Longest reasonable commute for a folder?

[dracflamloc]

Hi guys, new here. I used to be an avid mountain biker when I lived up north, havent touched it much since coming to the flatlands down in south-east GA. I'm curious as to the practicality of using a folding bike for commuting. I have a commute of about 11.5 miles (one-way). Is this too long to consider a folder, should I look around for a used street bike instead?

[jdownie]

The moderators are cowards.

[dracflamloc]

Well i'm on a budget, but would there be specific bikes you would recommend for that length of commuting?

[somnatash]

While there are a lot of Folders which can easy do your given distance you would probably spend less on one ore two used "normal" bikes to leave at the train station. Folders are not cheaper then "normal" bikes - more often the opposite is the case. What is your budget? Would you be willing to buy a "used" folder and maybe upgrade it over time?

[4cmd3]

Any 20" Dahon will be more than up to the task.

In fact, almost any 20" folding bike should tackle that unless it's a something you get at a garage sale with ten years of rust on it. :)

You really probably just need to consider your route and what kind of gearing you'd need.

[Rob_E]

Any 20" Dahon will be more than up to the task.

In fact, almost any 20" folding bike should tackle that unless it's a something you get at a garage sale with ten years of rust on it. :)

You really probably just need to consider your route and what kind of gearing you'd need.

I would say that even if you got it at a garage sale with 10 years worth of rust on it, it might be up to the job. I've got two, cheap, old Craigslisted folders I'm working on. When they're up and running properly, I expect them to get some miles on them. But then some of those old folders, like mine, don't fold up that small or that quickly, so there may other issues with them.

And everyone seems to love a Raleigh Twenty. Might be hard to track one down, but price-wise they seem to match up on the lower end of the folders price scale.

[vik]

I just rode my Tikit out to a meeting 25kms away and my commute time was 55 mins with some climbing. I've made the same trip on my Cannondale R800 road bike quite a few times and my Tikit times was within 10% of the average for the R800.

The Tikit is just so darn versatile. After the meeting I threw the Tikit in the trunk of a colleague's car for the ride to our office and then I take the train downtown and ride the Tikit to meet a friend for coffee this evening. Later we'll go for a ride along the river.

[awetmore]

Hi guys, new here. I used to be an avid mountain biker when I lived up north, havent touched it much since coming to the flatlands down in south-east GA. I'm curious as to the practicality of using a folding bike for commuting. I have a commute of about 11.5 miles (one-way). Is this too long to consider a folder, should I look around for a used street bike instead?

That depends entirely on the folder and how comfortable and efficient it is for you. I've commuted 25 miles (one way) on a Bike Friday New World Tourist and rode a century (not commuting, but with a light touring load) on my Swift Folder.

[msincredible]

I've done a 50-mile round-trip commute on my Birdy:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=403070

[CaptainSpalding]

12.5 miles takes me about 50 minutes, including stopping for signals, etc., and at a pace that is easy enough that I don't need a shower when I'm finished. 20" Dahon.

[jur]

The trouble is one of perception more than anything else. There is a general perception that folders can't 'go as far' as big-wheeled bikes. This is not true.

As Alex has said, it really only depends on how well the folder fits your body, adequate gearing, and quality components. Get those right, then folders don't have to be regarded as being less deserving of long rides. Those same parameters are equally true of any bike.

[Foldable Two]

Got hills? I think the biggest factor would be the terrain. If it's a relatively flat 11.5 miles, you can do it on a Dahon Boardwalk D7 or a Downtube, or even a tikit.

Your basically talking about riding from here to downtown Vancouver, WA. That ride entails about 240' of climbing on the ride home. I could comfortably do that on my Bike Friday NWT (27-speed) and I am 65 yrs old and maybe average+ in fitness.

I think it takes a sort of can-do attitude.

[Just for the record: I retired 8 yrs ago, and as an outside salesman (of telephone systems), going to work without a car was not an option, although I did commute by motorcycle for a couple of yrs. I ride one of my two folders everyday now.]

