Folding Cycles and their Rider Weight Limits

jesus, why? WHY???!!!

okay i guess can sort of see the point of a folding bike if you're, like, a suit and you want to ride your bike from your fancy house in the suburbs to the train that will take you to your cityboy job in liverpool street. but for a serious cyclist?

teddy, maybe I see what you say on most of these folders, but the Moulton IS for serious cyclists.

1962 Cardiff-London Record

Coventry 1963
[URL="http://www.moultonbicycles.co.uk/images/Coventry.jpg"][/URL]

Tom Simpson 1963 Herne Hill

**Triathlon 1990 **

jesus, why? WHY???!!!

okay i guess can sort of see the point of a folding bike if you're, like, a suit and you want to ride your bike from your fancy house in the suburbs to the train that will take you to your cityboy job in liverpool street. but for a serious cyclist?

Because...

I live in Northampton and work in London, usually 4-5 days a week. Bikes on train rules are arriving in London before 7am and leaving London after 7pm; on anything except folding bikes which are allowed all of the time.

So at the moment it's either the tube or the 06:42 in the morning (only train with bike compartment the whole day!); and earliest train back the 19:13 in the evening.

That be why :)

p.s. I'm not a suit and don't work in Liverpool St, that's Hippy!

jesus, why? WHY???!!!

okay i guess can sort of see the point of a folding bike if you're, like, a suit and you want to ride your bike from your fancy house in the suburbs to the train that will take you to your cityboy job in liverpool street. but for a serious cyclist?
-

lots of us 'serious' cyclists run 6-7 bikes, they all do different stuff, aint no big deal, my Birdy c2w is now running lovely as a s/s 72" gear, 15-20 mile working days are perfect for it with a train journey thrown in here and there, peak time if I need to.

For me its the increased chance on taking one on trips to the mountains etc. While carrying all the stuff the kids need.

I can see it now...
"what do you mean theres no room for the full sus ATB? Dump the pram and we'll make one of those new age baby carrier things out of the car blanket, and that center seat belt we never use, when we get there."

@Archi Pelago. Bet you've become a proper cityboy really ;)

I heard that Brompton race held in the city saw some blistering speeds........
its not the bike that makes a race winner--its the rider.

Suit and pink socks FTW!

@Archi Pelago. Bet you've become a proper cityboy really ;)

Ssshhhh, don't tell anyone...

jesus, why? WHY???!!!

okay i guess can sort of see the point of a folding bike if you're, like, a suit and you want to ride your bike from your fancy house in the suburbs to the train that will take you to your cityboy job in liverpool street. but for a serious cyclist?

Cos I used to live in Chesham and worked in Euston, with trips in the middle of the day to Holborn, Cannon St, on to my girlfriend's at Watford, back to Holborn/Euston the next morning and back home to Chesham the following night. All done on a bicycle, total of probably 130 miles in 2 days. I'm not a cycle courier - that'd all be on top of doing my day-job. I may enjoy cycling but that's more time in the saddle than I had enough spare life to afford.

To an extent, that's true these days. Have friends in Hillingdon and I work in Surrey. You can't take bikes on the tube. What am I to do?

I agree that these bikes aren't for the serious cyclist. But there are times when you're in Place A and Place B you have to get to is too far to cycle and there are restrictions on the train that is between you and there. If it's a choice between a second class ride and a first class walk, I'll compromise on the second class ride.

Besides, riding rubbish bikes makes you appreciate your good bike when you get home again. ;-)

They don't have to be 2nd rate and cost the earth, every year they are getting better and better. With tire and wheel technology light years ahead of what it was 15 years ago for small wheels they really can compete with the 27''ers.
I look forward to the day when they are under 16lbs. and affordable.
If you commute they pay for themselves in no time too.

funny, surely the 'serious' cyclist is one who is prepared to go to the effort of getting a bike sorted for every occasion he/she needs to get somewhere?.
There were loads of 'serious' cyclists out last sunday on I.o.W, all kitted out, 3 grand bikes, weekend warriors,
and slow and unfit as fuck when we went flying past them uphill fixed -lol

Try this type, 72"ftw, 100psi big apple ftr, risers ftf, enough tlas, sweet town ride

Ritchey Break Away FTW.
Bike, Case (700x700x250mm), all my cycling gear (tools, tubes, shoes, helmet etc.) = 10% of my (125kg) bodyweight.

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Although I like this as a town-bike, I think I may save up for a Xootr, due to the larger rider weight limit.

Ritchey Break Away FTW.
Bike, Case (700x700x250mm), all my cycling gear (tools, tubes, shoes, helmet etc.) = 10% of my (125kg) bodyweight.

Velomancer, that Ritchey Breakaway is very tempting. Looks good too.

EDIT:
But what really floats my boat, is the Moulton 50 - all sold out now though, as it was a special edition.

New kid on the block. The MONTAGU Boston (fg/ss) bike.

It doesn't really. Unless you want to get the allen keys out every time you get on a train, to twistify the headstock or take it off altogether, it folds to about the size of a double push-chair. Given how flimsy, ahem, I mean how lightweight most of the components on it are, I'd worry about thread stripping etc.

BUT...

