Originally Posted by
Urbanis
Oh, dear. I've been cycling for three months, have two folding bicycles, and am already contemplating buying a third. What is wrong with me?
I live in NYC and am mostly a commuter cyclist. I started with a Downtube 8H I got off Craigslist. I've been very happy with how it rides, but I got tired of dragging and bagging it around town--just too bulky and heavy! I've held onto it, though, for longer rides. (I'm gearing up to do the NYC century this fall.)
Bike #2 is a Downtube Mini. It's a joy to ride and relatively easy to fold and bag. However, I still feel there are places I could not get into with it (movie theater, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center, certain super-crowded restaurants), which would mean either leaving the bike at home/office, or locking it on the street. And I'm really concerned about theft.
So now I'm thinking about a Carryme as the ultimate portable folding bike I could take everywhere. My questions are:
1. Would I be happy riding it 13 miles to work, which includes a big hill? (I'm happy doing so on my Mini.)
2. Would I truly be able to get it in everywhere?
3. Is it worth spending extra money for the two-speed Carryme or should I stick with the single-speed?
4. Am I overly worried about theft? Should I trust that with a NYC Kryptonite lock and cables for the front wheel and seat, my Mini will be okay on the street for a few hours and forget about the Carryme?
I appreciate everyone's insights. Thanks!
1. I don't think the hill will be a problem in itself because the Carryme is light and geared fairly low. I much prefer my Carryme to my 8H on hills. I actually haven't ridden my Carryme 13 miles in one sitting (I usually do 1-4 mile trips and the most I've probably done is 7 miles). However you might get tired of keeping a hawk eye out for potholes when riding 26 miles roundtrip everyday on the Carryme, but I think you should be able to answer this question better than me because you know how bad the roads you're riding on are and you know how your 16" wheels handle them (obviously if you feel like you're having close calls on 16" wheels then it would not be wise to go smaller). Also, how big are you? I find the Carryme a perfect fit at 5'7" 130 pounds, but if it doesn't fit you (or you just don't like how it rides) then you obviously won't be happy spending two hours a day on it. Since you have a specific bike in mind that you'd like to replace you really need to do a testride.
2. Yes you will be able to take it everywhere. I don't oil my chain to keep things clean and unless people actually see me folding it they can't even tell it's a bike. Obviously the way the Carryme stands on its own and rolls is perfect for shuffling through crowds in theaters/restaurants or browsing through museums and the shape is perfect for sticking between your legs in auditorium seats, so I doubt you will have any reservation about taking it with you. However, in the rare case someone else has a problem with the bike it's very easy to throw a tent pole bag or sock over the top as a slip cover because you don't have to lift the bike or crouch down much to do it and you can still roll the bike once it's socked without displaying the wheels or any other parts. Also, if you get the official Carryme zipper bag you can wear the bike on your back and it will literally be invisible to anyone standing in front of you (I've seen many people in NYC in super-crowded restaurants and tourist attractions with much bigger backpacks), but beware that you will need a little extra padding for back comfort (I wrap my bike in a towel before wearing it on my back) and you'll have to lay the bag out on the ground and maneuver the bike into it like you probably do with your Mini now.
3. If I planned on riding my Carryme 26 miles a day on any regular basis then I would definitely upgrade to the two speed. However, be careful about going too fast into potholes.
4. Well, I'm not sure if you're banking on Kryptonite's insurance, but it's only good for a year from the date you purchase the lock, so if you're banking on it you need to buy a new Kryptonite lock every year. Not sure about the overall locking/theft issue, but I'm holding on to my 8H to find out.
Can you describe more about your situation?:
-Am I correct to interpret 13 miles as 26 miles roundtrip, or do you mean you ride 6.5 miles each way? If it's 6.5 miles each way and the roads are good enough that you're happy on 16" wheels then I think the Carryme could be an excellent choice (provided it suits your taste).
-When you say you got tired of dragging and bagging the 8H does that mean you need to fully fold and bag it to get into the office? Is your office accessible at night? Would you consider commuting to work primarily on your 8H and using the Carryme primarily for going out? Surely you should have some idea of your plans for the week and should be able to leave your Carryme in the most convenient place (work or home) by simply taking it for a long ride once per week, taking it on the subway, or taking it as luggage on your 8H? Not sure what your motivation is for biking instead of using the subway, but I personally use my Carryme multimodally.