I have to start commuting using a train, after many years of bike commuting with ease through DC. Therefore, I am looking for a good folding bike that I can take on the train with me (they only allow folding bikes). I do a lot of road riding and am used to my high-end Trek road bike (WSD). My biggest challenge is that I am short (barely five feet tall). I have been looking at the Dahon Speed Pro TT and I think it would be perfect for me, but am uncertain if I will be able to reach the handle bars without seriously stretching. I am looking for a bike store that has one in stock that I can try, but have yet to be successful. Any short women out there using one of these?

If the Dahon Speed Pro TT doesn't work, I am going to have to resort to a custom-made Bike Friday bike. I want something that folds small and light, isn't too terribly expensive (I'm not going over $1500), and rides similar to a road bike I am interested in the smaller size tires simply because it gets the size down to something I can manage on a crowded train.

Any suggestions?

AR

Hi AR, I have zippo experiences with road bikes, but check out the Downtube Mini. It would fit a small woman very nicely and is easy to take on and off the train. Also, it's much cheaper than a Bike Friday or Brompton.

http://www.downtube.com/product540.html

Note: the 2009 model has a more compact fold than the 2008 model.

Tikit

Tikit

+1...

That would be just the ticket....:D

By the way, I had a SpeedPro, and the top tube was quite a stretch for me. I'm 6' tall and a practicing roadie. Yes, the stem is adjustable, but it was still long. Mine was a 2005 though, so I don't know about today's frame.

Roadie? Check out the Swift. Not a terribly small fold viewed edge-wise, but very narrow footprint. And importantly, it handles like a roadie. Check my sig for my go-fast version. It has a medium-sized frame so would probably fit you.

I have to start commuting using a train, after many years of bike commuting with ease through DC. Therefore, I am looking for a good folding bike that I can take on the train with me (they only allow folding bikes). I do a lot of road riding and am used to my high-end Trek road bike (WSD).

If by train you mean the DC Metro, there's another constraint: the folding bike must be in a bag or suitcase. This eliminates a number of bikes which don't fold that well, including the Swift, Strida, most Bike Fridays, and a lot of the bigger Dahons.

So you need something which is compact-folding, small, under $1500 and ideally stiff and "real" geometry. At present there's no bike which fits this. Time to go look at the Tikit, Curve, Mini, and Brompton:


The Bike Friday Tikit comes in size-Small and has real geometry, but it may be less stiff than you like (particularly the mediums and smalls which have thinner tubing). You should definitely try one though. Mt. Airy or College Park might have a size-Small: Bikes@Vienna have two size-Mediums (and they're the older, less stiff versions).
The Dahon Curve has quite small geometry, and it's reasonably stiff but not wonderfully so. I think you'll find it to be budget bike feeling though. Bikes@Vienna has (or had) one
The Downtube Mini is very similar to the Curve sizewise, and it's reasonably stiff but not wonderfully so. I think you'll find it to be even more a budget bike than the Curve. I think Mt. Airy or College Park Cycles had a Mini.
The Brompton folds to the perfect size for the Metro; but it may be too big for you. More importantly, in DC it may be over your $1500 budget. Bikes@Vienna, Mt. Airy, and College Park Cycles all have Bromptons.
The Birdy folds nicely, rides excellently, and *might* fit you; but it's rare and probably way too much money.
A custom-sized Bike Friday (NWT say) would be great but it might not fold compactly enough to get in a bag on the train.

Get a custom Tikit; because bikes are mostly made for taller folk, you will really appreciate having a bike that really fits you.

My NWT has a *great* ride, and because you are a roadie you would probably like the pocket rocket best of all - but neither of these bikes fold compactly.

AR, I'm a vertically-challenged female (5'2") in DC and I've used a Nexus 8 Swift folder to commute for a while. I'm not a roadie, but I'm definitely a fan of the ride. I would not recommend it if you're planning on taking it on the metro/bus during rush hour -- it simply doesn't fold small enough and we all know how there is next to nothing in the way of space.

I've begun a new job recently with a different commute and am now shopping for a Tikit or Brompton so I can bring my bike on the bus and into my office. Both are sold at the College Park bikes, Mt. Airy, and Bikes@Vienna.

If you decide on a Brompton, Larry from Mt. Airy bikes told me that the prices are going up on August 7th.

