brixxton

not sure where to post this and C & V being my go-to thought I'd start here. What would be your idea of the best bike to take with you on your boat as you set off to unknown destinations. Not talking unlimited space mega-yachts but a sailboat under 40ft where space is an issue. Doesn't have to be an "end of the world" scenerio but figure the simpler the better. My current choice 1st gen Specialized stump jumper, not ideal, thats why I'm posting this. cheers in advance

daka

We keep two DaHon folders stored in old sailbags in the bow of our Capri 26. Bromptons would take up less room but are a lot more money. I would think that a full-size bike stored on deck would have a pretty short life expectancy between the dousings of salt water and the potential for theft.

JulesCW 

A Brompton -- smallest fold (and arguably quickest) for a good riding bike. Not C&V, but a great machine. ideal multimodal bike.

bluesteak 

If you would consider a folder, there is a separate forum for folders.

Soody

Bikesdirect minivelo?
$330. Cromo frame. Nice colour. Decent group. Bombproof with the DT shifters, if you bend the mech knocking it around then you're still ok in friction mode. Standard 20" tire size.
I always thought they were pretty cool.

I wouldn't trust the build quality but just overhaul it out of the box then it's good to go.

Soody

zandoval 

As you would with any new bicycle, out of the box or not...

Kabuki12

My wife and I lived aboard a sailboat and had our ten speeds locked to the shrouds on deck. Yes they got pretty rusty, that’s when I found out about stainless steel spokes. We didn’t drive cars so the bikes were ridden and wiped down almost daily. My wife rode a Submariner by Kabuki with SS main tubes and it was great ….until someone stole it! I had the Diamond Formula and it was painted annually.

brixxton

Just being regular C & Vs implies MacGyver (sp) knowledge. I've destroyed a Marin Larkspur and a decent Mongoose with salt water so keep the Specialized stowed in parts thickly coated with Vaseline were vulnerable. I want 26" + wheels and figure on just one bike keeping as simple as possible. I have an Islander 28. Maybe expense no object a titanium single speed that you could hook to a generator?

albrt 

I'll second the Brompton motion, if the expense is not prohibitive. If expense is an issue, maybe consider an aluminum Wal-Mart bike with the steel bits lathered in naval jelly.

scarlson 

I'd do rinko. Can you make yourself a rinko bike? For the uninitiated, rinko is a Japanese technique of taking apart a bike to fit it in the luggage requirements to fit on the bullet trains. You take off the fork and back wheel and you can pack down a full size bike pretty small - small enough to go below decks and stow someplace, probably!

Like this:


I set up a bike for rinko. I can take it apart to this size and put it back together using two allen wrenches in about ten minutes. Slower to stow than a folder, but it's way more comfortable and capable on the road.

albrt 

Bromptons are surprisingly capable for most purposes, but I don't suggest going down a long, steep hill. Very shaky in that situation.

brixxton

Definitely the direction I'm going. Thinking my Univega Via Carisma is a better candidate than the Stumper with its front shocks.
On the flip side if I had to trade something, the Specialized would get me more of whatever I was in dire need of. So many variables.

cudak888 

The state of the old Dahons that invariably get chucked by the boat owners at our local marina has made it clear that the ideal boat bike must be as simple as possible.

Ideally, you'll want some combination - or all - of this:

• No derailer - eventually you'll get a stiff link that'll ruin your day,
• Coasterbrakes preferred. Maintains the no-derailer mandate. Don't rely on an IGH's internal lubrication to keep it working either.
• The fewer the cables, the better - another reason for a coasterbrake. Avoids the issue of sticking calipers or rotted cables entirely. Remember, even if your inner cables are stainless, the outer sheath - specifically steel wire embedded between the vinyl outer cover and Teflon inner liner - usually isn't. This is particularly a problem with linear lined shifter cables. Some brands tend to crack their inner housing and turn into something resembling a miniature boiler explosion.
• Stainless spokes, aluminum rims.
• An absolute minimum of chromed steel parts, if any. Expect them to become solid rust balls.
• Kevlar-bead tires. Avoids the possibility of premature tire failure at the bead due to wire beads rusting from the inside out.
• Sealed bearings on the hubs a plus, rubber dust caps on conventional cones a minimum. May not be possible for the rear as high-end coaster brakes won't be spec'ed by most manufacturers. Not worth the non-standardization either; most cheap coasters of the last 15 years are identical and take all of 10 minutes to swap. Sometimes you'll find them on kid's bikes, meaning a run to the local thrift store could net you a replacement hub.
• I've never tried this, but I wonder if corrosion at the valve stem could be staved off with some plumbers' grease....never tried, don't know. Never seen a valve get bad enough from corrosion to prevent sealing, so possibly over-the-top.
• Don't even consider the Brompton. Get the cheapest thing you can, because it will become ratty. The salt environment is no place for a boutique $1,000-plus folder, even if it is one of the best folding designs ever. It might not be a bad place for a cheap knockoff of one though, but I'd inspect the chain tensioner design thoroughly for zinc plated parts that'll have the lifespan of a duck in a trash compactor.

