Due to work commitments I often have to fly to various places. This disturbs my training and I thought perhaps to purchase a folding bicycle. Quiet a few companies manufacture such bikes. For example, Bike Friday has a road bike (Pocket Rocket) that folds into a suitcase. They also have a beam bike. The idea is that I could travel with such a bike, leave it in the hotel and cycle after I finished my stuff for the day. I have a few questions: Does anyone have any experiences with folding bikes? Which bike do you recommend? If I wanted to use one in a race (perhaps a C race, just for attention, or for a laugh) is it race legal? Will it make me damn cool and very eccentric? Or will I look like a complete arse?
Thanks,
Pluto
I beleive Ritchie has a folding bike that utilizes 700cc wheels. It’s oft advertised in Triathlon Magazine.
I know just enough about computers to be dangerous. I can’t get the shot to post directly but here is a link to one of my folding tri bike:
http://www.jimmishler.com/multisportracingfitness/newsletter.htm
I threw up a quick page on my site to post the pic. I’ll leave it up for a couple days.
It is not the fastest bike around, but that is more a function of the engine in this case. I still place occasionally with a bike that weighs a little over 20 without a full teardrop. The frame folds on the seatpost. The top tube has a flex piece just in front of the seatpost. There is a very small amount of give. A normal downtube is replaced by the spring mounted tension cable which returns the energy from the max flex point. It climbs real smooth.
It takes about 20 minutes to break it down for the travel/flight case which has outside dimensions roughly equivalent to a card table, and about 15 inches wide. I can get everything including helmet, tools, and a pump in the case. Flys at no charge since the case holds “exercise equipment” and otherwise makes inside a vehicle travel with limited space a breeze.
www.slingshotbikes.com
They are made in the USA, Grand Rapids, MI. These are worth investigating.
Jim
Sooner or later, all trithlon bikes are folding… 
FYI, several people have bought the QR Santo with S&S couplings. These beautiful couplings allow you to “fold” the bike and show up at a race without looking different at all.
But remember, it is all about you being happy with it, not what others think.
Cheers,
Herbert
QR / Litespeed
This advice coming from a guy who wears a cowboy hat in Pennsylvania.
sorry, Herbert, couldn’t resist!
A friend of mine did something like 445 miles in the National 24 (hour) race a few years ago on a Bike Friday. He got some funny looks at the starting line, but those looks quickly disappeared behind him.