Folding Bikes & Wheel Size Compromise

[rgesner]

Like anything else, bicycles on cruising boat are a compromise.

Obviously, a compact folder with small wheels is going to fit better aboard and in the dinghy, but how much do small wheels impeded performance ashore, particular in unimproved locations. From your actual experience in foreign ports, what do you think is the wheel size best compromise between performance and on-board practicality?

Thanks - Rusty

[skipmac]

I once rode a small wheeled (15-16" if I recall) Dahon folder several miles across pothole filled streets and up the hill in Nassau with a mainsail on my back and it was not a problem. Rode the same bike down some slightly rough dirt roads in the out islands and it was OK.

A larger wheeled, fat tired bike would have been a lot safer and more comfortable and would have allowed usage on much rougher roads. Also, if you remove the wheels for storage a large wheeled bike is not that much larger than a smaller one. But, it is bigger so will depend on the space you have. If every inch is precious then go with the small wheels. If you've got the space, go big.

[lancelot9898]

I have a 20 plus year old Dahon folder that has 26 inch wheels that I rode today in the mountains. It's a mountain bike with only 7 gears with no derailer on the front crank so it's not really geared for going down hill other than coasting. Plus the tires are inflated only at 30 psi so not the best bike for road use. There were around 20 bikers out today with most having expensive road bikes, but I was able to keep pace with most. Going down hill it seems to be an improvement over the new hybrid bike that I bought a couple of years ago, but when I compared GPS top speed today with the hybrid, the folder was slower ( 25 mph vs 28 last week ). I thought that the folder would be faster since I had repacked the wheel bearings and maybe the heavier bike would be faster, but it wasn't.


It would be interesting to see the performance of small wheel bikes with this group. I always thought that the larger wheel would be the better performer, however, an experienced biker who peddled across the US told me that the smaller wheels would be faster all other things being equal. This seems to be contrary to my thoughts and if that was true would we not see those small wheels in the Tour de France?

[Lodesman]

There really isn't too much of a performance advantage in large wheels over small, except when it comes to coasting. From my experience I would put priority on having a bike that suits you (ie. frame geometry is comfortable for your riding style/needs). Having kept bikes on deck, I'd also opt for being able to put them below. Then in keeping with being dinghy-friendly, I'd go for an internally-geared hub; have used Shimano 7 and 8-sp hubs and loved them; and a belt-drive would be a huge bonus. Just my 2 cents

[rgesner]

These STRiDA Folding Bicycles look interesting, cogged belt drive, disc brakes and internal gears (but only 3-spd).
http://www.amazon.com/STRiDA-Folding.../dp/B00NQXPTAY

[roverhi]

Ride a Bike Friday (bikefriday.com) on or off the boat with 20" wheels and the tire size hasn't been an issue. The New World Tourist Model that I have will take up to a 1.5" wide tire, IIRC. They also make a model called the Llama that will take full width knobbies and can be ordered with suspension. The main issue with small tires is gearing. Have 27 gears in the 3x9 setup and it's gotten these tired old legs around in strong headwinds and steep hills. I still get passed by the spandex crowd on their 17lb carbon fiber full size bikes but that has a lot more to do with my condition than their tire size. With only a three speed hub or a 7spd derailleur you'd be standing up pumping up a hill and soon exhausted or run out of gears with a tail wind or down hill.

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by rgesner

Like anything else, bicycles on cruising boat are a compromise.

Obviously, a compact folder with small wheels is going to fit better aboard and in the dinghy, but how much do small wheels impeded performance ashore, particular in unimproved locations. From your actual experience in foreign ports, what do you think is the wheel size best compromise between performance and on-board practicality?

Thanks - Rusty

For me, 20" wheels hit the sweet spot, I wouldn't want to go any smaller... But I sail a smaller boat than yours, so that's the max I can stow below. No way would I carry a bike on deck...

But another consideration is getting your bike(s) ashore from an anchorage. A full size bike or 2 can fill up a tender pretty quickly...

My older aluminum Dahon D8 is a surprisingly good ride, and has held up very well...

[MarkJ]

I have a propper size bike because I am not a gnome and if little wheels are any good everyone would ride them.

Nowadays most bikes have quick release fore and aft wheels so you can store them easily on many boats.
Folding bikes have a couple of disadvantages: bloody expensive!! A cheap throw away new bike is a fraction of the cost.
The chains rust! Some folks spend near $2,000 on folding bikes for their boat... Marinised? Ho, ho, not the chain. Still rusts.
So go buy a new $400 bike that actually works, aint rusty, wheels pop off and goes up hill and down dale... Oh, and not with big fat tires... They just add friction, and how many mountains are you going to peddle up???

