Folder converts who didn't "need" a folding bike
#26
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I originally bought one for storing inside an upstairs apt and occasionally riding on transit, in the SF area. I found the overall size so convenient, that I rarely ended up folding it, but it was a nice option if I wanted to put it in the back of my hatchback. Now I have a truck and live in an area without transit options, but am being drawn more & more to small tired bikes. Their tire size & geometry make them quick steering and fun to ride. The overall size makes them convenient to walk among peds on sidewalks. And I can put them in the back of my short-bed truck, without dropping the tail-gate.
Funny for me, as my other recent bicycling interest has been fat(4")-tire bikes....
Funny for me, as my other recent bicycling interest has been fat(4")-tire bikes....
Last edited by P7HVN; 01-14-14 at 07:59 AM.
#27
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Location: Santa Cruz, CA, US
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Bikes: 3 folders, 2 recumbents (1 is electric), 1 recumbent trike, 1 touring, 1 mountain, 1 road bike -- So many bicycles, so little time.
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One often expands use after buying for commuting etc. I used to get unplanned lifts back from work and commute by train to uni.
Now I rarely use my bike as a multi mode commuter, but its there when I need to, and ..................................
Its offers so many options. ...
Yes I will Meet you there later, I will put the bike
in the boot.
I feel like some exercise, ill meet you at the
supermarket.
No you don't have to meet me at the train station,
make it a local park.
Think I will go off campus at lunch time.
Its raining can I have a lift.
Sling the bike in the car boot, I might have an
explore.
While son is at acvity I will go for a ride.
I meet you for coffee, no I don't need to park.
I don't need to park in the hospital grounds......
I am getting on the nearest train carriage that has
seats left.
4 bikes in a car. No rack and four riders also.
I drop the car off for the mot.
I think I will leave the car here,bike back and pick
them up later save petrol /parking again.
...
I don't need a locker it can go in the porch,toliet,broom cupboard, window sill,behind door, ...
Now I rarely use my bike as a multi mode commuter, but its there when I need to, and ..................................
Its offers so many options. ...
Yes I will Meet you there later, I will put the bike
in the boot.
I feel like some exercise, ill meet you at the
supermarket.
No you don't have to meet me at the train station,
make it a local park.
Think I will go off campus at lunch time.
Its raining can I have a lift.
Sling the bike in the car boot, I might have an
explore.
While son is at acvity I will go for a ride.
I meet you for coffee, no I don't need to park.
I don't need to park in the hospital grounds......
I am getting on the nearest train carriage that has
seats left.
4 bikes in a car. No rack and four riders also.
I drop the car off for the mot.
I think I will leave the car here,bike back and pick
them up later save petrol /parking again.
...
I don't need a locker it can go in the porch,toliet,broom cupboard, window sill,behind door, ...
SAY! I LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM!
I DO! I LIKE THEM, SAM-I-AM!
AND I WOULD EAT THEM IN A BOAT.
AND I WOULD EAT THEM WITH A GOAT...
AND I WILL EAT THEM, IN THE RAIN.
AND IN THE DARK. AND ON A TRAIN.
AND IN A CAR. AND IN A TREE.
THEY ARE SO GOOD, SO GOOD, YOU SEE!
SO I WILL EAT THEM IN A BOX.
AND I WILL EAT THEM WITH A FOX.
AND I WILL EAT THEM IN A HOUSE.
AND I WILL EAT THEM WITH A MOUSE.
AND I WILL EAT THEM HERE AND THERE.
SAY! I WILL EAT THEM ANYWHERE!
I DO SO LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU, SAM I AM.
I DO! I LIKE THEM, SAM-I-AM!
AND I WOULD EAT THEM IN A BOAT.
AND I WOULD EAT THEM WITH A GOAT...
AND I WILL EAT THEM, IN THE RAIN.
AND IN THE DARK. AND ON A TRAIN.
AND IN A CAR. AND IN A TREE.
THEY ARE SO GOOD, SO GOOD, YOU SEE!
