smallwheeler

they fold easily, but not compactly. they are designed as travel bikes and come with hard cases. the thing to really consider is how you will use the bike. i would suggest not establishing a very narrow criteria. you mentioned that you will likely want to travel with it. if you are commuting using buses or subways, nothing beats the brompton. however, if you intend to pack your bike for plane travel or packing in the car, nothing beats a bike friday. bike friday bikes are performance oriented bikes. the bike friday tikit would be considered a performance oriented commuter bike by most; although the ride quality is suitable for longer distance rides as well. not to mention, the tikit is also a beautifully designed bike and is easily customized to suit your needs. the hyper-fold™© tikit is probably the fastest folding, highest performing folding bike in one package on the market.