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Old 02-21-08 | 12:08 AM
  #15  
Mr. Smith
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Joined: Jan 2008
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Originally Posted by Klink77
I've been looking at several different brands of folding bikes: Dahon, Downtube, Citizen Bike, Tikit, and Birdy.
They all look like great folding bikes, but all list very low max weights on their spec sheets.
Have they just not been tested on heavier weights or are these folding bicycles simply not
for bigger people?[/LEFT]
I'd stay away from this forum for a question like that and call up the manufacturers and discuss it with each of them. I would suspect that a few have some degree of customization available, like Bike Friday for example. True folders (like the Tikit as opposed to a Pocket Rocket) are more difficult to customize. I'd be hesitant to take anyone's word but the designer's on what it will hold, but any engineered device has a factor of safety. A bike is subject to a fair amount of fatigue, so the effects of overburden wouldn't likely be apparent immediately if you were over-stressing the frame or connections. Fatigue failures are usually rather sudden and therefore potentially dangerous. In any case, at your size you'd definitely want to go with a low cost/high fatigue resistant material like steel. As for the height... you'll just have to try them out, again with guidance from the manufacturer on customization.
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