Folding Bikes - From YouTube: Dahon vs Brompton vs Bike Friday

This is just too good to pass up....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P07NRjv9r_o

They are all quick folds.

Funny how it looks like the Dahon is going to be last, but it wins...

:thumb:
thx for sharing, also the other videos near by are interesting, here brompton versus tikit including packing in sack:
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=yng5wAgFMx4&NR=1

Actually, the Tikit clearly won, not the Dahon. The only thing was that the Tikit tipped over and the guy picked it back up. But as far as folding, he clearly was fastest.

Also, the Dahon isn't "fully" folded. Every time I tinkered with the Mu, I found that it required a lot more fidgeting to get those magnets to connect. Maybe this guy has it down to an artform, but my guess is the magnets aren't engaged there. He just has it folded.

Even so... the Brompton was the slowpoke in this "race". ;)

The other video that Somna linked to was interesting. I don't have the showercap thing for my Tikit. It looks like a bit of a hassle compared to a normal bag.

--sam

Nope, according to official rules you only win once you've had both hands up in the air plus smile on face for over 2 seconds.

Actually, the Tikit clearly won, not the Dahon. The only thing was that the Tikit tipped over and the guy picked it back up. But as far as folding, he clearly was fastest.

Also, the Dahon isn't "fully" folded. Every time I tinkered with the Mu, I found that it required a lot more fidgeting to get those magnets to connect. Maybe this guy has it down to an artform, but my guess is the magnets aren't engaged there. He just has it folded.

Even so... the Brompton was the slowpoke in this "race". ;)

The other video that Somna linked to was interesting. I don't have the showercap thing for my Tikit. It looks like a bit of a hassle compared to a normal bag.

--sam

+1 - it would be even a bigger difference if they had to move the bikes folded or unfold the bikes and ride them. That's my biggest complaint with the fold of my Dahon D7 - the amount of time/effort it takes to get the seat at the right height/rotation, the bars at the right height + 2 rotations [side to side and vertically]. It isn't an issue for an occasional fold, but you won't be highly motivated to fold the bike multiple times per ride I can assure you. That's why when I ride my Tikit with my friends who own D7s they carry locks and I don't. It's easier to take the Tikit inside with me than to bother locking it....:thumb:

In fairness both their D7s together cost a bit less than my Tikit.

I just used the showercap to get my Tikit into a downtown office building for a medical appointment. It is a bit fiddly the first few times you use it, but if you depploy it a number of times you'll get quite fast. The showercap has two major advantages over any other folder bike bag I've seen 1) it's always there attached to the frame in a protective sheath ready to go when you need it. If it was a normal bag the few times I really needed to use it the bag would have been at home in my closet. 2) you can roll the bike folded or carry it while in the showercap. This is awesome when you need to be uber covert to get past the security at the door [carry it], but don't want to carry it through the rest of the building [roll it]. While rolling it attracts more attention, but it will still get past casual scrutiny.

the person on the brompton doesn't know how to fold it fast

anyway...Bromptons rule over any other folder ...admit it, or cry to momma


"Tikit...for when you want to win the fold-up-race, yet your folded up bike to be bigger than a folded Brompton...still."

If I had to change handpost length when folding my dahon I don't think I'd use it at all (realigning handlebar would be too awkward), and I only have to rotate the handlebar now that I have bar ends. It used to fold in 3 very simple moves, but it's still quick & simple.

"Tikit...for when you want to win the fold-up-race, yet your folded up bike to be bigger than a folded Brompton...still."

I would say it's more like... Tikit... for when you absolutely, positively must catch that rush hour train.

--sam

the person on the brompton doesn't know how to fold it fast...

that was obvious yes and then he had the bag on it which makes it a little more unhandy to fold fast.

I used a Sharpie marker to make little tick marks on my Dahon Vitesse D7 showing the folded and unfolded settings. It makes repeatable settings and near perfect alignment a breeze. The magnets will snap in every time and it fits my carrying bag easily once you find and mark the optimum settings. That includes my Mirrorcycle bar end mirror.

Dahon is the best at folding
you can't possibly beat the ease and how efficient it is compared to the rest.

also the PLUS side to Dahon fold design, is that you can still use your folded bike as a Stool to sit on it, meanwhile you wait for the train, or whatever. :D :thumb:

:thumb:
thx for sharing, also the other videos near by are interesting, here brompton versus tikit including packing in sack:
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=yng5wAgFMx4&NR=1

hmm... i see why they didn't want to compete against a Dahon fold + bag it, it'd have been over waaay before those 2 were done :lol:

You don't get to work folding a bike, you get there by riding it! Who cares how fast it folds.......leave 30 seconds earlier. I want a bike that rides well and holds up. To me folding fast is not that important. When it comes to a fold, I want it to be easy, relatively fast, trouble free and most importantly, compact. The wear factor on the joints is another point often overlooked for the daily folder.:twitchy:

Dahon is the best at folding
you can't possibly beat the ease and how efficient it is compared to the rest.

also the PLUS side to Dahon fold design, is that you can still use your folded bike as a Stool to sit on it, meanwhile you wait for the train, or whatever. :D :thumb:

Can you really sit on your folded Dahon? A strong breeze would knock mine over and I wouldn't want to go barreling onto the train tracks when that happens. I've also heard that some people use their Brompton's as stools, but they give me the same problem.

Dahons do have the easiest fold, but the Tikit is faster once you learn how to do it.


You don't get to work folding a bike, you get there by riding it! Who cares how fast it folds.......leave 30 seconds earlier. I want a bike that rides well and holds up. To me folding fast is not that important. When it comes to a fold, I want it to be easy, relatively fast, trouble free and most importantly, compact. The wear factor on the joints is another point often overlooked for the daily folder.:twitchy:

30 seconds is easy to find in hindsight, but the times you need an extra 30 seconds are exactly those times you couldn't have predicted it. This is less of an issue for commuting to work on a regular schedule, but fast folding bikes are meant to be lifestyle bikes where you never know if or when you might need to fold it.

IMHO, Dahon and Brompton are more commuter folders whereas the Tikit is more of a lifestyle folder.

+1 - it would be even a bigger difference if they had to move the bikes folded or unfold the bikes and ride them.

Your wish is granted:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAQShZyWn6Y

Here Dahon gets spanked.



I just used the showercap to get my Tikit into a downtown office building for a medical appointment. It is a bit fiddly the first few times you use it, but if you depploy it a number of times you'll get quite fast.


Interestingly, they've got one of those too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yng5wAgFMx4

It's clear after watching these videos that none of these guys is very experienced at folding their bikes. The tikit can be folded far faster than this, and the folding and shower cap deployment of the poor brompton guy is horrific. The brompton's totally getting an unfair treatment.

It's also worth mentioning that the Dahon being folded doesn't involve what I find to be by far the longest part: moving the telescoping handlebar stem up or down so as to get the handlebars out of the way of the magnets when folded. It depends the height of the rider. I can't tell if he's got a telescoping stem or not.

Dahon is the best at folding
you can't possibly beat the ease and how efficient it is compared to the rest.

Wow. I think this comment wins the yearly "least likely to be true" award.

My Helii, like all Dahon P8s, fold using two safeties and four latches. This is efficient?

IMHO, Dahon and Brompton are more commuter folders whereas the Tikit is more of a lifestyle folder.

What sold me on the Tikit, after owning a number of Dahons, is that I found that doing Dahon's inconvenient fold over and over and over again, and its poor folded rolling, generally discouraged me from riding my bikes in situations where I'd be entering shops or offices or campus buildings. Which I do a lot. On the Tikit, I don't think twice about it because it's fast and simple.