Bathsheba

hi, i'd like to buy a vintage (3-speed or more) folder. i've been looking at: auto-mini, a peugeot and a raleigh 20. i wanted to get an idea of what might be best for someone with about a 34 inch rise. i know i should go and try it our first but wanted to find out if i should just rule any out as it involves a lot of running around and coordinating with sellers (also if you have any other suggestions...) i've done some research and i think that the raleigh 20 might be too small.
thanks so much. i'm in the ny area btw. and thanks for your patience if this is a simple question. i'm a novice although i have tried to do my research.

snafu21

As well as informed info here, the peeps over in the folder forum are currently discussing Raleigh 20's like there's no tomorrow. Or indeed, yesterday.

rhm

While the best vintage folder is probably a Raleigh Twenty, I don't think any vintage folder is really a very good folder. The Raleigh Twenty's saving grace is that it's a good bike. A taller person may need a longer seatpost for it (28.6 mm) but that's no problem.

But it's better do discuss them in the folding bikes forum... more folding bike expertise there.

devinfan

What about an Alex Moulton? I don't know about tall but hey're definitely cool.

Bathsheba

thanks everyone. off to post in folding bike forum

rhm

Great bikes, and with a long seat post can most definitely fit a tall person. But they don't fold. One early model, the Stowaway, separates into two parts.

Maddox

+1. Folding bikes really aren't that "compact" by modern standards of compactness. Even modern folders are still pretty bulky when folded.

And OP wins gold star for most unexpected username in quite some time.

Bianchigirll 

something about the title of this thread tickled my funny bone "best vintage folder". to alot of people first there had to a good folder for it to become vintage. this is something asking "is there a good chinese food place near here?"

depending on what you want to do, ie where you need to stash it, a bike with QR wheels might fit the bil better. in the past we sold several nice hybrids to people wanting folders. they had to learn to fold it anyway so taking the wheels off was just the same way.

snafu21

A Moulton holds the world speed record (51mph/82 kph) for a bike ridden in the conventional upright position. although, it didn't really fold. The classic 'folders' and mini-velos - especially Moultons are in huge demand, we had a guy come over from San Francicso to pick one up. Vintage Dahons - well - 20 years old or so are snapped up on Ebay. For some, taking the wheels off to get a bike on the subway, isn't always fun (ny).

The adage now is that there are very few bad folders, but a lot of bad large wheel bikes. In twenty years time our kids might be hollerin' for classic bike Fridays.

cudak888 

Moulton. The Twenty is useless to someone tall. Stock seatpost is too short, and jury-rigging a longer handlebar stem on it becomes ridiculous.

-Kurt

devinfan

"something about the title of this thread tickled my funny bone "best vintage folder". to alot of people first there had to a good folder for it to become vintage. this is something asking "is there a good chinese food place near here?"

Them's fight'n words. And I don't mean about the folder!

rhm

Sheldon, who was pretty tall, rode a modified Twenty. He liked 'em.

I repeat: Moultons do not fold. Moulton made excellent bikes, but did not make folding bikes. They are cool, they are fast, they are vintage, and Sheldon liked them. But they are not folding bikes.

mparker326

I'm 6"5' and can second Kurt's opinion on the 20. I tried one for a while and it was like riding a child's bike for me. My son who is 7 could ride the 20 more comfortably than me.

Sheldon was a short person with long legs.

i-timy

the Raleigh Twenty and Motobecane Riveriera make a tall person look like yer riding a clown bike.

cudak888 

The key word is "modified." Didn't he do some king of a seatpost over a seatpost kludge to get the proper height? Regardless, Sheldon did more Twenty modification than the average rider (or, from what I can tell, the OP) would care to take part in.

As for the Moultons, they fit the same category. Doesn't have to fold to be a useful C&V small-wheel bike. Not many other decent-quality C&V choices other than the Moulton and the Twenty, you know - and it's hard enough to find the Moultons.

Ok, now that we've heard your disparaging remarks, do you have anything positive to say? Or shall I recycle one of your earlier quotes and say something unflattering about how you look on your Triumph?

-Kurt