Pine Cone

I would love to have rim size options of 305/349/406!

I have an old Vision R32 recumbent that uses 349s. Limited choices in the 1990s, seems to be even more limited now. Have a Downtube Mini that uses 305s, more tire choices, smoother ride, fewer flats than the 349s.

The 406 is the clear winner for small bike tire choices. I have used 451s since 1974 and bought my Pacific Reach Offroad in 2006 which will be my last 451 tire bike. The wide range of brands, widths, tread patterns, tire construction, et cetera make the 406 tire my favorite small tire.

I reluctantly agree that hydraulic disc brakes may be the best choice for brakes on a folding bike if you ride in major urban areas. One of the most common folding bike mechanical problems I have faced on 7 folding bikes ridden during the last 46 years is bent cables and cable housings on brakes and derailleurs. With hydraulic brakes there is no cable to bend or cause friction, but I don’t know how sturdy hydraulic bicycle brake housings are.

I do know that when I bicycled through rural Bali, Indonesia in the choices for bicycle repair parts and tools was very limited. Having lived in small town America for most of the last 40 years I don’t count on much of a choice in bicycle parts outside of large urban areas. Often I am pleasantly surprised, but I would not bet my life or my bicycle tour on being able to buy hydraulic disc brake bicycle brake pads or housing everywhere I rode.

For me the biggest concerns I have for the Origami Lotus are the maximum top-of-pedai to top-of-seatpost length and the effective top tube length. If I don’t fit the bike I don’t care about anything else.

vanngoh

Looks good, 1st glance i thought its a fnhon Gust with ant leg. I didnt buy Gust and dahon K3 plus is because they are 16".

I hope they are not in square BB!
My fnhon Storm 406 came w Sq bb with disc brake. Heavy as hell. I will have to buy a hollow bb and swap to a litepro crankset.

Most ppl will change the handle bar, seat post, swap out your stock Kenda tyres, upgrade the wheelset, and the RD.. so keeping the price down with stock parts are sensible moving fwd.

Pinigis 

its actually a hollow BB snd 58t chainring.

Pinigis 

Max pedal to top of seat is 35.5". Max rider height 6' 1"
Wheelbase is 37".
Effective Top Tube is 25 3/8"
Chainstay lenght 13"
Bottom bracket height is 12.5"

Folded sise is 25" x 25" x 13.5" (this can be reduced by pulling the seat post).

Pinigis 

In our final configuration: with 58t chain ring, stronger seat post for 260 lb capacity, more rigid adjustable-height handlebar, and front luggage block, we came in at 25 lbs.

It is always a tradeoff between functionality, adjustability, strenght, and weight. I think we reached a good compromize for most people, but will offer some lighter compenets for those who prefer to save a few pounds.

Pine Cone

Close, but about an inch short on the pedal-to-seat distance.

Overall it looks like a very nice bike.

Any chance for a longer seatpost for an extra charge? I have to over-extend my DT Mini seatpost and that always makes me nervous.

tds101 

Oh gawd,...IGH please!!!

Pinigis 

Yes, we can do that.

Pine Cone

Sounds good. I am interested.

Are you still considering a 406 wheel option?

Color choices?

Price and likely availability?

Pinigis 

no 406 wheels yet.
colors: Dark Cherry, Tangerine, and Lime
should be available in May.

Pinigis 

no 406 wheels yet.
colors: Dark Cherry, Tangerine, and Lime
should be available in May.

tdonline

Not gonna lie, that 25 pounds is disappointing. Understandable though. How much can one shave off with the lighter options you will be offering?

Big thumbs up on tangerine!

Pinigis 

I just checked, and we have 7/8" factor of safety on the "minimum insertion" line, so you wouldn't even need to get a longer seat post.

Pine Cone

That’s good news!

concreteone

Dear Paul, great bike, great price point! When I was looking at similar bikes I have always seen them portrayed with small lithe people using them, as I'm 6' and 230lbs I was never convinced they would hold up under me. How noodly does the long stem feel? How much does the seatpost bend? You mentioned going with a sturdier stem, have you tried it? Is the hinge pivot gonna work loose, can it be adjusted?

About the disk brakes - my major worry has always been bending the rotors while traveling packed under everything else. I have had a downhill bike messed up by plane loaders before. Do you not have this concern?

Thanks!

Pinigis 

We wanted to make sure that this will work for the American market, so we beefed up the seat post and used one with six stiffeners on the inside (see photo). This added a couple ounces but I feel no deflection when I ride. Yes, there is always a trade off between weight, strength, and function.

The handlebar stem is adjustable, but not “noodly” at all. I can force a little deflection, but in normal riding it isn’t noticeable. Also, the hinge is adjustable if needed.

I used to worry about traveling with disc brakes too, but have found it not to be such a big deal. I protect the discs with a medium-density foamed plastic when packing, but carry an adjustable wrench just in case. I can straighten a warped rotor in a few minutes.

Pinigis 

trace

This looks good! There currently aren't tons of options for lower priced 16" folding bikes.
Personally I'd prefer IGH and rim brakes for a folding bike because of the risk of damage to derailleurs and disc brakes when packing/traveling but I wouldn't rule out a bike because of those things.
Can this bike accommodate a rear rack?

Pinigis 

no rear rack, but we do include a front luggage block.

Front luggage block on Origami Lotus.

tds101 

I see the Lotus is available for sale. Any IGH model in the pipeline?

Lotus – Origami Bicycle (origamibicycles.com)

un.passant

Considering it is impossible to please everybody with a bike, I was wondering if it could be an option to sell frames ?
Not that I am currently in the market for a bike, but I just bought a frame myself because the Pacific Cycle Reach option did not suit me. The frame was pretty pricey and yet sold out, so I might not be the only one interested in making a custom folding bike.

tds101 

Contact Pinigis (Paul),...

Pinigis 

no IGH this year, but probably next

Pinigis 

yes, we are considering offering frames alone, or with some components attached.

Pinigis 

we are going to offer a seat-post-mounted rear rack in addition to the front luggage mount.