Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

kwigglebike.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

181–190 of 431 posts

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#181

Post by thijsvandien »

ridehelix wrote: post #168
laurieg wrote: post #24

I've spent a long time with folding bikes over the years. My advice: bite the bullet and buy a Brompton[1]. Yes, Bromptons are expensive. But they ride like a bicycle, have gears, a stiff enough frame, luggage racks etc. There's very little compromise. The fastest I've done on mine is 45 kph and I've ridden 70km in a day. I carry it on and off buses and trains multiple times a day without issue. In the past I had an…

A discussion about folding bikes would not be complete without mentioning Helix. Helix folds almost as small as a Brompton but has 24” wheels and standard bicycle components such as disc brakes, Shimano/SRAM drivetrain etc. Also the fold is the most compact possible, even more compact than Brompton in terms of maximizing the use of space. It also fits in a standard airline luggage without any disassembly which few ot…

This looks nice, but even though you ship internationally, how am I going to have my bike serviced on the other side of the world?

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#182

Post by makeitdouble »

bambax wrote: post #48

It looks absolutely amazing, but calling it "affordable" at €1600+ is a stretch. You can find non-electric folding bikes for under €200 that are quite sturdy and dependable (although not that small when folded). A few months ago I bought a used folding bike for €100, equipped it with a motor and battery that cost less than €400, for use on train trips. Nothing feels better than getting out of a long-distance train tr…

Folding size would justify the price.

The 200€ one won't help you if you need to fly it. Even for road trips, for 2 adults in a city car, the size constraints could be enough to not bring two biggish 200€ along.

Basically, the choice comes to a 200€ bike you never bring along, or 800/1600€ bikes you can bring anywhere.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#183

Post by tshoaib »

ridehelix wrote: post #174
nwatson wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a beautiful bike!

Thank you. Designing it was a labour of love. It’s function over form in every detail. No gimmicks, cheap materials or manufacturing short cuts like using castings for example. The welded frame components are all cnc machined from titanium blocks and the frame is robotically TIG welded in an argon chamber in our Toronto factory. We literally spare no expense in making them.

Is it available for display in any store around Toronto?

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#184

Post by moltar »

ridehelix wrote: post #174
nwatson wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a beautiful bike!

Thank you. Designing it was a labour of love. It’s function over form in every detail. No gimmicks, cheap materials or manufacturing short cuts like using castings for example. The welded frame components are all cnc machined from titanium blocks and the frame is robotically TIG welded in an argon chamber in our Toronto factory. We literally spare no expense in making them.

But $3-5K for a bicycle?

How can I justify that if my Mazda3 2008 is worth that much, and still runs perfectly fine?

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#185

Post by frenchy »

0xbadcafebee wrote: post #177

Couldn't someone make rollerblades that strap on like snow shoes? Seems like it would be the ultimate compact design. If you're already riding the tiniest folding bike in the world , I doubt the dork factor of blades would be significant.

You've just described those roller skates that they make for little kids that stap on to the shoe. I don't know if you've ever tried them, but they're mostly useful for making your kid think that roller skating is a horrenously impossible feat.

Have you used rollerblades or snowshoes? Showshoes have a very flexible binding system, and rollerblades need to be quite stiff in order to have a hope of functioning properly, and not snaping your ankle in several pieces. In order to make such a thing, you'd have to wear some sort of plastic boot, and then have some solid binding like a pin tech binding to attach the boot to the rollers.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#186

Post by TylerE »

ketzo wrote: post #95
gnufx wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In which country can you get (a new) Brompton so cheaply?

When I go their website right now (from the U.S.), I see the base model on sale for 850 pounds.

Without shipping or customs...

US dealers that sell them seem to start around $1600

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#187

Post by _moof »

ideamotor wrote: post #35
histriosum wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been looking at folding bikes like this.. in my case, I'm a private pilot, and I'm looking for ways to solve the last mile issue of getting from my destination airport to somewhere fun to go - ie a nearby beach, or into town for dinner, etc. Size and weight are important in my use case, since general aviation aircraft don't have alot of cargo space. This bike looks like it would be a decent fit, but I'm not sure…

Why not take an rideshare/taxi? It seems you'd be able to even optimally schedule the rides in advance. I wouldn't want to ride this thing on car-only roads.

At the kinds of airports people fly their own airplanes to, rideshare is not always reliable, and may not even exist.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#188

Post by tbabej »

ridehelix wrote: post #168
laurieg wrote: post #24

I've spent a long time with folding bikes over the years. My advice: bite the bullet and buy a Brompton[1]. Yes, Bromptons are expensive. But they ride like a bicycle, have gears, a stiff enough frame, luggage racks etc. There's very little compromise. The fastest I've done on mine is 45 kph and I've ridden 70km in a day. I carry it on and off buses and trains multiple times a day without issue. In the past I had an…

A discussion about folding bikes would not be complete without mentioning Helix. Helix folds almost as small as a Brompton but has 24” wheels and standard bicycle components such as disc brakes, Shimano/SRAM drivetrain etc. Also the fold is the most compact possible, even more compact than Brompton in terms of maximizing the use of space. It also fits in a standard airline luggage without any disassembly which few ot…

Been a fan for a long time, in fact, my dream bike is a helix with a belt drive (and possibly a mid-drive motor). I do understand a belt drive might require a tensioner, but a man can dream! My current folder has a belt and it's a joy to ride on.

Additionally, I saw there are some electric options coming up in Q3, would you spare a moment to share your thoughts about possible future developments (i.e. if you see belt/ebike options expand in the future)?

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#189

Post by HackerJR124_ »

laurieg wrote: post #24

I've spent a long time with folding bikes over the years. My advice: bite the bullet and buy a Brompton[1]. Yes, Bromptons are expensive. But they ride like a bicycle, have gears, a stiff enough frame, luggage racks etc. There's very little compromise. The fastest I've done on mine is 45 kph and I've ridden 70km in a day. I carry it on and off buses and trains multiple times a day without issue. In the past I had an…

Hmmm interesting do you want me to hack this?

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#190

Post by jdeisenberg »

Melatonic wrote: post #109

Does anyone make a less compact folding bike that uses larger tires? The Brompton at 16" is starting to get interesting and while the Kwiggle does look very nice for certain situations. But I think what I would want the most is something with more standard size bicycle wheels that can still fold to be a bit more compact for use on public transit.

Citizen Bike (https://www.citizenbike.com/catalog.asp?product_category_id=...) has 20 inch wheels. Not ultra-compact, but the one I have is pretty good.
Post reply on HN