In my other post about me having to switch to recumbents, a number of posters started to list folding recumbents. There are a quite a few of them out there, many of them very interesting.

So, I thought it would be fun to start a thread on Folding Recumbents, a place to accumulate information for others to do research on. Please submit photos and links whenever you can.

Best of all, if there are owners of said bikes out there, we'd love to hear your reviews and other write-ups of your experiences with folding recumbents.

I'll start with a couple:

The Cruzbike Quest:
https://www.cruzbike.com/quest

The Performer:
https://www.performer.com.tw/2010/use...p=05&sno=00068

The Optima Baron:
https://www.recumbentblog.com/2010/04...-folding-bike/

HP Velotechnik:
https://www.hpvelotechnik.com/produkte/ghp/index_e.html

ICE B1

https://www.recumbentjournal.com/revi...b1-review.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIWqwqZTvtQ

It doesn't really fold, but separates nicely to pack in airline legal luggage.. and it's a tandem.. if I had the legendary SesameCrunch buying power, I'd be pursuing this Rob English custom 'bent in a heartbeat..

It has a lot of gears ...

And nice titanium connector tubes ..

I wonder how well it shifts ... with two rear derailers, I would assume quite well. And what is going on with the cable routing to the "front" rear derailer?

Also, it is interesting how all of the chains are on the drive side. Is there any advantage to that relative to the more typical tandem cross-over setup?

looks like it came out of Bike Friday's shop, from many of the frame fittings used..
given he works for them , a good likelihood.

These guys sort out the drivetrain , and add a differing cadence for each rider https://www.davincitandems.com/

Has the Optima Baron folder actually seen production? When it first came out on the net it was somebody's engineering project, but it wasn't clear whether it would actually be sold.

I don't see it on their site under current models or the up coming bike page.

Good point.

I also don't see the ICE B1 either ... but maybe it's the wacky firewall here.

There are used Sat R Day recumbent singles , that Bike friday Made..
dropped production to build the Tikit's instead

SesameCrunch, thanks for posting about the Cruzbike Quest. I have to say that it's an amazing piece of engineering that addresses a lot of issues I have with recumbents. A copy of the CQ is most likely going to be my next project.

I just realized that, in a thread about folding recumbents, that my Downtube with Cruzbike kit is eligible for listing.



Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kt_d3fy_pU

It was a great bike. Using a Downtube 8H as base and putting the Cruzbike kit on it. Total cost was just under $1,000. Took a weekend to do, taking my time. Weighed about 32lbs. It was so easy to transport.

Used it to take my son to pre-school all the time. He was the envy of his classmates, I tell you.

I have the ICE B1. It's a great bike, lots of fun. I use it for long day rides and loaded touring. For me the big attraction was the ICE mesh seat - very comfy, and unlike my bikes with hard shell seats I don't arrive with a sweaty back. Haven't used the fold yet though

The reason you can't find it on the ICE site is that they decided to stop production a few months ago - I don't think it's been a good seller for them.

Here is a very favorable review of the Quest by Bryan Ball of BentRiderOnline -

https://www.bentrideronline.com/?p=5420#more-5420

Gotta add another one to the list:



Just completed Pootle recumbent folder.... Abio Verdion with Cruzbike recumbent kit.

Any pics of these Cruzbike conversions folded? Does the seat come off easily? Or maybe put a QR on the seat back and fold it forward?

Here is one inspired by Sesame Crunch. Also a Cruzbike conversion on a Kent Stowaway.

Mine did have a QR on the seat, but a hose clamp (jubilee clip) on the seat pan. Removing it would not be all that time consuming, but a system like is used on the Bacchetta or Rans seats would work quite well.

Tartaruga
https://www.tartaruga-ew.com/products....55_text1.html

Evolve Trikes (although they are not "bikes" actually )
https://www.evolvetrikes.com

More folding trikes

Greenspeed from Austrailia

https://www.greenspeed.com.au/gt3.html


and in my on back yard, Trident

https://www.tridenttrikes.com/stowaway.htm

Isn't the fork placed backward? Was this part of the design?

This is part of the design.

Since you essentially swap the front and back wheels for these conversions, there isn't enough room between the forks for the rear axle (100mm vs 130mm). Adapter plates are used to allow the space, but these move the axle forwards. In order to maintain steering geometry and more importantly avoid reverse trail, the forks are turned around. Hope this makes sense.

Its interesting to see a folding bike converted into a recumbent. Just wondering if putting weight near the hinge as compared to the original seat post will put stress on the joint?

Does the frame feel more flexy or less with a recumbent configuration vs the original?

The former Mrs LWaB had a SatRDay for several years.

That is a valid concern and I don't really have an answer. This bike was forced into retirement beacause of cracks in the head tube unrelated to the conversion.

The feel of a bike with a moving bottom bracket like a Cruzbike has such a different feel because it sort of hinges in the middle, that frame stiffness is hard to quantify. The real test would be to make fixed boom conversion like the Brompton recumbent, then pedal inputs would be transfered along the frame.