champignon

I appreciate all the thoughtful responses; keep them coming!

My plans are in flux. I walked into a local bike shop yesterday that I'd never been in, and they had a high end road bike on sale, hanging from the ceiling, that from what I can tell on the internet is extremely well priced and hard to find, and they just happen to have one that might fit me . . . . . . I looked back at my records and my Giant is now 7 years old (I am really getting old) which might allow me to justify, in my own tiny brain, an upgrade. Don't want to say what it is, but retail was around $3500 (to me that is a high end bike; to a lot of you that is probably garage sale material, I understand ). It weighs FOUR POUNDS less than what I have been riding, not a trivial difference (16 vs. roughly 20 lbs).

I am resolutely trying to talk myself out of buying it. Later today, when their bike manager is in, I will try again to talk myself out of it. It is always a mistake to go "look at things" like bikes, sort of like when I went to go look at a litter of Jack Russell terrier puppies with my business partner 7 months ago, and in the end we each came back with one. At 9 months, she has cost me a small fortune, for such things as a broken leg that needed to be surgically fixed 4 months ago, now healed, an uncountable number of things destroyed by chewing, including a few close calls with electrical cords, etc. etc. I love her nonetheless . . . .

If I buy this road bike there is no way I am going to buy another expensive bike this year, and I might need to revisit the idea of taking the X27H along on my trips, or buying something relatively cheap when I go over to France on my next trip.

Thanks again for the suggestions and I look forward to learning more about this market segment, of travelling folding bikes. Even if I don't buy anything right now based upon it, I will learn something for the next time around.

I am especially interested in anything people know about the French branded folders available in France, which might be the easiest route for me to go, if I can find a way to store the bike there in between trips.

Diode100

One of the forum members has a BTwin Hoptown in the family, perhaps they could be persuaded to give a brief summary of it. There are quite a few to be seen scooting around london these days and to me they seem like a pretty useful bike.

Ozonation

Well, it looks like you've got some decisions to make. If road biking is a constant in your life, getting a better one - instead of another folder - seems more rational.

If you do decide to invest in a second folding bike, the following review might be instructive.

https://www.theactivetimes.com/tested...commuter-bikes

Good luck!

Bill Wilby

I have been following your thread with interest, I may also be your nearest Strida dealer, we are located on the border North of Spokane. We do have demo bikes, the LT and the 3 speed EVO. I also have the padded bag to put them in. I would also like to know of any Strida riders who have flown with their Strida. I have read but can not recall where of hearing that the Strida padded bag looks enough like a golf bag that it fly's free. I am not a golfer so I would like to know, do golf bags fly free? I have taken my Cruzbike Quest in a suitcase on a flight and I am looking forward to flying with the Strida.
cheers Bill https://www.bikeforums.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

champignon

I am not a golfer and I don't know if there are routes where golf clubs fly free, however there are certain routes where specific items fly free in the baggage hold even when most items such as suitcases are charged fees. Examples might include wheel chairs, baby strollers, and odd examples such as a flight on Alaska Airlines from Santa Rosa, CA, near the wine country, where I believe you are allowed to check a case of wine as baggage at no charge.

What I have read about golf clubs vs. bikes is that there are cases where people with folding bikes were charged a bike surcharge even though their bag was within the size and weight limit, because they told the check in agent that the contents of the bag was a bike, and the clueless counter person therefore charged as if a full sized bike had been checked as oversized baggage. These are "internet stories," perhaps akin to urban legends, and may not be representative. It is my understanding that airlines routinely charge for a golf bag as if it was a suitcase, i.e. it is not free if suitcases are not free, but it is not surcharged over and above the cost of a suitcase if suitcases are assessed a fee. There are probably some locations where some airlines preferentially do not charge a baggage fee to a golf bag, such as perhaps winter routes to Phoenix to golfers buying a golf package tour to Scottsdale. I'm making this up as I go along . . . . . if in fact a Strida fits in a golf bag, and if the contents are not obvious to the check-in person, then presumably the Strida-in-golf bag would be charged as it was a set of clubs, not a bike.

Kind of contorted reasoning, but I think this summarizes the topic of baggage charges for a Strida bike masquerading as a set of clubs in a golf bag.

champignon

Thanks for this article. I stumbled onto it somewhere else in my web searching a few days ago, but it bears reading. Unfortunately, they did not test a very wide range of folding bikes.

