A common frustration in my part of the world is that transit does not run very often, and there are only 2 spots for bikes on the front of buses. There have been many times when I’ve had to wait an extra hour just to see if the next bus happens to have a spot for my bike.

Every time this happens, I promise myself that I’m going to someday spend the money to buy a folding bike (which can be taken on the bus if it’s folded).

In my head, riding a folding bike is a joyous experience, partly because of Dr Sharon riding a Brompton in Ted Lasso, but I’m curious what it’s actually like.

My dream folding bikes are any model of Brompton, a RadExpand 5, or a Tern Link D7i.

  •  38fhh2f8th5819c7   ( @38fhh2f8th5819c7@lemm.ee ) 
    8•1 year ago

    I’ve got a Brompton, it’s been great but there are a few tiny drawbacks.

    Number one, it’s expensive. Mine cost $2750 AUD

    Build quality is great but the bike is probably not for you if you’re over 180cm.

    The 16 inch wheels feel a bit squirrely at high speed, and are the perfect width for getting stuck in tram tracks.

    Carrying it folded is a bit awkward for anything over about 100m. It’s light for a bike but it doesn’t weigh nothing.

    I put unidirectional casters on the back to replace the original hard plastic wheels to make it easier to push around in the supermarket when folded. These are loud and often catch on my heels when pedaling. If you’re going to do that I’d recommend the softer plastic or the modified seat rack with the extendable wheel thingy.

    Wheeling it around the shops mostly folded with the seat post up can result in the bike unfolding itself at unexpected moments, best to wheel it with the handlebar bit unfolded instead, although this does make the steering a bit awkward at times.

    The mudguard is plastic and can break easily.

    Now the pros:

    It folds up quite nicely with the chain sandwiched between the 2 halves of the bike so it doesn’t get grease on your pants or bag when sitting with it.

    The hub gears can be changed from a standstill, which is great for taking off from the lights on moderate hills.

    It fits into almost any space when folded. Car footwell. Train seats. Trams. Under your desk at work. You name it. You won’t be impinging on other passengers with it folded up beside you.

    Brakes are good. Seat is comfortable.

    You can fit a spare inner tube and toolkit inside the frame for emergencies. It also comes with a small bicycle pump which does the job in a pinch.

    Those are my thoughts. Was it worth it? I think yes, even though I rarely use it for public transport these days it’s nice to throw in the car on a whim and take it with me so I can ride around at my destination. I use it more for fun than commuting

  •  Sem   ( @sem@lemmy.ml ) English
    7•1 year ago

    I have Strida SX.

    Pros:

    • it is very good on the road, light frame, cool wheels;
    • you can roll it like a suitcase;
    • great fit for the city with a straight back;
    • you can go to metro, bus or elevator with it without any problem;
    • drive belt instead of chain: no way to stain pants by lubricant because there is no lubricant;

    Cons:

    • 18 inch wheels make any toad curb a problem;
    • no way to lock the bike via locking to triangle (there is no monolithic triangle);
    • any rain or street dirt is a huge problem: due to the low profile parts are filled by dirt very fast;
    • maintenance cost: all the parts are original, last year I moved to the country that doesn’t have official Strida services and cannot even find a inner tube replacement here; also bike design is very complex, so there is no way to maintain it by yourself;

    Limitstions: I rided even 50 kms per day with my Strida but cannot recommend it for rides longer than 10 km.

    •  mosscap   ( @mosscap@slrpnk.net ) OPEnglish
      5•1 year ago

      GCN is cool, thanks for the recommendation. At first I resented their content a bit because they’re so incredibly sporty and I think its important to focus on bikes as accessible non-sporty objects of transportation, but Ive also started riding Gran Fondos this year so I’m hypocritically a sporty cyclist lol

  •  ferret   ( @snowday@lemmy.ml ) 
    2•1 year ago

    I recently got a Zizzo Liberté (US only?) and it’s definitely met my expectations! Really quality for the price, too.

    I’m new to using a bike to get around, and customer service really helped me figure out the basics of adjusting the bike. The bike gets me around the city quickly.

    I’ve also enjoyed transporting the bike in cars where there otherwise wouldn’t be space + bringing it inside places to prevent it getting stolen. I’m looking forward to bringing it on transit.

    I recommend Shifter’s video on folding bikes for the experience of having one.