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The Joy of Folding Bikes

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Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#181

Post by rjh29 »

alexjplant wrote: post #172
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…

> 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 outside any old shop or restaurant for hours. I didn't see a single bike locked up when I visited Japan. I was told that this is because of the high conviction rate and mandatory bike registration process that they have. Was I just in especially low-crim…

If the bikes had baskets they were very cheap and not worth stealing. Obliviously theft is lower in general in Japan and the police will pursue it. Police have been known to arrest someone ordering a small coffee cup and using it to fill a medium coffee, or stealing satsumas from an unmanned vegetable stall.

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#182

Post by RebelMonk »

My partner cycled 3400 km through Japan on a Brompton last autumn (I can't ride a bike so I ran instead). It turned out to be a great choice of bike for travelling around slowly on.

We had a couple of issues finding replacement tyres, but only two days out of 80 where we had any issues - and both were avoidable/our fault.

Here's a short showing off the bike if anyone's interested. (one day we'll make a full length video!)

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AJlo3Jbaxk0

If I ever learn to ride a bike... I'm pretty sure it will be on a folding one.

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#183

Post by Turskarama »

enizor2 wrote: post #146
jdietrich wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>battery powered grinders that will cut any lock Not any more. A new generation of locks have an abrasive-filled plastic layer that aggressively wears down angle grinder discs. They aren't completely immune to angle grinders, but the better locks will take 20 minutes and multiple cutting discs to defeat. https://www.cyclingweekly.com/group-tests/wrecked-and-rated-... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5tuFesVtAA

Only if you use regular metal discs. Using diamond discs, you break through in less than a minute in those locks: [1] Comparing with your CyclyngWeekly link: - the Litelock X3 goes from 5min to cut only 50% of the shackle to 23s fully cut. - the Abus Granit Super Extreme 2500 also could only be cut to 50% in 5min, while the diamond disc finished in 29s. - the Hiplok D1000 couldn't be fully cut in 5min with 2 metal di…

Which is fine, the average bike thief is not going to expect to need them.

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#184

Post by dasKrokodil »

grayrest wrote: post #22

I ride a Reise & Mueller Birdy Mk3 mostly because I think folding bikes are neat and the Birdy has my favorite fold. The other rationale was that I wanted a nice bike I'd never have to lock up outside in NYC. The intention was to use it as a commuter since not spending on the subway would pay for it pretty quickly but shortly after I got it I started working remote so I've only done commutes on it for a couple weeks…

If you're into folding bikes and recumbents, check out the prototype for the folding Baron:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTsTKdqVTY8

It's a shame that it never went into production, but I guess at that time Optima already saw the writing on the wall that two-wheel recumbents wouldn't be profitable for much longer.

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#185

Post by Symbiote »

dhosek wrote: post #163
Symbiote wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually taking a bike on the Copenhagen metro is rare, in my experience, except very late at night when it's empty anyway. It is almost as annoying to others as taking a bike on a bus.

Many US buses have a bike rack on the front that can hold 2 or 3 bikes which allows for easy bike-bus travel. I don’t think bringing the bike inside the bus is an option anywhere.

I've never seen these in Europe. I suspect they are incompatible with the much stricter pedestrian safety rules.

In Copenhagen if someone needs a bike at both ends of their journey (not very common) they might own two, and leave one at the station.

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#186

Post by jbaber »

SeanLuke wrote: post #141
cycomanic wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I still think the strida folding bikes are the ones with the highest nerd quotient. Never ridden one myself, but been tempted a couple of times. In particular the low weight compared to any other folding bike is appealing. Unfortunately they are difficult to find for test rides and they look quirky enough that I'd want to do a test ride before buying

The strida is certainly the *dorkiest*, not nerdiest, looking design, but in terms of engineering, it's very bad. It is terrible, TERRIBLE to ride, with horrible mechanical trail. It is extremely unstable. It has no gearing options at all and has essentially no standard parts. It is very clearly the outcome of a designer rather than an engineer ("Let's start with the idea of a bike that folds like a ladder").