-Kurt

Clang

sorry I think I misunderstood the question

Kabuki12

Although some of your suggestions are very good , I have to disagree with a few, taken from being an active cyclist that lived on a sailboat for near 15 years. After my wife’s SS Kabuki Submariner got stolen in the early eighties , we couldn’t find another one in our area so we bought her a Raleigh Touring 14 , the burgundy one that came with bar end shifters. After changing the spokes on my Diamond Formula and having it repainted once a year my bike never failed me. The SunTour derailleurs held up very well as did the DiaCompe brakes. Her Raleigh came with SS spokes IIRC . The cables needed replacing maybe once a year , bike maintenance was easy as I had a buddy with a bike shop near the harbor . He built custom frames and raced and I would do tool grinding in exchange for him working on our bikes occasionally, actually not as often as one would think. He taught me how to do my own maintenance, so I bought a few tools and started doing my own. We did end up buying a VW van after a few years of bike only. I could then put the bikes in the van when we went sailing(frequently) out to the islands for a few days. Before that we would leave them at the yacht club. Living aboard and riding the bikes daily helped because the bikes rarely sat for over 24 hours without being ridden. When it rained we would cover them with tarps and hitch a ride with coworkers, occasionally we would put on our foul weather gear on and ride anyway to get to work. I worked at a large aerospace company and my wife worked at a bank. It was a good life and we were young , no kids, and very active.

dmwill

My 33yo stainless steel Dahon Classic 2 spent a couple of decades hanging from the rail of a sailboat and getting taken down to ride into town from port for groceries and whatnot. 3 speed Sturmey-Archer internally geared hub, rim brakes, folds down nice and tight. The original cables are somehow still functional, but the plastic fenders and chain guard got brittle and recently crumbled away. It rides like a wooden roller coaster but has been a reliable commuter for me in its post sailing days. I recommend considering one if you can find one in good shape at the right price.

Excellent example of a Dahon Classic 2, mine is more weatherbeaten.

tiger1964 

There is a time I would have suggested a Schwinn Varsity, because it could double as an anchor for your boat.

But, now, I see that bike has its adherents.

RustyJames 

This may be heresy but I would vote for a cheap single-speed cruiser and once the elements have taken their toll, toss it. Around my area, $50 cruisers can be found all day long.

cudak888 

Key word: Active. The frequent use was part of the reason your bikes didn't incur frequent issues, along with the maintenance that you learned to do.

Unless the OP is planning to use their boat bicycles just as you describe, an entry-level Suntour-equipped C&V road bike may not fare as well for them as it did for you.

-Kurt

Kabuki12

Absolutely correct sir.A body( or bike)in motion tends to stay in motion!The OP , if not using the bike all the time , would want a folding bike for sure. I still have the Diamond Formula , although now is Campag. equipped , and I still have the original equipment! It was a good thing I couldn't afford the bikes I have now or they would have been wounded by the environment . Pedal on , Joe

daka

Evidently, there are actually two categories of "boat bikes" to consider:

The first being a full-size bike that lives at the marina that might be used by someone living aboard. This bike needs to be a reasonable rider that can withstand the ravages of salt-laden air and stand up to being stored outside. I don't have any experience with this but the advice extended wrt simplicity, low cost and corrosion resistance/protection all sounds appropriate.

The second type would be a bike that travels with the boat so that the sailor has a form of transportation when docked away from their home port. This bike is best stored inside the boat when underway unless the boat is quite large. Here a folding or easily dis-assembled bike is a plus, corrosion resistance still paramount since even the interiors of boats are salty and damp. The quality of the ride can be a lower priority since trips are likely to be shorter and less frequent than a live-aboard would experience.

Our use falls into the second category - we use the DaHons to explore only when we are cruising with the boat or on road trips with the car. I do bring them home for maintenance from time to time but mostly they live on the boat in the marine environment. The boat is left with a dry bilge and has a dehumidifier and a heater that automatically goes on if the ambient temperature drops below 50 deg. F so there is little condensation where the bikes are stored. The DaHons have painted aluminum frames, aluminum rims, and stainless steel spokes but there are plated steel parts as well and surface rust develops on them as well as on places like the axles and BB spindle. A wire brush and anti-corrosion spray are part of the maintenance regime. The steerer tube and steel fork are items I worry about failing prematurely.

cudak888 

Don't forget the folding stem. Neighbor has a 7-speed Dahon that was left at their house in the Keys for a year or two. It came back with a crack in the aluminum stem, right at the Allen-head fastener that sits just below the stem folding point.

In your photo, the bike closest to the camera doesn't have that part; the one behind it does.

-Kurt

daka

You are a keen observer. The bike in the foreground is a couple years older than the bike behind. There are several differences despite being nominally the same model.

non-fixie 

I own a 32-footer and have been looking for bikes to bring along to ride on terra firma whenever we'd find ourselves there. I've tried several small-wheeled folders, but didn't like them much. No way I'd offer up scarce space on board for those.

I did finally find a folding bike that would fit and was also an excellent bike:





A wonderful bike, but it had two major drawbacks: it only came in mrs non-fixie's size and it is too nice (and - quite frankly - also too expensive) to keep in a cockpit locker.

So the Bridgestone sits in my living room as a piece of art () and I've still no bike for my boat ().