practical or laughable

[spokes]

has anyone seen these new wonky folding bikes? (hopefully this link works...)

http://www.dahon.com/

i suppose they're for commuters, mostly, so you can store your bike at work, and take it on the bus/train with you. any thoughts? are they well-built, for the most part? do they seem to work well? or are they sorry excuses for a bike? opinions as to the geek factor? (yes this coming from someone who went all over the city in spandex)... thanks for letting me pick your brains again, ladies!!

[kpc]

They look cool - don't have any experience with them tho'. And in my area (redneck heaven), if you are riding a bike around you are a geek anyway. So you can do anything you want as you've already broken the geek barrier and it doesn't matter.

[emily_in_nc]

Spokes,

I don't know anything about Dahons, but there many brands of folders available. I think they're cool! One of the best known and highly regarded brands is Bike Friday (www.bikefriday.com). I have a friend who uses hers for club riding on the roads and just loves it; that's how I learned about them. My husband just ordered a touring model for travel and loaded touring. They also make models that are good for urban commuting, trail riding, road riding, etc. Very custom. The folks there are so helpful, and since they aren't available in many bike shops, they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee if you aren't 100% satisfied.

Good luck!

Emily

P.S. If you do happen to order a Friday someday, tell them that Emily Smith sent you. Thanks!

[spokes]

oh yah, i passed geek a long time ago. round about same time 'bike porn' became an issue and my head snapped around every time i saw a cyclist on the road... that's when i graduated to SuperGeek. isn't the weather great in our world?

[spokes]

emily, you posted while i was posting! sneaky devil...

i'll definitely check out the website. i just want some versatlity in my commute (sometimes it's just too long!!) since bikes aren't allowed on toronto public transit in rush hour, i might get away with a foldie. it's good to know of apositive first-hand experience with them. thanks!

[Adventure Girl]

Bike Friday makes some nice bikes. A little weird looking, but good quality and designs.

I know a guy who is an airline pilot, so he travels a lot. He folds up his little bike and takes it on the plane with him. He took 5th place in the 24-hours of Adrenalin SOLO class last year in Monterey. Then he went to the World Championships in Whistler, B.C. and he won his class.

In Monterey he did a few laps on a Bike Friday, but at the World Championships, he had to do the whole race on his "big wheel" bikes. But he says that he did about 70% to 80% of his training on his little fold-up cycle.

I have never heard of the Dahon, but there are some quality made fold-up bikes out there if that's what you need.

[DeniseGoldberg]

If you're looking for a folding bike that feels and rides like a full size bike, I highly recommend Bike Friday!

I own two of them - a Pocket Rocket that I have set up as a skinny-tired road bike, and an Air Glide that I have set up as a touring bike. In fact, I rode the air glide across the US in 2002 - see my journal on crazyguyonabike.com. They are dynamite bikes, and the folks at Bike Friday are good people.

[Karen London]

I really know about folding bikes. I suggest you try the following links:

http://www.atob.org.uk/USA_Price_Tag.html - this is a list of most folding bike makes and prices

http://www.foldbike.com

From these 2 places you will probably be able to link to all that you want to know.

I have a Brompton. I have had my Brompton for nearly 5 years in daily use especially in conjunction with public transport for commuting. I now have 3 of them and am going to buy another soon. The problem is the 4 Bromptons will be too much but I really cannot bear to part with them! However the oldest one will probably be sold when I get my new one. I will definitely get half of the new price for it as they are so popular even though it is 5 years old. I also have two normal (fullsize non-folding) bikes. The Brompton regularly comes out as the best combi on price, performance, portability, comfort, on surveys. It's not cheap but well worth it. Lots of the other folding bikes which cost a lot more, are not as good.

If you can't get a Brompton (and don't even think of looking for a used one because most people never let go of them) then the Bike Friday is probably the next best, it seems, in the USA. However the Bike Friday consistently comes out on surveys as much less comfortable than the Brompton.

Let me tell you why I like my Brompton. It folds very well to a nice compact easily-liftable and stowable package. When folded it is almost square, and there is nothing dirty on the outside. I keep one of mine in the house next to a pile of sheets and towels. They stay clean. Also when folded I have never been refused access to transport. If it rains or I am tired going home from work, I fold it and take the bus or train. If I am rich it goes with me in a taxi. It goes into the trunk of almost every car. The only hassle is constant admiring questions from people who want to know where to get one.

Also, they are much less likely to get stolen than other bikes. This is because usually you do not have to leave it on the street. It can go into almost every building with you. Mine lives under my desk when I work. I work in lots of different places and it goes with me to all of them and sits under my desk, in a corner, in a coatcupboard, etc. If you think there will ever be a problem in a building or on public transport, then to play safe you can buy a cover for it which means it is the same as a suitcase and they may not even know you have a bike inside it. Germans do this on trains because in Germany, you need to buy a ticket for a bicycle on a train and this way they can generally avoid it.

If you have any questions I look at this Board fairly regularly
Good luck
Karen

[Karen London]

sorry that's www. foldabike.com, I mistyped above

Also Dahon is OK but does not usually come out too well on surveys, uncomfortable etc., although I do know people who have them they often graduate to something else. Depends on what you are looking for, I guess