Folding Bikes - Any disadvantages for heavy riders?

Hey all... hope you don't mind my newbie question.

I'm 6"1 and about 260 pounds. Wondering if a folding bike will be too flimsy for a heavy rider. I imagine I put more stress on my bike frame and tires than the average biker (I used to get lots of pinch flats on my old touring bike), and figure this will be worse with a folder. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

5'11" and 200 pounds. No problem on my DaHon, just ran the pressure some 10 psi above the rating.

I'm 6'1", 230#. My Dahon Speed 7 does flex a bit more than my Cannondale MTB, but what would you expect?

No problems...I commute on my Dahon every day.

Technically, the weight limit on most Dahons maxes at 230#, and I have broken rear spokes on my '03 Boardwalk 6, and I am about 200 #. I would avoid the lightweight Dahons, I just don't think thier wheels are robust enough at your weight. Keep the tires at or above max and watch the potholes.

Hey all. thanks for the responses. Someone wrote to me with very good things to say about old Raleigh 20 bikes, in particular their sturdiness for heavy riders. Any thoughts?

I have broken rear spokes on my '03 Boardwalk 6, and I am about 200 #. I would avoid the lightweight Dahons, I just don't think thier wheels are robust enough at your weight.....
The spoke breakage probably has nothing to do with your weight and everything to do with Dahon putting sucktacular wheels on their bikes (esp. the low end ones). I weight 155 and had the same problems. It's a known issue.

My kid broke spokes on our Dahon Boardwalk very quickly. Even though he rode the Downtube much harder no failures there. I am a big guy and I had lots of problems with the wheels on my Dahon SpeedPro. I was happy to sell that baby. I always cared a spoke wrench with me on every ride as they were always becoming loose. OTOH, my Dahon Gotham City had absolutely no wheel issues. So out of 4 Dahons I had, 3 had wheel problems and the one (Gotham City) was totally bullet-proof.

So I've made it a point to avoid all lightweight Dahons even if I am very attracted to some of them. Based on my past experience it would be a fatal attraction. Last thing I'd want is a wheel failure on a ride. Only thing that might be worse is a frame failure.

No kidding at all, I had to check my spoke tension before EVERY ride on my Dahon SpeedPro. Failure to do do would end up with a bunch of spokes "tinging" on my ride. I had spokes loosen after every ride for about the first 20 rides. They sort of seemed to bed in and didn't need so much attention but I still always took my spoke wrench. By the time I finally sold the bike I'd need to adjust them about once every 3 or 4 rides. I checked the spokes on my Gotham City and they never needed ANY attention. Same is true for my Downtubes and my Swift. They've been great in the wheel area.

Based on the OP's size I'd recommend a Swift but if he is on a tighter budget a Downtube. If you can find the '05 model DTs they might be an even better bet as they had more spokes than the current model. This isn't to say there is enough on the current model just the 05's were over built in the spoke area.

I would say go with steel not Aluminium.

Depends on the size wheel you want.
At 20" You might email swift xootr.com about a steel frame bike.

Montague makes a very solid partially Al frame, although I was disappointed with the parts package on the CX which I had to replace most of. Search forum on Montague.

Smaller wheels are actually stronger than larger, but give a rougher ride. Smaller front wheels get stuck easier than large, possibly throwing you off the bike.

If bucks are not an issue, consider getting a regular steel bike and have it 'hacked', sandsmachine.com bilenky.com

If bucks really are not an issue, get an Alex Moulton New Series.

Hey all. thanks for the responses. Someone wrote to me with very good things to say about old Raleigh 20 bikes, in particular their sturdiness for heavy riders. Any thoughts?

This is most likely true, from everything that's been discussed about the Twentys, and is probably due to their solid steel overbuilt construction. I don't know if they were intended as "overbuilt", but the fact that there are still so many of these long out-of-production bikes out there in use should say something. I'm not sure if it's been discussed in here what the intended maximum weight for the Twenty was.

You can probably pick up a Twenty for a fairly reasonable price, if you watch out in online auctions, classifieds, and even local garage sales. Assuming you get a bike in reasonable condition, the only remaining question is if you'd be satisfied with it as-is. In order to get the Raleigh into shape as the type of bike that suits your needs/fit, it could likely take a bit of work, a good relationship with a knowledgeable bike mechanic, and some research. The end benefit is of course that if you're willing to put the work into it, you can likely get a durable folding bike which is customized to your needs for quite a bit less than a similiarly durable new-retail bike.

If you're looking for a modern foldable bike that can go above-and-beyond for heavier riders, I think most folks in here will point you out towards Bike Friday and Swift Folders(steel, not alum). Both of these outfits are smaller and will provide a bike customized towards your individual preferences. Expect to pay more for them than for some of the other brands, because they're manufactured (as far as I remember) in the US, they're steel, and they're not mass-produced. For example, last time I checked out Oregon's Center for Appropriate Transport, they were selling the Swift for just under $1000US with a standard set of components.

