I alluded to this earlier but something unique to this bike is the availability of a whole line of accessories that carries the same name/branding: Avenir
http://www.avenirusa.com/ . Does Dahon, Brompton, Bike Friday, Birdy or Tern have its own extensive line of branded accessories? Nope.
So you can add things to your Avenir folder to make it stand out from the crowd -- even if other skinflints on your block ride the same bare bones freebie from airmiles or one of the other wholesale distributors.
Worldwide, this is probably the only Raleigh folding bike that has absolutely no mention of Raleigh on its exterior. That's why some folks never twig to the fact that it's distributed by that well-known company. These cheap, Made in China bikes are only branded with the Avenir logo. So accessorize away....
As I mentioned upthread there are nifty rack bags with the Avenir logo on them
http://www.amazon.com/Avenir-Excursi.../dp/B0014UQ93W. But you could also add the mini panniers that fit
http://www.amazon.com/Avenir-Excursi...venir+panniers or the Metro variant (Costco
http://www.costco.ca/Avenir-Metro-Pa....10366346.html ) or one of several handlebar bags
http://www.amazon.com/Avenir-Metro-H...enir+handlebar . Cargo trailer? No problem:
http://www.costco.ca/Avenir-Cargo-Tr....10366353.html . These Avenir accessories all have one thing in common other than the shared logo: they are rated very favourably by consumers as "best buys" and value for money:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=athA13fDUp4 .
Since I'm already adding the Nitto seatpost for a couple of extra inches of adjustment, I decided to splurge and top it off with another Avenir branded accessory, the Devine Design comfy seat:
http://www.amazon.com/Devine-Design-...=devine+design (in white and black to match the white/black look of the bike). If that didn't work for you, there are other similar choices with the visible branding to match the bike:
http://www.amazon.com/Avenir-Womens-...s=avenir+comfy or
http://www.amazon.com/Avenir-Mens-Co...s=avenir+comfy . As always, watch the price fluctuations on Amazon. Two days ago, the Devine Design comfy seat was selling for seven bucks more! Although it's labelled as a woman's seat, it can obviously be used by both sexes. The stock Velo Comfort saddle that comes with the bike is actually very comfortable but it has no "comfy" recessed center channel (men's version) or full cut out (women's version). The difference between the men's and women's seat is the sizing: the men's is a little larger/longer. I want to see if the comfy line feels any better than the stock seat. Of course, it also dresses the bike up a bit and makes it stand out from the normal folder crowd.
If the upgrade works, I plan on moving the stock saddle onto my old mountain bike which leaves me with a sore butt even after adding a gel topper and a sheepskin cover. I find the folder much more comfortable on the rear end!