I saw a guy ripping it up on a folding bike today. Anyone here have experience with them, and recommend a brand to look into. This would be for fun rides around town and on vacation.
HC
I have a steel bike built by Bilenky with S&S couplers.
It travels pretty well.
It’s a full sized bike that fits in a 2’x2’ case.
I have no personal experience with one, but devashish_paul had a really good write-up about his experience with one:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=4587687;page=1;mh=-1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC
.
I just bought a Dahon Vector P8 because I travel 10 - 11 months out of the year and I have been missing a long bike ride for a while. It comes in on July 9th I let you know what I think of it and how it works for traveling.
Rode with a guy yesterday that travels a lot and said he takes his mike with him everywhere. He had ride up Halekula this past weekend on it.
Moot
http://moots.com/our-bike/road/mootour/overview/
I have a Ritchey BreakAway that I use nowadays as my main road ride; it, too, folds down into its own 26"X26" bag, with no fuss… awesome ride…
I own a Ritchey BreakAway, it’s steel, it’s built with DA and I’m thrilled to have it. I travel with it ~5 times a year for ~$20 as normal checked baggage and it adds incredible value to my coaching ability at events. The bike is very “real”, trustworthy, solid and dependable. I’ve raced it once in a draft legal triathlon in Argentina and I feel like it’s a bit slow out of the hole (attacking up to speed especially from slower roll) but when it’s up to speed it’s phenomenal.
It comes with a travel case that is mediocre. I take beefy wheels (32, 14guage spokes) and they still get bumped out of true now and then so I take a spoke wrench with me and as part of the build up I’ll tweak the true using the brake pads.
Ian
I saw a guy ripping it up on a folding bike today. Anyone here have experience with them, and recommend a brand to look into. This would be for fun rides around town and on vacation.
HC
I have a bike with S&S Couplers - I think they’re totally worth the investment. I went with Habanero Cycles, because the frames are affordable, super high quality (as in, the best bikes I’ve owned in terms of the details - dropouts are straight and sturdy, everything - in-spec, bottle cages well-placed and straight, bottom bracket shell perfectly prepped… the stuff that is rare). They don’t do super-light triple butted tubing or intricate dropouts, but that’s what makes them better for travel (more durable). A photo of my tri travel bike is in this article:
http://www.slowtwitch.com/Products/Things_that_Roll/Race_Wheels/Lightweight_Fernweg_Review_2918.html
The frame with the couplers costs less than many high-end carbon rigs. It’s already paid for itself with saving airline fees. It’s also much easier to travel with a small S&S case than a full-size bike box. Some day I’ll get a 650c coupled road bike from them… which would be my ultimate all-purpose travel bike. If you just want a small/cheap folding bike, I’d talk to Dev. But long-term, if you want a travel bike to train and/or race on, I’d go S&S.
I have a Bike Friday. Excellent for touring, but pricey… even used ones. Also consider the Trek folding bike.
I have a Dahon folding bike. It’s 10-12 years old by this point. 20 inch wheels. good little climber but slow on descents and flats. i certainly can’t ‘rip it up’ on it.
it has some good uses; it’s good for biking someplace during rush hour and then getting a ride back, or riding to/from a party and being able to bring your bike in. but it’s limited.
real road bikes w/s&s couplers are a completely different beast.
Yep - I commute in 2 / 3 days a week on my Brompton - I love it - 6 miles each way - the gearing is much better than you’d imagine - and it folds very quickly and neatly and is stored in my office - no problems - the cycle in in the morning is often the highlight of my day!
I built myself a 650c folder this winter from a Dahon folding mtb frame.
1x10 Shimano mtb drivetrain hybrid.
It’s a fun bike, although I’ve cocked up the geometry with the rigid front fork which is constantly trying to reverse itself and kill me. Or maybe that just adds to the fun.
I saw a guy ripping it up on a folding bike today. Anyone here have experience with them, and recommend a brand to look into. This would be for fun rides around town and on vacation.
HC
I have a bike with S&S Couplers - I think they’re totally worth the investment. I went with Habanero Cycles, because the frames are affordable, super high quality (as in, the best bikes I’ve owned in terms of the details - dropouts are straight and sturdy, everything - in-spec, bottle cages well-placed and straight, bottom bracket shell perfectly prepped… the stuff that is rare). They don’t do super-light triple butted tubing or intricate dropouts, but that’s what makes them better for travel (more durable). A photo of my tri travel bike is in this article:
http://www.slowtwitch.com/...weg_Review_2918.html
The frame with the couplers costs less than many high-end carbon rigs. It’s already paid for itself with saving airline fees. It’s also much easier to travel with a small S&S case than a full-size bike box. Some day I’ll get a 650c coupled road bike from them… which would be my ultimate all-purpose travel bike. If you just want a small/cheap folding bike, I’d talk to Dev. But long-term, if you want a travel bike to train and/or race on, I’d go S&S.
The folding bike I have is excellent for training purposes(it is a no name Taiwanese brand that I got for ~$400 with a triple with Shimano components and 8 speed (don’t know which gruppo, but I can check when I get home). I also started using it for bike commuting because the upright seating position/ geometry is kind to the damage in my neck from an accident a few years ago.
But I think the say to go is build up a 650 coupled frame. You SHOULD be able to get that nicely into a hockey goalie bag and avoid airline fees.
Thanks for the replies!
HC
I have a Bike Friday NWT, if you run the “Capreo” cassette it has no trouble keeping up with full size bikes. This cassette has a 9 for the smallest cog as opposed to the 11 available for most cassettes, coupled with a 56 tooth big run it actually really gets going in a hurry if I jump on it.
i have a Dahon Speed 7, which is a $400 20 inch wheel bike, it’s great for keeping up with training when traveling or i take it camping. It’s plenty fast enough, I had fun dropping some goofball with an Ironman tattoo last time I was on the road. I fits in a standard 29 inch suitcase
Do you ever have problems with your derailleur jumping gears? I have taken mine out for a couple rides and it keeps jumping gears.
Do you ever have problems with your derailleur jumping gears? I have taken mine out for a couple rides and it keeps jumping gears.
no, it’s a pretty simple mechanism and a wide chain with big tolerances, it should not give you trouble, maybe there is a kink in the housing or dirt?