Folding Bikes - Chrysler 16" Folding Bike

Anybody had any experience with this bike? Any reviews? Thank you in advance.


http://www.amazon.com/CHRYSLER-81416-6-Chrysler%C2%AE-Folding-Bike/dp/B0017TEZ7M/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1217425181&sr=8-9

looks pretty cheap but i have not heard of it.

I've seen this bike on eBay and on Amazon, but I don't know if anyone on this forum has one. Depending on your needs, it's probably a fine bike. Sure, it's probably cheaply built with lower end components, but that doesn't mean you can't use it and enjoy it for what it is.

That said, the price tag may be a little steep when you consider you can get a Dahon Boardwalk for about the same money or less. You could also get a Downtube 9 with front suspension for $80 more. And if you're willing to bargain hunt, you can get a better used Dahon for about the same money.

If you decide to purchase the Chrysler bike, please give us a full review with pictures. :)
--sam

I would be concerned to buy a bike with that little information, and I would be concerned to buy a bike from "Bargain Outfitters"

If Chryster goes bust it could be a neat thing to own.

Well, I own a 16" wheel Chrysler folder - not the one pictured, but this one:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007W2EXC?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=dealtime-sg-ret-20&linkCode=asn

Test ride: I cycled around Santa Monica, Brentwood and Westwood with it (about 7 undulating miles, with one 4% descent).

Findings:
- 10 miles is about the limit for this bike
- Wished I had multiple gears
- Do not take it down a 4% grade (I decided to walk)
- Weight and components better than I expected
- Unusually good saddle
- 16" wheels mean you do 7-8 mph
- Folds up nice and small for the bus (but not quite Brompton small)
- Decent handling in heavy traffic (West LA has the occasional bike lane & some very tight spots)

Conclusion:
- Decent cheap one-speed folding bike good for short, comfy rides on flat terrain.
- Nowhere near as much bike as the six-speed 2004 Dahon Mariner I own with 20" wheels
- A single-speed Dahon is probably better

The rider height limit for the bike is 6', the weight limit is 187 lbs. (I am 6'3" and 170, and had the seatpost up to the limit line, no problems.)

Someone made/branded "Chrysler" and "Jeep" model folding bikes recently, I wonder if these were given away as premiums overseas with a car purchase?

My 1968 Schwinn Run-a-bout has 16" wheels and I pedal 17mph on the flats.

Wow! That's BF speed!

Quite sincerely, I bet your '68 Runabout is 4x as good as my '08 Chrysler Mediocrity. :)

And I'm a classic & vintage poster, mm, memo to self ... check out the Schwinn Runabout ... :)

16" wheels don't make you slow, bad gearing can, and so can your legs. I assume based on this that you'd be able to go much faster on a 700c bike? I can cruise comfortably at 20 on a road bike, and can push 16-18 comfortably on my Downtube Mini with similar levels of effort. I've yet to track down what makes it this much slower, but there's no way it could slow me down to 7 mph.

I had a 16" folder that I bought for cheap in a Spanish supermarket, which had derailleur gears which went nowhere near high enough. On that, 12 mph would have meant spinning pretty fast.

Hey, the model that firenbones mentioned looks nice. According to amazon it has 14" wheels.

Firenbones, any idea how much it weighs?

Well, hey, that explains it - I thought they were 16" wheels, but - they are 14" wheels! And the gearing isn't what you'd call BF gearing - maybe they didn't want people to go too fast on 14" wheels or something.

14" wheels ... that probably explains my lack of speed and lack of confidence starting down the 4% grade in tight traffic with no top tube and only the handlepost to support my upper body.

How much does it weigh? I haven't weighed it. Anecdotally, I can tell you that it seemed ... notably less heavy than a Dahon Mariner 6 slung over my shoulder. My Chrysler = mostly aluminum, my Dahon = mostly steel alloy. My Mariner is actually a 2003 and it's supposed to weigh 26 lbs.

The performance is mediocre - I think Sammyboy is right, it's the gearing - but it looks sharp, folds up small and is actually pretty well built. I do not see it falling apart in 3 years; I could see it lasting for 15-20 years with care.

The welcome/instruction sheet says "Thank you for choosing one of Chrysler's finest bicycles available." Makes me wonder if Chrysler is actually in the bike business somehow, whether in this country or overseas. I could see these being given away as stash-in-trunk premiums with PT Cruisers, etc. There is also a "Jeep" line of bicycles sold via Amazon, IIRC.

I was under the impression that 14 inch wheel bikes were, generally speaking, for children: is the wheel base significantly shorter than other bikes?

Folding bikes use all sorts of small wheel sizes, though 14" is quite unusual. I think the Mobiky even uses 12".

Yes, that's why I ask about the wheelbase.