Taking fold-up bikes - yay or nay?

[annsni]

Ian - I can totally see how a scooter on a trawler can be a great thing and it just might be something if we ever get our Kady Krogen!

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Anyway, the hardware often sucks; dunno that it would be any better on those examples. My own Downtube folder has an internal Sturmey-Archer hub and it works fine... and the chain is still in OK condition... but the bolts holding stuff together have seen better days. I just had both of our folders re-habbed, new cables and so forth, so they've got more life in 'em... but it'd be better to find a quality alternative from the git-go.

And then still do the washdowns and rust-resistant oversprays religiously...

I should have mentioned... our carry bags do help protect the bikes a little, as long as the bikes were stowed clean and sprayed with rust preventive.

Somebody mentioned the West Marine bikes; our other one is one of the early ones, their less expensive model. It has worked as well as my Downtube model, although without front suspension (not a huge deal) and only 3-speed. Didn't cost a lot. The key to both -- for us -- is the ability to strap a milk crate onto the rear rack, for supplies. Plus backpack, handlebar bag, we can each carry quite a lot.

I think it's relatively easy to find bikes with alloy frames, rims, and handlebars; stainless chains; stainless hubs (internal being my prefererence); even drive shafts or belt drives... but miscellaneous hardware... not so much.

I've often thought of simply replacing each and every original bolt/nut/screw/washer/etc. with 316 stainless from someplace like McMaster-Carr... but haven't looked into whether that would be possible or not. In our current case, removing some of the existing bolts might be tough, might be destructive at this point... so a project like that might be best done up front, before using the bike in the first place..

-Chris

[Ian Streten]

Because of medically associated problems both my wife & I are unable to ride bikes anymore. Also it has meant that we can no longer sail a yacht safely anymore because we can't react quickly enough to any sail emergency that might occur. That is why we own a Trader Trawler yacht. The big advantages of this to us it allows us the room to have a small 125cc motor bike & it travels quite successfully on our aft deck. We have a hydraulic crane that enables us to load it off & on quite easily. We have had it for four years now & yes we have to take quite a bit of care with regard to the vagories of the climate it is subjected to but with silicone & WD40 etc. we manage to keep it in pretty good condition. The beauty of this facility is that we think nothing of taking a hundred mile tour from our boat which enhances our cruising life. We are currently enjoying the Greek Ionian with not much of an intention of moving on. With the format of all the islands in this area 'Horace the Honda' is a very important part of our crew.

[Zach]

For chain maintenance...

NAPA sells a product called "Chain and Cable Lube" that does a great job on bicycle chains around salt. A lot better than WD40...

Zach

[foojin]

We got a Strida in Thailand and a Dahon in Japan. Wonderful things, for provisioning, sightseeing, whatever, though a tight fit on a Vancouver 27. We still have the bikes, but on a bit bigger boat.

The beauty of a Strida is there is no chain, clean as a whistle.

[a64pilot]

This is one way to solve the getting old dilemma, the Honda motor is a four stroke and runs, well like a Honda



It was used to put in an airplane for when rental cars weren't available, but has had recent use on the boat

[jheldatksuedu]

I could not imagine life on my boat without a bike. I use the bike all the time, I have a fold up trailer made from a 2 kid carrier, and have carried a 97 pound bag of cement, back to the boat. I build and experiment a lot, designed a full size bike with full size wheels that fit small carry on luggage. I can't stand to put any miles on 20 inch wheels. I'm looking into the 29 fat tire. My rims easily disassemble, that's the key to fitting the small luggage. You can see the frame and early wheels on my website.

Good ideas

I would like to find somebody that wants to go into business building this idea. I'd help for some of the hopefully long term profits. The wheel pieces would be injection molded so that rust would not be a problem. The final wheel design looks nothing like the old website picture. Basically it was a mockup testing the frame ideas. The latest wheel design has 200 hard miles on it with no problem, next step is to make an injection mold machine and prove that part of the design. I also expect the final frame design to be modular, it could be assembled as a bike for 1, 2 or a cargo bike, like in Holland.

This bike would be much easier to load and carry in the dinghy.

I have ideas for a small diesel weedwacker motor, to add power to a bike for long trips, like 1500 miles from Kansas to Florida, I've done that trip. I've been wanting to mock up a city bike and try it, direct drive pedals on the rear rim, no chain, brakes, etc. Simplicity to the max. I also bought a Nuvinci hub but haven't played with it yet. I figure it with a belt drive would be a good combo if they can stand the salt.

[foothillsailor]

I think that the extent to which you may use folding bikes will be dependent on where you are going and where you hope to use them.

We have 2 folding bikes that we used extensively in Canada and the USA ---good roads or pathways, respectful drivers and taxis were too expensive---

However in a third world country such as Mexico for example we rarely used them ---cobblestone roads, potholes, narrow streets, drivers less concerned about cyclists' well being, no dedicated biking routes, cheap taxis, good public transit, and concerns about theft all resulted in our leaving the bikes stored on board .

Plus it seemed that if we were going somewhere it always seemed it was out for an evening's entertainment or dining (and didn't want to be riding our bikes home in the dark after muchas cerveses) or we were taking longer daytime trips to provision or buy parts and needed more carrying capacity for groceries etc.

