8 ms·

The Joy of Folding Bikes

• aquir 6mo ago
  I agree with the article but "Never gets punctures"? How's that possible? OP installed some solid tyres?
  • schoen 6mo ago
    I don't know the specific Schwalbe Marathon tires but they use a proprietary material called SmartGuard. Personally, I've used Armadillo (from Specialized) and GatorSkin (from Continental) tires, both of which I was told contain a kevlar layer which resists punctures from sharp objects. In my experience I only got one sharp-object puncture on either of these brands in over 10 years of riding, contrasted with much more frequent punctures on traditional rubber tires. I think it is possible to make extremely puncture-resistant bike tires with modern materials, without particularly terrible tradeoffs. Materials progress is amazing. Although these are not used, for example in racing, because there is some performance tradeoff in increasing resistance. I did look a little further on the manufacturer websites, and it looks like neither is literally kevlar, but both are forms of dense cut-resistant polymer meshes (some kind of nylon mesh for the Armadillo and some kind of polyester mesh and polyamide mesh for the GatorSkin). There's some subtlety about the difference in materials that resist slashing versus those that resist stabbing; my impression is that it's easier to make the latter (you can get extremely effective cutproof gloves, for example for kitchen use, very cheaply, but stabproof vests remain expensive). The puncture-resistant tires are more akin to stabproof vests, which I think is the more challenging property to achieve.
    • aquir 6mo ago
      Thanks for the info, I did not know!
  • raffael_de 6mo ago
    https://www.schwalbe.com/en/blog/news/innovation/flat-less/ https://www.schwalbe.com/en/blog/news/innovation/flat-less/ As a German it makes me tiny little bit proud that he mentions two German traditional companies. Schwalbe (tires, tubes) and Abus (locks) are basically the default choice other brands have to compete against. The primary competitor for Schwalbe is Continental which is also a German company.
  • deleted 6mo ago
    [deleted]
  • tonyedgecombe 6mo ago
    Schwalbe Marathon tires are amazing. I went from getting a puncture every two weeks to having two over the last six years.
    • raudette 6mo ago
      Same experience here. Was getting flats all the time on my commute, bike shop recommended Schwalbe Marathons, haven't had an issue since.
• NicuCalcea 6mo ago
  Can confirm, they're great! I will sometimes take a day trip from London to a different town, and it's nice to take the bike with me on the train, disembark, and be able to cycle around without worrying about which bus to take, how to pay, etc. But I can still take the bike on the bus if needed! Brompton is probably the #1 brand bike thieves will target though, everyone I know who has one never leaves it out of their sight. That's way too stressful for me, I don't want to take it with me in the supermarket or watch over it at the pub. I just got a cheap Decathlon with very low thief appeal.
• leni536 6mo ago
  Recently I tried out Brompton Bike Hire in London for a week. Can recommend the bike, and the price is reasonable. The bikes are hired from automatic storage lockers, which makes sense as a concept. The app is atrocious though, and I had a lot of trouble returning the bike at the end of the week.
• Gualdrapo 6mo ago
  I'd like to try a folding bike but (1) bromptons around here are filthy expensive and cheaper options (that can be found around 1/20th the price of a brompton) are really low quality, and (2) none of them come with big gears that I'd need to get home, with sections that can reach 22%
  • 28304283409234 6mo ago
    Expensive? I bought mine for 1200 or so in 2006. Still use it daily. It is a steal.
    • jackyinger 6mo ago
      A quality bike can last a really long time.
  • gpm 6mo ago
    > that can be found around 1/20th the price of a brompton Where in the world are you finding a not-stolen bike for less than a hundred dollars!? > none of them come with big gears that I'd need to get home, with sections that can reach 22% Personally I'd recommend getting a bicycle with a motor.
  • teleforce 6mo ago
    I've the BTwin Ultra Compact by Decathlon and I'd recommend it as alternative to the popular Bromptons [1]. It cost less than half of the equivalent Bromptons bike that's featured in the article. [1] BTwin Ultra Compact 1 Second Light: https://road.cc/content/review/btwin-ultra-compact-1-second-light-300387 https://road.cc/content/review/btwin-ultra-compact-1-second-...
  • mauvehaus 6mo ago
    If you don't know if you need a folding bike, you probably don't need a folding bike. It's kind of compromised as a bike, and if the (admittedly huge) utility of it folding isn't painfully necessary, it'd be hard to justify owning one. Once you get to the point where a folder is unavoidable, you may as well get a good one, be it Bromptom, Dahon, or whoever. At that point it's definitely a buy-once-cry-once kind of purchase. As much as I love mine, I wouldn't recommend anyone buying one who isn't already really into cycling for transportation rather than sport and doesn't really need a folding bike. And yeah, the low end of the market is pretty crap, much as it is for regular bikes.
• spankibalt 6mo ago
  I'm in the market for one as well, but am only interested in an electrified, gravel-capable Bike-E-style [1] recumbent layout. 1. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recumbent_bicycle#/media/File:Bike-E_9Av_57st_jeh.JPG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recumbent_bicycle#/media/File:...]
• rickcarlino 6mo ago
  I extracted a lot of utility out of a folding bike during university in Korea. The smaller wheels are indeed a tradeoff for space vs. comfort but all in all it was a useful purchase.
  • WillAdams 6mo ago
    There are a couple of companies doing full-size, or nearly full-size wheels on folding bikes --- very glad of my Montague Swissbike X50, and considered a Change Bike, and still want a Helix.
    • tromp 6mo ago
      I should really try out a Helix ( https://helix.ca/ https://helix.ca/ ) next time I visit Canada.
      • WillAdams 6mo ago
        All the reviews I've seen have been overwhelmingly positive --- it's just my already having a folding bike (Swissbike X50) and lightweight road-bike (Twicycle) which keep me from being able to justify the purchase.
