Originally Posted by
bendembroski
Regarding the center of gravity thing: Surely, once you factor in the weight of the rider the slight difference in the where the weight of the bike is has got to be pretty insignificant ?
IMO it's significant enough to feel it, but not significant enough to matter without cargo. Not all folders have the same COG because, aside from the height of the hub and rim/tire, smaller wheels are also typically accompanied by lower head tubes, which usually implies lower frames. So the effect is more pronounced as you go smaller (although I believe you ride a swift whose main tube is relatively high for a folder).
I'm also a big believer in the notion that rider weight is very different from bike weight, because the inertia of the rider is what you use to control the inertia of the bike (not the other way around). Quantities on different sides of the same equation have opposite influence.