Folding Bikes - any good budge 16" folding bike?

so my mine was set on the dahon boardwalk until i went into my lbs and check it out...it was enormous!!! no way i want that in my tiny nyc apt...lol. but i saw the 16" dahon curve bike and they guy told me it cost $900!!! way out of my budget. any1 here know any good 16" folding around $200 or less? thx in advance.

Not really. You could try the Kent Ultralight. It's a budget bike, but I wouldn't necessarily call it good. Your other option is the Citizen Tokyo. Again, it's budget, but it's not necessarily good.

I should also note, there are two Dahon Curve models. Curve D3 and Curve SL. The Curve D3 is a little cheaper... around $600.

Another 16" bike that is very popular on these forums in the Downtube Mini. It's about $500.

--sam

so my mine was set on the dahon boardwalk until i went into my lbs and check it out...it was enormous!!! no way i want that in my tiny nyc apt...lol. but i saw the 16" dahon curve bike and they guy told me it cost $900!!! way out of my budget. any1 here know any good 16" folding around $200 or less? thx in advance.

Aside from the bikes on eBay, the only 16in folder under $200 I can think of is the Citizen Tokyo:

http://www.citizenbike.com/catalog.asp?product_category_id=1&product_id=10

Also, you can still get a Kent 6spd for around that price:

http://ridethisbike.com/products/Kent/folding-bike-Ultralite-6.htm

Keep in mind $200 is a very low price for a folding bicycle and you really do "get what you pay for". I agree that $900 is a lot of $$$, but how about half of that? If the answer is yes, then check out the Downtube Mini, a 16in folder that many have enjoyed:

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

:thumb:

Aside from the bikes on eBay, the only 16in folder under $200 I can think of is the Citizen Tokyo:

http://www.citizenbike.com/catalog.asp?product_category_id=1&product_id=10

Also, you can still get a Kent 6spd for around that price:

http://ridethisbike.com/products/Kent/folding-bike-Ultralite-6.htm

Keep in mind $200 is a very low price for a folding bicycle and you really do "get what you pay for". I agree that $900 is a lot of $$$, but how about half of that? If the answer is yes, then check out the Downtube Mini, a 16in folder that many have enjoyed:

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

:thumb:

i gotta admit...the downtube looks quite sexy...but i dont know if i wanna shell out $500 for a bike for only occassional weekend recreational use...lol.

ok...i'm leaning toward the citizen tokyo 16"...any1 here have any experience with this bike or heard of any reviews on this bike? the website indicated it is on back order till sept. 15...i guess this must be a very popular bike huh?

ok...i'm leaning toward the citizen tokyo 16"...any1 here have any experience with this bike or heard of any reviews on this bike? the website indicated it is on back order till sept. 15...i guess this must be a very popular bike huh?

Hmmmm, I recall caaah -- I may have one too many "a"s in the name -- recently discussed a coworker who dispises the bike.

maybe she'll let it go for cheap?

Hmmmm, I recall caaah -- I may have one too many "a"s in the name -- recently discussed a coworker who dispises the bike.

is it your coworker? ask her why she dispises the bike? maybe she never bike and bought this bike for the very first time and come to find out she doesn't enjoy biking?

Hmmmm, I recall caaah -- I may have one too many "a"s in the name -- recently discussed a coworker who dispises the bike.

You're right - she said "NOTE: Don't get the Citizen Tokyo. Absolute crap. The girl I work with just has hers sitting at the office here, collecting dust. She's always trying to sell it to everyone, but no one wants it. "

over in this thread: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=7337141&highlight=#post7337141

is it your coworker? ask her why she dispises the bike? maybe she never bike and bought this bike for the very first time and come to find out she doesn't enjoy biking?

Hey ... if you are really looking for a cheap bike, perhaps you can buy it from her coworker ...

Yeah, especially if you're in the market for a bike that even the person trying to sell it admits is appalling. Surely any amount of money is too much for a bike you won't want to ride?

If $500 is too much for a Downtube Mini, for $360 you can get the Dahon Curve D3 from www.performancebike.com with the 10% off coupon.

For that money, nothing will come close.

If $500 is too much for a Downtube Mini, for $360 you can get the Dahon Curve D3 from www.performancebike.com with the 10% off coupon.

For that money, nothing will come close.

can u give me a direct link..i'm on the performance bike website and can't find it. also what is the 10% coupon code?

