Hey, I just joined bike forums today and am looking forward to participating in the community.

I want to get a bicycle for health reasons. I haven't ridden a bike in probably 12-13 years and I'm 28. I work in office environments as an IT consultant and simply do not get enough exercise. Getting a bike seems like a logical choice to keep active and fit.

I'm 5'8" and 250 Lbs. Live in the Chicago Suburbs but don't plan on riding in the extreme winter weather.

What attracted me to folding bikes was really practicality plus I don't want to mount a bike rack on my car for any bike trail riding I want to do that is not within riding distance to my condo. There is also limited storage available at my condo for my bike, no racks, and my association won't let me store it on our patio--I know because I got written up on accident since my Neighbor stores his on the patio.

I don't have lot of money to work with right now and want to get started soon, my budget is between $200 and $300 bucks. I was looking at Citizen bikes but have a feeling they are not that great, I mean for the price I don't expect the latches and stuff to hold out for more than 2 or 3 years. I know Dahon's are supposedly great bikes but the only one I can afford is a single speed.

Should I be looking for something used or are there better deals on Dahon bikes that I'm not aware of.

IT consultant + Car + Condo.. just go to the bike shops & look I know nothing about whats FS in Chicago.

The answer may not be a computer based solution.

At $300 you are low on the folding budget, and you saw what it buys. maybe run up the credit card a bit.

I might be willing to save up another hundred or so to get something a little bit better if it was around $400 or so--I know Dahon might have some bikes in that price range--I don't mind buying of ebay and shipping if it is a decent deal and isn't going to break the bank with a tune-up. I've seen Hasa folding bikes on ebay but haven't been able to find any info. Anyone know anything about them? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hasa-Folding...1827%26ps%3D54

As a Citizen Miami (steel frame) owner I can tell you first hand that the frame hinge and latch of this model is solid.

Here you go..
https://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/bik/3714975836.html
Haggle a bit more, though.

https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/bik/3720952030.html

https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/bik/3722273683.html

https://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/bik/3715172247.html

So are the citizen bikes junk or what? I guess it's either a citizen or dahon for me.

At 250 pounds you are over the maximum weight specification for most 20" folding bikes. However, if you start riding regularly then your weight probably will drop. Visit some local bike shops that have new folders in stock that you can touch/feel and, hopefully, test ride. Try to find a person in each shop that is a folder fan to ask your questions. Whether you buy a used bike or a new bike, at some point you will probably need some assistance with service and/or repairs.

Test ride! Test ride! Test ride! Don't buy a bike that you think is a good deal unless you also feel really good riding it.

-HANK RYAN-
Norman, Oklahoma USA

Look at https://www.origamibicycles.com/ they have a couple of models on sale.
I have one, and i like it, but i'm not a heavy user so i cannot vauche for its durability

I just discovered origami. I might end up with a cricket--I know I'm a heavier guy, gonna drop weight fast though--I have dropped 20lbs in 2 months dieting before so getting lower quick wont be hard. I have Crohn's disease and have gained weight from prednisone--I was 120 when they diagnosed me, my normal weight is 170-180.

Shameless plug: origami cricket

I'm definitely looking at the cricket. It's the high end of what I was wanting to spend but hey y'know. What country are they imported from? I'm assuming China but I saw in one of Origami's videos that they are made in a smaller factory with a handful of builders. I'm no stranger to outsourcing and not afraid to buy something from China, just curious if it's from somewhere else.

Are the Disk brakes replaceable with something name brand? I think if I wear them out--which might happen since I'm kinda big right now, I'd like to replace them with something with a ton of stopping power.

Any origami owners out there wanna lemme know what you think about your bikes?

Origami bicycles are hand made in small batches in a small factory in China. The brakes are replaceable, but the ones we use work very well and are easy to maintain and adjust. Try them before deciding to replace them.

I used(abused?) my brother's Citizen(model?) when I visited him
a few months ago. Don't know how old they are; I think he has 3.
But they're ok riding around the neighborhood, even off road
I'm 5'8" and 200 lbs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUUC...6zPoymgKaIoDLA

dahon. i had a citizen tokyo before and it's not as good as a dahon. search your local craiglist. the dahon uno and vitesse that DVC45 listed above are good bikes.

Oh I Most definitely would wear the brakes out before I would buy new unless they were dangerously incompetent--which you say they aren't!

On another note--what are the advantages of a Dahon over a citizen or Origami. I would and will still consider used, but I'm not stupid either. I buy a lot of used guitar equipment and generally you have to budget about half of what you spend in repairs--according to friends and some stuff I've read on the forums, used bikes usually require upkeep right after purchase.

On another note I'm getting encouragement from my wife now because she feels like she too will ride in the near future--so maybe I'll end up getting a nicer Dahon/Montague/Brompton/Bike Friday (for me of course) next year so we can ride together.

My first folder was a Raliegh Twenty. https://www.flickr.com/photos/radioma...57632922908694. I bought it for US$30 and spent a couple hundred modifying it. It has a 5 speed internal SRAM hub and is a nice ride. I've recently upgraded to a bike Friday and the Raliegh is sitting sad and lonely in the bike shed.

I dunno what I'm doing yet, I keep going back and forth. The Cricket is such a tantalizing bike--full suspension, replaceable parts, decent looking--but now I'm thinking maybe I should just man up and get a dahon speed or something like that. Of course coming up with the extra bread is a problem right now--just not in my budget--though I could probably make it happen.

So far what I'm looking at is a Miami or Gotham 2 ($320+$50 for shipping)-- Though their weight restrictions are understandably lower, a Origami Cricket ($300), or a Dahon Speed ($550 W/ Included Shipping)

Any other contenders?

The Origami can be upgraded. Buy it, ride it, upgrade it slowly.

dude.. what are you waiting for?

pull the trigger on this:

https://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/bik/3715172247.html

dont be afraid to bargain. offer 300 after you ride it.

That's what I've done with my Origami Crane. I've upgraded the whole drivetrain and added trekking bars with a quick release so they can fold down. I also added Wellgo quick release pedals.

Building up a bike is a great way to find out what you are really looking for and is a great education. My Origami has a solid frame and folding mechanisms and is fairly light weight, so it makes a great platform with which to experiment.

Can you post a photo?

These are a couple of recent photos . . .

I have a line on a Tern--think its a c7. I understand those are nice bikes too--no shipping cost if I get that one. And I can test ride it. I think it was $450 brand new with a setup included.

I just bought a budget folder and am happy with my GreenZone. It was $200 with bike bag and $39 for shipping. Steel frame and six gears. The only problem is the weight load, it is rated for 250 lbs so you can't pack anything on it. However if you ride reguarly I expect you should drop some weight.

Before I got the GreenZone I looked into all of the folders (Dahon, Citizen, Bike Friday, Brompton and Tern). Most were much more expensive (some were scary expensive!) and the features were not much better than the GreenZone. My only other suggestion is look on Craigslist. I do see folders from time to time and if they were well cared for could be the budget way to go. Happy hunting!

Note: that much more does get you a better bike, overall ..