Folding bike owners?

[NbyNW]

Oh yeah: I also have an I-Beam seatpost on my Dahon. The stock seat was too narrow for me, so I replaced it with this, which I find very comfy:

http://www.dahon.com/us/accessories/.../biovelvet.htm

But I agree with what others have said above, it's very personal. That said, there are options, even if the bike you get comes with a different attachment system. You can check out SDG's website to see the full range of saddles that they make for the I-Beam system.

[Rosie8]

Thank you for responding. I appreciate the advice from all of you. I hear what you're saying, azfiddle, about 7 gears being needed in the Prescottt Valley area. My Giant Suede is a 7 speed and I don't think I would want to have less gears than that. Even if the hills aren't that bad around her, the wind is crazy sometimes, especially in the spring. We get 20-30 mph winds in the spring that are killer to ride in. Also, if one wants to ride up the steeper hills in Prescott, it helps to have at least 7 gears.

My main goal in riding daily is for fitness - the exercise and relaxation effect of riding in pleasant surroundings. It's helped me lose weight and lower my blood pressure.

[Reesha]

Has anyone ever flown with their folding bike? I'm thinking about getting one and taking it with me to europe for the summer so I can get around there... sounds easier than packing up a regular bike.

I'd be curious to hear your experiences.

[tulip]

Yes, I've flown with my folder several times. I have a case for it. Just make sure that it meets the weight restrictions for luggage, or they will charge you extra. I had no problems with flying with my bike. I put a note in the inside of the case for TSA with photos of the bike inside.

[Reesha]

May I ask whether you got the case from the bike company? Did it exceed size restrictions?

[Reesha]

I wonder if something like this would work if I padded it with clothes:

http://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Travel.../dp/B000AO7EOG

[tulip]

I would never use a soft-sided case for airline travel. Have you seen how the baggage people toss stuff around, not to mention the baggage that falls off the carts when they whip around corners! Padding with clothes will not provide the protection of a hard-shell case.

I got my case from Bike Friday. It's a Samsonite, and it adheres to the size limits. It is a hard plastic case with wheels and an extension handle, just like a normal suitcase. You can find more information on that particular case on the Bike Friday website. I think it's the Oyster case or something similar.

There's lots of good packing advice on the Bike Friday website, and I think alot is quite useful even if your bike is not a Bike Friday. There's also a pretty active Folding Bike Forum at BikeForums (bikeforums dot net).

I've taken my bike to Europe and out west (I live on the east coast). I have a friend who has had great success in shipping his bike ahead, in the hard case. Of course, you would need to have someone trustworthy on the other end to receive it.

I do have a soft case for protecting the bike when I put it in my car. That works fine.

It's wonderful to have a bike in Europe. If you are going to be in one place, you might want to look into bike rentals as well. I did that years ago when I visited France for a month. I used the rental bike to get around town, and I also took it on some longer trips. It was a 3-speed, so I didn't go on alot of those longer trips, but I did do a 40-miler on it. Slowly.