SO I WILL EAT THEM IN A BOX.
AND I WILL EAT THEM WITH A FOX.
AND I WILL EAT THEM IN A HOUSE.
AND I WILL EAT THEM WITH A MOUSE.
AND I WILL EAT THEM HERE AND THERE.
SAY! I WILL EAT THEM ANYWHERE!
I DO SO LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU, SAM I AM.
#29
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As gas is going to get more and more expensive, I guess more people will look into going multimodal, but there's a need to advertise more so that newbies know which good brands to get and not be disappointed.
#30
Banned
My house is so close in now I could walk .. but my Brompton has a parking spot inside the Favored Bar.
Last edited by fietsbob; 06-17-14 at 01:03 PM.
#31
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Location: Singapore
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I bought a folding bike, not out of necessity or need although from where I come from, the folding bike is indeed an asset. I bought them initially for a most ridiculous reason - I was curious. Having laid off from riding for about 15 years, I strolled into a folding bike shop out of curiosity. The super friendly and knowledgeable stuff attended to my questions and even offered several models to test ride. I was sold. Coming from land-scarce Singapore and nearly 80% of the population lives in highrise apartments, it seemed a logical choice. Yes, I folded them a couple of times until I realized that my spare room could easily accomodate both foldies, unfolded. And then there were three, all unfolded.
The novelty of riding a foldie has made many a friend during my rides and only now do I realized that there's actually a foldie community here in SG. Like some of you out there, I too, wanted to be different. Perhaps I get a kick being out of the ordinary. Being different usually means having a hard time being accepted especially when herd instinct is so prevalent here. However, when I get up to speed with the "big boys" and some times overtaking them, I get nods of approval and this is very satisfying.
On my last trip to Japan, I was no longer a novelty as the foldie population there is huge. Usually I would be stopped by a stranger and we would exchange notes with my atrocious command of the Japanese language but the bond of being two-wheelers soon overcomes that.
Still on the issue of being different, there has been a proliferation of recumbents and tadpole trike here. I had the chance to ride a tadpole trike and is now itching to get one but as I mentioned, the apartment is just too small to accomodate a non-folding trike.
Dare to be different and be happy with it, is what I always say.
The novelty of riding a foldie has made many a friend during my rides and only now do I realized that there's actually a foldie community here in SG. Like some of you out there, I too, wanted to be different. Perhaps I get a kick being out of the ordinary. Being different usually means having a hard time being accepted especially when herd instinct is so prevalent here. However, when I get up to speed with the "big boys" and some times overtaking them, I get nods of approval and this is very satisfying.
On my last trip to Japan, I was no longer a novelty as the foldie population there is huge. Usually I would be stopped by a stranger and we would exchange notes with my atrocious command of the Japanese language but the bond of being two-wheelers soon overcomes that.
Still on the issue of being different, there has been a proliferation of recumbents and tadpole trike here. I had the chance to ride a tadpole trike and is now itching to get one but as I mentioned, the apartment is just too small to accomodate a non-folding trike.
Dare to be different and be happy with it, is what I always say.
Last edited by Shaunbee; 03-11-14 at 01:34 AM. Reason: Additional info
#33
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Every folder is unusual. Most people, let alone 'cyclists', know one folder from the next. "Hey, is that a Brompton?"... "uh, no, it's a Bike Friday like the sticker on the frame states". Now excuse me while I go make Xerox on my Ricoh printer/copier.
#35
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I ride the Tern X10 and it's usually the aero rims and low spoke count that starts the conversation. For my Tyrell FX, it would be the additional trusses that catches their eyes and again, it's a conversation starter. Make no mistake that I'm an attention seeker but I do enjoy the attention.
#36
Senior Member
My wife doesn't know it yet; she thinks I'm currently at my number of bikes, "upper limit." If I ever see a good Craigslist deal on a folder I'm going for it. They look pretty interesting.
