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folding bike for touring
I am a lifelong bike tourer contemplating buying a folding bike for
touring. Has anyone who has made the switch to a folding bike for long- distance, self-contained touring had a positive experience? My criteria a (a) folds quickly and easily (b) low and variable gearing (c) supports panniers - I carry all of my stuff, including camping gear (d) riding experience (as close as possible to a regular, non-folding bike, re touring. Looking for recommendations. I've looked at Brompton, but it doesn;t seem to be able to carry much and the gearing isn't really appropriate for touring. I have a triple chain ring and probably would want to get down to the low 20's for low gears. |
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#2
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folding bike for touring
On 10/8/2011 9:44 PM, bobdobbs wrote:
Looking for recommendations. http://www.ternbicycles.com/bikes/link-p24h Saw these at Interbike. Very well designed and built. Far better than a Brompton for touring, and better than a bike friday as well. |
#3
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folding bike for touring
In article
, bobdobbs wrote: I am a lifelong bike tourer contemplating buying a folding bike for touring. Has anyone who has made the switch to a folding bike for long- distance, self-contained touring had a positive experience? My criteria a (a) folds quickly and easily (b) low and variable gearing (c) supports panniers - I carry all of my stuff, including camping gear (d) riding experience (as close as possible to a regular, non-folding bike, re touring. Looking for recommendations. I've looked at Brompton, but it doesn;t seem to be able to carry much and the gearing isn't really appropriate for touring. I have a triple chain ring and probably would want to get down to the low 20's for low gears. The website "crazyguyonabike" now has 310 trip journals from people who have toured with folding bikes. Maybe worth looking at some of those? See (maybe after removing a page break in the following link): http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/c...tegory_id=315& doctype=journal The one I remember reading was from two people who who toured Switzerland (hills and mountains!) on bikes that folded up and fit in a suitcase. You could take the bike out, the suitcase had wheels and a trailer hitch, and off you went, pulling your stuff in the trailer/suitcase. Regards, Ned |
#4
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folding bike for touring
On Oct 9, 3:44*pm, bobdobbs wrote:
I am a lifelong bike tourer contemplating buying a folding bike for touring. Has anyone who has made the switch to a folding bike for long- distance, self-contained touring had a positive experience? *My criteria a (a) folds quickly and easily (b) low and variable gearing (c) supports panniers - I carry all of my stuff, including camping gear (d) riding experience (as close as possible to a regular, non-folding bike, re touring. Looking for recommendations. I've looked at Brompton, but it doesn;t seem to be able to carry much and the gearing isn't really appropriate for touring. I have a triple chain ring and probably would want to get down to the low 20's for low gears. Bob, like you touring has always been my idea of cycling. As I got older and heavier, I decided on a folder.Eventually settled on a Montague Paratrooper.Reasons (1) 26 inch wheels (2) mountain bike gears (3) only need to take off front wheel to fold (4) the box I use to travel with bike is about half the size of a normal bike box,travels for free on most planes. (5) strong enough to carry me and gear .Outside of this I added a Tubus rack to the rear and one on the front, also fit mudguards as required,front one took some lateral thinking. Now about to buy my second folder, a Bike Friday Pocket Llama Select 2011, about double the price with extras of my old Paratrooper (2009 model) it will carry my weight plus rack and bags, also folds a little smaller for carrying on trains (off back to Japan for their winter) check it out on their site.ps; the Paratrooper is still running well and was a worthwhile buy in my book.As for the Tern bikes, they are good city bikes and some off road but not designed for heavy touring, you might get away with a bar bag and some light panniers on the rear if you can fit a rack, also they are very dear. My paratrooper has around 5000 kms on road and off road touring on it, the equipment on it is not top of the line but no problems so far. |
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folding bike for touring
On 10/9/2011 1:58 AM, paule wrote:
