jfouellette

Well Good for you for mastering it! I guess some people are just better at it or the bike is a better design.

Nyah

Sorry, I didn't mean to upset.


A side-folding bicycle, as long as the magnet is holding the fold closed, can usually be rolled on the front wheel like a unicycle. Just tilt it enough to lift the rear wheel slightly off the ground so that it rolls forward/backward unencumbered.

jfouellette

no problem.

jfouellette

Here is my new project. Ordered a new front tire to match the rear, swept back handlebars. I’ll replace the 7 sp grip shifter with a thumb shifter, new brake cables and housing. The has an interesting fold system. Note the sachs 3x7 dual gear system. Front hub is also Sachs.

jfouellette

Here is the final result. My Bike Friday is now An urban adventure version.

bikebikebike

I will use a flimsy cable just to prevent hop on and ride offs while I pee or get coffee, but not for more than 5 min.
but a D lock for anything more. That's flat gambling. Not blaming , but really, you gambled and lost.
A pro thief is a pro, and eyeballs are the only defense. Locks that are portable, just delay or distract them.
Most cables and locks are made of butter. Bike racks are a buffet.

I have adapted a hand cart to tote my 20"ers, modeling after the Brompton SIDEWINDER. for any portage over a few yards,
because all folded foldies roll like a turd in their native state, regardless of what they claim.
If anyone objects to the bike on the bus/train, I use a cover and call it luggage or my Personal mobility device,
and make up some malarkey about being an elderly cripple or something equally pathetically offensive if challenged.

I would no more lock a bike on the street or public spot than leave my wallet on the table.
If I have to do that, I ride a bike that cost less than the lock.

Schwinnsta

Please post a picture of this. Since most 20s fold sideways, and most racks are lower than the saddle.

joey buzzard

Good for you.

Some.people need their bikes for commuting and/or errands and find it necessary to leave their steeds unattended. While you're quite right that cable locks are junk, and I'd personally be reluctant to leave a bike any one place for too long, in reality sometimes it's necessary to lock up. Myself I tend to choose a spot with a lot of foot traffic, and I avoid leaving anywhere locked overnight. There's never any guarantees of course, but everyone has to figure out what their needs Vs what risks they're willing to take, especially if living car-free and the bicycle is the principle mode of transportation. Different locations can present different risks too. In England I lived one place I could leave a rather nice roadbike unattended and completely unlocked while I walked around a busy village. It would've made the local news had my bike been nicked. I moved thereafter to a city less than a hundred miles away and got my Campagnolo wheels stolen off my D-locked frame after leaving it outside a pub for less than thirty minutes. So it all a bit depending on circumstances.

​​​​

Nyah

That's nonsense. Side-folding 20" bicycles can usually roll on their tire while in folded-mode. I do that anytime that I can't take it with me unfolded.

Nyah

Not me.

If it's a store that won't let me bring in a bicycle, that's when I take advantage of my folding bicycle. In folded-mode, it can't be cycled and thus not a bicycle at that particular time.

Never leave your bicycle outside of your control.

Ron Damon

Generally, yeah... Though the region of the world matters a lot. Some countries are still not afflicted by unchecked, rampant bike theft. Just the other day I was at a café and there were a two unlocked, unfolded, unattended London jobs perched on the bike rack outside. I routinely get hassled on this forum for not posting images of my bikes folded (wtf?). The reality is they are only seldom folded because it is safe to leave them outside unfolded.

bikebikebike

I totally agree. If it's a nice bike, it needs to be something I can toss over my shoulder. Or toss in the cart.
Here too, many places lack bike racks and even my REI puts the one they have in a place only a bike thief could love. Away from traffic/doors, out of sight, in the alley, etc.
A coffee shop I use put its rack over a street drain. Geeze.
Small wheels /rollers , non parallel tires, unbalanced folded geometry and weight make rolling stock bikes difficult, at best possible.
Bringing a bike inside really pisses a lot of folks off. DAMHIK. I had the rackless Walgreen's pharmacist refuse to fill my RX if I went through the drive in line. LOL.
I get it.
Streeted wheels are often not the cleanest things.
I like your notion " Folded it's not a bike.". Right. It's luggage.

Secure bike parking is as important as trails and dedicated lanes

Jipe

There are many reasons other than avoiding the bike to be stolen to use and fold a folding bike!

