Folding Bikes - I bought a Huffy yesterday

It was pink with princesses (very important) and has 12" wheels for my soon to be 3 year old daughter. It still kind of gave me the ick's, though.

Sorry, I just needed to get that confession off my chest.

P.S. How do some of you ride bikes with 12" or smaller tires? It just seems ridiculously small to me.

It was pink with princesses (very important) and has 12" wheels for my soon to be 3 year old daughter. It still kind of gave me the ick's, though.

Sorry, I just needed to get that confession off my chest.

P.S. How do some of you ride bikes with 12" or smaller tires? It just seems ridiculously small to me.

I think you are confusing folding bike users with children. While some of us are on the small side of things (I am), that does not mean my bikes are childish in any way. The smallest wheel size I have is an American 16" or ISO 305. There are bikes that have even smaller diameter in wheels, but I would not have one. And my bikes are black, red, and blue-gray. Not your usual bikes for "little or big girls" by any measure.

And I would not ever be caught dead with a Huffy at any age (Sorry I needed to get that off my chest, too).

Don't compare our taste for folding bikes with a department store brand. This is not the children's toys or accessories forum. It's an insult to the group to even mention the brand as no one in their right mind will ride the brand you mentioned.

I need to get that off my chest too after reading the OP's post.

How do some of you ride bikes with 12" or smaller tires? It just seems ridiculously small to me.
It is ridiculously small for an adult.

However, at least something like the A-Bike is designed for an adult and intended for short distances. So riding a folding bike with 8" wheels may still feel ridiculously small, but at least the handling, pedaling, clearances etc will feel a bit more normal.

It was pink with princesses (very important) and has 12" wheels for my soon to be 3 year old daughter. It still kind of gave me the ick's, though.

Sorry, I just needed to get that confession off my chest.

P.S. How do some of you ride bikes with 12" or smaller tires? It just seems ridiculously small to me.

I'll take that as a genuine question. ;)

The most common tire sizes on folders designed for serious riders are 305 and 349 (16 inch), and 406 and 451 (20 inch). Smaller than that, and you're probably, though not necessarily, talking about a bike that's meant for only very short distances.

I say probably, because I think some Moultons were made with 12 inch tires, and serious suspension. That's just from memory, though.

Despite the small tires, a well designed folder will generally put you in the same riding position as a "regular" bike. Small wheels ride a bit rougher, which can be compensated by fatter tires, and/or suspension. Top gears tend to be a bit lower, which can be compensated for by several different gearing schemes, if desired.

Does that answer your question?

God, you guys get your panties in a bunch easy. I've got a folder and have been posting on this forum for the last couple months. This post was, in general, a joke about Huffy bikes. The comment on 12" wheels was an observation, not the Spanish Inquisition. So if anyone found my original post offensive, maybe go get a bran muffin.

I'll come to FatBoy's defense.

If any of you had read his detailed review of his new Downtube FS (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=316477), you would have known he's a serious bike person. His post was just light-hearted musing, not mocking the rest of us.

Now, let's all shake hands and make nice...:)

Darn! I thought Huffy actually made folders.

Darn! I thought Huffy actually made folders.

If no one caught Huffy NEVER made folder bikes, they missed the joke! :eek::p

:D I'm kinda glad they didn't.

I opened this thread because I was spun out by the idea that maybe Huffy had made a folder!

I was only mildly disappointed because the entertainment value of foldie-riders posting like fixie-riders was almost as high as the idea of someone reviewing a Huffy folder.

PS. Does anyone ride a fixed foldie and if so, do you use clipless, powergrips or straight platforms?

I opened this thread because I was spun out by the idea that maybe Huffy had made a folder!

I was only mildly disappointed because the entertainment value of foldie-riders posting like fixie-riders was almost as high as the idea of someone reviewing a Huffy folder.

PS. Does anyone ride a fixed foldie and if so, do you use clipless, powergrips or straight platforms?

