Advice on long distance fold up bike needed

citizenx13

citizenx13

citizenx13

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Joined
23 Jun 2010
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Greetings and salutations.

I was wondering if I could ask for some advice, I am looking to start cycling to work, a journey that will take around 60 minutes according to the Internets.
This means I will be in the market for a bike but there is a twist, if for some reason I need to take the tube back home I would need it to fold up in a way, now I don’t think one of those small wheeled bikes would be adequate for such a long journey but I am happy to be convinced otherwise.

No idea on a budget, £200 enough? Happy to invest in quality.

Anyone have any thoughts to share?

Thank you in advance.
 
If for some reason you need to tube back, just make sure your normal sized bike is locked up properly and go back to work next day via tube again?

Why compromise for a 'what if', unless it's a regular occurrance?
 
How long is the journey in miles?

Folding bikes need to be stronger than standard bikes and so are generally much heavier and the less you spend the heavier it's going to be.

If you are thinking about bringing it home on the train then look into the rules your train service use, many have a wheel size limit that they use to say whether a bike can be carried or not; i.e. you can take a folder on the train but it must have wheels smaller than 16". Those figures are just plucked from my head, not any actual rules.

Don't dismiss small wheeled bikes; Brompton market a number of their configurations as 'Touring' bikes and they are supposed to be very comfortable with the appropriate suspension blocks.

As a standard I'd always suggest a Brompton although you can equally good models from other manufacturers. I just like Brompton. They start at about £800 and retain their value in the second hand market (a 5 year old model could go for £400-600 depending on configuration).

Another option, but much more expensive is the Airnimal range which perform almost as well as full size bikes. Don't expect much of a discount on these second hand either, used ones are as rare as hen's teeth.

Unfortunately, at the cheaper end of the market i can't see anything to recommend, especially if you are looking at spending two hours per day in the saddle. Just as I wouldn't recommend a £100 MTB from Tesco I can't recommend a cheap folder.
 
Guys thank you so much, i have found a folder on ebay for £85 (£199 new) see how it works out. it has mountain bike tires but its a tester to see if i am man enough to pull this off.

meant to be a work out and will be 8 miles.

will see how it goes, if i really like it and is a safe journey i will in a few months upgrade and invest in a better bike :)

thank you again for your input
 
citizenx13 said:
meant to be a work out and will be 8 miles.
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8 miles wont take you 60mins.
Even with lots of junctions, traffic lights, etc i wouldnt expect it to take over 45 mins. Probably nearer 35.

Is that a new bike for £85? Stay well clear. Even a second hand folding bike for £85 probably isnt in great shape. Also, avoid mountainbike tyres, they are much harder to pedal on roads.
 
the bike is £200 new, and i can invest in road tires i cant imagine them being that expensive. this is a tester to be honest to see if i can pull it off will take a weekend or two to try the routes time myself and take it from there, yes i could just borrow a bike but £85 is not the end of the world and i will have a bike, i will be picking it up so will test ride it. the rout planner does say 45min but i always give myself some extra time :)

thank you again for the input, it is really helpful :D
 
citizenx13 said:
the bike is £200 new, and i can invest in road tires i cant imagine them being that expensive. this is a tester to be honest to see if i can pull it off will take a weekend or two to try the routes time myself and take it from there, yes i could just borrow a bike but £85 is not the end of the world and i will have a bike, i will be picking it up so will test ride it. the rout planner does say 45min but i always give myself some extra time :)

thank you again for the input, it is really helpful :D
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Personally I'd rather have the £85 at hand to top into the bike fund for something at least intermediate level, so it gives room for expanding your cycling bug. Last thing you want is getting one and then soon after eyeing another.

Selling an intermediate one is also, IMO, easier than a basic entry bike as people looking for those generally go for new ones anyway.
 
You'll struggle to get a decent folding bike for £200.

The £85 folder on eBay sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen, good luck!
 
Vonhelmet said:
8 miles shouldn't take more than 40 minutes, and £200 would be better spent I a second hand low end road bike.
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He needs the option to carry it on the tube which rules out a road bike.

He's bought a cheap folder to try out, and may purchase a better bike in the future if everything goes to plan.
 
Indeed, but the worry is that a cheap bike puts him off because it's bad to ride. At that price point you're well within "get what you pay for" territory and £85 is not a lot for any bike, let alone a folding bike.
 
Vonhelmet said:
Indeed, but the worry is that a cheap bike puts him off because it's bad to ride. At that price point you're well within "get what you pay for" territory and £85 is not a lot for any bike, let alone a folding bike.
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Absolutely, my mate's £150 mountain bike (brand new) literally fell apart beneath him.
 
You've probably bought something already but I'll add this. I don't think you'll like riding a Brompton for 8 miles. They are squirelly and unstable in my opinion and I didn't like the way it rode. I had one on loan on a try-before-you buy scheme for 3 months and tried it on my 4-mile commute and a load of trips into London. In terms of folding ability and convenience (for use with the train) it is simply unbeatable, but I couldn't get on with the way it rode. I've heard the Dahons are a lot more stable but, obviously, it's at the expense of folding ability.

Don't let the small wheels put you off. I've got a couple of small-wheel bikes and they are perfectly stable. With the right gearing and saddle, they'd be fine for doing 8 miles on.

My personal opinion is you'd be better off with a conventional bike and some good locks that you can leave at your destination. That way you can leave it there safely and come back for it later.
 
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