THE Bicycle and 'Cycling Thread (merged)

SoothSayer

I want to buy one .... but the choice seems to be (in the UK at least) between heavy cheap Chinese singe-hinge foldables and hi-tech very expensive lightweight commuter bikes.

The crude ones are useless, except to allow them to be fitted into a car ... and the nice ones are way too expensive!

Why is life never simple?
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nemo

My Grandparents used to own and operate a pair of foldable "suitcase bikes" - I'm unsure of the model, but they had dinky little wheels and a drive belt rather than a chain. My dearly departed grandfather was quite enthusiastic about it - even though it was less than ideal to ride and far from cheap, it would give him extended range beyond the subway and bus network, and it is the only type of bike that's allowed to carry onboard city buses and trains here.

Grandpa was a renaissance man in many ways and a bit of an explorer, and enjoyed his bring along bike, but a more common solution for commuters is multiple bicycles. Major public transport hubs here usually have ample space for parking a bike, and many people have two cheapo banger bikes, one parked at each station.

drew

You can do it cheap with a minimum of effort. I have been riding high end bikes for a decade now and can truthfully say there are huge deals on equipment that is just a few seasons old. Even cheaper highend stuff can be had for about 1000 dollars new. Buy a good quality bike and take it to a local frame builder. He or she can braze on couplings for probably less than 250 dollars. A steel frame would probably be cheapest to mod, but Ti or aluminum is not a problem if the builder is familiar with these metals.

That, my friends is how to get a decent folding bike.

Drew

shaunpagan

I just purchased a Kent folding bike for $180 a few weeks ago. It's only 25 lbs. I park my car on the street near work and then bike the last 1.5 miles. I save $9.90 a day in parking and burn off a few calories at the same time. To read my review of my bike, you can find it on Amazon.com. I'll try to link it, but I'm pretty new to posting here so wish me luck at getting the link to work.

Kent Folding Bike

oilfreeandhappy

Mine is a Dahon Piccolo, that I purchased used (although it only had about 50 miles on it) on EBay for $200 + $40 shipping. Based on Dahon's website, I think it's a discontinued model. They have quite a few different offerings, and weights range from 19# to over 30#. Pricing is anywhere from the $300s to over $1000.

http://www.dahon.com/us/folding-bicycles-us-models.htm

Mine is probably in the midrange. I have no problem carrying the folded bike with one hand up stairs. I purchased a cover for it, so the only thing that shows, when folded, is the protruding seat. I use the seat as a handle to carry it. Some cities will only allow folding bicycles on board buses and trains, if they're covered.
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blukatzen · Intermediate Crude Joined: Apr 11, 2005 Posts: 588

As I've written on before, Hubby and I own about 10 bikes total, from the crap bikes (for city grocery runs..so no one takes it) to great modern Trek and Cannondale and vintage Raleigh/Peugeot bikes. He had a nice German fold-up he found somewhere's when he used to go sailing with a friend and they needed some transport into the local towns. Fold-ups are nice for that. Also for RV-ers and campers.
You will usually find them around that crowd, if you are interested in buying one.
I found a stainless steel Dahon 3 years ago on ebay, and he loved it. (mind you, this was a "birthday present" for ME..) When it came, it was so heavy that *I* took possession of the German one, and let him have the stainless steel Dahon. He loves riding it, and loves riding vintage bikes. (he used to bike commute to University, then, work for over 15 years in his youth.)
Next bike I get will be a trike recumbent (too difficult here in the city...too much stop and go to make it practical.) when we move hopefully within a year or so, closer to his work, and out in the country. He would love a Rivendell. http://www.rivbike.com/

SILENTTODD

Thanks for this subject oilfreeandhappy.

In my current situation I would have no need for one, but 12 years ago I was commuting by train that dropped me off 4 miles from work, I had to wait and travel by bus the rest of the way that sometimes took another 45 mins to get to work.

I had thought about getting a cheap, beat up bike and locking it at the train station. I knew folding bikes existed, but thought they were pretty much novelty toys, not something you could really use everyday.

