Small 20 inch wheeled folder that rides well?

[reohn2]

As per title,has anyone got one and how good is it?
I'm not interested in a Brommie,or super fast fold particularly,but I was thinking more about a bike that rides well takes say 2inch tyres and doesn't cost more than say £1k.
I've looked at Tern and Dahon,and a couple of others but haven't ridden any as yet,any pointers or ideas from experienced riders?

[PH]

This doesn't meet most of your criteria (it's not 20" wheels and it's a bit over a grand) but for a bike that folds and rides like one that doesn't I don't think you can beat an Airnimal.
I had an Alfine hub geared Joey for four years, bought S/H on here and sold on Ebay for more than I paid for it, so they hold their value well. It didn't offer the quick train station fold that is the only use I have for a folder, so it didn't do a huge mileage. It was good at what it did, including a couple of 200k audaxs, and a lot of fun to ride. The fold takes a few minutes and you're left with two pieces, the bike and front wheel, fine for the boot of a car, not ideal for a train. I'd have loved to have kept it, but needed the space for something I'd get more use from. I now have a 20" wheeled Dahon, not really a fair comparison as it's a basic model which new would have cost a third the price of an Airnimal. It does the job, but I can't see me ever riding it through choice.
OT - Have you looked at this Rinko stuff? Ways to strip down a full sized bike for transportation.
https://janheine.wordpress.com/2016/07/ ... inko-bike/

[bobc]

My raleigh 'stowaway' rides well.
Apart from the steering.
And I think it's actually bigger after you fold it...
But it was only £20

[Brucey]

Q1; how small does it have to fold?
Q2; if the bike has suspension, do you still need 2" tyres?

Suggestion 1; if you buy a Moulton APB, you have 20" wheels and you can fit 2" tyres if you want, or skinnier ones if you are happy with the suspension action. The bike doesn't fold per se but (if you get the right one) it does separate quickly (something as simple as a couple of bin liners will mean that you ought to be able to carry the thing as outsize luggage rather than a 'folding bike' on public transport). They hold their value well, too.

Suggestion 2; Rudge/Montague BiFrame; with 1.125" tyres fitted the 559 wheels are ~24.5" OD. Obviously if you fit 2" tyres (which you can do with mudguards fitted) they are ~26" OD. Easy folding, rides like a 'normal bike'. Bin Liner On Trains (B.L.O.T.) technology ought to work here too, mitigating the large folding size. Can be bought for cheap.

cheers

[reohn2]

PH
Thank's for the input,I like the 24inch wheel platform but not sure if it would fold small enough.

Q1; how small does it have to fold?

I think the 20inch wheeled Tern folders would be small enough

Q2; if the bike has suspension, do you still need 2" tyres?

No I wouldn't,but butget-wise I don't think suspension would be good idea on such a bike.

Suggestion 1; if you buy a Moulton APB, you have 20" wheels and you can fit 2" tyres if you want, or skinnier ones if you are happy with the suspension action. The bike doesn't fold per se but (if you get the right one) it does separate quickly (something as simple as a couple of bin liners will mean that you ought to be able to carry the thing as outsize luggage rather than a 'folding bike' on public transport). They hold their value well, too.

I think Moultons are out of the picture,too quirky,too many moving parts,rubber bungs and springs and the like.

Suggestion 2; Rudge/Montague BiFrame; with 1.125" tyres fitted the 559 wheels are ~24.5" OD. Obviously if you fit 2" tyres (which you can do with mudguards fitted) they are ~26" OD. Easy folding, rides like a 'normal bike'. Bin Liner On Trains (B.L.O.T.) technology ought to work here too, mitigating the large folding size. Can be bought for cheap.

cheers

Too big when folded,I saw one for sale s/h outside a bike shop a few months ago going cheap too,which confirmed it for me.

TBH from videos I've watched I'm quite taken by the Tern range but wondered what they ride like,the range would be 20 to 30 miles max so whilst not a great distance I'd need to feel happy riding one,I couldn't put up with a dog of a ride just for the sake of having a bike to ride.
It's all ideas and thoughts ATM though.

[Richard Fairhurst]

For 20in wheels, I can't recommend a Bike Friday enough. Mine (a New World Tourist) has taken me through the Black Forest, MTB trails in New Zealand, the Catskills, and several NCN routes here without breaking sweat. One of my proudest moments was the time going up a silly hill in the Black Forest when a German roadie overtook me, looked at my bike, and burst out in that sort of laughter that said holy-crap-you're-going-up-that-hill-on-a-folder-what-sort-of-madman-are-you.

They're not cheap new, especially given import taxes: but if you can find a secondhand one (I bought mine on Gumtree, and they occasionally come up for sale here) they are truly beautiful bikes.

