Originally Posted by
skitch23
I've wanted a folding bike for a few years just for the portability, but never took the plunge. Now I'm at a new work location where it would be just as efficient (maybe even more so) to ride a bike to lunch as it would be to drive.
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Details about me and what I'm looking for:
- I'm 5'4" & 115lbs so something lightweight would be awesome.
- My office is on the side of a mountain with ~100ft elevation change (all paved) to get down to the main road so I'm assuming I need something with a few gears so I don't die on my way back. Everywhere else is fairly flat.
- I'd be riding 5mi round trip max.
- Color makes no difference as I can paint it if need be.
- I don't need anything for offroading as I have access to a mountain bike for that.
- I currently only ride the mountain bike a few times a year and the only time I purchased a bike was ~20yrs ago at Walmart.
- Something that comes with a rack on the back would be a plus... or at least have the option to add a rack.
My read is that you're a relatively casual rider that simply wants to get around easier. There are a lot of bikes that would satisfy your requirements, IMO.
My experience with Downtubes were positive. At the selling price, I think it will be hard for you to go wrong with a Downtube Nova. Ride the old bike around a bit. Make sure it fits you fine ... you might make some adjustments. Take some measurements with the old bike. That should give you a better idea of what to ask regarding whether the bike will fit you rather than just your height and weight. I'd talk to Yan first prior to buying regarding how the bike will fit you -- he typically has a page somewhere that describes the bike's dimensions and how to compare it to what you're riding now -- and what racks fit his bikes well. Make sure that you'll be able to change the chainring on the bike since even if it has a 7-speed freewheel on the rear, the gearing might still be too low/tall for you. The ability to change the chainring to adjust it for your tastes might be important.
There are other good alternatives with Dahon and such. The subtle perk with Dahon is that they have tons of accessories for their bikes ... racks, fenders, and so on.
If you live in a large metropolitan area, you might consider looking at the used market first since a lot of bikes, IMO, will probably fit your needs.