Help with buying a folding bike???

[gingerwizard]

Are there any folders to stay away from?(Bad/very bad) i'm thinkin of getting one for my daughter to cross town from bus/train station to uni so, dont want to spend loads until i know she will use it....

 

[ChrisKH]

It really depends what purpose it's serving in being a folder. If it's so she can use it on the train, no question from my perspective that Brompton are the best but obviously very expensive and still quite heavy. If you're looking for a cheaper version I'd consider something good but second hand like a Dahon rather than a new cheap folder (e.g. a Globe). If size doesn't matter as long as it folds then I'd go for a 'full-sized' folder which will be easier to wheel along the platform than a smaller folder - best to check with the train line concerned though what they will take and recce how many people take the train when she is going to travel. It's all very well saying they will take folders but if there's barely room to put a person on board, then taking a larger folder will be an issue.

I would generally avoid the cheaper folders that you see on offer in newspapers as the componentry is cheap and won't last long plus they will be heavy and not very effective.

Would suggest you take a look at http://www.atob.org.uk/It has a good review section.

 

[Twenty Inch]

How heavy is she? Is security a concern? Is ease of fold more important than ease of riding? Will she have to carry it up flights of stairs? Is she mechanically competent to keep on top of all the extra bits on a folder that need maintaining? Is she confident in traffic (folders get less respect, if that were possible)?

I suggest that you're looking at a Brompton or something from the Dahon range.

 

[gingerwizard]

It really depends what purpose it's serving in being a folder. If it's so she can use it on the train, no question from my perspective that Brompton are the best but obviously very expensive and still quite heavy. If you're looking for a cheaper version I'd consider something good but second hand like a Dahon rather than a new cheap folder (e.g. a Globe). If size doesn't matter as long as it folds then I'd go for a 'full-sized' folder which will be easier to wheel along the platform than a smaller folder - best to check with the train line concerned though what they will take and recce how many people take the train when she is going to travel. It's all very well saying they will take folders but if there's barely room to put a person on board, then taking a larger folder will be an issue.

I would generally avoid the cheaper folders that you see on offer in newspapers as the componentry is cheap and won't last long plus they will be heavy and not very effective.

Would suggest you take a look at http://www.atob.org.uk/It has a good review section.

thanks for that, i'll look at that link, i think a small wheeled one would suit train /bus better .

 

[gingerwizard]

How heavy is she? Is security a concern? Is ease of fold more important than ease of riding? Will she have to carry it up flights of stairs? Is she mechanically competent to keep on top of all the extra bits on a folder that need maintaining? Is she confident in traffic (folders get less respect, if that were possible)?

I suggest that you're looking at a Brompton or something from the Dahon range.

She's not too big and not too mechanically minded so an easy fold would probably suit better, but i'm into my bikes so maintenance isnt an issue...

 

[Morrisette]

Second vote for a Dahon (I have a Vitesse, which was 300 quid ish but I got a 'last-year's model' so I think new ones are a bit more) but I'd agree that it depends how packed the train is. I'm not sure I'd get mine on the train I use if there was a lot of suitcases in the luggage section, for example. I'm not sure the buses round here would take it either (unless disguised in a bin liner or something) but I have seen someone boarding a bus carrying a Brompton.

 

[gingerwizard]

I think i need to ask bus / train companies what is allowed first.... but thanks for the suggestions i'll keep looking ...

 

[stevenb]

The maximum amount of times you can fold a bike is 7!
....
....or is that a sheet of paper?

Dahon seem to be a popular brand for folders......good frames...varying price levels and good equipment.
£300 for a basic half decent one.....

 

[ufkacbln]

Any of the Dahon / Brompton bikes will suit your needs depending on budget.

One thing you will need to consider is weight and ease of carrying.

Some will have a system by which the bike can be wheeled saving carrying, this can be of advantage for slighter riders who may have problems carrying a bike for any distance between platforms.

 

[Dave5N]

I don't want to upset all the beardy weirdies here, but it might be cheaper and more effective to buy two normal bikes and two locks and keep one of each at each end of the train journey.

 

[Twenty Inch]

Any of the Dahon / Brompton bikes will suit your needs depending on budget.

One thing you will need to consider is weight and ease of carrying.

Some will have a system by which the bike can be wheeled saving carrying, this can be of advantage for slighter riders who may have problems carrying a bike for any distance between platforms.

Dahons are larger and more difficult to carry folded. I'm a big lad, but even I wouldn't want to carry my Dahon more than a few metres. They're awkward.

But they give a big lad a nicer ride than a Brompton.

Perhaps a Brompton is best for this girl. They also hold their resale value well, so if she gives up, you can offload it again easily.