Folding bike for the boat - recommendations?

[GrahamP]

I am considering options for a second hand folding bike to take on my yacht.
Have seen a second hand Windward folding bike for sale. No reviews found online. Does anyone have any knowledge of this model of bike?

I am looking for a budget option which rules out a Brompton? Any recommendations?

Many thanks,
Graham

 

[Deleted member 478]

Don't.

Bikes get used for the first few weeks, then never again, just taking up valuable storage space that other things that never get used could have been stored in.

 

[Sandy]

I am about to post the sale of two unknown, but not Bromptons, folding bikes in the For Sale sub-forum. I prefer to walk than cycle and they came with the boat but never used. Before I do I need to check them out as they have been in the shed for a couple of years.

 

[Concerto]

Don't.

Bikes get used for the first few weeks, then never again, just taking up valuable storage space that other things that never get used could have been stored in.

I bought my folding electric bike whilst in Lerwick, having not been on a bike for over 10 years. Yet by the time I sailed back to Kent, I had ycled 350 miles and visited many places I would never have visited even if I had tried by public transport.

GrahamP, the difference between an electric bike and a manual bike is chalk and cheese. When looking at either ensure you do not buy a steel framed bike as this will start rusting. Ensure it has an alloy frame. Certain parts will steel like the gears and chain, but these are cheap to replace. Try looking for a Bickerton as these are almost completely alloy.

If you consider a new electric bike then avoid the cheap Chinese ones as they are difficult to get any parts for and cycle shops will not touch them. I chose a British built one with dealers all over the UK who will look after it for me. This is the brand I bought and can thoroughly recommend them.
Electric Bikes | Volt e-Bike Range

 

[Plum]

I am considering options for a second hand folding bike to take on my yacht.
Have seen a second hand Windward folding bike for sale. No reviews found online. Does anyone have any knowledge of this model of bike?

I am looking for a budget option which rules out a Brompton? Any recommendations?

Many thanks,
Graham

An excellent idea . I always take my folding bike on board and use it a lot when visiting places. I can't recommend a particular budget option because I have a brompton which i bought second hand and have never regretted the extra cost due to its compact folded size and it's a pleasure to ride. If looked after, it does not rust despite its steel frame. It lives on a shelf.


Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[LadyInBed]

First decide where you will be keeping it on the boat and access to it. The fold-up I have is too large, which makes it difficult to maneuver into the fore cabin. I now use an electric scooter on the boat.
As suggested, the Brompton is a good choice, an electric one is bloody expensive so if you're not very fit and need electric then think about 2nd hand non electric and a conversion kit, not a difficult DIY job. I bought a conversion kit for my fold-up which I now use at home a hell of a lot more than I used to.

 

[arcot]

D a h o n

 

[thinwater]

I am considering options for a second hand folding bike to take on my yacht.
Have seen a second hand Windward folding bike for sale. No reviews found online. Does anyone have any knowledge of this model of bike?

I am looking for a budget option which rules out a Brompton? Any recommendations?

Many thanks,
Graham

The budget option is to fit a bike rack and take the one you have, until you decide if you will use a bike. Unless the weather is quite severe, a rack is quite secure (works at 100km/hr and on bad roads!).

 

[KompetentKrew]

I used mine a lot until it was nicked. ?

Best bang for the buck is a secondhand Dahon Vitesse with the Shimano Nexus hub gears - these retailed for £550 or £600 and you can pick them up for less than £200 if you're patient (but £250 or even a little more is still a fair price).

Avoid the ones with the Sturmey Archer hub gears.

 

[Neeves]

I now use an electric scooter on the boat.

Most of us have quite small yachts - what size is yours that you need a scooter. .

Jonathan

 

[Irish Rover]

I bought 3 folding bikes from Decathlon in 2018. We use them on the boat for a few months each summer then a good wash, oil and store in the shed for the rest of the year. Still good for another few seasons at least so I reckon they were good value.

 

[dgadee]

We used Bromptons in France, Spain and Italy where there were bike paths for exercise and infrequent road use (me, not the mate). The problems with bikes are (i) storing, so Bromptons are best (ii) drivers in Europe. I originally bought a Dahon but it was just too big and awkward so I sold it on.