If by train you mean the DC Metro, there's another constraint: the folding bike must be in a bag or suitcase. This eliminates a number of bikes which don't fold that well, including the Swift, Strida, most Bike Fridays, and a lot of the bigger Dahons.[/LIST]


No, I mean the Marc train. Actually, neither Marc nor Metro require your bike to be in a bag any longer. This was a recent (and much needed) change. I talked to the conductor on Marc the other day and he confirmed that no bag is needed AND that they can easily store a folding bike in the vestibule. If I take Metro, I can bring a folding bike on at any time, sans the bag, so long as I don't block the aisles. You can bring any type of bike on Metro during non-rushhour, but only folding bikes are permitted during rushhour. :notamused:

Oh, and another bike-friendly development underway - supposedly (and this is a big supposedly at this point), Marc is looking to start including one car per train for cyclists to bring on full size bikes. From what I understand, they are going to have some sort of bike storage device to encourage people to bike to Marc stations and then use their bikes downtown. This is long overdue and from what I understand there is a HUGE demand for it. We shall see...

Anyway, I have sort of purchased a Dahon Speed Pro TT. I ordered it through my favorite bike store (College Park Bikes) and am waiting for it to come it. The guys at the store really thought it would work and have assured me that I would not lose any money on it if it doesn't. These bikes are really hard to find and sell quickly, so if I don't buy it, someone else will. Anyway, he claims that the adjustment capabilities on this thing really do work for someone of my stature. We shall see....I am not holding my breath but am still hoping!

Anyway, I have sort of purchased a Dahon Speed Pro TT. I ordered it through my favorite bike store (College Park Bikes) and am waiting for it to come it.

How much did they sell it for? I'm looking to buy one soon, and they are local.

The performance bike category offers few options in the folding (as opposed to the packable) category:

Folding:
Birdy
Dahon (many models)
Mezzo
Speeding tikit (kind of fits here, not really)

Packing
Airnimal (various models)
Bike Friday (tons of models)
Moulton/Pashley (many models)
Pacific Reach (various models)

There is a huge deficit in the performance folding category. The tikit is limited by a very flexy stem, heaviness, is pricey, and a large folded size.

Dahon models have great components for the price, fold small, and fold quickly. However, they are of middling quality and won't hold up to punishment over thousands of miles.

The Birdy is a suspension bike. While similar to the speed record holding Moulton in design (also a suspension bike), it is not very comfortable on 50MPH steep descents (nor would one try to break the Moulton's flat speed record of 50+ MPH on it). Otherwise, holds up fine or better than fine in pacelines (you can draft at a much closer distance than on a road bike). Folds small, but pricey. Also a nice commuter b/c the 100gm rack will hold 10Kg of computer and paper in Orleib bags. That is what I own.

The Mezzo is a Birdy-like bike that has no suspension. Probably better for climbing and for perfectly smooth surfaces than the Birdy.

Dahon models have great components for the price, fold small, and fold quickly. However, they are of middling quality and won't hold up to punishment over thousands of miles.




Oops! UBG spotted.

(Unsubstantiated Bicycle Generalisation.)

Fined two kippers and a banana :)

No, I mean the Marc train. Actually, neither Marc nor Metro require your bike to be in a bag any longer. This was a recent (and much needed) change. I talked to the conductor on Marc the other day and he confirmed that no bag is needed AND that they can easily store a folding bike in the vestibule. If I take Metro, I can bring a folding bike on at any time, sans the bag, so long as I don't block the aisles. You can bring any type of bike on Metro during non-rushhour, but only folding bikes are permitted during rushhour. :notamused:



Yes Marc and VRE allow folded bikes with no bag but Metro's official policy (http://www.wmata.com/riding/bike/bike_guidelines.cfm) is a bag is required. I've been trying to lobby Metro to remove this ridiculous rule without success.

How much did they sell it for? I'm looking to buy one soon, and they are local.

I am buying it from College Park Bikes for whatever the list price is on the Dahon Web Site (I think $1199 or somewhere around that). It is currently on back-order and I am waiting for it to come in - was told it would arrive sometime this week or next. What sold me on the bike was the fact that it is highly adjustable AND that it folds down really small, the latter being a must for what I will be using it for. CP Bikes promised me that they would not charge me anything if it doesn't fit (which is still a concern as I wasn't able to find one to try). But be forewarned that this suckers are really hard to come by. You will have to order one as NO store within a 100-mile radius of DC has any in stock. I would recommend CP Bikes if you're in the area. I have bought from them many times before and have been very happy with their service.