On Oct 9, 3:44 pm, wrote: I am a lifelong bike tourer contemplating buying a folding bike for touring. Has anyone who has made the switch to a folding bike for long- distance, self-contained touring had a positive experience? My criteria a (a) folds quickly and easily (b) low and variable gearing (c) supports panniers - I carry all of my stuff, including camping gear (d) riding experience (as close as possible to a regular, non-folding bike, re touring. Looking for recommendations. I've looked at Brompton, but it doesn;t seem to be able to carry much and the gearing isn't really appropriate for touring. I have a triple chain ring and probably would want to get down to the low 20's for low gears. Bob, like you touring has always been my idea of cycling. As I got older and heavier, I decided on a folder.Eventually settled on a Montague Paratrooper.Reasons (1) 26 inch wheels (2) mountain bike gears (3) only need to take off front wheel to fold (4) the box I use to travel with bike is about half the size of a normal bike box,travels for free on most planes. (5) strong enough to carry me and gear .Outside of this I added a Tubus rack to the rear and one on the front, also fit mudguards as required,front one took some lateral thinking. Now about to buy my second folder, a Bike Friday Pocket Llama Select 2011, about double the price with extras of my old Paratrooper (2009 model) it will carry my weight plus rack and bags, also folds a little smaller for carrying on trains (off back to Japan for their winter) check it out on their site.ps; the Paratrooper is still running well and was a worthwhile buy in my book.As for the Tern bikes, they are good city bikes and some off road but not designed for heavy touring, you might get away with a bar bag and some light panniers on the rear if you can fit a rack, also they are very dear. My paratrooper has around 5000 kms on road and off road touring on it, the equipment on it is not top of the line but no problems so far. Montague bikes don't fold small, or quickly, or easily, and require the removal of the front wheel. I have a Montague Urban http://tinyurl.com/1997urban (discontinued) and it would be a decent touring bike, but it's not something that's convenient to take on a train (though I've done it on occasion). For something that folds quickly, and rather small, and is suitable for touring, you're basically looking at a Dahon Speed TR http://www.dahon.com/bikes/2011/speed-tr, Tern Link P24h http://www.ternbicycles.com/bikes/link-p24h, or a Bike Friday New World Tourist http://www.bikefriday.com/bicycles/touring/1248. For something that doesn't fold small or fold fast, the ideal touring folder would be the Dahon Tournado, http://www.dahon.com/bikes/2011/tournado. None of the small-wheel touring bicycles are going to be as comfortable as a classic steel touring bicycle. You definitely sacrifice something for the smaller size. |
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folding bike for touring
On Oct 8, 11:44*pm, bobdobbs wrote:
I am a lifelong bike tourer contemplating buying a folding bike for touring. Has anyone who has made the switch to a folding bike for long- distance, self-contained touring had a positive experience? *My criteria a (a) folds quickly and easily (b) low and variable gearing (c) supports panniers - I carry all of my stuff, including camping gear (d) riding experience (as close as possible to a regular, non-folding bike, re touring. Looking for recommendations. I've looked at Brompton, but it doesn;t seem to be able to carry much and the gearing isn't really appropriate for touring. I have a triple chain ring and probably would want to get down to the low 20's for low gears. My friends Russ and Laura are doing fine on Bromptons. Have a read: http://pathlesspedaled.com/ |
#7
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folding bike for touring
Op 9-10-2011 17:43, landotter schreef:
On Oct 8, 11:44 pm, wrote: I am a lifelong bike tourer contemplating buying a folding bike for touring. Has anyone who has made the switch to a folding bike for long- distance, self-contained touring had a positive experience? My criteria a (a) folds quickly and easily (b) low and variable gearing (c) supports panniers - I carry all of my stuff, including camping gear (d) riding experience (as close as possible to a regular, non-folding bike, re touring. Looking for recommendations. I've looked at Brompton, but it doesn;t seem to be able to carry much and the gearing isn't really appropriate for touring. I have a triple chain ring and probably would want to get down to the low 20's for low gears. My friends Russ and Laura are doing fine on Bromptons. Have a read: http://pathlesspedaled.com/ I don't see them fold the bike, so why ride a folder???? Lou |
#8
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folding bike for touring
On Oct 9, 11:16*am, Lou Holtman wrote:
Op 9-10-2011 17:43, landotter schreef: On Oct 8, 11:44 pm, *wrote: I am a lifelong bike tourer contemplating buying a folding bike for touring. Has anyone who has made the switch to a folding bike for long- distance, self-contained touring had a positive experience? *My criteria a (a) folds quickly and easily (b) low and variable gearing (c) supports panniers - I carry all of my stuff, including camping gear (d) riding experience (as close as possible to a regular, non-folding bike, re touring. Looking for recommendations. I've looked at Brompton, but it doesn;t seem to be able to carry much and the gearing isn't really appropriate for touring. I have a triple chain ring and probably would want to get down to the low 20's for low gears. My friends Russ and Laura are doing fine on Bromptons. Have a read: http://pathlesspedaled.com/ I don't see them fold the bike, so why ride a folder???? At the link there are many photographs of the bikes folded for luggage compartment storage. Most light rail doesn't require this, though. |
