Folding bikes

[jimriley]

I have a 5 speed hub Brompton, fitted a woosh kit last year. Riden in all sorts of places, canal towpaths , tracks when dry ish.
I used to have a Bickerton bendy bike, now that was a strange beast, light, but flexible!

 

[WheezyRider]

I have a 5 speed hub Brompton, fitted a woosh kit last year. Riden in all sorts of places, canal towpaths , tracks when dry ish.
I used to have a Bickerton bendy bike, now that was a strange beast, light, but flexible!

12 inch front wheel, the bike sounded like a creaking camp bed on each revolution of the crank...and felt just as sturdy!

But yes, very light weight and the handlebars on it were amazing, gave you so much control.

 

[Deleted member 16246]

Anyone tried a Strida folding bike?



Belt driven, small wheels and folds up into about the size of a golf bag.

I have a clone version in the shed. I never rode it much because it was a bit of a pig. Way worse than the Brompton and about as expensive for the real one. I found the best use of mine when I went walking on the Camino de Santiago in Spain with my lady love. She just could not reduce her luggage to what she could carry and I knew I was going to end up carrying for her, so I figured I could use the Strida clone like a little donkey to put our bags on and just push it along. It was easy to stash it in the plane's baggage compartment, and it served its purpose very well.



We walked a hundred miles with this outfit and I actually rode it down some of the slopes. Couldn't pedal it with all this stuff on it though

 

[StuartsProjects]

I used to have a Bickerton bendy bike, now that was a strange beast, light, but flexible!

Do you mean the one with the shock absorbing handlebars ?

If so I had one of those, if you hit a small obstacle or pothole the handlebars would shift forwards to compensate ................

 

[StuartsProjects]

it takes a couple of hours to get used to the Brompton because it's so nimble

As memory serves, when I first road a Brompton, it just seemd normal.

But then I was able to ride a unicycle for a couple of miles back then.

 

[WheezyRider]

Do you mean the one with the shock absorbing handlebars ?

If so I had one of those, if you hit a small obstacle or pothole the handlebars would shift forwards to compensate ................

No shocks, but this:

 

[WheezyRider]

No shocks, but this:

View attachment 57362

Here's a better picture, to really give you the feel for 70s styling:

 

[StuartsProjects]

Here's a better picture, to really give you the feel for 70s styling:

View attachment 57363

Yep, had one of them.

Used to use it for walks annd kayaking trips in the 80s when the was only two of us and one car.

Stash it at the end of the trip and then use it to cycle back to the start to pick up the car.

 

[guerney]

To disguise my 20" Wheeled Dahon Helios P8 Bafang "250W" mid-drive BBS01B converted folding bike, in order to enter shops (and banks) which don't have shopping trolleys, I bought a Dahon El Bolso Bag. They cost more new than I paid for my bike pre-conversion. Plus taxes delivery etc.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dahon-Bolso-Carry-Size-Fits/dp/B004XWDJ36/

Why is that dude earing high heels?

I bought mine secondhand on ebay via very cheeky lowball ofer, in very good condition aside from a bit of mud. Virtually unused, but the "one time" it had been used, it had been muddy out. This is before I gave it a quick machine wash, to get rid of the godawful guffy smell:





It's bloody gigantic, but only weighs about 700 grams and packs reasonably small. The bag arrived with a second slightly less gigantic drawstringed orange bag, with a small slit over the top - I guess it's a rain cover for the bike, before it's put into the larger bag, the top slit being for the saddle to poke out of. Or something.

Trouble is, I have to find a safe spot free of muggers (yet close to shops and banks) to disembark, lay the bag on the ground, remove the bike battery, place the battery and my helmet into a rucksack, fold the bike, then roll and lift the bike into the bag, so I can pick it up and look like a right t*t like the smug berk photographed above, minus the heels. Might be tricky to carry between narrow shopping aisles, will see how it goes. Can deffo do the bank, derestrict for a faster getaway. Will avoid bollards when chased by the rozzers As you know, cops don't kill ebikers, bollards do.