Folding Bikes

[Sammy]

Help required,
Anyone use a good folding bike on board that is reasonable to ride and comes at a reasonable price.
I usually carry a mountain bike and dismantle it to stow it away which is a pain,
Thanks in advance

Chris

 

[Mirelle]

Unhelpful answer, I fear.. I

Vice versa - went from folding bike to mountain bike. If you are used to riding a full size bike, then most of the folding ones will irritate you, when you try riding them, more than the irritation of dropping a pair of wheels out of QD hubs to stow the mountain bike does now. There might be a very expensive folder to which this does not apply, but I have not found it.

 

[charles_reed]

Re: Unhelpful answer, I fear.. I

I'd agree with Mirelle.
After one of my two folding bikes was nicked at Pornichet, last year, and I discovered that none of my 4 insurances covered its replacement, I got my son's 531-tube frame out of storage and now use that.
With QR bolts all around it takes very little more time to stow than the folding bike and there is no comparison in use.

All folding bikes are vastly inferior to full-size bikes and, whilst tremendously useful, are a pain (literally) to do any distance. They're also considerably heavier than a good full-size bike.
In fact, their only advantage is that they are relatively more compact when folded.
I had a bag made up for the bike, which fits in with the wheels alongside and the handlebars turned through 90 degrees.

because of the bag, I can stow it on deck, when the aft cabin is occupied.

When I did my survey on folding bikes, I found the di Blasi the closest to a full-size bike for riding, with the Bickerton a very expensive "best" all-rounder.

 

[Guest]

Chris, I'm sure that the other respondants are right in suggesting that a real (non-folding) bike will ride much better than any folder. However, it depends what compromises you are prepared to make. I want to go to the shops or find spares, and to have a bike that does not cost alot and will go into a locker when at sea. We have bought two cheap folders from Force 4 Chandlers @ 89 GBP each. They are fine for our purposes (and I speak as an ex-racing cyclist who regularly
goes off-road on an expensive mountain bike!)