Best of luck with your choice, and please let us know what you eventually decide to go with. Pics are always appreciated.

I had a chance to ride a Raleigh 20. I can’t say that I’d recommend it for a larger person. The problem I had with it was a very rearward weight bias. This made the front wheel very light. If I didn’t make a conscious effort to keep my weight forward I had problems with wheelies. This became a real issue on hills. I never noticed this on any other folder the way I did with the 20.

If you go for a Swift, I don’t think you’ll have any issues regardless of frame you buy. I have the aluminum framed one and I’ve had no issues at all. If you do go that route, do as I did and buy the heavy duty Sun CR-18 rims. These rims are pretty rugged. I had them on a tandem with great luck. If they can support 2 people on a tandem you shouldn’t have much issue with them on your own.

The reason I’d stay away from the steel Swift is not that its bad but that there is less experience here on the forum. You’ll end up being the pathfinder on so many issues. This is the issue Stargazer has had with his. A lot of the tips and advice just don’t apply to the steel one or where it might fit on the alu version it might not on the steel. Just something to consider. I’m big and I’ve had no flex or issues on my Swift even while fully loaded and touring.

Wav, what's the max weight listed for the alum Swift? Just curious if Xootr "rates" them the same as the steel ones. Not trying to start the old steel-vs-aluminum debate.

I had a chance to ride a Raleigh 20. I can’t say that I’d recommend it for a larger person. The problem I had with it was a very rearward weight bias. This made the front wheel very light. If I didn’t make a conscious effort to keep my weight forward I had problems with wheelies. This became a real issue on hills. I never noticed this on any other folder the way I did with the 20.

If you go for a Swift, I don’t think you’ll have any issues regardless of frame you buy. I have the aluminum framed one and I’ve had no issues at all. If you do go that route, do as I did and buy the heavy duty Sun CR-18 rims. These rims are pretty rugged. I had them on a tandem with great luck. If they can support 2 people on a tandem you shouldn’t have much issue with them on your own.

The reason I’d stay away from the steel Swift is not that its bad but that there is less experience here on the forum. You’ll end up being the pathfinder on so many issues. This is the issue Stargazer has had with his. A lot of the tips and advice just don’t apply to the steel one or where it might fit on the alu version it might not on the steel. Just something to consider. I’m big and I’ve had no flex or issues on my Swift even while fully loaded and touring.

My Boardwalk also has a significant rearward balance, so much so that with my commuting bag on the rear rack, and if I stay on the seat, the front wheel comes off the ground with any energetic start. We aren't talking heavy duty wheelies or anything, just a bit of a pop off the ground when I stomp it.

Wav, what's the max weight listed for the alum Swift? Just curious if Xootr "rates" them the same as the steel ones. Not trying to start the old steel-vs-aluminum debate.

I was never told an "official" max weight per se. I told Peter what I weighed and how I planned to use it. I am just guessing (with no data to back it up other than my personal experience) but when I first got it I was over 250 and I didn't make it flex so I doubt many people would. Since then I have slimmed down but still not what I'd call thin.

I went with a Raleigh Twenty because of my weight. I started at 250+ lbs and am now down to 23+...no problems with the bike so far. Whatever folder you decide to get, remember, if it is a 20", 406 wheel base you can use BMX style, heavier duty wheels if you are worried. It will add a little more weight to the bike, but remember, it is always easier to lose weight on our own bodies than on a bike,
juan

what's the max weight listed for the alum Swift?

260lbs

thanks everyone for the tips and opinions... it's really helpful :)

Hi, I was also 260 lbs / 6'1" when I got my Xootr Swift (stock model w/ Aluminum frame). I'm now about 8 lbs lighter thanks the exercise I'm getting, not exactly svelte but moving in the right direction. I had heard indirectly the Swift was good to 275 lbs, I see on this thread someone says it's 260 but the bottom line is so far it's been rock solid, the wheels are fine (the spoke count is pretty high and it seems to be a good quality wheel) and the frame is nice and stiff. I was nervous about getting something that is listed at 230 lbs max like many (all?) of the Dahons. The Downtube is listed at 245 which I would guess is fine unless you plan to do extreme urban of off-road riding with it.

I really like the Swift, but I can't say I compared it to any other folding bikes. The only reason I take my Gary Fisher Paragon out is for offroad trails, and the only reason I take out my Trek 520 is for serious hills/distance and for touring. For any other riding, around town and on Boston area bike paths, and of course when taking the bike traveling, which is mainly why I got it (in car trunk, to NYC and other places I go by car), I use the Swift.

Regards, Intenost