Training.Wheels

Just wondering if the occasional bunny hop onto and off of curbs is damaging my Link Uno in any way.

Azreal911

I ride mine on bumpy gravel roads every so often no problems here. Curbs I don't just to bmx jump but just roll off the curb if needed. I like my stuff to last. But if i'm on my mtn bike with fat franks (2.35 inch fatty tires) it must go off the curb at full speed .

fietsbob

all depends on technique.. get back in 10 years of doing that and report .

in the mean time , what does the frame warrantee stipulate?

BM below , if was your dealer , will go to bat for you ,
it appears, when a claim has to be made

brakemeister

no

downtuber

I wouldn't bunny hop on a folding bike. I would imagine it puts a lot of stress on the hinge bolts where the bike folds. Do it enough times and the hinge bolt(s) might eventually bend or break since that's the weakest part of the frame. Folding bikes and their multi-part frames obviously don't have the strength of one-piece frames. but of course that's the trade-off. You sacrifice some strength for the convenience of the fold.

Ozonation

If engineered correctly, bolts and hinges can be pretty tough because designers know that they will be opened/closed many times. Sometimes it's not the connector itself that fails, but the material around it that fatigues and breaks.

Sometimes on my Brompton I wonder about the extremities. The folding design means extended handles and seats, and that creates a pretty long moment arm: a regular bike often has a more supportive geometry.

hopperja

Agreed, and in the few hundred miles I have on my Link P9, I've jumped off of several curbs with never a problem or even a flex in the frame/handlepost. In a pinch, I wouldn't hesitate to launch off of two steps.

brakemeister

maybe I said no to doing bunny hops :-)

pacificcyclist

New owner getting buyers remorse, cause they thought they're getting a BMX?

Training.Wheels

Haha no wayy. I knew the difference

hopperja

Perhaps not your YOUR folding bike, but on my Tern Link P9, I've been able to bunny hop without any subsequent problems (just playing a round/showing off for my 10 year old). No, I haven't bunny hopped up a curb, mostly because I have a Carradice Nelson longflap saddle bag mounted and, when out riding around and full of stuff, the weight inhibits such a hop. Otherwise, I wouldn't hesitate to bunny hop up a curb.

I definitely wouldn't bunny hop on a Brompton.

NeoteriX

I dunno if this helps any:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6lvRvfsXUo

badmother

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G62gRmdIBY0&NR=1&feature=endscreen

Do not do this at home..

Training.Wheels

WOW. That's awe-tastic.

iFold

cool! but I doubt if these B's will last long. hehehe

EM42

i see a crack

Taipei Tony

One of the Bromptons in the video, the red one, appears to have no cables. Is that one running a single speed + coaster brake?!

Ozonation

Cool! I'd forgotten about this video.

Sometimes it's really hard to tell just how much "abuse" something can take. A properly engineered bike (or whatever actually) can take more than you think: what is typically listed is usually the safe or typical operating conditions. What gets harder to predict are dynamic loads: a 150 lb person whumping away on a bike doing tricks is probably more stressful than a 300 lb person just riding it on a smooth road.

I doubt a bunny hop is going to ruin a Brompton, Tern, or Dahon. Doing 1000s of times under harsh conditions could be another story! Just be sure to film it for the rest of us!

downtuber

bunny hopping up a curb might be okay. but I wouldn't want to risk going off the curb, not on a thousand dollar plus folding bike. I don't think the warranty would cover the damages haha.

badmother

Coaster brake is impossible to use with a chain tensioner so in that case he must have removed the chain tensioner and setteled for a B that does not fold (and a half link). I would guess that a fixed hub would be the same. I did not look closely on his bike. Could there be a red housing or something?

hopperja

Perhaps you didn't read each of my replies (I don't blame you, I probably wouldn't have either).

So, to be clear... I have launched myself many times off of curbs on my Tern Link P9 with no problems and not even a hint of flex. I would launch it off of a couple of steps, if needed. I would bunny hop up and down curbs. I would bunny hop on flat land just to do it. No hesitations, it is a very stout frame.

Training.Wheels

How bout posting a video, hopperja?

hopperja

I'll talk with my oldest (10 yo boy) to see if he knows how to do that (take video then figure out how to post it).... hmm...