# Small wheeled road bikes



## Yellow Fang (20 Sep 2010)

I keep pondering on getting a foldable or demountable road bike. I live on a top floor flat and a small bike would take up less room and be easier to carry up the stairs and on the train. So my shortlist is:


Moulton TSR30
Airnimal Chameleon
Bike Friday Pocket Rocket
Dahon Speed Pro TT


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## StuAff (22 Sep 2010)

Well, I'd be chuffed with any of those....the Dahon's probably going to be best for folding speed, and possibly size too, frame probably less stiff (though my Jetstream is great). Drivetrain's pretty good- I have a DualDrive setup on my Jetstream. BFs are a bit rare over here, and pricier (even with the way Dahon prices have gone) but they'll build it however you'd like. Airnimal's probably going to be the nearest to a regular road bike in ride feel, but the biggest folded package. And the Moulton: I'd love one, but on the train? Hmmm....You'd need to separate it & have the sections bagged, I think.
Try before you bike, I think....


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## palinurus (22 Sep 2010)

I've only got experience with Airnimals. I think they ride great. They fold well enough to put on the train for day rides and touring but, depending on route, may be a bit bulky for mixed-mode commuting.


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## dellzeqq (23 Sep 2010)

http://www.simpsoncycles.co.uk/product.php?xProd=128&jssCart=55ce4d5b407abf75067de91a176cf0d1 there's also the Birdy.

I've watched a couple of folding bike races, and the Airnimals looked like the cats pyjamas - but, then again, they might have had the fastest riders.

If I were going to spend that amount of money on a folder I'd e-mail Chris Juden at CTC Towers (I'm presuming you're a member) and ask him what he thought.


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## zigzag (23 Sep 2010)

i have my eyes on dahon dash - looks like a quick, sturdy, light and fairly portable bike. it has not been released yet, but if it costs less than a grand i might be tempted to get it via cyclescheme.


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## Yellow Fang (23 Sep 2010)

The Dahon Dash looks fab, but I wonder how much suspension matters with small wheeled bikes, especially those with high tyre pressures. That was a concern with the Bike Friday Pocket Rocket. Their attempt at providing suspension is the weird looking Air Friday.


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## RedBike (23 Sep 2010)

I would love the chance to ride a good 'small wheeled' bike. So far my only experiance of folding bikes has been an Apollo, which was unfortunately unbelivably bad.


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## zigzag (23 Sep 2010)

well designed suspension may add some comfort to the ride, but to me there are more negatives (added weight, hinges, bouncing under acceleration, additional point of maintenance and failure) than positives. i use 20"x1.35" tyres pumped to 90psi on my non-suspended folder and the comfort level is very acceptable. there are other ways to increase comfort without affecting performance (carbon seatpost, comfy saddle, gel under handlebar tape). i would not use a small wheeled bike to cover vast distances anyway*, and for shorter rides it is light, responsive and fun**.

*my friend did easter arrow ride 400km/day on a dahon vitesse hub-geared folder when he could not arrange a bike place on a train
** when overtaking roadies and listening to their comments


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## iendicott (23 Sep 2010)

My vote is for the Airnimal Chameleon but only because it looks sexy and have seen these in the flesh


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## Yellow Fang (23 Sep 2010)

StuAff said:


> Drivetrain's pretty good- I have a DualDrive setup on my Jetstream.



So the DualDrive's pretty good? I was wondering what the efficiency of a hub would be.


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## zigzag (23 Sep 2010)

Yellow Fang said:


> So the DualDrive's pretty good? I was wondering what the efficiency of a hub would be.




dual drive is:
*heavy
*inefficient
*noisy

but:
*quick accelerating
*quick shifting (also at standstill) - best feature for me, which makes riding in city traffic very dynamic
*has wide gear range (mine was 23"-107"), like a mountain triple

i was riding dual drive bike for nearly a year, now swapped with a wheel without hub gear and can't decide which setup i like better. you should try it out yourself and see if you like it or not.


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## Norm (23 Sep 2010)

These have been covered in the past few months' issues of Cycling Active.

*Dahon Mu Uno £480*
Single speed, coaster brake, looks good, nice price. 80%

*Brompton M3L £700*
Steel, fold is "like a magic trick", looks great, geek chic, sophisticated ride, expensive. 90%

*Strida SX £515*
Not for shrinking violets, easy to manage folded, rides like "sitting astride a gigantic coat hanger", completely unlike a normal bike, belt drive is good but you can't ride out of the saddle, so no hill starts allowed, front wheel has a tendency to lift even when in the saddle on the flat, bulletproof and bonkers. 78%.

*Giant Halfway 2 £400*
Good price, good ride but disliked everything else (flimsy seat post, saddle was a horror, geared too low, no clip to hold it folded... and more). 77%

*Mezzo I-4 £625*
Clever, harder fold ("involves moving front to back to front to back..."), everything uses standard bits so no special tools needed for maintenance, anodised frame is resistant to damage, no breaking adjustment period unlike all of those above, confident and stable to ride, but why fit a chain tensioner on a hug-geared bike but still, potentially, the Brompton-killer. 92%

They also test the _*Airnimal Joey Sport*_ _£819_ in a subsequent test. Love the way it rides, very sporty and a definite road bike with small wheelers rather than something which can unfold to make a bicycle. The only downside appears to be that it's a very distinctive bike, so not suitable for quiet types. 85%

Not exactly the models you were looking at but I hope it gives you a clue about what they liked and disliked and what you might look out for when making your own choice.