I ride a fixed Raleigh Twenty. Its nice and fast for a folder. Mine has standard rubber pedals. I can't see using anything else on Nottingham Raleighs. ;):)

Sounds sweet. What size cogs do you run?

Excellent Thread Fat Boy.

Do they make those Huffy in Black? I am considering upgrading my Bromton into one of those, but I am affraid if I get it in pink I may attract more women than I can handle...

Sounds sweet. What size cogs do you run?

I run an 18T. I may need to go 20T in a hilly area but so far it hasn't been necessary. I love the black powdercoat job I had done. It looks just like my full sized Raleigh 3 speed now.

photos please of a huffy, what is a huffy????

http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/41GQ956GZGL._SS500_.jpg


There you go, folks. This is the bike the whole thing is about. My soon to be 3 year old daughter had one request when asking for her first 2-wheeler. That request was that it had princesses on it. I actually went to the LBS to see if there was anything that a decent manufacturer made that had princesses. There was a lot of pink and flowers, but no princesses. So this Wal-mart special is what I ended up with.

http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/41GQ956GZGL._SS500_.jpg


There you go, folks. This is the bike the whole thing is about. My soon to be 3 year old daughter had one request when asking for her first 2-wheeler. That request was that it had princesses on it. I actually went to the LBS to see if there was anything that a decent manufacturer made that had princesses. There was a lot of pink and flowers, but no princesses. So this Wal-mart special is what I ended up with.

Can you get that with the Rohloff?

The chainguard is BY FAR the best I've seen.

* drool *

I wonder if the fork is available as a separate after-sales item.

OK, this is more like it.......

------------------------------------------------

I think only a Nexus hub is available and the fork is the low-trail option from 29'er. I think you can only get it with the handlebar basket upgrade kit.

I want to put that placard panel on the front of my wife's roadie.

Was there not an option for bar-end ribbons? No daughter should be robbed of having ribbons on her bars.

My grand-daughters would be PINK with envy if they knew about that bike. :) Luckily they are all under 3 at the moment so I have a few months/years to find similar ones of my own.

I want to put that placard panel on the front of my wife's roadie.

Was there not an option for bar-end ribbons? No daughter should be robbed of having ribbons on her bars.

Definetly, a ribbon/tassle option is a must-have I've been told.
Thanks guys, a great thread to wake up to :D

This was just a photo that I grabbed off the Amazon website. You bet we got the tassles. I've also got a bell, flashy caps for the tires, and an entire princess helmet/kneepad/elbow pad kit.

We're dialed. I don't know who's more interested in Saturday getting here, her or me.

Well, now guys, you can rest assured that this Huffy, is, and will always be, priceless. It's his little girls first bike! How many of you guys would love to have your first bike back, or your kids first bike.....

Yeah, Saturday will be special!!!!! Enjoy it my friend!!!!

Al

My daughter's first bike was a red American Flyer, otherwise very similar. It was amazing how fast her little feet had to go around to make the thing go. It was also amazing how fast she outgrew the thing.

Mobiky uses 12" wheels, and it doesn't seem to be a problem, but I prefer 16"ers, myself.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Huffy-3-speed-folding-bicycles_W0QQitemZ330157926001QQihZ014QQcategoryZ42314QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Postscript on my Huffy story,

First, Haley rides the bike like a champ. Second, I had to take a bunch of stuff apart and put it back together again because the freewheel was all jacked up and there was so much chain tension that little thing had a hell of a tight spot on the pedals.

Overall, the bright side is that I've got a little girl who couldn't be happier with her new bike.

Darn! I thought Huffy actually made folders.

They do. Put it under a truck, forward, backward, forward, backward, pick up, fold, toss.

It was pink with princesses (very important) and has 12" wheels for my soon to be 3 year old daughter. It still kind of gave me the ick's, though.

Why didn't you buy her a Carryme? Flip the stem backwards and raise the seatpost/handlebar a bit every year and she could keep it for a lifetime as opposed to that Huffy crap that will probably wear out before she even has a chance to outgrow it.



