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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

#251

Post by bambax »

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…

Bike racks are not very secure; in many cases it's better to bring the bike with you in your office and keep it there.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#252

Post by laurieg »

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 haven't had the pleasure of riding a Helix but I would love to try.

Can you clarify what you mean by “the fold is the most compact possible, even more compact than Brompton in terms of maximizing the use of space“

The Brompton's folded size is 585mm high x 565mm long x 270mm wide

The Helix is 580mm x 635mm x 230mm.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#253

Post by unfocussed_mike »

markdown wrote: post #143
mattl wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

UK has design copyrights to basically permit the double dipping.

Must be why there's so little innovation going on there.

For a small island with a very British habit of regular, unnecessary self-crippling, there's quite a lot of innovation going on here. Just not a lot of self-congratulatory "disruptive" internet BS innovation.

e.g. ARM, Dyson, the RepRap project, the Raspberry Pi, the Oxford/AZ vaccine, Rolls-Royce jet engines. Graphene. The micro-satellite. Vantablack. The genuinely trailblazing .gov.uk project. Quorn. Cloning!

And most importantly, the tikka massala, the balti, and the Henry vaccum cleaner.

(And, someone told me the other day, bungee jumping. Sorry about that)

I have no idea if our IP regime is worse or better than anywhere else's; we do not have a tradition of crazy software patents, though, so my guess is better, not worse.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#254

Post by bambax »

miketery wrote: post #132
Yoofie wrote: post #123

If portability is the ultimate goal then its probably better to go with learning how to ride unicycle instead of buying a intricate folding bike with a lot of compromises. Sometimes the the problem can't be fixed with a technical solution and the user simply needs to learn to use a new tool ;)

Couldn't agree more. Electric Unicycles are unbelievable, here are the benefits: 1. Size / Portable, about 7" x 17" x 24" 2. Agility, better maneuverability around cars and obstacles 3. Speed, can go >40mph, most of the time you only need 15~25mph 4. Hands free, can carry stuff 5. Wheel size is 16" and up (better than scooters with small wheels) Downsides: 1. Weight, 40lbs and up (my current one is 65lbs) 2. Electric…

Really? In my experience they are very unpleasant:

- heavy to carry by hand, which you need to do when you arrive at your destination (can't leave them on the street in a bike rack)

- can't jump on and off of sidewalks without stepping off and carrying them; very dangerous around potholes and other irregularities on the road

- difficult to use in inclement weather (no mud guards, etc.)

I bought one around 8 years ago; still have it but never use it; the battery must be dead by now as I have not charged it in a very long while.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#255

Post by unfocussed_mike »

mattl wrote: post #128
caslon wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The concern is obviously not that copyright is inherently immoral, or whatever you're insinuating, even though there are valid objections against the current status quo of multi-century copyrights. The concern is that they're double-dipping. They had a patent. Patents expire after 20 years, but give you exclusive right to use an invention in the meantime. After a patent expires, what's supposed to happen is that anyo…

UK has design copyrights to basically permit the double dipping.

Design protection (design patents etc.) is not a UK invention, is it? It's a well-recognised WIPO tool at this point anyway.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#256

Post by Tor3 »

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…

From the picture it looks like it would be unsteady unless you hold firmly onto the handle bars - is that right? What happens if you let go?

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#257

Post by [deleted] »

raffraffraff wrote: post #234
ridehelix wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Do you sell in Europe?

[deleted]

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#258

Post by donjoe »

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…

I'd like to add a type of bike which is tiny but not foldable: a Minivelo.

I recently ordered a frame on AliExpress [0] equipped with internal cable routing and disc brake mounts, 2.25'' tire clearance. My build looks like a gravel bike. A gravel bike on 20'' with an 11 speed cassette, a drop bar and SRAM derailleur. Of course, not to miss a great carbon sear post. Including pedals and tires, the bike accounts for 10kg. In order to take it on flights, I did sew myself a backpack to fit the bike. Taking the bike apart takes me 10 minutes. It is a tiny bit too large for hand luggage but ideal for being checked in.

For me the frame is a great compromise between size, stiffness and maintainability.

Velo orange [1] does offer a lovely frameset, too. It's just hard to get by in Europe (at a reasonable price point).

[0] https://m.alibaba.com/product/1600169443757/SILVEROCK-Chrome...

[1] https://velo-orange.com/collections/neutrino-mini-velo

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#259

Post by tbabej »

raffraffraff wrote: post #234
ridehelix wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Do you sell in Europe?

They do! [1]

> What countries do you ship to?

> Helix ships worldwide.

[1] https://helix.ca/support/faq/

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#260

Post by bambax »

ochicial wrote: post #134

People who liked this might also be interested in Halfbike ( https://halfbikes.com ), a standing bike which also is reasonably portable. I tried it once and while it does need some getting used to, I like the idea.

Never heard of that before now! That's beautiful. Thanks for the link.
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