colonel
New Member
A random wander from a newbie who is quite excited about a new bike. And just to see others personal experience.
I haven’t bought a folding bike before. Scratch that, I haven’t bought a bike for 20 years. But I love riding, so why now ? An attempt to get fitter, and a plan to at least partially cycle to work.
The choice came down to between an electric mtb or hybrid and a folding bike. Seems funny. On the one hand, I have an 11 mile trip to work. For most of you guys that is nothing, but for me, especially through busy London, it is quite intimidating. I figured that if I became tired at least the motor would help me to complete the trip. On the other hand, I’m a geek, and love gadgets.
The issue is that electric bikes are heavy. I ended up looking at light ones, like the Whyte Rheo, Trek FX and Specialized Vado SL. The other issue is that you need somewhere to park them outside. Carrying a heavy lock for a trip to a museum on Sunday and worrying about the bike is one issue. Not being able to chuck it into the car without a bike rack sticking out, which is itself still a theft risk, is another. The plus point is a comfortable stable ride, and long distance comfort. Plus they look cooler ….
On the folding bike side it came down to a Cube Fold 500, a lovely folding electric bikes, and for the same price, a non-electric g-line. The Cube is not light at 21lbs, but is lighter then most electric bikes and is foldable and chuckable in the back of a car.
In fact, that really swung it. Being able to take the bike into the office and put below my desk, pop out and take into the pub under the table, and mostly, chuck into the boot of the car. Whilst my wife spends time on her flea markets on the weekend, I can go for a ride. Marital harmony …..:
I chose the g-line ultimately for the weight, the fact that at the end of the day, I am not riding all the time and exercise on a electric bike might be low, and a nod towards resale value.
Ok so now I have it. This bike is unexpectedly robust. The folding mechanism is cool - but does need a few days of practise to get smooth. The ride is stable and smooth, but has that bmx nimble feeling with the small 20” wheels.
It is permanently in the boot of the car during the weekend. It fits in the luggage rack on the train, so I can partially drive into work a few days a week.
What has surprised me is how easy it is to ride, and how little effort. That is the elephant in the room. The weight really does matter. Forget it’s a foldable, just having the low weight means that long distances are easy. The design is also comfortable, from the shape of the grips to the seat and peddles, it’s made for regular riding.
I do have complaints. The accessories are Monopoly money! £50 for a phone holder that’s would be £5 on amazon. The 1-2 year service cost just to dunk the hub gears in oil is also worth it, but a Netflix subscription cost !! I guess that is required for all hub gear bikes.
It was nerve wracking making the decision. It’s a lot of money, and Brompton or not, you loose a lot on the first day, but I can say that I am happy with the choice. In a teenage kind of way.
I haven’t bought a folding bike before. Scratch that, I haven’t bought a bike for 20 years. But I love riding, so why now ? An attempt to get fitter, and a plan to at least partially cycle to work.
The choice came down to between an electric mtb or hybrid and a folding bike. Seems funny. On the one hand, I have an 11 mile trip to work. For most of you guys that is nothing, but for me, especially through busy London, it is quite intimidating. I figured that if I became tired at least the motor would help me to complete the trip. On the other hand, I’m a geek, and love gadgets.
The issue is that electric bikes are heavy. I ended up looking at light ones, like the Whyte Rheo, Trek FX and Specialized Vado SL. The other issue is that you need somewhere to park them outside. Carrying a heavy lock for a trip to a museum on Sunday and worrying about the bike is one issue. Not being able to chuck it into the car without a bike rack sticking out, which is itself still a theft risk, is another. The plus point is a comfortable stable ride, and long distance comfort. Plus they look cooler ….
On the folding bike side it came down to a Cube Fold 500, a lovely folding electric bikes, and for the same price, a non-electric g-line. The Cube is not light at 21lbs, but is lighter then most electric bikes and is foldable and chuckable in the back of a car.
In fact, that really swung it. Being able to take the bike into the office and put below my desk, pop out and take into the pub under the table, and mostly, chuck into the boot of the car. Whilst my wife spends time on her flea markets on the weekend, I can go for a ride. Marital harmony …..:
I chose the g-line ultimately for the weight, the fact that at the end of the day, I am not riding all the time and exercise on a electric bike might be low, and a nod towards resale value.
Ok so now I have it. This bike is unexpectedly robust. The folding mechanism is cool - but does need a few days of practise to get smooth. The ride is stable and smooth, but has that bmx nimble feeling with the small 20” wheels.
It is permanently in the boot of the car during the weekend. It fits in the luggage rack on the train, so I can partially drive into work a few days a week.
What has surprised me is how easy it is to ride, and how little effort. That is the elephant in the room. The weight really does matter. Forget it’s a foldable, just having the low weight means that long distances are easy. The design is also comfortable, from the shape of the grips to the seat and peddles, it’s made for regular riding.
I do have complaints. The accessories are Monopoly money! £50 for a phone holder that’s would be £5 on amazon. The 1-2 year service cost just to dunk the hub gears in oil is also worth it, but a Netflix subscription cost !! I guess that is required for all hub gear bikes.
It was nerve wracking making the decision. It’s a lot of money, and Brompton or not, you loose a lot on the first day, but I can say that I am happy with the choice. In a teenage kind of way.
