Originally Posted by Wikipedia
Pierre Giffard of Le Petit Journal staged the first Paris-Brest et retour [1891]. Despite changes, Paris-Brest-Paris continues to this day as the oldest long-distance cycling road event.
In an era when diamond safety frames and pneumatic tires were taking over from high-wheelers with solid rubber tires, Paris-Brest was an "�preuve," a test of the bicycle's reliability.
It's also been completed several times by various individuals on Bromptons, which are considered to be one of the most compromising folding bikes.
So don't fool yourself, for the vast majority of riders out there even a midrange folding bike is more than enough bike.