folding commuter
 

The 17 mile one-way commute to work would be daunting enough for me...but our free-way system is most definitely not bike friendly, so it is really out of the question in any case. I can however take a bus for about 15 of those 17 miles, and the prospect of riding a bike to work over the remaining two miles strikes me as reasonable. I do see city buses with bike racks on front, but those racks are almost always taken already, so I'll leave the C40 at home. I see some folding bikes on ebay of questionable quality and reliability. Let me cut to the chase: which are the best CHEAP (not talking Bromptons here, ok?) folders for a short, two mile ride from a bus stop?

*cough* edit Either Downtube or Dahon. ;)

The other alternative, by the way, is get a really cheap used regular bike, a freakin' huge pair of locks, and chain the bike up at the bus stop.

You could even bike more than 2 miles if the weather's nice, as I assume you can go further along the bus route before hitting a highway.

Did you mean Downtube or Dahon?

OP: How tall are you? If you're under 6', try the Dahon Curve or Downtube Mini. They're both 16" wheels, internal gearing and under $400 new. Both are excellent bikes. Here's thread that compares the two:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...+downtube+mini

You can go cheaper by buying used...

SesameCrunch

SesameCrunch thanks,

SesameCrunch thanks, I'm sure both of those bikes you

SesameCrunch thanks, I'm sure both of those bikes you mentioned are well worth the money. But for my objective, I

what the heck just happened there?

huh...well, I've been posting on various msg boards for years (mostly radio control airplane stuff) and I've never had anything like that happen before! ANYway...getting back to the topic again, I like the idea of buying a massive chain and lock for a cheapo bike, and just leaving it there

but I can't deny I like the elegance of a well designed folder, too. Just can't afford one right now

bus and bike commuting
 

yes, the additional two miles are "as the crow flies"...would actually be a longer distance for me, riding the back way through residential neighborhoods

I just bought a Dahon Curve D3, for $360 shipped. They're $380 shipped now. It would be just the ticket for you, Slow-Moe. BTW, you said you've been posting for years on RC fora. Perchance is one of them RCGroups? I've posted a lot there in the past, and have even written a few reviews for the site.

There are some good deals on '07 Downtubes; check their site for details. The best deals are for the 20" wheeled ones, while the best commuter for a couple miles after a bus ride would be the $400 Mini.

You might also look for used 16" wheel Dahons, like the presto, on Craigslist. If you know anyone going to China, you can pick up a light alloy 16" bike for under $100, or a Dahon for $140.

I did just this an found a mint Presto for $150.00 dollars. The man rode it several times, got a flat and parked it for 3 years.

I think locking the bike a bike at the bus stop is the best solution for you. The bus ride will be so much nicer without having to deal with 25 pounds of metal.

The idea of a folder may be elegant, but in practice folders are just plain cumbersome and should only be used as a last resort. For a commute where you're riding the same route every day locking a bike at the bus stop is a much better solution, especially a nonurban bus stop where the chances of bike theft are smaller and a 2-3 mile ride where the cheapest POS bike you can find would still suffice.

It's a shame that bike lockers aren't freely and widely available. Combined with bus racks they would almost obsolete all but the smallest folders.

makeinu I'm registered at rcuniverse, but have read many articles and posts on rcgroups. Just got my first 4-channel trainer, I'm a long way from flying a 3-D aerobat soon. Actually, some of the little 2-channel "toys" like the Aero-Ace are great fun, since you don't have to drive to a flying field. And....am I off-topic, or what? Oh yeah...the Aero Ace fits in a bicycle carrier...
I think I've about given up on the idea of a folding bike for hybrid bus/bike commuting. I've looked at the Dahon and Brompton websites, and I can see how these might be perfect for congested urban areas, but I don't think these are what I was really looking for. I should have done my research before even posting the question. Still, I did learn a lot about folding bicycles!