Reducing the interest of folding a bike to just avoid to have it stolen is a complete misunderstanding of the use done by most people of folding bikes.

bikebikebike

I didn't hear him folding just to avoid theft, but I sometimes fold to make it fit a bike rack better, and of course you can carry it inside, the likely best protection in risky spots.
Folding my SatRday , Brommie and the Mobikey are done mostly to perform in front of an audience or just feel nifty or good inside. :-)

jfouellette

I agree but once stolen you tend to shy away from the benefits of paying for a folding bike’s features. In my case in hindsight, a non folding adult smaller wheel (20 or 24 in.) is probably more appropriate for my use. The problem is poor availability in North America.

Local bike infrastructures don’t always lend itself to the features of folding bikes. For example, easy access to public transport when you need to cary the bike up and down six flight of stairs before you get to the exit or platform.

Nyah

A folded side-foldie with non-parallel tires isn't a problem to those determined to roll it in this mode. I shift the weight completely over to the wheel under the fork, allowing it to roll like a unicycle. It works great.



Jfouellette, get youself a Fnhon Storm frameset w/V-brake mounts and build up the nicest folding bicycle currently possible (aside from going titanium). Then just never leave it outside of your control.

Schwinnsta

Two thoughts on this, one, have you ridden a Brompton or a Swift? How are you qualified to say that Fnhon makes the best folder? I don't even know if it will fit me. I barely fit on folders designed for western bodies. My history with Dahon frames has been negative. I would likely have to end up paying more to ship it than for the frame.

As for keeping a bike with you all the time, it's just not practicable, especially with 20-inchers. I bought my Swift used for $320 and my Zizzo Liberte new $325. I lock them in well travelled areas, with one of these. And if you think this can be easily defeated with either a bolt cutter or portable grinder than you just know. If someone does take one of these bikes, I will replace it.

Ron Damon

Right, there are many reasons for choosing a folding bike and choosing whether to fold it. You have yours, which are not mine. And I have mine. I simply have no need for frequent folds or the smallest fold. One reason is that I don't live in crime riddled places and I can leave the thing outside, unfolded, unattended. You want to fold yours frequently or for others reasons, knock yourself out, pal.

Ron Damon

The funny thing is that when the shoe is on the other foot, that is, someone pontificates that a Eugene or London job rides best, the claim is taken as gospel and goes unchallenged. 😉

By your very own admission, you are an outlier so little of this may apply to you. Things will be rather different for the other plus/minus two standard deviations of humanity. 😎

Ron Damon

I hear ya. Build it yourself to your exact spec for a fraction of the price of those other folders. 😉 I agree, the best racket in folders today.

​​​​​...Or a rim-brake Gust 20" 😉

Schwinnsta

If you rode these bikes, you criticize, then you can be fair judge. I never knocked Jipe on his posts about his wonderful Birdy. I don't think I would like it because of the front suspension bobbing. I did have Moultons and ultimately sold them due to the front suspension. Since I never rode the Birdy, I can not be a knowledgeable critic. I do not criticize bikes due to where they're manufactured. Quality is quality. If you think I pontificate on Eugene and London then you are just wrong. Both places do make a quality product. Other places do too. The Swift and Zizzo are both Chinese bikes. They both great rides and great values. How is it that when I post that I ride a Zizzo with 98 cm chain stays you say that I like Porkers While the same 98 cm chain stays on the Fnhon are responsive. I think you often try to make the case that we, all of us in the west, look down you if we say BikeFriday or Brompton. Why is that?

Ron Damon

Allow me to correct a few misunderstandings. I have never said that you "like Porkers" in relation to the 98cm wheelbase Zizzo. It even doesn't make sense cuz 'Porker' refers to weight while we are talking about length here. I do recall, however, that you felt that a 98cm wheelbase was too short, insufficiently stable.

98cm wheelbase on an FnHon? I am not aware of any FnHon with a wheelbase of 98cm. I certainly haven't ridden a 98cm wheelbase FnHon, much less opined on its responsiveness.

For a bit of perspective, mean height world-wide for people born in 1975. You can play with the slider on the site if you were born after or before that year.


Great article with plenty of visualizations, btw.
https://ourworldindata.org/human-hei...ross-the-world

Jipe

There are no specifications at all about these multiple FnHon frames, no geometry information to know to what people they will fir (reach, stack...) no information about their wheelbase, no information about the weight of the frame, no information about the reliability of the folding mechanism, no information about their folded size,

Just pictures!

For the need to fold, many people mix transportation methods, bike+car+train+bus+flight, in many countries people have little place to store their bikes, other people have a boat or a plane in which they want to have a (folded) bike, these are main reasons to choose a folding bike

jfouellette

Very interesting map. Based on the data I m shorter than avg for the northern hemisphere. No wonder I have problems finding a bike that fits me. It also explains why minivelo s are not available in North America.

Ron Damon

Whatever, man... 😂