Originally Posted by
Plainsman
Thanks all!!! I’m not a heavy rider (160 lbs / 72.5 kg), but my legs are long for my height (cycling inseam is around 35.5 inches if memory serves). I’m primarily a road cyclist, but dabble in gravel too. But I love riding all bikes, including the hybrid bike on trails. This would never be my primary bike (thus wanting to keep the cost low), but I ride very frequently, and my goal here is to have a bike I could perhaps keep at work under my desk (replacing a lunchtime walk with a ride on the nearby bike path), and also having something easy to take on trips that aren’t really cycling focused (camping, simple weekend getaways, etc).
I like your idea of getting the stock bike first. I was drawn to the Zizzo because it has a 33.9 seat tube which seemed compatible with most telescoping after market posts if I wind up needing one. I need to study the detail a bit on the handlebar clamp though. At 160 pounds max, I’m hoping seat tube flex won’t be too much of an issue though.
If money were no object I would be looking at a Bike Friday or maybe a Tern Venge, but I can’t justify anything close to that for a bike that will not be my primary ride. I figure some simple cheap tweaks (like even argon style bar end grips) will get me close enough to a riding position I’m used to and make those short rides fun though.
I really appreciate all of the feedback!
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Originally Posted by
Plainsman
Thanks for the thoughtful reply. For the stem (although there isn’t really a stem per se on the stock bike)
, I was thinking of something more like the photo I’ve attached. I’m not sure it will work with the Zizzo clamp set up, but just trying to open up the cockpit a bit. I would also need to understand how the fold works. I race and ride with a lot of saddle to bar drop, so I have no worries about the bars being too low. I’m more concerned with the overall reach and sitting more upright than feels natural.
Under desk at work for occasional rides: Most Bike Fridays would be a poor choice for this, in fact the worst, unless you are talking about the Tikit/Pakit series, which fold and unfold fast and easy; All the other BFs are designed as travel bikes, to fit in a checkable suitcase, but the fold is messy; a) The rear triangle swings underneath like a Brompton, but the disconnect at the top of the seatstays takes longer, b) I'm not sure if the rear derailleur takes up all the chain slack like on a Brompton, c) the handlepost comes apart, not just swings down like on a Zizzo and others, d) the seat tube swings forward and comes apart. This was designed for minimum packed size, but with lots of loose parts.
A Zizzo ("bi-fold") is a quicker and neater fold, but not compact enough only folded for airline checked bag max limits (without oversize charge). My bike is that way, and I think I'll need to separate into 2 parcels for air travel. But it fits folded on the train luggage racks great. If that fits under your desk with the basic fold, great. Just about all folded bikes advertise folded size, if not for Zizzo, it's probably very close folded size to a Dahon Mariner, which is published. Your taller seatpost would only add a bit of height; all the way down, bottom of post to top of mounted seat, should be your tallest height when folded.
A 33.9 diameter seatpost should be plenty strong, if not some ultralight design. Mine is Dahon stock so heavy and thick wall. The more weak point is where the seatpost attches in the frame, a longer post puts more moment there, and some cracks do occur; Mine on an early Dahon steel frame before redesign, and some aluminum folders at the top of the weld gusset, however your weight is low, which helps. My seatpost "shim" (bushing) is reasonably long, but I've considered putting a similar shim attached near the bottom of the post, which would reduce the bending load at the top of the seatpost (spreading apart the mounting points, instead of the very bottom of the post more free to move forward), resulting in more aft shear and less moment.
The handlebar setup shown above is called a "double clamp"; That one looks beefy, but the vast majority of those sold on amazon are NOT strong enough for that, they are designed to only hold a short handlebar section above for accessories like lights. Syntace makes a strong one. Tern makes an even better strong one, with long levers that allow you to quickly adjust the tilt and fold, called Andros. This is designed to work with a welded T-top stem like you see. However it could also work with just a short handlebar center section clamped in a normal handlepost, but you need a section of handlebar with a center section that is wide enough there; Mine is, which allows me to mount a clip-on aero bar there, but it's not wide enough for both the aero bar AND a double clamp, which is what I want to raise the aero bar.
https://www.mybikeshop.com.sg/shop/b...n-andros-stem/
This is still a production part so should be available from Tern:
https://www.ternbicycles.com/en/tech/472/andros-stem
