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The Joy of Folding Bikes

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Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#191

Post by jodrellblank »

bobro wrote: post #171

There’s something mind-boggling about the prices that get charged for these things. $2k-$3k for a not particularly complicated array of steel and plastic. I bought my (used) car in that price range, a big intricate machine with way more engineering and way more physical mass. Isn’t bicycle design is a mostly solved problem problem by now?

Yes it is, that's why you can get a bike from Walmart for $200.

This is like asking why new Mercedes costs so much when your used beater was very cheap. Last year Ford sold 4,500,000 cars. Honda sold 1,430,000 cars. Brompton sold 85,000 bikes. They make them in London, not overseas, so that costs more, and they don't have the economies of scale that car companies have. Brompton are also a luxury brand, with a reputation for a quality product that can last decades, they're not aiming at the low end of the market.

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#192

Post by jodrellblank »

yeutterg wrote: post #157

My fiancee and I just bought two used Brompton P-series foldables this week. Use case: commuting in San Francisco, as well as weekend trips around the Bay Area. We live in SF in a 2-bedroom apartment and don't own a car. I had a locked bike stolen out of a college dorm bike room before, and we like the convenience of having the bike with us 99% of the time instead of locking it outside. Those Brompton P-lines were ex…

> "if I really got into the hobby, perhaps I'd try to hack together an ultralight custom "BrompNot," something like the T-line but customized to my own needs"

Youtube vlogger Brompton Family Time in New York bought the T-Line and set about replacing all the parts with ultralight ones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76pMyBkm3V8

Original cost: $5465, weight originally 7.95 Kg but some sources say 7.45 Kg not sure if that's changed over the years.

Final build cost: $9600 and final weight: 7.03Kg / 15.5lbs

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#193

Post by WillAdams »

tromp wrote: post #98
WillAdams wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are a couple of companies doing full-size, or nearly full-size wheels on folding bikes --- very glad of my Montague Swissbike X50, and considered a Change Bike, and still want a Helix.

I should really try out a Helix ( https://helix.ca/ ) next time I visit Canada.

All the reviews I've seen have been overwhelmingly positive --- it's just my already having a folding bike (Swissbike X50) and lightweight road-bike (Twicycle) which keep me from being able to justify the purchase.

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#194

Post by dhosek »

Symbiote wrote: post #185
dhosek wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Here’s an image of a typical rack:

https://www.sportworks.com/product/apexplus-3

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#195

Post by jodrellblank »

Seth from Berm Peak "Why Brompton is the King of Folding Bikes": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLg0NNjDBMQ

Start: "I paid over two thousand dollars for this, used! Why are they so expensive? Other folding bikes are half the price and offer more, the gear shift is confusing and doesn't work properly, all the parts are overcomplicated and proprietary, >:-("

End: "I really like this bike. I'm so impressed with the build quality."

Comment a year later: "I've owned my Brompton for well over a year now, and absolutely love it. It's one bike I will absolutely never sell. The gear shifting was indeed a point of confusion for me, as there were two variables. 1. I had zero experience with Sturmey Archer hubs 2. The cable needed tightening. .. I'll often choose to bring my Brompton places not because it's portable, but rather because the bag and rack are so functional. Having your cargo down low makes it really stable, and being able to remove the bag so easily is super convenient."

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#196

Post by aquir »

schoen wrote: post #99
aquir wrote: post #96

I agree with the article but "Never gets punctures"? How's that possible? OP installed some solid tyres?

I don't know the specific Schwalbe Marathon tires but they use a proprietary material called SmartGuard. Personally, I've used Armadillo (from Specialized) and GatorSkin (from Continental) tires, both of which I was told contain a kevlar layer which resists punctures from sharp objects. In my experience I only got one sharp-object puncture on either of these brands in over 10 years of riding, contrasted with much mor…

Thanks for the info, I did not know!

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#197

Post by grayrest »

dasKrokodil wrote: post #184
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.

I'm particularly delighted that the fold is unique; I've never seen anything similar. Thanks for sharing; this is the sort of thing I look for on the Internet.

Re: The Joy of Folding Bikes

#198

Post by jbaber »

SeanLuke wrote: post #188
jbaber wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?…

I ride mine 2 miles a day, sometimes 3 based on a variable commute. Mine doesn't have gears or a spedometer so I can only say I am comfortable at the fastest speed I can pedal -- but it would feel unstable to go much faster, say, on a very steep hill.

I'm not trying to imply it feels like a weirdly shaped mountain bike. I'm saying it does its particular job very well. The seating position and narrow handlebars definitely preclude it doing anything other than getting you from the train station to work on urban streets.

I have a real bicycle, too for, well, actually riding a bicycle.

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