Originally Posted by feijai

Allow me to proffer a contrarian but I think somewhat more objective :-)
opinion.

You should definitely not get a folding bike.

People often think they should get folders because they're lighter. But they're not. Folders are generally significantly heavier than equivalently priced "regular" bikes. The reason is simple: much of the cost of a folder is in the folding design, so when you buy an $800 folding bike you're really buying a $400 level bike with $400 of folding technology built into it. Whereas you could have spent that extra $400 paying for lighter weight.

And you may think that more compact is easier to lift, but it isn't. It's less easily balanced when you carry it, and makes a thick and unwieldy package. I have found carrying my folder up stairs folded is quite a bit harder than carrying it unfolded.

What you need is a small sport hybrid like the Trek FX series, which starts at about $500. For example a Trek 7.3 FX costs about the same as a cheap Dahon ($659) and at your size weighs only 22 pounds. And that's considered *heavy* in the sport hybrid world. In comparison, a Dahon Mu P8 ($749) weighs 27 pounds and is considered medium to light in the folding world. And the Mu rides far worse than the FX 7.3, without any doubt.

Folding bikes are good for many things. But your needs are not one of them. Get a lightweight regular bike.