16" With Balloon Tires?
 

I am looking for a non electric 16" with 2.125" tires and wheels for around $500 or less. There are plenty of folding eBikes with 16" x 2.125 tires and wheels but the non electric ones seem to be somewhat rare. Does anyone know of a manufacturer that makes model with this tire and wheel size? Another option is to upgrade a 16" with 2.125" tires and wheels. Does anyone know if any of the 16" Dahon models are upgradable to 2.125" tires and wheels?

What kind of use are you planning for these tires? For example, if you just want a fat tire look on a city bike then the tires are relatively thin, but if you are considering going off-road you might have to figure in the size of the knobbles on the tread, which make the tires wider and taller.

I assume that you are considering a wider wheel rim as well, rather than crowding the tires onto standard rims?

Dahon used to make a model called the Curve which came with Schwalbe Big Apple tires (16x2.0) but I don't see it listed on their website anymore (the USA version anyway). Given your price range, you might consider the Citizen Tokyo ($374) but I'd reach out to their customer service first to see if the frame has enough clearance for tires that wide (it comes with 16x1.75).

Check out the new Origami Lotus: Lotus – Origami Bicycle (origamibicycles.com)

I live in a rural area where there are potholes.

If you don't mind me asking, why are you only considering 16" and not 20"? I would think a 20" wheel could manage pot holes a little better than 16".

He-who-must-not-be-named said between the pandemic and the world-wide bike boom he has been unable to get a supply of Curves for the US market.

He whose name who can only be referenced. Apparently his folding forum at MTB is gone.

I prefer the portability of a 16". If I can get the job done with 16" I just asume to go with that.

There are a number of variants of the Curve. The only variant I could find with the 16x2 tires was the Curve D3 which appears to be an obsolete model.

If your problem is with potholes I recommend trail tires rather than balloon tires. If your problem were sand or marshy ground then a wider tire could help by spreading the load over a wider area so that you sink less. Potholes need a tire with stiffer side walls, otherwise your rims can smack right into the hard edge of the pothole.

At the moment a lot of what we see on electric folders are a 'cool look' to attract new people to the bike scene, and the cool look of the moment includes things like beach cruisers.

Here is my pothole machine, on my 24" wheels-of-choice and old-school style.


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b949f25567.jpg
Tigger in the snow

Gotcha. Since a lot of people upgrade tires, I'd like to see more manufacturers supply max tire size info.

Good luck and let us know what you find.

The management trashed that entire forum. It's a jumbled mess of crap. I hate that place now,... :wtf:

There are other obstacles besides potholes such as those treacherous metal drainage grates that are typically on the side of the street where I ride my bike. Years ago when I had a road bike with 700c's I rode into one. Serious pucker factor.

Avoid riding in the gutter ;)

If you want fat tires, look for a bike you like at a good price point that has the width for a fat tire, and put them on. It is going to be your bike, after all.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7c8a830027.jpg
Dahon Curve w/fatter tires,...
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...dc1cb01540.jpg
Origami Wasp w/fattie tires,...
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...93caa22ee5.jpg
Downtube Mini w/fattie tires,...

All get tires that are at least 16x2.0