There are Strida's with gears.

It's definitely weird to ride -- I would ride it on a commute of more than a few miles. It's less stable than a real bike, but not completely unstable. e.g. I can fall of curbs but can't jump up them.

Most body parts are specialty, not the brakes system, I believe.

It meets its design goals very well: - Internal brake cables and quick release mean it folds very fast and doesn't get tangled up. - It can be rolled around when folded so you don't have to lug it. - It stands tall and thin so only takes the space of a small standing passenger on transit.

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#187

Post by throw0101c »

Waterluvian wrote: post #131
throw0101c wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I dunno about elsewhere but in Ontario the legality of a bike being on a sidewalk is based on wheel diameter to permit kids bicycles. There is no Ontario-wide law, per the Highway Traffic Act , §185(2): > (2) The council of a municipality may by by-law prohibit pedestrians or the use of motor assisted bicycles, bicycles, wheelchairs or animals on any highway or portion of a highway under its jurisdiction. R.S.O. 19…

Naturally, Ontario is just Toronto and London.

> Naturally, Ontario is just Toronto and London.

Naturally you missed the point that "in Ontario the legality of a bike being on a sidewalk is" not (necessarily) "based on wheel diameter to permit kids bicycles."

Rather, there are no Ontario-wide things that can be said about "the legality of a bike being on a sidewalk" because there is no Ontario-wide law on the subject.

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#188

Post by SeanLuke »

jbaber wrote: post #186
SeanLuke wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The strida is certainly the *dorkiest*, not nerdiest, looking design, but in terms of engineering, it's very bad. It is terrible, TERRIBLE to ride, with horrible mechanical trail. It is extremely unstable. It has no gearing options at all and has essentially no standard parts. It is very clearly the outcome of a designer rather than an engineer ("Let's start with the idea of a bike that folds like a ladder").

There are Strida's with gears. It's definitely weird to ride -- I would ride it on a commute of more than a few miles. It's less stable than a real bike, but not completely unstable. e.g. I can fall of curbs but can't jump up them. Most body parts are specialty, not the brakes system, I believe. It meets its design goals very well: - Internal brake cables and quick release mean it folds very fast and doesn't get tang…

That's not what stability is. A stable bike is one in which the steering is stable and easily controlled at various speeds. It's a function of steering geometry and mechanical trail. And the Strida is among the very most unstable folders on the market.

Answer honestly. Would you ride the Strida downhill at a 30 degree incline with a serious curve at the bottom without using the brakes, like you would a mountain bike? How about at over 15 miles an hour [like a racing bike]? A good folder should be able to do both easily.

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#189

Post by jodrellblank »

emptybits wrote: post #76

Piling on with the Brompton love here. Apartment friendly. Car trunk friendly. Motorcycle sidecar friendly. Their hardcase makes it airplane friendly. Theft-resistant, since it's carried and stored next to you more often than most bikes. The Brompton luggage system (its mount and low, forward position) is amazing. Bags can be massive and carry a lot of weight and the bike still feels great to ride. For pedals, I use…

> "For pedals, I use MKS EZY Superior Lambda"

Off-topic, but bike vlogger Probably Riding toured the MKS pedal factory in west Tokyo, Japan last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6P8CeNtkKU

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#190

Post by jodrellblank »

brewdad wrote: post #40
drzaiusx11 wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The 16" tires killed all the joy I normally get from riding a bike tbh. I tried better seats, shock absorber posts, different gear ratios, everything. Just sucked the joy out of the ride for me. Hiding "throw away" bikes around the city and far off bus stops etc ended up being my solution and it worked better for me at least.

Admittedly, I’ve never ridden a 16” wheeled bike. My 20” is rough enough that I’ve never bothered considering the smaller wheeled models. Maybe if I bike/train commuted every day rather than a few times a month.

If bigger is better, DirtySixer do a 36" wheel (non-folding) bike to be proportionate for taller riders: https://www.dirtysixer.com/products/mark-ii
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