Little wheels = abuse!

[ufkacbln]

I can just see my next spam..............................

Please the woman in your life....... get a 700x45c Pen** in less than a week!

 

[ufkacbln]

Or going into the chemist.....

A pack of 3 please 555-32 !

 

[Fnaar]

<Rockets past on 28" wheeled roadster>

As if.

Small fry:

 

[ccj]

I think that this is the result of people's or society's general tendency to reject things that are out of the ordinary.
....

From our experience holidaying with folders (305mm wheels) I'd say "is the result of British people's or British society's general tendency to reject things that are out of the ordinary."

We're currently on holiday & have had 99% positive comments from Europeans, Americans, etc..

In the UK comments are generally positive, only (> 1 obviously) adolescents making the occasional muffled negative comment.

 

[Tynan]

I usually pass a couple of folders on my commute and they really tear along, no idea what the gearing is like but they're patently not slow in the hands of a decent rider

 

[Zoiders]

I usually pass a couple of folders on my commute and they really tear along, no idea what the gearing is like but they're patently not slow in the hands of a decent rider

Fecking huge chain ring

Its simple maths and ratios

You can make twenty go as fast as a 27, it just wont be as comfy as a more flexy long spoked wheel, hence the full sus om moultons

 

[ccj]

and they really tear along, no idea what the gearing is like but they're patently not slow in the hands of a decent rider

We used to ride full sized bikes, but neither of us could say our bikes fitted us properly, particularly my wife's. I bought her a fairly dear one, but never having found a really competent LBS, didn't think that even that one was the right size.

We like to take our own bikes on holiday with us, & the rack on the car was often a pain. A couple of years ago I discovered there were such things as folders, & after some research, bought one weighing 10Kg's, just 1 gear, very simple, British designed & a neat, fast fold.

About a month after buying that, my wife decided it was the best fitting bike she'd ever ridden (we're both about 5' 7") & found it easier all round since she didn't have to worry about complex gears, so I bought another. Since then we've ridden many miles on them. Although only 305mm wheels, we ride light off road as well as tarmac & find them about as comfy as my wife's 26" hybrid bike, but far, far more convenient, & a lot lighter & easier to manoeuvre.

Surprisingly we often pass riders on mountain bikes in spite of only 1 gear (56") so I suspect a lot of mountain bikes are bought where a simpler, lighter bike would do fine.

I've since bought another folder with 406mm wheels, which has an awful fold compared to my first one, is heavier, though still aluminium, but has a Suntour 9 gear derailleur, so for really long runs & up steep hills, is easier & faster than the simpler bike. It's also a bit more comfortable over longer rides, having front & rear suspension, although it's only cheap suspension & is bound to soak up some power input.

Because they fold up so small in comparison to a full size bike, should there be any mechanical problems that can't be fixed at the roadside, folders are much easier to transport via other transport, for example, a taxi, friend's car, bus or train.

I doubt we'll ever get another full size bike again. I'd really like a folding recumbent, as my recumbent (also small wheels) is my most comfy bike, but it's not easy to transport even in a car. There are a very few folding ones, but at eye watering prices!

 

[Zoiders]

Which folder did you buy that is lighter than similar price MTB?

I would guess that you are looking at well over a £1000 before you break the 30 lb mark

My MTB was £300 in a sale (half price) and with rigid forks is lighter than a Brompton or a Moulton

I think you pass a lot of people on MTBs because they persist with knobbly tyres and suspension, and also because you get more miles in and are simply fitter than they are

 

[ccj]

Which folder did you buy that is lighter than similar price MTB?

I would guess that you are looking at well over a £1000 before you break the 30 lb mark

My MTB was £300 in a sale (half price) and with rigid forks is lighter than a Brompton or a Moulton

I think you pass a lot of people on MTBs because they persist with knobbly tyres and suspension, and also because you get more miles in and are simply fitter than they are

http://www.strida.com/

Ours are version 3. The new one is 5.

Because we wanted portability we didn't look at MTB's at all, but your sale one sounds like a really good buy.

I'd say you're spot on there. Even off road, if it's dry, the knobbly tyres are not really necessary, & an awful drag on tarmac. I passed a couple of teenagers on Boxing day, struggling to get up a moderate hill. Their bikes were likely Christmas presents & unless they were persistent, I imagine those bikes are back in the garage - permanently.

 

[ccj]

My MTB was £300 in a sale (half price) and with rigid forks is lighter than a Brompton or a Moulton

I forgot to ask, what make & model is your MTB? I didn't know they were available at such a low weight.

 

[Zoiders]

Its a 5 year old Saracen Killi XC bike

Which has a coke can thin tubing with a humble deore/alivio groupset

£1000 will buy someting far lighter than most folders, a lot of MTBs you see kids on will be cheap full sus catalog bikes that weigh a ton, they are toys, not real MTBs.

 

[RedBike]

At 10kg they will be lighter than most MTBs.
Mine is a Focus Raven and my boyfriends is a Merlin Rock Lobster. Both are light weight xc bikes that cost approx £1k. Both weigh just over 10kg.

Saying that, they're built (and do get ridden) along routes totally unsuitable for a small wheel folder.

 

[summerdays]

I was overtaken by 2 folding bikes yesterday - the first one didn't count because basically he only kept ahead of me as he jumped every red light he could find ....

The second one impressed me and I wanted to keep up to see what else he did - he was bunny hopping up and down kerbs and riding it as if it was a BMX bike (he also looked like he should of been riding a BMX bike). I was impressed that the bike could stand upto that sort of treatment, and go that fast.

 

[ccj]

At 10kg they will be lighter than most MTBs.
Mine is a Focus Raven and my boyfriends is a Merlin Rock Lobster. Both are light weight xc bikes that cost approx £1k. Both weigh just over 10kg.

Saying that, they're built (and do get ridden) along routes totally unsuitable for a small wheel folder.

Both those bikes look nice. I see one quotes weight without pedals, as is sometimes done by folder manufacturers. I've just bought a new pair of MKS folding pedals & they weigh about 1/2 a pound each.

Yes, most folders are only suitable for light to moderate off road riding, but often for a commuter or use on holidays, that capability is important. In fact on our recent holiday we found that we'd have been no better off with MTB's, as a lot of the "interesting" routes had "no bikes" signs :-(

 

[ccj]

...
The second one impressed me and I wanted to keep up to see what else he did - he was bunny hopping up and down kerbs and riding it as if it was a BMX bike (he also looked like he should of been riding a BMX bike). I was impressed that the bike could stand upto that sort of treatment, and go that fast.

Some folders are very robust, & the gear set is designed with the smaller wheels in mind, so similar speeds (depending on the engine of course :-) ) to a 700c should be achievable.

I'm sure many people could benefit from a folding bicycle, but few (including me until 2 years ago) are aware of their existence!

I have a small wheeled (406mm & 305mm) recumbent too, & that too keeps up with big wheeled bikes (biggish gear range though, 3 * 7). I often smile when I think about a ride last year, when I was going at a moderate rate, & a chap overtook me just as I was about to start a hill climb, commenting that I looked nice & relaxed. After about a half mile up the hill, he glanced behind to see I was right behind him, & he was clearly surprised by this!