Originally Posted by
blakcloud
I did use the Brompton this weekend bringing it into stores for the simplicity of not having to lock my bike every time, just to give that a try. The bike is a pain to lug around because of the weight. The size is fine but it still heavier than I would like. Small aisles in stores made bringing the bike in difficult and it was much more trouble than it was worth.
if you've got a a lot of shopping to do, lugging a folding bike around a cramped store can be annoying, no doubt.
my folding bike is more useful when i'm meeting friends at a bar after work for drinks, where i can fold up the bike and simply take it inside with me as opposed to street-locking a regular bike. also, because i live in a very urban environment, most of my friends live in condos and apartments, and when i ride to visit a friend's place, again the folding bike is great because i can fold it up and simply bring it into their apartment. bringing a regular bike into another person's apartment would be a touch rude.
shopping isn't necessarily the best argument for folding bikes as a theft prevention tool, but making social calls in an urban environment is a pretty god one, for me at least.
Originally Posted by
cooker
How do you find it more theft proof - do you take it inside with you?
bingo. thieves can't steal a bike that's not sitting there waiting to be stolen.