Reccommend a Cheap Folding Bike?

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alicej
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Joined: 14 Oct 2010, 10:16pm
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire

Reccommend a Cheap Folding Bike?

Post by alicej »

I travel Leeds - London quite a lot, taking my beloved Surly LHT on the train. But the cost of train fares is ridiculous and I want to try an experimental route by coach instead to see if it's a practical alternative. It will only really work if I get a folding bike. Of course I would like a Brompton, but to start with I just need something cheap so I can try out the journey a few times and see if it's something I'm up for doing regularly.

I think my priorities are foldability, price and gears, in that order.

Foldability - minimum requirement for National Express coaches is just that it folds in half, but I would like something that will fold enough to be comfortable sitting on a tube train with, since part of the onward journey would involve that (actually Overground trains which you can take a full sized bike on, but I'd like to be able to sit down and there are no bike racks). Being able to get it on a number 86 bus would also potentially be really useful.

Price - if anyone wants to give me a Brompton for £200, that'd be lovely :D . I'm gonna throw in a slightly random ballpark price range of "under £200" for this, but bear in mind that for £200 I'd want something good enough that I wouldn't want to replace it if I do end up making this journey quite often. If there is a £30 bike which would be good enough to do the journey on twice, then that is a better investment for me at this point because I can just use it to figure out if the journey will work at all. It may not.

Gears - the more gears the better because I live in Leeds, although I will consider three speed since I'm mostly going to be riding it in London with little or no luggage. Can always push it up the last hill on the way home, I guess... Doesn't have to be hub gears, at least I understand how derailleurs work.

I'm about 5'7, 33" inside leg, which is tallish for a woman. I'm not very heavy. Do not care what it looks like. Will be ridden for 2 miles then 2 and a half miles then 3 and a half miles each way, so doesn't need to be particularly comfortable to ride. Will need to put a bit of luggage on it.

I'm confident enough to consider something secondhand if anyone spots any ebay bargains, and would consider something which needs a bit of work.

Anyone have suggestions?
Big T
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Re: Reccommend a Cheap Folding Bike?

Post by Big T »

I have a Giant Halfway and can't recommend it at all. It's a heavy old beast and the ride is underwhelming. I try and wheel it as far as I can before folding and carrying. It doesn't feel solid to ride, in fact decidedly wobbly. I've never ridden a Brompton, but would hope that the ride is better than the Giant. I suspect most cheap folders will be of a similar ilk.

There's cheap Dahon folder in the For Sale section, but it's in Yeovil!

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monkeytennis
Posts: 39
Joined: 11 Sep 2013, 7:54pm

Re: Reccommend a Cheap Folding Bike?

Post by monkeytennis »

Have a look at terns via Evans cycles. Currently at really good prices. I have a link p9 that I love! Really good build quality.
Elizabethsdad
Posts: 1158
Joined: 15 Jan 2011, 7:09pm

Re: Reccommend a Cheap Folding Bike?

Post by Elizabethsdad »

If foldability is your main priority then pony up for a Brompton - there are places you can hire them from if you want to try it first. I have a Birdy folding bike - one of the original ones - they don't fold as small as a Brompton but some people rate them for better ride and handling. Very pricey new but there is thiso ne on e-bay right now:-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Birdy-folding ... 248wt_1399

worth considering
Cycling Cat
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Joined: 8 Mar 2010, 7:53pm
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Re: Reccommend a Cheap Folding Bike?

Post by Cycling Cat »

The Radio Times Gifts supplement contains an ad. for a Kensington Folding Bike £149.95. No idea if any good.

www.readersoffers.co.uk/CR70
markfh
Posts: 210
Joined: 9 Sep 2013, 5:35pm
Location: Suffolk

Re: Reccommend a Cheap Folding Bike?

Post by markfh »

One other thing that you may want to include in your list of priorities is weight. Although you will probably be able to wheel the bike unfolded for most of the way at some point you will need to fold and lift it and carry it onto or off the train or bus etc.

Also you may need to consider what other "luggage" you will be carrying. Although it is possible to have a luggage rack or handlebar bag, I personally found it easier to use a ruck sack so I could keep my hands free for dealing with the bike.
cjs
Posts: 149
Joined: 4 Dec 2011, 10:13am

Re: Reccommend a Cheap Folding Bike?

Post by cjs »

Decathlon have 4 folders in their range with one at £169 that even has 6 gears....

Some of their bikes are okay and other overlooked. Good guarantees too..

Might be worth investigating...

Kind regards
Chris
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alicej
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Joined: 14 Oct 2010, 10:16pm
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire

Re: Reccommend a Cheap Folding Bike?

Post by alicej »

Thanks for pointers everyone! From what I've been able to see on the internet, Dahons look like they are usually reasonable quality, they fold up reasonably small and they sometimes go for under £100 on ebay, so I'm currently thinking I might just bid on any 6 or 7 gear ones that come up there and wait until the lucky day that no one outbids me at that sort of price.