• rjh29 6mo ago
  They're obviously great for commuting. For general use, they are in theory thief-proof because you can take them everywhere with you. The downside is they're expensive so you HAVE to take them everywhere with you. Leave them out and they'll get stolen. For that reason I think the happiest I've been is with a dirt cheap bike in Japan. Didn't even lock it properly (just a key built into the frame) and could park it outside any old shop or restaurant for hours. Super convenient.
  • shric 6mo ago
    I have owned a AU$7,000 (US$5,000) ebike in Sydney, Australia for a few years and have parked it everywhere without worrying about it getting stolen. It has a built in lock that blocks the front spokes, an alarm and I use a $200 chain lock around the frame to fix it to something.
    • Gigachad 6mo ago
      For me, just having a $7,000 bike parked on the street would be too stressful even if it didn't get stolen. I've had bikes stolen in Australia and there is basically nothing you can do about it. The thieves have hoodies, masks, and battery powered grinders that will cut any lock. The only defense is storing your bike inside. And then you get karens on the owners corp whinging that you aren't allowed to take bikes inside. Who also don't give two shits when your bike gets stolen from the basement bike storage.
      • hahahacorn 6mo ago
        I felt this way until I bought full coverage bike insurance. For my $250 deductible I basically just get a nice upgrade to the latest version / a brand new ebike for ~$200 / year. The peace of mind alone with insurance (and a really nice lock) have fully mitigated this for me. I've been leaving my ~$2k ebike locked up all over San Francisco for ~3 years without it being stolen. (My first beater bike was a POS locked up in my apartments secure bike storage and it was stolen after I owned it for ~9 days so I figured I couldn't double down on the bad luck).
      • 6mo ago
• muh_gradle 6mo ago
  I live in NYC and I was tempted to buy a Brompton but ended up not doing so in the end. A friend of mine that always lives in the city said he regretted his because it's surprisingly heavy and bulky even when folded.
• dunconian 6mo ago
  One of the fun things about these bikes is you’ll get many curious onlookers in the US and delight them by showing them how it folds up. Kids seem to love the demonstration and it’s cool explaining how bikes work, especially the hub gear.
• Magi604 6mo ago
  The article touched on it, and I agree, the biggest benefits for me are the portability and storability. I can easily fit my folding bike into my car trunk, and very easily fit another one in the back seat. This enables you to drive to the start of a distant cycling route without having to deal with bike racks behind or on top of your car. So much less friction to you just going somewhere and cycling around. And the small size means I can skip the common bike storage in my complex and store it in my apartment and it doesn't take up as much space as a full-sized bike. In my city, like most major cities, bike thievery is rampant. And if they can't steal your bike, they strip it of parts. There are some drawbacks though. You can't really use them for hauling heavy loads, so forget bicycle touring or pulling a little trailer for kids or other things. They are also quite slow. And maybe some models have lots of gears, but the ones I checked out (in my admittedly limited search) did not, so they are not suited for very hilly routes. I got mine used for $200 off FB Marketplace, it was in great condition and ready to ride. It is some generic brand that was sold in Walmarts a few years ago and I could not find any other information on it. I don't really care though. It got me out and cycling again!
  • jodrellblank 6mo ago
    > "You can't really use them for hauling heavy loads, so forget bicycle touring or pulling a little trailer for kids or other things" Eh? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzRqKP0XmhQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzRqKP0XmhQ - Brompton with Burley Travoy trailer while the guy moves house. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocMRuUBUFrU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocMRuUBUFrU - Bromtpon with Cyclone trailer while grocery shopping. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvBA1K8oFmQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvBA1K8oFmQ - Brompton with child trailer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOH3wEB0pS8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOH3wEB0pS8 - with different child trailer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waW1wq07JsA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waW1wq07JsA - Brompton with child seat adapter in front of the rider. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV60S7ma4d4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV60S7ma4d4 - Brompton with child seat on the back.
    • interloxia 6mo ago
      https://global.brompton.com/s/article/What-Is-The-Recommended-Maximum-Rider-Weight-And-The-Recommended-Maximum-Load https://global.brompton.com/s/article/What-Is-The-Recommende... What Is The Recommended Maximum Rider Weight And The Recommended Maximum Load? Rider + load 110kg-130kg(G line)
• jodrellblank 6mo ago
  My ‘low stakes conspiracy theory’ is that adults enjoy the Brompton more than you’d think, because it’s too small for them, so it feels more like a BMX for sensible professional adults who would never think to ride a BMX or want to be seen on one. I’ve been eyeing up Bromptons for years, especially the new G (gravel) line which has 20” wheels up from 16” and chunkier tires (for ride comfort on potholes and rough asphalt, and being able to ride down a trail). But I have no need for one, and they’re not cheap to buy on a whim. I’d really like to try a Kwiggle folding bike, too, just for fun. The standing-riding position might feel less like riding a bike and more like ‘accelerated walking’. And it folds smaller than a Brompton tri-fold. [1] https://www.kwigglebike.com/en_US/ https://www.kwigglebike.com/en_US/
  • mauvehaus 6mo ago
    12" wheels would be sheer hell on anything less than perfect pavement. Source: I own a Brompton with 16" wheels, and wouldn't ride it more than about a block without cycling gloves. It's absolutely punishing on the wrists. The elastomeric block for the rear triangle makes it pretty tolerable on your ass, but the front end is rough.
