# What are the best folding bikes?



## Alphaman92 (6 Sep 2015)

Hey guys,

I'm new here and looking to find out what the best folding bikes are, I was looking at purchasing a bicycle a year or two ago but passed on it in the end. I've been reading reviews which seem to think that Dahon's are the best... I see a lot of Bromptons here in the UK and was wondering if they are equally as good?

Thanks


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## mjr (7 Sep 2015)

Bromptons fold smaller yet have a longer wheelbase but that means more hinges and smaller wheels. There's not a lot in the choice but whatever make, I'd go for one with a hub gear next time which means less chain to put oil on stuff and a gear cable less likely to self-adjust during folding/unfolding.


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## Kell (7 Sep 2015)

Anyone with a Dahon, will probably tell you that Dahon is, and anyone with a Brompton will probably say a Brompton is.

I'm on my fourth folding bike and have had two Dahons. Both of which snapped/cracked the frames. Both in the same place on the seat tube. And both just outside of their 5-year frame warranty. Both are now probably in landfill somewhere as I took off anything worth holding on to (not much) and binned the rest.

Consequently, I've recently bought a Brompton and wish I'd done it years ago. It's far more useful (for me) because of the tiny fold size and is as quick as the full sized Dahon it replaced. It's comfortable, quick and (subjectively) it looks good too. For me, it's better than the Dahons, but I'm not sure that makes it the best folder as I've not tried Oribike, Airnimal, Birdy etc.


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## mjr (7 Sep 2015)

Kell said:


> Anyone with a Dahon, will probably tell you that Dahon is, and anyone with a Brompton will probably say a Brompton is.


Really? Can you tell what I have?


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## GrumpyGregry (7 Sep 2015)

Brommies are the most popular contemporary folding bikes in the UK for good reason.


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## SavageHoutkop (7 Sep 2015)

Depends what you want. If you need a bike you occasionally need to fold (to throw it in a car boot, say) you will be less worried about the fold than if you need to commute with a rail-trip in the middle or fold the bike daily and store it under your desk. 

We have two Bromptons in the household and are very happy with them; they've lasted ages and all the bits are backward-compatible so you're not stuck with an unfixable bike a few years down the line. 

A Brompton is also just about the only bike you can always legally take on a train (theoretically I think it's supposed to be bagged too) as the folded dimensions agree with the national rail terms of carriage (last time I looked). 

On the hub-gear point raised by mjray - we have the 6 speed Bromptons, so have a small dérailleur and a hub gear; it works fine but the hub is less persnickety than the dérailleur esp in winter.


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## Dirk (11 Sep 2015)

Best folding bike? - Brompton.
Best riding bike? - Not a Brompton.*

*based purely my own experience.


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## steveindenmark (11 Sep 2015)

mjray said:


> Really? Can you tell what I have?



Not really. But you have not expressed a preference yet.

But whatever it is, it does not have hub gears. It does not make a lot of sense to pay £1000 for aBrompton, only to say you prefer a Tern or Dahon. If you do, your initial research must have been useless. So Kells statement has a better chance than not.

Im guessing you have aBrompton. :0)


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## SavageHoutkop (11 Sep 2015)

Kell, out of curiosity, what was the other bike (one Brompton, two Dahons...one what?)


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## Kell (11 Sep 2015)

The other one was essentially a clone of the old Dahon Matrix sold in Germany called a Rabbit.de

It actually ran really well and I got great support from them when the adjuster on the main frame went kaput.

Unfortunately, I got side-swiped by a car on Marble Arch roundabout and the cost to repair the bike came to more than buying a new one on the Ride-to-work scheme, so it got binned.

Pictures (not of mine)


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## Fab Foodie (11 Sep 2015)

Dirk Thrust said:


> Best folding bike? - Brompton.
> Best riding bike? - Not a Brompton.*
> 
> *based purely my own experience.