If $500 is too much for a Downtube Mini, for $360 you can get the Dahon Curve D3 from www.performancebike.com with the 10% off coupon.

For that money, nothing will come close.

never mind..found it and it is 15% making the price $340 and it is on promotional only for today..decision decision...someone please help me to decide quick!!!

also why is there is a big price descrepancies....on dahon website...it is selling it for $529...also $190 price difference? why? is the curve on performance bike refurbished or something?

The Curve D3 is a good bike, keep in mind you get a 3 speed folder, if you are fine with that, pull the trigger. There is nothing wrong with the bike just keep in mind that if you don't have PB shop close you and if you are not comfortable with bikes you, a good idea will be to take the bike to your LBS for initial setting and tune up.
I was in a same position as you and came to realization that it is probably a good idea getting the better bike that i will like and ride rather getting something that isn't gonna do it for me.

I say go for the Curve D3. It's a good bike and has received favorable reviews on this forum. :-)

--sam

The Curve D3 is a good bike, keep in mind you get a 3 speed folder, if you are fine with that, pull the trigger. There is nothing wrong with the bike just keep in mind that if you don't have PB shop close you and if you are not comfortable with bikes you, a good idea will be to take the bike to your LBS for initial setting and tune up.
I was in a same position as you and came to realization that it is probably a good idea getting the better bike that i will like and ride rather getting something that isn't gonna do it for me.

i have never use a speed bike before...how does a 3 speed help? like going uphill or downhill or flat? if i plan to get it...i plan to bring it to my lbs and have them re-assemble it for me. i just called around..prices are around $50-$70 for re-assembly. what is tune up? what do i ask them to do for tune up?

also why is there is a big price descrepancies....on dahon website...it is selling it for $529...also $190 price difference? why? is the curve on performance bike refurbished or something?

If it's actually a 2008, I'd be all over it.. great price.. and a nice bike... if I were to guess why it is so low, it's probably not in stock.. but who knows, maybe it's just a clearance to make way for 2009..

i just pull the trigger!!! i just got it...thx for all the advice...someone please answer my question about the 3 speed questions.

i just pull the trigger!!! i just got it...thx for all the advice...someone please answer my question about the 3 speed questions.

Cool.. do you have a local Performance Bike shop to pick it up from? A 2008 should have a SRAM 3spd.. nice unit.. very reliable.. Gears: low (hills) medium (flats) high (downhills).. If you get it through Performance, I would imagine they'd charge around $40 to set it up for you.

i have never use a speed bike before...how does a 3 speed help? like going uphill or downhill or flat? if i plan to get it...i plan to bring it to my lbs and have them re-assemble it for me. i just called around..prices are around $50-$70 for re-assembly. what is tune up? what do i ask them to do for tune up?


i just pull the trigger!!! i just got it...thx for all the advice...someone please answer my question about the 3 speed questions.

I think I can answer some of your questions. I have 3 (a few months ago 4) three speed bikes. Hub gears are simple to use, durable, low maintenance and very reliable. If you are using a bike frequently for relatively short distances, then they are ideal. I just love mine because they are so simple to operate and keep up. The 3 speeds are as follows gear #1 or low: climbing hills or going up long inclines, gear #2 or medium: for general cycling around 95% of the time, and gear # 3 or high: for fast hard pedaling down wind or hills. The rear hub hides the gears and need very little in maintenance. And another feature not often noted is there is no derailleur cage to scrape the ground or bushes when the smaller wheeled bike is being riden about. You have a choice of shifters generally mounted on the handlebars of the traditional plastic or metal thumb shifter or the more modern twist or grip shifter. Also keep in mind that there are more gears now available for internal hub gears. They are available with 1, 3, 5, 7 or 8 gears. If you live in a flattish area 1-3 gears are fine. For slightly hillier areas 5-8 will be useful.

A good bike shop does the initial and post purchase tune-ups after a certain amount or time (generally 1 month) elapses. If the bike shop does not include the tune-ups with your purchase, look elsewhere as they are not so hot. My own Geocities Website covers this and related topics in detail in the Selection section below in my links section below:

If you have anymore questions, please feel free to contact me directly here in this post or at Private Mail. Sometimes people tend to wander off topic here. Please do not take it personally.

still a question about the gears for high and low..

you guys said to use low for up climb and high for down climb. now my question is, when you switch to low does the wheel spin faster or slower? same for high? what happen u use the opposite..for example instead of using low for up climb, you use high and vice versa for down hill? what happen if you use medium for uphill and downhill?

so my mine was set on the dahon boardwalk until i went into my lbs and check it out...it was enormous!!! no way i want that in my tiny nyc apt...lol. but i saw the 16" dahon curve bike and they guy told me it cost $900!!! way out of my budget. any1 here know any good 16" folding around $200 or less? thx in advance.

