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How often do you fold\unfold?

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Old 12-16-06 | 08:51 AM
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From: Point Loma, CA

Bikes: Bill Holland (Road-Ti), Fuji Roubaix Pro (back-up), Bike Friday (folder), Co-Motion (tandem) & Trek 750 (hybrid)

How often do you fold\unfold?

Do you commute to work or school and fold and unfold daily?
Do you vacation frequently or travel for business, and fold and unfold a couple times per month?
Do you fold and unfold just a few times per year?
Or do you use your folder frequently, but never even fold and unfold it?
Inquiring minds want to know!
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Old 12-16-06 | 09:55 AM
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Shouldn't this be a poll?

I almost never fold my Swift. The fold is less than amazing and the bike doesn't seem to stand well when folded, so I only fold when necessary -- e.g. packing for travel, putting in the car trunk etc.

In contrast, I fold my Dahon pretty regularly. I use it as a beater bike, fold is quick and makes a stable package. I just check the hinges regularly.
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Old 12-16-06 | 12:36 PM
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From: Hampstead

Bikes: Mezzo, DT IXFS, Raleigh 20 (soon...)

My DT iXS virtually never. But then its garaged most of the time, as I tend to use my Mezzo D9 for most everything. The Mezzo I fold/unfold at least twice a day. My Raleigh Stoway i will fold when I get around to unscrewing and cleaning up the hinge
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Old 12-16-06 | 04:57 PM
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Bikes: Trek 520, Brompton M6R-Plus

I fold my Brompton M6R as many times in a day/night as I have to. Sometimes twice, sometimes a lot more. It depends on if I am going into stores, restaurants or subways. Best bicycle I ever owned as far as convenience goes. It's changed my life.
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Old 12-16-06 | 05:39 PM
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Bikes: Early Cannondale tandem, '99 S&S Frezoni Audax, '65 Moulton Stowaway, '52 Claud Butler, TSR30, Brompton

Ditto on Brompton.
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Old 12-16-06 | 06:35 PM
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Bikes: Giant Excursion, Raleigh Sports, Raleigh R.S.W. Compact, Motobecane? and about 20 more! OMG

My current "folder" (and I use the term loosely ) is a 1968 Raleigh Compact RSW. It gets folded at least a couple of times a month when I put it in my truck to go somewhere. When I have it on the road with me in my long term motels, it usually gets folded once a week on cleaning day The rest of the time it stays set up. I am in the search for another newer folder either a Dahon Piccolo or possibly a Brompton M3L for mass transit/flying use.

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Old 12-16-06 | 07:27 PM
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From: Santa Rosa, California

Bikes: Waterford 953 RS-22, several Paramounts

Last month I took my Brompton M6L to a pilots' convention in Palm Springs (AOPA Expo), and used it to get back and forth between the hotel I was staying at and the Palm Springs Convention Center because I knew automobile parking would be expensive and a hassle. At the convention center I was mobbed by people asking me to fold and unfold it so they could see how quickly it folded and how small the folded package was. I was there for three days, and swear I must have folded/unfolded it a hundred times.

If I had been selling them, I could have made a fortune.
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Old 12-16-06 | 08:24 PM
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I fold and unfold everyday to work, keep the bike in my office, otherwise it'd be on the NYC streets, and there's just no way I'd risk that. It's the greatest in bike security.

I guess the only drawback is that if I wanted to lock it up, folding bikes have so many quick release parts (e.g. stems, wheels, seatposts, etc.) that I'd have to take most of that with me, so I'd still have to carry a bag of bike stuff with me.
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Old 12-16-06 | 09:35 PM
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Bikes: 2007 Jamis Nova

I fold/unfold my Dahon at least once a day, and keep it under my desk when I'm at work. The building management where I work doesn't let me use the normal elevators, since they've been so badly set up that they're always jammed full at peak times. Works well for me, since I get to use the infrequently used freight elevator. I can ride right up to it, and on occasion have folded in the elevator on the way up. The delivery guys sharing the elevator with me are always amazed at how quickly it folds.
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Old 12-16-06 | 11:00 PM
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From: Corona and S. El Monte, CA

Bikes: Cannondale D600, Dahon Speed T7

Fold to put into storage for the day. Unfold to ride home at night.

Stays unfolded at home.