If I am ever in that situation again I will definitely check these out!
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johnmarkos

I own a Brompton, which I used to ride all the time. However, now I live on a big, steep hill and I need a full sized bike to get up it. Even then, I sometimes walk it up "the wall" if I'm feeling exhausted.

nemo · Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 10:26 pm Post subject: Re: Who's into Sloppy Bicycling?

I had a little accident the other day. Temps have been hovering around freezing, and when the hard packed snow/ice thaws a bit around noon it gets really slick, even though they're usually pretty good at sanding here. I had a brain fart and went fast into a corner, and the studs just didn't work. Banged and bruised elbow, plus a meeting of frame and shin that drew a little blood. No biggie, but I felt very stupid, even more so as I had my spill in front of an audience.

Winter riding has it's dangers and requires more caution and focus than I possessed at that point in time, I suppose.

Edit:What makes it even worse is that I busted up a pair of jeans in that very same corner as a teenager - at the time I blamed debris on the asphalt, but it was stupidity that time too. Never again, I say!

snax · Tar Sands Joined: Jan 20, 2007 Posts: 75

Sorry to read that. At least now you know the limits of the studs.

I've got a set of homemade spikes that I've rarely had opportunity to use, but even those I suspect could hand me my pride at the most embarrassing moment. Wink

nemo

Oh my...

So very, very pretty.

mekmek

I bought a second hand one last week. No gears, 20" wheels. I'm 6'3" - firstly I can fit on it and it is a much faster/more comfortable ride than I expected . It has many applications and I'm really happy with it.

gg3

Soothsayer, how could you complain?, you have the Sinclair and the Strida both available locally to you. Here in the US we can get neither. Yet.

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The Sinclair A-Bike is an ultra-compact design that is known for its tiny wheels. Reviewers almost universally say the seat is uncomfortable, so realistically it's not practical for long rides, and it is limited to a max weight of 185# (rider plus backpack full of stuff). However within those limits, it could be more than suitable for riding on level ground over good roads where the distance is relatively short i.e. a mile or two.

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The Strida is also an ultra-compact design but has larger wheels and a comfy seat and is rated up to 250#. This could be quite a practical design for longer distances and where one needs to haul a bit of a load. If you have any thoughts of getting a folding bike and want something ultra-simple and straightforward to use and to fold up, it looks to me that this is the one. As soon as Strida become available in the US (mid to late 2007), I'm going to check it out and might buy one.

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IMHO the problem with most folding bikes is that they are complicated as hell to set up and take down, to the point where for me they would not be practical. Also in most designs, you have an exposed chain, with grease, waiting to make its mark on your clothes when you're folding the bike or carrying it around.

Both the Sinclair and the Strida are single-speed designs. The Sinclair has an enclosed drive chain. The Strida has an exposed cogged belt that needs no grease. The Strida in particular appears to be the height of simplicity for setup and takedown.

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That being said, match the bike to the application. For longer rides where there is ample time at origin & destination, the more complex multi-speed bikes may be the best bet. For shorter rides i.e. house to public transport, and then public transport to workplace, the single speed bikes will do.

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As for those steep hills in SF, my take on that is, hills are nature's way of saying Stay Out Of Here. Think about access to those places after the end of the oil age. Most electric vehicles can't even climb the SF hills in the first place. The result is that people who live up there will be absolutely dependent on public transport to the extent that it is running at all.

Revi · Fusion Joined: Apr 25, 2005 Posts: 3255 Location: Maine

Rome was built on seven hills. San Francisco is such a beautiful city, if's probably worth the push up a hill or two for the view.

I had a german folding bike, and I tried to take it on the bus, but they told me that I had to have it in a box. What do you do with the box when you get to the destination? What a pain. Maybe you can use a bag. The American mass transit planners don't understand that we are trying to use it as transportation. Most busses drop you off miles from downtown and other transport options, so it makes a lot of sense to have a folding bike.

yesplease · Fission Joined: Oct 03, 2006 Posts: 2316

Bickerton Portable.