Folding bikes?

[mikeschn]

So if I am looking for a bike to take out of town... and want to throw it in the back of the CRV along with lots of other stuff, is a folding bike a good option?

If so, which one?

Mike...

 

[jonw-TNT]

So if I am looking for a bike to take out of town... and want to throw it in the back of the CRV along with lots of other stuff, is a folding bike a good option?

If so, which one?

Mike...

I have a Citizen Miami that wasn't to expensive. It only has a few gears so it sucks if you have to go up many hills but otherwise it's fine for tooling around.

I originally bought it for riding around campgrounds but never used it much so I'm planning on putting it on Craigslist in a few weeks.

 

[Fenlason]

I don't really know folders that well. We [our shop.. or any shop I have worked at] don't see many of them. Other parts of the world take them much more seriously. For that matter other parts of the world takes cycling in general more serious.

Folder do vary.. people have different requirements.. how often does one need to fold it.. how small does it need to be… how easy does it need to be to fold. Someone wanted to fly to Europe with a smaller package.. might have very different requirements that someone that commutes regularly and brings the bike into their office.. or onto a train.

Of the quality ones I have some experience with.. are the Bike Friday.. Alex Moultain.. hmm a friend has a full size bike that folds a bit. hmm I am not sure if it was a Ritchey?

 

[Ed Harris]

I have a Surley Traveler Check that uses S&S couplers to break down into 2 sections for easier transport.
This is a real Steel bike from a major manufacturer that is made to travel.

All folding bikes that I tried were just too much compromise although the Friday was not that bad among them.


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[The ugly duckling]

I've got a variety of bike that I could take camping but I find that my folding bikes work out the best. I've got a Dahon Speed (8 speed) for me and my wife has a Downtube 8H with a 8 speed internal hub and belt drive instead of a chain. She likes the belt drive because it's clean! No worries about grease on her leg.

Compared to a "normal" bike they take a little getting used to. Slightly twitchy at first but you soon adjust. As far as folded size they are around 32" long, 20"wide and 25" tall. One would easily fit in the back of your CRV. Two might be a stretch. They weight about 28-30 lbs. I wouldn't want to carry them up a flight of stairs!!

We love them for use around the campground and going to the wash house. We put them in our vehicle when exploring new places. When the situation allows, we grab the bikes and go exploring. Wouldn't want to use them for a long ride, but for short and slow rides their great!

 

[mikeschn]

that's a nice frame, but it looks like a bunch of work to break it down...

Mike...

I have a Surley Traveler Check that uses S&S couplers to break down into 2 sections for easier transport.
This is a real Steel bike from a major manufacturer that is made to travel.

All folding bikes that I tried were just too much compromise although the Friday was not that bad among them.


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[ZugZug]

I have a Brompton and it's awesome. Great bikes, quite exy but worth it I believe. Fits behind the front seat of my car easily. Took it to the US, Europe and U.K. Recently. Used it very heavily and it didn't miss a beat. Great bikes. I got the 6 speed with the minus 12 percent gearing. Highly recommend if you are not put off by the price.


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[daveesl77]

We had been wanting folding bikes for a couple of years, but the prices were really high. A few months ago, my neighbor let me know that some of their friends were selling theirs. Gave them a call and $50 later we had two, Dahon Mariner's. We both love these! They are probably from the early 90s, but were essentially never used. They fold up easily and the two of them pop right into the small well behind our minivan's 3rd row seat, with room to spare. I guess they weigh maybe 35# each. They are comfortable and easy to ride.

Thumbs up for folding bikes, IF you can find them cheap! I just would not consider them at $700 each plus.

dave

 

[friz-TNT]

Conventional bikes don't have to take up a great deal of space. This is a picure of me and my wife's mtbs with the front wheels and seats removed, stowed in the camper.

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[Tommy2bits]

I sold my fat tire electric bike for a folding electric bike from the same company (Sondors). It was $699 + $120 shipping and they just released these. It slips into my camper nicely and has plenty of power.

 

[dmb90260]

Some of us more advanced Seniors can use an electric boost so I have been looking for electric bikes.

The Rad Mini is an electric folding bike. It is more substantial than the Sondors folding bike but so is the price $1499. They ship free in US.
There is some "put it together" but they offer links to guys who will do it for you... in some areas for a price.

Here is a review off youTube.

I saw the RadMini and regular Sondors at a trailer rally last week but was not able to try either one. I prefer the look of the RadMini.

