charlesw

I noticed a chrome bike outside my college campus. It was a shorter, lower bike and said "SMART" on part of it. I didn't grab the model number.

The wheels where small- probably even 12" or 18" wheels.

I searched the forums and couldn't find anything referring to these. Does anyone know how much they are/ where to buy them?
(Ah! Found them)
https://www.atob.org.uk/Buyers'_Guide.html

They are priced at around $200 and aren't a very good deal. I couldn't find their website but it doesen't really matter.

For a second there, I was excited to find a really cheap (around $100) folding bike, but alas. Nope.

Guest

Pretty funny review. Thanks for the giggle.

Koffee

Anthony King

I found a used Dahon Classic III on ebay for about $100. 16-inch wheels, 3 speeds, came with fenders, smooth drivetrain. I wouldn't take it on longer trips and your arse feels it on bumpy roads, but I use it for commuting when I don't want to hassle with my larger folder (Matrix), or I am going to meet a friend and stash my bike in the truck of a car, or sometimes I'll just take it out cuz it's kinda fun to ride the little guy. There is something fun about going real fast on tiny wheels.

charlesw

Anthony, I've heard smaller wheels help you stop quicker and start faster. Is this true?
What kind of gearing would you need to account for the smaller wheels?

james Haury

I have a 14 inch wheeled roll N fold it cost 53 dollars to buy but the gear was only 35 inches and it will cost over 100 dollars to get it so it has decent gearing .Check out a Yeah from e bay . A 16 inch wheeled 6 speed should be easy to modify to a single and the price is right.I cannot overemphasize that modifying a 14 or 12 inch wheeeled bike will cause you pain in the neck and posterior. A 16 inch yeah bike ( I found one yesterday on e bay) will be much easier to get parts for and modify the smaller the wheels the harder and more expensive it is to get decent gearing if the bike does not already posess it. I must like butting my head against a wall since i bought the 14 inch wheeled bike ,but I wish to spare others the hassle and frustration.

Simple Simon

Any details (eg pic, web ?)

Anthony King

The laws of physics would say yes. But, that is assuming all other things are equal, which on a small folder they are not. You can't put all of your force into a sprint, they handlebars are generally more narrow, etc.

I don't know about the gearing precisely, I know the internal hubs on the Dahons are corrected so that you don't have to pedal multiple revolutions to get the same distance you would with a 26-inch or 700c wheel. You could go to a store with Dahons and count the teeth on the cassette and chainrings to cheat. I'm not sure how they compensate for the smaller wheels, but I know they work it out on the Dahons so that the low gear is about 20-30 inches and the highest is 90-110.

folder dude

To adjust gearing for smaller wheels, you can either increase the chainring size up front or you can decrease the the cog size in back. Or you can do both.

james Haury

Sorry i have no web cam. I would recommend a 16 inch wheeled yeah it is much easier to modify and parts are more readily available.I will see the mods to my 14 inch through( for i am very stubborn) but I recommend others stay with 16 0r 20 inch wheels.( I saw a 20 inch wheeled boardwalk single at Dans bike shop in berwyn Illinois last week in black this would be a good cannidate for fixed gear conversion w/ parts available from nashbar) It is much less of a hassle. I ordered a 14 inch coaster brake wheel 2 weeks ago and still have heard nothing from the shop they are hard to get . A 14 inch wheeled bike does not get much smaller than a 16 inch yeah anyway. The Roll N fold is silver in color with a 1 pc folding handlebar stem combo the seatpost is 19 inches long and removable I would not recommend the bike to anyone over 5 feet 8 though as they will be hunched over the bars with their butt higher than their hands . The frame hinge is in the middle and is standard klapprad fare(the hinges are beginning to creak a bit and I have ridden maybe 16 miles) all in all the bike looks very much like a current dahon . I have added a rear fender ( which is actually a front fender for a 26 inch wheeled bike)I have also changed out the grips and wrapped the stem with parachute cord by way of ornamentation. The saddle has been switched for a well padded saddle with springs and the rear tire has ben changed for one with slightly higher pressure .If i get the coaster brake wheel I will fit it with a 13T cog and may experiment with an 11T cog off of a cassette.S Simon do you enjoy constructing Q ships? (I.E Bikes whose appearance belies their perforance potential.)The last time i checked at A.J Wright they had one left.