# Folding bike for under £350 recommendations



## summerdays (3 Jun 2008)

Work have said they have a budget of £350 to buy me a folding bike to use to get between sites. The budget may have to include a pannier too (or I might buy that myself if it was worth my while to make the budget stretch that bit more). Not sure who would be responsible for the maintence, insurance etc we haven't gone into that yet.

I don't know anything about folding bikes, I've used a Brompton once to do about 1/2 mile on and found it wierd. It wouldn't be my main way of getting around, just on those days when I needed to combine it with getting a lift. However I may need to perhaps cycle 12 miles on it, up reasonable hills (Bristol). 

I have mudguards on my current bikes so would like the same on this one - or maybe its less of a problem with the smaller wheels?

I'm 5'6", though I guess folders tend to come in one size?

Have you got any recommendations or equally don't touch with a barge pole comments? Obviously I will go looking too.


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## Joe24 (3 Jun 2008)

Look at the Giant Halfway. That thing is amazing. Only seen pictures of it, but its amazing i think.
Here is the Giant website
Here is the same bike but from the other side, its the 'lite' version though.
The brakes are amazing i think.
You can get the 'Lite' version for under £350 and the normal version for under £300 i think. Not sure.
I think it looks good anyway 
Not rode one though, so cant comment on ride.
Stay away from really cheap ones. I have a 'Sea Sure' folding bike and i had to upgrade alot of things on that. The new one they do now has suspension so will be even worse.


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## Origamist (5 Jun 2008)

You can pick up at 2007 DAHON MU P8 for £350 and they offer good vaule for money. The gear range will be OK for Bristol (32" - 93") and the steering is not as light as on a Brompton. The Handlepost is adjustable, so you should be able to dial in a comfortable riding position.


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## summerdays (5 Jun 2008)

Thanks for the comments... I like the colour of the Mu P8, I've been looking through the Dahon website today... but they almost offer too much of a range, for me to work out what is good... I was looking at their Dahon Vitesse D7HG which wiggle have for £359. But I'm not sure that the gears would be low enough, I have to say I'm not technically minded, so don't understand gears ratios etc.

I'm going to try and get a look at the Giant one at the weekend... I'm sure I've noticed one in my LBS or it could be the Dawes folding bike, but I didn't pay very much attention ... I always watch all the other customers when I'm waiting there.


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## sheddy (5 Jun 2008)

Back issues of A to B - http://www.atob.org.uk/back_numbers.html
but only subscribers can get free back issues


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## Joe24 (5 Jun 2008)

I have never been impressed by the Dahons after i heard that a few people had things braking off them, including the handlebar post 
Oh, if you see the Giant, is there any chance you can get some better pictures of it? Theres no good ones of both side on the internet.


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## velocipede2288 (5 Jun 2008)

I have a Dahon Speed 7. A seven speed around £300. The gears are fine for most of the hills, and I live in South Wales. You can get up a good speed on the flat also.
I have put a few videos on the YouTube including rides on the Dahon and folding it.
But you can watch them on my web site.Just click on the top screen.


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## summerdays (8 Jun 2008)

On Friday I spoke to someone at traffic lights to ask them about their Giant Halfway... and he told me that a group of folding folk gather near the Industrial museum on the first Saturday of each month in the morning. So I turned up and had a go on a couple of bikes including the Giant Halfway, and met some real bike fanatics (with multiple bikes between them), who all had tinkered / modified their set up of their folder. An interesting morning, and the bikes rode over the sunken railway lines suprisingly well.

Asked about where people had bought their bikes, and the guy with the Halfway told me from the old Dave Bater shop when it had been run by a great guy, who loved bikes, that they ran in his blood etc, but that he had moved up north ... he went by the name of Mick!!!!! So Mickle were your ears burning then because he was glowing in his praise of you?


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## ccj (13 Jun 2008)

Joe24 said:


> ...after i heard that a few people had things braking off them, including the handlebar post
> Oh, if you see the Giant, is there any chance you can get some better pictures of it? Theres no good ones of both side on the internet.



Dahon manufactures several hundred *thousand* bicycles, so as long as it's only a *few* people...........

A couple of pic's here:

http://www.foldingbikes.co.uk/giant.htm


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## gpx001 (25 Jun 2008)

Hi I've a Dawes Kingpin, which has (to date) given me a couple of years good service. It lives in the back of my car and I use it when I am working away from home and despite the bashing it is performing well!

My wife has a Boardwalk Lite, which is another re-badged Dahon and it to is lasting well, although the general spec, etc is quite up to the Dawes standards - ie. Cheaper tyres, gear shifters, etc

Jason


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## kamk1949 (5 Jul 2008)

me just surfin around lookin at folder bikes, and beginning to like the giant halfway, when i came across cycle chat

then i saw another website which pointed out that the mono-fork arrangement made dealing with punctures a bit of a doddle, so i thought would tack this on to the thread

i definitely think i will buy a giant halfway - but should i buy from the local guy who i know and trust, or should i save possibly £100 and buy on the net?

