Full size folding road bikes

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Gravity Aided

Legendary Member
Location
Land of Lincoln
Schwinn put their name on some Montague folders once in the eighties or nineties. Fuji also made a full sized folder, I still see those now and again, as they were offered as a part of the Marlboro Adventure Team promotion, back in the day. Buy a mess of smokes, get a bike. Those weighed a ton, by the way.
 
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rich p

rich p

ridiculous old lush
Location
Brighton
Are you really gaining much over a decent bike box and taking the wheels off a regular road bike. ?
I want a road bike but it's going to have to fit into a Mercedes Vito along with 8 people and their baggage.
In the last 2 years I've used a very ropey MTB at the rented villa and a cheap MTB I bought on arrival and abandoned later.
I might have to see if I can get a regular bike bag in but I'd like a better solution. I'd also be sharing the cost with my son who will use it too.
 
I want a road bike but it's going to have to fit into a Mercedes Vito along with 8 people and their baggage.
In the last 2 years I've used a very ropey MTB at the rented villa and a cheap MTB I bought on arrival and abandoned later.
I might have to see if I can get a regular bike bag in but I'd like a better solution. I'd also be sharing the cost with my son who will use it too.

OK - i don't know the car in question - but I would compare the size of a full size folded bike - to a traditional bike with wheels removed in a bike box - you might find there isn't much in it.
 
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rich p

rich p

ridiculous old lush
Location
Brighton
OK - i don't know the car in question - but I would compare the size of a full size folded bike - to a traditional bike with wheels removed in a bike box - you might find there isn't much in it.
There is - that's the point. I've taken bikes in bike boxes on planes numerous times.
It's probably unachievable though, without spending 1000s of Pounds for what amounts to a 2 or 3 week holiday.
 

mmmmartin

Random geezer
This is what I've done numerous times with my Thorn Raven Tour: remove handlebars and cable tie to crossbar, drop out front forks with wheel inside, cable tie to the side of the bike. I leave in the rear wheel and the rear rack, which makes it a bit long, and it can be wrapped in a €1 roll of clingfilm to allay the fears of foreign bus drivers.

You can fly with it like that. It's survived all sorts of flights. To get back from Patagonia I "borrowed" old cardboard boxes from a supermarket and made a sort of box shaped thing that helped me through customs/security/baggage handlers. Bike was fine.

Mind you, Thorn made it to be just about indestructible - it weighs 18 kilos inc front and rear racks and carries 35k of luggage and an old fat bloke. So maybe not what you had in mind.
 
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rich p

rich p

ridiculous old lush
Location
Brighton
This what I've ended up with.
I bought the frame from a Taiwan company called changebikes.com. They sell full bikes but I didn't like the spec and I wanted drops.
Their video demo of the straight barred bike with Claris groupset.


View: https://vimeo.com/210792991

I've used a Tiagra groupset for cost, and Fulcrum 7 wheels due to the better spoke pattern to allow for the drops to fold better.
It rides like a proper bike and folds down to an acceptable size.
Weighs in at a tiny bit under 10kg and cost just under a grand, all in.
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@Dayvo
 
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