Folding bikes

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4RNB

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4RNB
Anyone carry one at times on their plane? What kind do you like? I'm thinking to get one for trips to WI and FL over the next few years.

How handy are they at the large fly ins?

I am only familiar with Brompton, not sure the expense is worth it but I see some for 1/3rd the price from other makers.
 
I bought a one wheel electric unicycle and learned how to ride it. My Inmotion V8S is 35 lbs and is about the size of a suitcase. It is about 18 x 6 x 21 inches tall with the foot boards folded. The range is over 30 miles and the ride is comfortable with a 16 inch wheel. I also have a Kingsong 14D, it weighs 32lbs and is slightly shorter. It has a 15 mile range at 15 mph. It is more maneuverable but the ride is not as smooth. The 14 inch wheel is smaller and requires more pressure for my weight. Either one will fit behind the front seat of the airplane or the car. Between the two of them I have ridden over 500 miles, mostly just riding around the neighborhood with my dog.

It took me a month to learn how to ride it by practicing 10 minutes twice a day. I used the how to video "How to ride an EUC in 12 easy steps". I don't do anything fancy, these wheels are designed for commuters not daredevils. These wheels are fun and extremely portable, and are not too expensive to try out.

Hope this helps.

 

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Zizzo Urbano if (like me) you're on a budget. I hear Bromptons are nice if you don't mind spending an AMU or so. I've been really happy with my Zizzo - 20" wheels, 26 lbs, and folds into a very compact package. I can fit two in the back of the Tiger easily.
 
We take two Jupiter Discovery X7 folding e-bikes with us to Osh each year in our RV-10. I bought bike bags from Amazon to keep the interior clean. I generally remove the rear seats but I’ve also left them in. Either way works. This is a typical load we take to Osh these days which is down a bit from when we used to tent camp in HBC. (eg no tent or cooler).

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I have a full size Dahon for my wife and a Montague for me. They are great because they fit in the 36; I’d look at Fridays or Bromton if I had a smaller door/baggage area.
 
I'm pretty serious about my bicycles. I have 4. A full frame road bike, a folding road bike, a gravel bike, and a mountain bike. All were over 1 AMU even though some were purchased more than a decade ago. My folding road bike is a Pacific Reach. Pacific is a Taiwanese company that builds bikes for other companies as well as producing their own line. The wheelbase of my Pacific Reach is the same as my full sized road bike despite using 20" wheels. The geometry is similar, so the handling is about the same. The folder has the added benefit of front and rear suspension. With small wheels, the added suspension really helps. There isn't much give in a 20" wheel even with a "2 cross spoke lacing pattern". I've actually completed the 200 mile Seattle to Portland bike ride on my folder in 1 day (14.2 hours on the saddle), so it is a very capable bike. Here's a picture of that bike in a pace line for the STP ride:
STP-17.jpg

And here's a video of me flying to the San Juan Islands with this bike in my Maule:

For what it is worth, my Maule can easily accommodate my full frame road, gravel and mountain bikes, so maybe what you need is a new plane, not a new bike...
 
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I have a couple of cheap 16 inch folding bikes from Amazon. Went with those because, while my Tiger has tons of baggage space, the baggage door isn't big enough to load a larger bike, and I preferred to not have to load through the canopy and risk soiling or tearing the upholstery.

They work fine and are easy to load and unload. About 65 lbs total between the 2 of them (key to limiting weight is to get ones with aluminum frames and not steel frames). My only disappointing surprise is that I didn't anticipate the rolling resistance of small, 16 inch wheels. I find that peddling is much harder than a full size 26 inch bike (at least for my 74 year old legs). I find it fine for trips of a few miles over level ground on smooth surfaces, but I have been reluctant to use it for more challenging trips.

My only other tip is to overinflate the tires to minimize rolling resistance. Good luck whatever you decide.
 
4RNB said:
I am reading about airventure and want something to get around on. No charging. Pedal good for exercise.
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Be advised that you can’t use a bike to get around the show. If you’re camping in HBC a bike will be all but useless. In N40 or S40 (if you, for some strange reason want to camp in either) a bike can be useful getting around the camping area but you still can’t use it in the show grounds proper. But don’t fret, there’s the Homebuilt Welcome Wagon taxi service and we can get you anywhere on the grounds you want to go ,including the Museum, in addition to the trams and Shuttle Buses.
 
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I have used a montague in the past. It’s to big to carry in my c150 .
 
One more observation. No matter which brand you go with (except that scooter mentioned above)) nothing is going to fit through your 10’s baggage door. You’re going to have to lift it up onto the wing and then through the cabin door into the rear seat area. It can be a bit of a kabuki dance getting it in and out. Don’t wait until loading for an actual trip to try this for the first time.
 