I find the Brompton is an utter hoot to ride, other bikes feel like barges in comparison.


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## srw (11 Sep 2015)

mjray said:


> Really? Can you tell what I have?


Something that's not a Brompton, because Brommies have hub gears. Probably a Dahon or clone, because they'll flog their bikes to anyone to relabel.


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## SavageHoutkop (11 Sep 2015)

Well it could be a 2spd Brompton or a single speed (but then no gear cable). Must say my gear cable has never 'self adjusted' while folding/unfolding.


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## srw (11 Sep 2015)

Alphaman92 said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I'm new here and looking to find out what the best folding bikes are, I was looking at purchasing a bicycle a year or two ago but passed on it in the end. I've been reading reviews which seem to think that Dahon's are the best... I see a lot of Bromptons here in the UK and was wondering if they are equally as good?
> 
> Thanks


A Brompton.

Pound for pound, Brommies are much better at being folding bikes than Dahons. I gather there are some stupidly expensive Dahons which are supposedly not bad, but they're not desperately good at folding.

For a while I had both a Trek (i.e. a rebadged Dahon) and a Brompton. I loathed the Trek and was quietly glad when it was stolen. I love the Brompton, and like @Fab Foodie I love the way it rides.


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## midlife (12 Sep 2015)

Bickerton . Well it was in the 70's 

Shaun


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## TheDoctor (12 Sep 2015)

I've got a Decathlon folder, which is a Dahon clone, a Bickerton, a Deawoo Shuttle, and a Brompton M6R. And various non-folding bikes.
The Brommie gets more use than all my other bikes put together. It's not the best at anything except folding up small, but it's OK at everything. If you can get on with the ride and handling (and they're not to everyone's taste) then it's great!
I'd also suggest trying a Mezzo and a Birdy if you can. Both highly regarded and well known folders. The Tern P24h looks interesting too - 20" wheels, 24 gears and set up for touring. It doesn't fold as small as the Brommie, but you can't have everything. I'd like to try one...


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## midlife (13 Sep 2015)

.....You have a Bickerton ? Not seen one since the Bay City Rollers were in the charts. Any pics 

Shaun


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## Kell (14 Sep 2015)

There's a new Bickerton out. Which looks like a Clone of the Tern 26" folder.

It's the one I almost went for before the Brompton as I'd had three full-size folders prior to getting a Brommie.

Pleased I made the choice I did though.


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## John the Monkey (14 Sep 2015)

Fab Foodie said:


> I find the Brompton is an utter hoot to ride, other bikes feel like barges in comparison.


The riding position does mean that one acts a bit like a sail in windy weather though.

And it's hard to tack into a headwind on today's roads.


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## Fab Foodie (14 Sep 2015)

John the Monkey said:


> The riding position does mean that one acts a bit like a sail in windy weather though.
> 
> And it's hard to tack into a headwind on today's roads.


.... but when there's a tailwind I get to hoist the Spinnaker!


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## shouldbeinbed (14 Sep 2015)

Alphaman92 said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I'm new here and looking to find out what the best folding bikes are, I was looking at purchasing a bicycle a year or two ago but passed on it in the end. I've been reading reviews which seem to think that Dahon's are the best... I see a lot of Bromptons here in the UK and was wondering if they are equally as good?
> 
> Thanks


To do what with?

Is a small sensible fold with a nice ride that is faster than walking at either end of a public transport journey key?

Is it riding really fast on skinny wheels and drop bars head down, bum up on a bike that will fit in smaller vehicles.

Is it something you want to transport easily to MTB / rougher trails and then have 26 inch wheels to blast around on?

Do you have a price limit or preference for ease of un/folding.

Do you want useful and working suspension

Do you want a good all rounder that folds brilliantly and rides very well or a good all rounder that rides brilliantly and folds very well.