No, I mean the Marc train. Actually, neither Marc nor Metro require your bike to be in a bag any longer. This was a recent (and much needed) change. I talked to the conductor on Marc the other day and he confirmed that no bag is needed AND that they can easily store a folding bike in the vestibule. If I take Metro, I can bring a folding bike on at any time, sans the bag, so long as I don't block the aisles. You can bring any type of bike on Metro during non-rushhour, but only folding bikes are permitted during rushhour. :notamused:

Oh, and another bike-friendly development underway - supposedly (and this is a big supposedly at this point), Marc is looking to start including one car per train for cyclists to bring on full size bikes. From what I understand, they are going to have some sort of bike storage device to encourage people to bike to Marc stations and then use their bikes downtown. This is long overdue and from what I understand there is a HUGE demand for it. We shall see...

Anyway, I have sort of purchased a Dahon Speed Pro TT. I ordered it through my favorite bike store (College Park Bikes) and am waiting for it to come it. The guys at the store really thought it would work and have assured me that I would not lose any money on it if it doesn't. These bikes are really hard to find and sell quickly, so if I don't buy it, someone else will. Anyway, he claims that the adjustment capabilities on this thing really do work for someone of my stature. We shall see....I am not holding my breath but am still hoping!

As far as I know, you still need to bag a folding bike during peak hours on Metro ...

http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/bike_workshop/comments.cfm
http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/bikes_guidelines.cfm

If you have an update to those two pages, please pass the information on.

Oops! UBG spotted.

(Unsubstantiated Bicycle Generalisation.)

Fined two kippers and a banana :)

Whether substantiated is a good question. They have tons of reports of stem and hinge breaks here and on their website, but they make many, many more bikes than any other mfr. Their wheel smithing seems to have improved, and they just revamped the stems and hinges. Though I believe most are made in mainland China, there is no reason why quality there can't be as good as Taiwan.

I was a dissatisfied customer, but loved their general component selection.

What is a kipper? Banana prices are going up quickly.

Bikes @ Vienna in Vienna, Virginia has a very good selection of Bike Fridays. So if the Dahon doesn't work out, go there to try out a Tikit.

I finally had to respond to the comments that the Tikit's stems are too flexible. I have been testing a large frame Tikit for the last 6 weeks that has had the stem latch upgrade modification done to it. I am 6 ft. tall and weigh 200 pounds. The stem has no more flex to it than any of my full size bikes. I hate it when people who don't own one or haven't recently ridden one make comment like "the stem flexes" when it does not. The Tikit is not a perfect bike but stem flex is no one of its problems. My early 1993 Pocket rocket has much more flex than this Tikit has. Roger

Check out the Curve SL, small fold and light.

Check out the Curve SL, small fold and light.

Yeah, and I second the motion for a Downtube Mini. I realize you've already gone for the Dahon, but for my commute (sometimes NJTransit, sometimes LIRR; both very similar to MARC) the smaller wheels of the Mini are a must, and I prefer the internally geared hub. For some reason people seem to discount the Mini as a performance machine, but I think that's mainly price point snobbery. I'm pretty sure any rider would be faster on a Mini than on a Tikit, for example; the only advantage of the Tikit over the Mini is that it can be customized for a larger rider. For a smaller person, such as the OP, the Mini is pretty nearly perfect.

As far as I know, you still need to bag a folding bike during peak hours on Metro ...

http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/bike_workshop/comments.cfm
http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/bikes_guidelines.cfm

If you have an update to those two pages, please pass the information on.

Interesting....I have called WMATA a couple of times about this, and received a few different responses. One response was, "I don't know." Another representative told me that you do not need bags for folding bikes anymore; this rep told me that they did away with their bagging policy when MARC eliminated theirs. Yet another representative told me that "technically" folded bikes still need to be in bags, but that this is rarely enforced, so it is not likely that I would get any flack for bringing a folded bike onto the Metro train during rush hour.

Good ol' WMATA. I would have been worried if I had received consistent answers.

+1...

That would be just the ticket....:D

By the way, I had a SpeedPro, and the top tube was quite a stretch for me. I'm 6' tall and a practicing roadie. Yes, the stem is adjustable, but it was still long. Mine was a 2005 though, so I don't know about today's frame.

The nice thing about a Tikit for short and taller folks is that you can get an appropriately sized frame and the bike will take normal stems/bars so you can dial in the fit nicely.

I've been thinking a Tikit with drop bars and some Schwalbe Stelvios might be a lot of fun. Rob English has a tricked out roadie Tikit he's raced on (http://www.bikefriday.com/tikit/robspinkone).

http://www.bikefriday.com/sites/default/files/images/TIKIT-robspinkone-helduphigh.preview.jpg

As the most stressful part of your journey will be the train journey, I would like to be leftfield and recommend a 2 speed Pacific Carry Me. No it will not ride as well as all the lovely bikes mentioned here, but if your journey to and from the station is a shortish one, it will give you stress free commuting :)

It packs up into a small walking stick shape which you can wheel along very easily. I have the Dahon D3 Curve (nice bike) but think I still may get a Carry Me for a stressfree life :)

The nice thing about a Tikit for short and taller folks is that you can get an appropriately sized frame and the bike will take normal stems/bars so you can dial in the fit nicely.

