petalpower

Looking for a folder to bring with me to Italy. We usually travel to multiple places and stay a few days to a week.

Some info on me:

• 155lbs
• 5'8"
• Would like to spend as little as possible, but I'd say that $2K is my upper limit.
• Been riding a Tarmac and now Roubaix for about 7 years. 5K-10K miles per year. Some racing.
• Looking to just stay in shape while I eat all the food Italy has to offer. Will certainly be doing some exploring - so I'd say 20-75 mile rides.
• Reside in the USA.

Bike will probably be used 6 weeks per year when I travel. I'm not opposed to spending the upper limit of my budget provided it's justified. What I don't want is something with sub par components or terrible geometry. I guess what I'm trying to convey is that I'm used to riding mid-high end carbon road frames and am somewhat used to precision.

If I can get close enough with a sub $1K bike, that would be GREAT, but I'm also not opposed to spending more.

Thanks

bargainguy

I'll take a wild guess that if you're used to higher end carbon road bikes and precision, a drop bar folder is the way to go, as it best mimics your present ride, and you can fit it with brifters.

I'm thinking Bike Friday. Pocket Rocket or similar, not up on all the different model names lately.

Keep in mind that the Samsonite F'lite suitcase recommended by BF these days is technically oversize (>62 in. H+W+D) for international luggage. The last thing you want is your bike + suitcase combo to be way oversize, because that kind of defeats the purpose of sending your bike as checked luggage, might as well use a bike travel case & regular bike. Also, with the international luggage limit at 50 lb., you'll want to make sure your bike + suitcase is under that weight to avoid additional weight charges.

My experience traveling with Bike Fridays overseas is that airline employees first weigh your suitcase. If it's over 50 lb., then they get the measuring tape out and check dimensions to see if they can sock you for exceeding the 62" limit. However, if it's under 50 lb, they often do not check dimension.

So you might be able to get away with oversize, but definitely not with overweight.

Abu Mahendra

Pacific Cycles Reach T20 or R20

feijai

I live in Italy part of the year. You will have absolutely no issue with a slightly oversize suitcase such as the F'Lite. You *will* have problems with Alitalia's notoriously bad luggage handling. Be prepared for something to be broken.

Your best bet by far is Bike Friday. Get a 20" BF as replacement tubes are plentiful. I suggest that you not get a tikit (I own one and use it a lot in Italy) or a Brompton, as 349-size tubes are pretty hard to come by there. Or you could bring a bunch of your own tubes and perhaps some replacement tires. Likewise the larger 451 wheels; they're extremely hard to get tubes for in Italy.

You could also go Dahon: but I have found it hard to get parts for Dahons in Italy without waiting for quite a while. Generally speaking I wind up getting the parts in the US when I return. Still, one option you might consider is to buy a Dahon in Italy.

A third option is to fly to Italy and buy a bike there. It's not like Italy has much of a bike culture or anything. :-)

petalpower

Thanks for the reply and info.

As I'm learning, I see the max allowable baggage on both American and Alitalia ( the two I fly the most ) are 62", and the BikeFriday is 34″x33″x12″ folded.

Unless I'm missing something, or I'll have to pay the oversize baggage fee ( $150-$200)?

feijai

Ignore the fold size, that's not what matters. Bike Fridays are designed to be *broken down* specifically to fit into suitcases. You might check Youtube for packing examples.

dorkypants

I have both a Bike Friday (Air Friday) and a custom (steel) Steve Rex with S&S Bicycle Torque Couplers. Both perform well.

I've ridden my Air Friday in the Granfondo Campagnolo, Granfondo Pinarello, the Sella Ronda and many other passes in the Dolomites, as well as in Piedmont and the French Alps. After riding a standard (non-folding) bike for a while, coming back to the Friday it feels slightly mushy (because of the folding hinges) and slightly squirrely (because of the small wheels), but it only takes a few minutes to re-adapt.

The Rex also performs well, indistinguishable from a high-end steel bike, which it is. The couplers add a slight weight penalty. For me the main drawback to traveling with it is that it fits into a 26"x26"x10" case right at the limit of the airlines' 62-inch L+W+H limit for non-oversize luggage, which is a bit unwieldy. Be that as it may, you might look into whether you can get your carbon frame retrofit with BTCs. Some builders will do that, with a large portion of the price due to having to repaint the frame after putting the couplers on.

