What to buy ?

[border-rider]

I know we've done this before but let's do it again anyway

I've got a green light for a Brommie replacement.  Now, I love the Brommie but I seem to rip through frame hinge bearings apace and I'd also like something a bit less...agricultural

It needs to fold reasonably small and be well-made and not too heavy.  Got to be able to take it on a train etc.  SS would do, gears would be nice.  Fixed would be ideal

[LEE]

May be nice to convert a lightweight Dahon into a S/S.  I'm sort of looking at Dahons (sort of looking = I have no need for a folder but really want one and Bromtons are too expensive) and they seem to get decent reviews about their handling.

How much do you reckon you could shave of this?

Super Mu

[mike]

there is a fixed Friday: Travel bicycles by Bike Friday, manufacturer of high performance folding bicycles and folding bike accessories. (not sure if it still folds though..)

[border-rider]

I really like the look of the Dahons, and Sam W reported on his extra-light single speed one in the old place

But I've heard Bad Things about how they stand up to thrashing (given that I can destroy a Brommie this may be an issue) and I was distinctly unimpressed when Mrs MV's brother's Dahon cracked within a year.

The Bike Friday looks wonderous but may not fold too small; I've also got my eye on an Airnimal Joey as they make a hub-geared version and (when I spoke to them at last year's Cycle) they reckoned they could supply one without the gears'n'stuff and let me do the rest.  Again, dunno how small it folds though.  And the requirement to remove the front wheel puts me off.  Too much faff when it is wet and muddy, and probably precludes the use of guards.

[Wowbagger]

I haven't seen Woollypigs' Dahon, but it served him well in the Pyrenees and, let's face it, he's not the tiniest of chaps. It sounds like a great machine performance-wise, but what will it be like after he's got 5000 miles out of it?

I don't suppose I will ever get 5000 miles out of the Brompton. Although three years ago it was my only bike, now it's the least ridden of all my active steeds. I don't get 10 miles per month out of it.

[LEE]

The Dahons seem, after doing some reading, about the best price/performance available.  The Speed D7 can be had for £199 new and that seems like a useful bike for the money (at the expense of a bigger folded lump than a Brompton).

My idea of a folder is a bike that lives in the boot of my car rather than something that needs to go on the Tube so I can live with the bigger lump and have, I think, a bike that may be more rideable.  Having said that I have only ridden a Bromton 50 yards and I have never ridden a Dahon so I don't really know if that's true, just what I've read.

[gordon taylor]

May I join in?

Anyone got an opinion of the Dahon Curve D3? I'm going to buy Mrs G a folder for her birthday - she's tiny and the thing will do little mileage. I think a hub-geared-16-inch machine will do fine.

The Dahon Vitesse with a 7 speed hub is the other option, but is much more expensive.

[border-rider]

The Dahons seem, after doing some reading, about the best price/performance available.  The Speed D7 can be had for £199 new and that seems like a useful bike for the money (at the expense of a bigger folded lump than a Brompton).

Mrs MV's brother had a slightly dearer one.  It rode well, but the quality of some of the componentry was shocking and my experience of the sheer unmitigated difficulty of doing a frame transplant has put me right off (budget) Dahons.   Simple things like putting in a new BB.  Impossible if the BB threads aren't cut properly

[bikenerd]

A Mike Burrows designed folder:
Giant Halfway
Pig ugly, though!

[Si]

I converted an airnimal chameleon to SS and the ride was fantastic.  Getting it down to around 20lb isn't difficult, handling is better than any other folder I've tried and comfort is excellent.  Will take mud guards and a proper rack.

Folding wise it ain't never going to beat a Brommie (what 'rideable' bike is?) but it will go small enough for everyday train commuting - I took mine on a stop at everystation sardine tin without any more troubles than I encountered with my Birdy.

I've seen one that has been fixed and it looked good.  Indeed, with the small wheels you feel real macho when you show people the size of your chain ring

[gordon taylor]

I've just ordered a 2007 model Dahon Curve D3 from Winstanleys with £105 (30%) off RRP and free delivery.
It's pink. 


I hope she likes it.

