Folding Bike Info Request

[foamcore]

Well Steve, Bromptons are pretty nice. You owe yourself a ride on one.I owned a Bike Friday and it was a wonderful bike too. They fold up into one of the smallest packages. Not so easy to fold though.

[Microship]

Tempting indeed... from what I've seen, night and day compared to the DaHon Mariner (which was my default). But after 17,000 miles of touring, even long ago, I think I'll be picky and want something really well made... though keeping up with preventive maintenance is essential, of course. Water corrodes; salt water corrodes absolutely.

[roverhi]

I've got a Bike Friday New World Tourist. It's a serious bike that I actually like to ride more than my other three full sized bikes. Have done several 50+ mile rides in really hilly country and the 27 speeds were a godsend for this old rider. Bike fits into a suitcase that can be shipped as luggage so way cheaper to travel with than a full size bike. The suitcase can also be converted into a trailer for carrying really bulky items to the boat. Suitcase stows in the forepeak on passages. Have a canvas storage bag for getting it to shore in the dinghy. Takes 15 minutes or so to compress it into the suitcase but folds into the bag in a minute.

These bikes are expensive but they come up regularly on Ebay for a bit less than having one made for you.

[farotherside]

I'm a bit of a bike nerd, and since I don't own a car, my bike and my sailboat are my only modes of personal transportation. My previous bicycle was greatly beloved, but did not fare well on the boat, as it did not fit indoors and as such was slowly going to rust. I ride mostly in the city, where track geometry and singlespeed/fixed-gear riding are a plus - I don't think I'd want to ride fixed in a really mountainous area, though Vancouver is by no means flat!

I purchased a Montague Boston, stripped it of most of the consumer-grade parts, and ported over all of the "good bits" from my previous bike. Now I'm left with this:



well, actually, I've now re-done the headset and stem to better fit me, and replaced the seatpost and saddle with a silver Thompson Elite post and a white Fi'zi:k Arione saddle... but I don't have a current photo of that.

Best parts? Folding the bike takes five seconds - ten if I drop the seatpost, another ten if I remove the front wheel. Without dropping the post or removing the wheel, the bike fits quite handily through one of my storage hatches, or fits easily into the zodiac.

[kbudd]

My wife and I cruise the great lakes and we have 2 folding bikes. I should add that we are both fairly serious cyclists (both former road racers) and we ride several thousand miles a year. I have to disagree with the folks who recommend only full size bikes. There are plenty of good folding bikes that will fit you just as well as a non folding bike. The choice of bikes is much like the choice of boats. There are types for everyone. A Dahon mu P8 folding bike is almost as fast as my regular road bike. For just tooling around, West marine sells a folding bike that is a real deal. They are often on sale for $200. If you want something for more serious riding, Dahon makes a whole range of folding bikes.

[Roy M]

I recently bought a Montague Paratrooper from West Marine. It has been called "a mountain bike that folds". You can check them out on YouTube. They are standard issue for US Marines and other folks who require durable,compact alternative transport in remote places that aren't friendly to transit.

I am 6'2", weigh about 245, and hadn't ridden a bike in quite a few years. I had to change the stem, holding the handlebars, to allow me to ride more upright, but it was an inexpensive alteration that doesn't affect the folding of the bike at all. I am as happy as I could be with this bike. It is a serious tool for the cruising sailor.

Now, the only thing I am still considering, is one of a variety of mountain bike trailers, to allow carrying several jerry jugs of diesel or other bulky things while ashore. There are some really nice ones out there.

[Unicorn Dreams]

We have 3 full sized Dahons folders on board.

IMHO do not get small wheeled bikes, 24-26" bikes hanle and ride better..

[HopCar]

Back in the 1970's we sold a small folding bicycle with a gas engine on it called The Bumble Bike. I had one for many years until it was stolen. The Bumble Bike folks fitted the motor to a folding bike made by Worksman Bicycles in New York. The motor was a gimmick but the bike was terrific. It turns out that Worksman still makes them. Worksman got started making industrial delivery bicycles and they are very rugged. The folding bike comes as a single, three or seven speed.
I liked the single speed. It was geared pretty low so you didn't have a great top end but boy could it accelerate! I once threw it in the back of a small plane, flew to Key West and rode it all over. Take a look at all the speciality bikes Worksman makes: trikes, surreys, Pennyfarthings, ice cream vending, hand powered, tandem, folding tandem, pizza delivery, hand powered bikes and a bunch more. Here is a link to their website: Industrial Bicycles and Industrial Tricycles from Worksman Cycles Factory Direct Store

[Roy M]

Some YouTube videos to check out:

Montague Paratrooper demo:

YouTube - ‪Montague Paratrooper Folding Mountain Bike‬‏

Aevon bike trailer:

YouTube - ‪Aevon Bicycle Trailer Demo‬‏

Load test done with a trailer STD 100 from Aevon. The trailer was loaded up to 125kg. It was done only to show that the specified max. loads are far under what the trailer can support.:

YouTube - ‪Aevon Bicycle Single Wheel Trailer Load-Test - 125Kg!!‬‏