Folding Bicycle

Maxmosbey

Final Approach
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Aug 23, 2007
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San Juan, PR/Ames, IA
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I need to get serious.
Any recommendations for a folding bicycle? I also need to have it shipped to Puerto Rico, and for some reason that seems to be a problem, even though Puerto Rico is a US protectorate and is served by the good old US Postal Service, FedEx, and UPS. I don't know why it is so hard to get stuff shipped there.
 
shipping will be expensive, what about looking into purchasing one there?
 
shipping will be expensive, what about looking into purchasing one there?
I think that is probably the best option. I've been to a few bicycle shops and I haven't seen any, but I haven't really tried that hard either. I don't go back down until after Christmas, and then maybe I will look a little harder.
 
There are several brands of folding bike, maybe just hit their web sites and look for PR dealer. Another option: purchase one via Amazon and have it shipped there (at least worth comparing overall cost via this method)
 
Bike Friday, Dahon, Novara Flyby. I have a Bike Friday. It's nice because it fits into a suitcase. I haven't taken it outside the US but it's traveled with me quite a bit domestically.
 
I have an old Dahon that isn't much different than the new ones for 400-500. Look on ebay and maybe one of the sellers will ship to PR?
 
I think that is probably the best option. I've been to a few bicycle shops and I haven't seen any, but I haven't really tried that hard either. I don't go back down until after Christmas, and then maybe I will look a little harder.

If you're going back down after Christmas, why not buy one, have it shipped to your home and either ship it yourself or check it as luggage when you fly to return?
 
Bike Friday, Dahon, Novara Flyby. I have a Bike Friday. It's nice because it fits into a suitcase. I haven't taken it outside the US but it's traveled with me quite a bit domestically.

Don't forget Brompton. I know a folding bike is in my future someday, and it will come down to either Bike Friday or Brompton.
 
Has anyone here tried fitting one of those 66/80 cc 2-stroke engines to a folding bike??
 
Fbike good bike for a folder and good price.
 
I have a Montague Paratrooper Pro and a full size Dahon. I like them both but they are heavy and I wouldn't want to try to wrestle them in/out of something that doesn't have the barn doors of a Bo36/Baron58
 
I've had three Dahon foldables. They're good value for money. I've also had the London-made Brompton foldable. Great quality bike that folds very small (I keep mine in the plane all the time), but it isn't cheap. The start at around $700.
 
I think the best folding bike depends significantly on your needs, as every good brand chooses a different set of trade-offs. Brompton defines the class; they are well-built, ride pretty nicely, and fold quickly into a small, portable package. They are also relatively heavy to carry, and they are expensive. Bike Friday has similar qualities, but to my eye they are less well-built and the folded package is larger. Many people prefer Bike Friday to Brompton, though, and costs are similar. Both of these bikes are a good compromise of folded size and ride.

The Montague is supposed to be a higher end bike, slower to fold and unfold, but offering a better ride for significantly more money. The Dahon's are less expensive and more widely available, but in my experience they are often heavier and less well-designed than Brompton. There are a few other unusual folders that focus more extremely on either ride quality at the expense of size, or size at the expense of ride quality.

Having had a Brompton, we now use some relatively inexpensive Chinese folding bikes. They are light and easy to get into the airplane. They don't ride that well (tiny wheels and a long handlebar shaft make them a little wobbly), but easily get us from the airport into towns. We don't use them nearly as often as I thought we would, as we just prefer to walk.
 
I've had three Dahon foldables. They're good value for money. I've also had the London-made Brompton foldable. Great quality bike that folds very small (I keep mine in the plane all the time), but it isn't cheap. The start at around $700.

Have you tried to fit one of those 2-stroke engine kits to it??
 

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If you're going back down after Christmas, why not buy one, have it shipped to your home and either ship it yourself or check it as luggage when you fly to return?
That might be what I end up doing. Or I might find something down there. Just checking out options. Mostly I want to know what people have and how they like them, and it looks like there is a lot of them to consider from the responses.
 
These responses have been a lot of help. I did actually find one place in San Juan that sells Dahon and Brompton folding bicycles, so that might be the ticket. I'm not about spending more then I have to for things, but I'm used to paying for a good bicycle. The reason that I want a folding bicycle is because I have a small third floor apartment in San Juan, and there is not a whole lot of room for bicycles. I had a full sized bike there the last couple of years, and I chained it up outside, but humidity and the salt air destroyed it.

As far as buying one here and either sending it down before I leave, or hauling it down with me, that is an option, but not really one that I want to do if I can help it. I live in a gated condo on a narrow cobble stone street in Old San Juan. UPS and FedEx will not leave a package outside the gate, which I wouldn't want them to do, so if I have anything delivered that can't be thrown through the gate, I have to watch it on the tracking site and then sit out by the gate all day until it arrives. And sometimes they just won't bring the packages down my street, especially if it is large or heavy. So they end up at the terminal and I have to go get them. Neither UPS or FedEx is close to me and it is very hard for me to get there to pick up packages. So for that reason, I shop local in PR, pretty much out of necessity. But thanks all for your insight.
 
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Seriously, look at the electric assist models. They make steep hills a breeze, I was riding one all over Cote d Azure up and down the hills and it was great, and fast. The ones we were buying ranged between €1100-1400. The Italians had the best of them.
 
The electric assist hub bikes are the way to go.

From a practical standpoint you're probably right.

However, you're not going to get 40+ mph perfomance out of them like you can with a 2-stroke engine coupled with a jackshaft kit that lets you use 7 speeds. B) I've got my bike up to 45 mph with few modifications but it's not a folding bike.
 
However, you're not going to get 40+ mph perfomance out of them like you can with a 2-stroke engine coupled with a jackshaft kit that lets you use 7 speeds. B) I've got my bike up to 45 mph with few modifications but it's not a folding bike.

What kit did you use? That sounds interesting.
 
From a practical standpoint you're probably right.

However, you're not going to get 40+ mph perfomance out of them like you can with a 2-stroke engine coupled with a jackshaft kit that lets you use 7 speeds. B) I've got my bike up to 45 mph with few modifications but it's not a folding bike.

Yep, pull the jet and run it on nitro and it'll go even faster.;) The thing about the electrics is no liquid fuel to spill. Plus they are quiet.
 
Interesting, it looks like the pedal cranks are on sprag clutches?

Yes.

You get the bike going by pulling in the clutch and pedaling the bike. Once you get rolling, you let out the clutch and use the pedals to kick start the engine. Once it gets going the pedals freewheel and you can use all 7 gears with your engine.
 
Yes.

You get the bike going by pulling in the clutch and pedaling the bike. Once you get rolling, you let out the clutch and use the pedals to kick start the engine. Once it gets going the pedals freewheel and you can use all 7 gears with your engine.

Do you have pics of the bike? What engine kit did you use with the shifter kit?

Although my pedal commute is only 3.5mi, I'd be interested in gas power for longer jaunts.
 
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