I'm trying to decide on which folder to buy, and I dont have $1000 to drop on a Brompton.

One of the nicest things about the brompton is that after you fold it, you can pull it behind you like a suitcase. How sensible is that? Especially for commuters!
It even comes with a neat cover that you can put over it and makes it look like a normal suitcase!

As far as I can tell, none of the other folders allow for this. Is that right?

Can you pull a dahon behind you easily? Like a cart or suitcase? Or any other major folder brand?

if that's what you are after just to be able to pull it behind you then i think the brompton is the only way to go. but if you want ride quality then there are alot of other folder choices out there. Plus is pulling behind you that much of a necessity? because dahon came out with a really neat shoulder bag that you strap onto the wheel and frame and just wear it like a bag. The best part is the bag is tiny and fits in a mini bag under your saddle for commuters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZOLQD9hb6c

Hmm, that looks like way too much hassle for me. And it means the bike has to be carried and not rolled.

How about rolling it in front of you? The Tikit rolls easily with one hand operating it. FWIW I figured out that I could pull my DAhon Speed P8, but it wasn't real smooth. It's waaay easier to roll the Tikit. Of course, you're still looking at a huge chunk of change. Though the occasional used Tikit does surface...

tikit's new folding rear rack allows pulling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_LFoQklow4

Would that rack fit on a Dahon? Perhaps with an extra wheel it'd allow a Dahon to stand and roll vertically like the Decathlon folding bike, the name of which escapes me right now.

hi azreal - thanks for the shoulder-bag tip, i will check it out.
Yes being able to walk easily with it is very important for me, as a commuter in a large crowded city.

That said, often rolling is easier than carrying. And it just seems to me that this is a no-brainer idea for folding bikes, and I'm in disbelief that none of the dozen other folder-manufacterers cared enough to build this feature in.

Re: rolling Tikit - thanks for the tip. yea they're really pricey too though! But i dont mind rolling it in front of me so long as its easy.

I personally find crowds are easier with an unfolded bike, people will tend to just get out of the way.

Are you open to a belt drive folder? The Abio folding bike has a locking frame hinge that effectively keeps the frame together and makes it easy to roll. There's a YouTube video on their site that shows it. $550.

Strida, Pacific-Cycles' IF-Bikes ?
.. generally pushed in front, but can just as easily be dragged behind.
Narrower than suitcases - roll-when-folded bikes can be more easily threaded through crowded places...

most dahons can be rolled forward. see this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AmXD...ext=1&index=18

and pulling behind (although i tried this but didn't work for me. i wonder how he did it).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0aMz...=20&playnext=2

well, i've decided to bite the bullet and save up for a used brompton... its not just that they can be rolled easily when folded, they also fold down into the tiniest size. and thats *very* helpful for a commuter who has to occasionally ride the bus or train. I basically never want to have to leave it locked up outside on the street, I want it with me at all times (indoors, outdoors etc). Thats when its most useful to me, if I can do that. They get stolen so easily...

and in that regard it looks like bromptons are the easiest to 'live with', cuz you can put that cover on them and just walk into any restaurant or store or bus and it just looks like a small suitcase. No one even has to know. And can even drag it behind you as a 'suitcase' with the cover on it. That appeals to me a lot cuz that way I never have to leave it anywhere, I can just take it indoors even in public.

regarding rolling it tho -- thanks for the tips and videos. Looks like some dahons can indeed be rolled (mu uno, curve d3, etc) based on youtube videos. Tikit is interesting with its rolling rack. But even these dont fold up as compactly as the brompton. Strida's look funny, I dont think i'd want to ride those, even tho they fold up and roll really nicely.

So yea, time to save up...