Folding bikes

[westhinder]

I would just say that if you are keeping them on the boat, do as I did, which is give them a proper wash once a year and protect with something like WD40 before the off season.

Exactly

 

[Skysail]

Second hand Bromptons are to be had at around £400. My daughter just sold two on ebay.

 

[graham]

Having ridden various folders I would say a second hand brompton would be preferable to a new lesser bike.

A point about wheel size a 20 inch wheel bike can be quite large to stow also can be latge to carry on a bus or train .

The way a brompton folds puts the oily chain inside the fold reducing the chance of you transferring oil to someone elses (or your own) clothing.The 16 inch brompton wheels and clever folding mechanism make it considerably smaller when folded.

A brompton is very stable at speed ,I have had some scary speed wobbles on other makes.

Having said all that there are lighter alluminium alloy bikes available which may be easier for pulling out of lockers and on and off the boat ,if your not doing big mileage or want to go fast most bikes will do the job.

 

[Daydream believer]

A brompton is very stable at speed ,I have had some scary speed wobbles on other makes.

I like the brakes. I was coming down the steep hill into St Peter Port on my old folder whilst going quite quick & had an awful shock when the brakes could not stop me at one of the bends. I managed to run off into the drive of a house.
My Brompton stops the bike very well so fast down hills are a lot safer.

 

[Momac]

I have Bickerton folding bikes which are good quality .

 

[HenrikH]

I like to travel light, just a foldable scooter for shopping and and pick-up. When swimbo wants to extend shore reach we rent or at times get free use bikes from the marina. Saves storage.

 

[Kelpie]

As has been said already, it all depends on space, budget, and use.

We picked up a couple of dirt cheap Apollo bikes. Mine has 16" wheels, steel frame, and no gears. But it cost £40 and it's done really well. I use one of those old granny shopping trollies as a trailer and can shift a serious quantity of shopping.

Our cycle trips are always constrained by the top speed and range of our son so I think fancy bikes would have been a bit of a waste.

 

[ImpImp]

The point is that you can stick the battery in when abroad. If it does not have any battery it is not electrically powered. One would be perfectly justified in using the argument in court; If pressed. I am sure that any sensible judge would accept the argument, if one explained the policy.
Of course some smart a.se would use the analogy of a gun not being a gun without the trigger mechanism. But in law it might still be considered a gun

It would be but that is because of the specific wording for firearms legislation that also covers parts.

 

[Daydream believer]

It would be but that is because of the specific wording for firearms legislation that also covers parts.

But the point being that an electric bike, by definition , might be expected to include the battery. However, one might ask if that has been legislated for or tested in law. I do not know, or need to know. I only made the suggestion because a scooter folds up nicely.
One may fit well in a smaller boat & cost a little less than a folding bike. I was talking to a cycle rental firm in Ostend & was informed that their electric scooters have as much range as their bikes & some go faster-- Without the need for pedalling.
The option of battery out in the UK & battery fitted, in foriegn parts seems a plus to me. Assuming one does that sort of cruising.

Typically electric bikes are heavy & hard to ride when the battery is flat or missing. An advantage of the Brompton is that the Williams designed motor gives virtually zero extra running resistance when no power is supplied to the motor. That means that it can be used as a normal cycle. True it is heavier than a standard Brompton, but still less than, say, my elderly road bike. I sometimes pedal to the club without bothering to fit the battery.

 

[doris]

Many thanks everyone. Loads to think about, much appreciated.

 

[LadyInBed]

Typically electric bikes are heavy & hard to ride when the battery is flat or missing. An advantage of the Brompton is that the Williams designed motor gives virtually zero extra running resistance when no power is supplied to the motor. That means that it can be used as a normal cycle.

My foldup with home converted Bafang crank motor can be set to ' pedal power ' mode to give near zero motor resistance.
Yes it's very heavy, so have ruled it out for use on the boat. I've opted for an electric scooter to take on the boat.

 

[Daydream believer]

My foldup with home converted Bafang crank motor can be set to ' pedal power ' mode to give near zero motor resistance.
Yes it's very heavy, so have ruled it out for use on the boat. I've opted for an electric scooter to take on the boat.