    • jodrellblank 6mo ago
      The Kwiggle's FAQ contains: - The steering column is made of austenitic stainless steel. This .. even provides a pleasant suspension. - Of course everyone prefers to ride on smooth asphalt. With the Kwiggle you can also easily drive on paved trails. Even cobblestones are relatively comfortable to ride due to the wide tires. - Is the Kwiggle suitable for longer distances? The physiologically optimal upright posture and the swinging saddle bring each of your muscles in motion, especially in the hip and lower back area. That's why you can ride even better than with any other bike, without tension, pain or signs of fatigue symptoms. We already rode 200 and 300 km (124 and 186 miles) in one day. That's referencing their ride around the Dutch Ijsselmeer: https://www.kwigglebike.com/en_US/faltrad-extrem https://www.kwigglebike.com/en_US/faltrad-extrem
    • rexpress 6mo ago
      Not sure which grips you're using, but I found using the stock foam grips gave me severe wrist pain quite quickly. I changed to Ergon GP1 grips (they have much better hand support) and now ride long distances without discomfort.
• CalChris 6mo ago
  I have a Tern Eclipse P18 24" folding bike which I like a lot. Tern and Dahon are related. Wasn't cheap and is hard to find. I literally drove to Vegas and met an IT sysadmin in a casino parking lot at 2am. He was coming off shift. It was legit (found it on EBay and he had the manuals) but it looked+felt like a drug deal. I have upgraded the Tern. The original FSA crank would come loose and so I replaced it with a Shimano 105 part which required a Wheels Mfg 386 EVO Adaptor. I've never had a problem with it since. I also replaced the front derailleur with an SRAM Yaw which is just perfection. It's great out to about 20 miles and you can't go up anything really steep because the shorter wheelbase just pops a wheelie. Tires and tubes are hard to find. But it's an awesome bike to have around.
  • Neywiny 6mo ago
    If somebody told me they knew an SRAM.com on this website, I would not expect a bike parts company.
• YawningAngel 6mo ago
  I don't fault OP for this, but it's pretty frustrating to me as someone who's quite attached to his non-folding bike that the main benefit of folding bikes is that, unlike regular bikes, they aren't banned from pretty much all public transport
  • afavour 6mo ago
    I understand the frustration but also bikes take up a lot of space. When someone brings one on the NYC subway at rush hour it’s definitely an inconvenience.
    • Gigachad 6mo ago
      I feel like the failure here is that it gets so packed that there isn't space for a bike. Because it's not just bikes impacted here. If you can't fit a bike, you can't fit a wheelchair, you can't fit a pram, you don't have space for someone who needs to sit down, or someone who can't handle being pressed in at all sides by other passengers. It's a wrong allocation of resources where we decide everyone can have 4 empty seats to drive to work but we can't fit 1 person and a bike on PT.
      • jmm5 6mo ago
        Pretty much any decent mass transit system in the world is packed at rush hour. The whole advantage over private vehicles comes from the fact that people take up less space.
        • Gigachad 6mo ago
          I agree it's a fairly common issue but I feel like it's not an impossible issue to solve. A person and a bike is still massively smaller than a person in an SUV. The system is basically designed with just enough capacity to barely work. But I feel like if we really wanted PT to be the obvious best choice it should be provisioned a bit over the least possible capacity.
• eCa 6mo ago
  I know it's not for everyone, but it is also a reasonable touring bike if done within its constraints. I've probably done closer to 40 days on my 16" Brompton, longest was a two-week 1000km ride. On the topic of leaving the bike out-of-sight: In those 40 days I've left it locked a total of 20 minutes, otherwise it comes with me into restaurants, supermarkets, public restrooms, hotel rooms.. The biggest downsides are speed and climbing ability. 80k or so has been a reasonable max distance on tour (I've done one 100k day, it was long) and I wouldn't take it to the Alps. Like the OP, I run Schwalbe Marathon Plus which has been good. But I have had one catastrophic puncture after riding over a particularly nasty piece of glass that cut straight through the tire. After that I bring a folding backup tire.
  • jodrellblank 6mo ago
    > "a reasonable touring bike if done within its constraints" Yes; for example, YouTuber Susanna Thornton does bikepacking and wild-camping on her Brompton: https://www.youtube.com/@susannathornton/videos https://www.youtube.com/@susannathornton/videos and Darin's Adventure Chronicles: https://www.youtube.com/@darinsadventurechronicles/videos https://www.youtube.com/@darinsadventurechronicles/videos Many other one-off videos exist too under searches for brompton bikepacking and brompton wildcamp.
    • throw0101c 6mo ago
      Also: * https://www.youtube.com/@2Bikes4Adventure/videos https://www.youtube.com/@2Bikes4Adventure/videos
  • alamortsubite 6mo ago
    There are also plenty of 20" folders out there for rambling nerds who are slightly less masochistic.
• davidhunter 6mo ago
  I cycle 60 mins per day along the tow path in London on my Brompton, put it under my desk in the office, and then get the train back in the evening. No issues handling that distance.
• mauvehaus 6mo ago
  I had a Brompton in Boston. It makes absolutely everyone happy. It's been a conversation starter with everyone from 15 year old kids dressed to give a don't start anything vibe to 75 year old retirees. As TFA notes, they're allowed on trains even during rush hour when full-size bikes are not. They fold effortlessly; folding and unfolding a couple times a day at the station is no hassle at all. They ride much like a full size bike, with the exception of the fact that if you pedal through a turn, you're much more likely to strike a pedal into the ground. The only downside is that the 16" tires are murder on bumpy roads, of which Boston has many.
  • drzaiusx11 6mo ago
    The 16" tires killed all the joy I normally get from riding a bike tbh. I tried better seats, shock absorber posts, different gear ratios, everything. Just sucked the joy out of the ride for me. Hiding "throw away" bikes around the city and far off bus stops etc ended up being my solution and it worked better for me at least.
    • brewdad 6mo ago
      Admittedly, I’ve never ridden a 16” wheeled bike. My 20” is rough enough that I’ve never bothered considering the smaller wheeled models. Maybe if I bike/train commuted every day rather than a few times a month.
