Oh, they're not such a compromise! I mean, yes, compromise is involved; but you can chose where you're going to compromise. At one end of the scale, if you need a bike that folds up extremely small, it may not ride quite like a 'normal' bike: the Strida is an excellent example (but it's a great bike, by the way). At the other end of the scale, the Swift has a ride that's pretty much indistinguishable from that of a 'normal' bike. It doesn't fold up small enough for my purposes, but it may be perfect for you. Somewhere in the middle is my commuter bike, a somewhat customized Downtube Mini, which folds up small enough that I can take it on the train twice daily, and still rides just fine in NYC traffic, rural NJ roads, and the towpath of the Delaware and Raritan Canal. It's not very good in snow or on sand, though....