Hi everyone,
This is my first post here, so please let me know if this question would be better posted in another thread!
I'm looking to buy a nice folding bike as a surprise birthday present for my husband, but I don't have a clue about bikes (that's a whole other story; I haven't ridden one since I was a child and have quite possibly forgotten how, despite the saying). My husband isn't exactly a serious cyclist, but does use our city's bike-sharing program almost every day, and has mentioned wanting a folding bike that he could store at home without worrying about theft. He's ~180cm/5'11" tall and of average weight.
I've been reading a lot of reviews here and elsewhere, and narrowed the options down to the 4 mentioned in the title, but I'd love to get some input from the experienced riders here.
Some info about what I'm looking for:
1) Budget: ideally not much more than 2000€ including shipping (the Birdy is pretty much my limit)
2) Available in (or ships to) Paris
3) Main use would be for transport around the city, which is relatively flat (with the exception of one very hilly neighborhood, Montmartre, but that's not going to be a huge factor in my decision). I'd still like the bike to be comfortable for touring, so that he has that option, but I think off-roading would be unlikely.
4) A quick fold is not that important, as he rarely switches between different modes of transport. On the other hand, I doubt he'd want to spend minutes disassembling a bike on a busy sidewalk, either.
5) Good "rollability" (?? I know that's not the right term) when folded is rather important, as he would probably be taking the bike inside supermarkets, etc. fairly often, and in this city we don't really have shopping carts.
The contenders thus far are:
1) Birdy Touring: I've read that these ride very comfortably thanks to the full suspension, are solidly built, and have a relatively unfussy fold. However, they're reaaally stretching my budget.
2) Brompton M6L: everyone seems to appreciate these on this forum, and they sound like great commuter bikes, but I've heard they may not feel great to ride, so longer distances might be a challenge. Also, as mentioned above, their famous fold isn't that necessary for us.
3) Airnimal Joey Sport: I've read that these are about as stiff and fast as a regular bike, so that would be a major upside. I'm wondering if the fold is easy enough to manage on city sidewalks, and whether they could be, say, rolled around a store briefly without too much trouble.
4) Change Bike DF-702: similar advantages to the Joey, though significantly cheaper. Same questions about folding and rolling.
I've also considered the Tern BYB, but can't find many reviews online (and I know many on this forum are vocally anti-Tern due to their past hinge issues). Also the Tyrell Ive, but it seems to be better suited for shorter riders?
I'd very much appreciate if anyone could weigh in with advice, or just to tell me that the surprise thing is a stupid idea and my husband needs to try the bikes on his own
(although we can always return if need be)
Thanks a lot!!