26 inch folding bike?
 

Yep, I am asking about 26 inch folding bikes. I do not know what most of the choices are. What I want is....
26 inch wheels
2 inch mt bike tires
rim brakes, not disc
single speed is ok, (slideing dropouts,) but is to much to hope for

Have you had a look at Montague offerings?

I'd check your local Craigslist. I see them pop up from time to time.

Also look on E-Bay. Once you start seeing what is available, you can narrow down what you want. I don't think I'd hold out for discs.

I can't tell about horizontal dropouts. The Fuji looks like it may have relatively long dropouts. The Dahon may also have horizontal dropouts, but shorter???? You'd need some close-ups to see if they are what you want.

Here are a couple that are local here in Eugene.

fuji folding cycle - $65 (west 11th)
http://images.craigslist.org/00T0T_i...89_600x450.jpg

Dahon Folding Bike - $450 (south eugene)
http://images.craigslist.org/00g0g_l...AX_600x450.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/01515_k...Cw_600x450.jpg


Shipping would be a pain, but not impossible.

Perhaps I give an example of what the bike would be used for.

In the NE corner of Guatemala there are some 2,600 year old Mayan ruins. The best way to get there would be on a bicycle. Fly to Guatemala, with bike in a case, fold bike and ride a bus, unfold bike and ride around town to buy food etc, fold bike and ride bus, unfold bike and ride to ruins with much food for many days, enjoy.

or

Ride Baja Mexico. Not ride Mex 1. Do ride back roads with wide tires, do take local bus with bike folded to avoid narrow highway, unfold bike and ride safe back road.

The fuji would most likely work, but, I am far from Eugene today.

Aluminum Paratroper, the aluminum part puts me off. Anybody ride one 10,000 miles, and want to report? Anyone no how to get a paratroper frame only? Are there any other choices besides the Paratroper that use common size hubs and common parts?

Being able to fly with the bike is important!

Are you wanting single speed (or something to convert to single speed), or geared?
And, your planned touring, are you headed to the mountains?

Where are you located?

I can probably go snag the Fuji, and ship it across the USA (if it hasn't sold yet), but probably not out of the country. It looks like it is a steel frame. It says it needs work. I don't know what that means, but assume you need to go through everything. Brakes, wheels, shifters, etc.

Shipping for bikes seems to run $50 to $100. But, I'd encourage you to do a bit of hunting locally, and thus avoid the shipping.

Are you sure a 26" bike is what you need, and not a 20" one? The 26" is probably a bit more rugged, but the 20" would be easier to pack and ship. And BMX tires/wheels are good.

I also know of a 700c frame (I think) with S&S couplers for $250 or so. You'd have to do the rest of the bike build. The brand wasn't obvious when looking at it. The S&S coupled bikes are supposed to pack nicely, but presumably take a bit more work to get disassembled and assembled.

The first generation of Montague bikes where called the bi frame and were all steel frames and forks. There sold under different brand names as well such as Schwinn, Rudge and BMW to name a few.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=447192

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=447193

Hello
Dahon have others models of "big folding bikes", like the Expresso. It's heavy, low end components, but one of the most affordable "correct" 26" folding on market. Cheaper must be, i think, a kind of lottery because they are for a majority copies of montague bikes, made in china without quality control.
But it's possible you could find a good model in these prices.

These big wheel folding could be a good base for upgrading and have a honnest touring or sport road bike, like here:
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5036/7...09e79fe212.jpg

Of course the big problem is the place they take, compared to a 20" folding...

I just purchased a Tern Joe P24. It's fantastic for the price, fully upgradeable, my fenders and rack for it arrive today. It can even take 2.35 inch Schwalbe Big Apple tires. And it's a SOLID RIDE! I don't feel like I'm riding a folder at all.

26 parts are available all over the world. Most of the 20 inch folders have their own size hub, and dont take bmx wheels.
Can you find out what size the S&S bike frame is?
Are they selling the case with the frame?
thanks

Most 20 inch folders that I've seen use regular bmx tires & innertubes.

As for gearing, I'd recommend it if you plan on riding around and site seeing. Makes hills and such less tiring.

the wheels from bmx do not fit a folder,

I'm sure it was either 700c or 27", but I'll take a look at it Tuesday (the shop where it is at is closed on Sunday/Monday). I'll try to take some photos, and measure the seat tube and top tube too.

I believe it was a bare frame + fork for $250, no case or bags.

