Originally Posted by
bestfoldingbike
i'm looking to get a bike primarily to get around nyc. I plan on taking it on the lirr during rush hour.
I was wondering if anyone can let me know their impressions of the various folding bikes and how they stand up in nyc.
I don't mind the weight of a bike as much as if it can fold so i can take it on subways, buses, etc.
I plan on riding them, but not really sure how a test ride can compare to everyday use. so any help would be welcomed.
i've read just about every post on here and the more i read, the more confused i am as to my decision.
I don't mind upgrading parts and putting some $$ into a bike, especially if i can improve the ride and comfort.
If you have a great setup, i'd love to know about it.
Thanks in advance, and i hope to be riding along side you all soon.
btw> I've had mongoose and other bmx bikes along with cannondale and giant road bikes, but i'm a newbie to folding bikes.
Greetings. I grew up riding the D.C. metro, but never implemented a folding bike. It's been a while since I've been on NYC's subway system, but I can't imagine it's any less crowded. For crowded city commuting via bus or rail (maybe the line you ride regularly isn't all that crowded) you want the smallest fold possible. To that end, you are hard pressed to beat Brompton or Strida. There are other bikes that I have absolutely no experience with, like the CarryMe and A-bike, etc. Even the Strida I haven't been able to try out (I have a friend over seas who has one and keeps me informed on his experience which is so far positive. They're also not as expensive.), but all are available in NY for you to give a go. I liked the Brompton's fold, but there were some things I didn't like in terms of fit and components. It handled for the most part like a reasonable bike and wasn't as squirrelly as a Dahon Micro I tried. I pedaled a Downtube a few 100 yards, but not enough to get a good solid opinion of it. It was inexpensive and looked like you could scrap the parts and add some proper components to end up with a nice bike, but the fold is not all that compact. None of the bikes I've seen from other manufacturers (Dahon, Downtube, Bike Friday) get small enough to pack into a crowded subway car. The only folding bike I own to date is a Bike Friday tikit, and its fold is also not very compact. The CarryMe and A-bike don't look very interesting to me, so I've never tried looking too hard for one. Maybe they're good, too.
Initially I had a lot of enthusiasm for these folding bikes, but they have a lot of limitations I'm finding. The niche they fill very well is exactly what you are intending to use it for, but be sure to keep your other bikes.