If you do a commute where there aren't too many people to get in the way of and you don't mind a compromise of a bike (it looks a bit like a street bike, it just isn't quite man enough for the job) then it's ok. I wouldn't recommend one to other people, except for very specific journeys. But I wouldn't slate it too badly either. Mine's had getting on for a couple of thousand road miles I reckon, so it can't be THAT bad.

Trouble is, if you're big, the one-size-doesn't-really-fit-all geometry starts to take its toll. About ten miles is my limit for riding on it. Mine gave me terrible trouble with numb-cock after a few miles and stuff like that. Plus I end up with my shoulders dead in line with the front forks, so instead of bumps causing my arms to go up and down slightly, it thumps straight up my arms and into my shoulders. Gave me a partial dislocation (my medical friend informs me it's called a "subluxation") of one shoulder, until I realised what the problem and just rode it less.

If you want to sling something on a train, get near town, jump off and put a few miles down, it's good. But don't be tall or heavy, or on a busy train.

I have one.

I chose it for four reasons:

1. it folds (I don't care how small, it's a loophole in the peak train restrictions thing)
   
2. it rides like a large wheeled bike (since it is one!)
   
3. it has the wherewithal ( eccentic BB) to run fixed
   
4. it was cheaper than other options (<400 quid)
   
   

The components aren't overly bad, but, as you'd expect on a bike at this price point, the wheels are fairly basic components, and not well built. The first thing I did once I got it home was to put more tension in the spokes and true the wheels. (Oh, and set the brakes up - don't know whether Evans or Dahon was to blame for the initial setup, but having the front V-brake with the spacers the wrong way round and the front brake cable done extra real tight since they'd set it up with the brake quick release off on the lever!).

If you accept those shortcomings, I reckon it's a good buy.

Unless you expect the fold to be small.

It isn't.

I didn't.

My expectation of the fold was that it was a fold (and, not surprisingly) it was.

I'm surprised a bit at the harsh ride/coudlnt; ride it very far etc. comments I've read here and elsewhere.

Mudguard fettling is a pain in the arse, but IMHO, essential on a commuter.

Now I just need to tweak the chainline a bit.

I don't find the allen key any problem - apart from the one time it fell to the bottom of my bag when I was in a hurry and I wondered if I'd lost it :-/ ... in future I'm going to carry an extra one on the pannier I carry to/from work just in case.

As has been mentioned in other reviews, it's not always going to stand upright on a wobbly train, without further help, but, to be honest, a 50p bungee cord fixes that so I don't really see a problem there.

For me, all I see are positives. I don't have to sardine my way onto the central line at rush hour between liverpool street and holborn. I arrive at work earlier. I get less stressed in the process. I got an easy start into the world of fixed-gear riding. I can do evening rides straight from work starting anywhere between London and Deepest Essex. (Edit: and I always get a seat! :) )

I haven't owned it long enough to comment on the hardiness of components, an whilst it took me a while to get over the weird look of the cowhorn/TT handlebar/brake lever combo, in the end I'm quite glad it's that way arranged since I can put traditional drops on it and re-use the same levers.

In terms of fit, I'm 5'9", and usually ride a 54cm (sorry - mixed units!) Felt road bike. The Dahon Cadenza Solo in "M" size fits nicely, although there's only about an inch and a half left on the seat post. The fore/aft position feels good (very good in fact - I feel positively time-triallist like on my commute :))

I did take advice from a friend who also has one and has run it for a while (he had a brommie before that as well) who recommended it, but also told me to look out for the montague.

I decided against looking more into the montague since its fold apparently precludes a rack.

horses for courses!

I'm seriously considering changing my Dun Run plans and doing it fixed on the Dahon instead of on my Globe City now!

Good review

I've just bought a Rudge-Montague Bi-Frame.

It's great. Just like a normal bike. Very long wheelbase, though; feels like an eighties mountain bike.

If my life was very different and I had more than 10p to my name, I'd have a Moulton. So comfortable, and so effortless.

As a bike nerd, I love the idea of a small wheeler that could leave a £5000 road bike for dead.

i have the dahon cadenza solo, but to quote you, "If my life was very different and I had more than 10p to my name, I'd have a"...

If I was to finish that sentence, it would probably by " fixed or fix-able drop bar Airnimal"

Finally heard from Pacific Cycles, and got their rider weight limit.

Its only taken me 2 and a half years.

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^ i lol'ed
wheres the raleigh twenty on your list
granted i dont know the weight and its not a new bike but its still a folder and if its good enough for a cycling god ( aka sheldon brown) its good enough for everyone
http://sheldonbrown.org/raleigh-twenty.html#r20folderfixed

^ i lol'ed
wheres the raleigh twenty on your list
granted i dont know the weight and its not a new bike but its still a folder and if its good enough for a cycling god ( aka sheldon brown) its good enough for everyone

Its not about the weight of the bike, but the weight allowed ON the bike.......thats for rider, and also luggage.

Reading fail.

And Sheldon Brown wasn't correct about everything cycle-related. He was 100% wrong about cycle security, as is EASILY proved.

tis what i meant
not a reading fail more of a wording fail

http://www.qoroz.co.uk/freedomwon/

Coupling system, titanium & Spok. Nos fixed option, but wow.

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