Depends. Most folders still have a 100mm dropout in the front (or am I behind the times?). Exceptions I know of are Dahon, Tern, Bike Friday (20" ones considered here).

Also, many BMX bikes use standard 10mm front axles. Still dead easy to buy a BMX front wheel with 10mm axles, at least.

Most BMX (children's) bikes use the 20x1.5 to 2.125 rims (406mm).

The high-end folders use 20x1 1/8 (451mm). However, the low end folders still use the 406mm rims.

If you did a custom-fab bike, such as Bike Friday, then you could probably specify exactly which wheels, dropout width, etc. It wouldn't be fun to blow something up, then have to mount a BMX single speed wheel, but you could make it work. Or, simply acquire a good rim and custom build the wheel.

I've owned 2 20 inch wheeled folders (Xootr Swift, and a Melon Slice), and I still own a Lombardo 20 inch wheeled minivelo. ALL use standard tires - including BMX tires. There are thinner rims designed for speed, but most average folders don't have them stock. Tern, Dahon, Xootr,...all use the 406 rims. And all were great quality - especially my custom built 406 wheelset w/the NuVinci N360 hubset.

I think chrisx is trying to say that the HUBS in the front wheel of most 20" folding bikes (and thus the front wheel) is not the same as the hub width on a bmx bike. Not the tires.

It sounds like a nobel idea if you can find the right folding bike. But don't let the folding bike thing deter you from your accomplishing your dream trip(s). The two scenarios you presented above are really doable with a regular (non-folding) 26"-wheeled bike. You can put any size bike in the cargo area of any bus in Mexico and most of Latin America, usually at no extra charge, or worst case for a small tip to the bus driver.

The only scenario I could foresee needing a folding bike or demountable (e.g., S&S couplers) is for flying, esp. if taking puddle jumpers is part of the itinerary. Buses, trains, ferries, small boats should not present a problem.

IMO, your search should be about finding a solid bike for the job. If you can get it in either a folding format or with S&S couplers, that's icing on the cake. The discontinued Surly LHT Deluxe is a good match for this kind of adventure. Check out, however, their soon-to-be-launched World Troller which will be even more capable on the rough off roads of Baja and muddy roads of Central America -- 26" wheels (check), off-road capable (check), compatible with rim or disc brakes (check), wide tire clearance (check), S&S couplers for easy traveling (check).

That might make a bit more sense. My son's BMX bike has some thick, wide hubs. They might not work on a folder.

But the ETRTO tire standard BSD ie 406 is common to folders with 20" wheels of that size and BMX .

If you are speaking of different hub widths Please measure the width and converse in the Measured Numbers .. ;)


My Bike Friday front wheel and the 2 wheels on my Burly trailer are all 100mm wide with 9mm axles that happen to be QR,

some 16" wheel bikes have a 74mm wide Hub, part of making the fold that much more compact.

Bike Friday fan? :rolleyes: 451 doesn't equate to high-end. My Speed Pro TT and former Mu SL had 406 Kinetix's. As do most of the higher end performance folders from Dahon and Tern.

They shouldn't.

I got kicked off the train in the middle of nowhwere at midnight in Italy for taking my bike on the train. Last train through the station, and they were closing up quickly as I was still trying to figure out what to do. I never did get my ticket refund. I think I would have been fine with a monster sized bag that it could fit in (wheels off), but since it looked like a bike, the conductor didn't like it. Fortunately it was on a road leading "home", so I took off and rode until I couldn't ride anymore.

That was before LED lamps, so to conserve batteries I would just turn off my taillight until I saw a car coming, then turn it back on until the car passed.

But, here in the USA, I've had my bike in the train baggage car, and I think in the under bus storage compartment, as well as with me on trams. So far I haven't had it riding on the front or rear bumper of a bus.

Yeah...
Bike Friday is the Local Bike Shop around here. :thumb:

But, I must admit that my folder is a low-budget Chinese bike :eek:

20" BiFri, 16" Brompton [FWIW neither cheap.]

Bi Fri has nice pre delivery options , Brompton I changed things once I owned it.

FWIW, the Dahon Cadenza (& Candenza Solo), the Dahon Flo, the Dahon Fuego and Dahon Zero G all approach what you asked for in post 1.

For the scenarios in post 4, IMO you're over thinking a need to fit locally available wheels - and for that matter, a need to even fold the bike.