Indie

What's the ultimate folding bike for you?

I love my R20-thing but it's taking a while to get it roadworthy... and yesterday I bought a full-size mountain/commuter hybrid as a beater. I am in love with the big fat tires and 21 speeds.

I think my dream bike right now is one of the 26" Dahons, probably the Matrix, or maybe one of the Montagues.

LittlePixel

My dream folder exists and is in my custody, if only it wouldn't drop it's chain so often

mulleady

Dahon Helios XX Special Edition

SesameCrunch

You're dreaming! Only 300 of those made in the whole universe.

Where do you think you're going to find one of those? Hmmmmm?

Lalato

My dream folder...

My dream folder is 22 lbs or less with all accessories included (rack, fenders, pedals, etc)
My dream folder can support my weight easily (230 lbs)
My dream folder has gears for hills and cruise well in flats
My dream folder fits in an airline legal case for traveling
My dream folder can handle rides of up to 15 miles easily
My dream folder has an internally geared hub for ease of maintenance
My dream folder has brakes that stop on a dime
My dream folder folds up small enough to take on the train at rush hour
My dream folder folds up in less than 15 seconds
My dream folder can handle potholes and rough roads well
My dream folder costs $600

I think my dream folder exists today except for the $600 price tag. LOL

--sam

timo888 

My dream folder is the Xootr Centaur:

• cerebral 7000 series aluminum top tube/head tube/upper half of seat tube
• beastly cromoly rear triangle [seat stays, chain stays, bottom half of seat tube, and e-bb shell]
• beastly cromoly fork with elastomer-parallelogram front suspension (marriage of CaneCreek Thudbuster and German-A Kilo 20)
• alternatively, a Thudbuster-type elastomer-parallelogram-suspension on the stem
• eccentric bottom bracket for hubgear without chain-tensioner (or derailer)
• support for both disc and v-brakes front and rear
• slight mod to frame to support BigApple-ish tires without rubbing due to tolerances
• unobtanium Rohloff hub
• EDIT: cable stops on the gusset and below the pivot bolt between the seat-stay trusses

Regards
T

P.S. The "nightmare" model would dispense with shifter and brake cables and use BlueTooth®.

CameraMan

The dream might be coming true - I just found on german e-bay and hit buy on one of these :

The Dahon smooth hound 2008





( sub link here - to a game show puzzle 'build the bike' : https://enjoytheride.blog17.fc2.com/b...te-200808.html )

CameraMan

Very interesting fork ... definitely in the dream price category

makeinu

Tsk, tsk. That's what you get for defiling the simplicity of a FG with an idler.

If you want a super small SS/FG folder then allow me to note that the nice straight chainline of the Carryme isn't even interrupted by a chainstay. It's almost as if everything is built around the drivetrain, with the way the seamless frame basically just clamps on top of the rear wheel and chain wheel and then the seatpost and handlebar post hinge off of the frame giving a very satisfying feeling indeed.

It took me a while to get over my small wheel inferiority complex, but now that I've had time to psychologically adjust I think it's my dream folder. I suppose it would be nice to get one made out of titanium, but that might make my head melt off like when they looked into the arc of the covenant in Indiana Jones. There are some things that man is just not meant to taste and I think a stiff, durable, efficient, good fitting, 10 pound, ultrasmall folding folder is one of them.


(note all hinges and folding mechanisms are as far from the drivetrain as possible just as god intended)

mulleady

We did say dream. One can dream can't they?

Go to bed Sesame and get some beauty sleep. You need it lol!

social suicide

A Sears Tote Cycle and a Coumbia Commuter II.

Indie

Okay, for something I could actually hope to afford someday, the Matrix would be my first choice, and second place is either the Jack (more heavy-duty for rough roads) or the Espresso (21 speeds and an upright riding position).

For something completely frivolous and impossible, I'd want a Victorian safety bike so that I could ride around wearing a cycling costume with bloomers and generally looking like one of those atrocious women who wants to vote and be independent and all that rubbish.

https://www.photowings.org/pages/index.php?pgA89

noteon 

OK, weird, I'm hearing theremin music...

timo888 

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=15960831

OldiesONfoldies

As per Makeinu, we are fans of the Carry Me micro bike. Very easy to travel with. Just back from Lake Maninjau Sumatra... pootling along.

jur

Don't you have a job?

somnatash

Your folder is dreaming of chainless freedom - let her go

LittlePixel

This is something I'd 'be all over' if it came to market. Nasty cables spoiling the look of things!

noteon 

I hope the Centaur's easier to ride no-hands than the Swift, or I'm going to wipe out, trying to steer it with my Treo.

porschetoyz

My dream folder: Bike Friday Superlight.

This has a Bike Friday expected catalog date of 2010 (!?).
I saw one of the Bike Friday promo videos of Rob English riding this spindly-skeletal looking 20" wheeled bike and I was in love! The bike was almost all seatpost! But even more than that, it was a 2010 (movie reference ) image of what a minimalist bike would become.

Also, in the eye of this beholder, it is a work of art. Simple, beautiful.
Oh, I don't know if it folds

mroli

dude - where?! I want the Hammerhead 8.0 but will "settle" for this!!

timo888 

LCDs and TFTs are old school, dude! There will be an ear-piece that picks up vibrations on the mandible from the subvocalizations that accompany your thought; it will seem as though the bike is reading your mind. Cool, or what? The early prototypes are experiencing a high degree of "noise" whenever the male cyclist passes by anyone with moderate or greater sex-appeal...or even happens to recall such incidents. They're working on a special elastomer for the grips, that can be laced with hyper-concentrated saltpeter which leaches out when exposed to sweat and is then able to enter the bloodstream through the palms. Perfekt biofeedback loop: more sweat, more saltpeter.

Regards
T

noteon 

So it's constant, then.

timo888 

These guys think that was funny, but beg to differ...

porschetoyz

mroli:

Me?
I don't know if the like below will work. I also have a picture from a bike show somewhere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAjswy_xlN8

After looking at the video again, the bike fits in a suitcase. Folding <=> breakdown