The Joy of Folding Bikes

Posted by pavel_lishin 3 days ago

The Joy of Folding Bikes(blog.korny.info)

148 points | 96 commentspage 4

spenrose 8 hours ago|

Many HNers will enjoy this book about the company’s maturation from a hardware startup founded by one difficult genius to an institution that had to be rebuilt as it scaled: https://bookpeople.com/book/9781615199563

mh2266 5 hours ago||

a bit nitty, but "never get punctures" is just an attribute of the tires, not the bike. if you stick Gatorskins on a Tarmac SL8, you'll also never get punctures. but that's like putting tractor tires on a sports car, and you'll be slower and have a less comfortable ride than you would with GP5Ks.

Gualdrapo 9 hours ago||

I'd like to try a folding bike but (1) bromptons around here are filthy expensive and cheaper options (that can be found around 1/20th the price of a brompton) are really low quality, and (2) none of them come with big gears that I'd need to get home, with sections that can reach 22%

mauvehaus 6 hours ago||

If you don't know if you need a folding bike, you probably don't need a folding bike. It's kind of compromised as a bike, and if the (admittedly huge) utility of it folding isn't painfully necessary, it'd be hard to justify owning one.

Once you get to the point where a folder is unavoidable, you may as well get a good one, be it Bromptom, Dahon, or whoever. At that point it's definitely a buy-once-cry-once kind of purchase. As much as I love mine, I wouldn't recommend anyone buying one who isn't already really into cycling for transportation rather than sport and doesn't really need a folding bike.

And yeah, the low end of the market is pretty crap, much as it is for regular bikes.

teleforce 9 hours ago|||

I've the BTwin Ultra Compact by Decathlon and I'd recommend it as alternative to the popular Bromptons [1].

It cost less than half of the equivalent Bromptons bike that's featured in the article.

[1] BTwin Ultra Compact 1 Second Light:

https://road.cc/content/review/btwin-ultra-compact-1-second-...

gpm 9 hours ago|||

> that can be found around 1/20th the price of a brompton

Where in the world are you finding a not-stolen bike for less than a hundred dollars!?

> none of them come with big gears that I'd need to get home, with sections that can reach 22%

Personally I'd recommend getting a bicycle with a motor.

mh2266 5 hours ago|||

maybe I'm missing something, but just put a smaller chainring on? or do you need something like MTB cassette amount of range?

given the tiny wheels, a chainring that would be "normal" on a 700c 1x gravel bike should be very easy for climbing on a folding bike.

28304283409234 9 hours ago||

Expensive? I bought mine for 1200 or so in 2006. Still use it daily. It is a steal.

jackyinger 8 hours ago||

A quality bike can last a really long time.

muh_gradle 9 hours ago||

I live in NYC and I was tempted to buy a Brompton but ended up not doing so in the end. A friend of mine that always lives in the city said he regretted his because it's surprisingly heavy and bulky even when folded.

xattt 7 hours ago||

The reality is that all bikes can be folded once. The magic is in those that can be reliably unfolded for reuse.

jodrellblank 9 hours ago||

My ‘low stakes conspiracy theory’ is that adults enjoy the Brompton more than you’d think, because it’s too small for them, so it feels more like a BMX for sensible professional adults who would never think to ride a BMX or want to be seen on one.

I’ve been eyeing up Bromptons for years, especially the new G (gravel) line which has 20” wheels up from 16” and chunkier tires (for ride comfort on potholes and rough asphalt, and being able to ride down a trail). But I have no need for one, and they’re not cheap to buy on a whim.

I’d really like to try a Kwiggle folding bike, too, just for fun. The standing-riding position might feel less like riding a bike and more like ‘accelerated walking’. And it folds smaller than a Brompton tri-fold.

[1] https://www.kwigglebike.com/en_US/

mauvehaus 6 hours ago|

12" wheels would be sheer hell on anything less than perfect pavement. Source: I own a Brompton with 16" wheels, and wouldn't ride it more than about a block without cycling gloves. It's absolutely punishing on the wrists. The elastomeric block for the rear triangle makes it pretty tolerable on your ass, but the front end is rough.

jodrellblank 4 hours ago||

The Kwiggle's FAQ contains:

- The steering column is made of austenitic stainless steel. This .. even provides a pleasant suspension.

- Of course everyone prefers to ride on smooth asphalt. With the Kwiggle you can also easily drive on paved trails. Even cobblestones are relatively comfortable to ride due to the wide tires.

- Is the Kwiggle suitable for longer distances? The physiologically optimal upright posture and the swinging saddle bring each of your muscles in motion, especially in the hip and lower back area. That's why you can ride even better than with any other bike, without tension, pain or signs of fatigue symptoms. We already rode 200 and 300 km (124 and 186 miles) in one day.

That's referencing their ride around the Dutch Ijsselmeer: https://www.kwigglebike.com/en_US/faltrad-extrem

leni536 9 hours ago||

Recently I tried out Brompton Bike Hire in London for a week. Can recommend the bike, and the price is reasonable. The bikes are hired from automatic storage lockers, which makes sense as a concept. The app is atrocious though, and I had a lot of trouble returning the bike at the end of the week.

dheera 3 hours ago||

I've used a Dahon Speed P8 extensively in Asia. In China you can just put a folding bike inside a large tarp bag and just get on any high speed train and then bike away when you reach your destination. It's awesome.

The only "gotcha" is how you deal with luggage. I've used a seatpost rack, but I've also had a seatpost rack fail on me one time.

chaostheory 3 hours ago||

A smaller alternative is a half bike, though it’s really a trike

gxs 8 hours ago|

You could just always buy a cheap one on Amazon and then make a real investment if you like