P.S. How do some of you ride bikes with 12" or smaller tires? It just seems ridiculously small to me.

The smallest wheel size I have is an American 16" or ISO 305. There are bikes that have even smaller diameter in wheels, but I would not have one.

It is ridiculously small for an adult.

However, at least something like the A-Bike is designed for an adult and intended for short distances. So riding a folding bike with 8" wheels may still feel ridiculously small, but at least the handling, pedaling, clearances etc will feel a bit more normal.

The most common tire sizes on folders designed for serious riders are 305 and 349 (16 inch), and 406 and 451 (20 inch). Smaller than that, and you're probably, though not necessarily, talking about a bike that's meant for only very short distances.

Don't compare our taste for folding bikes with a department store brand. This is not the children's toys or accessories forum. It's an insult to the group to even mention the brand as no one in their right mind will ride the brand you mentioned.

Speaking of being insulted, I, for one, am extremely insulted at the bias against small wheels around this forum (and also surprised given the fact that many of you have been on the receiving end of the same kind of nonsense from folks riding even larger wheels). After the recent theft/vandalism of my Downtube I've taken to riding my Carryme as my primary bike and I assure you that 8" wheels are fine for longer distances and perhaps even preferable due to their inherent lightness. If you ask me anything greater than 16" seems ridiculously large. Seriously, for shorter distances the extra weight of a larger wheel might be ok, but it gets pretty tiring after more than a few miles.

The weight savings of very small wheels far outweighs any theoretical disadvantage they may have (and I emphasize theoretical because I challenge anyone to claim that 8" wheels are less efficient than 20" or larger wheels of equal quality after riding them back to back). Slightly smaller wheels like 20" or 16" can't seem to make up for the handicap of limited/niche manufacturing, but the smaller you go the more the inherent advantage of small wheels can overcome this handicap (especially if they are manufactured with care).

Face it, large wheels are an anachronism held over from a time where primitive manufacturing methods couldn't effectively gear up smaller wheels and pavement technology was still in its infancy, but the age of the small wheeler has now begun. I understand that boys and girls are impressed by big wheels (monster trucks, "big wheels", etc) at play time (especially big "boys" and "girls"), but for level headed adults 12" or smaller wheels are clearly the superior choice.

What is it with the zombie threads at the moment? Who is trawling these things up a year after the fact?

What is it with the zombie threads at the moment? Who is trawling these things up a year after the fact?


About my _daughter's_ bike no less! She's nearly 4 now and is starting to ask for a bigger bike. Overall, she's still a little small for a Carryme. I should probably just keep getting her a bigger frame and keep her 12" wheels until she's out of high school, though.

Oh, and Makeinu, I wasn't trying to be insulting. I was just making a comment. Should you want me to be insulting, I can do much better than commenting on 12" tires (which still seem ridiculously small, BTW).

Can I get one in GREEN?

photos please of a huffy, what is a huffy????

http://www.huffybikes.com/history/index.html

My buddy in college who I rode cross country with used to QC ride for them at their SoCal facility. The test bikes were tagged and the assemblers used to leave fasteners loose to see him wipe out when the thing came apart on the test track. It got to the point where he had to go over the bikes and make sure everything was tight.

It was pink with princesses (very important) and has 12" wheels for my soon to be 3 year old daughter. It still kind of gave me the ick's, though.

Sorry, I just needed to get that confession off my chest.

P.S. How do some of you ride bikes with 12" or smaller tires? It just seems ridiculously small to me.

How dare you post this non-folding and non-dismantling pink thing on a serious forum? I hereby call to arms the president of the Hyde Park Folding Society Snafu21 to discipline you under one of her myriad clauses! :D

How dare you post this non-folding and non-dismantling pink thing on a serious forum? I hereby call to arms the president of the Hyde Park Folding Society Snafu21 to discipline you under one of her myriad clauses! :D

Is that anything like a cat-o-nine-tails?