tk1971

Yikes that wheel looks like it's made out of steel.

fold

@tk1971 I translated the webpage, it says " Aluminum Alloy " tho...

tds101 

Why, oh why, do I have to be too heavy for this stuff!!! 225lbs,...

fold

@tds101, I think you just need to lose 4.xx lbs. The bike holds up to 100kg, which is 220.xx lbs ...

tds101 

Lol! I'd have to ride naked then, unfortunately for everyone around meh!

fold

Update: The vendor asked me to cancel my order 'cuz he couldn't afford it - the factory raised the price according to him. So the link I shared in my first post is no longer the best deal - vendor just added $50.53 for shipping cost. That ain't right. Aliexpress should punish that vendor for price misleading, and title misuses.

Meanwhile, the old vendor that many ppl bought from just re-surfaced. Here is the most popular link among multiple links (with different prices, WTH??!) from the vendor for the same bike: Freeshipping by Fedex/UPS /12'' inch mini folding bicycle/folding bike the special gift/ various color /portable bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group
Here is the vendor's page: Shen Zhen Mountain Top CO.,LTD - Small Orders Online Store, Hot Selling alloy folding bicycle,bicycle disc brake set,fold bicycle and more on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group I will let you know whether this vendor will bail too.

BTW, to answer your question, @tds101, according to the link from this post(see above), payload is 112kg. Guess you can put some cloths on if the spec is correct...

smallwheeler

creepy..

tds101 

Thanks @fold.

fold

you are welcome, @tds101

For those who have bought the bike, would you please let us know whether the steel wire wheels are 'hooked' or not? @overbyte @tk1971 @jaynh The 3-spoke aluminum alloy rim is not 'hooked' as shown in the link I posted earlier.


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tk1971

On both of mine, the aluminum rims (with steel spokes) were hooked. I replaced the tires with Big Apples and I can go all the way up to the max rating on the tire (55psi?) with no issue.

fold

thanks @tk1971 I ordered the hooked ones this time!

fold

Update:
again this one becomes the lowest price: Fedex /DHL Free shipping 12'' inch Protable/ Mini Folding Bicycle /Folding Bike / Road Bike of Black/Blue /Red /white colors-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group
this one that most owners previously purchased from just raised $92.xx for shipping: Freeshipping by Fedex/UPS /12'' inch mini folding bicycle/folding bike the special gift/ various color /portable bike-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

fold

got my bike yesterday. everything was as expected so far. 2 things I've noticed: it feels a bit heavier and I was not able to use it as a stool as shown in that demo video by the designer.

If one doesn't need the last step of folding(the 2 wheels), there is a similar folding bike called FitQ that is about 1 kg lighter and $50 cheaper. Here is the link Brand FitQ 12'' folding bicycle/bike,X type frame,high class TIG weld.SS12.fast (1 second) folding,easy to carry.-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group (It would be ideal if it comes with a telescope front pole instead of the folding one; IMO) It stole the 2-step chain design from Mobiky.

There is a new model of FitQ(or from a different brand?). But somehow I couldn't find it on Aliexpress. Here is the link to its Chinese page: 现货秒杀2014厂家新款 fitQ 酷步12寸 伸缩折叠车 折叠自行车-淘宝网 It has the telescope pole I like. The chain is one-step. . . and it's 1 kg lighter than FitQ. Dunno where we can buy it from the states.

fold

I take it back. It works perfectly as a stool on hard surface! My apologies to the little bike and the designer!

fold

BTW, FitQ should be faster than FreeRide 'cuz FitQ's two-step chain transmission creatures 2 chains, both with same gear-ratio, while FreeRide's 2nd step has 2 gears of same size(due to its belt design I suppose).

fold

getting big apple tires and probably replace the front brake ...

fold

Let me tell ya. It's a totally different bike with high-pressure tires. So fast! 35 Vs 65, big Diff!

fold

had it for more than 2 months. have been riding in the city everyday. It works perfect!

bhkyte

i am really tempted to pull the trigger on getting one. need to get rid of some bikes.......
i am curious if the smaller folded size makes for more applications.

fold

I haven't been folding it for a while...
planning to replace the manufacture seat. Cushion is too soft; my butt can feel the frame beneath ...

fold

replaced 'saddle' with serfas dual density saddle mn; it feels 10X betta!!!

mancival

Hi, I'm planning to purchase the Freeride but first I would like to ask those who already bought it if your opinion has changed since your last posts, as result of recent usage.

1) Has the bike been reliable and dependable after few weeks of usage?
2) What's the best source to order it from? I'm very new to AliExpress and it seems that many sellers have the same product at different prices, so I'm tempted to go for the cheapest (including shipping): is this the right strategy? Is it possible that there are newer stocks of the product with more refinements than older stocks? For example some pictures show folding pedals while others (even on the same page!) show the product without folding pedals (which I believe is the version that Overbyte received on his order).
3) What's the original Chinese factory: "Best Outdoor" as reported in an old post by Overbyte or "HK Realpower Industry Ltd" as reported by others?

thanks for the help

jaynh

I've had my 2 bikes for over a year now... using them as weekend cruisers - no real issues to report. They both still work great. Replaced the seats for much more comfortable ones.
Best prices on AliExpress -$230 - $250 shipped to the U.S.:

New 12'' Portable Bike Folding Bicycle Mini a bike 12inch Green Environmental Folding Bikes Mini Aluminum Alloy Folding Bicycle-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

New 12 inch Mini Folding Bicycle Folding Bike 12" Portable Bike Carbon Steel Frame BMX Bike Soft Tail Suspension Fashion Bicycle-in Bicycle from Sports & Entertainment on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

mancival

thanks I ordered two from your link. What are the suggested aftermarket mods? I'll try to summarize what has been proposed so far in the thread, but I'd like people to specify the exact parts and the cheapest web sources for such mod-parts:

1) Can an IGH be retrofitted to the rear wheel? which model could fit?
2) Should the seat post be replaced (for example with the telescopic one from Brompton) for a 174cm tall rider?
3) Should the handlebar be modified into a bullhorn one for a 174cm tall rider in order to provide more distance between seat and handlebar? which folding bullhorn model could fit?
4) any other suggested mod? Can the bike be made easily lighter?

tk1971

I'd go for the following (in order of price):

1) Swap brake cables front to rear. Mine came with the front brake controlled by the right lever. Not that the stock front brake has enough power to launch me over the bar (it doesn't).

2) Kool Stop dual compound brake pads for the front.

3) Schwalbe Big Apple tires.

Everything else after that is a matter of personal preference.