Originally Posted by
jwlunt
I'd be inclined to have a chat with your friendly security guard first. I work in a posh office in Chicago and the guards are fine with my Swift. They've taken a liking to it so I now get greetings when I go in. Your guys may be different of course!
That's excellent advice. With the exception of the pricey Birdy, none of the performance bikes actually fold into a small package. And the Birdy doesn't fold nearly as small as a Brompton. You might be happiest on a Swift or a Bike Friday, but they are worthless for getting into small places.
Bike Friday is making a version of their foldable commuter called the Speeding Tikit. The earlier versions are not very useful for fast riding because of stem flex. However, my guess is that the Speeding Tikit will be totally useless on New York streets. Without suspension, 349 wheels find the bottom of potholes. And it doesn't fold to a small package.
The only bike that has worked for me in NYC is the Birdy. I've owned a Downtube and a Dahon Mu Sl. I find that the Birdy is faster than the Mu Sl on most surfaces and won't fall apart underneath you. (Though you probably aren't worried about that if you ride a carbon bike.)