anybody on here use or got a good folding bike?

Just bought a folding Tandem. Road like it was made out of rubber, but we can get it on a plane

Generally folks on here will recomend Bromptons….

More important what kind of journey / commute are you planning to use it for + what budget?

Brompton is the best folding bike, but if youre using it for longer distances then something with bigger wheels will ride better. Depends on whether you need a folding bike or a bike that folds, if you see what I mean.

Most compact and quick to fold: Brompton

Big-wheel performance, but more a dismantle-and-folder: Airnimal

Decent fold, rides well, full-sus aluminium: Birdy

Stupid-looking and horrible to ride: Strida

I think that covers it 🙂

Oh, and if you decide on a Brompton but want performance, disc brakes and a Rohloff are possible…

I sell Bromptons, don’t own/use one tho.

There was a long thread on them recently FWIW.

I love my Brompton to bits but I did manage to make a couple of good decisions that helped (more by luck than judgement!)

Get the hard suspension thing – soft is too soft and doesn’t make it any more comfortable.

Get the Swalbe Kojak (I think) tyres – they are a lot faster than the standard ones and grip just fine, even though they have no tread. (yes, I know the tread is to displace water, not ‘grip’)

Rachel

If you want a nice looker, slightly bigger wheel and front and rear suspension then look at the Dahon Jetstream P8, great for cobbled streets and potholes, I commuted on one for a year or two, ended up doing my full commute on it, so decided 15 miles was too long for a folding bike, got a good price for it s/hand ebay too.

Tread actually isn’t needed on road bike tyres as they are narrow enough to displace water without it.

Tread is just there for people who don’t believe this 😀

(yes, I know the tread is to displace water, not ‘grip’)

Actually, on bikes, the tread is to grip. To get a bike to aquaplane you’d need to be doing about 200mph (skinny tyres, high pressure, they’re not like car tyres). Tread on a road tyre is basically cosmetic – the grip comes from the stickiness of the rubber.

Geek, me? 🙂

Yes…but I’m not 😀

I have to say the Dahon Cadenza range, whilst they look like a good idea, just have not been put together with any thought (re: chainline e.t.c).

Agreed re: Cadenza, however Jestream…

Yes…but I’m not

You say that, but I bet you’ve read the chapter in Mike Burrows’ book on the subject 🙂

Where have i just seen a folding mtb with a cable for a down tube?

I’ve just got a Brompton for my new commute to the smoke. I did the London to Southend on it a few weeks back and it was remarkably comfortable and surprisingly fast. We did it in 3 hrs 40 mins. Oh and I’ve got the tyres with tread on them.
Skin

Where have i just seen a folding mtb with a cable for a down tube?

http://www.slingshotbikes.com/

Tread is definitely a good thing to have when you’re commuting in all weathers and encounter wet leaves, snow and god forbid, ICE! The closest I’ve knowingly come to death was riding down a bus lane in central London in the snow about ten years ago, on Brompton, with a bus a few feet behind me and clearly unable to stop if I failed to stay upright…

I’ll say it again…

FOLDING bike = Brompton
folding BIKE = Airnimal

There is a huge variety, something for every niche really. But if I could only have one folding bike, I’d get another Brompton. This from someone who has an Airnimal Rhino for off-road and trail duties.

what are you using it for ?

for commuting via trains only then many are bringing in/have an 18inch wheel size limit, so that narrows the choice down to a brompton, a birdy or a mezzo.

if you might use a bus, or take it into a restuarant, then definitely a brompton.

if you might use it for the occasionaly emergency ride home – i.e. longer distance, then a birdy as it rides like a normal bike (with the sport/allround stem). A brompton rides like a clown bike and takes getting used to…

no experience of mezzos

Tern folding bikes seem alright and look good (as much as a folding bike can look good) though are very similar to Dahon bikes (no surprise though seeing as Hon Jnr left Dahon to set up Tern).

Am contemplating a Link C7 or D8 myself for commuting/work trips.

Where have i just seen a folding mtb with a cable for a down tube?

Slingshot – built one up for a mate & he loves it, carbon forks, XT vee brake groupset, ritchey WCS kit & mavic crossride wheels keep the weight down as the frame alone weighs 3kgs, bit of an arse to fold as you have to release the downtube wire which is under tension but he uses it to commute on various trips around europe when you can’t always take a full bike on the train. Can say it rides pretty well though 🙂

I’ve got Jo Burt’s Slingshot frame hanging up – really must get my finger out and build it up some time…

well guys its to ride 5miles to work and back,and also my two boys have just learnt to ride bikes on there own ,so i thought it may be a good idea to buy one to put in the back of the car with there bikes,thanks for the help,im 6ft 1 by the way are they all the same size frame? thank you

The 26 inch wheeled folders come in different frame sizes but the smaller folders all seem to be the same frame.

At 6ft 1 the standard seatpost on the birdy will be fine, and the stem is adjustable for length, so you should be fine.

You will probably need the extended seatpost for the brompton.

I would say the brompton fits up to 5ft 9ish, much more and, although you may get on it, it will look comically small.