A folder for your only bike?
 

If you have or only could have one bike, would it be a folder?

1. Yes, it does all I need it to do
2. Yes, because a non-folding bike won't fit in my apartment/flat/office
3. No, because I'm a roadie/MTBer at heart
4. No, because they're funny looking, and I only ride the folder when nobody's around

Of course an "Other: I need to explain myself" is implied.

I think I could... would I be willing? Maybe.

Well, in general I don't think I could really stick to one bike, so.... ;)

Basically if I wasn't doing fast group rides, I probably could've gone with a really nice Bike Friday NWT as my primary ride (assuming, of course, that the NWT is as stable and comfortable when loaded as my touring rig). I find the responsive handling of 20" wheels doesn't work very well in pacelines.

I have two bikes and both are folders. One is my "go-to-the-store" bike (a Dahon S1) and the other is my go out and ride bike (a NWT).

Folders are so much easier to deal with in the garage and in the car, and they are so easy to maneuver around in city riding situations. I love the 20" wheels.

The wife's only bike is a Pocket Crusoe - she really likes that bike.

I have 3 folders at present. I gave away my last full size (26 inch wheels) non folding bike a few months ago. While I did really liked that bike, I found that I no longer used it for at least a year. My folders did everything that that bike could do-and more. So now I am a exclusive folder user/owner.

I tried putting a bike basket on one .I kept catching it with my heel.

If I could only have one bike (and it would be a hard choice) I would be leaning toward my Trek 7500 CX / tourer conversion or my fixed gear Kuwahara Cascade mtb / tourer.

Thankfully... that is a choice I do not have to make.

:D

This arrangement works well with my size 13-14 running shoes.

I think the results to this survey will be a bit biased due to the enthusiasm of this forum's participants. If it was the BMX subforum, I suspect the answers would be different!

Oh, I figured that. But I thought it might be interesting anyway. Occasionally someone will surf by and think that folders aren't "real bikes."

Also, I was curious. Thanks for voting!

A little of both yes's here. My Jack is perfect for what I need, and doesn't get in the way in my apartment.

My answer is a hearty yes.

Nonfolding bikes are just far too inconvenient for anything but professional use (commercial racer, pedicaber, bike messenger, etc). When it comes to personal use, for utilitarian purposes (going to work, store, etc) a folding bike is almost a necessity because nonfolding bikes are simply not easily accommodated in most places (no suitable place to lock, no way to ease the commute with multiple modes of transit, etc) and for recreation it's just not worth the effort to pull the nonfolder out of the garage, load it on the back of the SUV to get to the trail, pump up the tires (because the only tires you normally pump are on the folder you ride to work everyday), maneuver the giant wheels through the hallway, etc, etc. Not that I do group rides or trails or anything like that, but if I did then I think the hassle of dealing with the above would ruin all the fun.

The strange thing is that the people who seem most tolerant of the inconveniences of nonfolding bikes are usually just putzing around. Amateur races? Pacelines? Group rides? Are we geese or human beings? Don't get me wrong, I understand the fun of the competitive spirit, but why anyone would chose to channel it to a nonincome producing activity is a mystery to me. When I'm feeling pugnacious I log into my brokerage.

If I had to choose between my road bike and my Matrix, I'd choose the Matrix. It's what I get to work on, which means it's where I get most of my miles.

But it's not nearly as fun on a weekend as the road bike, so I wouldn't do centuries anymore.

My road bike hasn't come down off the hook since I regeared my folder to handle the hills in which I live. I wouldn't get rid of the road bike, though. It's a Merlin, and I love it. I also have a Fisher Mt. Tam (triple butted tubing, fillet brazed by the man himself back in the day) that I'll also never part with. (I'm dating myself with that bit of info, aren't I?) They're awesome bikes and practically irreplaceable.

I love my folders and have more than I really need. That being said, even my Bike Friday doesn't ride as nicely as my Canondale Bad Boy. It's just a bit too small, I'm a bigger guy at 6'3". Then again, the bike that I keep at my office for lunch time runs is a folder and the one I take on vacations is a folder too. I'm glad I don't have to choose!

I presently own a Maxarya recumbent, a Lightfoot Ranger, a Dahon Jetstream P8 with Bionx electric assist, and a Strida version 5.

So which which bike do I ride to work every day? (10km each way)

The STRIDA!