BTW, a Brompton fits nicely in an IKEA DIMPA storage bag if you decide to go that route. Good for isolating the sharp and greasy bits.
www.ikea.com

DIMPA storage bag, clear, 25 ½x8 ¾x25 ½" - IKEA

DIMPA storage bag, clear, 25 ½x8 ¾x25 ½" This durable and transparent bag holds everything from car tires and sports gear to seasonal clothing. It’s also easy to clean and simple to store since the bag folds completely flat when empty. Easy to clean, simply wipe with a damp cloth.
www.ikea.com www.ikea.com
 
Another option is something like this - https://www.topmate.cc/product-category/electric-scooter/?v=0b3b97fa6688

It is sold as a mobility aid, but it is more of a sit down scooter. Top speed is advertised as 15 MPH. I got one to carry in the plane and at level 2, it easily goes 7 MPH. I need to get a helmet and pads. :D

10 inch pneumatic tires, spring suspended seat.

The E32 has a narrower rear axle versus the E35
 
tsts4 said:
One more observation. No matter which brand you go with (except that scooter mentioned above)) nothing is going to fit through your 10’s baggage door. You’re going to have to lift it up onto the wing and then through the cabin door into the rear seat area. It can be a bit of a kabuki dance getting it in and out. Don’t wait until loading for an actual trip to try this for the first time.
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Haven't measured the RV 10 baggage door, but I can pass an entire Bike Friday Family Tandem (not the Two'sday) through a vintage Mooney baggage door, where my other folding bikes need to go in the main door.

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A bit of a pain to put together, but it pretty much completely dismantles with two allen wrenches. I have two cloth bags the parts go into, and the entire tandem lies below the top of the rear seatback in an M20J.
 
ElPaso Pilot said:
Haven't measured the RV 10 baggage door, but I can pass an entire Bike Friday Family Tandem (not the Two'sday) through a vintage Mooney baggage door, where my other folding bikes need to go in the main door.

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A bit of a pain to put together, but it pretty much completely dismantles with two allen wrenches. I have two cloth bags the parts go into, and the entire tandem lies below the top of the rear seatback in an M20J.
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The 10’s baggage door opening is roughly 21”x21” but it’s not square. That said that bike looks like an option.
IMG_2138.jpeg
 
And in the plane, with tent, tow bar, and other stuff.

Since then I’ve converted the chain from oil to wax to keep everything clean, and have two Amazon 20” folder bags it all goes into.

Also, buy used if possible. Got mine for $600 on FB. They’re pricy new.

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ElPaso Pilot said:
That should work.

POH says the Mooney’s is 20.5” high x 17” wide.

Here’s how far I take mine apart.

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Well context is everything—if I were to breakdown almost any bike that far I could get it through my 10’s baggage door. But I prefer not to. My original observation was based on folding bikes that you don’t take apart to that degree.
 
tsts4 said:
Well context is everything—if I were to breakdown almost any bike that far I could get it through my 10’s baggage door. But I prefer not to. My original observation was based on folding bikes that you don’t take apart to that degree.
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Yup. Got those too.

This one is made to take apart, and i admit it is a bit fun to show up with a Mooney and pull out a tandem through the little baggage door.
 
I can get two Bromptons in the aft baggage of a Husky (behind the rear seat).

I had 3 other foldable bikes that I never ended up flying with: Montague, and two Dahons, one of which was a 16 single speed. Tiny! But still not a Brompton.

usa.dahon.com

16" Wheel | Dahon North America

Designed with portability in mind, our 16" wheel bikes fold up quickly and easily, making them perfect for commuters, travelers, and anyone short on storage space. But don't let their small size fool you - Dahon folding bikes are engineered for maximum performance, with lightweight frames...
usa.dahon.com usa.dahon.com

I also use the IKEA bag mentioned above on my base model Brompton.
 
Bought a Zizzo Campo a few years ago.
Barely used it, a bit cumbersome to fold/unfold, and once you reach your destination you have to deal with securing a bike, or folding it and figuring out how to take it inside with you. And it's not the easiest thing to get in and out of the plane, either.
I have a few of the parts needed to do an electric conversion, but I'm on the fence about it, considering selling it instead and getting a folding e-scooter.
 
I got an old school Tomos for about $100. Took a while to find one, but the price was right.

Biggest complaints: heavy/awkward, and single geared.

Biggest plus: easy transport for offsite at AirVenture like going to lunch without having to walk or wait for a bus.

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I got one of these; nice engineering though not sure it's needed. It's available if anyone is interested as the use case changed.

Helix - The New Standard in Folding Bikes. Big Wheels. Titanium Frame. Rides Better and Folds Smaller. Made in Canada.

Helix is the new standard in folding bikes. Helix is more compact, lighter, safer and easier to use than any other folding bike in the world. Helix has an all titanium frame and is made in Canada with a state of the art manufacturing process.
helix.ca helix.ca
 
You can't beat the IF Move for rapid and easy folding and unfolding. It's also made by Pacific Bicycles in Taiwan and it is a real engineering marvel. It was a touch too heavy for me, but if you aren't doing long distance, or performance rides it probably wouldn't matter.

 
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