was also a Dahon.


Thanks for the response but I'd say shows that folding bikes are about as robust as a quail shell.

Surf-Matt

will3 wrote:

Any you haven't mentioned if you were going surfing or not when they broke.

Sorry, I only understand English. Not some half ar5ed attempt at it.

will3

Surf-Matt wrote:

will3 wrote:

Any you haven't mentioned if you were going surfing or not when they broke.

Sorry, I only understand English. Not some half ar5ed attempt at it.

Surf-Matt wrote:

Thanks for the response but I'd say shows that folding bikes are about as robust as a quail shell.

This this a fully arsed attempt at engish then? ("Arsed" isn't spelt with a 5 in the middle for a start)

Surf-Matt

Touche!

Why the surfing reference? Most odd.

VespaTrek

Airnimal's seem to always get a good write up and appear strong enough for touring from their marketing...

Surf-Matt

I'm sure many are up to the job but I wouldn't really expect such a catastrophic failure to happen twice to two different people.

Pretty dangerous.

Aidy

Surf-Matt wrote:

One was a Dahon (a Dawes I think), the other I'm not 100% sure but I think it was also a Dahon.


Thanks for the response but I'd say shows that folding bikes are about as robust as a quail shell.

That only indicates that folding bikes of that particular design have flaws. It's hardly a conclusive study.

will3

On a more serious note: no, of course a bike with extra hinges/ joints won't be quite as stiff/strong as one without (or at least not without a big weight penalty), but are you sure they'd unfolded the bike properly?

Surf-Matt

Sorry, did I use the title "Folding bikes will fail - here's the proof?"

Never mind, you lot are plain odd. Are you mostly roadies by any chance? A very strange breed.

Clever Pun

I've had no probs with my brompton and I don't pootle on it

Edit: Oh yeah all generalisations are false

will3

I know of a guy who time trials on his.

Aidy

Surf-Matt wrote:

Sorry, did I use the title "Folding bikes will fail - here's the proof?"

Never mind, you lot are plain odd. Are you mostly roadies by any chance? A very strange breed.

No, but you did say:

Basically [folding bikes] don't seem to be able to take anything more than light pootling - any hard pressure that a half decent cyclist can exert kills them.

Which is a pretty broad statement. I hate it when people spread FUD with no kind of factual basis.

bomberesque

if both your mates were riding the same make bike (especially if with the same design H-bar clamp setup) and they both failed resulting in a serious injury to one of them then I suggest they contact the bike manufacturer and if they don't get satisfaction, a lawyer. Sounds like a recall maybe in order, it's certainly not true that all folding bikes are rubbish, but if your mates have exposed a weak design point in one, then they should do something about it for the good not only of themselves but of all others who use these bikes.

this is all ofc assuming they weren't doing something daft

Surf-Matt

No problem.

Wish I hadn't mentioned it - I do apologise.

Off to polish my bikes....

MonkeyMonster

not a roadie but likely still suspect count as odd - surf reference surely visible given both your name and avatar...
I have a friend who actually owns 4 foldies of various breeds and he's fast and hammers on them with no issues so far at least.
We merely want more details of make etc so if we happened to have same models we could check our own...

That is all. This thread may require some off topicing later.

shouldbeinbed

Surf-Matt wrote:

One was a Dahon (a Dawes I think), the other I'm not 100% sure but I think it was also a Dahon.

Thanks for the response but I'd say shows that folding bikes are about as robust as a quail shell.

I've done well over 20K on my Birdy of hard riding, whizing down & pulling myself up the side of the Pennines on it primarily and not a problem at all. I'm not a roadie & I don't pootle. I can get home in the same time my wife drives it.

With such accurate, well researched and even handed posting, have you considered a job on the Daily Mail or as James Martin's stunt double. :roll:

will3

Ah the surfing thing.............it's a rather oblique reference to your threads that start like this one:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopi ... t=blinding

there are two things I don't understand about the mention of surfing in relation to being blinded by the cyclist:
1) WTF does it matter where you were going when you got blinded?
2) Why don't you just get the internet at home?

[/OT]

Surf-Matt

The usuals come out to play.

A shame.

Sorry you can't surf Will. Your problem not mine though.

Bye.

shouldbeinbed

Surf-Matt wrote:

Off to polish my bikes....

you will be sure and post that they're completely useless and that bikes as we know them are all rubbish if you get a chain come off won't you.

Clever Pun

I can see what Matt was trying to do, but delivered it like a car crash rather than a thought out letter... hence the replies

stuaff

Your friends' experiences are unfortunate, but they hardly constitute a representative sample. I've had no such problems with my Dahons (both second-hand and well-used even before I got them). One of the hinges needed replacing on the Cadenza, frame hinge on the Jetstream also needed replacing (neither failed during a ride, but then they don't get folded much). Everything else is down to normal wear and tear. The Cadenza's my regular commuter, but I do the odd longer run on it as well (including London-Bognor-Pompey on one occasion), the Jetstream was weekend bike of choice before I got the Viner- lapped the IOW on it, twice, London-Brighton twice, London to Whitstable, and two Smithfield Nocturne folding bike races (OMG, accident waiting to happen there!). People do mega tours on Bromptons, Dahon Speed TRs, etc...such generalisations do your argument no favours.

missmarple

rofl.

cee

I would expect the most dangerous thing about folding bikes.....is the person that fold/unfolds them....

Easy to imagine a commuter in a hurry forgetting to do up a qr properly....even although the designs i have seen fold against the direction of the hinge (if you know what i mean...)

course...that kind of accident can't be attributed to the manufacturer...

The Big Cheese

Folding bikes = FAIL (see what I did there folks - god, I'm awesome)

Dazzza

Before you all go matt bashing the one about the folding handlebars is 100% true, and he was doling just 4mph when it happened, scary stuff i doubt all those bikes are weak though just probably some sort of manufacturing defect id imagine.

He's worked for years in my lbs so might know a thing or two about bikes.

Surf-Matt

And he's a top bloke. Really has seriously hurt himself - while I was in the shop something went "click" and he looked like he was in total agony - it happened on October 1st last year!!

Aidy

Dazzza wrote:

Before you all go matt bashing the one about the folding handlebars is 100% true, and he was doling just 4mph when it happened, scary stuff i doubt all those bikes are weak though just probably some sort of manufacturing defect id imagine.

He's worked for years in my lbs so might know a thing or two about bikes.

We didn't have issues with the claims that one or two folding bikes had caused a mishaps.
Using this as a basis to assert that all folding bikes are dangerous is a bit questionable, though.

Dazzza

True though i personally would never trust one, that folding bit would always have me worried.