$200 is tight for a good folding bike. If you can stretch $200 more you can get the excellent Downtube Mini I'm sure. It folds very compact for your needs and rides really well.

The Kent Ultralite is fine as a starter bike but you need to be smaller and only ride for relatively short distances at a time.

still a question about the gears for high and low..

you guys said to use low for up climb and high for down climb. now my question is, when you switch to low does the wheel spin faster or slower? same for high? what happen u use the opposite..for example instead of using low for up climb, you use high and vice versa for down hill? what happen if you use medium for uphill and downhill?

^^ can any1 explain this gearing concept to me?

also when i get the curve d3...for u those who has this one...do u attach the back silver rack? i dont think i will need it much unless i go grocery shopping and need to carry heavy stuff...even then..i dont see how it secure paper/plastic bag at the back. how is the foldability if i have the silver rack in the back? and does it weight much?

I'll try . Low gear is for up hill or starting off . It makes pedaling easier and is useful until your (increased) speed prevents you from doing nothing but spinning the pedals with little resistence , at this point you need to shift up a gear to allow you to feel more resistence in the pedals and to gain more speed ; once you have spun out in second gear , you coast or shift to third gear and continue to pedal if you desire more speed. BTW that should be a nice bike you just ordered , I just ordered the single speed boardwalk this afternoon. kirby

i have a couple more questions...where can i get some nice bags/basket that i can attach it to my curve from the attachment below? and how much am i looking at? i remember seeing a pix in the folding forum that is a dahon with a gray bag on its rack. any1 know what i'm talking about...and how much is that gray bag? thx in advance.

For mounting bags up front, you need to order the klickfix bracket, as available from www.thorusa.com

Which matching Klickfix bag you go with is up to you.

As for the rear, any trunk bag should work, but not panniers, as those would have issues with heel strike.

I took off the rack and fenders from my second D3. I didn't use the rack at all and it was not that good when I tried using it. The gearings are fine if you are in the city. I rode from Brooklyn -> Manhattan -> Queens and it was very fun on that bike. The lowest gear might be too high if you are climbing hills (eg Queensboro Bridge). I am planning on picking up a Curve SL for longer rides. Enjoy the ride!

What is Vincentnyc's height?

Vincent, in a low gear, you have to pedal more times to go the same distance, because the back wheel turns less times per pedal stroke. This makes it easier to go up hills, but slower. In a high gear, you have to pedal less times to go the same distance, because the back wheel turns more times per pedal stroke. This means you can go faster before you can't spin your legs any faster, but it's harder to push the pedals.

What is Vincentnyc's height?

what does my height have to do with anything?

also when i get the curve d3...for u those who has this one...do u attach the back silver rack? i dont think i will need it much unless i go grocery shopping and need to carry heavy stuff...even then..i dont see how it secure paper/plastic bag at the back. how is the foldability if i have the silver rack in the back? and does it weight much?

2 of my folders have a rear rack in the back. It is a nice touch even if one chooses not to use it. With the smaller wheels-especially the 16" ones, I find that I must load the bike so my heels don't strike the load if it is very wide. I don't clip small loose items like cans and other grocery on the rear rack. I either use a backpack, front clip-on the handlebars basket (my older model Piccolo does not have klickfix® and basil luggage mounts), or a old plastic milk box tied on with bungee cords directly on the rack itself for those little things. When the rack is attached properly, there is no difference in the folding position-I even had a mailbox tied on my own rack and it seemed not to effect the fold in any way. There are actually 2 racks available for the 16" bike:

Arc Rack This rack is made of steel and is a bit heavier than the other listed below. It is prone to rust much faster too.

arclite aluminum rear rack This rack cost nearly twice as much as the steel one. But is said to be somewhat lighter.

any1 know where i can get a nice bottle holder for my curve? since i will be biking alot now..would be nice that it can hold bottle water...nothing fancy...something cheap would do. a link would be great or the rack in the back will do and strap it with the attach ropes to the bottle?

what does my height have to do with anything?

