Folding Bikes - ... What do you use your folding bike for ?

I'm new to folding bike. The more I use the bike, the more I'm amazed at discovering its usefulness. What creative uses do you members have come up with your folding bike ?

Can I use my folding bike as an FM antenna to pick up radio signals ? :)

I use my Xootr Swift simply for riding pleasure. I bought a folder because I found that with work and family commitments I was doing the same rides all the time. I can slip the folder into my car, drive to another location and cycle through other areas.

[Can I use my folding bike as an FM antenna to pick up radio signals ?]

If you do, listen to me every night at 10! Or via www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria

Commuting and riding with my two young daughters. I enjoy my folder because unlike my road bike, I can simply jump on and start pedaling without changing clothes or doing anything special. It is my "fun" bike.

I do everything with mine - short shop trips, daily commuting, long century rides, brevets and fully loaded touring.

Jur wrote: . . . Brevets .
What do you do in brevets ? Pardon my ignorance.

Brevet is French for an organised ride, often called audax (from audacious), where the primary objective is to finish the ride within a certain time. These rides are often 200km in length, and even up to 1200km such as the most famous, the Paris-Brest-Paris ride (PBP). They are not races but a fairly high degree of fitness/endurance is required to finish such a ride in time. The first audax riders were a French club where they basically rode from sunup to sundown.

commute mostly. and casual riding here and there.

--sam

Count me out for this sort of high energy activity. I prefer slow trips with frequent stops for beer and food .

jur, what is the advantages of long distance touring with folding bikes over full size bikes ? I can only think of two advantages: (a) easy transport on airlines/coach/car (b) accept a lift to the nearest town when I'm tired :)


Paul Braithwait wrote: " . . . I was doing the same rides all the time. I can slip the folder into my car, drive to another location and cycle through other areas.

Great idea . I'll start leaving for work early, hop off at the railway station ( pick randomly ) and do a quick " urban touring ", catch the next available train and continue commuting to work .

light touring; picking up pizza and beer; bombing around DC at night when the weather is nice and the town is abuzz on a Friday night (like tonight :) ); multi-modal commuting to work (only a folder is allowed at the times I ride the METRO); grocery shopping; riding to friends' houses in the city; weekend rides on bike trails; therapy; soul connecting; exercise so that I don't have to pay $50+ a month for the gym membership; keeping my waistline in check so I can keep eating pizza and drinking beer; picking up pizza and beer---did I say that already?

jur, what is the advantages of long distance touring with folding bikes over full size bikes ? I can only think of two advantages: (a) easy transport on airlines/coach/car (b) accept a lift to the nearest town when I'm tired :)Yeah the only advantage I can readily think of would be easy transport. But I only have folding bikes ATM, a light Swift for fast/long rides, a Birdy for commuting/general purpose/touring and a few others that are on the endangered list. I also have a Moulton APB which isn't a folder but has small wheels and is superb for touring, better than a tourer probably.

Kegoguinness wrote : " ... soul connecting "

That's the closest answer to my FM antenna connection question ! :) . How do you " soul connecting " with a folding bike in tow ?

I take mine with me in a suitcase on business trips and use it for recreational and commuting rides. I also sometimes use it for a one-way ride as it is so easy to take in the car.

msincredible wrote : " ....I take mine with me in a suitcase on business trips

Custom made suitcase or commercially available one ? What make is your bike ? Worthwhile getting a hard-case ? I'd like to know your experience in using it for traveling .

I use my folders for the same things as I do my other bikes although I still need an off road version.

I take mine for rides in my truck:roflmao2:

I use mine for everything I would use a full sized bike for; transportation, fun and freedom.

Aaron:)
http://inlinethumb51.webshots.com/43506/2475888400066886751S425x425Q85.jpg
http://inlinethumb45.webshots.com/42924/2582220470066886751S425x425Q85.jpg

Custom made suitcase or commercially available one ? What make is your bike ? Worthwhile getting a hard-case ? I'd like to know your experience in using it for traveling .

I have a Birdy Yellow and I travel with it in a Samsonite 29" Oyster suitcase. This counts as a regular checked bag. I've been disappointed with the quality of the latches on the case but otherwise it works great. I wouldn't want to check anything but a hard-case as your bike will take a beating.

I have to do slight disassembly (remove pedals, wheels, seatpost) to fit it into the case, then reassemble it at my destination.

I've gotten pretty quick at packing it up (just takes practice), about 10 minutes or so. It takes me longer to set it up, mostly filling the tires with a hand pump.

http://paularickert.net/albums/userpics/packbike21.JPG

I use my folders for the same things as I do my other bikes although I still need an off road version.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I use my folder for off-roading, as I don't have a proper MTB.

I have two folders; a Merc and an SLO. I ride them around town mostly, but have toured on the Merc and camped out in my Hennessy Hammock.

However - the most creative use I have come up with was to take the Strida copy to Spain and use it on a walking trip to carry the luggage of myself and a friend. I decided that she probably wouldn't enjoy carting all her gear on her back - and I was right. She took too much, but the SLO made light work of it all - or rather I did with the help of the diminutive folder. It was like taking a donkey to carry all the bags, only it didn't eat any hay.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_mxD813fC848/SgBZASuVBFI/AAAAAAAABvY/JJXwz6djygY/s640/DSCN1688.JPG

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_mxD813fC848/SgBXqc-CzoI/AAAAAAAABu8/iL544OKbdD4/s640/CIMG0061.JPG

VIDEO: http://picasaweb.google.com/Volpoon/Camino2009#5332714270053750754

The new old folder handles the multi-use trails well enough but she really shines on the road... :)

With this set up and some different gearing and bars I bet she'd off road just fine.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/gracedrop9.jpg

Wow!..... Now I understand why you guys own more than one folders !

Will start start looking around garage sales for old folders to modify it into a " Folder Donkey " and paint it Yellow !:thumb:


evilV wrote : ....I did with the help of the diminutive folder. It was like taking a donkey to carry all the bags, only it didn't eat any hay.

evilV, I can get away with wheels smaller than 16" for carrying purpose and replace the weight saved with a small portable fridge ? What do you think ? :p

That's the closest answer to my FM antenna connection question ! :) . How do you " soul connecting " with a folding bike in tow ?

Yeah, hard to explain. It happened last night. There was great energy in the city (DC) and after I sat and people-watched at a popular park, I just had this incredible sensation of freedom and yet total connection with the road, the city, my surroundings--even traffic--as I wended my way home along one of the major arteries in town. When traffic is heavier, like on a Friday night, I can keep up with the cars or better, so we flow largely as one. I find city riding easier and safer than suburban or rural riding. People expect cyclists, we see and respect each other's presence more than anywhere else I have directly experienced. YMMV.

kegoguinness wrote : . . . I find city riding easier and safer than suburban or rural riding.

+1 , I can relate to your " soul connecting " :) .

http://paularickert.net/albums/userpics/packbike21.JPG

msincredible, I must admit, this is a very neat, tidy set up. . . . and colour co-ordinated too ! The bike is so clean.