Suggestions for a Chinese-made folder??
 

I have just booked my flights to/from Australia for my summer bicycling and will go via Hong Kong. On my return flights, a stop over will allow me to go to Canton/Guangzhou for several days. I figure I could look for another folder to augment my R-20 and the (folding??) mini-velo that Keith-Arvon will build.

I hear of R-20 clones and Brompton clones. Not to be outdone by women who cannot have too many shoes, does anyone have any suggestions/recommendations. The price(s) will be reasonable since it will be in China. Thanks for any info..:thumb:

My personal experience has been that the prices are very reasonable on the low-end bikes, but comparable to U.S. prices on the better ones since they are targeted at people with higher incomes. So I'm wondering what kind of bike are you seeking?

Frankly, I don't know what to look for. I have good bikes (original R-20 folder with alloy rims, front drum brake hub, Brooks B17, etc) and then Keith-Arvon will build me a tourer with 20" wheels ...

That said, just like the woman (Immelda Marcos perhaps :eek:) who does not have enough shoes, since I will be in the location, why not at least look, and if something catches my eye and costs less than (say) $150 - $200, well, what the heck.

At my age I am not worried about raising kids any more, and ... :lol: That is about the best answer I can give you - I am "fishing for ideas" and have asked for suggestions. Like I said earlier, I have quality and robustness. I (maybe) just want to try something different. If it works fine - GREAT. If not - so what - it won't bankrupt me and at least I will have tried and experienced ... Last time I checked, I can do whatever I want with my funds :p

HK? Go for electronics instead.

On a 6 months tour (trains, buses and bikes) with the wife in South East Asia, we recently bought in Thailand 2 Chinese made folding bikes, 6 speed for moving around the places where we stay.

One is a used Yeah (http://www.yeahbike.com/) similar to a Dahon Boardwalk for US$120.
The other is a new Oyama (http://www.oyama.com/) for US$200 visually similar to a Dahon Mu P8.

We ride between 100 to 200km each week on tarmac and unsealed roads.

While certainly not high end bikes, we are satisfied with the overall quality for a price that lets lot of room to buy better parts or accessories if needed.

In that case, I advise you to pick up a brand that can not be found in your home country, even if the price is comparable. I would really like to own a KHS F20, but the company just doesn't offer that model in the U.S. This bike is not cheap, but quite different from anything else that's available in my market.

Exactly, the prices climb up very quickly as the quality goes up. Foreign made bikes are more expensive than elsewhere. E.g. Bike Friday is 20+% more expensive than in the US. The better bikes are meant for the rich and they spend money which much less reserve than elsewhere in the world.

I also got the 6-sp Dahon HT060 for about $110. I found its quality quite iffy but, for the price, it is plenty of a bike. While I have not researched extensively the higher priced bikes, my suspicion is that pricewise the best deals can be had at low end. There is, however, another avenue that might be explored in that there are now bike start-up companies in China with some very innovative designs among folders. Maybe there is some jewel there that can be found, but one might need to visit a company store. In Beijing there is a street where the industry aggregates, suitable for such an exploration, but I do not know the situation in other places.

If you go to Taobao (www.taobao.com) and search using an English-language brand name or copy-paste "折叠自行车“ (folding bicycle) into your search, you can quickly get a view of what's available at what price in RMB.

So equipped, I'd then just go into random bike shops in Guangzhou and look for something that fits your needs. Plan for a close inspection of the individual frame. There are good products available but consistency is sometimes not there from bike to bike.

I agree with earlier posts that the low-end has the better bargains -- often with decent components from the low-end of name-brand groups. I would also do a complete disassemble and reassemble when you get home to make sure everything is aligned, correctly threaded, tightly assembled, etc.

Good luck hunting!

yes. that's the site where i buy some stuff for my bikes but i have an advantage in a way that i know a local guy who usually do the transactions for me and i know someone who brings them back for me here in usa. win win for me as it is cheaper and free shipping.

Folks, my request for info on my August "fishing expedition" has resulted in some really incredible information about both "species to catch" and which "fishing holes" to go to.

And to think that once-upon-a-time I just thought about getting a Chinese Flying Pidgeon :p

Thanks sincerely, to all contributors who took the time to tell me where to go ;)

Caution should be further executed regarding after-market items. The carrying bag I've got for my Dahon fell apart before I reached my hotel room. (I used the bag to bypass security that was not allowing bikes anywhere near the hotel complex.) The bag I was given as a replacement fell apart as well - I stitched it with a stapler for further transportation. The rack on the bike had mounting holes drilled so badly that it should have been a reject - the flaws were hidden under the heads of mounting bolts. The bike itself had decent integrity, though.

I haven't been to the far east (though I'd like to go sometime) but I understand it's folding bike nirvana if you can find a well stocked store. All I know are the pix and thread that folks have posted on here.

I would be stoked to look for a Moulton or a Moulton clone AND be able to test ride it. I seem to recall someone here that was able to do this. YOu can get a moulton in the states, but dealers are few and far between and you could probably not be able to test ride and probably pay a hefty premium for one. Good luck and post details of your trip afterwards.

My suggestion off one of the recommended sites above.

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=8800808129

a re-baged Birdy

or

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=9494199291

which like it could be a pacific reach