Folder or not?

[hoddy]

Hi Just joined the forum and would welcome some advice regarding a bike purchase.

I am retired aged 68 but fit and spend most of my summer on a narrowbaot and am looking to get a bike to use from the boat for trips along the towpath, local byways and shopping. A folder would be the obvious choice (I think) as space is at a premium but I wondered how practical it might be to have a normal bike and break it down to put in a storage bag which would then live on the roof or in the cratch (bow). I would think usage would probably be 2 or 3 times a week and weight is an issue as I have a weak back and cant lift too much weight onto the boat roof etc. Budget is around £300-£400. Any suggestions as to type/make in either case?

Thanks in advance

David

[Wesh-Laurence]

What do you mean by "breaking down" a normal bike? If you mean you would remove the wheels when not using the bike then you really don't save much space. You're also more likely to damage the rear derailleur gears with the rear wheel removed. Removing the wheels also necessitates (except with disc brakes) releasing the brake blocks in order for the tyres to drop through the gap between the brake blocks. Refitting the rear wheel also isn't straight forward for most people because you need to ensure the chain engages onto the rear sprockets correctly. So if this is your definition of breaking the bike down wouldn't it be too much hassle?

I've seen many narrow boats which carry a normal bike (not broken down) or folding bikes. The Brompton is the smallest folder when folded but these are expensive, don't have a wide range of gears and very small 16" wheels. If you're riding on slightly rougher surfaces you might want a folder with 18" or 20" wheels, although these wouldn't be as compact when folded up. Makes like Dahon have 18" wheels.

I have a Mezzo folder, this only has 16" wheels but I prefer it to the Brompton because my Mezzo has 9 gears and my Mezzo has a much stiffer frame than the Brompton. My Mezzo when folded is a bit bigger than a Brompton.

[stewartpratt]

Dahon are mostly 20", aren't they? Don't think I've ever even seen an 18" bike.

For your use a folder sounds ideal and for your budget you're probably looking at either Dahon or Tern (Evans have good deals on the latter at the moment), either new or secondhand. I would go for 20" wheels if you want a compact fold, or 26" (both the above do 26" models) if their folded size is small enough for you.

[Urticaria]

Don't think of folders as toy bikes: they are eminently capable. I use one as my full-time bike, fitted with panniers. The riding position is quite upright, which is good for watching the world go by, and this would probably suit tow path riding. It's fairly quick and nimble, too. One of the downsides you might discover is that they don't really weigh a lot less than a full-size bike. Another is that the number of gears is a bit limited, especially if your knees are getting on in age; this might not be an issue if you don't have hills to tackle. If there were a folder with an Alfine 8-speed rear hub, I would would find it brilliant. I don't know if there is. Some folders, for unknown reasons, seem to cost an arm and a leg, which makes them a target for thieves and yours could be more vulnerably stored than many. Decathlon sell a very nice aluminium alloy folder with lights integrated into the tubes for not much money. Setting up a rack and panniers to avoid heel strike can be a bit tricky, but fiddling can sometimes be necessary with full-size bikes, too.

Edit: Here is the Decathlon 7-speed Nexus hubbed folder with a rack for £520
There is a 3-speed for £330 and a 2-speed automatic, too.

[Valbrona]

As per previous post(s) ... Dahon.

[iandriver]

The super small folders are great for trains etc. A 26 inch wheeled folder likes this http://dahon.com/mainnav/folding-bikes/ ... d21-1.html might well suit you on a boat for unsurfaced paths. Or a bmx.

[Brucey]

For regular use on towpaths, I'd suggest something with larger wheels/wider tyres than small/narrow.

I have a Montague Rudge BiFrame which rides like a normal MTB but folds down (possibly not small enough for you, mind).

If you fancy a cheap experiment /project, I'd suggest a Dawes Kingpin folder. These can be had used for not much money and are a capable bike. You might get on with it OK as it is, or consider upgrading it to meet your needs.

They come with 500A rims and tyres. On the minus side the bike isn't as light as some folders, and the tyres are an unusual size which are not commonly available (mail order probably). On the plus side the bike rides very well, the tyres can be 37mm wide which is about right for towpaths etc, and the frame will take other nominally 20" rims and tyres, (not to mention a wide variety of other standard bike parts) if you rebuild/modify.

Re modifications.... the world is your oyster here. A suggestion for you would be to convert to a 'separable' bike, i.e. one that splits into two halves. This would involve converting the hinge to a bolted joint (not too difficult), and either fitting QD cable couplings for the rear gear and brake, or (better probably) fitting a two-speed gear (automatic or kickback versions are available) with a coaster brake. The latter option means no cables to the rear of the bike. A separable bike would be much easier to lift and stow.

cheers

[stewartpratt]

The Tern Eclipse P9 (24") looks an interesting compromise if you can stretch to £500 from Evans.

[michael42]

One of the downsides you might discover is that they don't really weigh a lot less than a full-size bike. Another is that the number of gears is a bit limited, especially if your knees are getting on in age; this might not be an issue if you don't have hills to tackle.

I would say if that's true of the weight it might be a good thing. If they weigh around the 12kg or so my hybrid does, they'll probably feel light even
to someone with back issues. It's if they weigh more he might have an issue.

The alfine hubs are heavy though - the front end of my bike is a feather the back end feels heavy by comparison.

Canal towpaths tend to be flat and not really the place where you're going to get any degree of speed safely.
I notice most of the boats on our local canal have a MTB.

I've seen a few people on folders, Brompton style, i.e small wheels. I couldn't say specifically what make they were.

The section of the canal towpath here was upgraded by sustrans to make it part of NCN route 6. Which means, more or less you could
ride anything down it. Although some with road bikes might baulk at the surface in parts.

Canal towpaths in general though? More of a mixed bag, hence it doesn't surprise me that the boats seem to have MTBs (
although it might just be that these were once more popular for casual cyclists)