      • jodrellblank 6mo ago
        If bigger is better, DirtySixer do a 36" wheel (non-folding) bike to be proportionate for taller riders: https://www.dirtysixer.com/products/mark-ii https://www.dirtysixer.com/products/mark-ii
    • mauvehaus 6mo ago
      My other option was leaving my all-weather beater bike down at the station near work. I ended up not doing that just because I didn't want to have to haul it back and forth a couple times a year for maintenance. But yeah, valid solution for sure.
• spenrose 6mo ago
  Many HNers will enjoy this book about the company’s maturation from a hardware startup founded by one difficult genius to an institution that had to be rebuilt as it scaled: https://bookpeople.com/book/9781615199563 https://bookpeople.com/book/9781615199563
• grayrest 6mo ago
  I ride a Reise & Mueller Birdy Mk3 mostly because I think folding bikes are neat and the Birdy has my favorite fold. The other rationale was that I wanted a nice bike I'd never have to lock up outside in NYC. The intention was to use it as a commuter since not spending on the subway would pay for it pretty quickly but shortly after I got it I started working remote so I've only done commutes on it for a couple weeks of gig jobs and it's mostly a recreational bike. I went through an extended project to make it faster and wound up with a loop handlebar for body position, replaced the wheelset to move from 355 to 406 for tire selection and did the drivetrain at the same time to accommodate a 9-32 cassette. Between the wheels and the sub-11 tooth sprockets I can pedal up to ~26mph instead of ~20mph on the stock setup (good enough) and the low end is about the same. It doesn't perform like a race bike but it's pretty close to an endurance road bike. I do 20 mile rides a couple times a week on it and I've done a couple centuries. The Birdy is my main bike but I'm a folding and recumbent enthusiast in general. The addition of the fold or moving the cranks in front of the rider means the obvious solution diamond frame doesn't work and I like seeing the creativity of the solutions. I've also owned a Xootr Swift that I gave away to my nephews, a Bike Friday Sat-R-Day folding recumbent for riding slowly in the parks, and a Baron Optima lowracer recumbent that I prefer for rides over 90 minutes.
  • deleted 6mo ago
    [deleted]
  • dasKrokodil 6mo ago
    If you're into folding bikes and recumbents, check out the prototype for the folding Baron: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTsTKdqVTY8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTsTKdqVTY8 It's a shame that it never went into production, but I guess at that time Optima already saw the writing on the wall that two-wheel recumbents wouldn't be profitable for much longer.
    • grayrest 6mo ago
      I'm particularly delighted that the fold is unique; I've never seen anything similar. Thanks for sharing; this is the sort of thing I look for on the Internet.
• tolerance 6mo ago
  I'm all for more submissions about manually-operated things on wheels. Like "Rediscovering the Handcart" https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2026/04/rediscovering-the-handcart/ https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2026/04/rediscovering-the-... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47873192 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47873192 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47870694 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47870694 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47862913 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47862913
  • blacksmith_tb 6mo ago
    Don't miss the Low Tech piece on Chinese one-wheel wheelbarrows: https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/12/how-to-downsize-a-transport-network-the-chinese-wheelbarrow/ https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/12/how-to-downsize-a-...
• drzaiusx11 6mo ago
  As someone who rode a folding bike for several years as their primary mode of transportation, I personally found no joy in it. It was simply the only option for being allowed on the commuter rail into the city during "rush" hours. I eventually got fed up with it and gave it away and chained up a full sized beater bike at the city limits and rode that the last few miles after getting off the rail. I'd prefer to never ride one ever again tbh
  • drzaiusx11 6mo ago
    That said I love my fixed gear beater and I would take that thing over the fanciest folder in existence.
• gxs 6mo ago
  You could just always buy a cheap one on Amazon and then make a real investment if you like
• xattt 6mo ago
  The reality is that all bikes can be folded once. The magic is in those that can be reliably unfolded for reuse.
  • burnt-resistor 6mo ago
    I accidentally folded a Cannondale R600 while moving. It turns out very thin aluminum bike frames and C-10 Chevy truck bed sides don't mix.
• kofd 6mo ago
  I love my Brompton, expensive as it was. Every time there is a break-in in the bike storage room, I am grateful I can store mine inside. Still, even though I've had it for years, I always feel awkward about bringing it in to a cafe or similar, and almost never do it.
• Waterluvian 6mo ago
  I dunno about elsewhere but in Ontario the legality of a bike being on a sidewalk is based on wheel diameter to permit kids bicycles. So there ends up being kinds of adult bikes with intentionally tiny wheels, and it creates a real menace to pedestrians. Some municipalities also have age restrictions to combat this. What are the more legitimate reasons for little wheels on bikes? I guess the goal like with this one is to have the least amount of bike as necessary?
  • theteapot 6mo ago
    Yes. Hence the folding.
  • throw0101c 6mo ago
    > I dunno about elsewhere but in Ontario the legality of a bike being on a sidewalk is based on wheel diameter to permit kids bicycles. There is no Ontario-wide law, per the Highway Traffic Act, §185(2): > (2) The council of a municipality may by by-law prohibit pedestrians or the use of motor assisted bicycles, bicycles, wheelchairs or animals on any highway or portion of a highway under its jurisdiction. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 185 (2). * https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK286 https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK286 London: > 2.12 Motor vehicle - bicycle - on sidewalk - exceptions No person shall, without lawful authority, either by himself or by permitting others, operate a motor vehicle or bicycle along a sidewalk. This section shall not apply to a person who, […] or (d) being under the age of 14, operates a bicycle along a sidewalk. * https://www.trekbicyclestorelondon.com/about/cycling-law-london-ontario-pg357.htm https://www.trekbicyclestorelondon.com/about/cycling-law-lon... Toronto: > Chapter 950-201 C(2) of the Toronto Municipal Code states that “no person age 14 and older shall ride a bicycle on a sidewalk of any highway.” * https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/streets-parking-transportation/cycling-in-toronto/cycling-and-the-law/ https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/streets-parking-tra... Nothing about diameter/radius.
