New - Bike Suggestion?

[CopperCyclist]

In terms of carrying a folding bike in a car... I don't know how big your car is but if it's a small city car, I've found it not as easy as carrying a suitcase. My Brompton won't fit comfortably in the boot of my Nissan Micra (engine size 1.0). My car may be one of the smallest of all city cars but the Brompton has the smallest folded size of its kind. I expected it to fit into my car easily but apparently it won't. It somehow fits behind the driver seat but it's because I'm a very small person and the seat is pushed forward more than the normal person would do. Obviously it can be carried on the back seat easily with any car though - but you might still have to struggle with lifting it up and squeezing it into the back seat if it's a 3 door car.

On this side of things I'll throw up a counterpoint... if you're thinking of a folder just so you can put it in the car for ease of transport for casual riding, you may not need to. I have a Mazda 3, which is a very 'normal' sized hatchback. I can transport either my cyclocross, or my MTB (not both together) easily, without removing any wheels by putting the seats down.

Obviously this means not being able to use the back seats, but if it's only to transport me and the bike to a park this wouldn't be a problem.

So depending on what car you have, you may not need a folder, which leaves the world of cheap bikes from EBay or even Halfords open to you as a starting point to see if you get into it...

 

[summerdays]

The geometry and wheel size does make folding bikes feel more ... er twitchy?

 

[vickster]

I too put the bike in the boot (VW Golf, I have to take the wheels off both the hybrid and road bike) but I have to say hoofing a full size bike in and out of a car can be awkward especially of not the biggest or strongest. A more 'normal' folder will be easier. However, it's easier still to ride to the park

 

[casualcyclist]

Thanks again, all.

It's really interesting and helpful to see all the different viewpoints. This will take a lot of thought, but I've got a couple of bikes in mind so I just need to work out how much I want to spend.

 

[vickster]

I can recommend trying some of the local Skyrides next summer once you are comfortable. A good way to meet other cyclists at a leisurely and unpressured pace, there are women only ones too I have one booked for Jan and one for Feb, must be mad

http://www.goskyride.com/SkyRideLocal

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

I would say the Dahon Espresso is a more normal bike for tootling around the park as opposed to the more traditional 'brompton style' folding bikes

+1.

I have a Dahon Jack, which is similar to the Espresso. it feels and handles no different to any full sized hybrid (which it is when unfolded). The other thing is that the Espresso appears to come with Schwlabe Big Apple 2.0 tyres, which are probably the best tyres money can buy for smoothing out potholes on roads or undulations on canal paths etc.

IMHO you will lose around the same amount of money whether you sell a used Dahon Espresso or a £150 when new small wheel folder, because the resale value of the latter is generally pretty low, which might make them a good choice for secondhand buy, but they are different horses for different courses.