[Frenchie]

My Dahon is geared. I have ridden it a fair bit; it has travelled. And it still is okay after 15 months. I bought my Helios P8 (P is for premium and corresponds to a finish level which I found rather good) in a sale at under £400 and for that value it's proven trully superb, considering what it came equipped with. The ride is good and the frame stiff enough for be to climb in the LD on it. I also use it for work, taking the train to meet with technical customers for example and riding back home in the evening. I cannot praise it highly enough in fact!

[Torslanda]

Regarding fixed. Didn't a certain Mr Gates of this parish build a fixed/folder?

Did he get rid of it? ISTR he only binned it cos its tyres kept going flat.

[alan]

Consider a Trek F400.
Marj had one a couple of years ago & when I tried it I was so impressed that I bought another for myself.

[bikenerd]

Just to resurrect the thread: I had a chance to ride a Birdy last weekend.  I've always admired the Birdies from an engineering point of view, as they seem to be designed as a folding Moulton. 
The ride was very smooth but also had a positive pedalling action.  However, the position felt very upright, with a very short (effective) top tube.  There may be some way around this, adding a stem or changing the settings.
The fold was not too small, nowhere near as compact as a Brompton.  It basically folds in two and the handlebars fold down.  It was light enough to carry, however.
Would I buy one?  If I needed a folder I'd certainly look at one again.

[Ian H]

I recently bought a second-hand Airnimal Joey. It's a very simple folder, and the front wheel is something separate to carry, but it rides well. Mine needs a few things sorting out but, generally, the thing looks well-made.

[Si]

Just to resurrect the thread: I had a chance to ride a Birdy last weekend.  I've always admired the Birdies from an engineering point of view, as they seem to be designed as a folding Moulton. 
The ride was very smooth but also had a positive pedalling action.  However, the position felt very upright, with a very short (effective) top tube.  There may be some way around this, adding a stem or changing the settings.
The fold was not too small, nowhere near as compact as a Brompton.  It basically folds in two and the handlebars fold down.  It was light enough to carry, however.
Would I buy one?  If I needed a folder I'd certainly look at one again.

Mine has the comfort stem - I swapped this for a tapered tube (£10 inc p&p from Blackdog).  This tube just goes into the bottom part of the stem and is held in place by the QR. The top part of the tube is 1.1/8th so can take a normal stem.  Thus you can set the height right down and get it well stretched out.   

Also has the advantage that when folding you can pull the stem out and tuck it into the middle of the folded bike, thus making it smaller, especially if, like me, you use bar ends.

I also found that using harder elastometers (approx £20 from AVC) makes it feel much faster without sacrificing too much comfort.

[oncemore]

NOT one of these! Ticks none of your boxes, MV, but for fifty quid (2nd hand but never ridden) it was excellent when I took it to France in the back of the car for its holidays!

[border-rider]

I've got the offer of an Airnimal Chameleon, which I am very seriously considering

It's a bit OTT for hacking to the station/round London on, but I might just put a SS back wheel on the old Brommie for that.  It looks like a damn good bike though.

[Blah]

The Moulton you're about to become the owner of is also a folder of sorts. If a quick fold is a requirement, keep looking though ;-)

[border-rider]

I figured...

[Si]

I've got the offer of an Airnimal Chameleon, which I am very seriously considering

Just make sure that it's got the new design seat mast 

[Ian H]

I've got the offer of an Airnimal Chameleon, which I am very seriously considering

Just make sure that it's got the new design seat mast 

I intend to have a chat to Mr Loke at the cycle show, if you want me to ask anything specific.

[border-rider]

I've got the offer of an Airnimal Chameleon, which I am very seriously considering

Just make sure that it's got the new design seat mast 

Why....

?

I know v little about them.

[border-rider]

I've got the offer of an Airnimal Chameleon, which I am very seriously considering

Just make sure that it's got the new design seat mast 

I intend to have a chat to Mr Loke at the cycle show, if you want me to ask anything specific.

I'm almost thinking of making the trek just to see what's new in the foldy world.  And to ogle, of course

(yes I know. sorry)