In order of my love for my folding bikes or ones O have had a serious crush on

Birdy
Brompton
electric assist folder my mum has.
BTwin Tilt
Dahon
Unbranded USA cromo early MTB style 26”

Which one would I pick if I absolutely had to have only 1.

Brompton.

Edit: err no Birdy

Errr Brompton

Yeah, Brompton, but I'd always shed a tear for the lost Birdy.


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## TheDoctor (14 Sep 2015)

midlife said:


> .....You have a Bickerton ? Not seen one since the Bay City Rollers were in the charts. Any pics
> 
> Shaun


There's one on here somewhere, I think. It's a project bike that needs a bit of a fettle...


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## Kempston (16 Sep 2015)

GrumpyGregry said:


> Brommies are the most popular contemporary folding bikes in the UK for good reason.



Yup, namely that too many people don't bother researching the better value alternatives.


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## mjr (16 Sep 2015)

srw said:


> Something that's not a Brompton, because Brommies have hub gears. Probably a Dahon or clone, because they'll flog their bikes to anyone to relabel.


A relabelled Dahon is the right answer. I bought it second-hand as an experiment but it has a few niggles (for example, the chain is a bit naked/unprotected/able-to-oil whatever it touches when folded and I think the hinges may corrode easily) - it works OK but I think hub gears make more sense.

As I was cycling home from market yesterday, I met a man from Nottingham who was riding a B'Twin folder to scout out cycle routes from the caravan site he was staying at, to check they had clearance for his wife's motorised wheelchair. I think he was on a http://www.decathlon.co.uk/tilt-700-folding-bike-grey-id_8300175.html - the handlebar folding catch had come loose, but he said they were going to replace it under its lifetime warranty. Besides that, it looked much neater and better thought-out than my folder - but fortunately not as neat as the black roadster I was riding


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## shouldbeinbed (16 Sep 2015)

^^^^ half your luck. I'd love to chat with a real life Tiilt owner to find out how they perform other than on Decathlon's shop floor and if the newer name/number protocol ones have solved the alarming frame hinge flex when applying the front brake.

I am quite taken with the notion of them.


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## mjr (16 Sep 2015)

shouldbeinbed said:


> I'd love to chat with a real life Tiilt owner to find out how they perform other than on Decathlon's shop floor and if the newer name/number protocol ones have solved the alarming frame hinge flex when applying the front brake.


He said he's here all week so if I pass him again, I'll ask. He'd done nearly 3000 miles on it in under a year, so I think he's quite happy with its performance.


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## shouldbeinbed (16 Sep 2015)

Thanks @mjray


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## GrumpyGregry (17 Sep 2015)

Kempston said:


> Yup, namely that too many people don't bother researching the better value alternatives.


Define "better value" and state what alternatives are worth researching...

...you may, of course, find, on the other hand, that folk do stacks of research before concluding that Brommie is the way to go.


I know I did.


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## John the Monkey (17 Sep 2015)

GrumpyGregry said:


> Define "better value" and state what alternatives are worth researching...
> 
> ...you may, of course, find, on the other hand, that folk do stacks of research before concluding that Brommie is the way to go.
> 
> ...


I was going to buy a Mezzo, right up until I did a comparative fold & test ride of a Mezzo D9 and a Brompton S6-L.

My biggest regret is not spending the extra money for Racing Green paint on the Brompton.


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## Kell (17 Sep 2015)

GrumpyGregry said:


> Define "better value" and state what alternatives are worth researching...
> 
> ...you may, of course, find, on the other hand, that folk do stacks of research before concluding that Brommie is the way to go.
> 
> ...



Me too - and a fair bit of trial and error.

In fact, I consciously resisted buying a Brompton because I thought they looked ridiculous.

I discounted anything more expensive than a Brompton as that really was more than I wanted to spend anyway.

I discounted Dahon/Clones as I had two and they've both been nothing but bother, with constant attention needed to keep them on the road. And ultimately, both frames snapped. Nothing for less money folds as well. In fact nothing that I could see for more money folds as well either.