Of course, when we have company, I HAVE to demonstrate how cool my folder is!
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Old 12-17-06 | 06:51 AM
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"How often do you fold\unfold?"

Whenever a pretty girl rolls by.
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Old 12-17-06 | 10:24 AM
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From: San Francisco, California

Bikes: Brompton H6, Schwinn Mirada, Cruzbike Sofrider. Used to own: ICE B1, 2 F-frame Moultons, Koga Myata Elevation 5000 mtb, Challenge Hurricane, Riese & Mueller Birdy Silver, Actionbent Tidalwave 3

As said above, the Swift fold isn't the most impressive. But at least it's fast! I fold it around once a week or so, whenever the bike rack on the company shuttle is full or we get a shuttle without a rack. I also take Caltrain, but it hasn't been full enough to need to fold yet.

It's certainly no Brompton, with it's small neat folded package, but it still draws stares
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Old 12-17-06 | 12:10 PM
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I have a locker at the train station, which is a really amazing luxury; it costs me $7.50 each month. So I ride a 'real' commuter bike to the station, park the commuter bike in the locker, and take the Strida out of the locker and hop on the NJ Transit train. The Strida fits very nicely on the overhead rack.
When I get to Penn Station NYC I unfold and ride to the store where I get my lunch. I fold the Strida and take it into the store with me. Nobody complains. When I come out, I unfold the bike, hang the bag of lunch off the back of the seat and ride the rest of the way to work. No need to fold there, my office is big enough. After work, I ride to Penn station, fold the Strida on the escalator down to the tracks, and get back on the train. It's a pretty sweet commute.
Bottom line, I fold the Strida at least twice each day. It's not at all uncommon that I fold or unfold two or three more times, like if someone stops me and says, is that a folding bike? I demonstrate it for someone at least twice each week. Strida really should put me on the payroll....
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Old 12-17-06 | 03:23 PM
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Do you commute to work or school and fold and unfold daily?

I make it a point to use my folders whenever I need to. I selected each one at the time of purchase for their easy folding and storage ability. Folding it is like locking it-plainly security issues here in Southern California.

Do you vacation frequently or travel for business, and fold and unfold a couple times per month?

I fold each one for storage in the house-they are "house bikes when not in use"-and travel with me where ever I go out somewhere.

Do you fold and unfold just a few times per year?

Each bike is used far more than a few times a year here.

Or do you use your folder frequently, but never even fold and unfold it?

Why have a folding bike if you don't fold it?
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Old 12-17-06 | 04:34 PM
  #15  
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Bikes: 5 bikes, all the usual types

About 4 folds/unfolds a day - but not an issue - for Strida or brompton. Strida faster, brompton slower, but more compact. ... Favourite is the 'on the hoof' fold as the wistle is blown for the train to leave - snag is, out of london that usually means a stand in the trains corridor ;-)
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Old 12-27-06 | 09:04 AM
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Originally Posted by rhm
It's not at all uncommon that I fold or unfold two or three more times, like if someone stops me and says, is that a folding bike? I demonstrate it for someone at least twice each week. Strida really should put me on the payroll....
We must be their unpaid salesfolk :-) In Summer it's a demo' a couple of times each day. I thought of asking Strida for a pad of biz cards with 2 pic's, folded & unfolded, along with a URL so enquirers could follow up their curiosity :-)

Thanks for the freewheel pic's BTW.

I don't have a commute, but usually fold / unfold at the house, & when it goes into the car, or into a Pub.
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Old 12-27-06 | 10:45 AM
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From: San Fransicko
Originally Posted by yangmusa
As said above, the Swift fold isn't the most impressive. But at least it's fast! I fold it around once a week or so, whenever the bike rack on the company shuttle is full or we get a shuttle without a rack. I also take Caltrain, but it hasn't been full enough to need to fold yet.

It's certainly no Brompton, with it's small neat folded package, but it still draws stares
I'm in the same boat (train) as Yangmusa, and I only fold either when the train is full or when I need to chuck the bike in the trunk of the car...which is why I replaced my quick-release levers with these clean-looking MTB seatpost binder bolts.

I agree, that while the Swift's fold isn't that of a hinged-frame folder (the Swift is technically considered a "truss" style folding frame), it's still way more convenient than a full-sized bike....and that's essentially what we're comparing our folders to in the long-run, yeah?
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