Foldie or regular bike?

secretsam
secretsam Posts: 5,120
edited April 2016 in Commuting chat
Am weighing up the pros and cons of bikes as my London bike is beginning to need some TLC, and it's 10+ years old...

Currently I keep a bike in London at Marylebone station; I ride to the station on one bike, lock it, train, pick up other bike and off we go. London bike therefore gets a bit neglected and maintenance is a pain, as I do most of it myself.

The alternative is a folding bike: I've ridden a Brompton - which folds well but is a bit, er, different to ride, and a 20" wheel Tern (I think), which reminded me of a BMX :lol: and was quite fun.

But folding bikes mean dragging them on and off the train, etc. Plus they're not as good to ride as a regular bike.

So: any thoughts from those of you who've faced this dilemma???
It's just a hill. Get over it.

Comments

  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    I don't think I've ridden my Brompton in two years; so much easier to leave a cr*p bike locked up at the station and then do the London leg on a Boris bike. Since they sorted out the logistics of Boris bikes, the days of searching for bikes and empty docking stations seem to be over...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,120
    TGOTB wrote:
    I don't think I've ridden my Brompton in two years; so much easier to leave a cr*p bike locked up at the station and then do the London leg on a Boris bike. Since they sorted out the logistics of Boris bikes, the days of searching for bikes and empty docking stations seem to be over...

    LOL thinking of selling the old Brompton?

    Boris bikes - good enough for Wiggo, but not for me!
    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    SecretSam wrote:
    LOL thinking of selling the old Brompton?
    Could be tempted - I ended up just using it for the BWC, but since they changed the format of that I've lost interest. It's a bit "customised" though...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,120
    TGOTB wrote:
    Could be tempted - It's a bit "customised" though...

    PM me - I do love someone who fiddles with their bikes 8)
    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • dyrlac
    dyrlac Posts: 751
    TGOTB wrote:
    SecretSam wrote:
    LOL thinking of selling the old Brompton?
    Could be tempted - I ended up just using it for the BWC, but since they changed the format of that I've lost interest. It's a bit "customised" though...

    Yours is the pursuit brompton right? So tempting, but would want to do the fixie mod...
    All my Dolans
    Cannondale CAADX
    Charge Plug 1
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    Dyrlac wrote:
    TGOTB wrote:
    SecretSam wrote:
    LOL thinking of selling the old Brompton?
    Could be tempted - I ended up just using it for the BWC, but since they changed the format of that I've lost interest. It's a bit "customised" though...

    Yours is the pursuit brompton right? So tempting, but would want to do the fixie mod...
    It's an 8-speed pursuit Brompton, so maybe not the ideal candidate for a fixie mod.

    Half the difficulties with mine were combining a bar end shifter with TT brake levers on a base bar that fitted the stem, especially as there's only one bar end shifter compatible with the hub I used. If you want a fixie you're probably better off starting with a single speed M-type and changing the bars.
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    SecretSam wrote:
    TGOTB wrote:
    Could be tempted - It's a bit "customised" though...

    PM me - I do love someone who fiddles with their bikes 8)
    PM sent.
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • inbike
    inbike Posts: 264
    SecretSam wrote:
    Boris bikes - good enough for Wiggo, but not for me!

    They've improved the gear ratios on some of the boris bikes (look for the plasticy-looking gear levers) and they go a bit faster now.

    New brakes too. Good enough that I locked up both wheels and slid sideways on a wet day.

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