And yes--in a marine environment they do rust a lot (even some of the supposed stainless steel parts)

Just my 2 bits

[Canibul]

Originally Posted by boatster

Canibul, the Strida LT is single speed, but I've not found that be a problem. I use it to go up and down hills over several miles when commuting. The gear ratio compares to the lower gears of a folding mountain bike I also own (Dahon Jack). Peddling the Strida feels about the same going up hills as the mountain bike in first gear, but noticeably less heavy. I don't recommend the Strida as a long distance bike and always have opted for the mountain bike for distances of over 5 miles at a time.

Looking at their website, I see they have a different model, Evo, with a three speed tranny in the bottom bracket. But it's a different bike than the LT.

For those liking stainless chains, well, unless I'm mistaken ( and I find I frequently am) only the side plates of the chain are stainless. The pins and rollers or whatever you call them are carbon steel. Stainless is too soft for that kind of friction and wear. I found this out when the stainless chains on my Hobie Mirage Drives started failing. In fact, I think the different metals in contact with each other probably make them corrode faster than a chain made from one material. But I bet they all have at least two grades of steel in them.

[Scout 30]

Has anyone gone electric?


The world's first super light folding electric bike | YikeBike

[nimblemotors]

The Strida looks good in terms of corrosion, but that bike can't go very fast, the small wheels and twitchy steering just ain't gonna work.
My opinion is an electric 'scooter' is the way to go.

Many of these portable bikes they stress how quick you can fold them, which I don't think matters. I designed mine to break apart into three parts, so each part if lighter and easier to transport and store. A so-called 'kick bike' with a large front wheel, similiar to one of these:

[oregoncycle]

As a major bike touring fool, my email name has been oregon cycle with self supportrd tours on all continents with the,exception of Antarctica a bike is a must. I have two non folders on board. Take off the wheels, turn the handle bars sideways and they don't take up as much room. The freedom they provide is worth the effort. Shamanio. 105 components are the battle proven touring gear though rain mud and massive distance that most of us touring rely on. Teflon lube sprayed on before storing will keep rust away. Dries with a nice film. Wd40 not so good. Cheap bikes will drive you crazy. Took a folder on a 700 mile tour of Greece. Came home and gave it away.

[Canibul]

I, too, hesitate at the small wheels. I also have had mixed results with the two folding Montague bikes, I cannot see why anyone would like them. They remind me of what we called 'slughumpers' back when I was riding centuries on weekends. you know, the cheapo $99 bikes Kmart carried. A short adjustable Crescent wrench was the tool kit for them. Montague has a lot in common with those, but at six times the price.

several people have mentioned the low end West Marine bikes, but I am not able to find any such animal on this site. West Marine What West Marine brand folding bike are y'all referring to? The AMC?

Also notice they all seem to have front suspension forks these days. I know I don't want sliding front forks on a bike.

[CarinaPDX]

I started out with my trusty Trek touring bike, with a carrying bag for use with the wheels off. I used it a lot in Alameda and San Diego on the way south, but not again until Ireland. It is a great bike to ride, but was just taking up too much space, was awkward to bring out/stow, and was just too attractive to bike thieves. I brought it back by air, and now that I am back I have upgraded almost all of the components. Corrosion was an issue, but nothing a little timely maintenance couldn't handle.

I had a Brompton shipped in to Gibraltar, and I rode it extensively in the Med (thousands of miles and multiple sets of tires). It was easy to stow folded in the cockpit, and below for passages, and with the nylon cover I took it with me into shops instead of worrying about theft (fits neatly in the back of a shopping cart). Between the front bag and the rear rack it hauls an amazing amount of stores. For me it is an essential tool. I added clip-on pedals/cleats as well as a Swiss Mountain Drive to extend the gear range for easy hill climbing. Does it ride as well as the Trek? No, of course not, but it is more than adequate for most rides. After 8 years of heavy use I did have to overhaul it; among other things the folding hinges were loose from use. I took the opportunity to upgrade some components and it is now better than ever. It's berth is assured...

If you enjoy bike riding and are willing/able to do basic maintenance then definitely take bikes along. Unless you are a hard core rider go for a folder, and the smaller the better (Brompton). If space or maintenance is an issue then just buy a cheap bike when you settle in for the off-season; it is usually easy to sell when you leave.

Corrosion is mostly an issue with the plated fasteners - most quality components these days are aluminum. Many can be replaced with metric SS but there is a lot of odd stuff that can't be found in SS so anti-corrosion coatings are very useful.

Greg

[jkindredpdx]

I agree, if you ride a bike at home, you'll probably use a bike when living on board...if not, well...

IMHO folding bikes don't handle well, so I installed a bike rack fork mount on Sedna's aft deck (center cockpit). I don't like clutter on my forward deck and didn't want to wrestle a bike out of a cabin or locker. With the front tire removed, my ancient Gary Fisher is lower than the stern railing and Gary is as handy as taking him off my car's rack. So I have a cheap bike with good suspension, light weight, cargo rack, and fat tires. I don't know how much good it does, but I toss a re-purposed plastic outdoor gas grill cover over the bike when not in use and lube the chain, derailleurs, cables and bearing every few months. I tried using a lower quality bike as a "boat bike" in the past. I barely used it cuz it was a (heavy) pain to ride.

BTW.. if you take a bike, Square Plastic buckets make decent panniers for grocery shopping. I hope you find a good solution that works for you...