Taking fold-up bikes - yay or nay?

[oregoncycle]

Originally Posted by Canibul

You're right, and I stand corrected on the frame material. To be honest, with all the other low end components on this bike, I found it incredible that an aluminum allow bike STILL weighs 32 lbs.
.

For aluminum to be strong bike frame it has to be thicker walled so the difference in weight between a steel frame and aluminum frame is slight.

[roverhi]

Originally Posted by oregoncycle

For aluminum to be strong bike frame it has to be thicker walled so the difference in weight between a steel frame and aluminum frame is slight.

Actually, the way to build light weight aluminum frames is to use thin wall, large diameter tubes. Mfg. like Cannondale have been making lightweight frames from Aluminum for decades. If you see a bike with large diameter tubing it will usually be light weight aluminum. All large diameter aluminum tube aluminum bikes are not created equal, however. The large diameter tubes have became a design fad. Lots of cheap aluminum framed, large tube bikes weigh a ton. They forgot that it's large diameter and THIN WALL tubing that makes aluminum light and strong. The heavy cheap bikes have thick wall tubing as well as large diameter.

FWIW, aluminum is 1/3rd the weight and strength of Steel. On the face, it would seem that you couldn't build a bike lighter than a steel. With the large diameter/thin wall tubing on super high quality aluminum and steel frames, it works out to about a pound advantage for aluminum. On lesser quality but still good frames, aluminum has a greater advantage.

[jkindredpdx]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

My Strida has been with me a few years now. I wouldnt give it up for anything. Gets me within 5-10 mile from my vessel. Off to the grocery store with a back pack. Good exercise, light and tiny. Most people never see it hanging in the aft cabin on my 35 ft. boat. Powder coated Alum., stainless disc brakes and Kevlar drive belt...NO GREASE!

You got me interested in at least riding one.

Pretty cool commercial too!
https://youtu.be/kd9hN7H5tUc

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by roverhi

The Strada's ride position is ergonomically terrible. The low seat high, handlebar position ignores human physiology. It does not take advantage of big muscles in the back of the leg, butt and lower back. To best utilize those muscles and put the most effective force on the pedals, your back needs to be leaning at least slightly forward when pedaling. The way to get the best endurance and least muscle strain is to involve the largest range of muscles. An upright seating position does the opposite.

I see mostly women and those dumb beach cruiser bikes set up with a bolt upright riding position and think how stupid. For me, it's also the most uncomfortable way to ride any distance.

My feeling is you looked at one, sat on it and came away with an opinion. It is adjustable and I will admit, designed to store rather than a Tour de France.

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

My feeling is you looked at one, sat on it and came away with an opinion. It is adjustable and I will admit, designed to store rather than a Tour de France.

Anyone that owns a boat understands compromise.

[CarinaPDX]

Strength and weight are not the only considerations for material: flexibility is another (and cost, but that is another issue). Bromptons use a single large horizontal structural steel tube (thin wall). Many have asked for an aluminum version, not understanding that to make an aluminum frame (of that design) with the same rigidity would be of little or no weight advantage. Flexibility in the frame is a bad thing for a road bike as it wastes energy - advantage steel. Of course there are large differences in the quality of steel tubing so steel is no guarantee. The old road bikes with Reynolds or Columbus double-butted tubing were very high-tech.

Greg

[Sea Frog]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

But the single speed and little wheels would make the Strida unsuitable for my application.

The new Stridas have 3 speeds and larger (but still manageable) wheels.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Sea Frog

The new Stridas have 3 speeds and larger (but still manageable) wheels.

They went from 16" to 18" wheels. I would hope with the 3 speed, it was mostly for hill climbing easability and not speed. They are a little skidish over 15mph.

[Wrong]

Two near global circumnavigations and I've never hired a taxi. Didn't have to because I carry not one, but two full size road bikes on my 27' double ender. The second is mainly a spare for when the primary is eventually stolen... The only lock that has thus far deterred thieves is a New York Standard U-lock, and I have only used one of these so far State side. No matter the type of cable, none will stop a bike thief. Period.

