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Designing and building a folding bike

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Old 10-20-09 | 01:36 PM
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Welcome to the club!
Maybe a good idea is simply to add a transmission to "dom's contortion bike on youtube". If feasible.
Many years ago, due to a trip in Japan, I had the same idea, but with the intention to use the smallest wheels possible. I am actually building the web site for that bike right now , check it out: https://w29h.com/vepo/
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Old 10-20-09 | 03:07 PM
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Originally Posted by gganio
Welcome to the club!
Maybe a good idea is simply to add a transmission to "dom's contortion bike on youtube". If feasible.
Many years ago, due to a trip in Japan, I had the same idea, but with the intention to use the smallest wheels possible. I am actually building the web site for that bike right now , check it out: https://w29h.com/vepo/
Nice gganio. Have you built a model with xootr wheels yet?
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Old 10-20-09 | 03:09 PM
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I would just rollerblade instead! Rather than using a bike with rollerblade wheels
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Old 10-20-09 | 03:42 PM
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Just ordered the Xootr wheels right now.
I am thinking about to suggest to Xootr to design their own concept of Mini125RD. All in all it is somewhere in the middle between a swift and a xootr. Redisign of the rear wheel is required, though.
Otherwise, you need 60 seconds + and a chair to put on rollerblades. That is (one of) the problem(s).
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Old 10-21-09 | 02:22 AM
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Since when do you "need a chair" to put on Rollerblades?
Rollerblades are available with detachable chassis,so you can wear them as shoes. Therefore it can be quicker to put on skates than folding a bike. I set up a pair of rollerblades that just had 2 large velcro straps to fastern these were much quicker.

I would still rather rollerbade in most instances than use a bike which lacks the ability to go up curbs,legally ride on the pavement. Rollerblade wheeled bikes have the same disadvantages due to solid cores and slipping the wet,and also ruining the bearings. The only disadvantage skates have over a rollerblade bike that I can see is, stopping reguires less skill on the bike,and the cycling position makes a rucksack less of a disadvantage.OH yes ,last one you need to be able to skate! I think I will keep my skates for now!

Last edited by bhkyte; 10-21-09 at 02:29 AM.
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Old 10-21-09 | 06:43 AM
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Originally Posted by bhkyte
Since when do you "need a chair" to put on Rollerblades?
Rollerblades are available with detachable chassis,so you can wear them as shoes. Therefore it can be quicker to put on skates than folding a bike. I set up a pair of rollerblades that just had 2 large velcro straps to fastern these were much quicker.

I would still rather rollerbade in most instances than use a bike which lacks the ability to go up curbs,legally ride on the pavement. Rollerblade wheeled bikes have the same disadvantages due to solid cores and slipping the wet,and also ruining the bearings. The only disadvantage skates have over a rollerblade bike that I can see is, stopping reguires less skill on the bike,and the cycling position makes a rucksack less of a disadvantage.OH yes ,last one you need to be able to skate! I think I will keep my skates for now!
I have a pair of inlines with detachable chasis and it's still takes over 30 seconds to put them on, which is slower than most folding bikes. I also have a microfolder with pneumatic tires and although I haven't tried PU wheels, IMO, no matter how the wheels are a bike is still a bike.

Bikes are easier/quicker to get going, faster on the road, more comfortable, can handle rougher terrain (even at equal wheel size), and require less skill to operate. Skates are slower to equip, smaller/lighter, much more maneuverable, and mechanically simpler. While folding and detachable models can lessen the differences they are, IMO, fundamental so that never the twain shall meet:


Last edited by chucky; 10-21-09 at 06:51 AM.
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Old 10-21-09 | 07:42 AM
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I reckon,from expereience, I could skate over rougher terrain on a set of 10 wheel speed skates than a rollerblade wheel equipped bike! 10 wheels verse 2 is a lot more. I have been down tow paths on them, gravel, grass,admittedly its difficult, but still preferable to an A bike. You still can not legally ride an A bike on the pavement. I would sooner commute on skates unless the bike had pneumatic tyres.
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Old 10-21-09 | 10:50 AM
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Originally Posted by bhkyte
I would sooner commute on skates unless the bike had pneumatic tyres.
Here you go best of both, Blades ON pnematic tyres!

https://www.rollerblading.com.au/roll...lineskates.htm
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Old 10-21-09 | 11:51 AM
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Originally Posted by bhkyte
I reckon,from expereience, I could skate over rougher terrain on a set of 10 wheel speed skates than a rollerblade wheel equipped bike! 10 wheels verse 2 is a lot more. I have been down tow paths on them, gravel, grass,admittedly its difficult, but still preferable to an A bike. You still can not legally ride an A bike on the pavement. I would sooner commute on skates unless the bike had pneumatic tyres.
If you took out the middle wheels on your skates they would largely handle the same (not entirely, but largely). The long wheelbase of a bike makes a big difference, it's almost like having 100 wheels on your skates (almost). Of course on the skate you have the advantage of being able to shift your weight to the other wheel track, but except for very large obstacles which have to be entirely avoided I think being able to shift between the front and back of a longer wheelbase without compromising balance is more efficient (perhaps largely because you can power forward on a bicycle independently of the way you are balancing, but on a skate you can't power forward when balancing on one wheel track).

Also, here you can legally ride a microbike on the sidewalk (pavement), but skating is only allowed in the street. Not sure if it's technically legal to ride a microbike in the street, but in the unlikely case of receiving a ticket I bet I'd win in court. Plus you also have to take into the account the fact that a microbike is still quicker to deploy (ie fold/unfold), easier/safer to use, and if appropriately geared faster on the straights (just like any other bike). Not saying microbikes are better, just that the two are different beasts each with their own advantages and disadvantages. I use both and detachable skates are really unbeatable in terms of compactness and fitting in with "normal" people.

Now I can attest that pneumatics are excellent for microbikes, but are they better? I don't know but based on his experimentation I think gganio is probably the most qualified person in the world to answer that question and he seems to like the nonpneumatics.

Originally Posted by Azreal911
Here you go best of both, Blades ON pnematic tyres!

https://www.rollerblading.com.au/roll...lineskates.htm
Probably not good for skates because the lateral flex will rob the power used for propulsion.
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Old 10-21-09 | 12:07 PM
  #35  
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When did this become www.rollerbladeforum.net?
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Old 10-21-09 | 02:47 PM
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Originally Posted by lz4005
When did this become www.rollerbladeforum.net?
Lets start one!
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Old 10-21-09 | 06:24 PM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by bhkyte
Lets start one!
https://www.skatelogforum.com/
https://www.serpentineroad.com/
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