Folding Bikes - Folding bike for a yacht?

In 3 weeks i will be accompanying my parents on a sailing trip from Panama to Tahiti. I will leave them in Tahiti, but they will carry onto Australia. Could anyone recommend a folding bike to carry on the yacht. It will be used to ride around island towns, and for trips to local markets for food resupply. Also, i think a bike trainer would be a good idea to have so the we can get some exercise. Is there any trainers that accept 20" wheels?

The Dahon Mariner D7 (http://www.dahon.com/us/marinerd7.htm) is the only bike that I know of that is specifically designed (or just marketed) for the nautically inclined.

The fold is pretty small, and iirc the paint job is rust resistant. It isn't the most amazing bike out there, but the price is tolerable ($390 list), has decent gearing, fenders and a rack. For occasional use, it's a decent choice.

I do not know of any trainers for a 20" bike though.

The Di Blasi comes in a stainless version, it folds incredibly well but the ride will probably be worse than most Dahons. Bromptons have an impressive luggage capacity it you use the front bag.

Some trainers will take a 20 wheel, although hub gears can often be a problem. I wouldn't bother about it myself.

depending on the boat the weight is to be considered carefully .....
Yes Dahon has a mariner..... its an older marketing deal which doesnt want to die ...
The main thing difference to the Speed D7 is the price and the bottle of rust preventer....

Now all sailors know one thing for sure... even stainless of the best quality ( which is NEVER been used in bicycle production, as it is way to brittle ) will eventually rust .... In other words, if you dont keep the salt off, wash it and polish it , keep it in airy conditions , etc all steel will rust ...

At the time the Mariner came to live it had more stainless poarts ( like spokes) and alloy parts than the other Dahonbikes.... meanwhile all Dahons have stainless spokes and as I said the difference is small to say at least ...

Much better get yourself a Curve 16 inch with 3 speed internal drive , it has an alloy frame and is much lighter and packs into a smaller place .... take the carrier and fenders off and it becomes even lighter and will fit handily through most hatches .....

much better than the Mariner

I would not bother with a trainer as you an really only use them on a real big boat on the hook ... ( and than you could throw the bike into the dink and get it ashore) Again most trainers are super heavy and have no room on any boat .... I would nt let on on my boat for sure.... think how much beer you could take instead !!!

Thor

Is size of bike a consideration? I don't know how big a boat you're talking about. But, the 16" wheel bikes like the Dahon Curve or Downtube Mini are both very nice bikes that don't take as much room. These are good enough to go 20+ miles on shore when you need them

Neither are "marine-friendly", but as Thor says, a bottle of rust preventer will do the same thing.

hi all,

the yacht is a 47' catamaran. would like to have a small bike, but theres no need to go for the smallest of the small. It justs needs to be able to carry some load (ie, food, supplies). I know that these folding bikes are generally a bit twitchy in the steering, so I image that smaller wheels will only exhaserbate this. The bike will be stored below deck, im sure we can find an out-of-way place for it. The deck of the catamaran is quite spacious, so there is amble room to put down a trainer.

Would not choose the Curve D3 as has no rack. Am a little confused why Dahon would sell the Mariner as a bike for boating, but make the frame out of steel..a bit stupid..no? The Speed D7 looks ok, is cheaper than the Mariner and looks a bit stiffer with that rectangular downtube rather than the circular one of the Mariner. Are there any inexpensive folders made of alumininum?

I found that cycleops has an adapter for 20"/24" wheels for their trainers( http://www.cycle-ops.com/p-125-2024-wheel-adapter.aspx ).

i dunno ... a catamaran even a 47 footer better be not overloaded .... otherwise it sails like an Island Packert ( very slow )
the 16 inch tire size curve does come with fenders and carrier ..... you really want to ride the bike on the trainer while the boat is underway ? even with a cat you will be all over the place and in everybodies way ..lol check with the captain .... lol

thor

I know that these folding bikes are generally a bit twitchy in the steering, so I image that smaller wheels will only exhaserbate this. The bike will be stored below deck, im sure we can find an out-of-way place for it. The deck of the catamaran is quite spacious, so there is amble room to put down a trainer.

