Originally Posted by
Hermespan
Imagine you are going to be mixing bus/ferry/train and commuter plus occasional countryside exploring in the developing world. You're a beginner in bike mechanics and a bit of a moron in DIY. You want a folding bike that has lots of spare parts and mechanics familiar with various models. Which bicycle do you choose: Ori, Dahon, Tern, Brompton, whatever?
1. South Asia: India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal etc
2. Southeast Asia, peninsular: Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos etc
3. Southeast Asia, archipelago: Indonesia and Philippines
4. Africa, west: Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon etc
5. Eastern Europe: Ukraine, Russia etc
The goal is fewer problems on the road - not having to order online some screw or part that without it renders the bike dangerous or impossible to ride.
any bike with non-proprietary parts would fit the bill. in my opinion, dahon, being the number one selling folding bike in world, would be your best bet, and tern.
many bike mechanics are scared of the IGH. they usually prefer rear derailleurs since these are found on the regular bikes they service.