Originally Posted by
Sixty Fiver
I have checked my average speeds on my Phillip's folder in urban riding conditions and it actually performs better than many of my full sized bikes... it only has a top speed of 45kmh and cruises very nicely in the high 20's and have been averaging nearly 20kmh over some extended riding.
It is a heavier bike (touring set up) but the drop bars offer better aerodynamics and those small wheels spin up very fast... have thought of trying a fairing and we have one at our shop I could test.
I think your avg. speeds with the Philip is due to the nimbleness and more rapid acceleration of the smaller wheels. With my current singlespeed Dahon, I think I cruise around 27-30 km/h and average 24 km/h for 20 km with a good portion of the trip uphill. I average a slightly faster total travelling time with a smaller gear than a bigger gear due to the time made up on climbs. The singlespeed trains my cardiovascular system and forces a more fractal riding pattern for my commute. If I was touring, I would certainly want gears.