jfouellette

Standard double folder with Shimano Nexus 7 speed IGH and carbon belt. What do you think?

https://www.prioritybicycles.com/pro...eid=bdd77dfbbb

joey buzzard

Looks like a solid commuter.
A bit boring though.
$800 bucks seems a bit of a steep price, but I guess a belt drive and internal gear hub add significantly to the cost. The quality of the finish and the welds look nice in the photo. More precise specs would be nice.

A bit "meh" from my point of view, but for someone looking for a dependable commute bike it might be a total delight. I've definitely seen much worse, but it's hardly anything to get excited about.

CrimsonEclipse

I like it. It has potential as a low maintenance folder.

anga

👍👍
$799 is a great price for a folding bike with a 7-speed IGH and a belt drive.
Is it valid only for a limited time?

tcs

Roll when folded?

jfouellette

probably not like many folding bikes

tcs

Odd they left off a front carrier block. That's like 3.7¢ production cost.



Straightforward enough with many bifolds, but not with the way Priority chose that skew-angle front wheel fold.

Darth Lefty 

Priority’s thing is always low maintenance and ease of use, so familiar stuff from this forum about compactness or wheeling folded might not have been high on their list, compared to the belt drive and a really solid easy latch

SirLeaflock

I like the smaller frame tube compared to a lot of the bi-folds I see. It would need a CDX belt (rated to -4 Fahrenheit doesn't cut it in Wisconsin) and probably a dynamo hub to get me to bite. I'm also a little hesitant about their frame quality and finish (see for example the crooked rear fender in the promo shots), as well as how loose they are with the all-weather claims, which keeps me from wanting to spend $800 one of their bikes knowing that I'll be putting hundreds more into it right away. A Classic Plus Gotham Edition is my primary commuter. I got it for $380 used in 2020, and am happy with it for that price, but buying it new would be harder to swallow. I've had a rear rack, fenders, a front wheel built around a dynamo and studded tires in the winter. I also have a Start 20 we bought new for my eldest. On both bikes, I have a really hard time getting the rear wheel vertically centered in the sliding dropouts. Perhaps it's user error, but I feel like it shouldn't be so difficult. I am glad they went with rim brakes for the folder. That helps keep me interested. Based off my experience with the Nexus 3, I think the 7 is a good choice for this bike. I'm curious what the gear range looks like.

tds101 

Carbon Gates belt drive, 7 speed IGH, not too heavy, and currently $50 off ($749 I believe). It's not a bad deal for a commuter bike. Personally I'd have liked to see a higher weight capacity (only 230lbs), so it can handle some kit on it. Still, solid deal IMO.

tcs

SirLeaflock

Thanks! That looks plenty useful for me. I had it in my head that there that calculating things with the belt drives wasn't as straightforward as using sprocket teeth the same as a chain drive. Not sure where I got the idea, and it seems silly of me...

Derailed

Thanks for posting this. My commuter is a Priority Continuum Onyx and, for the most part, I'm very happy with it. I cruise their offerings from time to time out of curiosity, but I had not seen this. For many years, this was exactly the configuration I wanted, yet I couldn't justify the cost for the available options. As a compromise, I had a Dahon Mu Uno for several years, briefly with a two-speed rear hub, but ultimately decided to part with it. I don't currently have as much need for a folder, but I hope this sticks around for a while because as soon as I do again, I will definitely get one of these -- it seems like a very good value to me given that it's pretty much everything I've been wanting (the Mu Uno cost almost as much, but that was a single speed and without fenders and a rack).

tcs

The fold is a hot mess.

wesgreen

Too bad. Try again. Otherwise I like it, on paper.
Still, if you just put it in a trunk you might not mind the fold.

Rick_D

Worth keeping an eye on, since Priority seems to expand their offerings with time and if this is successful, maybe they'll do an upmarket one, e.g., with Alfine hub and disk brakes.

29 pounds for the current setup is not bad and the rack and fenders are removeable, saving maybe a pound. Belt drive is very nice.

tds101 

Definitely disk brakes. I wouldn't purchase another bicycle without them, folders included.

Gilzuma

It is a little bit... However I have a folder like this. If you move the sandbar setup to the other side of the wheel, I can easily squeeze all the components in between the two tires. I strongly suspect that it can be done with this bike as well. It would make it more compact and easier to travel with. It looks like a good bike. For $800 I think you might be able to find something a couple of pounds lighter, but I love the internal gear and belt drive. I wish I could put a belt drive on my bike!

edwong3

Priority is a "premium brand" that only sells bikes with good components and excellent fit and finish. I would say in my humble opinion that it is an analog to a Tern in that class.

tcs

Priority didn't have to invent anything, just copy what others worked out years ago:




Wheels parallel, handlepost between wheels, cables tucked up, rollable when folded.

Stowing in an aircraft, boat, RV...or an apartment closet!...when centimeters count? Boarding crowded transit? Those intermediate distances one confronts with a folding bike when it's further than you want to carry, but not far enough to unfold? The Priority fold fails on all these.

I don't think they really did their folding bike market research. Priority's only design bullet seems to be 'fold to put in an Uber'.

Dockhead

$50 off! So $750! I think it's an amazing price. The Gates drive and hub must be worth more than half of that.

tds101 

I shared this earlier in the thread about the $50 off the pricing. The price is OK, considering it's a carbon gates belt drive, and folders are amazingly expensive after 2020.

Fentuz

It's just a standard "budget" folding bike like dahon mariner i7 or tern link d7i but has the advantage of a belt drive found on more expensive bike like tern verge S8i.

Personally I think that all "hub" and "coaster" bike should be belt driven as the "fan belt" and cleaner and do not require any maintenance; once it has stretched or cracked, change is and forget. perfect for commuters.

tcs

...and the disadvantage of a worse fold.

procon

I saw one on the NYC Hudson River bike path and the stem and tube looked solid. The paint and the lines are also attractive.

The rider worked for Priority and confirmed that they are looking to over a low-maintenance product. He remarked that the bike fits lots of different heights, which could be useful for me or my family looking for a bike that works for my tall 9 year old, myself, and my wife. I can see the market.