Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage • Hacker News Board

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#211

Post by fredophile » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 5:37 AM UTC

throwaway81523 wrote: post #122

mattl wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You find them copyrighting their work disgusting? Do you use CC0 for all your own work?

I think the dismay is about trying to use copyright to slither around the expiration of a patent, if that is what is going on. I like the Brompton and tried one in a shop, but decided I couldn't see springing $1400+ for one unless I was sure I would use it a lot, so I would possibly start with a lower cost folding bike and see how I liked it. That was pre-pandemic so I put the whole thing aside. I'm not concerned abo…

I would not recommend starting with a lower cost folding bike. When I was shopping for a folding bike 8ish years ago I tried out a bunch of different bikes. Most folding bikes feel pretty squirrely and harder to ride than a typical bicycle. Larger wheels help but then the extra size cuts down on the benefits of having a folding bike. Bromptons were the only folding bikes I tried that felt good to ride as soon as I tried them. If you start with a cheaper bike, you might get used to it but you might hate how it handles and avoid using it as a result.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#212

Post by 6510 » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 5:42 AM UTC

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…

folded:

Helix 71.12 x 63.5 x 26.67 cm

Kwiggle 55 × 40 × 25 cm

While twice as expensive the Helix looks much more like a decent bike at roughly the same weight. Like many folding bikes and scooters the Kwiggle looks like you could get seriously injured if you hit something (small). Before your face hits the pavement you would try stick your leg forwards but it has these scary looking spikes there.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#213

Post by ridehelix » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 5:42 AM UTC

tshoaib wrote: post #183

ridehelix wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

Not yet, but soon. In the mean time you are welcome to come to our factory. Email is on our website or you can pm me. Thanks

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#214

Post by trompetenaccoun » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 5:43 AM UTC

grzes wrote: post #65

so i bought a folding bike from decathlon about 1.5yr ago and never been happier since. its following model: https://www.decathlon.fr/p/velo-pliant-oxylane-120/_/R-p-120... they actually went up in price since then. swapped stock tires because they were rubbish and also bought better seatpost from upper model. removed all the unneccessary stuff like ringer or mudguards and this thing flies. im getting average speed a…

I used to like Decathlon but their quality has gotten worse and worse. The bike I bought there 3 years ago or so must be the single lowest quality product I've ever owned. Of course when it's new you don't notice at first until things start breaking. It wasn't the same model as yours so I hope you have better luck but I'll definitely NEVER ever buy a bicycle at Decathlon again. Utter garbage.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#215

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 5:44 AM UTC

mi100hael wrote: post #4

Intriguing design and it looks like they've sold enough to see some real-world success, but I can't help but think the headset must be under extreme torque with a 150+ lb person sitting on essentially a large lever. That and the small wheels don't inspire confidence dealing with the typical curbs & potholes that one is likely to encounter in an urban environment. What's the use-case for folding bikes like this? Is th…

[deleted]

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#216

Post by tbabej » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 5:45 AM UTC

ridehelix wrote: post #205

tbabej wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Wow, a fan here on hn! Belt drive is possible but it makes for a heavier bike as it usually is paired with an internal geared hub. Also all of the innovation in cycling where maximum drivetrain efficiency is the goal is still firmly footed in chain drive (shimano/sram/campagnolo and a growing group of others). Also right now it’s not a priority as we have a lot of open projects: accessories, electric, scaling manufac…

Thanks for the response!

Definitely understand where you're coming from. I'm excited to see how well can Helix make the pedal assist with rear wheel motor work. What I like in particular is that the setup will be more upgradeable than most mid-drive builds.

With respect to the belt drive, glad to hear that's still a possibility (albeit not a priority, which is fine). This is just a single data point, but if there was a Alfine 11 option with a belt, I'd pull the trigger and buy one right now. Well, perhaps I'd wait for the rear rack and the luggage case that I understand are in the works, those are killer accessories.

For me personally, the weight is less of a concern, at least in the vicinity of the low numbers where current helix builds are. To illustrate, my current 20 inch folder is about 15kg (belt+alfine 11) and I find that quite manageable.

In any case, keep rocking on, I hope you guys succeed - it's exciting to see such novel bike engineering happening here in Canada :)

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#217

Post by brudgers » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 5:46 AM UTC

m463 wrote: post #98

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…

Folding bikes to me have always been "fits in trunk of car". This is an interesting idea, but I wonder if it collides into the electric scooter market. I think dahon bikes are fairly nice, but I have not tried a brompton. I have a dahon mu n360 with a variable transmission that I like quite a bit. https://dahon.com/bikes/mu-n360/ However recently I bought two bikes direct e-bikes - pretty versatile and go off-road/to…

I use my Brompton as an alternative to walking. It is good enough to be my only bike and practical enough that I have no inclination toward a special wardrobe.

It’s a great tool.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#218

Post by 6510 » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 5:50 AM UTC

ridehelix wrote: post #205

tbabej wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Wow, a fan here on hn! Belt drive is possible but it makes for a heavier bike as it usually is paired with an internal geared hub. Also all of the innovation in cycling where maximum drivetrain efficiency is the goal is still firmly footed in chain drive (shimano/sram/campagnolo and a growing group of others). Also right now it’s not a priority as we have a lot of open projects: accessories, electric, scaling manufac…

This seems a good chain-vs-belt write up (for the hn reader)

https://wheretheroadforks.com/chain-vs-belt-drive-bike-pros-...

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#219

Post by audiometry » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 5:57 AM UTC

samwillis wrote: post #52

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…

My understanding is that Brompton have a patent on their particular fold configuration and so no one can copy it. I’m very much of the opinion that that fold is the most compact while keeping your cycling position close to that of a normal bike. Every other compact folding bike is fighting for a design against that patent, and it can’t be done. This looks to me like one of those designs, if the designers had been abl…

No. There are lots of Chinese and Korean knock off Bromptons available.

Our shop has noted that Brompton bottom brackets are low quality. Often poorly aligned to the frame and the threading frequently needs chased.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#220

Post by lmm » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 5:59 AM UTC

jacquesm wrote: post #91

grzes wrote: post #65

so i bought a folding bike from decathlon about 1.5yr ago and never been happier since. its following model: https://www.decathlon.fr/p/velo-pliant-oxylane-120/_/R-p-120... they actually went up in price since then. swapped stock tires because they were rubbish and also bought better seatpost from upper model. removed all the unneccessary stuff like ringer or mudguards and this thing flies. im getting average speed a…

Hard to do proper disc brakes without hydraulics and hard to do hydraulics on a folding bike. The minimum bending radius of the brake lines is the limiting factor.

Disc brakes with cables work absolutely fine. Yes you're leaving some performance on the table compared to hydraulic, but most folding bikes aren't used for racing.