    • Waterluvian 6mo ago
      Naturally, Ontario is just Toronto and London.
• cheschire 6mo ago
  Surprised more people aren’t aware of Montague. https://www.montaguebikes.com/ https://www.montaguebikes.com/
  • least 6mo ago
    When I was looking I found many full-sized folding bikes but they are solving a problem for an overlapping but different niche. They make it possible to fold and load it into a vehicle or make it more compact for storing at home, but they aren't very good at multi-modal commuting nor are they particularly compact. I remember someone with a folding Tern that struggled to carry it onto the train - it really isn't well suited for that. This one in particular seems quite bad for it. Removing the tire and the folding mechanism designed to make it stable and stationary doesn't bode well for that use case. It really does seem to be designed only to be folded once you're done riding for the day and not intended for transporting it folded except for loading it into a trunk. They are definitely prioritizing the ride quality over the foldability, compactness, or transportability. Bromptons try to balance it, which for me is a much better package, but for others, probably making too many compromises to ensure that it can meet those requirements.
    • WillAdams 6mo ago
      The Helix I believe strikes a better balance (I bought a Montague Swissbike X50 before the Helix was available).
  • Derbasti 6mo ago
    Or Bastille, which folds without having to remove the front wheel: https://bastillecycles.com/en https://bastillecycles.com/en
• alfg 6mo ago
  I love my Brompton. I've had mine for 12 years that I bought back in LA and brought it with me when I moved to Tokyo. It's such a great commuter for getting around the city and easily fits in my trunk when I want to take it with me for a trip. Tokyo also has a couple of great Brompton shops for maintenance and parts.
• mh2266 6mo ago
  a bit nitty, but "never get punctures" is just an attribute of the tires, not the bike. if you stick Gatorskins on a Tarmac SL8, you'll also never get punctures. but that's like putting tractor tires on a sports car, and you'll be slower and have a less comfortable ride than you would with GP5Ks.
• dannyfreeman 6mo ago
  I used to own a dahon that I got from a guy on craigslist back in like 2011/2012. Incredible bike. After moving further out of the city for cheaper rent I sold it to help pay rent. Really wish I could have kept it.
• russellbeattie 6mo ago
  What I've always thought was interesting about folding bikes is that it doesn't seem like it's possible for it to be done elegantly. It's been 150 years since the "safety bicycle" was invented, yet folding bikes are the exception and not the norm - even though it would be really handy if every bike could be easily shrunk down and packed up as easily as a baby stroller or a wheel chair. Maybe it's just my experience, but every folded bike I've seen in the wild looked more or less like a bundle of bike parts, with bits sticking out here and there. You'll never look at a folded bike and think, "Hey, what's that?", because it always looks exactly like what it is. It seems like there's something about a bike's geometry and mechanism which doesn't lend itself to symmetry and easy compaction.
  • culebron21 6mo ago
    As a user of a folding bike, I don't care that parts stick out of it, but I'll agree it's on the limits of geometry, and folding isn't elegant -- and when it's folded, it's still quite big.
• deleted 6mo ago
  [deleted]
• tokioyoyo 6mo ago
  Have a foldable bike as well, but in Japan, generally you have to put the folded bike in a bag as well. So it’s always just a little bit of extra friction. Then again, taking the front wheel of my road bike takes an extra minute. Then i can put it on the train as well. That’s when I start questioning my decisions no matter whether I took the foldable one or non foldable one.
  • strangegecko 6mo ago
    I'll add my anecdote here: I bought a Tern Verge and the accessory bike bag about 1.5 years ago because I imagined taking the bike on the train or public transport and because I lived in a small apartment. With the bag, you can take it like any other bag, but without, even if folded, you need to pay extra and place it in dedicated bike spots. Now partially that's just my laziness and trajectory in life, but I haven't used the bag once (I'm not even sure how to use the bag, it's...complicated?). And the bike was folded only once, when I moved. About a year later I bought a road bike because I wanted better climbing and longer distances and more comfort. Ultimately, for me the folding bike - while great fun in general, it's fast and agile - was kind of the wrong choice.
    • tokioyoyo 6mo ago
      Yeah fair. My folding bike is actually an e-bike, and unfortunately not as light as my road bike. In larger stations of Japan it gets very annoying to carry it around in a bag.
• jeffadelic 6mo ago
  I was excited to see a picture of the bike folded up, but I didn’t see that in the article.
  • SapporoChris 6mo ago
    Not the same bike, but here's one folded up. Not the best picture in my opinion. But it looks like it folds up very compactly. https://www.inoutfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Brompton-folding-bike-624x305.jpg https://www.inoutfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Brompt... https://www.inoutfield.com/2014/05/21/farewell-boris-bikes-hello-to-the-brompton-folding-bike-experience/ https://www.inoutfield.com/2014/05/21/farewell-boris-bikes-h...
• brudgers 6mo ago
  Even if you ride it a full 2 hours every day, storage still accounts for more than 90% of what you do with your bike. Where do I keep it is the problem Brompton’s solve really really really well. And incidentally, if you don’t ride a Brompton, the tires don’t get flat spots because when folded the tires don’t touch the ground. They are amazing pieces of engineering.
