Folding bikes for commuting?
Discussion
EDIT - or just half decent used road bikes for commuting......
Might be living about 5 miles from Uni in the near future and I'm thinking about cycling - as a means to both save money and become less of fat b
d.
Since my car has the square root of fk all in terms of boot space I'm thinking about buying a folding bike to do this so that I can cart it around in the car easily if need be - theres something about the fact it folds that makes me think it might fall to bits quite easily though....
Anyone use such a thing? Not got a billion pounds to spend on some top spec thing, would probably be looking at used to get something reasonable without spending a fortune.
Might be living about 5 miles from Uni in the near future and I'm thinking about cycling - as a means to both save money and become less of fat b
d.Since my car has the square root of f
k all in terms of boot space I'm thinking about buying a folding bike to do this so that I can cart it around in the car easily if need be - theres something about the fact it folds that makes me think it might fall to bits quite easily though....Anyone use such a thing? Not got a billion pounds to spend on some top spec thing, would probably be looking at used to get something reasonable without spending a fortune.
Edited by Kiltox on Sunday 21st August 18:49
Yeah, check out Dahons. Bromptons are silly prices even second hand.
Dahon even do 'normal' shaped frames that happen to fold in the middle so you get a proper bike most of the time. Wheel size is important.
That said, I bet you can buy a bike rack and a decent bike for the cost of a decent folder. If you don't need it to fold on a daily basis, you're better off with a proper bike IMO. What car are we on about? There will be a solution somewhere!
Dahon even do 'normal' shaped frames that happen to fold in the middle so you get a proper bike most of the time. Wheel size is important.
That said, I bet you can buy a bike rack and a decent bike for the cost of a decent folder. If you don't need it to fold on a daily basis, you're better off with a proper bike IMO. What car are we on about? There will be a solution somewhere!
Quick release wheels and saddle, and possibly re-arrangement of the handlebars will see pretty much any MTB or road bike go inside that car IMO.
Buy a proper bike. You'll only be moving it in the car at the end of term/the year anyway.
Folding bikes are for train commuters, and you get markedly less for your money.
Buy a proper bike. You'll only be moving it in the car at the end of term/the year anyway.
Folding bikes are for train commuters, and you get markedly less for your money.
WeirdNeville said:
Quick release wheels and saddle, and possibly re-arrangement of the handlebars will see pretty much any MTB or road bike go inside that car IMO.
Buy a proper bike. You'll only be moving it in the car at the end of term/the year anyway.
Folding bikes are for train commuters, and you get markedly less for your money.
Buy a proper bike. You'll only be moving it in the car at the end of term/the year anyway.
Folding bikes are for train commuters, and you get markedly less for your money.
so a half decent second hand road bike with quick release then? (can that be retrofitted to an older bike that doesn't have it?)Kiltox said:
so a half decent second hand road bike with quick release then? (can that be retrofitted to an older bike that doesn't have it?)Yup quick release can be fitted to pretty much any bike, search for qr road skewers. If you are feeling really cheap you don't even need qr skewers. Just keep a spanner handy to get the wheels off.
my brother can get a 20" mtb into his girlfriends micra doing that.
I quite often carry my bike around in the back of my mk1 3dr focus by taking the wheels off.
my brother can get a 20" mtb into his girlfriends micra doing that.
I quite often carry my bike around in the back of my mk1 3dr focus by taking the wheels off.
Jimboka said:
A not very good folder, such as Dahon, will cost a lot more than a second hand roadbike. The only one worth buying, Brompton, will be £700+....
Define not very good, EDIT - that might sound a bit harsh, I've been at work for > 12 hours and there isn't enough coffee in the world - I meant I'm not going to be a serious cyclist, just commuting/getting a bit fitter is my goal.