[Brucey]

re the Moulton APB idea; a good used one is in budget and will hold its value pretty well. I can think of lots of reasons not to buy one, but TBH the suspension parts don't figure highly in that list; there are very few wear parts and they mostly last very well and are not expensive to replace when they do eventually wear out.

Given how you value ride quality, I'd suggest that you might at least want to try one?

cheers

[hoppy58]

Last year I bought a lightly used dahon speed tr which is a chromoly framed touring version of the speed model. It has sram dual drive 24 gears, good quality kit and 2" schwalbe apples which I run at 40psi. It's not light, so isn't great if you want to fold it often for train use, but if you want a bike that rides like a 'real' bike and you will only be folding it occasionally, then its great. I find it very comfortable and have done 25 mile rides no problem...I've no doubt you could go further, but I just haven't! It also has a dyno hub on the front wheel and I have swapped the (useless) stock halogen light for a B & M LED which lights up the road like a car headlight.

I paid £450, for a really nice used one including the klikfix attachment, barbag and computer, but I've seen some going for around £250 since!

I have also had a dahon vitesse (aluminium basic 7 speed), for about 10 years which has been fantastic in terms of reliability, is very comfortable and rides very well. It's a basic model and not as versatile as the speed tr, however it is lighter and probably better for frequent train travel.

See this review of Tern's equivalent to the speed tr....

http://tomsbiketrip.com/folding-touring ... al-really/

[reohn2]

re the Moulton APB idea; a good used one is in budget and will hold its value pretty well. I can think of lots of reasons not to buy one, but TBH the suspension parts don't figure highly in that list; there are very few wear parts and they mostly last very well and are not expensive to replace when they do eventually wear out.

Given how you value ride quality, I'd suggest that you might at least want to try one?

cheers

There's a really nice one for a good price here:- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/moulton-landr ... SwImRYNY4y
I'd be tempted but I don't think the separable idea suits my needs,a folder would be better suited for what I have in mind.I've been looking at the Tern Node D16(24" wheels) and Link D16's (20") obviously the 20" wheeled version folds smaller but surprisingly there's not a lot in it.
Hmm........

[NUKe]

As per title,has anyone got one and how good is it?
I'm not interested in a Brommie,or super fast fold particularly,but I was thinking more about a bike that rides well takes say 2inch tyres and doesn't cost more than say £1k.
I've looked at Tern and Dahon,and a couple of others but haven't ridden any as yet,any pointers or ideas from experienced riders?

Why not a Brompton they are either just in our just out of your price range?

http://www.cycle-heaven.co.uk/bikes/brands/brompton/

[ambodach]

I have a Bike Friday Pocket Companion which I bought from someone on this forum about 6 months ago. It had been very little used so in really good condition.The gearing is higher top and lower bottom than my Brompton. It does not fold as well as a Brompton ( does anything? ) and is a bit slower to fold and unfold but otherwise a great little bike. If folding is not a priority I recommend it. I still use the Brompton when quick and easy folding is required but if just going on a return trip from a fixed base I use the BF unless the front bag on the Brompton is needed as it holds more than my saddlebag. I have noticed one or two on the for sale section here so worth keeping an eye open.

[horizon]

I've been looking at the Tern Node D16(24" wheels) and Link D16's (20") obviously the 20" wheeled version folds smaller but surprisingly there's not a lot in it.
Hmm........

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=107914

[Ruadh495]

My raleigh 'stowaway' rides well.
Apart from the steering.
And I think it's actually bigger after you fold it...
But it was only £20

I've got one of those too. One day, when I get round to it, I'm going to put a coaster hub in, gear stub on the seat tube, and turn it into a separable (just one extra nut, at the hinge). Separated like that it will go in a "standard" folding bike bag. I was trying to get it small enough to go on a Ryanair flight as a "suitcase" rather than a "bike", then realised it was going to be too heavy anyway.

[bobc]

Sheldon brown used to love 'em too;- one day I might find the bits I need to make it better (fatter tyres, sensible brakes, mudguards, a sane top bracket solution & replacement handlebars/stem) It always surprises folk how nice it is to ride with the nexus 8 hub, but you end up zig-zagging along. Sorry, off topic, I surmise the OP wants tech from this century

[PaulB]

I find my Xootr Swift suits my riding /life style very well. It folds quite tall (roughly the size of a golf caddy) but its footprint is not too big. You can also customise it until your heart is content as it is equipped with standard bike parts.

Xootr have just stopped producing it but do have a ready supply in their warehouse. Sadly their warehouse is in America so finding one in the UK may prove difficult.