I've been thinking a Tikit with drop bars and some Schwalbe Stelvios might be a lot of fun. Rob English has a tricked out roadie Tikit he's raced on (http://www.bikefriday.com/tikit/robspinkone).

http://www.bikefriday.com/sites/default/files/images/TIKIT-robspinkone-helduphigh.preview.jpg

Covet. But without good suspension on the front and back, 349 wheels will tear you apart in NYC. Still, it's a beauty. Pink is my favorite.

Picked up my Dahon Speed Pro TT last night and I had my maiden voyage this morning. I rode from Silver Spring to downtown DC (about 7-8 miles the route I take). I have to say that this little thing is quite zippy! First off, it adjusts perfectly to my rather short stature - I don't know how a big guy/gal would fit on one of these, but for me it feels just perfect. I really like the handlebars too - they are very comfortable. I am still trying to figure out how to work the gears, as they are different than my road bike, but they are very responsive. The small wheels definitely took some getting used to - at first I was petrified that I would fall off, as they felt very squirrely and sort of shaky. But after a couple of miles I adjusted my response and felt better.

I still have to make some small adjustments with the seat and handlebars, but overall it feels really nice. Not exactly like my Trek road bike or Jamis that I have been using as a commuter, but still pretty nice. I didn't take the train in today so I don't know how that's going to work. The bike does fold down rather compactly, but looking at it I am worried about whether it's compact enough. I guess I will see when I take the Marc train in tomorrow.

If it's anything like here in Chicago, you shouldn't have any issues with the folded size. If you think the train will be super packed, you can always put the bike in the bag (assuming you bought a bag, of course).

--sam

Hi AR,
Have you considered the STRiDA? I am also a short woman - just over 5 feet - and I find it to be a really comfortable ride. They have a smaller version called the Mini calibrated for people like us under 5'4" - I highly recommend it! You can check it out at http://www.strida.us/model-mini.asp.

:thumb: Took my folding Dahon Speed Pro TT onto the Marc train this morning for the first time. It went off without a hitch. Had a little trouble getting up those steep stairs with the bike, but figured out how to do it easier. I did not have my bike in a bag; Marc no longer requires this which is a good thing, as having to get the bike into a bag would be another headache I wouldn't want to deal with. The train operator was really nice and let me set my bike down in the vestibule. The train I was on was not crowded and I think the trick is to sit in the last car, as this is generally the least crowded. I got off the train in Silver Spring (last stop before DC), snapped my bike together, and headed into downtown DC. I made a pit stop at the Dunkin Donuts and was still at my office faster than had I taken the train all the way into DC and then walked to my office from Union Station. Oh, and I was able to ride on my bike to the Marc station faster than if I had driven. Which leaves me wondering - why do people sitll drive everywhere?

Anyway, I would highly recommend this bike. I would suggest a couple of things. First, be prepared for every other cyclist and person to stop and ask you questions about the bike. Apparently, folders are still a bit of a novelty here in the US. But people's questions are genuine curiousity mixed with, "Hmmm...maybe I could get one of these and ride?" Second, buy the bike from a reputable dealer that will include free tune-ups. From what I have been reading, these bikes require a bit more maintenance and inspection than an average bike, as they have a little more that can go wrong with them. I bought mine from College Park Bikes in College Park, MD. They provide free tune-ups at this store and the one in Mt. Airy MD. Third, take your time to practice folding it up and figuring out how to carry it onto public transportation. It is not hard, but when you're in a rush it can be a little frantic.

Which leaves me wondering - why do people sitll drive everywhere? Welcome to the real world.
[/Morpheus]

I got off the train in Silver Spring (last stop before DC), snapped my bike together, and headed into downtown DC.



I did this route once- which way did you go? I started riding on the street down 16th street but the cars were zooming by so fast, that I decided to get on the nice wide sidewalk. What do you recommend?



First, be prepared for every other cyclist and person to stop and ask you questions about the bike. Apparently, folders are still a bit of a novelty here in the US. But people's questions are genuine curiousity mixed with, "Hmmm...maybe I could get one of these and ride?"


Yes I posted about this in another thread- I literally get asked about the bike every day! Have a good answer prepared when they ask how much it costs.