Anyone ride a Giant Halfway?
 

I'm kind of interested in the Halfway, but I've read a few comments regarding the ride. They seem to suggest its twitichier than your normal folder, and suited more to general commuting. I can pick one up for £175, used, but it's too far to have a test ride.
Anyone got any comments on how it rides?

Many thanks.

Check the archives. There are several threads on the bike.

My friend Paul Cottle rides his Halfway all the time, he brought it to 2009 Spezi

Met us the day before yesterday and rode it down the Taff Trail

He loves his, £175 seems a fair price if it's in good nick, (offer £125 if I was you, pay £150!)

I've ridden a Giant Halfway for about 2 years - the 2007 model - and it's the nicest bike I own. I also have a Raleigh hybrid and a Trek Lime. The ride is really incredibly smooth, the shifting is smooth, though 7 speeds obviously have their limits on huge climbs. I weigh 260 lbs. and I've yet to have any wear/tear issues with it, but I intentionally don't jump curbs on it. No concerns with "twitchiness" - I own two other nice full-size bikes, but it's my Halfway that ironically is my smoothest, nicest ride.

It is on the heavier end of the folding genre, but I much prefer it's sturdiness and 20" tires over smaller folders (for someone of my stature). I've been able to carry it in an Ikea tarp bag when folded and it hasn't worn me out - I can manoeuver through doorways and crowds without any concerns.

This season I've added a Detours Town & Country handlebar bag and my Detours Transit Box rack bag should be arriving any day now. I have other panniers that can fit the rack, but heel clearance is an issue for side-fitting panniers. A rack & handlebar bag allow me to carry the same amount, but avoid that concern. I use it to commute, short trips of about 10-12 miles. Fits in the trunk of my car when I'm vacationing.

Highly recommended and sounds like a very good price as well.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Yp8LYUvOqV...0309_1913a.jpg

Thanks for that. The one I was interested is gone, now, but there's another, a halfway 6 RD, for £199. It seems to have a different frame, though - more like a Dahon speed 7. Anyone know if this is older or newer?

Also, what weight is the halfway? MNHillbilly, you mention it's the heavier end. Are we talking high twenties, or low thirties?

Oh, the other thing, I'm looking at it for light touring duties - maybe week trips, about 200-250 miles, mainly on the flat - cylclepaths and roads. Is it more a commuter ride, or do you think it would be okay for 30 - 40 miles a day?

Also, the only other concern is the non-standard nature of the hubs. I read somewhere that someone had a look at one and couldn't see how the wheels came off with any ease - no quick release. How do the wheels atatch, and is it just a matter of unbolting them? I'm imagining the axle must have to be oversized and pretty well atatched to take the strain on it's single joint.

Many thanks.

It's about 35 lbs. weight.

It is a bit more of a commuter ride - if I were going to do a tour with it, I'd have to switch out the stock saddle, but the tires and the feel of the frame don't have any appreciable difference for me from my full-size bikes.

And no, the hubs aren't quick-release, but there are few folders I know of that are true quick-release. The genius of the single-fork is that you don't actually HAVE to remove the wheel to change tubes, it's just a matter of unclasping the brake pad and laying the frame down on the fork side to work, and voila.

I found a link to someone else's review of their Giant that might be helpful - http://stanford.wellsphere.com/bikin...halfway/517821

Many thanks for that, much appreciated.

I got in touch with the chap selling the halfway, and he says it weighs 11 kg. It's a different frame, though. Instead of the box section frame, it seems more ovoid, more similar to the Dahon 7. It's a Halfway 6 RD, which I can;t actually find any info on on the internet, not even the Giant website, which is a bit strange.

How exactly do the wheels come off? Is it a straight forward bolt? I'm thinking for if I need to disassemble it to fit it in a suitcase.

11kgs? it felt much heavier than that, at least the one i test rode. i know a tikit is about 25 lbs, the halfway i tried (i think it was a 2008 model or 2009) was at least 5 lbs more.

I bought Red Halfway 7S, 7 speed last Saturday. This is my first folding bike, I have a mountain bike. Firstly before I ride the Halfway I have doubt about the stability, but when I ride it, it feels just like when I ride my mountain bike. The next plan is I want to upgrade the cassete and the crank, to have a better speed and climbing :-), and after that install a bar end or bullhorn bar :-)

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/9599/img29201.th.jpg
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/9831/img29171.th.jpg

I had a couple of halfways in my folding life. Too stiff, too low geared and too difficult to upgrade. It did 75 miles in one single shot once, but the bikes were not a good fit for me. The stem is too flexy, the list of negative stuff goes on...besides, when I needed Giant to help me with a few questions, CS was just plain horrible. I am never buying Giant again.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/189/4...dfd1fa3c_o.jpg


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2032/...09508129_o.jpg

I feel different, the stem is not flexy. How about the the locking clasp of the frame hinge? I read in other thread that the clasp is worn out or chip, did you have it too?

I've never had a folder that was geared too low, I'm always gearing my bikes down, not up

The frame hinge was excelent, no issues there. The locking mechanism was quite nice compared to the competition. That (and the looks) is the only thing I miss from my 1/2way.