#37
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The name Brompton is synonymous with folders and this is something that even my niece asked when I posted pics of my bike on Facebook. Like BassNotBass, I have often been asked this same question. Strange the Tern or Tyrell sticker is being overlook. Bring a tear to my eye that I have to get a piece of "Kleenex" and wipe it away. While it can be annoying, it can also be amusing. On the other hand, I hate it when my bikes are being touted as "You mean you paid S$xxxx for that? Wow! I got mine from Giant Hypermart (read Walmart) for S$80!"
#38
Senior Member
I didn't see a general "Why do folders rule so much?" thread, but this one will do.
I do a bike-bus-bike commute, started last Fall, and got a Birdy for the job. Worked out excellent until winter, where snow and ice forced me to run studded tires and I couldn't source 18" studded tires. So I switched to lockup non-folding bikes on both ends of the commute.
Very often, I find an excuse to drop the longer part of the commute and turn it into a drive-bus-bike commute and to lessen that tendency, was recently considering going back to lockup full-size bikes on both ends.
Until today.
There was a snafu with the bus service and the bus I boarded early, with bike stowed underneath, was repurposed into a direct/express bus. No one told the replacement driver I was on-board; no general announcement made that the bus was skipping my stop. So we pass my stop and I ask the driver about it, he gets grumpy and says he will have to backtrack. Those trying to make flights at the airport are not amused. As we are approaching the highway exit for the return to the passed station, I offer to get out at the end of the ramp and bike from there so the driver can get right back onto the highway at the onramp across the street.
He agrees, we haul my bike out onto the traffic island, I unfold it, the bus takes off back onto the highway and I'm off to work no further and maybe closer than if I'd started at the station. Airport peeps were happy to not be much delayed. Everone won, all because of my folding Birdy.
Yay, folding bikes!
I do a bike-bus-bike commute, started last Fall, and got a Birdy for the job. Worked out excellent until winter, where snow and ice forced me to run studded tires and I couldn't source 18" studded tires. So I switched to lockup non-folding bikes on both ends of the commute.
Very often, I find an excuse to drop the longer part of the commute and turn it into a drive-bus-bike commute and to lessen that tendency, was recently considering going back to lockup full-size bikes on both ends.
Until today.
There was a snafu with the bus service and the bus I boarded early, with bike stowed underneath, was repurposed into a direct/express bus. No one told the replacement driver I was on-board; no general announcement made that the bus was skipping my stop. So we pass my stop and I ask the driver about it, he gets grumpy and says he will have to backtrack. Those trying to make flights at the airport are not amused. As we are approaching the highway exit for the return to the passed station, I offer to get out at the end of the ramp and bike from there so the driver can get right back onto the highway at the onramp across the street.
He agrees, we haul my bike out onto the traffic island, I unfold it, the bus takes off back onto the highway and I'm off to work no further and maybe closer than if I'd started at the station. Airport peeps were happy to not be much delayed. Everone won, all because of my folding Birdy.
Yay, folding bikes!
#39
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ok my reason is kinda dumb. I just want a fold bike so that if I am too tire i will just take a taxi home lol. Now i have two fold bikes and didn't touch my road bike or mountain bike this year
#40
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I didn't really need one, but there is a certain uniqueness, engineering, and practicality that appealed to me. I also like to have a bike with me when I travel, so being able to fly, etc. without needing a specific oversize bike box was part of it*. Of course in a vehicle, a folding bike fits pretty easily too.
The subway/metro system here in DC allows full-size bikes only during off-peak hours, so a folding bike makes multi-modal or one-way commutes easy. Although if you're familiar at all with WMATA, you might be best served if you print out the rule saying that folding bikes are allowed at all times, and keeping it with you (or bookmark the shortcut on your phone)! It's a relatively recent addition, and not all their employees are aware of it.
If you have a friend/relative in town who wants to casually borrow a bike they're also good options because they don't take much space to store, and they are usually set up fairly upright, "easier to use" (tend to be slower and heavier, so less nervousness on the part of a less experienced rider and also adjust easily for size, and low low top tube), and of course fun! No one looks strangely at someone wearing casual clothes on a folding bike - you don't need bike shorts.