• SeanLuke 6mo ago
  I own what could possibly be the coolest folding bike ever made: the Bike Friday Tikit Hyperfold. It has a folding mechanism with an extremely high nerd quotient. It has a reputation as the fastest bike to fold and unfold, requiring no latches, safeties, or adjustment at all. But more importantly, unlike many other exotic folders (ahem Brompton) it largely uses standard parts. You can fit it with whatever drivetrain, brake system, handlebars, pedals, and seat you want. Though it has the same 349 wheel size as a Brompton, it rides much, much better. It was designed by in conjunction with Bike Friday by Rob English, a mechanical engineer who long was (maybe is?) the British speed record holder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQscBxx7wLE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQscBxx7wLE But Bike Friday no longer manufactures it: the frame design is so exotic and weird that they had a number of frame issues and failures they had to overcome in the field, and Bike Friday has a lifetime frame warranty. It was a very popular bike, but by the time they had worked out all the kinks the value of them continuing to sell the bike had probably gone negative. The Tikit was just too bleeding edge for its time. The Tikit relies on a special part in order to be ridden: its hyperfold cable. This cable is no longer being manufactured for Bike Friday and cannot be obtained anywhere. When my cable gives out, and it'll happen sometime soon, my Tikit will probably wind up on the display wall of a bike store. And I'll be searching for something to replace it. But there is no folder even close to the Tikit in sheer engineering prowess, which depresses me to no end as a tech guy. Bike Friday itself replaced the model with the Pakit, a decidedly inferior bike. I'm not sure what to do.
  • simtel20 6mo ago
    Hi fellow tikit owner! When they did the early upgrade of the cable, I thought it was just some gauge of airplane wire, threaded through the front nut and clamped or welded in place (I don't rude mine very often, it's a very early model and has a lot of the weaknesses like chain offs, and it comes unfolded too easily when I roll it). But I haven't been able to bring myself to sell it, it's still such a nice little device.
  • trueno 6mo ago
    > an extremely high nerd quotient stealing this. you will be paid 0 in royalties/licensing
• jodrellblank 6mo ago
  This is a high quality video of a guy reviewing his own Brompton, but generally showing around it, the features, the fold, the kickstand mode with the rear wheel folded under, the rolling wheels to wheel it around when folded: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6bmuJ98Zc8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6bmuJ98Zc8 It's his bike, he loves it, it's not an unbiased independent review.
• chaostheory 6mo ago
  A smaller alternative is a half bike, though it’s really a trike
• dheera 6mo ago
  I've used a Dahon Speed P8 extensively in Asia. In China you can just put a folding bike inside a large tarp bag and just get on any high speed train and then bike away when you reach your destination. It's awesome. The only "gotcha" is how you deal with luggage. I've used a seatpost rack, but I've also had a seatpost rack fail on me one time.
• emptybits 6mo ago
  Piling on with the Brompton love here. Apartment friendly. Car trunk friendly. Motorcycle sidecar friendly. Their hardcase makes it airplane friendly. Theft-resistant, since it's carried and stored next to you more often than most bikes. The Brompton luggage system (its mount and low, forward position) is amazing. Bags can be massive and carry a lot of weight and the bike still feels great to ride. For pedals, I use MKS EZY Superior Lambda pedals with street shoes. Long but not wide metal platform. And they're quick release. The stock Brompton pedals are clever, but not awesome for long distance or hammering. I've spun SPD clipless pedals on for spirited riding and those are, of course, a joy. The Brompton design is genius but if I could improve one thing, it would be to allow slightly wider tires into the frame. I'm 15 years into owning a Brompton and I know I'll never get rid of it. and I'm still finding useful and/or hilarious new places to take that might otherwise not allow for a bike. e.g. I had to ride a cargo bike across town for service last week and taking the Brommy in the box so I could ride something home was just so nice
  • sherr 6mo ago
    "Theft-resistant" I have two Bromptons (a 3 and a 6 speed). Unfortunately, I've also had TWO stolen .. painful. This was years ago now and both were locked up in central London. The second time, locked via a "Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit", a good U-lock. An angle-grinder gets through these easily and they're battery powered. I don't believe ANY bike lock is safe now and never lock the Brompton up outside. Great bikes!
    • jodrellblank 6mo ago
      Someone else in these comments: angle-grinder-resistant locks: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47909705 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47909705
    • emptybits 6mo ago
      Ouch. I also live in a city where bike thefts are … fuck, just part of life. Which is a horrible norm to have to accept. You’re right that a grinder-proof lock does not exist. Having read reviews and listening to bike shop owner experiences (they hear everything) … I have Kryptonites, motorcycle chains, Abus folding locks, but my personal favourite that I’m “trusting” (ha, delusions) is the Hiplok DX1000. Check it out. As good or better grinder results than nearly all others, it seems. But nothing is grind/pry/jack-proof.
• flashdesk 6mo ago
  That’s a fascinating design trade-off. Folding bikes always seem to push engineering into very unusual directions compared to regular bikes.
• culebron21 6mo ago
  When I moved to downtown a big city, I bought a Chinese folding bike and it was awesome tool, replacing a good deal of e-scooter and taxi rides. The one I bought in '23 cost ~€250, plus ~€50 for a sprung saddle, long saddle tube and minor accessories. Works very well. Taxi here is cheap, so I haven't yet saved much -- roughly it just broke even, but it saves me the pain of some routes where public transit is inconvenient, and taxi gets stuck in traffic jams. I remember having mountain bikes and the lycra cyclist fashion norms -- like no road bicycle fenders, no basket -- it looks ridiculous in retrospect. When I lived in a 80K ppl town with fields 5 min ride away, and almost never used bikes as a transport -- almost exclusively for leisure.
• gloomyday 6mo ago
  I really wanted an e-scooter to help my shorter routes here in Germany, but the legislation is quite unfriendly to it now. I need insurance and can't carry it in public transport. Maybe a folding bike would be great.
  • morsch 6mo ago
    Yeah it's ridiculous. Boomers legislating away a method of transportation they have no use for, combined with a few people using it with little regard or civility, and rental operators so focused on competition that they're unwilling to enforce the rules. But really, mostly it's the first of the three factors. Thank god they're avid adoptors of ebikes, making those safe for now.
    • Ylpertnodi 6mo ago
      In several countries in the eu (if not all) they restricted ebikes to 25kmh. Car driverss going at 30kph get really pissed off. I'd love an ebike for work travel but dislike playing tag with 1-tonne machines. At least on my road bike I can ride at a casual pace, with occasional mad accelerations. It seems less dangerous to me to go at 15kmh.