Don't get me wrong, I loved riding a full sized folder, but the Brompton has turned out to be more useful, more often. And it's just as quick, as I found out yesterday when I got a KOM on my commute to work. It's not the fastest I've done it (I did that on my road bike), but it's the fastest this year on a folder and that includes times set against both full sized Dahons.


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## GrumpyGregry (18 Sep 2015)

John the Monkey said:


> I was going to buy a Mezzo, right up until I did a comparative fold & test ride of a Mezzo D9 and a Brompton S6-L.
> 
> My biggest regret is not spending the extra money for Racing Green paint on the Brompton.


Some say their biggest regret is that I did spend the extra to get Rhubarb painted the way she is.


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## GrumpyGregry (18 Sep 2015)

tbf the best value folder I've ever seen is my mate's wife's Raleigh 20 which cost £1 at a car boot sale.

Still a pos though.


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## Mr Foldy (3 Oct 2015)

mjray said:


> A relabelled Dahon is the right answer. I bought it second-hand as an experiment but it has a few niggles (for example, the chain is a bit naked/unprotected/able-to-oil whatever it touches when folded and I think the hinges may corrode easily) - it works OK but I think hub gears make more sense.
> 
> As I was cycling home from market yesterday, I met a man from Nottingham who was riding a B'Twin folder to scout out cycle routes from the caravan site he was staying at, to check they had clearance for his wife's motorised wheelchair. I think he was on a http://www.decathlon.co.uk/tilt-700-folding-bike-grey-id_8300175.html - the handlebar folding catch had come loose, but he said they were going to replace it under its lifetime warranty. Besides that, it looked much neater and better thought-out than my folder - but fortunately not as neat as the black roadster I was riding


I declare an interest as a Dahon MU p8 owner. I have seen this Btwin model up close and I don't rate it. The running gear and the fold on the Dahon are just......better. I'm not saying the Btwin is bad value for the money, because it looks ok, just that the MU is a better bike.


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## mjr (4 Oct 2015)

Mr Foldy said:


> I declare an interest as a Dahon MU p8 owner. I have seen this Btwin model up close and I don't rate it. The running gear and the fold on the Dahon are just......better. I'm not saying the Btwin is bad value for the money, because it looks ok, just that the MU is a better bike.


Maybe on the fold - I'm sceptical of the hidden workings of the Btwin - but the Btwin's SRAM hub gears make much more sense than a Shimano derailleur on a small bike.


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## Sandra6 (8 Oct 2015)

Just to be controversial, I have a carrera transit I'm quite happy with.


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## shouldbeinbed (8 Oct 2015)

Sandra6 said:


> Just to be controversial, I have a carrera transit I'm quite happy with.


 burn the heretic


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## Flying Dodo (8 Oct 2015)

TheDoctor said:


> There's one on here somewhere, I think. It's a project bike that needs a bit of a fettle...


I've got a Bickerton which I've been given, along with its carrying bag. Almost immaculate condition. At some point over the winter, I'm going to see if I can fit an 8 speed rear wheel onto it, and convert the floppy handlebars.


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## TheDoctor (8 Oct 2015)

It may be difficult to find bars which are long enough. I must fettle my Bickerton - they were made within a few miles of me, so it'd be nice to ride it back to its birthplace.


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## Shortmember (9 Oct 2015)

Call me a masochist if you want but I've enjoyed riding my Bickerton for many years, and although it felt a little loose initially, after tightening up the steering head bearings, which seemed to be the main cause of the floppy feel of the bars, and using petrol to degrease the handlebar and clamp, the steadiness of the ride improved considerably. The bike still nods its head a little when climbing hills and braking hard, but never enough to make me feel unsafe. However, braking in wet weather can be a heart stopping experience, so I always ride in rainy conditions with the brakes just touching the rims and my feet at the ready just in case I need an extra bit of stopping power.