Kev


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## mickle (5 Jul 2008)

summerdays said:


> On Friday I spoke to someone at traffic lights to ask them about their Giant Halfway... and he told me that a group of folding folk gather near the Industrial museum on the first Saturday of each month in the morning. So I turned up and had a go on a couple of bikes including the Giant Halfway, and met some real bike fanatics (with multiple bikes between them), who all had tinkered / modified their set up of their folder. An interesting morning, and the bikes rode over the sunken railway lines suprisingly well.
> 
> Asked about where people had bought their bikes, and the guy with the Halfway told me from the old Dave Bater shop when it had been run by a great guy, who loved bikes, that they ran in his blood etc, but that he had moved up north ... he went by the name of Mick!!!!! So Mickle were your ears burning then because he was glowing in his praise of you?


HA! Nice one.


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## mickle (5 Jul 2008)

Hey Summerdays, we have some assorted Dahons and Dawes (rebadged Dahons) which are due to be transferred to our Reduntant Assets Liquidation Programme. We can do you one for cost if you like.


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## summerdays (6 Jul 2008)

But which one would you recommend? I've been too busy to go looking since that first burst of enthusism.


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## lithos (31 Jul 2008)

mickle said:


> Hey Summerdays, we have some assorted Dahons and Dawes (rebadged Dahons) which are due to be transferred to our Reduntant Assets Liquidation Programme. We can do you one for cost if you like.



see you are based in York - still got some folding bikes available at cost ?


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## mickle (31 Jul 2008)

I'm out of the office until next week but Spandex is in the warehouse and may be able to help if you're interested. Are you anywhere near York?


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## lithos (5 Aug 2008)

mickle said:


> I'm out of the office until next week but Spandex is in the warehouse and may be able to help if you're interested. Are you anywhere near York?



I live and work *IN* York !


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## spandex (5 Aug 2008)

lithos said:


> I live and work *IN* York !



Have a look at http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=16530 that's a up to date list on what we have at the moment. Where about's do you live?


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## Hilldodger (6 Aug 2008)

mickle said:


> Reduntant Assets Liquidation Programme.



Does it contain any knackered KMX's yet? We have a plan to re-engineer them for a project we'll be doing next year.


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## rootes (7 Aug 2008)

if your employer is buy the bike as an asset for your use, then this fits with the Governments cycle to work tax scheme..

if they buy the bike using the provisions of the scheme the tax saving will mean you can get a better bike + helment, lights etc.

the scheme is not complex and your company doe snto have to sign up to any of the formal scheme around (like evans / halfords etc) and can be arrange with a lbs - they send an invoice to your company they pay it - bike is their asset - then they need to clain the VAT as usual then adjust your salary to get the other savings etc


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## Joe24 (7 Aug 2008)

Can i have discount because i am young and have little money:?:

Infact i cant even afford a nice folder.


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## summerdays (8 Aug 2008)

rootes said:


> if your employer is buy the bike as an asset for your use, then this fits with the Governments cycle to work tax scheme..
> 
> if they buy the bike using the provisions of the scheme the tax saving will mean you can get a better bike + helment, lights etc.
> 
> the scheme is not complex and your company doe snto have to sign up to any of the formal scheme around (like evans / halfords etc) and can be arrange with a lbs - they send an invoice to your company they pay it - bike is their asset - then they need to clain the VAT as usual then adjust your salary to get the other savings etc



I'm part-time so I didn't earn enough last year to pay tax so I'm not eligible for the Cycle to Work scheme (which they do have). The bike isn't going to be mine, just part of the gubbins they provide to help me do my job, which involves going all over the city. I normally use my own bike but occasionally I get a lift part of the way which involves trying to shove a full size bike in the back of a car.


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## rootes (8 Aug 2008)

summerdays said:


> I'm part-time so I didn't earn enough last year to pay tax so I'm not eligible for the Cycle to Work scheme (which they do have). The bike isn't going to be mine, just part of the gubbins they provide to help me do my job, which involves going all over the city. I normally use my own bike but occasionally I get a lift part of the way which involves trying to shove a full size bike in the back of a car.




ok, though it is common misconcpetion with the cycle to works scheme that the bikes is yours - it is always a company asset until disposed of.. at the end of the hire period

under these schemes the bike is owned by the company, and you hire the asset for your use. otherwise the tax breaks permitted would not be valid as it would be hire purchase as opposed to hire only.

In your situation that could still buy the bike as an asset and reclaim the vat in the normal way and just let you use it for work purposes.. so get looking at the cost of bikes without vat!

for the money Giant halfway is a decent bike though under geared - they do a model mow without the rack etc as well 

Si


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