May take a while til I get that lucky, but I reckon I'd save £100 by doing the coach journey instead of the train in only about 3 trips, so that sort of makes me feel like I can justify it and that I won't have lost too much if the journey turns out not to really be practical after all. Let's ignore the fact that I'm bound to spend another few quid on something else or other for it which will push up the actual amount I end up spending...

I'm going to make another thread called something like "Do You Like Your Dahon?" just to hopefully find out if there are any issues with them that I should know about.
andyh2
Posts: 404
Joined: 24 Oct 2007, 8:49pm

Re: Reccommend a Cheap Folding Bike?

Post by andyh2 »

I've not used it myself, but might it he worth trying the Brompton bike dock scheme;http://www.bromptondock.co.uk/
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Sweep
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Re: Reccommend a Cheap Folding Bike?

Post by Sweep »

You'll be very lucky to get an (unicked) Brompton for under £200 I think.

Re Leeds London train fares are you buying at short notice?

I can often get fares London-Skipton via Leeds for £15 or less.
Sweep
alicej
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Joined: 14 Oct 2010, 10:16pm
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire

Re: Reccommend a Cheap Folding Bike?

Post by alicej »

Big T - Thanks for the heads up, I've enquired about the Dahon on the sale board, which looks like it may just fit the bill...

Monkeytennis - I think Tern is a recent offshoot of Dahon, they look nice. I just missed an almost new one on ebay last night for £200 :( Evans have them on sale for £279, but then I'm stretching my budget even further than I said I'd stretch it and am half way to a Brompton... Which would be fine if I could be sure that this journey will work. But it might not, so really shouldn't throw money at the idea before I've tried it.

Andyh2 - the dock scheme would only work for this journey if there were a dock in Golder's Green, which there isn't.

Sweep - I'm joking really, I have zero chance of getting a Brompton for my budget. I am trying to buy train tickets at least two weeks in advance, but even when I can do that they are really expensive. I'm often restricted as to what time I can leave because I'm at work til 5pm, and sometimes I can't even book 2 weeks in advance. Wanting to get the coach is partly about saving loads of money and partly about being able to have loads more flexibility, because the prices don't skyrocket like the train fares if you book at short notice.
djoptix
Posts: 244
Joined: 11 May 2011, 11:29am

Re: Reccommend a Cheap Folding Bike?

Post by djoptix »

Raleigh Twenty!

May not actually meet some, or any, of your requirements (though it does fold in half). But they are very cool :)
andyh2
Posts: 404
Joined: 24 Oct 2007, 8:49pm

Re: Reccommend a Cheap Folding Bike?

Post by andyh2 »

With the Brompton Dock for £40 you could have one for 2 weeks to see if it's worth the extra to buy one for your use.

I had a Zootr Swift which folds by swinging forward the rear triangle, which has the advantage of not needing a hinge in the main frame. It can get to about the size of a folded 20" Dahon, but a different shaped package. Not as neat for bus and tube as the Brompton, probably OK for coach. Uses mainly standard bike parts (you can get frameset and build up.)

I found it a nicer ride than my Brompton. They don't come up that often though. Wish I still had mine :(

Brompton resale values are very good so long term ownership cost is reasonable once you get over the initial paying out :shock:
sreten
Posts: 347
Joined: 29 Sep 2013, 10:59pm

Re: Reccommend a Cheap Folding Bike?

Post by sreten »

Hi,

At those sort of mileages any decent cheap 20" folder will do.

(Cheap 16" folders tend to be very undergeared, same gearing
in fact as cheap 20" folders, typically 48 front, 14 to 28 rear.)

Check out local ads and get a hardly used one about half new
price, typically Halfords or Argos "shopping" folders, that at
half new price are decent cheap folders, if you know your
way around a bike and the basic adjustments needed.

Might come with a decent saddle, might come with an awful one.
A decent unisex with elastomer/ springs < £10 delivered from e-pray.
My elastomer replacement saddle :
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TIGER-UNISEX- ... 4ab72204d0
Very different shape with steel springs :
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Classic-Cycle ... 565b1bffe4

Might come with half decent tyres, or the cheapest basic BMX tyres you can get.
Crappy tyres are well worth upgrading to better puncture protected tyres.
For a budget bike you search out last seasons tyres at very good prices.
Schwalbe Road Cruisers are a decent budget tyre for 20" folders.

Change the front brake blocks to something half
decent, keep the fronts as spares for the rear.

Luggage systems you'll have to work out for your self.

Very budget bar ends / ergo grips are a nice addition,
though not really needed for low mileages, they are
still a good addition IMO, for more hand positions.

Finally there are some budget folders sized more for a teenager
or relatively quite small adults, avoid those with some research.

rgds, sreten.

I've done 2,000 miles + on my cheap steel folder this year.
Last edited by sreten on 16 Nov 2013, 7:33pm, edited 1 time in total.
sreten
Posts: 347
Joined: 29 Sep 2013, 10:59pm

Re: Reccommend a Cheap Folding Bike?

Post by sreten »

d.p.
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