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## John the Monkey (9 Oct 2015)

mjray said:


> Maybe on the fold - I'm sceptical of the hidden workings of the Btwin - but the Btwin's SRAM hub gears make much more sense than a Shimano derailleur on a small bike.


Unless you're somewhere dry, I guess. The running gear is so low to the ground that everything gets filthy in inclement weather, and wears quickly - hub gears are where it's at for year round small wheeled bikes.


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## palinurus (9 Oct 2015)

Alphaman92 said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I'm new here and looking to find out what the best folding bikes are, I was looking at purchasing a bicycle a year or two ago but passed on it in the end. I've been reading reviews which seem to think that Dahon's are the best... I see a lot of Bromptons here in the UK and was wondering if they are equally as good?
> 
> Thanks



The right folding bike for you depends on what you are going to be doing with it and why you require it to fold. A compact fold is important if you want to mix riding with public transport, perhaps less important if you want to store folded at home or put it in a car boot. To get a better idea go to some dealers and take a look at some options, see how they fold, try carrying them around folded, take them on a test ride.


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## Flying Dodo (9 Oct 2015)

TheDoctor said:


> It may be difficult to find bars which are long enough. I must fettle my Bickerton - they were made within a few miles of me, so it'd be nice to ride it back to its birthplace.



In the garage just now, seeing the Brompton next to the Bickerton, I was idly wondering if you could somehow bolt the Brompton handlebar stem onto the Bickerton. All that steel might make it top heavy though...........


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## TheDoctor (9 Oct 2015)

Not sure I'd take the Brommie apart to try and improve a Bickerton!
I mean, I like most bikes, but a Bickerton is so outdated now...it's not like you can make poo shiney, to coin a phrase.


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## Flying Dodo (10 Oct 2015)

LOL (as the kids say). It's just the quirky nature of the Bickerton appeals to me. Bromptons are just so........common, as in everywhere.


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## TheDoctor (11 Oct 2015)

Bicks were fairly common in their day. They were an important evolutionary step in folding bike design, and I'd never decry them for that. My Bickerton is a hoot to ride. It's just that the Brommie is a better fold, a better integrated carrier, and a better bike.
In my opinion.
It's better for what I need. But what I need isn't what someone else needs. I'd have given anything to have an Airnimal, or a Ritchey Break-Away, or even a Dahon Jack when I went up Ventoux last November. But I needed a bike I could tour on, and take on Eurostar, and ride across Paris, and all the rest. A Brommie ticked all my boxes. It may not tick yours. And that's why there's no single best folding bike.
Tl;Dr. I like Bromptons. Not everyone does. And that's OK.


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## Kell (12 Oct 2015)

John the Monkey said:


> Unless you're somewhere dry, I guess. The running gear is so low to the ground that everything gets filthy in inclement weather, and wears quickly - hub gears are where it's at for year round small wheeled bikes.



That's a good rationale, but the argument falls down with the 6-speed brommie. I wish they did do a bigger range of gears in a hub.


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## John the Monkey (12 Oct 2015)

Kell said:


> That's a good rationale, but the argument falls down with the 6-speed brommie. I wish they did do a bigger range of gears in a hub.


IME, they're six speed until the 2nd week of winter. After that, pick a sprocket & stick with it.

(I only have a 6 because Brompton wanted £75 more for a 2010 3 speed than the 2009 6 speed I saw in the shop was going to cost).


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## Gravity Aided (14 Oct 2015)

I'm considering Giant Expressway 2.


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## Ridgeways (4 Mar 2017)

As 'The Doctor' says, there is no one right answer, it depends on the use you want to make of it. If pure rideability was the criterion, I would have plumped for the Moulton AM series, that was a real eye-opener for efficiency and comfort. I would not call them properly a folder though - more of a break-apart for the car boot, and not that compact either. But they were a magnificent ride if you could afford them.


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