  • IshKebab 6mo ago
    > can't carry it in public transport That's a bizarre rule. What was their justification? Edit: apparently due to safety concerns about their batteries. IMO they shouldn't allow importing/selling them if the batteries are unsafe.
    • gloomyday 6mo ago
      The battery concerns are just a ridiculous excuse. E-bikes are allowed in public transport.
      • lorenzk 6mo ago
        Technically yes, but the batteries on bikes are better protected, higher up, and usually of better quality than cheap scooter batteries, that are low to the ground. It's more of a statistical decision.
• delegate 6mo ago
  I use my Brompton in ways which are not on its label. Besides rides in the city, I take it on long 100+km rides on the road, on gravel, forests, rocks, mountains. It has taken me on every street of Barcelona and around it many times over. I've had it for 14 years. Because of the small wheels it's extremely agile and allows you to go really slow without losing balance. This makes it like a sharp knife in the city but also off road on rocky trails, steep climbs, eg. in places where you'd never think of going with a Brompton. If the trail is impossible, I can just lift it up and climb with it on my shoulder. Or I can fold it and carry it like a bag, on the metro, trains or in the trunk of the car. As I understand, I'm not the only one using the Brompton as a gravel/mountain bike, so they released the G-line, which I still haven't checked out, but it's on my bucket list. If I were to write one eulogoy for a piece of equipment in my life, the Brompton is definitely it :).
• deleted 6mo ago
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• burnt-resistor 6mo ago
  There was a Palo Alto-San Jose-Los Gatos homeless OG who went by "John", had a Southern accent, and a neckbeard who rode a red Dahon because it was easy for him to get on and off VTA buses and light rail. He was kooky but a nice guy.
• blakefr 6mo ago
  I think of my Brompton as an unbelievably well made tool. It fits so well into London with public transport and the general consciousness of the U.K. traveller. You’re not going to get a squiff glance from a train conductor or cab driver if you lug one onboard. The ride is more comfortable than a racing bike. Compartments fit, gyms have storage for them and it’s also a beautifully constructed item. It just solves a part of the transport problem so well.
• tonyedgecombe 6mo ago
  I loved my Brompton. I used to keep it in my car when visiting clients so I could take a ride at lunch time or in the evening. Once I changed career I dumped the car and didn't really need the Brompton any more so sold it.
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• Lio 6mo ago
  Over the years I’ve acquired road bikes, MTBs and time travel bikes. Of all of them the only little kids regularly tell me is “sick” is my Brompton. It paid for itself in saved fuel and parking fees in the first year I had it.
  • jodrellblank 6mo ago
    I’m a Brompton admirer but if your kids rate it higher than time travel bikes they have no taste.
    • Lio 6mo ago
      Haha, cheers Apple. A time travel bike would be pretty cool… I could go back fix all my typos. :P
• jimnotgym 6mo ago
  I used to catch a train with a cheap folding bike every day. I was always envious of this other guy with a Brompton who took the same train. The worst thing about mine was that by carrying it by the only convenient place, you got oil on your cuff from the chainring!
  • mrtesthah 6mo ago
    And that’s why you get one with a carbon fiber belt instead! https://www.montaguebikes.com/product/allston/ https://www.montaguebikes.com/product/allston/ or get a kit for your Brompton: https://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/folding-bikes/brompton/brompton-belt-drive/ https://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/folding-bikes/brompton/bro...
• paperboy10000 6mo ago
  I've lived in the UK as a student in 1997 and it was hell owning bicycle then. People threw stones at me from cars while I was biking on the side of the road. Glad to hear biking has gone mainstream. Don't forget to pay respects to many of us pioneers, some whom survived some who didn't.
  • jodrellblank 6mo ago
    The UK is rife with "driver hit cyclist and killed them, says 'I didn't see them' and gets little or no punishment". e.g. - Driver gets 2 years community service for killing a cyclist because he was "distracted by temporary traffic lights". Unable to explain why he didn't see her[1]. - Driver kills cyclist because he was blowing his nose and didn't see them. Judge says there is "no point sending someone like that to prison for 3 months" so he doesn't. Community service and a year's driving ban.[2] - Driver gets 3 years in prison for killing a cyclist. Unable to provide an explanation other than "he didn't see her"[3]. - Motorcyclist 'drifts into other lane' and kills cyclist, 6 months in prison. 12 months in prison on top for speeding[4]. - 19 year old driver who passed their test 2 months ago hit and killed cyclist. 1 year driving ban, £240 fine and some community service[5]. - Delivery driver who didn't see a cyclist, hit them, pushed them into the path of an oncoming car, and they died; found not guilty of causing 'death by dangerous driving' by jury[6]. - Lorry driver covered his side view camera with his coat, hit and killed cyclist. 6 months suspended prison sentence, 6 weeks community service and a 2 year driving ban.[7] [1] https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/25962820.driver-sentenced-killing-cyclist-norwichs-newmarket-road/ https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/25962820.driver-sentenced-killi... [2] https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/motorist-avoids-jail-killing-cyclist-judge-sees-no-point-prison-sentence-366654 https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/motorist-avoi... [3] https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/37997166/mum-sent-husband-last-text-died-crash/ https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/37997166/mum-sent-husband-last... [4] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-38585562 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-38585562 [5] https://road.cc/content/news/teenage-motorist-who-killed-cyclist-avoids-jail-309073 https://road.cc/content/news/teenage-motorist-who-killed-cyc... [6] https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/crime-courts/6332415/delivery-driver-who-hit-cyclist-on-a90-found-not-guilty/ https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/crime-courts/63324... [7] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/nhs-cambridgeshire-police-cambridge-children-paul-b2215306.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/nhs-cambridgeshi...
