Folding Bikes

Gordy6040

Hi All

I'm kicking around the idea of getting a folding bike. The idea is to leave the car at home, cycle to the dart station and then hop off the dart and cycle to work.
There is a brand called Bikerton on ChainReaction here. Seems very similar to the Dahon and Tern brands to me.

Anyone use a folder? I'm looking at stuff around the 500 mark. That seems to be the price point where they start getting useful.
Any recommendations?

defrule

Frankly speaking no other bike folds better than Brompton. I recommend spending more for the better fold.

galvo_clare

Gordy6040 wrote: »

Hi All

I'm kicking around the idea of getting a folding bike. The idea is to leave the car at home, cycle to the dart station and then hop off the dart and cycle to work.
There is a brand called Bikerton on ChainReaction here. Seems very similar to the Dahon and Tern brands to me.

Anyone use a folder? I'm looking at stuff around the 500 mark. That seems to be the price point where they start getting useful.
Any recommendations?

As the other poster said, Brompton is king, especially when it comes to the fold.
I have a Tern, too. Slightly bigger wheels and bulkier when folded than the Brompton but it's a nice bike.

Gordy6040

defrule wrote: »

Frankly speaking no other bike folds better than Brompton. I recommend spending more for the better fold.

The Brompton is literally twice the price though. I get it folds into a smaller package but the latch mechanism looks a little dated to me. Do you find the smaller wheels ok on the roads or a bit twitchy?

cdaly_

You'll also need to get a cover for it. On a quiet train it'll be fine but, when things get busy you'll be asked to cover it to avoid inconvenience/injury to other passengers.

Gordy6040

cdaly_ wrote: »

You'll also need to get a cover for it. On a quiet train it'll be fine but, when things get busy you'll be asked to cover it to avoid inconvenience/injury to other passengers.

Really? I hadn't thought of that ! Thanks for pointing that out

galvo_clare

cdaly_ wrote: »

You'll also need to get a cover for it. On a quiet train it'll be fine but, when things get busy you'll be asked to cover it to avoid inconvenience/injury to other passengers.

I've never been asked to cover it, although it could be an issue.
I got the official cover that folds neatly into a saddle bag. There's enough room in there to keep my front light too.
If I put it in the hold of a bus or coach, I cover it.
The small wheels make it a wee bit more twitchy but I really like the way it rides.

Gordy6040

It would be a hell of a change from my 29er 😉

defrule

I haven't tried normal bikes so I can't give you a comparison with them.

I did have a Tern bike which folds like the one you linked and its a lot bigger than it looks when folded. I had the Tern in the boot and had no space for a suitcase. My Brompton now fits into the boot and a suitcase goes right beside it.

If the fold is what you value, I recommend spending more now. I ended up regretting the Tern purchase.

browne_rob5

defrule wrote: »

Frankly speaking no other bike folds better than Brompton. I recommend spending more for the better fold.

Hi there,

I'm looking at buying a fold up bike too for my commute on the DART. Could you recommend the best place to buy a Brompton and a particular model?

Thanks

tomasrojo

I got mine from Cycleways. They were fine. Took a month or two, but I think that's the case everywhere: you order, and it gets made in the factory for you. Or, at least, that's the way it was about seven years ago.

Wikipedia has a rundown of models:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brompton_Bicycle#Models


Essentially, the basic bikes are all the same, but you have choices of different handlebars, gearing options (hub, derailleur, or both -- or singlespeed), and mudguards/rear rack. For a lighter bike, you can get fork and rear triangle in titanium.

I got a bog-standard M-style handlebar, 3-gear model with no rack and front luggage mount years ago. Still use it a lot. Great bike.

(It's an old thread, but covers are mentioned above: I have a large garbage bag in my Brompton bag for getting on buses and the like. I got thrown off a Dublin Bus once for bringing the Brompton on board, so it's handy to be able to cover it, and a garbage bag will suffice. No-one ever asks what's in the bag. It shouldn't be an issue for the DART -- or Luas -- though.)

galvo_clare

Agree with all of that. You won't regret buying a Brompton.
I got mine in McConveys in Belfast. They even gave me a discount in the form of shop vouchers and they were the only dealer I approached at the time to do a deal. They were great to deal with.
You'll probably find a bike in stock but it's more fun to spec exactly what you want and make it yours.

tomasrojo wrote: »

I got mine from Cycleways. They were fine. Took a month or two, but I think that's the case everywhere: you order, and it gets made in the factory for you. Or, at least, that's the way it was about seven years ago.

Wikipedia has a rundown of models:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brompton_Bicycle#Models


Essentially, the basic bikes are all the same, but you have choices of different handlebars, gearing options (hub, derailleur, or both -- or singlespeed), and mudguards/rear rack. For a lighter bike, you can get fork and rear triangle in titanium.

I got a bog-standard M-style handlebar, 3-gear model with no rack and front luggage mount years ago. Still use it a lot. Great bike.

(It's an old thread, but covers are mentioned above: I have a large garbage bag in my Brompton bag for getting on buses and the like. I got thrown off a Dublin Bus once for bringing the Brompton on board, so it's handy to be able to cover it, and a garbage bag will suffice. No-one ever asks what's in the bag. It shouldn't be an issue for the DART -- or Luas -- though.)

browne_rob5

Thanks guys that's very helpful! Might be a good idea to take a trip up to Belfast with the current fx rate.