The Joy of Folding Bikes • Hacker News Board

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#11

Post by teleforce » Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 10:53 PM UTC

Gualdrapo wrote: post #4

I'd like to try a folding bike but (1) bromptons around here are filthy expensive and cheaper options (that can be found around 1/20th the price of a brompton) are really low quality, and (2) none of them come with big gears that I'd need to get home, with sections that can reach 22%

I've the BTwin Ultra Compact by Decathlon and I'd recommend it as alternative to the popular Bromptons [1].

It cost less than half of the equivalent Bromptons bike that's featured in the article.

[1] BTwin Ultra Compact 1 Second Light:

https://road.cc/content/review/btwin-ultra-compact-1-second-...

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#12

Post by dunconian » Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 10:58 PM UTC

One of the fun things about these bikes is you’ll get many curious onlookers in the US and delight them by showing them how it folds up. Kids seem to love the demonstration and it’s cool explaining how bikes work, especially the hub gear.

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#13

Post by Magi604 » Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 10:59 PM UTC

The article touched on it, and I agree, the biggest benefits for me are the portability and storability.

I can easily fit my folding bike into my car trunk, and very easily fit another one in the back seat. This enables you to drive to the start of a distant cycling route without having to deal with bike racks behind or on top of your car. So much less friction to you just going somewhere and cycling around.

And the small size means I can skip the common bike storage in my complex and store it in my apartment and it doesn't take up as much space as a full-sized bike. In my city, like most major cities, bike thievery is rampant. And if they can't steal your bike, they strip it of parts.

There are some drawbacks though. You can't really use them for hauling heavy loads, so forget bicycle touring or pulling a little trailer for kids or other things. They are also quite slow. And maybe some models have lots of gears, but the ones I checked out (in my admittedly limited search) did not, so they are not suited for very hilly routes.

I got mine used for $200 off FB Marketplace, it was in great condition and ready to ride. It is some generic brand that was sold in Walmarts a few years ago and I could not find any other information on it. I don't really care though. It got me out and cycling again!

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#14

Post by jodrellblank » Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 11:01 PM UTC

My ‘low stakes conspiracy theory’ is that adults enjoy the Brompton more than you’d think, because it’s too small for them, so it feels more like a BMX for sensible professional adults who would never think to ride a BMX or want to be seen on one.

I’ve been eyeing up Bromptons for years, especially the new G (gravel) line which has 20” wheels up from 16” and chunkier tires (for ride comfort on potholes and rough asphalt, and being able to ride down a trail). But I have no need for one, and they’re not cheap to buy on a whim.

I’d really like to try a Kwiggle folding bike, too, just for fun. The standing-riding position might feel less like riding a bike and more like ‘accelerated walking’. And it folds smaller than a Brompton tri-fold.

[1] https://www.kwigglebike.com/en_US/

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#15

Post by shric » Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 11:03 PM UTC

rjh29 wrote: post #9

They're obviously great for commuting. For general use, they are in theory thief-proof because you can take them everywhere with you. The downside is they're expensive so you HAVE to take them everywhere with you. Leave them out and they'll get stolen. For that reason I think the happiest I've been is with a dirt cheap bike in Japan. Didn't even lock it properly (just a key built into the frame) and could park it out…

I have owned a AU$7,000 (US$5,000) ebike in Sydney, Australia for a few years and have parked it everywhere without worrying about it getting stolen.

It has a built in lock that blocks the front spokes, an alarm and I use a $200 chain lock around the frame to fix it to something.

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#16

Post by CalChris » Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 11:04 PM UTC

I have a Tern Eclipse P18 24" folding bike which I like a lot. Tern and Dahon are related. Wasn't cheap and is hard to find. I literally drove to Vegas and met an IT sysadmin in a casino parking lot at 2am. He was coming off shift. It was legit (found it on EBay and he had the manuals) but it looked+felt like a drug deal.

I have upgraded the Tern. The original FSA crank would come loose and so I replaced it with a Shimano 105 part which required a Wheels Mfg 386 EVO Adaptor. I've never had a problem with it since. I also replaced the front derailleur with an SRAM Yaw which is just perfection.

It's great out to about 20 miles and you can't go up anything really steep because the shorter wheelbase just pops a wheelie. Tires and tubes are hard to find. But it's an awesome bike to have around.

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#17

Post by YawningAngel » Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 11:08 PM UTC

I don't fault OP for this, but it's pretty frustrating to me as someone who's quite attached to his non-folding bike that the main benefit of folding bikes is that, unlike regular bikes, they aren't banned from pretty much all public transport

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#18

Post by eCa » Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 11:09 PM UTC

I know it's not for everyone, but it is also a reasonable touring bike if done within its constraints. I've probably done closer to 40 days on my 16" Brompton, longest was a two-week 1000km ride. On the topic of leaving the bike out-of-sight: In those 40 days I've left it locked a total of 20 minutes, otherwise it comes with me into restaurants, supermarkets, public restrooms, hotel rooms..

The biggest downsides are speed and climbing ability. 80k or so has been a reasonable max distance on tour (I've done one 100k day, it was long) and I wouldn't take it to the Alps.

Like the OP, I run Schwalbe Marathon Plus which has been good. But I have had one catastrophic puncture after riding over a particularly nasty piece of glass that cut straight through the tire. After that I bring a folding backup tire.

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#19

Post by davidhunter » Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 11:09 PM UTC

I cycle 60 mins per day along the tow path in London on my Brompton, put it under my desk in the office, and then get the train back in the evening. No issues handling that distance.

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#20

Post by mauvehaus » Sat, Apr 25, 2026, 11:10 PM UTC

I had a Brompton in Boston. It makes absolutely everyone happy. It's been a conversation starter with everyone from 15 year old kids dressed to give a don't start anything vibe to 75 year old retirees.

As TFA notes, they're allowed on trains even during rush hour when full-size bikes are not. They fold effortlessly; folding and unfolding a couple times a day at the station is no hassle at all. They ride much like a full size bike, with the exception of the fact that if you pedal through a turn, you're much more likely to strike a pedal into the ground.

The only downside is that the 16" tires are murder on bumpy roads, of which Boston has many.