16" folders are a bit twitchier than 700C wheels, but they pose no riding problems and it's something you get used to after 20 minutes of riding. There are many benefits that shouldn't be dismissed out of hand.

As for racks, there are many aftermarket racks you can purchase that don't cost much.

Finally, if I were captain, I would prefer a small package, and I would most certainly not let you take a trainer on. Have you asked your parents about this???

I have been riding on 16 inch wheels on my classic DaHon for a few weeks now and like them very much. As it has been stated, twichy quickly goes away. Also, I went for an aftermarket rear rack and panier, works great. I had to raise the rack higher so the panier would clear my foot, but it was pretty straight forward. I would think if the bike isn't going to be permanently on a boat (more than just a few weeks) that you could go with any bike (not the Mariner) and just wash it off regular with clean water. Just my thoughts.

In 3 weeks i will be accompanying my parents on a sailing trip from Panama to Tahiti. I will leave them in Tahiti, but they will carry onto Australia. Could anyone recommend a folding bike to carry on the yacht. It will be used to ride around island towns, and for trips to local markets for food resupply. Also, i think a bike trainer would be a good idea to have so the we can get some exercise. Is there any trainers that accept 20" wheels?

Hi ppyo,
I have a Merc folding bike 16" wheels, it is a copy of the Brompton. I did some sailing and carried the bike with me. Just short trips 5-7 days. I keep the bike in a seeled big bag and clean it regularly.
Of course I prefer small packages as my boat is a 34'. I had great fun with it and carry all the shopings on it on the big basquet in the front and panniers on the rear.
I am still regreting no to have it last year when I crossed the Atlantic and visited so many places! ooh well, I now have it for the next trip.

hi all,

Are there any inexpensive folders made of alumininum?

I found that cycleops has an adapter for 20"/24" wheels for their trainers( http://www.cycle-ops.com/p-125-2024-wheel-adapter.aspx ).
I am assuming you are an adult and know what you want, so I will only address your specific questions. Look at the downtube bikes for an inexpensive folder with an aluminum frame. Cycleops does make an adapter, but you can also look at rim drive trainers. I know minaura makes one. It accomodates 20" tires but you could also use it as a trainer for your full size bike without putting on or taking off the adapter.
Juan

Im from Australia. Im 30. My parents and I will arrive in LA and stay for 4 days, then fly to Panama. So i will buy the bike while in LA, amongst 100 other things! Im just looking for a bike thats already ready to go..dont want have buy bits and pieces and put it together. I might just order online and pick it up from friends in LA. I checked out the Minoura site..their trainers only take min 24"

Im from Australia. Im 30. My parents and I will arrive in LA and stay for 4 days, then fly to Panama. So i will buy the bike while in LA, amongst 100 other things! Im just looking for a bike thats already ready to go..dont want have buy bits and pieces and put it together. I might just order online and pick it up from friends in LA. I checked out the Minoura site..their trainers only take min 24"
That's interesting...I saw a minaura rim drive trainer in person and it was mounted to a 20" wheel bike. Maybe the new model only takes 24"? BTW, it sounds like your best bet for a bike ready for immediate riding without any extra stuff is a Dahon Boardwalk, speed, or mu.

Juan

In 3 weeks i will be accompanying my parents on a sailing trip from Panama to Tahiti. I will leave them in Tahiti, but they will carry onto Australia. Could anyone recommend a folding bike to carry on the yacht. It will be used to ride around island towns, and for trips to local markets for food resupply. Also, i think a bike trainer would be a good idea to have so the we can get some exercise. Is there any trainers that accept 20" wheels?


I live on a 43 foot sailboat (monohull) and have a Downtube Mini (16") and a VIIIH (20") and we regularly take them on the boat to Catalina.

When in boat mode, I remove the seat post rack and Brooks seat from my Mini to reduce the weight and to protect my precious Brooks from salt water damage.

