OK - been looking for a folder for launchtime jaunts up the towpath in Leeds - my budget is £250-300, stretching to £350 for a real bargain

I don't need many gears but would like at least 3.

Been looking at the following (all of which can be sourced within budget).

• Dahon Vybe c7a [- has a kickstand and luggage rack, I can get it for £307 delivered
• Tern Link B7 - basic no frills tern model, looks nice - can be got for around £270 delivered
• Tern Link D8 - Better spec, one extre gear I don't really need - Can get for around £330 delivered
• Claude Butler Cirrus - Hub gears are attractive, not that much online about it. £315

Which would you choose, or perhaps suggest something else? My heart is pulling me towards the Tern Link D8, my wallet to the B7, my head to the Dahon VYbe c7a - but the Claude butler is appealing

Many thanks

Mike

interesting
Well with the D 8 its not just one gear, basically all components on that bike are just a smitten better than on the others ( sorry don't know Claude Butler bikes )

The Vybe and B7 have 7 gears, the Cirrus is a 3 Gear sturmey archer hub. Personally I don't think the difference between 7 and 8 gears is enough of a reason to spend more (in my situation), the better components however might be - but how much better are they in practice? I'm only going to be riding 5 hrs per week.

[EDIT]

Sorry I misunderstood - thought you meant the other bikes only had one gear.

So is the tern D8 better then Vybe c7a? The luggage rack and stand on the C7a could be handy, but are not vital by any means.

I usually don't say that tern is better than Dahon ... as long as you compare the same platform .... but the D is a D eluxe and the C is a economy ... a kickstand and cheap steel carrier are a couple bucks extra ( like 8 or 9 maybe ) for the OEM who buys thousands ... but there is some value there, if you deduct that value you can clearly see that there were some savings somewhere else ... and that's usually Tires, rims, hubs, Bototm brackets, pedals, crankset,etc etc etc
If the bike you choose don't have a kickstand.... a good one is 10 bucks, a good alloy much more lighter AND stronger is 40 dlr ... Fenders of the SKS version, real good ones too are around 40 bucks also ...

Now all those above items are first class and definitely NOT the same than similar looking stuff on cheaper bikes. Good components and accessories will make your life so much nicer and with a better bike you might enjoy it and ride more

thor

I suspect the Claud Butler is a rebranding , using the name of a deceased British bike brand .

Possibly - they sell a lot of mid range bikes, but it's rare to see Sturmey Archer Hubs on a budget product.

Sun Race in Taiwan is now the owner of S-A , so they are close to where a Zillion bikes are Made..

even so, not seen hub gears on any "budget" folders. Besides I think we've moved past the days when "made in Taiwan" or "made in China" has to be synonymous with cheap and nasty? Although that's a whole different thread right there.

After Japan got too costly, Many brands subcontracted out to TW Corporations, so they had that Investment to improve their production facilities .

A Contract Bike is as Good as the people writing the contract wants.

Which could be bad, could be great. It's supposition unless someone with first hand experience of the cirrus can chime in.

On that budget i would buy a better bike second hand but in great condition, even an old Raleigh stowaway would do and they come in at under a 100 if you can find one!

I can get a new Raleigh stowaway 7 for the same money (and are rebadged dahons iirc?)

The older raleighs look like they weigh a ton? - Raleigh had always been seen as a budget brand, well at least since the 80's.

They are heavy but at that price you can tinker with it to make a bomb proof bike for pennies, alternatively, look on ebay at the old f type moultons, super comfy, just do some research first and get a half decent one, yes i know its not a folder, but they hold there value, easy to maintain, brompton sized, lots of street cred, carry a ton on the racks, and probably one of the most comfortable bikes you could ever own, i know i have a 50 year old Moulton speed and on small wheels you will be greatful for that little bit of suspension on rutted roads and paths.

2nd hand Brompton or Moulton.

Good luck finding one in that price range.

I paid £125 for my Moulton speed f frame in very good condition, hard to get in the US but not impossible, loads on ebay in the UK daily so not a problem! Bromptons still pricey though but not impossible, also i bought my Moulton From North Yorkshire last year just past Squires cafe, on your doorstep!

But it's not a folder. Won't go in my boot.

Managed convinced our MD to sign our company up to the Cycle2work scheme - so I can up my budget a bit more. Now looking at a Montague Urban.

I have a xootr swift, sell them on ebay for 670 but you can get them cheaper if you ask, got mine for 600 last year and spent a few quid on it, super solid ride, very customisable regarding gearing, bars etc, If you look you can get some decent Terns and Dahons around the same budget but i am 17 stone and the xootr is solid, has 8 gears and is fast!

Some alternatives for you to consider.
Have a look at Mezzo folding bikes, In you budget range you should get a used one in good condition without any problems. If you are lucky you might be able to get a used Birdy for £300-£350. I would also consider some of the higher end Bfold bikes from Decathlon. I haven't seen any in person but having looked a photos of the higher end ones they seem to have good looking frames, components may not be so good.
If you want big wheels then a used Dahon Jack/Espresso should come in well with your budget, as will a Montage, especially if you go for the first generation all steel framed Biframe (in the UK they were branded Rudge Biframe).
If the idea of a Raleigh 20 does float your boat then I would advise a Dawes Kingpin instead. Very similar to the 20 but in my opinion a better frame and more importantly, the bottom bracket threads are industry standard (the Raleigh 20 had a different thread pitch).

If you are interested my 27 speed heavierly upgraded mezzo is on ebay for 450. Pm me if interested. Maybe a tad cheaper if you don't want spares and assessories.

Unfortunately the bike to work scheme doesn't apply to secondhand bikes. But I an sorely tempted.

Read the fine print of the bike scheme carefully. You may not end up with a bargin.

Please elaborate - I used one of the many calculators online to work out what it would cost me.

I have not taken part in the scheme myself and have little experience of it but two of the drawback people have told me about are:

The bike only becomes your property at the end of the hire period if you chose to buy it and it has to be sold at market value. The discount comes from the fact that payments are made before income tax.

If you leave your job before the payback period you pay full price the bike without the income tax benefit.

As I say, this is second hand information so you will need to do your own research to verify if this is correct.