So would yopu use it in the UK without the battery & if stopped by the police ( heaven forbid) would you use the arguement that it could not be electric if there was no battery? Or would your reaction be somewhat different?

 

[st599]

The other problem with electric scooters is that following 2 fires on the underground, they are banned from a lot of public transport including some long distance rail and local busses.

The main problem is that e-bikes are regulated and tested. Non-hire scooters aren't legal, so aren't tested.

Shocking video shows e-scooter on fire with passengers gasping for air on Tube

 

[KompetentKrew]

I think that much of the EU is more enlightened than the UK and they are at least ‘more’ legal.

Depends on the country, I guess. On Reddit's /r/ElectricScooters I believe I have read the account by a Dutch youth of fleeing from the police because they confiscated his last one! He managed to get away because they were in a car and he was using a cycle path.

 

[LadyInBed]

So would yopu use it in the UK without the battery & if stopped by the police ( heaven forbid) would you use the arguement that it could not be electric if there was no battery? Or would your reaction be somewhat different?

I don't use my scooter in the UK as I have my bus pass if I need to go any distance. It gets used in France and Spain where they are more relaxed about their use!
If I did get stopped using it in the UK I would claim that it's my mobility scooter

 

[KompetentKrew]

Second hand Bromptons are to be had at around £400. My daughter just sold two on ebay.

Not often! More usually £500 or £600 for a secondhand Brompton. And up!

You could get two good Dahon Vitesses for £400, if you're patient (or you could 3 or 4 years ago).

In my experience the price of secondhand folding bikes on eBay also depends on the location (and even the time of day). If there's one listed in a location with a small market for folding bikes then you may get a bargain. The London market is very competitive because there's a huge audience within tube distance.

IMO Brompton and Dahon are the two brands to look at for folding pedal bikes, according to your budget. Halfords and Raleigh sometimes rebadge Dahons. Tern is literally Dahon's ex and his son after she got one of his factories in the divorce settlement (he was apparently blindsided, and had expected them to continue running the business together after he signed over the factory). Term's folding bikes are basically the same as Dahon's but more expensive secondhand, but they've now developed a much more significant range of ebikes. Montague make some nice full-sized folders but they don't sell in large numbers (not this side of the Atlantic at least) and they're expensive secondhand; I think their Boston model looks gorgeous and they also now make a stunning full-sized folding ebike. Quality of Decathlon's bikes varies because they're trying to offer something for every price point and their BTWin marque offers similar-looking bikes for £199 and £849. Cheap low-quality bikes are known in the cycling community as "bike shaped objects". If you want to buy an ebike then it makes the question more complicated.

 

[KompetentKrew]

I have Bickerton folding bikes which are good quality .
View attachment 153019

I think this may be a rebadged Dahon Vybe.

The shape / design of the frame looks the same, but to tell for sure you'd look at the hinge / latch. Dahon's latch is (was?) patented, good quality and quite recognisable.

 

[Momac]

They are certainly similar looking to Dahon
Not portable in the same way as a Brompton . But two of them fit nicely in our lazarette

 

[ylop]

So for me, for now, a bicycle is a better bet, but the day e scooters become legal here, or if I move somewhere they already are, I’d be first in the queue to get one.

I'm in that camp too! In fact I'd get two! The change is very slowly in the pipeline but obviously nobody has oiled the right parts of the government machinery to make it quicker. Expect the price to rocket when they do get approved - but no idea what the rules might be so speculative purchase now seems unwise.

The fines are pretty paltry, though liability in the case of an accident wouldn’t be, and I think in some circumstances you can get a chunk of points on your driving license.

Its inconsistently applied, but usually its fined as driving without insurance, £300, 6pts, and the scooter gets confiscated and of course your car insurance goes up (insurers hate that offence - and are pretty automated in how they deal with it). If you are doing something stupid (like actually have a collision on a pavement they will add other offences too.

The other problem with electric scooters is that following 2 fires on the underground, they are banned from a lot of public transport including some long-distance rail and local busses.

Feels like there's a need for a suitable bag if that's your preferred mode of transport.

 

[st599]

Feels like there's a need for a suitable bag if that's your preferred mode of transport.

Not sure putting them in a bag will help.