 

[Daydream believer]

I have 2 brompton e bikes on board & they cost more than the van I take them to the boat in But they are brilliant. The improvement over the old ones is unmeasurable.
However, It depends on the intended use- By that I mean shopping trips or extended touring. I wonder if a folding electric scooter with decent sized wheels might be the answer. These can be used legally in most places on the continent & can have a 60 Km range. In the UK one can just remove the battery & scoot them. (Or otherwise if no one is looking)
They are good for carrying cans of fuel or large shopping bags to the boat because one can place them on the footboard & walk along with little load. One cannot do this very easily on a cycle. They can go in a shopping trolley when shopping. In spite of the you tube adverts I have never managed very well with my Brompton in shops. I tend to ask if I can leave it behind the counter.

When buying a new bike be prepared to fork out £120 for a couple of cables & a decent lock. The cables to go through the saddle & front wheel & the lock to fit to a secure point. Also consider that they are heavy. One might say that is not necessary But I have forked out £3k each for my bikes

One final point, if you do go down the electric bike route as suggested above. Many household policies have indemnity policies for accidents away from home. Ie my wife can belt someone with a golf ball if she wants (me for instance) & the insurance covers her. However, if she has the wherewithall to cause an accident with her Brompton she is not covered for the electric bike. Only a normal one. I had to take out additional insurance for that. It was only £11-00 Pa extra per bike, but, in my opinion, necessary. Adding to home insurance for boaters is the cheapest option, as separate bike insurance can be £100 plus

 

[Simon 420]

Depends on your storage space. On our MOBO we have a large lazarette which accommodates two Dahon Jack folding mountain bikes with full 26 inch wheels. They are great for exploring, particularly riding on bridleways and off road where smaller wheeled bikes would have you over the handlebars in no time. It opens up an exploring window of about 10 miles radius from wherever we are moored and we use them a lot. Bought them from eBay second hand cost about £150 each

 

[dgadee]

I was told never to lock up the Bromptons. Take them with you - including in the shopping trolley. It's too easy to get them stolen.

 

[Blueboatman]

I was told never to lock up the Bromptons. Take them with you - including in the shopping trolley. It's too easy to get them stolen.

This is as ever the big bugbear , as with unattended spiffy dinghies ..

A ( heavy ) decent D lock and chain /cable and sensible attachment /cctv location , as ever , helps .

Matt black paint funnily enough makes nice bikes stand out less than bright colours but you could argue that one either way too !
If -say- one chooses to go into a drinking establishment it is well worth locking a folded bike to the table frame , seriously . You only need to nip to the loo while your mate nips up to the bar for a round and .. whoosh , gone
I would say @ Brompton it may be the bike you like enough to use at home as well as sailing
I see now you can rent them in London
Def worth organising a test drive from a bicycle shop of a leccy /non leccy model too if curious about their cost /value/usefulness to you ..

 

[dgadee]

I brought one home off the boat (it's in Greece where roads are killers) and have just attached an electric hub to it. It is brilliant. I brought the 6 gear one home but with the e-hub I never get out of top gear. Plenty enough of exercise for me coming back up the hill home at half power. Cycle path practically all the way from the boat to the flat - I take the longer route for the safety.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

Local transport and walking is more fun for me. Have to much stuff already .

 

[Lightwave395]

Bought my no-name folding bike locally for £10, it had been left in a garden for a year.
Cleaned it up, new cables and chain, adjusted 6 speed gears and off we went.
I used it to get to my boat in Arzal and sail back to Falmouth back in Covid times. You couldn't travel without a 'vehicle' on Brittany Ferries and bizarrely a bike counted as a vehicle. I folded it up and locked it to a bike rack in Roscoff when I got off the ferry and collected it when I returned on my boat.
My boat has a huge cockpit locker where I thought I'd keep it but eventually decided when I got home it was more trouble than it was worth and sold it for £45

I guess I agree with stingo above, I'm glad I never paid much for it

If I think we'll want to go cycling, I now take our 'proper' road bikes which fit nicely across the stern

 

[Irish Rover]

Reading the concerns of other posters about their bikes being nicked makes me glad we bought relative cheapies from Decathlon. We almost never lock our bikes ashore and when we do it's with a cheap chain which could be cut with a good pliers - we lock them when it's windy and there's a risk of them being blown into the sea or the traffic. We've only once had a problem on Paros when some young teens took them late one night to go joy riding. We found them next day within 200 metres of the boat.