It makes a difference to what bike will fit you. Over 6 footers have a much more limited range of options.

this look like an interesting cheap bottle holder...

http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/470/bottlexd7.th.jpg (http://img177.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bottlexd7.jpg)

any1 know where i can get something like that cheap?

It makes a difference to what bike will fit you. Over 6 footers have a much more limited range of options.

i see....i guess it also have to do with adjusting your seat height. let's say someone like women who rides this bike who are generally in the 5' - 5'5"...how do they adjust their seating height? i see most of the pix here in this forum, the height seat is high as the handle bar or sometime even a bit higher...how can someone that short be able to cycle if they they don't lower their seat a bit? and why have a seat almost the same height as the handle bar? for safety or speed?

It is all about comfort and finding the right riding position that fits your body and riding style, of course for safety reasons you have to make sure your saddle isn't too high and you can reach the handle bar easily without over extending your arms and elbows. There is no rules, you just have to find what works for you.... When riding my Mu i like the touring position, i sit upright, almost like on my mountain bike. You can find the right position very easily, you just need to go for a ride, take a pencil or sharpie with you, and once you reach that sweet spot, mark it on the handlepost and seatpost and next time you unfold your bike you will be ready to ride in no time !!! It saves a lot of time and sweat. :ride:


TC

Performance has the Curve in pink. I just bought a new in the box Piccolo on the bay for $200. They are also a nice b16" for the money. The Curve was a deal from Performance.

this look like an interesting cheap bottle holder...

http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/470/bottlexd7.th.jpg (http://img177.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bottlexd7.jpg)

any1 know where i can get something like that cheap?


^^ can someone answer this question...where can find something cheap to mount my water bottle on the rail of my curve? also can i hold one of those poland spring water bottle that u get from the store for like a dollar? i think it is the 20 oz. bottle.

If you ordered it , have them send a water bottle holder along. They are usually $5.

i see....i guess it also have to do with adjusting your seat height. let's say someone like women who rides this bike who are generally in the 5' - 5'5"...how do they adjust their seating height? i see most of the pix here in this forum, the height seat is high as the handle bar or sometime even a bit higher...how can someone that short be able to cycle if they they don't lower their seat a bit? and why have a seat almost the same height as the handle bar? for safety or speed?

Seat the same height or lower than the handlebar is preferable for performance - you can get a more horizontal body. My Downtube Mini accomodates me (6'3), and allows me to have the handlebars anywhere from just below the seat to 8" or so above, but for a small person, you would only be able to have the handlebars either high, or even higher, unless you adjusted the stempost (adjusted with a hacksaw, I mean!)

Seat the same height or lower than the handlebar is preferable for performance - you can get a more horizontal body. My Downtube Mini accomodates me (6'3), and allows me to have the handlebars anywhere from just below the seat to 8" or so above, but for a small person, you would only be able to have the handlebars either high, or even higher, unless you adjusted the stempost (adjusted with a hacksaw, I mean!)

unfortunately the curve only allows you to adjust seat height and not handlebar height.

unfortunately the curve only allows you to adjust seat height and not handlebar height.

Really? I could have sworn that the older models had height adjustable stems.

If you ordered it , have them send a water bottle holder along. They are usually $5.

i dont want to use the same water bottle all the time...no matter how much u clean it...it smells after awhile. so i would like to get those $1 dollar polar spring water bottle from the store and use it and throw it away...can those water bottle mount fit those $1 dollar polar sprint bottle?

Really? I could have sworn that the older models had height adjustable stems.

i was watching the demo for the curve on your tube...i dont see how they adjust the height of the handlebar...the handlebar is rigid. i got the 2008 curve d3 model...go to dahon website and see for urself...doesnt say any adjustment for handlebar height.

Congrats on the Curve, Vincent! The 2008 has some nice improvements over the 2007, so I bet you'll like it. My Curve has the Klickfix in the front. I didn't like the rear rack very much, since most bags are too wide and your heels will strike it while pedaling. Thorusa also sells a Klickfix mount for the seat post, that you may like.

Really? I could have sworn that the older models had height adjustable stems.

Yep, the Curve has adjustable handlebar height.

Yep, the Curve has adjustable handlebar height.

how low can you adjust the handlebars? if adjust too low..won't it hit the front wheel? also do you need to re-adjust the handlebars everytimes u fold and unfold similar to what u need to do with the seating height?