Building a folding road bike?

wellbeloved747

I am looking to build a folding road bike so when I am away or on the boat I can go for a proper cycle without taking my Specialized which would take up to much space on the boat. I am looking to replicate the following bike:

http://www.dahon.com/bikes/2011/vector-x27h

Th components I know I can get are:
Bars
Shifters
Saddle
Pedals
But that's it.

I was wonderingly if anyone could help me to tell me when I can buy for sensible money a long seat post. 20 inch road bike wheels about 25 or 23 thickness.

But most importantly THE BIKE: it must have as many gears as possible the bike above has an astonishing 27 most have 7-8 and that's fine, it must be a 20 inch wheel frame, it must be a fixed frame (no suspension) and it must have a stem that the bars can be taken of as most have fixed welded on bars.
Budgets is a tops of £250 the cheaper the better

Any sites would be great

Thanks Matt

mercia_man

I don't see how you could do this in a budget of £250.

The sort of bike you are talking about is a Bike Friday Pocket Rocket (I have one) or an Airnimal Chameleon. They are both performance road bikes that fold and hold their own against regular bikes on the road. My 21-speed Bike Friday (custom built in Oregon in 1998) weighs 21lb and is in fast touring/audax type spec. It's quicker than my steel touring bike and slower than my carbon road bike. Go for the lighter framed Pocket Rocket Pro with top end groupset and you can get down to 16lb. But cost for a Bike Friday or Chameleon is well over £1,500.

The Airnimal Joey is a cheaper version of the Chameleon. A friend has one and he has converted it to drop bars. I've ridden it and it's great. Maybe you could get a cheap Joey second hand to build up. Or maybe Airnimal (look them up on the web - they are British-based) sell frame kits. I have an idea that they do sell frames only.

I haven't been to Avon Valley Cyclery in Bath for some years but they used to sell various folding bikes including Bike Fridays and Airnimals - I guess they still do. They might have a cheap frame knocking about. They certainly have bits for 20in wheel bikes. I bought a rim to rebuild one of my wheels- but you pay a premium compared with parts for regular bikes.

Good luck!

mercia_man

Forgot to say that the Airnimals have 24in wheels but are otherwise very similar in concept to Bike Fridays.

Another option might be for you to buy a cheaper folding bike such as a Dahon second hand and upgrade the spec. But cheap folding bikes don't handle anywhere near as well as performance folders.