[Pine Cone]

I like a basic bike commute between about 20 and 45 minutes each way. Doesn't matter much whether you use a folder or a stiff-framed bike, whatever the wheel size. Bike commuting is more about attitude than bikes. The hard part is getting on a bike on most work mornings reguardless of weather and road conditions.

I have commuted on and off for years/decades, and in my experience I find that folders can equal other bikes as long as you're willing to do some tweeking.

Most important are finding tires that are fairly bombproof with regard to flats. Getting flats = pain in the ass and late to work.

Second in anyplace that has water that fall from the sky are some sort of fenders/mudguards. Getting wet = getting dirty and cold. In cooler, wetter weather I always wear bike tights just to keep my legs from getting covered in road grime. I always change clothes after I get to work, but when I had a short commute I road in street clothes.

With any bike I buy I always assume I might change seats, grips, handlebars, stems, brake levers, etc. to make the individual bike work for me. I have two bikes I build specifically as commuters, one a Redline single-speed frame and one Nashbar XCross frame. I built up both with MTB-sized wheels. The Redline is a fixed wheel with 2 chainrings and a flip/flop hub while the Nashbar is a triple chainring derailleur bike with disc brakes. I can't ride the Redline until I have a reasonable level of fittness. The XCross has nice low gears so I can ride it when I am out of shape and it goes really fast on dirt or pavement when I'm fit...

I like variety. I like multiple commute bikes and multiple commute routes.

I commute on two fixed wheels, 3 folders, a Cannondale roadie, and a full supension mountain bike. I used to use a recumbent with a fairing, but my current commute has a nasty hill at the end so I haven't used it in a while. I have more choices but rarely use them. OK, so some people might think I have too many bikes, but they would be WRONG:lol:

I have a basic commute route with good road surface and all pavement which is about 10 km each way. I also have longer paved road options which I tend to use on the way home on nicer days in spring and summer. For months with better fitness I can use a mountain bike and add about 10 miles of singletrack and logging roads to a longer paved road commute of 30-40 km.

I don't NEED a folder for my commute, but I like the variety. Folders = fun, especially if the folder is a Downtube Mini or a Pacific Reach:love:

[invisiblehand]

Hi guys, new here. I used to be an avid mountain biker when I lived up north, havent touched it much since coming to the flatlands down in south-east GA. I'm curious as to the practicality of using a folding bike for commuting. I have a commute of about 11.5 miles (one-way). Is this too long to consider a folder, should I look around for a used street bike instead?

Will probably be right around the distance of the longest reasonable commute.

[EvilV]

Dracfromloc doesn't mention the need to take the folder on a train or bus, so maybe he doesn't actually need a folder at all. I think you normally expect to pay a bit extra for a bike that folds because of the additional complication of making it and the fact that the niftiness commands a premium.

There is no doubt that quite a lot of folders with a reasonably average rider can be commuted for 12 miles. How sweaty you get depends how fast you want to go. You might also pay attention to the likely winds and bad weather as well as to how flat the route would be. Then there's the question of how traffic free the route is. There's not much worse than riding along the edge of a fast busy road being blasted by the slipstream of trucks and inconsiderate drivers. I nearly always seek out pleasant quiet routes, but it isn't always possible. That's when I chuck the bike in the back of the car and join the other motorheads.

[rhm]

My commute is about 125 miles round trip. 5.5 miles to the train station, 54.5 on the train, another 2.5 on the folding bike; and the inverse to get home. My point is, the folding bike opens up options that are not available to 'normal' bike riders.

My average speed riding the folder is one or two mph slower than on a regular bike.

[stevegor]

I know Jur is not the type to put himself forward, but, he rides approx 30km each way to work on either his R20, Mini Downtube or Swift. :)

[makeinu]

Most important are finding tires that are fairly bombproof with regard to flats. Getting flats = pain in the ass and late to work.

That's the last thing I worry about when riding a folding bike. When I get a flat it's time to call a taxi.

[sprockets]

On my Bike Friday Pocket Llama I ride about 12 km to the train station, 60 km on the train and another 5 km to the office. Works quite well.

I keep a 6 speed Dahon at the office for days that I don't cycle in and can get a 10km bike ride in at lunch in less than 1/2 hr.