#9
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folding bike for touring
On 10/9/2011 9:16 AM, Lou Holtman wrote:
Op 9-10-2011 17:43, landotter schreef: On Oct 8, 11:44 pm, wrote: I am a lifelong bike tourer contemplating buying a folding bike for touring. Has anyone who has made the switch to a folding bike for long- distance, self-contained touring had a positive experience? My criteria a (a) folds quickly and easily (b) low and variable gearing (c) supports panniers - I carry all of my stuff, including camping gear (d) riding experience (as close as possible to a regular, non-folding bike, re touring. Looking for recommendations. I've looked at Brompton, but it doesn;t seem to be able to carry much and the gearing isn't really appropriate for touring. I have a triple chain ring and probably would want to get down to the low 20's for low gears. My friends Russ and Laura are doing fine on Bromptons. Have a read: http://pathlesspedaled.com/ I don't see them fold the bike, so why ride a folder???? Lou I have a Brompton (three in fact) and I can't imagine doing touring of any distance on one. It folds small, and would be convenient if you needed a bicycle once you reach a city by train or bus, but you would not want to ride 50 miles a day on one. One of the older Birdy bicycles might be good for touring as well, but they have several drawbacks including the difficulty of sourcing 18" tires and tubes. |
#10
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folding bike for touring
bobdobbs wrote:
I am a lifelong bike tourer contemplating buying a folding bike for touring. Has anyone who has made the switch to a folding bike for long- distance, self-contained touring had a positive experience? My criteria a (a) folds quickly and easily (b) low and variable gearing (c) supports panniers - I carry all of my stuff, including camping gear (d) riding experience (as close as possible to a regular, non-folding bike, re touring. Looking for recommendations. I've looked at Brompton, but it doesn;t seem to be able to carry much and the gearing isn't really appropriate for touring. I have a triple chain ring and probably would want to get down to the low 20's for low gears. As others have mentioned, you're giving a tough list of requirements. Folding bikes necessarily have more design compromises than ordinary bikes. Doing better on one requirement (like quick folding) often compromises other requirements (like providing a good ride.) You should at least investigate the Bike Friday line. Their New World Tourist is designed to fit most of your requirements. Unlike some makes, they have made strong attempts at providing a good ride, plus producing appropriate racks and other hardware. There's also a large community of owners who are quick to give detailed advice. You can start at http://www.bikefriday.com/bicycles/touring and search on "YAK" if you want to sign up for the mailing list. FWIW, Bikes Friday are used by Phil Liggett, Lon Haldeman, and lots of other noteworthy cyclists. Many people use them for long tours. They're a far cry from "ride home from the train station" folding bikes. OTOH, they don't fold as quickly and easily as some others. Green Gear calls them "travel bikes," noting that they are designed to mimic the ride of a bike with normal wheels, plus pack into a suitcase with some disassembly, rather than fold in seconds. The "quick fold" takes me about 90 seconds to two minutes, but that leaves the handlebars just hooked over a frame tube and held loosely by velcro. It's a somewhat rattly package, and not as compact as (say) a Dahon. But in my experience, the ride is far better than any Dahon (or other folding bike) I've tried. Also, each Friday is built to order. You get to specify every detail, including getting the bike to fit just like your road bike, and (of course) getting the gearing you want, with the help of a technical salesman. Our salesman (Walter) was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. About 20 minutes of work disassembles the bike and packs it into a suitcase. That way it flies without the airlines' extra high prices for carrying a bicycle. So what do you do with the suitcase when you arrive? If you buy the optional kit, you put 12" wheels and a towing tongue on it and tow it behind the bike. We've ridden up to 50 miles on our Fridays, towing the cases. We've also done somewhat shorter rides with large backpacks sitting upright on a low rear rack - a non-standard trick I came up with. The bikes handle fine both ways. Many others have crossed continents on Fridays. Having said that, the ride is not exactly equal to a regular touring bike. The tall stem gives some fore-aft flex, especially when climbing; and the rolling resistance is a bit higher than a 700c road bike, no matter what they claim. At least, that's what my coast-down tests told me. Because of that, I use my "big wheel" bikes for ordinary use, and I use the Friday when I travel; but there are many who use their Friday for everything. -- - Frank Krygowski |
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