First folding bike?

[starfish80]

Hi folks

Looking at purchasing my first adult bike, space is very limited in our terraced house, so a folding bike is the most practical. Mainly want to use it for leisure cycling (popping it in my boot and driving somewhere to ride). Also, for a part commute to work from parking a car further out.

I'm looking at purchasing through the Cycle to Work scheme, and as a higher rate tax payer, I get a decent discount off a bike price.

Given I'm not an established rider I was thinking of getting a cheaper bike to start with....Decathlon, Raleigh, Carrera? My passionate biker friend over the road said to go straight for a Brompton but I'm not convinced about spending so much all in one go. Quite a few people use Brompton's in my office, but there are also reports of people being mugged for them. (Unfortunately I live in a major UK city with crime problems). As a young female, I wonder if I would be better with something I'm not worried about locking up to begin with.

Any advice most appreciated. At this stage I'm looking at the £300-£500 RRP bracket, unless you can convince me otherwise!

 

[steveindenmark]

My opinion is do not buy a cheap folding bike. The £300 you are spending on it can go towards a Brompton. That is what I would go for, it is the best. I can never imagine you selling a cheap folder. If you dont want a Brompton. Look at Tern bikes.

 

[starfish80]

Thanks. What do you think about Bickerton portables? Is that another alternative?

 

[Tenkaykev]

I'd second what @steveindenmark said.

My daughter was visiting last year and borrowed one of our Bromptons. She and her partner both have " proper" bikes. She was smitten with it and got one through the cycle to work scheme. She's a higher rate tax payer. Her partner is a triathlete and borrowed her Brommie, he was very impressed and now he has his own.

With the tax relief situation you could almost certainly buy a Brompton, use it for a year and sell it at a profit if you so wished, though I'm sure you'd be hanging on to it.

 

[starfish80]

Thanks @steveindenmark @Tenkaykev

I feel like I need to go proper bike shopping if I’m considering spending that much!

 

[mitchibob]

With the tax relief situation you could almost certainly buy a Brompton, use it for a year and sell it at a profit if you so wished, though I'm sure you'd be hanging on to it.

If you're talking about Cycle to Work scheme, you don't get to own it after a year, unless you pay 25% of the value, additionally, at the end of 12 months, which is pretty much the tax you had saved, and will probably mean making a profit after 12 months is unlikely. In order to save money, you need to lease the bike for a further 3 years (for a one off smaller payment), at the end of which, the bike ownership gets transferred to you, and then you can sell your 4 year old Brompton if you wish. Or, you can just give it back to your employer at the end of the original 12 months without paying another thing, and just think of it as 12 month rental.

I got my first cycle to work scheme Brompton in 2016 and ownership only recently transferred to me. My other Brompton is still legally owned by the scheme for another 12 months. One off £250 payment just didn't seem worth it at the end of 12months with either of them just to own them quicker as I had no intention of selling either of them.

 

[mitchibob]

Any advice most appreciated. At this stage I'm looking at the £300-£500 RRP bracket, unless you can convince me otherwise!

For folding bikes, that kind of budget doesn't give me much confidence in what you'll be getting, i.e. tend to be heavy, poor components, terrible fold. The decathlon bikes look quite good, and I see a fair few around, but after a colleague got one and I had a chance to look more closely, I could see where a lot of savings were made (brakes looked terrible), plus folded size was huge, although you can roll it along on one of the wheels folded, it's not a folder that I'd want to take on the tube or train (not that I do much these days, but it's nice to have that option).

However, depending on what you're using it for, maybe that's fine for you.

Although, if you're a higher tax-rate payer, it makes more sense to blow the budget on a Brompton, although you'll be left with little or no change to include things like helmet, lights, etc.

 

[Gunk]

If you have limited space at home I would suggest you buy a Brompton, it’s USP is the fold. No other bike folds up as well or is as compact.

 

[shingwell]

If you have limited space at home I would suggest you buy a Brompton, it’s USP is the fold. No other bike folds up as well or as compact

...or hides the oily bits within the fold as well. And with a rack, not even the road wheels touch the carpet when you bring it indoors.

 

[starfish80]

Thanks @mitchibob for your honest account of the Decathlon bike. My husband is convinced for now I'd be best with a cheap Decathlon one and if I use it a lot to upgrade to a Brompton in the longer term. Like many at the moment, I could be at risk of redundancy soon, and if I were to lose my job it sounds like I'd have to pay off the bike without tax relief. Not ideal if I choose to buy a Brompton now!

I

 

[sheddy]

Brompton.
If for any reason you don’t use it, buyers will bite your leg off.

 

[Gunk]

If you buy cheap, you buy twice!

 

[12boy]

The joy of a bargain folder is soon eclipsed by the pain of riding it. Ride a Brompton and see if you like it. I am planning on leaving mine to my first grandson who will be born in October. I have had many bikes and 6 favorites now, and yet except for snow and ice the Brompton is my most favorite favorite. When you test ride one, have a bag put on the brilliant luggage block and put 8 kilos of stuff in there and see how easy that is to ride and how it smooths a bumpy road surface.

 

[starfish80]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I'm near a Evans Cycles so will pop into there to look at a Brompton as well as popping into Decathlon.

 

[Justinitus]

In your situation I’d get a Brompton. They’re fun to ride, fold tiny, easy to carry and last ages. There are several cities that have Brompton Bike Docks where you can hire a Brompton for a few days for little money.

https://www.bromptonbikehire.com/docks