• yeutterg 6mo ago
  My fiancee and I just bought two used Brompton P-series foldables this week. Use case: commuting in San Francisco, as well as weekend trips around the Bay Area. We live in SF in a 2-bedroom apartment and don't own a car. I had a locked bike stolen out of a college dorm bike room before, and we like the convenience of having the bike with us 99% of the time instead of locking it outside. Those Brompton P-lines were expensive even used (around $2000), but thanks to the brand value, we believe that we wouldn't lose too much money if we ended up not liking the hobby and wanted to resell. It's more a question of: do you want to lock up cash and get most of it back when you sell, or do you want to spend less now but lose more on the sale? Typical dilemma with high brand-value products. What I appreciate about Brompton is there is a well-established hacking culture. This is true for bikes in general, but because the design is so specific, it's great to know there is a strong community on Reddit, YouTube, etc. to get inspired and ask questions. The Brompton community seems to have no shame in using unofficial AliExpress parts, especially if they are better in some way (lighter, better roller rack balance, etc.). This is additionally true because many official parts are expensive and often out of stock. There are a bunch of Brompton clones out there, especially copying the old-school C-line. I have mixed feelings about clones in general, especially when they are straight knockoffs. With that said, if I really got into the hobby, perhaps I'd try to hack together an ultralight custom "BrompNot," something like the T-line but customized to my own needs. One more thing: if you ever take the EuroStar, get a bag for your folding bike! We saw someone almost miss the train in London because they didn't have a bag for their Brompton. I assume this may also apply in some transit scenarios where bikes are not allowed; even folding bikes might be gray area. The IKEA DIMPA bag is cheap and works well for this purpose.
  • jodrellblank 6mo ago
    > "if I really got into the hobby, perhaps I'd try to hack together an ultralight custom "BrompNot," something like the T-line but customized to my own needs" Youtube vlogger Brompton Family Time in New York bought the T-Line and set about replacing all the parts with ultralight ones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76pMyBkm3V8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76pMyBkm3V8 Original cost: $5465, weight originally 7.95 Kg but some sources say 7.45 Kg not sure if that's changed over the years. Final build cost: $9600 and final weight: 7.03Kg / 15.5lbs
• retinaros 6mo ago
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• atum47 6mo ago
  The first time I went to the US I saw a foldable electric bike, in target, I think. Being someone who likes to explore the city (burning calories) I thought to myself: I can cover a way bigger area by bike than by foot. I can carry this with me to my travels and goodbye Uber. Thankfully I called United before buying it to ask If would be able to bring it home with me. The answer was no, of course. No eletric vehicles of any kind on a plane. What a shame.
  • uvtc 6mo ago
    My understanding is that battery capacity is the issue; it's usually above the max allowed on the plane. This company makes a snap-together battery https://ebikes.ca/product-info/grin-products/ligo10x-battery.html https://ebikes.ca/product-info/grin-products/ligo10x-battery... where each individual module is below the limit and so the pack can be broken down and shipped individually and separately.
    • atum47 6mo ago
      That's very interesting, thanks.
• gigatexal 6mo ago
  my wife and I discovered Brompton's here in Berlin and now we have 2. we love them. we wouldn't travel around teh city without them. they're amazing. expensive, but well built, and hold their value like crazy.
• dreamcompiler 6mo ago
  I love Bromptons and they fold down into the tiniest package of any folder but my god they've gotten expensive in the last couple of years. I've been eyeing an Urtopia Carbon Fold 2 as my next folding bike. It's electric but I prefer those nowadays.
• randyrand 6mo ago
  These are the same reasons I have an EUC. Extreme portability.
• bobro 6mo ago
  There’s something mind-boggling about the prices that get charged for these things. $2k-$3k for a not particularly complicated array of steel and plastic. I bought my (used) car in that price range, a big intricate machine with way more engineering and way more physical mass. Isn’t bicycle design is a mostly solved problem problem by now?
  • jodrellblank 6mo ago
    Yes it is, that's why you can get a bike from Walmart for $200. This is like asking why new Mercedes costs so much when your used beater was very cheap. Last year Ford sold 4,500,000 cars. Honda sold 1,430,000 cars. Brompton sold 85,000 bikes. They make them in London, not overseas, so that costs more, and they don't have the economies of scale that car companies have. Brompton are also a luxury brand, with a reputation for a quality product that can last decades, they're not aiming at the low end of the market.
• RebelMonk 6mo ago
  My partner cycled 3400 km through Japan on a Brompton last autumn (I can't ride a bike so I ran instead). It turned out to be a great choice of bike for travelling around slowly on. We had a couple of issues finding replacement tyres, but only two days out of 80 where we had any issues - and both were avoidable/our fault. Here's a short showing off the bike if anyone's interested. (one day we'll make a full length video!) https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AJlo3Jbaxk0 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AJlo3Jbaxk0 If I ever learn to ride a bike... I'm pretty sure it will be on a folding one.
• jodrellblank 6mo ago
  Seth from Berm Peak "Why Brompton is the King of Folding Bikes": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLg0NNjDBMQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLg0NNjDBMQ Start: "I paid over two thousand dollars for this, used! Why are they so expensive? Other folding bikes are half the price and offer more, the gear shift is confusing and doesn't work properly, all the parts are overcomplicated and proprietary, >:-(" End: "I really like this bike. I'm so impressed with the build quality." Comment a year later: "I've owned my Brompton for well over a year now, and absolutely love it. It's one bike I will absolutely never sell. The gear shifting was indeed a point of confusion for me, as there were two variables. 1. I had zero experience with Sturmey Archer hubs 2. The cable needed tightening. .. I'll often choose to bring my Brompton places not because it's portable, but rather because the bag and rack are so functional. Having your cargo down low makes it really stable, and being able to remove the bag so easily is super convenient."
• atlasagentsuite 6mo ago
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