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## RecordAceFromNew (23 Sep 2010)

This is probably the most comprehensive on for the subject, with many good user reviews.


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## StuAff (23 Sep 2010)

zigzag said:


> dual drive is:
> *heavy
> *inefficient
> *noisy
> ...



Not sure about the efficiency, Rimas (SRAM might disagree with you!  ) but I can only agree with the weight. I love the extra gear range on the Jetstream, just wish it was still 9.0 kg!


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## StuAff (23 Sep 2010)

zigzag said:


> i have my eyes on dahon dash - looks like a quick, sturdy, light and fairly portable bike. it has not been released yet, but if it costs less than a grand i might be tempted to get it via cyclescheme.



No way is the Dash going to be less than a grand. If it's not part of the official UK range (the current minibike models aren't) you'd have to import it yourself, or get one care of Mark Bickerton (Dahon's UK agent) who might be able to get one in for you.


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## zigzag (24 Sep 2010)

StuAff said:


> No way is the Dash going to be less than a grand. If it's not part of the official UK range (the current minibike models aren't) you'd have to import it yourself, or get one care of Mark Bickerton (Dahon's UK agent) who might be able to get one in for you.



oh well.. looks like too much hassle. it would have been a spare/toy bike that wouldn't get much use anyway.. but thanks for the tips!


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## byegad (24 Sep 2010)

My 2002 model Dahon Speed-Pro is stiff and handles really well. It will ride hands off and honking doesn't cause any issues at the back, although the front has a bit of flex. Speed and distance wise I rode mine as much as my Club Tour and there was little to choose between them, with the Dahon being better up hill in my opinion. I no longer ride two wheels so the Speed-Pro was going up for sale, until my wife rode it and took it over as 'much nicer' to ride than her Dahon Boardwalk folder.


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## Crankarm (24 Sep 2010)

How come you're not considering a Brompton?


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## palinurus (24 Sep 2010)

dellzeqq said:


> I've watched a couple of folding bike races, and the Airnimals looked like the cats pyjamas - but, then again, they might have had the fastest riders.



They are quick. I've time-trialled on an Airnimal. I wouldn't've considered that on a Brompton, except perhaps on boxing day.


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## Fab Foodie (24 Sep 2010)

I'd go for the Joey over the Chameleon. 
The dual-drive IS good, but as mentioned is heavier and the 36 to 106" gear on the Joey is just fine, will get you pretty much anywhere and is simple and reliable. The bike is nimble feeling on the road. Can easily be converted to drops with a bar-end shifter as well. 
http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/bike-reviews/bike-test---airnimal-joey/829.html
Edited for talking bollocks.


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## Yellow Fang (25 Sep 2010)

Crankarm said:


> How come you're not considering a Brompton?



I have a Brompton. It's a brilliant bike IMO, but more suited to commuting than long distance rides around the countryside.


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## palinurus (25 Sep 2010)

I had an Airnimal Joey for a while. I liked it very much. Gear range would get me anywhere I wanted to go, including light touring in hilly areas. Packs small and quick enough to get on crowded local two-carriage trains when needed (but you wouldn't want to do it every day). Probably one of the cheaper options too, Spa cycles often have low prices for Airnimal bikes.


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## jimboalee (27 Sep 2010)

http://www.hawkcycles.co.uk/product_details.php?product_id=175&k=7

I'll get my coat.


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## 3narf (27 Sep 2010)

Nice green background on that site!


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## Yellow Fang (6 Oct 2010)

I saw another contender over the weekend: the Qoroz Freedom Won

My link

It's made of titanium and looks pricey.


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## GrumpyGregry (7 Oct 2010)

Saw a Strida LX in the flesh today. In a room (shop) full of bromptons.


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## currystomper (11 Oct 2010)

I like my Pacific Reach - but you can't buy them in the UK any more.......

http://www.pacific-cycles.com/

CS


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## Fiona N (14 Oct 2010)

Airnimal Chameleon - full-on road bike. I took mine on training camps in Mallorca and had no problems keeping up with the guys on the usual road bikes.


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## Old Plodder (30 Oct 2011)

@Yellow Fang 



I've had AM & TSR Moultons, either would fit your stairs & flat requirement,
but would not be a suitable candidate for commuting on a train.

The Dahon Speed Pro that I had would suit both needs, & rides well, once 
you get used to it, my impression was that it was a stiff (as in rigid) bike.

Lately I've been riding an Airnimal Joey, this rides just like a 'normal' bike,
is easily transportable, easy to carry, & is quite light.

The Moultons & Airnimals have carried me over 90 miles a day, whilst I only 
covered about 80 on the Dahon; so they all ride well.

fatmac


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