Thanks again.

smallwheeler

nice link, Ozonation. once again... dat brompton...

champignon

Thanks everyone for your great ideas and suggestions. As a result of this discussion I have made up my mind and you forum participants have succeeded in knocking some sense into my head. I want to especially thank Hank and Thor for the time they have given me in reaching this decision. I almost bought a Brompton, which I am sure would have worked well, however I can always do that later and I think I am going to end up spending quite a lot on bikes this year and enough is enough.

First, I found out that the Scott closeout road bike I had been offered in town was in fact a "vapor bike," existing only in their computer and not in real life, having apparently been sold last summer. However, my preferred local bike shop, not the one with the Scott, has located another comparable high end road bike from 2011 at the distributor and they are able to offer me a comparable deal (around $3K for a nominally $4500 priced composite bike with top of the line components). So, I've spent my wad and then some.

But, what I have decided to do after talking with my bike repair guy and with Thor, is to buy a travel case from Thor and take my X27h on my airplane trips instead of buying an additional bike. My existing road bike, which is a perfectly functional 6 year old Giant, will become the bike I use in Boise as my "work" bike. Instead of taking it inside to appointments I will lock it up outside on a bike rack. If someone steals it then I will only be out the few hundred bucks I might have gotten from selling it, plus the cost of a cab ride or getting my business partner to pick me up.

So thanks everyone for your help in getting me to reach a logical conclusion.

HGR3inOK

Excellent solution!

-HANK RYAN-
Norman, Oklahoma USA

1nterceptor

Before I left for Puerto Rico last week I was thinking of bringing a Brompton with me.
I stopped by NYCE Wheels to ask questions and see what kind of deal I can get. When
I bought my FUJI roadbike from a Brooklyn shop I told the owner I was paying cash and
asked for all sorts of breaks. Discount on the suggested price, sales tax(value added tax)
to be "included" in the price, Planetbike fenders($45) and Knog front light copy($15) was
also added for free.

The guy at NYCE Wheels(Eric?) was nice. Answered all of my questions but he said he
couldn't get me a discount off of the MSRP even though I was paying all cash, using my
credit card would have cost the store what 2 - 3 % in fees? I asked if he can throw in
the the cover($45) that attaches to the seat, he said no. Then I went to the Carribean
and found a Brompton store; they gave me $200 off the retail price, "included" the sales
tax in the price and gave me the cover for free(they didn't have the pouch that goes on
the seat). All cash deal - store is happy, I'm happy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AopSW...6zPoymgKaIoDLA

smallwheeler

yes. NYCE wheels is not that nice. but, your story and video are very nice indeed.. thanks for sharing it.

BassNotBass

Honestly, considering the overhead of running a bike shop in a city like NYC and the popularity (or lack thereof) of folding bikes in the USA I'm not too surprised that it was cheaper to buy a folding bike with a few extras thrown in overseas.

1nterceptor, thanks for posting a link to your video. It made me aware of the slew of traveling videos you have that I'm really looking forward to watching.

fietsbob

Puerto Rico back to stateside is treated like interstate travel ,

and no import-duty declaration when you landed at the NY airport , Right?

so not exactly treated like 'Overseas' then..

champignon

I have been away from this board for about a week. Among other things, my 9 month old JRT puppy died suddenly last Friday evening while my friend and business partner was over for the weekend, and after dealing with that I decided to get another dog quickly being as I went for a year without a dog after my prior, nearly 15 year old dog was put down. So I now have another dog, a mixed doodle puppy, coming in a few days.

I happened upon an incredible ebay deal on a new Dahon Mu P8 which I think will be easier to travel with than my X27H, so I have gone back to my original plan to use the X27H in my business life when I am in my 2nd residence, in Boise.