I think the Mini is a great boat bike but the VIIIH is a little big. If we had it to do over again, we would probably get two Mini's only because of the size issue when commuting from the mother ship to shore via dinghy.

Generally, I recommend that you get a 16" bike with an aluminium frame, as light and small (folded) as possible. Of course, you will have do decide which bike best fits your riding style and budget.

Good luck on your trip and with your bike search. I'm sure it will be a great adventure!

i dunno ... a catamaran even a 47 footer better be not overloaded .... otherwise it sails like an Island Packert ( very slow )
the 16 inch tire size curve does come with fenders and carrier ..... you really want to ride the bike on the trainer while the boat is underway ? even with a cat you will be all over the place and in everybodies way ..lol check with the captain .... lol

thor


On an cruising boat, i.e. one capable of ocean crossing, the weight of a folding bike is insignificant. Not all boats are made to go fast. Some are made to get you there in one piece.

My 43' monohull is a bulletproof world cruiser and weights in at 12 tons net and probably over 15 tons gross. My two 30 pound bikes (including tools, locks, etc) don't even register against the 500 feet of 5/16 chain in the bow.

By the way, Island Packet yachts have a pretty loyal following (no, I dont' own one) and they are an excellent passage making yacht - not a race boat. Race boats don't cross oceans. At least none of the race boats that anyone on this forum could afford.

Im from Australia. Im 30. My parents and I will arrive in LA and stay for 4 days, then fly to Panama. So i will buy the bike while in LA, amongst 100 other things! Im just looking for a bike thats already ready to go..dont want have buy bits and pieces and put it together. I might just order online and pick it up from friends in LA. I checked out the Minoura site..their trainers only take min 24"

I live in L.A.. There are a couple of bike shops here that might have a few folders apiece, but selection is limited. If you would like a reference to the shops I know of that have folders on their sales floor, let me know. But your idea of buying online, shipping to friends, and taking delivery from them is a better option, because you won't have to settle for what the LBS has in stock. Be sure to leave enough time that your friends can take the bike to a bike shop and have it set up. Bikes are rarely delivered without the need for some adjustment.

I think I read once that if you order from ThorUSA.com, upon request Thor will open the box, tune the bike, repackage it and then ship it. Might be a fee for that service, I'm not sure.

I live on a 43 foot sailboat (monohull) and have a Downtube Mini (16") and a VIIIH (20") and we regularly take them on the boat to Catalina.

When in boat mode, I remove the seat post rack and Brooks seat from my Mini to reduce the weight and to protect my precious Brooks from salt water damage.

I think the Mini is a great boat bike but the VIIIH is a little big. If we had it to do over again, we would probably get two Mini's only because of the size issue when commuting from the mother ship to shore via dinghy.

Generally, I recommend that you get a 16" bike with an aluminium frame, as light and small (folded) as possible. Of course, you will have do decide which bike best fits your riding style and budget.

Good luck on your trip and with your bike search. I'm sure it will be a great adventure!

I also strongly recommend internal gears - less mess and no chance of damage when loading / unloading from the boat or dinghy. Loading / unloading on a boat or dinghy is far different than in and out of the car trunk. The boat moves constantly as does the dinghy and not at the same rate or in the same direction.

So i will buy the bike while in LA, amongst 100 other things! Im just looking for a bike thats already ready to go..dont want have buy bits and pieces and put it together.

In my experience, most bike shops know little about folding bikes, unless they happen to be folder enthusiasts themselves.

However, LA is a big place, so I would think that a little Googling would turn up a bike shop there that is into folders.

If you don't mind a 1.5 hour drive down the coast, you can also try Folding Bikes West in Oceanside:

http://www.electricvehiclesnw.com/fbw/index.htm

They stock Bromptons, Dahons, etc. (a subset of what their main Seattle store stocks). The Dahon Curve D3 may suit you (comes with racks and fenders as far as I know, despite the official photo). At the very least, you'd get to try out some folders and learn what you like/dislike.

Hope this helps.

I think Camping world has a folding Yacht. Okay it's only a rowboat ,but it folds .You could pretend it is a folding yacht for a bike.