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

I have a propper size bike because I am not a gnome and if little wheels are any good everyone would ride them.

Nowadays most bikes have quick release fore and aft wheels so you can store them easily on many boats.
Folding bikes have a couple of disadvantages: bloody expensive!! A cheap throw away new bike is a fraction of the cost.
The chains rust! Some folks spend near $2,000 on folding bikes for their boat... Marinised? Ho, ho, not the chain. Still rusts.
So go buy a new $400 bike that actually works, aint rusty, wheels pop off and goes up hill and down dale... Oh, and not with big fat tires... They just add friction, and how many mountains are you going to peddle up???

All true. Even some of the marinized bikes have other fittings, screws and such besides the chain that rust.

Even better than a throw away new. Get a throw away used.

Another suggestion. I have taken full sized, used but decent bikes to the Caribbean in the past, too big to store below so carried on deck. When ready to make a passage or head home I donated the bikes to local kids who were thrilled to get it.

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by rgesner

Like anything else, bicycles on cruising boat are a compromise.

Obviously, a compact folder with small wheels is going to fit better aboard and in the dinghy, but how much do small wheels impeded performance ashore, particular in unimproved locations. From your actual experience in foreign ports, what do you think is the wheel size best compromise between performance and on-board practicality?

Thanks - Rusty

The short answer is to carry a bike with the biggest wheels that will fit on your boat.

The larger the wheel, the easier it will roll over obstacles and the faster and more comfortable it will be. This does not just apply to logs and boulders, but to small stones and irregularities in the road as well. 29" wheels have just about taken over the mountain bike market for this reason. If you just plan on pedaling down the malecon on smooth pavement, then 20" wheels will be fine, but if you are schlepping groceries, laundry and boat parts over pot-holed or dirt roads then you will find a 26" wheel with fat tires a much better tool for the job. Most of the lesser-developed countries we have been to have very rough roads even if they are paved, which they are often not. Negotiating potholes and curbs is much easier with a large wheel. You may also find yourself riding miles with a heavy backpack on rough roads. Your butt with thank you for the large wheels and fat tires.

We carry full-sized mountain bikes that we store in a v-berth. If you remove the front wheel, seat post and pedals they store fairly compactly and are a godsend when the boat is a long way from town.

[jheldatksuedu]

If you really ride a bike, you will not like small wheels, if you use a bike just to not walk a mile you can put up with the small wheels. I have developed a full size wheel that easily disassembles for storage, molded plastic rim parts, air pressure secures everything, but you can ride it flat without falling apart. It allows a full size bike to fit small carry on luggage. I want to find somebody that wants a business, I'll help get it started but I want to circumnavigate. Any takers or leads appreciated. Next step is a patent. Then multiple frame configurations that allow assembly as a bike for one, two or a Dutch style cargo bike.

[boatster]

The Strida has models with 16" and 18" wheels. I've commuted on local roads in the US for about 8,000 miles total, at most 5 miles at a stretch, on the 16" model. It's a one-speed, so performance is somewhat limited on flat terrain, but not so much going up or down big hills. I've found it's actually more stable on rough gravel than a larger bike. I have a larger folding 7-speed mountain bike (Dahon Jack). The Jack is heavier and more stable generally but not much different than the Strida as far as effort going up a big hill. From a boating perspective, one big advantage of the Strida is the fact it's driven by a Kevlar belt rather than a chain. It's also lighter, more compact, and folds/unfolds quickly and easily.

[Cavalier MK2]

I have the slightly larger 20" x 1 3/8" wheels on my Raliegh 20 and they handle everything well. It turned out to be a good trail/single track bike too which isn't too surprising when you think about bmx bikes. Tires make a big difference in speed.With high pressure 80+ psi Primo Comets and my 2 cog 3 speed hub for wide range I can average road bike speeds. Heading to the islands and logging roads the low pressure 45psi rough tread Kendas are a good choice for smoother ride and dirt traction. On the road they lose about 2 mph on my average.

[boatster]

Regarding tire pressure, I'd like to add the Strida LT comes with 100 psi tires.

[hamburking]

In order to save weight and space, my daughter has taken up the unicycle, with a 20" wheel. It is much lighter and smaller, has fewer moving parts, and is easy to carry or stow. If you want even fewer wheels, I suppose you could go with a pogo stick...but that would look silly.