271–280 of 431 posts
I'm pretty skeptical about "effortlessly 25 km/h with the folding bike, without much pedaling". Other small-wheel folding bikes I've tried (of, I'm sure, much inferior quality) were not so efficient. Awesome if true.
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…
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…
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.
What's really practical about th Strida is that it uses a belt instead of a chain and keeps the brakelines internal. So it has very little to rust and folds in 20 seconds.
So the Kwiggle can mount a Ortlieb or VAUDE bag on its luggage rack. How about an Ortlieb or VAUDE bag that can carry the Kwiggle, then double as a bag on its luggage rack? Is that possible?
Honestly, you'd go flying over the handle bars upon hitting the tiniest twig. I've been riding Montague Bikes for years -- on the other end of the folding bike spectrum. Full-size wheels, rides so much smoother. Doesn't fold down as small but it goes in the trunk of a car or can be carried on the train and that's all I really need.
Looks interesting, but the claims are a bit questionable. The brake limiter is also very suspicious---"in the heat of the moment" is exactly when I don't want my brakes not working. Plus it's a proprietary drivetrain that I have no reason to have any confidence in its reliability.
Going to be really inefficient and possibly unstable for anything that is longer than a few blocks or anything where the terrain changes. Bike wheels are large for a reason
300km on one day with a Kwiggle.
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…
Major kudos for using off-the-shelf standard components. I can't over-stress this enough.
I'm not saying I'm pulling the trigger and ordering straight away (I've had this idea in my head for well over a year, so far just waiting for a good excuse / trip idea), but it's definitely made it close to the top of my list now. Even though it's pricy at around 3k Eur, given the titanium frame it's probably still well cheaper than equivalent Brompton (Chapter 3 or such).
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 sup…