Tohtruck says:
Yeah, I thought about a folding bike at one point.Do they perform and last just as well and just as long as non-folding bikes? Or do the parts and components compensate in quality to make up for the fact that they are designed to fold up?This also just might open up another can of worms for me. I'm already kind of confused as it is.
Personally, I think folding bikes would serve a cyclist best, if he has to park his car some distance from some main event, like school or place of employment. It may also be useful when having to take public transportation and the last stop provided by public transportation, proves to be too far away from your destination.
Here in the Bay Area, it would be ideal, because one is required to cross a portion of the Pacific Ocean in order to get from the cities of the East Bay to San Francisco. Parking at an East Bay Bart station, grabbing your folder out of the trunk of your car and boarding the train to San Francisco, could prove to be very convenient. You could then just make the appropriate adjustments on your folder and ride to your ultimate destination in San Francisco.
I can't really see a folder as a recreational bicycle. IMHO, the 700cc wheel size is really the only way to go for me!
Yeah, for some reason I really have a gut feeling about the Felt Brougham.
Yes indeed, it's statement of class, all by itself!
Nevertheless, I really just want the best bike for my buck and something that I can bare to look at and feel comfy on.
Hey, that's why we're here!
I'm going to try and find time today or over the weekend to stop by REI and check out the models everyone recommended (Novara Buzz One and Raleigh Detour 4.5) and try to find a Jamis dealer in my area (I actually found one thats a few blocks away) to check out the Coda Sport.
Actually, this is the very best thing you could ever do, because on paper,
things can look really impressive. However, in reality things could be
drastically different. When you test-ride, that usually places an exclamation
point on your suspicions, one way or another. If I were you, if I had the time,
I'd spend three or four days doing nothing but test-riding different bikes.
I think I'm going to strongly opt out of the Phat Cycles and Pure Fix. I'm
kinda nervous that people don't know much about them and something about
their websites gives me the impression that they aren't a practical bike for me.
I don't know about either of these start-up companies. Pure Fix only usues hi-tensile steel for frame material. Phat Cycles uses chromoly steel. Phat Cycles appears to be the better of the two.
So at the end of the day, nothing can take the place of hands-on investigation and exploration. Get out there, visit as many bikes shops as possible, including REI and the Jamis dealership. Test-ride whatever you can, carry pen and paper with you so that you can record your conclusions. Then you can return to BF to report your findings!
