[Closed] Folding mountain bike - anything decent out there?

You can put those S&S couplers on a decent steel frame.

See Shand :

https://www.shandcycles.com/2010/02/22/ss-btc-couplers/

Uh, interesting idea.

I didn't realise you can retrofit these.

Are they strong enough to handle mountain biking abuse?

Yeah they are up to the task of mtb'ing but you'll be looking at a bill of £400-500 for fitment/spraying afterwards i imagine - s&s couplings are not cheap but they are very nice if you appreciate that sort of thing.

there was a fancy looking one in the news stories not so long ago?

Yup, or look for a Ritchey breakaway frames, used simple system where the seapost was held by 2 clamps, one on the top tube, and the seatstays clamped it separately, then the the downtube had a sleeve joint.

For something a bit more Gnarrr, there's Pole bikes which fold in half when you disconnect the upper linkage.

How about a folding, full suspension, fat e-bike?

So many levels of awesome

[url= http://www.moar.bike/ ]Moar Awezum[/url]

[img] [/img]

Pole Evolink's fold up.

[url= https://www.polebicycles.com ]https://www.polebicycles.com[/url]

Edit: Too slow, just read thisisnotaspoons post.

BenCooper can fit you some S+S couplings to a steel-frame. I've had a Ritchey Breakaway road and replaced it with a CX clone in titanium - two pairs of tyres in the case and I can use if for trail and road.

First set I ever fitted were into my old Kona Cindercone - as long as it's round steel tubing, it can be done. The advantage is that the bike is exactly the same to ride - no creaking, no flexing, naff-all extra weight. The downside is it's not really a folder, more a dismantler - it'll go into a box the size of the wheels, but you'll need to spend 20 minutes packing it away.

Other options might be the Airnimal Rhino or the Birdy - both have full suspension frames and can have knobbly tyres, with smaller wheels. The Airnimal is a dismantle-and-folder, the Birdy is a true folder. Depending what you're riding, smaller wheels can still be very capable off-road.

I had an Airnimal Rhinos. It was my first mtb and I cut my off road teeth riding it at Swinley. Surprisingly capable, despite the 20" wheels, not an easy fold though, and not very light. I'd go for an SS steel hardtail next time.

The Pole Evolink design looks awesome

[i]dovebiker - Member
BenCooper can fit you some S+S couplings to a steel-frame. I've had a Ritchey Breakaway road and replaced it with a CX clone in titanium - two pairs of tyres in the case and I can use if for trail and road.

[/i]

Can I ask for more details about your Cx clone purchase?

There used to be a folding(ish) Nicolai Helius. Maybe find a second hand one.