Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

kwigglebike.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

301–310 of 431 posts

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#301

Post by jhrmnn »

littlestymaar wrote: post #293
gmac wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sure Bromptons are great, but the prices are just ridiculous, and their marketing grates. I really don't need my bike to be handmade in London. I have a Decathlon foldable. It doesn't fold quite as small as a Brompton, so I wouldn't want to be regularly taking it on public transport. But it's light and solid, folds easily and rides well at about one third the price.

£850 / 1090€[1] sure it's a bit expensive, but ridiculous really? I find it really funny to find such a comment on a forum where a big chunk of users are fine paying more than twice the price for a laptop . [1]: https://fr.brompton.com/shop/bikes/a-line?color=white&handle...

Ha, interesting. I'm used to road-bike prices, and I also know what cargo bikes can cost, so when I read "ridiculously expensive", I imagined they cost like a cheap used car, not less than €1k... All depends on context.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#302

Post by Aeolun »

gmac wrote: post #299
littlestymaar wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

£850 / 1090€[1] sure it's a bit expensive, but ridiculous really? I find it really funny to find such a comment on a forum where a big chunk of users are fine paying more than twice the price for a laptop . [1]: https://fr.brompton.com/shop/bikes/a-line?color=white&handle...

Perhaps you're right that £850 is slightly below the ridiculous threshold (my recollection was that they were all £1000+). Though it seems that price omits arguably necessary features like mudguards.

> omits arguably necessary features

Like a macbook pro omits a headphone jack and ethernet ports?

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#303

Post by Doctor_Fegg »

ChuckMcM wrote: post #99

I've owned a Bike Friday[1] gnu since 2007 and my wife has both a Tikit and larger touring one which I don't think has a name (Edit: she reminds me it is a 'new world Tourist'). (they are basically custom bikes). I carried mine on Caltrain while commuting, it folds quickly and even if the bike car is full you could easily just stash it in the luggage rack car. They even had a Samsonite suitcase that was the correct s…

Big fan of Bike Fridays - mine's a New World Tourist too.

I wouldn't take it on a crowded (UK) commuter train: the fold is much larger and more ungainly than a Brompton. But you can go touring up hill and down dale on it, on the sort of route that would leave you panting on a Brommie. Plus it works great as an everyday bike even in circumstances when folding isn't important.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#304

Post by bambax »

globular-toast wrote: post #300
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…

At that price, if you are regularly commuting by train it would be cheaper and more convenient to have two bikes, one at either end. And you could have two pretty nice bikes. I guess the appeal of the folding bike is more for irregular or infrequent trips. Totally agree on the freedom aspect. Bicycles are ideal for inner city travel. Cars should be banned. I often use public bicycle shares when I travel now which is…

> I guess the appeal of the folding bike is more for irregular or infrequent trips

Yep, this is how I use it. I have another ebike for everyday use.

Not sure about the two-bikes concept though, because long-term bike parking is still a huge problem, security-wise, esp. for ebikes.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#305

Post by drakonka »

I am a bit of a folding bike enthusiast in that I love foldable/small means of transport in general. I've been tempted by a few folding bikes over the years, but in the end after looking at display models, reading reviews, etc, I haven't purchased anything to replace my trusty 2013 Brompton. Sure it's not the lightest or the smallest, but the thing is a tiny tank that just keeps going and going. It's durable, folds elegantly, and feels nice to ride on even for longer distances.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#306

Post by Al-Khwarizmi »

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…

Since you have experience with folding bikes (but anyone's help will be welcome). Do you know if folding bikes are viable at all for a tall person? (about 197 cm / 6 ft 5.56 in)

It would be convenient for me to have one due to lack of space in my apartment, but from an external observer perspective they all look like too small and like I would need to ride hunched and uncomfortable, so I haven't really looked into them. But maybe it's just prejudice.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#307

Post by InCityDreams »

samwillis wrote: post #229
audiometry wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

That confirms my point, the “knock off” makers are unable to optimise the design significantly further than a “real” Brompton. They have decided that the overall design as is perfect as you can get (other than component/manufacturing improvements). Due to copyright regulations and court orders in the UK and EU the knock off can not be imported and sold.

...i wonder if brexit will have implications for these regulations.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#308

Post by contravariant »

prmoustache wrote: post #124
yupper32 wrote: post #16

I don't think I could ever get over the look of the small wheels. It seems like the fanny pack of bikes: pretty useful but you gotta look dorky if you want to use it. It's vain but I'd find it hard to believe I'm alone here.

More than the look, I'd be more worried about going over the bars at the first deep pothole.

With the height of the steering wheel I'd be more worried about falling over backwards.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#309

Post by globular-toast »

bambax wrote: post #304
globular-toast wrote: post #300

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At that price, if you are regularly commuting by train it would be cheaper and more convenient to have two bikes, one at either end. And you could have two pretty nice bikes. I guess the appeal of the folding bike is more for irregular or infrequent trips. Totally agree on the freedom aspect. Bicycles are ideal for inner city travel. Cars should be banned. I often use public bicycle shares when I travel now which is…

> I guess the appeal of the folding bike is more for irregular or infrequent trips Yep, this is how I use it. I have another ebike for everyday use. Not sure about the two-bikes concept though, because long-term bike parking is still a huge problem, security-wise, esp. for ebikes.

Yeah, there needs to be more secure bike parking. A reallocation of space from car parking to bike parking is an obvious solution. In Cambridge there is a bike parking facility that I would feel confident leaving a bike in for long periods but not every station has such a thing.

That being said, I know people who have done the two bikes thing, or at least one bike that "lives" at a railway station, for a long time and not aware of them having any problems.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#310

Post by iso1631 »

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…

Back in the mid 2000s I used to ride a 2 miles, 45 minute train, then 7 miles to work, and back, 5 times a week on a Bromptom. No problems, it was ideal.

I then moved and I lived at one end of the Central line in Essex, about a 1 minute walk, and worked a similar distance in West London.

Took about 55 minutes for the train to go, always got a seat in both directions.

However during summer I would ride on my Bromptom one way in the morning two or three times a week - took about 24 miles, or 2 hours, I'd then fold it up and take it home on the train.

My next move was too far to ride (45 miles each way), and less than a mile from the station at each end so didn't do much commuting riding then, and I moved to be a home worker in 2011, but I still ride my Bromptom around the country lanes. Occasionally think I should upgrade to something with more than 3 gears (it's relatively hilly where I live).

The bike itself I think cost £520 back in 2005, a new one of the same model is over £1k now, not sure what the second hand value is

Post reply on HN