Originally Posted by
SLuMPs
Hello all. I recently just accepted a job offer in NYC. I live in NJ and would have to take the path train into the city, and i would have to park about a mile away from the train. With that in mind i decided to look into purchasing a folding bike to take with me on the train so i can commute once i get off the train, about 1 mile also. So that would be 4 miles a day.
My budget is 250-300. I know that won't leave me with a bike friday but thats not what I'm looking for. I was decided on a Citizen Miami, but a friend recently told me not to get one cause they are junk(any criticism on citizen is helpful). I read nothing but great things about them. Then he knows someone that has a Dahon Speed D7 for sale 275$. I don't know the condition of the bike at all.
The only bad things i heard about on the citizen is that it only goes 15mph. Does anyone know what the dahon would get up too?
I also heard of downtube but there 300$ bike is sold out =(.
Any advice or info on other bike or websites would be awesome!!
Thanks
I'll echo I've heard the Citizen bikes are not only geared very very low, they are very heavy for their size and their hinge mechanism I've heard is not as solid feeling as Dahon or Tern, but if you aren't going fast or down hills, I wouldn't worry about that.
I've heard only good things about Downtube but because I already have too many folders I would only buy one if they revamp their fold to make their models fit into a checked luggage suitcase without any disassembling (only the Brompton can do this that I know of, if their Mini Downtube could do this I would consider one. The Citizen Tokyo does not). The key is the width of the folded bike, of all those bikes only the Brompton folds like a scissor, every other uses the Dahon type fold like folding a piece of paper in half, and that just makes the bike too wide when folded to stay within 62 linear inches total.
Another option with good word of mouth is Origami, they have four models all priced just over $300.
And lastly, if you search Walmart Genesis Folder on the forum there are numerous threads about that bike, it's VERY affordable and people seem happy with them.