A road bike with quick release hubs enables removing both wheels a cinch. I venture to guess the space consumed by a full size road bike frame sans wheels is not going to be much different than a folder. Only necessary when under way too. I've always managed to find someplace relatively secure to lock my bike onshore, eliminating the need to ferry it back & forth. Otherwise on the very rare occasion I was in a marina, the bike is locked topsides on the boat. I have a kiwi Lobo polyethelene kayak and an Advanced Elements inflatable kayak. About the only time the inflatable is used is to serve as a means for towing the bike ashore behind the Lobo, or visa versa.

In order of importance a bike is right up there with an EPIRB, gps and means for reliable communication. Wouldn't leave without one!

[oregoncycle]

[QUOTE=roverhi;1831265 .. it works out to about a pound advantage for aluminum. On lesser quality but still good frames, aluminum has a greater advantage.[/QUOTE]

if I was a racer in da tour da France that 1# may be an advantage but I have a banner on the back of my bike that reads Tour da Fat

[Sea Frog]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

They went from 16" to 18" wheels. I would hope with the 3 speed, it was mostly for hill climbing easability and not speed. They are a little skidish over 15mph.

That's what I though too. I heard people complain about hill climbing on 1 speed Strida. Well, I was thinking about buying one for my wife, so I may rent it for a day or two to see if it feels OK.

[Canibul]

Originally Posted by roverhi

Actually, the way to build light weight aluminum frames is to use thin wall, large diameter tubes. Mfg. like Cannondale have been making lightweight frames from Aluminum for decades. If you see a bike with large diameter tubing it will usually be light weight aluminum. All large diameter aluminum tube aluminum bikes are not created equal, however. The large diameter tubes have became a design fad. Lots of cheap aluminum framed, large tube bikes weigh a ton. They forgot that it's large diameter and THIN WALL tubing that makes aluminum light and strong. The heavy cheap bikes have thick wall tubing as well as large diameter.

FWIW, aluminum is 1/3rd the weight and strength of Steel. On the face, it would seem that you couldn't build a bike lighter than a steel. With the large diameter/thin wall tubing on super high quality aluminum and steel frames, it works out to about a pound advantage for aluminum. On lesser quality but still good frames, aluminum has a greater advantage.

You are perzactly absotutely correct, sir. I had two Klein bikes, a Mountain Klein ( s/n # 045) that I commuted to work on, and a Criterion that I rode on a number of 100 mile "Century" rides in New England.
These are from Gary Klein, in WA and Cannondale copied the frames. There was a lawsuit, but they got away with it by whatever means. Changed an angle or something. Anyhow I am very familiar with quality aluminum frames. And Montague ain't it.

The advice to ride one before you buy it is very good advice, no matter which way you choose. Just because a $5,000, six pound bike hand cut from a single piece of unobtainium works for Joe Blow don't mean it works for you. Lance Armstrong could outpedal all of us with a Schwinn Stingray.

[laika]

Originally Posted by 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.

Hey, I've got a Dahon Mariner on a Vancouver 27 Wouldn't go without it, but if I was buying another I would go for the higher end brompton or bike friday. The strida's look interesting as well.

The Dahon is great, but it would be nice to have a slightly smaller footprint when folded as it doesn't quite fit inside the lazarette. I've also had some trouble with the handlepost, though I believe Dahon has changed the design in recent years. I ride the bike pretty hard and have gone thru three handleposts (the articulating joint between the frame and the handlebars), which Dahon has always serviced under warranty to their credit.

The bike is pretty invaluable to me and seems worth investing in one that's reliable and well made. As with everything else onboard I suppose..

[Dennis.G]

Love my Dahon Mu. Aluminum frame and almost all SS or aluminum components. Pretty easy to move and store. The 20" wheels are great - do not feel any disadvantage there.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Sea Frog

That's what I though too. I heard people complain about hill climbing on 1 speed Strida. Well, I was thinking about buying one for my wife, so I may rent it for a day or two to see if it feels OK.

Well...I'll be the first to admit, I was 170 at 5'7" when I took off. With rowing and the strida I went down to 154 and hoping around easily. I've been back shaking the money tree until December and I'm at 175 right now...ugh!
I need the single speed. The only change to my strida will be folding pedals. I hear it's hard to find good quality ones.