ThorUSA

verge x 18 from tern, slightly above your limit. get a flightsuit, and a regular flite, some tools to take a couple things kff the bike and u are golden ....

or completely different, but you actually might like it too.... a tern link duo with two speed auto atic hub and bullhorns.... it seems totally different and it is, but it would mean very little dissambly and a real neat simple foldie...

Tony Marley

I recommend a Bike Friday. There are several to choose from, especially if you get one of their "pre-loved bikes."

linberl

I'm partial to Bike Friday, but I would recommend getting the geometry info from several bikes you consider and compare to your existing bike. Based on what you currently ride, I don't think you would be happy with a bike that just folds, you want a folding bike that rides like a real bike. That means geometry and components matter. AFAIK, Bike Friday is the only company that makes folders where you can pick and choose each element.

bargainguy

OP stated he resides in US. No distributors for those bikes in the US as far as I know. Might be good for where you are, but not for where the OP is, so I'm not sure how this suggestion would benefit him.

johnnywinter

My neighbor who used to be a competitive road racer just came back from Italy where he rented from a company that operates like a rental car company, even with ability to pick up and drop off at different places. He did not want to bother with bike on the plane. Here is link to company he used.

Veloce ® cycling and bike rental company : BICYCLE RENTAL

bhkyte

Other option would be an Airamal.
Another option is a custom Brommie.
I know I know.
But i am the last person to recommend a brommie as a performance bike. However,
afline 11 hubbed, fudgers brompton with bullbars and a compatable versa 11 speed brifter and detachable cube spd pedals with jojack tyers This will fit straight in to a legal suitcase with no folding.

I tried a silumar set up to this and it handled and fitted great, really good out of the saddle. Mine was a cut down upside down drop bar version with a stem extender.
One sold used on ebay for £1300 about a year ago.

fietsbob

Bike Friday Tikit. they are made in the USA & You have a component Menu and several sizes and configurations to choose .

Abu Mahendra

off the top of my head i can think of two PC distributors in the US.

CliffordK

One thing I did years ago was buy a bicycle in Italy, then bring it home with me. If I had a several week trip planned, I'd certainly consider doing it again. The bike was about a decade old when I bought it, but now would be considered vintage.

Anyway, with a fairly strong dollar, it would be an option.

bargainguy

You are right; I stand corrected. Urban Bike Fitters in Fremont, CA and Bfold in NYC, per the Pacific website.

petalpower

This is another option.

We basically go every year, and stay in only 2 places for about 7-10 days each. I can buy 2 pretty decent used bikes for the price of a quality folder and leave them in each place.

Plus the thought of lugging a bicycle along with a family is a bit less appealing.

CliffordK

I was going to suggest that... if you're going back to the same place repeatedly, and have a place to store the bike, that may well be preferable.

Perhaps if you have family in Europe, they'll have fun shopping for a bike. And, if you have more stuff to carry back and forth, it doesn't take up valuable luggage space.

It all depends on your needs.

Boudicca

The Friday is actually relatively easy to lug -- it packs into a large suitcase -- but you will probably end up taking more taxis from stations to hotels to avoid humping it up and down buses and streetcars. It's a lovely bike for someone who is used to road riding -- I have ridden a century on mine, and if I close my eyes when I ride (not recommended), I could think I'm on a regular road bike. But it's a packing bike not a folding bike. You will need to spend 30 minutes packing it into the case, and another 30 minutes unpacking it the other end. I've never had to pay excess baggage -- the case weighs in at about 46 pounds, and I just neglect to tell them that I'm travelling with a bicycle.

But if you've got somewhere safe to leave bikes, that might be a very nice option.

12boy

Haven't seen any mention of Xootr Swifts for a long time although the longest thread I've seen in this forum is about them and there has been quite a bit on Jur's TI swifts. I just got one and I really like it. It can be suitcased and the base one costs 799.00 with free shipping US. I have a Brompton also and this is very nice alternative. It seems much faster and doesn't give a lot of buzz on chip seal pavement. In person it seems much sturdier than I would have guessed from the pictures. Like the Brompton, it is very rigid and solid feeling.My 2 cents worth.