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I am new to this forum and am unfamiliar with the termology. What is NWT's and what is BF. I also am 5 foot and weight 120 lbs. and looking for a folder with a short seat to handlebar ratio. I don't want to lean over the handlebars either. I also can't spend more than $300 for it. I did get the chance to try an old Kent Transit which I liked alot, but they don't make anymore. It seems the 20" wheels are better then the 16". I also tried the Yea! but liked the feel of the Kent more. I am now looking for reviews on the Barcelona by Citizen, only saw one person review it though. I live in Queens, NY and the only times I will fold it will be for storage and putting in my car trunk, no trains or buses. Probably won't be going up any big hills either.

Trying to make a decision is very daunting. I have been responding to local Craigslist posting to try out different ones, but not much out there except cheap ones and Dahon and the Stradia. Could use any help anyone can give...

Tks..

Bike Friday , a manufacturer of knock down travel bikes , NWT one of their models .. with 20" wheels , 2 types of wheels .
and a rapidly folding bike, the Tikit, with 349 16" wheels..

http://www.bikefriday.com/

Tks, I looked at their website and spoke to a lovely women who was very helpful. Unfortunately, they seem to be top of the line and wayyyy out of my budget. Actually the MOST I can do is $400..

Anyone tried the Schwinn World? It felt ok to sit on in the store, but, they would NOT let me try the bike out and I refuse to purchase one without riding it first. So far I have found only one store that would let me do a test drive. I guess the city is more congested then rural cities..

Welcome to the fold. I would keep trying Craigslist. Thor is a regular here and he has an online store. Here is something close to your budget and it includes shipping. http://www.thorusa.com/dahon/current/speedd7.htm

Nice looking bike, is the seat close to the handlebars. What about the Dahon Cia?

BF is Bike Friday, a company which makes well-regarded folding bikes, mostly intended to be broken into suitcases for travel; and also the Tikit, a fast-folding commuter bike. NWT stands for the New World Tourist, one of Bike Friday's most popular models. Bike Friday doesn't make bikes in your price range, so feel free to ignore those posts! ;-)

The Speed D7 is a decent Dahon and Thor is a very well-regarded vendor. The Ciao is a much more expensive bike than the Speed D7; unless you're looking at used (and be careful) it's not an option. Both have the same seat-to-handlebar distance, which is probably fine for you. What you need to do is try before you buy Dahon-wise. Were are you located?

NWT on Ebay stands for New with Tags. LOL! I spoke with Black Friday also and they too are very helpful and nice. They DO allow trying the bike out before making a purchase. OMG! You would think that $400 would be enough to get a good folder...

Dahon gives the dimensions and recommended sizes of persons looking at their bikes. It also gives the fold sizes.

I need to try the bike out before I buy it. Has anyone tried the Schwinn World or the Kent 16" yet. Or are those too low end for this forum?

EMS in manhattan is having a 20 percent off sale on any one item and that includes bikes.
the have a Breezer zig for $450 I think, don't quote me, before the discount but the sale is till the 27th.
it could be a rebranded dahon, again, don't quote me.

A Buddy of mine who lives in Queens bought a Dahon Single Speed Folder(Boardwalk model) a few years ago and he loves it. Since the City is reletively flat, the Single Speed does it all for him with little maintenence. And it is one sturdy little bike. I saw one(boardwalk) advertised used for $200 in CL today--can't go wrong with the Boardwalk Single Speed for a first folder that you will use in the City. Check it out! Forgot to mention--the Boardwalk also comes with a rear cargo rack so if you want to attach grocery or book bags at some point in the future, you have that capability with the Boardwalk.

Don't bother with Kent 16". I've got one from Amazon, tried it once, on the way back from 3rd mile of trip, Plastic arm for derailure snapped! I was glad I wasn't tossed out of seat.
It has way too short crankarm for most adults, geared strangely, tires were very resistive.
Needless to say, it was shipped back to amazon on it's 2nd day.

Definitely look into Craigslist with your budget and give it a test ride on the Dahon.
As for you would think folding bike is going to be cheap? No. For comparably equipped bikes, it looks folding bike will be more expense than most bike in general...

Good luck with your hunt :)

Seems that everyone so far is suggesting the Dahon. No one gave an opinion on the Schwinn World yet and not the Citizen Barcelona except for that one person..

I live in Bayside, NY

Bromptons are Great bikes , but 1st world made so cost a bit, (US $900+) but worth it in the long run.. fold to a smaller size than Da Hon.

Anyone have an opinion on the Raleigh Twenty for me?

Like I mentioned earlier, I am not so much interested in how small it can fold. Just the ratio between the handlebars and the seat and the fact that I don't have to bend over the handlebars. Also maybe 3 to 6 speeds and a real comfortable seat for my rapidly growing butt! LOL!! I have a bad back is why..

I will be recieving a Barcelona sometime soon, on order since Thursday I think. It is intended for a 5'1+" lady.
I will review it soon after assembly and test ride.
I can follow up after a few rides.
Can you wait that long?

I think a Raleigh would work just fine. Do a search and you will find some nice custom Raleighs. I think a 3 speed Curve would be nice.

Sure can. I am not going to make a purchase until I am totally sure. I don't want this to be an impulse purchase. To be quite frank I am a bit disappointed that everyone is suggesting a Dahon. For the type of riding I am going to do I don't see why I need a $500 bike and why Dahon is the only way to go..

because people have had the cheaper bikes and they were a problem. You can do what you want but you are getting life experience here and we have all been there and done it the hard way.

even the lower end dahon's have cost saving components and non stardard specs. such as the crank arm welded to the chainring.
above 500 and you'll see brand name components. I ride a much maligned Gekko and it serves my purpose fine.
I just replaced a lot of components such as seatpost, crank and chainring and pedals. I'm going to get a charge spoon saddle next. when the tires wear out, I'll get big apples. (the crank arm stripped on day one and I used epoxy for the past 2 yrs as a stop gap fix)

There has only been a small fraction of people on this forum who have weighed in..

Downtube has their Nova on SALE .. the bike would easily meet your needs... through the years and for a variety of reasons, I have purchased 6 Downtube bikes .. they all have been solid value ...

There is a mega thread spanning the last 5 years of people commenting on Downtube bikes HERE .. the vast majority (including the last post) agree that they represent excellent value for the money..

do you really think it's wise to recommend a mail order bike to someone new?
I think their LBS will serve them well, we don't want another cindy incident.

Based on my experience with buying 6 Downtubes, I would say absolutely.. plus there was a 30 money back offer on all of them (none of them went back).. and the OP said she was new to the forum, not new to bikes.. but even if she was, any competent bike shop could handle simpe PDI chores cheaply ... and, if one is daring, they could try bidding on the bay .. here's the last 7 that SOLD

'Cindy incident'?? Even the most casual observer might discount that tirade .

we shall see. the internet is a wonderful and marvelous thing.
the cindy incident is quite common. people have different expectations. what's fine with me might not be fine with others.