As to the controlled pricing scheme effecting Brompton prices in the US from US dealers, I have very mixed emotions. This sort of marketing really annoys me, as it is a repudiation of capitalism, of demand and supply economics, allowing a producer of a popular product to control end user pricing. On the other hand, taking into consideration the dealers' perspective, bikes are not high profit items, and this is probably even more true with a line like Brompton. So, dealers like NYCE Wheels (with which I have no experience), are probably not making as much money from a sale as one might ordinarily think. If I lived in NY, or some other town with a Brompton dealer, and if I expected to use the local dealer for after sales service, I would just give him his little bit of profit and hope that he would give me good service later in return. If I did not have a local dealer and did not expect to ever get any additional service out of the selling dealer other than the initial sale itself, then I would just try to get the best deal I possibly could. Some dealers do have seasonal sales or reductions of one sort or another that are not specific to their Brompton (or other lines) but which might help to reduce the price you pay by some modest amount. I know of one dealer in the Pacific Northwest who has an annual one month sale with 10% off everything, which includes Brompton. These sorts of deals do exist and with some searching you might find one. Good luck.

HGR3inOK

Note that there is generally no warranty from Dahon on a bike that is not purchased from an authorized Dahon dealer.

Many Dealer Agreements with legitimate bicycle manufacturers include a Minimum Advertised Price ("MAP") clause. This applies to advertising, but not to the sales price. IMHO, MAP clauses help protect dealers and consumers from some questionalble marketing ploys. Many manufacturers also publish a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price ("MSRP") for their bikes. However, the dealer can sell the bikes for whatever price they wish, including a substantially lower or higher price. That's capitalism.

-HANK RYAN-
Norman, Oklahoma USA

BassNotBass

Sorry to hear that. Hopefully it wasn't Parvo, was it?

Ozonation

Very sorry to hear.

We have a 15 year old cat which while in good health will clearly not live forever... I will be a basket case when she dies one day.

champignon

No. I am thinking it was some sort of genetic anomaly, cardiac, brain, or something else. The dog had already experienced a broken leg, since repaired, and another ill defined ailment resulting in a day and a half stay in a doggie emergency room several months ago, with no diagnosis in the end other than the broken leg. She literally just died, rather suddenly, while my friend and I were watching. Depressing and shocking, but given her other problems, some of which I have not mentioned, it is now time for me to move on.

champignon

I paid $500, delivered, for a brand new, never ridden, Mu P8 that was still (mostly) in its original packaging. My bike shop is working on it as I type this. The most I can possibly be out is $500, and I can deal with that risk :-)

HGR3inOK

Heck, IMHO, $500 for a lightly-used two- or three-year-old Mu P8 is a great price. So this one looks really great. But I did want to point out (especially to any lurkers) that it might not be the same as buying a new Dahon from an authorized dealer.

-HANK RYAN-
Norman, Oklahoma USA

champignon

Hi Hank,

That's why I bought it, and it arguably was my best ebay deal ever. There were two of them and according to the ebay vendor, a guy who runs a closeout shop in the Midwest, they originated in a big box store somewhere that this discount closeout shop bought "container loads" of mixed merchandise from. Being as the bikes were specialty items for which this discount store owner had no market, he decided to dispose of them on ebay. I stumbled onto the listing while I was looking for something else. The listing was up there for only a few hours, and by the time I saw it one of the two bikes was already spoken for. I knew that it was a snoze-you-lose type of deal, so I hit the "buy it now" button and the rest is history

smallwheeler

I've actually noticed quite a few dahons appearing in closeout and salvage store listings this past year.. wonder what it means...

champignon

I think it means that Dahon has sold bikes to some larger stores whose primary focus is not specifically bikes. Larger stores that carry a whole variety of merchandise tend to not want to hold onto slow selling merchandise at the end of a season, so they dump it along with the purple bean bag chairs that didn't sell last year.

Dahon is the dominant player in this space and in order to expand their reach they have felt it necessary to sell their merchandise to stores that are not solely bike or sporting goods stores. With that strategy comes the fact that stores like that will gladly sell your merchandise one season and dump you the next. In the next season those stores will go with whatever they think is the next fad.

I think that about summarizes it. The market for folding bikes is somewhat limited, and if you make 75% of the total of the upper end of the category, you are stuck with that reality and any attempt to expand your reach is going to entail some risks.

alhedges

I think there was an 11(?) week wait for BTO Bromptons in the US last year, so I can see why dealers might not be too eager to discount, regardless.

1nterceptor

The bike that I bought was already hanging on the shop's wall.
I think it's a 2012 model, maybe that's why the store gave me
a deal