My wife bought a Daihon folder as part of her effort to recuperate from breast cancer. I inherited it when her effort failed. The Daihon that I have is 6sp and cost about 300$ us and has the wheels that you describe. It folds very easily,but is not very light or compact, once folded. In its case, I would not like to carry it far. (I am 6ft and 190#) It actually functions very well once you accept the realities of what it is. The small wheel will never give the stability that 700c wheels provide. For what it is, it works well. I would not expect to ride it 50mi. Nor would I expect to ride it 5mi, fold it and carry it 5mi. Generally, I think it was well worth the money, but well......I prefer a real road bike if I need to really ride any distance. I hope that was useful.