Airnimal Joey on buses

[jackthelad]

Hi guys need some advice i have the chance of purchasing an Airnmal Joey explore.I want to do trips with the wife going one way about 35 miles and returning by public transport to our starting point.I have a brompton myself but thought the triple chainset with 11/32 cassette would be easier on the wife.I recon most places we will get back via train, but my issue is can i fit the joey into a first fold bag and come back on a bus if trains are not available

ps can the first fold bag be folded up easily for carrying

any help appreciated

jackthelad

 

[seadragonpisces]

I can’t help really but I am sure I have read somewhere that the Airnimals are a faff to fold and unfold and also quite bulky.

They aren’t cheap either, so if you are going to spend the money why don’t you get her a 2011 Dahon Jetstream EX like I did (from Holland). I think it cost me about £1130 incl delivery (and £40 at my bike shop for as service) and she can use that. It’s not as small as a Brompton but it has SRAM Dual Drive 24, which I think is AMAZING !!! (and if you want a bag then I am told you can put a Jetstream in the new Tern Stowbag XL or whatever it’s called.

Horses for courses, but just my 2p worth.

 

[bikepacker]

I only ever took my Joey on a bus once and it was okay. However the first fold isn't that small and luckily the bus was almost empty. Here is an account from someone who commutes with a Joey: http://philwigglesworth.net/BlogEngine.NET/post/2007/02/08/The-Airnimal-Joey.aspx

Despite it's folding drawbacks the Joey rides better than any other folder (an I have tried many) I have ridden. My wife and I used them for a couple of tours. http://www.bikepacker.co.uk/pictures/airnimal03.jpg

 

[Bodhbh]

It's been a few years since I had one, but from memory that first fold bag is a tight fit and I soon stopped bothering with it. I think I used to lash the front wheel and handlebars on with some bungees and just carry it unwrapped. I never had a prob carrying it on buses or trains. Um, I'll have a photo somewhere of the folded bike...will try and remember to dig it out. It's not that compact a fold tho and a bit too much faff to be doing it regularly. Fun bike tho and got me into cycling as a hobby.

 

[jackthelad]

thanks for the replies guys thought they where never going to come after seeing the amount of views but no posts.Managed to pick up the joey it was in showroom condition, and with 27 gears to keep the wife happy the folding went right out of the window.However still going to try and get it suited to bus travel,have ordered the mks7 pedals,joey bag and the cummuter kit to get the size as small as possible,compared to the brompton i have the ride is like night and day,guess it is a compromise what ever direction you go when it comes to folding bikes

it has the 24/1.5 marathon plus tyres, was wondering can these rims take the slimmer tyres or are you stuck with the one size

 

[seadragonpisces]

well good luck with it, maybe you will start to ride it. I like my Brompton but love the Jetstream too, depends what mood I am in. Keep us updated on the Airnimal, I have my eye on a White or Black Rhino sometime in the future, not that I need a 4th folding bike

 

[jackthelad]

ok guys got the Joey bag to carry the bike on buses and was not impressed with the build quality,the strap looks as if it could break so basically tried it like a brompton skirt were you unzip a hole at the top and carry the bike by hand by the frame.I think if they brought out a skirt for the joey similar to the brompton skirt I think i would have more use for it,as i think the bag will only get used in necessary situations.Now have the commuting kit fitted and this is excellent only issue is you cant roll the wheel attached with the rear rack fitted,i thought Airnimal would have had the rack just on top of the mudguards instead of a gap above the mudguards of about 50mm.. Bringing the rack down to just on top of the mudguards i think would then allow the bike to roll on the front wheel with the rack on.So the senario is if carry nothing i can roll the bike about but if carrying gear on the rack i cant roll the bike by the attached wheel.

 

[Bodhbh]

ok guys got the Joey bag to carry the bike on buses and was not impressed with the build quality,the strap looks as if it could break so basically tried it like a brompton skirt were you unzip a hole at the top and carry the bike by hand by the frame.I think if they brought out a skirt for the joey similar to the brompton skirt I think i would have more use for it,as i think the bag will only get used in necessary situations.Now have the commuting kit fitted and this is excellent only issue is you cant roll the wheel attached with the rear rack fitted,i thought Airnimal would have had the rack just on top of the mudguards instead of a gap above the mudguards of about 50mm.. Bringing the rack down to just on top of the mudguards i think would then allow the bike to roll on the front wheel with the rack on.So the senario is if carry nothing i can roll the bike about but if carrying gear on the rack i cant roll the bike by the attached wheel.

This was pretty much my conclusion of the bag. It's not even particularly wieldy if you do squeeze the bike in. I just carried the bike by the frame and either velcro strapped the loose bits together or bungee corded. And yeah, the rack makes the fold even less wieldy.