Anything too good would be stolen anyway
Edited by Kiltox on Sunday 21st August 16:52
The small wheeled ones are very heavy & pretty fragile ( I owned one for bike/train/ bike commute for a couple if years ). Their MTB style folders may be a better proposition though. Stll as heavy as a gate!, but more robust. Plenty of reviews on all of these on folding bike specialist sites..
Jimboka said:
The small wheeled ones are very heavy & pretty fragile ( I owned one for bike/train/ bike commute for a couple if years ). Their MTB style folders may be a better proposition though. Stll as heavy as a gate!, but more robust. Plenty of reviews on all of these on folding bike specialist sites..
Ah right - doesn't sound great then. Think I'll hunt out a used road bike that'll do the trick (preferably with QR wheels etc)Any recommendations there that can be picked up 2nd hand for a reasonable price but aren't going to fall apart?
depends on how serious you are about using it, how often it will be used, and how much you will be prepared to tinker with it.
if all you want it a means to get from a to b as cheap as possible (I assume this is the case as you are a student) just buy a bike shaped object from tesco for 50 quid. they are crap, heavy and you wont get any joy from riding it (by contrast sometimes when I am on my boardman carbon roadbike I sometimes laugh out loud at how much fun it is to ride and how lucky I am to have it) but if it gets nicked, who gives a toss its 50 quid.
if you want to get the highest quality but cheapest folder, get a compass marine single speed folder for 150 quid (which is an unbranded dahon). I owned one before I treated myself to a brommy and they sre alright.
if you want a high quality folder, get a used brompton as suggested- min of about 350/400 quid on ebay.
personally if you arent bothered about having a good time, get 50 quid special from tesco. if it lasts a year to 18 months youve had your cash out of it. but it wont be much fun.
if all you want it a means to get from a to b as cheap as possible (I assume this is the case as you are a student) just buy a bike shaped object from tesco for 50 quid. they are crap, heavy and you wont get any joy from riding it (by contrast sometimes when I am on my boardman carbon roadbike I sometimes laugh out loud at how much fun it is to ride and how lucky I am to have it) but if it gets nicked, who gives a toss its 50 quid.
if you want to get the highest quality but cheapest folder, get a compass marine single speed folder for 150 quid (which is an unbranded dahon). I owned one before I treated myself to a brommy and they sre alright.
if you want a high quality folder, get a used brompton as suggested- min of about 350/400 quid on ebay.
personally if you arent bothered about having a good time, get 50 quid special from tesco. if it lasts a year to 18 months youve had your cash out of it. but it wont be much fun.
Something like this (obv. be careful with sizing on ebay before hitting the buy button!)will be much nicer to ride than a £50 thing from Tesco, and less shiny so less likely to be stolen.
Or something like this if want something a bit newer, shinier, better and will be much better than anything you can get new for that money.
Or something like this if want something a bit newer, shinier, better and will be much better than anything you can get new for that money.
Edited by HughG on Monday 22 August 08:11
Used to be able to get a MTB in the back of my Fiat Coupe so that Kia will be no problem. Agree that you don't need a folder for your journeys. I have a Dahon small wheel folder and whilst it is very good those small wheels have sod all grip on sub 5C wet days in November. Something to bear in mind
I've used all sorts of bikes for commuting. To leave something locked up on a regular basis you don't want quick release. Even with two locks there's always a risk of someone undoing the QR and your wheel comes off.
I've had a cheap Dahon which was always breaking and I eventually chucked it, I had a Dahon SL which was really nice but I sold it because I was just using the Brompton all the time. Then that got pinched so I'm on an old hack now. I'll have to buy another Brompton though, probable commute via a train coming up soon.
Just get a £50 job, road or mtb doesn't matter.
I've had a cheap Dahon which was always breaking and I eventually chucked it, I had a Dahon SL which was really nice but I sold it because I was just using the Brompton all the time. Then that got pinched so I'm on an old hack now. I'll have to buy another Brompton though, probable commute via a train coming up soon.
Just get a £50 job, road or mtb doesn't matter.
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