Viewing 11 posts - 41 through 51 (of 51 total)
  • Folding bike owners, what would you recommend?
  • T1000
    Free Member

    Ahh good luck with the stroppy fellow passengers on FGW……
    I assume your travelling on a season ticket? And don’t get a reservation for a seat?

    If this is the case you can phone FGW customer service and get them to get you a reservation for your in coming and return train….. This facility is poorly publicised…..you can have a seat of your own choice as well…. Rather than the random system that applies to day tickets….

    Then you can smugly walk past the rest of the travellers and get a seat….

    TheBrick
    Free Member

    Don’t get a mezzo! When I worked as a bike mechanics we two in and they both seemed shit, all the mechanics agreed. Dahon are cheaper but lower quality poorer pivots / joints, every single one I dealt with was wobbly from new. If you can afford it brompton is the only option.

    v10
    Free Member


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    mtbfix
    Full Member

    Ooh I didn’t know I could reserve a seat, I think I’ll need to do that, then I can get one ear the luggage rack and be out of everyone’s way.

    I’ve only got about 5 miles from Paddington, so by no means a long journey, but basically I can feel myself getting fat and lazy using the tube, and I know the Olympics is going to be hell.

    Andy_B
    Full Member

    Can’t you just use boris bikes when in London?

    TheBrick
    Free Member

    central London only and the stands near the station run out quickly.

    Andy_B
    Full Member

    There’s 3 boris bike stations outside Paddington. No idea of the chances of getting one in the morning though.

    simon_g
    Full Member

    Another Brompton owner here. Think most things have been covered well – you simply can’t get something that’s feather-light, folds up into a tiny package and is actually acceptable to ride.

    Which model did she find too heavy? There’s a 600g difference between the two models usually carried in bike shops (S2L and M3L), I went for the former as it felt quite a bit lighter to carry. You can save another 188g by going singlespeed, and 232g with Kojak tyres, although IMO I’d take the more puncture-resistant Marathons any day.

    As said repeatedly already, you generally avoid carrying them as much as possible. Ride to station, wheel through the gate (rather than barrier) and along platform to your chosen spot then fold. At the other end, as soon as I step off the train I find a clear space and unfold then wheel along platform, carry unfolded up the steps, then through the gate before riding away. Can’t think of a time I’ve carried it more than 30m or so.

    TiRed
    Full Member

    One last point of information from me. I read the FGW conditions of carriage for bikes today 🙄 , and a folding bike is classed as having wheels of 18″ or less. Officially, that would rule out Airnimals and some Dahons with 406 wheels. Folding or not. Birdy’s crawl in, and Bromptons and Mezzo’s a re fine.

    That Kansi has 406 wheels so can be ruled out on a technicality!

    paulatmtbleasing
    Free Member

    Described as the i-phone of folding bikes by one of the broadsheets:)

    allthepies
    Free Member

    Good luck with the seat reservations on rammed rush hour trains leaving London 😆

Viewing 11 posts - 41 through 51 (of 51 total)

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