Folding?! Light tourer?! Guh?!
 

This is still a ways off, but thought I'd start a little something here. Are there any companies that have done a singlespeed folding bike? I'm trying to think of my ideal travel bike, and its kinda somewhere between a Bike Friday and a Quickbeam.

Totally new to the folding market. Am I loopy? Old news?

Thanks,

Matt

Dahon had one and is working on an upscale model for 2006.

I have come to a similar conclusion about the ideal travel bike. Someday when I need one more, and have more money, I would like to get a Bike Friday custom job with a fixed/free hub and a front brake.

I'm in the midst of converting my 2001 Dahon speed 7 to a single. Should fix the chainring jump once and for all!

Have you thought about either buying a bike you like and converting it, or talking to the manufacturer about converting it for you? seems like it would bring the price down, unless the "custom" nature of it was too...heavy or something. Converting to single is largely the removal of parts, so I can't imagine it'd be too complicated.

My little Dahon was originally a single speed. I had to convert it to a three speed because the locale here is very hilly and I am not that young anymore. Still, I strive for a minimialist approuch and this little bike reflects this with an only a tiny handlebar shifter mounted on the straight bars.

Well, I'm thinking of something that I can fly with, and then bike around say, Portland. I might just be making things up, and might bounce this over to the singlespeed forum, but here we go...


I'd want to be able to move this thing around loaded and unloaded, and yet still have no derailleurs. Which means two dramatically different cogs. Which means horizontal dropouts. But, excluding the Quickbeam dropouts, I'm don't know if there's a good way to get brakes on something like that, since the wheel position would be different for each cog. If I was moving around with a trailer (most likely my Bobyak) I would certainly want a rear brake of some kind.


Does a coaster brake/fixed hub exist? Would a coaster brake work just as well on a 20" wheel? Don't see why it wouldn't...


Adventures, adventures....

With a fixed wheel you do not really need a rear brake.You brake on the rear wheel by ******ing the pedals.Just set up the brake for the freewheel.When using the fixed side just disconnect the cable if necessary with v brakes if it is actually necessary.I have a 20" yeah converted to a freewheeling single and two 16 " folders converted to fixed wheels and one 14 " folder converted to fixed

Go on the singlespeed/fixed-gear forum and call out for the wisdom of JimV, the king of coaster brakes.

Good point. I'll follow weed's advice and let the fg/ss kids chew on this a lil bit.


I was kinda hoping on forgoing a rear brake entirely for weight/convenience, but now I'm wondering even how much this fabled coaster/fixed hub would weigh....


Thanks for the input, everyone...

sounds like you're angling for single speed, not fixed gear, which makes me think of two options:

1. a flip-flop hub with a freewheel on each side, 1 or 2 teeth difference. front and rear caliper brakes. You should be able to adjust the brakes easily enough when you flip, if you keep the cogs pretty close.

2. a fabulous 2-speed coaster-brake kickback hub. these are a riot. you get two gears: "starting" and "cruising." And a coaster brake. You'd wanna run a front brake too.

Now, if you are thinking about running at least partially fixed gear, which you should, I'd say try option #1, with a freewheel on one side of the hub and a smaller track cog/lockring on the other side. you'd still want front+rear caliper brakes, but at least your rear hub will be a little lighter (freewheels weigh a ton!).

fyi, a "coaster/fixed" hub is a contradiction in terms, since by definition a fixed gear hub won't coast. There was a 2-speed fixed hub created by Bikesmith, and I understand it's still available, but, again, this doesnt sound like what you're after.

I'm gonna say it again a few times to get jimv's or schwinnbikelove's attention:
coaster brake coaster brake coaster brake

ok.

How does that folding Puma bike (from biomega.dk) strike you?

That was discussed a few months ago.I viewed a hummer mountain bike yesterday at Sam's club it folds smaller has more gears and costs about half as much. I would rather make that a single with a spare wheel . It would still cost less . The puma did get a good review but i would want to ride it first.Alternatively you could convert a Dahon or yeah 20 inch folder for less money also.The Puma is 775 dollars but you could coordinate with your shoes Dahon does not make shoes.

Those bikes are ILL. Or maybe it's just me. (ill)

I think the integrated cable lock and the integrated bike-wont-work-if-the-cable-is-cut is pretty awesome if its true. Of course you can get new cable and a clamping tool for about $40, but atleast they cant just ride your bike away.

Why folding bikes at all? You could get an S and S coupled bike instead and retain a full frame. http://www.sandsmachine.com/

There's a Vanilla with it (http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2004/b/chen.htm), stickerguy has a Thylacine with it on the way and I was looking at a Co-Motion one yesterday. They are truly beautiful.

Yeah get a super tough S&S coupled bike like this one:

http://www.sandsmachine.com/a_syc_r1.htm

Thylacine was a much better deal than other companies (co-motion,
bilenky,...) who do 'em since they charge you for the bike, retrofit, &
paint. and it is custom! I'll post pics when it is in.

jeff

I think the s/s couplings are a rather expensive option. Don't they cost a few hundy on their own, before the custom frame that you have built to drop them into?

Well, we are talking ideal travel bike...

do they require a custom bike? i thought you could retrofit an existing bicycle if you wanted

my friend built a folding single speed mountain bike with some simple parts from the hardware store and a little welding..
my other friend had the rock lobster person custom build him a track frame with those stainless steel couplers that allow the bike to be cut in half, just using a spanner wrench, and they are kind of pretty futuristic looking things.

Those "futuristic" things are th S&S couplers (invented by Merlin right here...well, across the river). You don't need a custom frame, you can take any old frame, have it cut up, and fit with S&S. You'll need to do something about the paint afterwards. Strida makes a single speed folder.

I've been pondering laying down money for couplers. Seen them in action many times and they work/look great. If you're buying a frame anyway I think it's less expensive to have them put on by your framemaker than it is to retrofit a frame for them, like several hundred cheaper.

My current bike is a steel tourer made by a local guy. I had thought about getting him to get some couplings on there but, 1) he's awfully (understandably) hesitant (as am I)about hacking an badass frame in half, 2) after costs for couplings, paying my guy, new wheelset, I'm about 2/3 of the way towards a new-ish thing. I'd rather have a dedicated heavy tourer/monsoon-commuter, and then a (front-braked)fixed for zippin around that I could also convert into something for verrrry lightly loaded 20/30 mile rides.


I can hear my bike guy now. "Dude, Matt, you're insane."


Wheeeeeee

I know nothing about the stuff but Ritchey makes a take-apart frame, too, called break-away. They sell it as a full bike as well (road), it fits into a suitcase. Here you go: http://www.ritcheylogic.com/bab_home.htm
Includes a vids of Tom himself showing it off!

I somehow feel it works, 'cos good old Tom makes good stuff, doesn't he?

I dunno how much a Ritchey frame would be, but probably at least a grand and then I'd have to get some surgery for the dropouts....


Ideally, this thing could break down (with some work) into something that I could carry in/on/fastened to a large backpack.



I think it might be easier to buy a pony. How much is freight for a mid-size mammal? Anyone?

Maybe you might want to look into a Dahon single ( 20 inch wheels) non current production. If you want a 135 mm rear triangle get a 20 inch yeah 6 speed. The dropouts on mine are horizontal . I saw one on e bay a month ago for 120 dollars or so plus shipping. :DYou could have two wheels one for fix one free. I do not know the availability of flip flop hubs in 135 mm.