Originally Posted by
jfouellette
Very interesting and useful information here. Notice the quantity and quality of the information I wish I had when looking at my first folder. Some disagreement possible but that’s why coffee, beer and card games are for.
After using a 20" folder (Dahon Speed), very similar configuration to the Mariner and Zizzo, for many years now, my conclusions are:
- Very happy with this size bike as my townie, as it completely replaces a full size bike (on pavement), I can fit touring size racks and panniers, has reasonable ride on 20"x1.75" tires, and has 400% gear range, the lower 2/3 range of a typical touring bike (after fitting a 2X crank) with all-external derailleur gearing. But it's not a frequent folder, and is cumbersome to carry when folded.
- If I needed a frequent folder, it would have to be a Brompton or clone, the folded package size is unbeatable. If I travel much without touring loads, I may want to get one.