So I figured I’d start a thread for people interested in folding bikes that can still be useful over various terrain: gravel, unpaved roads, rough surfaces, potholes, stairs, etc. basically 99% of Earth.

For riding comfortably over such terrain you really need wider, high volume and relatively low pressure tires. It also means you probably want a somewhat larger wheel size. Although a 50mm Big Apple on an ERTRO305 may get you through in a pinch, you próvido y want to do too many cobblestone miles on such a setup. Then again, anything larger that 24” is probably going to be too cumbersome for a truly practical folder. This puts the sweet spot at 20”.

I will share my own experience with my 20” FnHon storm, which I built up with 50mm Big Apples, Shimano Deore hydraulic disc brakes and a Shimano Alfine 11 IGH



My FnHon Storm on a Tokyo bridge, next to my son’s 20” Takachia trifold

Pros:
-Very nice ride, agile, comfortable, great climbing and cornering.
-Able to fit front and rear racks, full sized panniers and water bottle/gear holder, able to fold without removing any of these.
-Flawlessly smooth shifting with the maintenance free Alfine11, even able to jump any number of geared while stopped or riding.
-Build in suspension with the BA tires, good puncture protection (1k kms with no flats so far), good traction in wet and light gravel.
-Not expensive. Frame set was under $200USD shipped. Entire build for under $800USD with premium components.

Cons:
-Pretty large fold. Had to use the largest rinko bag I could find and was uncomfortable to carry as metal bits stick out at weird angles. It’s always just a bit too large for luggage compartments, sharing trunk space, squeezing through escalators, etc. The fold is also larger than airline reg, although I’ve taken it on 9 flights so far without having to pay extra fees (no disassembly, packed in rinko bag with cardboard and shrink wrap). It still is cumbersome to carry and gets thrown around more by baggage handlers due to size.
-Doesn’t stay closed when folded. This can be remedied can be remedied with a bungee or piece or inner tube to strap it together, but adds another step in the folding/unfolding process.
-Availability. I’ve only ground this for sale as a frame set on AliExpress, and it is an older gen version. Don’t know where else it can be purchased without sourcing direct from China.


While I found this setup most practical and enjoyable for touting and daily riding, the large and cumbersome fold of the Dahon-based design was the biggest challenge with this bike.

A folder with all the pros of the Storm but with a quicker, more compact, airline friendly fold would be my dream bike.

I welcome any and all contributions and testimonials on alternative wide-tire folding bikes! Hopefully this thread brings insight or even some innovations to this neglected folding bike sector!