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Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

kwigglebike.com

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Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#241

Post by jacquesm »

tbabej wrote: post #216
ridehelix wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Belt drive would need a bunch of frame changes though (mostly rear fork). Actually, looking at the design a bit more, it might work without modification.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#242

Post by japanuspus »

I am puzzled by the choice of derailleur gears over intra-hub gears.

The motivation must have been that it allows the integrated rims and hubs, which are probably much easier to manufacture than spoked wheels at this size. The downsides seem significant though: A derailleur with gears this small is going to wear very quickly, and when it is time to replace it, you just have to hope that Kwiggle is still around to supply you with spares.

I have been a bike-fiddler since my teenage years, but it was only recently (40+) I tried taking apart an intra-hub gear. To my surprise, the whole gear mechanism is fitted to the axle an can be replaced in one go [0]. The only functional parts of the hub/housing is half-bearings and ratchets. The cool approach for Kwiggle would be to replicate these and just pop in a Shimano gear.

[0]: https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/sm/SM-IHG-INTER7_ENG.pdf page 43 ff.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#243

Post by rerx »

UFOFlyer wrote: post #60

I think the niche of "personal vehicle that you can take on the metro" is better filled by PEVs. Shrinking down a bike's drivetrain size is harder than just putting together a single wheel, some circuit boards, batteries, and an electric motor to make an electric unicycle. A big advantage EUCs have is you don't have to bother with folding like a bike, just hop off, grab the trolley handle and walk on. Electric scoote…

I haven't had a chance to try a single-wheel electric vehicle as they are not street legal in Germany. But usually I vastly prefer riding a bike over an electric stand-up scooter. My weight is distributed much better on a bike, making the right more stable. On a scooter I cannot reliably raise one arm to give a turn signal. Not signaling can be quite dangerous on shared roads or narrow paths. I never see anybody else indicate their turns on these scooters, so it's probably not a personal problem. Did any manufacturer figure out a way to put easy to read indicator lights on these?

The other thing is that you actually get some light exercise on a bike. Most people with desk jobs would do well to move their bodies a bit more during their days.

One thing that's nice some times about scooters is being able to stand up tall, rather than get into a slightly hunched up position on a bike. The Kwiggle from the GP allows for quite a unique upright body position. So that may be intriguing.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#244

Post by zenon »

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…

I love the animation of the bike unfolding on the landing page.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#245

Post by rerx »

seltzered_ wrote: post #23

The question to ask is: how do you carry your hand luggage with the bike that fits in the hand luggage? Brompton can sorta solve this by having front and rear cargo carry (bias: I own an older Brompton and have travelled from seattle to california by train with it. see also knockoff versions of it like https://jcat.bike/ )

Here they show how to attach your trolley bag to the bike and pull it behind you. I reckon this requires quality wheels on your luggage. https://kwiggle.odoo.com/home-kwiggle-rollkoffer

Besides that you can attach a standard bike pack (e.g. from Ortlieb) to the frame of the Kwiggle or carry a backpack, of course.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#246

Post by rambambram »

someweirdperson wrote: post #61
user568439 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was a difficult decision for me to spend 1.300 EUR in a Brompton, but I don't regret it a little bit. I have to admit I didn't use any alternative as a long term foldable bicycle, but after 3 years with the Brompton I don't have a single complain. Great quality, minimum weight, nice riding, fast un/folding. Everything you would expect from a portable bike. Regarding the cost, I'm quite sure I could sell mine for m…

I like my Beixo with shaft drive. A bit on the heavy side, but can carry it close without getting dirty.

Ah, another Beixo driver. I really liked the idea of the shaft drive, but I couldn't get used to the elastic feeling in the drive train. I still somewhere hope I rode an old model and everything is better now, but my guess is it's an integral part of the concept of a shaft drive on a bicycle.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#247

Post by donjoe »

gorbypark wrote: post #59
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…

Did you use a conversion kit? I have an older Dahon I'm thinking of converting. Any tips?

Look into velogical motors. Their tiny build size and removable battery should be a perfect fit.

http://www.velogical-engineering.com/velospeeder/produktinfo...

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#248

Post by rerx »

GordonS wrote: post #108

> the Kwiggle weighs only 9 - 10 kg and can be carried comfortably... with one hand I don't know why you'd want to actually carry it around, but surely nobody is 'comfortable' wandering around with 10kg in one hand?!

> why you'd want to actually carry it around

To get on trains and buses, or to walk up a flight of stairs, ... Why would you get a folding bike if you have no need to ever carry it?

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#249

Post by bambax »

trompetenaccoun wrote: post #214
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.

You may have gotten a bad item. I bought an MTB from them 4 years ago, transformed it to electric (which it's not designed for), rode 10,000km+ on it, on many different roads, in all kinds of weather, and the thing is still as good as new. It's really indestructible. I also bought bikes for my kids, and had friends buy bikes from them, etc. Never had any problem.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#250

Post by Tor3 »

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…

Front wheel drive is nice in the winter - I hadn't thought of that until I watched a friend going up a steep snowy road with no problems, while 2wd cars were stuck. The electric motor on the front wheel, his own pedalling on the back wheel: Both wheels are powered. He had traction like a 4wd car.
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