Folding Bikes - 'Small' bike for an adult.

Hi,

I'm looking for a 'small' bike for an adult, I don't need it to be a folding bike though and in fact I'd rather it wasn't as I feel it would be more awkward. When I look on websites however I can only find bikes of the desired size in the folding bike section. eg. the 'Oyama East Village 16" Folding Bike' is exatly the type of size I am looking for. Do any manufacturers make bikes of this size that don't fold ? If so is there a particular name for this category of bike, where should I be looking on a website or what should I search for on Google?

Thanks,

Usjes.

mini velo or small wheel bike.

Of the ones I know of, there are the sillgey piccolo II, bikesdirect nano and cannondale hooligan.

You don't define any rider measurements (like inseam), so how small you need it to be is not totally clear.

Though spendy, Bike Friday custom makes bikes for 'Little People' and the smallest ones, from what I have seen, do not fold. Some have 20" wheels, and the smallest have 16"wheels. The really small ones do not fold.

http://www.bikefriday.com/blog/?p=366
http://www.bikefriday.com/bicycles/bantam_fridays

Again, not sure how small you need one to be.

Lou

Soma Mini Velo http://store.somafab.com/somaminivelo.html

mercier nano http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/nano.htm

Moulton TSR
Dahon Smoothhound, Silvertip.

Bike Friday, many 20" wheel options, they knock down for transport ,
more than fold, easily.

Though the BF Tikit is a fold quick bike, but the use a 349
rather than a 406 wheel (or 451)

BF http://www.bikefriday.com/
built up a little peoples bike , for the 'Mini Me' sized customer
though not that particular individual
actor, Verne Troyer, or another Known Actor, Billy Barty.
nor any of the Oompa Loompas
http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0121416/

Make sure you are not confused by the 16" size given - that is the wheel size, not the bike size. In general, you can expect folding bike sizes to be the equivalent of a 20" triangle frame bike.

If you are after a bike for a small adult, it might be beneficial to look at racing bikes for high school children - these are serious bikes but obviously designed for small people.

Bike shops is also a good place to ask, as they would get requests like that from time to time.

What size adult? What kind of riding is the bike going to be used for?

You also might want to consider a folder anyway, and just not fold it. No more awkward than a 'normal' bike, and there's a bit more variety out there.

I would go with bendembroski on this one. We don't know how you are going to and that's one of the reasons I don't get why you don't want a folding bike. I mean if you ride on roads and are not really fat, then a folder will work fine. There are even folding mtb:s although they have large (normal) sized wheels.