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

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#371

Post by joshlemer » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 4:01 PM UTC

ridehelix wrote: post #359

SeasonalEnnui wrote: post #294

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why titanium? In my experience (and maybe you'll correlate), all materials involve compromise; there doesn't tend to be a case where a material is outstandingly better in all categories. Comparing titanium vs. the best steels, it's half the weight but also half the modulus of elasticity and half the tensile yield strength. I wouldn't expect there to be much weight advantage when comparing two tubes with roughly equal…

There were many reasons to choose Ti over steel, aluminum or carbon fiber. Steel would have significantly thinner wall thickness and would be less durable. Folding bikes get handled a lot, they get banged up, fall over, experience crushing forces etc. Carbon fiber is also less durable for this use case and aluminum would have been heavier for our design. Ti leaves no compromises other than cost of manufacturing but t…

Not to mention, Ti is rust proof which is great for winter climates, such as Helix's native Canada.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#372

Post by brudgers » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 4:12 PM UTC

locallost wrote: post #237

brudgers wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Folding bikes are better at most of what bikes do; sitting around waiting to be ridden. There’s no good way to store a regular bicycle. All of them are compromises of convenience, security, floor space and weather protection.

Now do cars.

I leave my car outside because rain doesn't effect it's powertrain lubricants.

It has integrated locks and unlikely to be stolen. It can't be picked up and thrown in the back of a van.

Or just ridden off.

I come out and the seat isn't wet and the chain isn't rusty.

Everything is dry and ready to go.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#373

Post by brudgers » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 4:18 PM UTC

lmm wrote: post #233

brudgers wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Folding bikes are better at most of what bikes do; sitting around waiting to be ridden. There’s no good way to store a regular bicycle. All of them are compromises of convenience, security, floor space and weather protection.

Storing vehicles is a social problem not an individual one, given that by their nature people tend to use them to commute, go shopping etc.. (If you live in some crazy jurisdiction that has decided to allocate lots of public space to car storage and not bike storage, then you have a problem, but, uh, don't do that)

My bike is actual not theoretical.

Storing it is very much my practical problem.

The solutions are orthogonal to the presence or absence of parking lots, quays, and hangers in my community.

For me, folding it up and putting it in a closet seems simpler than changing civilization. YMMV.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#374

Post by brudgers » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 4:31 PM UTC

Doctor_Fegg wrote: post #303

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.

Bike Friday is what my friend, Bikeshop Bill, recommended when I called him for advice on folding bikes...he'd told about his father touring Europe on a folding bike.

I gave them a serious look and realized they weren't for me because I am not a cyclist. For me, a bike is a tool which isn't to say Bike Friday bikes aren't tools, but rather that looking at Bike Friday made it clear that a Brompton would be a better tool for me...e.g. it has a bell out of the box and doesn't anticipate I own a specialized wardrobe.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#375

Post by jerome-jh » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 4:38 PM UTC

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 look I am seriously worried about stability when hitting a pothole. With its small wheels and high riding position, the bike is targeted at people would literally want to fall flat on their face. I would not dare to ride anything with wheels smaller than 18".

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#376

Post by novaleaf » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 4:40 PM UTC

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…

If you are not "made of money", buy a Zizzo: 25% the price.

I have a Zizzo and bought one for each of my immediate family members. Everyone loves it.

Amazon has reasonable pricing+availability for USA people.

I bought 3 Zizzo Forte, and 1 Zizzo Urbano. The Urbano for my 9 yo daughter to make it slightly easier for her to manage.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#377

Post by wolverine876 » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 4:40 PM UTC

moltar wrote: post #184

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.

But $3-5K for a bicycle? How can I justify that if my Mazda3 2008 is worth that much, and still runs perfectly fine?

FWIW, there are many non-folding bikes that are $3-5K

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#378

Post by Melatonic » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 4:48 PM UTC

Melatonic wrote: post #109

Does anyone make a less compact folding bike that uses larger tires? The Brompton at 16" is starting to get interesting and while the Kwiggle does look very nice for certain situations. But I think what I would want the most is something with more standard size bicycle wheels that can still fold to be a bit more compact for use on public transit.

For anyone looking I found two manufacturers that make folding bikes with full size components and wheels:

Montague

Changebike

There is also a third that looks newer and I could not find any info on but looks promising from Finland:

Fubi

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#379

Post by wolverine876 » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 4:54 PM UTC

jldl805 wrote: post #353

ridehelix wrote: post #352

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I stand corrected. I did a relatively exhaustive search a couple of months ago and missed this.

Quoted post unavailable.

> lie

Can we do better than this? It is not welcome here, per the HN guidelines, and poisons everyone who sees it. It's also an accusation without evidence, and therefore meaningless in regard to the accused.

Re: Folding bicycle small enough to fit in hand luggage

#380

Post by rexpress » Wed, Mar 23, 2022, 4:59 PM UTC

iso1631 wrote: post #310

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…

I do a regular 25 mile commute one way across London, train back myself.

One of my routes includes Hampstead and Highgate, a decent amount of climb. I tried the 3 speed hire Bromptons, but went for the 6 speed when I purchased one. The upgrade was well worth the money, I doubt I'd be able to get up those hills on the 3 speed.