Classic & Vintage - Help me identify this!

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/bik/3231953231.html

I am curious for some info on this weird little bike! Does anyone know anything about it?

Looks very similar to Austrian and German folding bikes from the 1970s, like Puch and Royce-Union.

Here's a Royce-Union for reference (not mine):

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3534/3722417528_6a2b1576e5_z.jpg

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/bik/3231953231.html

I am curious for some info on this weird little bike! Does anyone know anything about it?

Afraid so... This kind of bikes was very popular here in Germany in the 1970's. Originally called "Klapprad" (clapping-bike) then, about half of all bikes sold in Germany at that time were such bikes. As you could easily load them in every kind of car, they were "in".

...However, they were not very solid and wobbly, and often quality was real bad. Especially at the folding mechanism they used to break very often. Always look for cracks there!!! ...However, by the end of the 70's, people in Germany were so fed up with these bikes that production was completely stopped and noone with any senses left would buy one.

Though in the meantime you can buy folding bicycles with modern folding mechanisms in Germany again and rhey are also quite popular, the old ones left such a bad impression that modern ones are not called Klappräder any more, but are being sold solely as "Falträder" (folding bicycles).

In my point of view $275 are way too expensive - you can still get these bikes here in decent shape for about $25 onwards.

Another weak spot is the attachment of the bottom bracket shell to the frame, which also cracks on a regular basis. Although these bikes may look quite nice, I'm afraid they're just a big laugh. Actually, there's also a "folding bicycle world championship over here, where a lot of people use try to run hilarious races on them... :)

Have a look at this advertisement spot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufEI1KQrJ_Y

I believe they are called "U" framed bikes,
I had a rahleigh badged one- it was made in Italy,
mine was as close to NOS as it got- even had a 3 speed SA hub.
it only got 100€ on the market.

its a simple bike for around town-millions of them in europe

Thanks, I was just curious. I am not the seller,
And yes, people sell bikes for very high prices where I live, I've never even seen a beater bike for 25 dollars here.