 

[Tommy2bits]

My Sondors is plenty tough for me but maybe you mean the power is better on the rad. I wish I had a little more power but then again I couldn't afford anything more powerful so I am glad these are available. I think the Fold that I have looks stupid, (It looks like a folding bike LOL) I sold my awesome looking fat tire bike for this only because it folds so I can get it into my camper but I discovered a BMX handlebar conversion that I can do that makes the bike look totally awesome! I am going to do it this week. I won't be able to fold the handlebars down anymore but I never did to begin with, folding the body in half is all I need. Here's a pic of a bike with the conversion.

 

[dmb90260]

My Sondors is plenty tough for me but maybe you mean the power is better on the rad. I wish I had a little more power but then again I couldn't afford anything more powerful so I am glad these are available..

I did not get to ride the bikes so I could not compare the power between the brands, I liked the look of the Rad Mini better. It is rated to carry my weight handily, very important. Mine is on order and should arrive this week some time.
I had a standard size e-Moto electric that was hard to deal with if I stowed it in my trailer. I liked it until it died and then the web site and help dissappered. I was never able to find anyone who could fix it. The Rad is out of Seattle and I hope for much better support.

 

[Tommy2bits]

Nice Kenskill by the way, I am in the Kenskill Yahoo group although I don't post much since I sold my '58 Kenskill. I pull a Scotty and a Shasta now.

 

[dmb90260]

This is the Rad Mini Folding Bike.

Folded and stowed in the back seat of my Tundra.
The handle bars fold over and the seat is removed.

 

[dmb90260]

Nice Kenskill by the way, I am in the Kenskill Yahoo group although I don't post much since I sold my '58 Kenskill. I pull a Scotty and a Shasta now.

I run that forum, it is very quiet since a group started on Facebook.

 

[Tommy2bits]

Yup same here too... its like people think the whole internet is on Facebook... matter of convenience I guess. I used to run the very popular Chevy Abody showcase in Yahoo groups but I let it go to the new FB page and owner

 

[spacer]

I know this thread is a bit older, but I've done some traveling with my Montague Paratrooper and it worked great. While a full size 26" wheeled bike, still folded small enough to fit in a trunk, and handled me when I was 370 lbs, though the factory only rates it for 240 (roughly where I am now). I did upgrade the wheels, crankset, and seatpost... just to reinforce it.
I've considered setting it up to tow a micro-foamie, and I'd look at setting the trailer up with a storage bag or box on the front where I can lock up my bike out of sight when the trailer is set up. Stop at a good spot, unhitch and deploy trailer, fold bike (about 30 seconds), and stow it... unless I need to ride out for some groceries or something.

I'm only beginning to visit the idea of a bike camper, but I think I'd consider a narrower trailer that would expand on deployment, so as not to take up too much space while riding. A good reference, I guess, would be to splay my elbows while on the bike, and measure the width. No point in going narrower than myself, after all.

 

[Tommy2bits]

I know this thread is a bit older, but I've done some traveling with my Montague Paratrooper and it worked great. While a full size 26" wheeled bike, still folded small enough to fit in a trunk, and handled me when I was 370 lbs, though the factory only rates it for 240 (roughly where I am now). I did upgrade the wheels, crankset, and seatpost... just to reinforce it.
I've considered setting it up to tow a micro-foamie, and I'd look at setting the trailer up with a storage bag or box on the front where I can lock up my bike out of sight when the trailer is set up. Stop at a good spot, unhitch and deploy trailer, fold bike (about 30 seconds), and stow it... unless I need to ride out for some groceries or something.

I'm only beginning to visit the idea of a bike camper, but I think I'd consider a narrower trailer that would expand on deployment, so as not to take up too much space while riding. A good reference, I guess, would be to splay my elbows while on the bike, and measure the width. No point in going narrower than myself, after all.

Wow I always thought about bringing my bike camping but you are talking about bringing your camper behind your bike! I would definitely keep weight in mind over compactness. I see alot of these trailers that unfold into tiny trailers that when unfolded are tiny enough and I just think of all the engineering and extra hardware to make it do all that stuff is really not needed and just makes the thing heavier. Going for a faomie sounds like a great idea. One idea that I saw was like a coffin and at the rear was a hinge and it opened up like Pac Man with a curtain hanging down, very simple and thin and light weight.

 

[Tommy2bits]

I found it!!