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I'm 6'3" is there a folding bike for me?

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Old 11-08-09, 03:29 PM
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I'm 6'3" is there a folding bike for me?

I recently decided to go car free and built up a mountain bike for winter commuting only to discover they're not allowed on campus during the winter months due to plowing obstruction. To me, that's the perfect excuse to get another bike, and I've been interested in folders for a while anyway. I'm looking for something that is big enough for somebody as tall as me, can take fenders, and has a wheel size that they make studded tires for. Ideally I'll be able to bag it up and carry it into class. Is there such a bike?
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Old 11-08-09, 04:47 PM
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Studded tires? I'm guessing a Montague. Maybe a Paratrooper or a SwissBike. If Montagues won't fit you, another option, significantly more expensive, is the Bike Friday Pocket Llama.

Last edited by feijai; 11-08-09 at 04:51 PM.
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Old 11-08-09, 05:21 PM
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I'm 6'3".... I ride a Bike-Friday Pocket-Rocket. It was custom built for me.
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Old 11-08-09, 06:36 PM
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Originally Posted by feijai
Studded tires?
Yes, like these:


Also, thanks for the suggestions, I'll check them out.

Originally Posted by bicycleflyer
I'm 6'3".... I ride a Bike-Friday Pocket-Rocket. It was custom built for me.
Sounds expensive. Was that because you wanted a custom built bike, or because it was the only option that fit?
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Old 11-08-09, 06:58 PM
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The studded tires part of this is easy: Schwalbe makes their Marathon Winter in a 20" size.

The big rider part is hard. I'm only 5' 11" and I find my Xootr Swift cramped (maybe due to long upper legs). I've been keeping an eye out for mentions of big folders for a while - they don't seem to exist.
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Old 11-08-09, 07:19 PM
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Downtube FS model is rated for up to 245 lbs, frame is larger and beefier for big guys. It's a very well rated bike (for the money). You can do a search on it for the reviews.

https://www.downtube.com/Full_Suspens...ding_Bike.html

It is however, over 30 lbs in real life, so you probably won't want to walk miles and miles with it in a bag.
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Old 11-09-09, 05:09 AM
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Originally Posted by andmalc
I've been keeping an eye out for mentions of big folders for a while - they don't seem to exist.
Contradicting myself, Bike Fridays come in a Large size.
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Old 11-09-09, 07:36 AM
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Originally Posted by SesameCrunch
Downtube FS model is rated for up to 245 lbs, frame is larger and beefier for big guys. It's a very well rated bike (for the money). You can do a search on it for the reviews.

https://www.downtube.com/Full_Suspens...ding_Bike.html

It is however, over 30 lbs in real life, so you probably won't want to walk miles and miles with it in a bag.
Looks nice. Is it good rides of 30 miles or so? Bike Fridays ride well for a long haul but most others I have tried don't. At this price, this one would be a steal if it rides well.
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Old 11-09-09, 08:34 AM
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Originally Posted by donheff
Looks nice. Is it good rides of 30 miles or so? Bike Fridays ride well for a long haul but most others I have tried don't. At this price, this one would be a steal if it rides well.
Most certainly you can ride 30 miles. I once rode from San Francisco to the top of Mt. Tamalpais on mine - all off road. About 50 miles and 4000' of climbing. The FS takes a beating.

If you do ride yours a lot, you may want to upgrade a few components, but that's discretionary.

The FS is heavy, built for going off road mostly. Bike Fridays are built for long road rides. I would not recommend the FS if most of your riding is long distance road rides.
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Old 11-15-09, 11:15 PM
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I am 6'5", 200 lbs, and have a Xootr Swift and it is no problem - I can get full leg extension, and after some playing around with different stems and bars, I found a comfortable way to put my arms. And as far as being able to ride 30 miles, yeah, definitely, I have done 30 and more on my Xootr on numerous occasions.
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Old 11-15-09, 11:42 PM
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6'3"/200 lbs here with a preferred seat to pedal distance of 39.5".

I ride a custom-built Bike Friday NWT and a 2005 Dahon Boardwalk S1. The Friday is, as might be expected, PERFECT. The Dahon seat post is a bit short, but OK, and the it's mini-bar ends extend the reach to an acceptable distance.

Likely a stock BF, in a Large size, would be very acceptable, too. Because of the way it's built and its standard bike parts, it would be easy to modify the little bit that might be necessary.
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