The biggest downsides to me are the ride feel (I find bumps more jarring because of the smaller wheels), and to a lesser extent weight, and initial "twitchy" steering. The twitchiness is easy to get used to though, and if you're not climbing much the weight doesn't matter.
*disclaimer - so far I haven't flown with mine
The subway/metro system here in DC allows full-size bikes only during off-peak hours, so a folding bike makes multi-modal or one-way commutes easy. Although if you're familiar at all with WMATA, you might be best served if you print out the rule saying that folding bikes are allowed at all times, and keeping it with you (or bookmark the shortcut on your phone)! It's a relatively recent addition, and not all their employees are aware of it.
If you have a friend/relative in town who wants to casually borrow a bike they're also good options because they don't take much space to store, and they are usually set up fairly upright, "easier to use" (tend to be slower and heavier, so less nervousness on the part of a less experienced rider and also adjust easily for size, and low low top tube), and of course fun! No one looks strangely at someone wearing casual clothes on a folding bike - you don't need bike shorts.
The biggest downsides to me are the ride feel (I find bumps more jarring because of the smaller wheels), and to a lesser extent weight, and initial "twitchy" steering. The twitchiness is easy to get used to though, and if you're not climbing much the weight doesn't matter.
*disclaimer - so far I haven't flown with mine
So far I've accomplished a good chunk of what I envisioned - ridden to work, taken it into a mall, onto public transport like trains and buses, hospitals, even a toilet once or twice. I've driven it to different neighborhoods and rode around taking photos. I haven't flown with it either, but it's definitely in my plans.
I couldn't do most of that comfortably with my last Dahon, which was cringingly awkward to carry even if it was the lightest non-special-edition Dahon. The key is that it needs to look (almost) effortless while doing it - whether it's a secure fold or carrying it without poking someone in the ribs.
Last edited by keyven; 06-18-14 at 12:02 AM.
#41
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The main reason for a folding bike is;
n+ 1bikes in the garage looks more reasonable to the wife if the bikes are hidden!!!!
n+ 1bikes in the garage looks more reasonable to the wife if the bikes are hidden!!!!
#42
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One benefit I hadn't considered when entering the fold:
thus removing my bike from what can be mean streets. (Though perhaps it would've been more appropriate to park it near the Elgin Marbles.)
Unfortunately the BM later instituted a size restriction because too many tourists were using it as a left luggage facility; don't know if my Dahon would fit. Here it is unfurled.
thus removing my bike from what can be mean streets. (Though perhaps it would've been more appropriate to park it near the Elgin Marbles.)
Unfortunately the BM later instituted a size restriction because too many tourists were using it as a left luggage facility; don't know if my Dahon would fit. Here it is unfurled.
#44
The Recumbent Quant
#46
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#47
The Recumbent Quant
Ha!
If you put a crank on the wheel itself, you could make it a tandem....
Heck, we could probably convert your folding bike into one...
If you put a crank on the wheel itself, you could make it a tandem....
#48
Senior Member
I didn't need a folder either, but I had Raleigh and Moulton small-wheelers as a kid so was familiar with them and liked the aesthetics.
I feel they are particularly suitable for shorter cyclists and at the time this was just the easy way to get a well-fitting bike. A fully equipped folder is also generally a bit lighter than the equivalent full sized bike. I like the nimble handling and shorter length, and load carrying has been easy especially with all that space above the rear wheel and the low crossbar. The fact that, folded, they can go in the car or indoors is quite a big plus.
I feel they are particularly suitable for shorter cyclists and at the time this was just the easy way to get a well-fitting bike. A fully equipped folder is also generally a bit lighter than the equivalent full sized bike. I like the nimble handling and shorter length, and load carrying has been easy especially with all that space above the rear wheel and the low crossbar. The fact that, folded, they can go in the car or indoors is quite a big plus.
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